Great drinks and cool atmosphere. Food is ok. And it's almost too dark to see your food.

We went tonight for their grand opening. It felt like such a novelty; you have to have a password in order to get in, and it's an unmarked location below Mr. B's. They take you through the basement and into a freezer door that opens into a gorgeous exposed brick dining area. Sade was playing softly. I had an amazing mixed drink. and vegan meatballs that were so good, I thought they were real meat. Between the air of mystery and the wonderful - if small - menu, I can safely say that they're off to an auspicious start. It's a very classy, trendy, dim light affair. read more

A complete rip off. Although the atmosphere was kinda cool, not worth the money at all!!!!! Ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, absolutely the SMALLEST pour I have ever received anywhere! It was a joke. Asked if they could do a vegetarian pasta, they said yes, it would be a ragu of vegetables and hazelnut. It was buttered noodles! And they had the audacity to charge me $25.00 the same price as the Lamb Ragu!!!! COMPLETE unabashed RIP OFF!!! Don't waste your time or your money!! read more

I have to say...they did a good job making it feel like a speakeasy. They text you a secret password and you have to ring the doorbell. However, they could add a little bit more decor. The food and menu was a little disappointing. The one menu I viewed online was different than when we got there. There was no chicken options or vegetarian besides the two salads offered. The salad was pretty good and the salmon my boyfriend ordered was okay. The drinks were decent. Since it was my birthday, the waitress brought out crème brûlée with a candle of fire out to my table. This did make up for the food. Overall, it's definitely a cool place but would not come back based on the food. read more

Was looking for a place to take my honey on a date. Something new or different and spotted Johnny's on Yelp. Had slight reservations as new places try to work the kinks out but took the chance regardless. WOW I was not disappointed. First I didn't realize speakeasies were the up and coming thing which I found out later. Sent my text and got the code word. Had to text again as we were concerned possibly running late and quickly and politely got a response not to worry. We were not late. Walked thru B's to get to the back as there is some construction going on. Saw a non-descript door and used the code word as it opened. Greeted politely by a wonderful hostess, she thanked me for the text of possibly coming late and she was very personable. Taken down steps, thru a hot back room to a secret door she opened and there we were. Romantically dimmed, nice bar, bottle wall lit to show off the bar. It was more full than I expected though not to any capacity. Walked to a back table, seated, with water coming immediately as well as both food and drink menus. The waitress was superb in her knowledge of the menu, wine, and cocktails. As we perused the short though interesting menu we were brought an amuse bouche. She explained it and we enjoyed it. We ordered drinks, the Lobster Mac and the Lumped crab. Had to try the Johnny's Manhattan it was good and she ordered a rose which I tasted as was excellent. I later had the Yelevator and Gate and Garden. The wine and cocktails were all outstanding. The Lobster Mac title does NOT do it justice, because that is hardly what I would call Mac and Cheese. Fresh pasta so light and smooth it was wonderful. The Lumped crab was not quite as good for our palettes as the champagne vinaigrette was a bit lasting, though the crab tasted quite fresh. Johnny came out more than once to check with guests and ask about the food and service. Told him our comments on the two dishes when he came to our table and he gratefully offered the Creme Brulee because of our thoughts on the Lumped Crab. Seems like a great down to earth guy. We're usually not dessert eaters but this Burlee was delicious, not sweet, and wonderfully displayed with the cherry and edible splash. Great date night, talked to Johnny some more and really enjoyed the night. Great atmosphere there, maybe a little warm far back were we were seated, fun to watch the bartenders and people. Plan on coming back again and soon. Ideally with friends as well. Might try just to pop in to sit at the bar for a drink. read more

I loved this experience. After a text exchange that resulted in the receipt of a secret password, my companion and I entered through a back door and were escorted down a flight of stairs and through some sort of hot engineering room until we finally reached a romantically lit, elegant dining room and bar. Jazz played in the background and the speakeasy vibe was in full effect. We opted to sit at the bar and enjoyed watching the bartenders craft complicated cocktails , including a few infused with smoke. Our drinks were strong and gorgeous, garnished with small flowers. We were disappointed that we had already had dinner because there were entrees on the menu that we definitely wanted to try. We did share one of the best beet salads I've ever had and the lobster mac and cheese. I'm looking forward to returning. It's a perfect date night spot but I would feel comfortable going on my own for a drink. Oh, and we met Johnny himself, who was gracious and welcoming. That was the case with all of the staff we encountered. Johnny's is a really fantastic addition to the neighborhood. read more

Visit at the end of September 2018. I discovered this place through Yelp and I honestly can say that it was an amazing discovery. First the whole thing that they give you a password to enter and then you give that password and you enter through the kitchen, its really cool. The place is not that big but it has a bar and restaurant section, the time I was there we only went there for drinks that were pretty good and even Johnny himself came at the end, to see how we were doing. The only thing Im not giving a 5 star is that at some point in the night our waiter kind of abandoned us, but other than that it was a great experience. Im going back there probably this weekend. read more

Cool location good drunks good food. Very cool relaxed vibe. Maybe improve the reservation process

Super cool bar with great service, fantastic cocktails, and a chocolate soufflé to die for. We are big fans of Oakland, Valentine, Sugar House and, honestly, had low expectation about this place. Well, it was awesome and we are already planning to go back. Just a note: don't park at Chemical Bank lot like they recommended on the text message. They are waiting owner to come back from vacation to update it read more

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What can I say! This place is super cool! I think the reviews complaining about the decor or just being petty! It's a nice place with a atmosphere. Honestly all that's missing is a stage for live music or poetry! Would love to see that there! The husband and I dined here for our anniversary trying something different last minute lol. Food was good kind of wish it was more things to choose from on menu! But the food was good none the less. Owner was walking around and came by our table. He also sent us complimentary champagne for our anniversary which was very nice of him! read more

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The kitchen tends to be on the slow side, I've been here 6 times and each time was about the same, regardless of the volume of patrons dining in. Aside from that critique, the drinks are great, the food is wonderful, and the atmosphere is to die! read more

I'm not one to write a review but my night at Johnny's tonight was exceptional and I had to come on here and share my experience. If I could rate the restaurant higher then a 5 I would! I read mixed reviews about service and slow kitchen but I personally had an amazing experience. The check in process with the secret code and secret door made the experience 10 times better! The host at the front door is the hostest with the mostest! She give us a great background on Johnnys as she walked us to our table! She introduced us to Chef John right when we sat down! Amazing man with amazing cuisine background. It was a true pleasure to meet him. I noticed he did gaze around the restaurant to met other tables and honestly that's a special thing to have the chef come out and take the time to share your experience with you. I eat at a lot of restaurants and not many chefs take the time to speak to u and get your opinion. I'll definitely never forget Chef John because of his time spent with us plus I'll 1000% be back! Cocktails were out of this world! They had an amazing bar tender named Jorge who crafted me probably the best cocktail I ever had! I rarely drink and if I do it's always a really sweet craft drink and tonight I had TWO drinks because it was that good. I asked the waitress to tell Jorge that I enjoy drinks with gin or vodka and egg whites and he crafted a drink with vodka, passion fruit, and egg whites and it was unreal! My other friends had drinks from the menu and those too were awesome. The food was amazing! The lobster Mac is an absolute must have! Chef makes his own noodles and they will blow your mind away! We also had the kitchen salad UNREAL AND HUGE!!!! So big it's 100% sharing size! For entries we had the bouillabaisse dish, herbed filet, and the homemade butternut squash. Every last bite was amazing. The food is like so good u can't put it into words u just have to try it. After dinner we had the chocolate soufflé and Black cherry crème brûlée. BEST CRÈME BRULEE IVE EVER HAD!!! Unreal, addicting, amazing, explodes in your mouth. The chocolate soufflé was equally as good and I'm not even a chocolate person but it was amazing!! All in all listen to me don't listen to the other reviews I'm a foodie and I know good food and great service. If u want an amazing private different scenery restaurant this is ur place! The service was great, the bar tenders were awesome, the host was so sweet and chef was the all around package. The people complaining about a slow kitchen...this ain't McDonald's if u want fast food go to fast food. Johnnys is a place you come to take off your coat sit down relax take a breather from life order a drink take another life breather have a kitchen salad have another drink and then eat dinner. It's not a run in and out place it's an elegant chill enjoy life get to know ur friends type of place. 2000% going back and I hope u don't judge a book by its cover and experience Johnnys for yourself. It's really easy to make the reservation on open table and then text the number for the secret password!! Be patient they'll send it to u and if they don't they're not gone deny ur reservation! read more

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Very cool new spot in Royal Oak. Complete with the squeaky wood floor above at Mr Bs. Food was excellent as was the cocktail and wine list. A little light on beer list, but this is a speakeasy. Menu isn't large but is interesting and fresh. Lobster Mac and Cheese was excellent and the filet was equal. The wit staff is a little inexperienced and at times seems a bit confused. Hopefully this will improve. Definitely will be back to Johnny's read more

Johnny's is the ultimate date spot! If you've been looking for an authentic, intimate speakeasy experience- this is the place to go. The entrance is in the alleyway and you enter by ringing a doorbell and using a secret password that is given to you when you make reservations. The food is fantastic and the drinks get an A+ for taste and presentation! Chef Johnny is always around for some good conversation! The creme brûlée is so good that sometimes I go here specifically for it! 10/10 spot for when you have a little extra money to spend and are looking for something a little more special. read more

Cute new speak easy in royal oak with a great ambiance. Drinks were strong and tasty, though a bit expensive at $14 for an old fashioned. We tried the creme brûlée, which was divine. The tasting pairing was a really nice touch - I loved the pear and Brie. I had actually been looking forward to ordering dinner as well, but it is very limiting if you don't eat meat or shellfish. There was literally one option, impossible meatballs, but I had just had an impossible burger for lunch, so I passed. The menu definitely needs a salad and something like tuna tartar. I also think a cheese plate or charcuterie board would be a nice addition. We will definitely be back for drinks and the creme brûlée, but probably not for dinner unless the menu has a couple of more options. Note that it can be difficult to find the entrance. It was wonderful meeting Chef Johnny! read more

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Nothing but a gimmick. Don't fall for it. Inexperienced staff, poor drink quality... extremely dark to cover up many of the imperfections...I guess my biggest problem is with those who gave this plac high marks. read more

Understanding that this bar has just opened and the first few weeks will be trial and error I stand behind a 3 for now. The atmosphere and feel was fun and interesting. The reservation texting system and complimentary parking was a great additive. We did not order off of the food menu but it seemed the head chef was walking around making sure those who were eating were satisfied. I felt the drinks lacked the expectation of the menu Ingredients. I was also watching the bartenders who were working hard putting together these complex drinks, but were not being consistent when making 2-3 of the same drinks at a time. I was also curious as to why they were not letting people in without reservations and over a dozen seats at the bar sat empty. $12-$15 a drink x 12 people...... Our party did have an issue with our waitress being extremely slow and not very knowledgeable. We did have to tell her who's drinks were whose. This will be one of those places to check out once but nothing great to come back for. I hate to say that but that was just my experience. Check it out to make your own opinion on it. Royal Oak needs the help right now. read more

Johnny's - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

We had reservations at 7 pm. Like other ppl we were excited to use the password and have this unique experience. Unfortunately this wasn't it...... My husband used to be a waiter so we are empathetic to servers, but this was just bad all the way around. It was our friend's wedding anniversary so we were ready to have a good time. First they sat us at a Couch with an ottoman and coffee table‍....no words. We ordered drinks they took about 25 min to come out, our server never checked on us during that time. I have to say our drinks were really good. About 10 - 15 min after dropping off drinks she took our appetizer and dinner order. The appetizers weren't bad, but server spilled water and some got on my husband's hat, maybe because the table was so low. Anyway, our food finally came out cold and seasonless. I order the Lobster "Pap" and Cheese. I was expecting cheesy with a great lobster/seafood flavor. Nope. Just bland. My friend and I sent ours back the be heated. Mine came back warm but they only heated my friends lamb chops not the rest of meal, her sides were still cold. My husband got a steak medium, it was overcooked, he was so hungry he just ate it. He also ordered a drink to have with dinner that never came. My friend sent her meal back for a 2nd time so they comped it for her. We got a free crème brûlée because we were there for a celebration. I'm the only one who like it. The food here cost too much to taste bad. Needless to say we will not be back. read more

We went to Johnny's last night. It was our second time and had a great experience the first time about a year ago, so we brought a couple of friends with us. Our reservation was for 9pm. We rang the doorbell a bit before then and waited. And again. And waited. And again, and waited. Finally someone working for the restaurant came out but didn't let us in and said someone should come to get us shortly. About 20 minutes later we were getting more and more people waiting to get in and realized we just had to push a button to get in and stop waiting for the special door person who obviously wasn't doing his job. Now, there's 3 group waiting for tables and more and more and more people coming in making the path impossible for the kitchen staff. The hostess who looked distressed by the amount of people waiting, waited patiently with us, for over an hour before I asked her again how long it would be. She wasn't sure but clearly by now lots of table needed to be cleared up. The restaurant was very busy and all the waiters were running around like maniacs. Again, the hostess stayed there, not clearing up tables or trying un any way to make herself useful. I stepped to the bar to ask if we could order a cocktail while waiting but I was told I needed a waiter for that and he said he will send one over but we never saw one. Finally after 45 minutes the bus boy gave us all the equivalent of a shot glass of sangria. How cool!! When we finally sat down for dinner and waited a while to order our drinks, we ordered dinner as we didn't know how long we would have to wait for that. We ordered our entrees straight deciding that an appetizer might take another hour to get there. It took a while to get our drinks but finally we got them. My husband who got a fancy smoky cocktail got it served in a very different way this time than last. The first time there it was served in a very cool way, with actual smoke but not last night, it came in a regular glass, nothing to really brag about. We then had to ask 3 times if we could please have some more water before actually getting some. Our food was served around 11. One of us had the lobster Mac (heard the pasta were great but lobster dry), another had the beef raviolis that were overly salty, the calamari salad was beautiful, big and crunchy but the dressing was way too sweet and so were the Vietnamese ribs. For the record we were a group of international friends with a gourmet palate and culinary experienced all over the world. Johnny you disappointed big time last night. read more

My friends and I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Johnny's. The concept of going to the back alley, ringing the doorbell and giving the secret password is entertaining. The bar space is intimate and dim. It could be a perfect date night spot. The music was like 60s style and fit the theme of the establishment. Our bartender was fun to talk to, but more importantly the drinks were excellent. They were interesting to watch being made and tasted great, but costly, averaging $13 a drink. They have a menu of food that looked good but we decided to order only drinks. I'd recommend this spot to try something different. read more

I've come here several times & have determined that this place is good, but only if you're strategic about what you order and where you sit. The drinks (old fashioned), snacks (cheese spread), and small plates (ribs, duck tacos) that I've tried have all been enjoyable and I'd go back to sit at the bar & try other things on that part of the menu. The one time I actually sat at a table and had dinner though: oh boy. As many others have stated, service is VERY slow. Our waitress was nice & I didn't blame her, but this place seems understaffed. As for the entrées, my salmon was overcooked and lacked flavor (plus the broccoli thing on the side was ???? Kinda gross) My husband's lamb was just ok, but when they're charging you $29 for the plate, it had better actually be good. The ambiance is great and it's a fun place to go, but there are things that need improving here. read more

My boyfriend and I went here for our third anniversary after eyeing the place for a while. We were definitely not disappointed. The drinks, food and service were amazing! I had the beef cheek capellini and it was like it melted in my mouth. The only thing I would suggest is don't book through OpenTable. We never got the password to get in, but the staff members were accommodating since we were there right at opening time. read more

Went to this place to celebrate a special occasion and the owner went out of his way to make the occasion extra special! The service and atmosphere were great and what I would imagine the definition of a speakeasy would be. Food was just a continuation of a great experience. Starting with the Gruyère spread, then I got the salmon with saffron rice; my fiancé got the NY strip with a chimichurri and my mom got the garlic and rosemary lamb chops. All these dishes were amazing and I would highly recommend. Also most of the drink have some sort of cool twist! read more

Went to Johnny's tonight with a group of 8 and that's the last time. Service was way too slow. From the time we ordered drinks to delivery was about 35 minutes. Drinks are too expensive to wait that long. I think the problem was the waiter was doing too much. We ordered the ribs as a small plate to start with to eat. I had to cut the meat off the bone. Any time I have to cut the meat on ribs is a bummer, should have sent it back. Not sure what was with the music but it was annoying. This place has great opportunity but it severely missed the mark. Saw 2 tables sit down and never get a acknowledgment, they left. Never again. read more

Place was awesome. Had to to receive a text with a secret password to get access. You walk down stairs and through a back room go enter the awesomely designed Johnnys. Food was delicious cocktails were unique . Lobster Mac , had their kitchen sink salad. Vegan meatballs tasted like real meat. Will def go back 4.5 stars. The chef Johnny came by and talked to us , he was a cool dude very polite . You don't see that from a lot of restaurants . read more

Finally got to Johnny's and it was great! Intimate atmosphere, great drinks and food, and great service. Chef Johnny himself will come to your table and introduce himself. A class act. read more

The "speak easy" thing is cool but the place just seemed real up itself. The drinks weren't even good either. One was alright and the other tasted like salt lick. And I am stuck getting text messages for their events now and they refuse to let me opt out. read more

Finally got to go into Johnny's last night with my girlfriend. Let me tell you this place lives up to the hype! Cocktails were great and their bourbon selection was beautiful. Definitely will be coming back for more drinks and to try the food. read more

Terrible service that could be classified as rude. We waited for 2 hours to eat and when served the waitress continued a rudeness that was noticed by all at the table. A cool atmosphere and the speakeasy "hook" may entice you once but I would never waste my time again. read more

I rarely write reviews because I believe that the restaurant business is very difficult and I always give them the benefit of the doubt. Even second chances when I have a bad experience just in case it was just a bad night. This restaurant is different. I feel like everyone should be aware of how incredibly terrible the service is here. The concept is very cool and I was very excited to try it out. We were greeted as if we were very special and brought in a back entrance with a secret password which is very cool. As we sat down it took a while for us to be greeted by our waitress but when she finally came to our table she brought an appetizer & wine sample, which was another nice touch in making us feel special. It quickly when downhill from there. A different waitress that brought our drinks couldn't even properly poor my beer without my assistance. Finally, after in our seats for an hour we had to ask our waiter if we could order food. The bottom line is the servers are extremely rude and unattentive and try to cover it up by offering you free dessert and champagne. Just like in preschool you cannot be mean to someone then say you're sorry and it goes away. I will never go back but if you chose to you've been warned read more

Initiate a reservation through the website, and get your password before you go. I've been waiting for a speakeasy in Royal Oak, and Johnny's did not disappoint! My group had a plethora of delicious drinks, some new and some classic. We tried the luxardo cherry creme brulee, which was creamy and rich. The atmosphere is dark but beautiful, even the bathrooms are pretty. The owner told us the space used to be an old banquet room, and the transformation is amazing. We'll definitely be back to try all of the food people are raving about! read more

Phenomenal drinks with excellent presentation . They are a bit pricey but worth the show. The food was spectacular. The lamb pasta was perfect all around. Definitely coming back . read more

Cool place and atmosphere. Great drinks. Slowest service of all time. Ordered the bouillabaisse for dinner and it wasn't hot. Others had veggie meatballs that were well like. Filet mignons were teeny and both people that ate them were still hungry. read more