So wanted to like this place, due to its long tenure. However my gnocchi was flavorless and calamari was soggy. Hoping the stickey toffee pudding doesn't miss the mark. read more

I'll start by saying the pumpkin cheese cake is a must! If you are ordering fish or pasta you are in for a treat! read more

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used to be wry good...Must have been overwhelmed with students coming back....worst food I've had anywhere in a while. Pork Belly couldnt be chewed through like reheated Chinese food, my wife's appetizer came out w the main courses. steak was burnt on outside and rare on inside. fried green tomato sandwich with 2 inch thick tomatoes....lol.....enough to not come back for sure. sad. 2 people we complained to didn't care at all read more

The food was awful. I am surprised because the reviews were wonderful. Good location. It smelled inside, so we sat outside. Lovely seating. The kale Caesar salad was intolerable - I don't know what cheese they put in the dressing, but I sent it back. I tried my husband's beet salad and it was just as bad. Pork belly appetizer was disgusting. Sweet glaze over overly dry meat/fat. We were able to consume the lamb ragu, but pasta from the can tastes comparable. We are not coming back. read more

Johnny's Tavern seems to have emerged as the new hot spot in Amherst. The staff was phenomenal as they were friendly, provided attentive service, and gave excellent recommendations. The restaurant was crowded even though it was a rainy Monday night. They had prix fixe specials that offered great selection and 3 courses (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) for $21, a great deal given the portions and overall quality of the food. They have a great selection of food including steak, seafood, chicken dishes, and salads. Johnny's had a vibrant atmosphere and is a good spot for dining in, grabbing drinks at the bar, or having a private celebration in their back room. Overall, Johnny's is worth a visit. read more

Friendly and great service. The beet salad is amazing. They don't skimp on the beets which is SO important. Salmon is also delicious. Would come here again and again. read more

We stayed in nearby Shutesbury and drove into Amherst after finding Northampton completely mobbed on New Year's Eve. Yelp led us to Johnny's, a neat and comfortable collegetown restaurant that you take your parents to on graduation weekend. As a result of its location, Johnny's turned out to be quite rigid on alcohol -- no booze without IDs if you look younger than 40s. Flattered though she was, one in our group took umbrage to this policy and had to suffer through sobriety (her ID was left behind at the house). Service was rather slow considering the slow mid-afternoon traffic and empty booths, but friendly. The servers are clearly college students and charmingly earnest in their efforts, if not flawless. The food, by and large, was good. My Roasted Mushroom Rigati (roasted mushrooms, roasted garlic cream, rigati, truffle oil, goat cheese) was rich and bountiful, while our shared apps (Truffle Fries, Butternut Risotto, Kale Salad) hit the spot--and were priced very reasonably. read more

Food is very good, typical pub atmosphere, service is fast and reliable. Highly recommended

Amazing food, atmosphere and easily one of the best overall dining experiences in the area. Always outstanding outstanding friendly service regardless of how busy the restaurant is. The food is always fresh, made to order and priced reasonably. By far the best truffle fries ever and you cannot pass up the pork belly. It's upscale but casual at the same time. My boyfriend drives an hour and a half from CT just to indulge in their truffle kale Caesar salad. I would recommend this place to anyone. Heads up... make a reservation. read more

Solid food, and amazing customer's service! I have tried the their fries, Tavern burger, Ahi tuna sandwhich, as well as their salad. None of them were exceptionally good, but also wasn't bad either. This place is very consistent and it will not let you down! read more

Johnny's Tavern - tuna ahini Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Tavern Burger - New American Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

We were visiting UMASS and was looking for a place to grab lunch. Using Yelp we landed here and left with no regrets. I was very happy with the selection of beer and food.. Service was exceptional and given the opportunity I will be back. read more

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honestly, the customer service was awesome, and the people were so nice, but the food was extremely; lacking. the burger lacked flavor, the fries were nasty, and even the calamari was too crispy. i just feel like they need to get that right. read more

Excellent lunch here on Dec. 24. Good food, nice service, attractive decor, plus lots of parking adjacent.

Have dined here multiple times before and always enjoyed it. Nice atmosphere and never had issue with the service or food. Our visit last night though was quite disappointing. We ordered drinks, Cosmo and an Old Fashion, one of their specialties. 1st red flag was the 15 minutes for the drinks to come and the idea that our waitress was behind the bar making them. A bartender is a bartender and a waitress a waitress. Drinks were ok, wife's Cosmo had hints of grapefruit in it? I'm guessing a grapefruit Vodka? We didn't complain as it wasn't terrible. Ordered an appetizer of their grilled Brussel Sprouts, no complaints, very good and ample amount. For entrees my wife ordered the portabella mushroom sandwich, looked like it was thrown together and the fries looked like they scraped them off the bottom of the fryer basket. I ordered the Italian Sausage Rigati. Basically Penne Pasta with a chunk y tomato sauce and you guessed it.....Italian Sausage...Except, the Italian Sausage was all but missing in this dish. There were bits, but just about non existent, maybe a tablespoon...? Was it good, sure my $23 dollar penne tasted ok, but it wasn't "Italian Sausage Rigati". In all fairness we didn't complain, thus didn't give them an opportunity to correct it but they weren't complicated dishes to prepare and we were on a time crunch. We'll give them another shot but wondering if they're beginning to slip. read more

Unfortunately I see I am not the only one reporting food poising here. My boyfriend and I enjoyed a dinner there. I suggested it after getting dinner and drinks with my girlfriends there the week before. My boyfriend got a burger and was sick the next morning (had not eaten anything else in between). One of my friends went that same weekend and 3 of the people in his party got sick. I immediately called the manager to let them know what happened. I wanted to make sure no one else got sick. The manager told me that no one else had complained and pretty much said it was not their fault. My friend called a few min after me and the manager said the EXACT same thing..that they had not gotten any complaints..humm. Was excited about this new dinner option in town but unfortunately don't want to risk going back. read more

First off make a reservation. We were able to sit at the bar and the service was excellent. I had the rare tuna sandwich and it was amazing, enough that I will be back! My coworker had the brisket sandwich and raved on how the different flavors came together to make an amazing dinner. We both will be back to try other items from the menu. I will say parking is tight but worth it in the end. read more

I had bookmarked this place for housemade fresh pasta. We were easily seated on a hot Wednesday evening. The dining room was surprisingly nice for somewhere with "tavern" in the name of the restaurant. There were shades on the windows in the dining room, but they were open and sun was streaming hotly into diners' faces, which seemed a little at odds with the generally classy ambiance of dining room. The croutons on the house salad were quite good - apparently made in house; however, the salad greens seemed in need of another rinse. I had the scampi and thought the pasta itself was very good. The sauce was a bit more lemony than expected - the flavor was more tart than garlicky. The other half had the bolognese, which was good, but not exceptional. The service was earnest but again, not quite up to what I though the ambiance was promising. We got plenty of water refills but had to ask for other beverage refills. read more

Johnny's Tavern - Scampi. - New American Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

The food was delicious and we had great service. My child attends school in the area. Johnny's Tavern will be at the top of my dining list!

Incredible calamari. Great fried brussels sprouts. Great fish. Wonderful staff! The yelp reports did not let us down. It's superb tavern, one of the eat read more

Overall a nice experience. They have easy plates like sandwiches and burgers, to more sophisticated plates, fish seafood and specials. Bread with dipping sauce of (what appeared to be) dried tomatoes was very very good. The lamb chops served on a bed of grilled veggies and a slice of nice charred cheese were delicious! Fairly extensive drink list, beers on draft + wine glasses/bottles. Negative note though: there was an 'interesting' smell of fish (maybe?) when we entered. It seemed to die off eventually, but it was definitely not pleasant. And we all know that first impressions are very important. read more

Stopped here for some food while staying away for work for a week. This place was a gem delicious food highly recommended

Updating my review here because I've been back twice and love this place after giving it a second chance. There braised beef parpadelle is amazing. read more

Food was 4 stars, but service was 5. Ordered the tavern burger, soooooo good and filling. But, I think the burger needed a little more seasoning. The fries were amazing though. Our waitress was great (blonde hair, I think her name was Rachel?). She was super super nice, friendly, and attentive! Like wow. We need more people like her in this industry. Seriously. @Owner, if you're reading this, give her a promotion, raise, or paid vacation trip. When I come back to Amherst, I'll definitely come back here :) read more

Johnny's Tavern - Tavern burger ~ so good. - New American Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Amazing! I have been to Johnnys several times and I have been continuously impressed with their meals. I always order the Gnocchi, which our waitress referred to as "Little Dream Pillows," and I've never heard a better metaphor for the lightly creamed potato pasta. We also ordered the black spaghetti for the first time and WOW!!!!!! Might be the second best thing on the menu. I applaud the kitchen staff for the continuous quality food provided, especially the soft bread and sun dried tomato oil dip. I will be back again soon! :) #1 restaurant in Amherst, hands down! read more

Johnny's Tavern - New American Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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Johnny's has delicious food - fresh, nice range of veggie options for vegetarians but also terrific for folks who like a salad and a protein. For fuller meals or special occasions the entrees are creative and delicious. Don't skip dessert! read more

My fiancé and I have ate here multiple times now and each time the food & service has exceeded our expectations. Just when you think food can't taste any better, it does! We've had Shannon as our server every time we come because she is not like most servers, she is by far the best server I've ever had. And we eat out, a lot. She is so down to earth, and also the sweetest human being on this planet. I want to just put her in my pocket and take her wherever I go. Every time we come we try something new on the menu, so far we've tried the, House Made Gnocchi, Crispy Fried Chicken, Pan Roasted Duck Breast, Black Spaghetti, Tavern Burger, New York Strip (special), Caesar Salad & Tavern Wings. I can honestly say that each item we have tried was not only delicious, but excellent food quality. Besides having great tasting food, they also have some really yummy drinks. Our server gave us a couple samples of alcohol to try and they all were delicious. I personally liked the Bees Knees, New York Sky, and Mojito the most! This restaurant is absolutely worth a try, I promise you, you won't regret it. We will continue to come here and have our favorite server take care of us! read more

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I have visited Johnny's a handful of times and every time I eat there, I am impressed. I once went for lunch and split a wrap, truffle fries, and the pulled pork flat bread. YUM! It was delicious and the service was great. I also went with a large party after my college graduation and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I had the half chicken and it was a large portion and the cocktails were phenomenal. Everyone in the party had a different meal and every meal was great! Whenever I visit Amherst, I make a point to eat at Johnny's. Every meal I have had there has been great and priced well. I recently ate at Johnny's and I had the Rigati Bolognese. Hands down, one of the best meals I have EVER had. I don't know what tasted better- the perfectly cooked pasta, braised beef (YUM!!!), pasta sauce, herbs, or house made ricotta cheese. I was heartbroken when I finished my leftover. HIGHLY recommend. Everything is local and seasonal. The cocktail menu is extremely different, the gin grapefruit cocktail is definitely one to try! You can always count on great food and great service. If I still lived in Amherst, I would eat here weekly. read more

First time at Johnny's tonight. We were seated quickly on a Friday night and found the surroundings to be really charming. Dim tavern-style decorating, crowds of happily chatting restaurant-goers, minimal college-age irritants. We were seated and ordered the truffle fries, the white cheddar grilled cheese and the crab-stuffed flounder (it was a special). Our waitress was very good and very friendly. She promptly brought us the bread with the dried tomato olive oil... stuff. I can't profess to know exactly what was in it, but it was good. The bread wasn't terrifically good. It was exceedingly chewy. The crusts had to be gnawed down with the tenacity you'd devote to a bit of baked cardboard, but still, some bread is better than no bread. The truffle fries arrived and they were pretty good, as well as being picturesque. They were somewhat thin (I'm a thick, mushy fries fan) but very very tasty. The accompanying dipping... stuff... was quite good as well. The menu says it was "tomato jam." The entrees arrived. Mine was the white cheddar grilled cheese. It had tomato and avocado, as promised. What I didn't anticipate was that the bread would be that greasy. The cheese was slopping out and the bread was fully toasted and saturated with grease. As mentioned, I'm a mushy fry guy... things with a full crunch to them rarely appeal to me. Hell, I leave cheese puffs open for a few days to let them get stale. So maybe it's on me that I didn't enjoy the crunch, but the greasiness was pretty unpleasant. A slice of avocado squirted into my lap with the first bite. Plus, and this was also my lack of foresight, I now had more fries to deal with. My friend had much more success with the crab-stuffed flounder. It was surrounded by asparagus risotto and was pretty delightful throughout. She won the night. Johnny's was a fun night out, and we'll return... but I won't be getting that grilled cheese again. read more

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Went here last night for my anniversary dinner and we enjoyed it so much! We started off with the calamari which was very good. The barramundi my boyfriend got was the best fish I've ever tasted. I got the hanger steak which was also fantastic! We also got the flourless chocolate cake which was a great way to end the night! A little bit pricey but definitely worth it. Hope to be back sometime soon! read more

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Incredible food- great service - what more can one say - one of the best restaurants in Amherst

Outstanding food and cocktails. Calamari is A++, beer list is excellent. One of the best places. Great service, too

I had the scallops and my spouse had the salmon. We started with a warm spinach salad. Everything was not only cooked perfectly, but was simply delicious as well. Our waitress was full of personality and did an excellent job. My wife's Pinot Noir and my Fest Bier were also perfect. This was our first time there and I will surely be back. It was a great way to top off our long day of moving to Amherst. read more

This is a typical sports bar restaurant kind of spot. It's nice, clean, dimly lit. The staff was nice and seated us quickly for lunch. The one thing I wished I had done before sitting down was to check out the menu. The choices are limited unfortunately. My fried chicken sandwich was quite large and tasted good. My son ordered the Ahi Tuna sandwich and he loved it. He talked about it the rest of the day so that's a good sign. The prices are on the steep side for what it really is. It seems to me that the prices are designed to give this spot an upscale feel, but with the limited menu, I think they'd be better off with fairer pricing and more food options. It was also a very warm day and I was hoping to find relief when we arrived to eat, but the inside temp was on the warm side. That was a bit of a let down. Also, make sure you're ok with extremely loud music. The level at which the music plays drives the whole atmosphere to be louder as you're forced to speak over the volume happy music. I wouldn't rush back here as there are plenty of other options in the area. read more