I mean the food was good..but make this make sense Joe... the menu says 15.99 for a pitcher of mango cart..but we were charged 16.99 for Michelobe. I understand times are tough but wow..update the menu or charge the right price. And check out the tip difference between the bill given to us and the copy to sign. read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - Tip amount discrepancy - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

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We were celebrating a birthday for one of my coworkers and needed the specific order that she wanted for her birthday. Joni was able to prepare the meal by 11:30 on a Tuesday. Of course it's more than we would spend normally but for catering this is the best deal around. He was able to provide salad, garlic bread and chicken fettuccine made just to order. It was absolutely fabulous. read more

Service was very good a very personable lady took our order. Salad was loaded with cheese and fresh lettuce one grape tomato This restaurant might be slightly better than the Olive Garden but I did not like the Sicilian style food. I would like the food if it was better quality. I don't eat because there is quantity on the plate unless it is also high quality and then take home the leftover food. It was an anniversary dinner and this place was not so special. Might not return as the cost is also high read more

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I ordered my mom a spaghetti with meatballs, and the total came to $28 dollars, and that was à la carte. I really don't see how a below average restaurant can justify charging such high prices. I compared prices to other local Italian restaurants and Johnny Russos is about 8 dollars more. Will likely not return. read more

Still the best sandwiches in the USA. The Torpedo Combo always hits the spot. I can't think of any other sandwich that rivals it and I travel the whole USA looking for better. This is the bar. read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - One of the best sandwiches in the USA. "Torpedo combo" - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

The food did not taste homemade at all. It was terrible. I wouldn't even advise her, but I don't like to eat there. It's that bad. I had spaghetti and meatballs. I'm sure that was out of a can and the frozen meatballs. My friend had chicken Parmesan. It was one of those frozen patties out of the grocery store. She was so disappointedan read more

Johnny Russo catered the memorial service for a loved one and the food was amazing. It was a difficult time and Russo's made it that much easier. The stuffed shells are fantastic. I've eaten at the restaurant itself as well, it has a family vibe with great service. The experience has the feel of a small, neighborhood restaurant that the locals cherish. Looking forward to patroning regularly. read more

It was lunch time and the place was crowded with the over 60 crowd (like me). I was on my way home from the hospital. Not the worst news, but let's say if I do wear that machine that helps you breath, I suspect marriage isn't in my future. You might not have seen the movie Blue Velvet, but the evil character is how I imagine myself looking. Anyway, I've been driving by Russo's for a long time and we don't have an Italian place where I live. They just don't make 'em like this any more. I had the fettuccine Alfredo lunch special. It came with a salad which was quite simple but quite good. After a bit, the pasta showed up. Right away I remembered my old buddy Doreen Russo. She passed away last year, but before she left the earth, she taught me a thing or two about pasta. The plate was covered in delicious noodles. I immediately tasted the butter. God I love butter which may have led to my needing that breathing machine but I'm committed to going to hell like a hero. I was listening to some of the other customers complain about the time it took to get their food. When the waitress, Brittany, came by with more bread and another coke, I had to tell her how surprised I was at how grumpy some customers were. I know from 10 years of waitressing that once a customer starts complaining, others will jump in. It's not a fast food restaurant and I reminded her of this. She kept apologizing and I kept telling her to knock it off. I told her that what she could say is how happy she is to serve this food. No apologies are necessary and I know my food was served in a timely fashion. Keep in mind that if that many locals are dining there, it's got to be good. Brittany mentioned she often asks her self what Mr. Russo would do. I love that self-reflection. It's rare in the restaurant industry these days. I know the veal thing is politically incorrect but I'll be back to try it (one more step towards the hero in hell deal). Cheesecake is a big thing here. My friend Doreen used to make it too. I miss my buddy and I miss this kind of mom and pop Italian places like this. I'll be back for the veal and the cheesecake but I had to miss them this time since, like a true retiree, I took the rest home for a second meal. Support the mom and pop's or all we'll have left is McDonald's. read more

The real deal! It has that real Italian family feel with everything running like a top. Real pros here. The sandwiches we had were super fresh and' extra good on the homemade focaccia. We stop here whenever we are in the area read more

1 Star - If I could give zero, I would. I had one of the most unprofessional and upsetting restaurant experiences of my life at Johnny Russo's in Banning on April 19, 2025, around 6:30 PM. From the moment we sat down, our server Ariel made it painfully clear that customer care and basic human decency were not on the menu. When I politely informed her of my seafood and gluten allergies, I started asking questions about certain menu items and specific ingredients. She said she would go check with the kitchen. When she came back, she casually admitted that she and the kitchen staff had been joking about it. Not only was that completely inappropriate, but it immediately made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. She later laughed in my face when I was confirming my allergies and said "We're not an allergy kitchen." I was stunned. It didn't stop there. On my way to the restroom, I overheard making jokes with other staff, loudly saying things like, "Well, you shouldn't go out and eat anywhere," and even calling me a "little bitch." Yes, really. A server in a professional setting said that about a customer with serious food allergies. We immediately decided not to eat there because I absolutely did not trust that Ariel or the kitchen would take my health seriously. When I confronted her on the way out, no apology, no accountability--just attitude. To top it off, when I asked to speak to a manager, I was told there wasn't one on site. So Ariel was free to treat guests however she pleased with no supervision or consequences. If a restaurant is going to offer gluten free options I believe it is important that all staff be educated and trained on how to deal with gluten allergies. When I told her we wouldn't be staying and that I'd be speaking to someone in charge, she gave me the most dismissive and smug attitude and said, "Okay, go ahead." Allergies aren't a joke. Respect and professionalism should be the bare minimum in a service job. I left feeling humiliated, angry, and completely unsafe. I will never return, and I highly recommend that anyone with dietary restrictions or allergies--or simply the desire to be treated with respect--stay far away from this place until serious changes are made. That being said, I want to give credit where it's due: our hostess, Alayna, was extremely welcoming and professional from the moment we walked in. The ambience was lovely, and the food smelled amazing--which makes the whole experience even more disappointing. I truly hope management takes a hard look at the culture being allowed on the floor, because this place has potential. read more

Our server was great and the salad and bread very good. Do NOT order the mini pizza as many in our group did. It was 75% dry dough.. A dollop of sauce a bit of cheese and mine particularly had so many large air bubbles it totally ruined the texture. Very disappointing as many of us had the pizza on previous visits and this was not at all what we were expecting. read more

For all the years I've lived out this way, this was my 1st visit. I'm a little disappointed with myself. We were invited to join in on a friends birthday dinner the other night , my husband and I ordered the eggplant Parmesan & fettuccine. It was absolutely delicious, my kid ordered the bbq pizza it was so good! I took a bites of my friends stuffed chicken and wow! The place was clean and the others that were dining in seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. We will be back! read more

Best service EVER! Our waitress was just phenomenal! Food was ... ok . Spumoni ice cream terrific. Atmosphere wonderful. I'm Italian so it's hard to please me, that's why the food is just ok. Give it a try you will probably love it! read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - Spumoni ice cream - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

First time there a few nights ago. Great food and service. Had the fettuccine Alfredo, taste was great, along with the garlic bread. Salad with Italian Dressing was awesome. Homemade, quality food, great value. Definitely will be back. read more

We visited 08/2025 and had a sweet waitress with short dark hair. She was great with kids. The food was good. We had the trio. The chicken dish was yummy. The only thing was the ceiling fans were going too quickly. It caused the food to cool off super quickly. But it was a good time for the most part. read more

best resturant i have ever been to in my life!!!!! service is fast and waiters are very nice. i like the decoratio and like how cozy it is. read more

It's pretty good. I'd give it a 5 out of 5. Plenty of food for the $'s. Good, friendly service. Good tasting foods. Nice environment with large tables. Large plates, unlike some of those Chinese places that serve on a saucer instead of a plate. The breads are good too - home made, fluffy, and large. Excellent waitress. Can't see anything justifying anything less than a five. Desserts look very good. The calamari was excellent, too. We might order a cheese cake serving to go. read more

Like the entertainment Johnny Russo's has on Sat. Radio Flyers is my favorite. His prime rib is great especially when catered to Sun Lakes Country Club. The Capuchino ice cream is great, recommended by nice waitress. Luv Russo's. Like the new bar. read more

I have only been here once but their food was great. Their Italian wedding soup was delightful and I will definitely order it again! Do not forget to order their cannolis! Atmosphere was as you'd expect in a family restaurant that's been around a long time. Very homely. We will come again for sure! read more

I would give them a 10 if I could. We had them cater my mom's 90th birthday. John was excellent to work with and everyone raved about the food! Definitely would use them again! read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - Rigatoni with meat sauce. Penne Alfredo. - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

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Dependable and great food! Pasta Alfredo with asparagus and stuff. Chocolate cake rocks read more

The Shrimp Fra Diablo was good; nice big shrimp and spicy sauce. Generally not a fan of linguine, but this dish was good. Dinner came with salad and garlic bread. The salad was very tasty with fresh mozzarella. The service was excellent. Very fast and friendly service throughout. read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - Garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

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Little Banning GEM! Delicious and great customer service! Highly recommend Lasagna and calzone. We'll need to try the pizza and chicken Parm next. Don't waste your craving at Olive Garden or elsewhere. read more

Service was very good. The food really wasn't anything worth going back to. But still a nice local place.

I have now ordered from Johnny Russo's for several of my work events and private events...... delivery is always amazing and food is great! Mr. Russo always so helpful! All my guests rave at the delicious food and they love the rolls with the amazing garlic butter. Thank you for the amazing food and service you provide! read more

The food and people were amazing. Their big supporters of veterans may be a Marine myself and the owner son being a marine that was awesome. I highly recommend this place. The Rosa sauce is incredible. read more

The BEST food, the restaurant is clean and VERY nice and service fantastic! Best restaurant in the pass! The pizza is super delicious! You have to go! read more

We were excited to try this place, and while the food was enjoyable, the experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the behavior of a server named Ariel. When my daughter mentioned her gluten allergy while ordering, Ariel laughed and said, "This isn't an allergy restaurant," which was already a bit off-putting. What made it worse was overhearing Ariel later while communicating with the kitchen staff about my daughter's allergy. She said things like, "Maybe she shouldn't eat out anywhere," and, shockingly, "Stop acting like a little bitch" -- clearly referring to her. This woman has zero class and presents a risk to this business. I'm not posting this to criticize the owner, but this kind of unprofessional and insensitive behavior toward customers -- especially when discussing something as serious as food allergies -- is unacceptable. Food allergies are not a laughing matter. I hope this is addressed so that others can enjoy their visit without being made to feel mocked or dismissed read more

This was our first time here but we'll definitely be back. The food was delicious and the staff was very attentive!

The service food is incredible. We've been here once before and it was just as good then, as it is now the staff is very friendly and helpful. We will definitely recommend this place. The ambience is incredible for the warm feeling. read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - The sign painted on the wall of the restaurant is a charming replica of a grape arbor, adding a delightful touch to the atmosphere! - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

We just moved to Banning and we were looking for a place for dinner. We passed by there then turned around and stopped in. We loved the smell of the food in there as soon as we walked through the door. We placed our order to go. We're eager to return for a sit down meal there. The canzone we ordered was fantastic. This restaurant is reminisant Palermo's on Vermont in Hollywood which was until we stopped at Johnny Russo's was the gold standard of Italian restaurants in my household. Like Palermo's, Johnny Russo's is a restaurant we would drive to. BROVO Johnny Russo's!! read more

We came here for my birthday lunch. We were a party of 12. Everyone got something different. The stand out was the Canneloni. The Calzone was different, it had ricotta in it. That's not a problem except some parts of the calzone were lukewarm. I did love the cannoli dessert. It was crunchy and baked right! The garlic toast was very good. The service for our table of 12 was fantastic, even the owners wife had come out. to help. She was very attentive read more

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went here a couple nights ago, unfortunately didn't have the best experience. we got the russo trio and the pastas didn't have much flavor. the salad and soup we got were good tho we also felt that we didn't have the best waiting service as our waitress didn't really come back to check on us after dropping our order off lastly they don't offer free refills read more

Fast, friendly, efficient and clean. Not the highest quality steak I've had but for the price, the friendly service and efficiency I'd give 5 stars. This isn't a steakhouse so I can't fault them for that. We were immediately greeted. Within a minute seated immediately asked if we'd like drinks. Within a couple minutes our waters we requested were brought out (without ice which most people don't listen to when we ask). We were soon thereafter greeted by our server. We each had a glass of wine, a side salad and a steak. I can't review the pasta because we didn't have any but this place smelled great and the pasta plates I saw looked good. I didn't notice a gluten free pasta option but didn't ask. We were both in the mood for steak anyhow and this place was close to the freeway and easy to get to. The service was amazing. My medium steak was more like medium well but still tender and had good flavor. The side veggies were different than most places. I'm not an olive fan so it wasn't my thing but fortunately my husband is. Side of veggies was olives, mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes. I'd definitely come back. Thank you to the host who sat us and our server Ariel for a good experience. read more

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Brought 31 people in tonight for dinner. The food was great and Ariel our server did such a great job. We are square dancers and love a good meal. We will be back. Will always recommend them! Thank you read more

Johnny Russo's Italian Kitchen - 31 square dancers from a lot of clubs - Italian Near Me - Banning, California

We want to Thank Jonny Russo and Jane for always doing a Wonderful Job, Making sure everything is First Class and a Great Staff. Last night Kristie was our server it was very busy and she was on top making sure everything was perfect, This is very hard to fine today. Thank You for all your hard work to make this happen. THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN BANNING, CA. Tom C. read more

service was great . food is very bland. no taste whatsoever . the standard Spagetti and meat sauce was like plain tomato sauce out of the can. tiny bits of meat if your lucky. had a few bites and left the rest it was so bad. the pizzas are a better choice then anything else on their menu. read more

Ordered the lasagna and it was amazing and well priced for the serving. Take out was ready when l arrived. Will definitely go back for more.

Hello, we celebrated a birthday recently at the restaurant, however when it came time to use the bathroom's they were hotter than the kitchen no ventilation whatsoever that needs to be addressed it's part of the experience.Please give it an air duct soon. Thank you read more

I broke my shoulder a week ago my grandkids from Arizona wanted to order me something on Uber eats. I chose Johnny Russo's. I'm so glad I did. I had the shrimp scampi dinner and the sausage and peppers dinner and their meatballs. Everything was over the top I eat in the desert a lot in Palm desert Johnny Russo's food is equal or superior to the dinners I've had in the desert. I text what I wanted to my kids in Arizona. They sent it in on their Uber eats account. I had it within 45 minutes package perfectly. Nothing left out. I will be a steady Johnny Russo customer from here on out thank you. read more