Best ribs and authentic sauce in New York City! Family owned and run. I am proud to still support. Don't wait too late in the day to order because everything is made fresh, and when its gone - its gone for the day! read more

There is a reason why places like this stay open this long. Yes, the food is delicious. But, there is a vibrancy and a pulse here that you cannot buy. When you are here, you are treated like family. You get great conversation and great service. Everyone that walks in is treated with care. And the food is just as good! This is the type of place you come for one thing but see everyone walking out with something that looks delicious so you buy that as well. No matter what you get you are not going to be disappointed. read more

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I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE THIS ONE GONNA BE LENGTHY (for no other reason of good food/vibez overall experience) Okay so me and the boyfriend are foodies and our algorithms (the infamous "Stalker") knows it so either of us get several reels of foodie reviewers etc. I don't recall if it was him or me who got this one but it was a good stalk. We bookmarked for a visit later and later came sooner then expected one Sunday. Immediate suggestion if you going go early they sell out of certain foods quick and not sure what their turnaround on the restock throughout the day is or even if they restock. So for background I am a good ole southern gal by legacy NY born hut had the grace and blessings of my grandparents and my great-grandparents in my life and the stories and memories and the good home southern cooking - so short story is I's cooks - the boyfriend is a Yardie born and raised in Spanish Town and NY by his late teens and he burns in his own right. So when I say the whole Vibez of Johnson's made me feel at home or and the church kitchen after service in July........ mannnnnnnn! So just as a heads up we be phat arses and are over achievers......with that said we ordered basically 2 of everything because we weren't sure of the share and couldn't lock in one way or the other.....okay we were being greedy arses after standing there for a bit and having convos with other patrons which is its own vibez and worth the visit as well - Again I stress the feelings of home all around by the time we were done our family had extended and we found a new pastor and church you know how folk do if you know. So the orders: Ribs (pork) the boyfriend eats it which he slathered with the house BBQ and Mustard sauces both I believe are home made (they sale the mustard sauce in bottles to which they were out of and folk were not happy ) Fried Fish (Whitings) because who don't like a good fish fry nobody said never to which they fry fresh to orde Fried Chicken (you literally get a whole half a chicken fried) Sides: greens (in this instance Collards would be the proper intro), Mac n cheese, green beans and black eyed peas (honorable mention cuz Chile somebody momma put their foot and whole elbow in them black eyed peas uuurrr heard) lawd lawdy - Dem peas was seasoned to an inch of its life and thick on the gravy oh they took me back to my childhood of when my grandmother use to make them on special occasions and new years Good Shit in other words if you didn't already get the picture. Oh and there were yams (sweet potatoes it I'm being bougie ) Overall breakdown the portions were on a good slight heavy handed again I stress like we were extended family. And the wait for everything to being cooked fresh well worth the wait. And considering the scale to which they cook I was pleasantly surprised that everything was not either under cooked or under seasoned - even though the greens could've had a little more kick for me but once I started on the black eyed peas over white rice I understood they were perfect to balance out the entire dinner. In the end we had food dinner lunch for days even we tried in a day without success - the Itis was so real..... If you know You Know!!!!! Side note: so while we congregated with folk waiting on our respective orders ........we met Moses (74 yrs) retired black man "Unc" and whom we thought was his grand baby but turns out was actually his 4 yr old son (and yes you read right his Son) Chile!!!! Suffice it to say the BBQ convo and amazement that happened made my heart (and even the pastor was shocked and had kitchen table talk with the folk and Moses) and Sunday good and lended to the overall Good Folk vibez. Given how my sugars and the tensions run I recommend a run here a few times a year (I think mine will be quarterly or just slightly over) or more frequently if you can stand the expansion of your hips and back. read more

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I drove all the way from New Jersey to visit this place and was surprised to find out they only accept cash. Before going, I checked their website and there is nothing listed anywhere stating that they are cash-only or that other forms of payment like cards or Apple Pay aren't accepted. I explained to Mr. Johnson that I didn't have my wallet and asked if there was any way to pay electronically, such as Zelle. The way he responded and his overall demeanor made it seem like he really didn't care, which was disappointing after making the trip. At the very least, the payment policy should be clearly stated on the website so customers know what to expect and don't waste a trip. read more

The food is so good. I wish they deliver but I understand cause they stay busy. Will be going back again.

Janky as hell. Placed order online for pickup, which paid for in advance. Get there and buddy's like 'we don't have any more food.' Not my order. Not anything else. Said I have to take it up with Grubhub to get a refund, which you have to call to do. Smh. Then call grubhub and on hold for 8 minutes before they say no customer service agents available. All around trash experience. read more

Sorry I grew up in the 60's and Johnson's is not what I experienced as a Kid and as an adult # 01 the servings are very small the Chicken was very dry Rack of lamb ribs were undercooked and super greasy. This was a Birthday lunch from my wife to experience the soul food that I had as a kid and as an adolescent this experience for my wife was not what I intended for her to have. read more

I placed an online order today on 5/31/25. I've been wanting to try Johnson's BBQ since discovering them about 2 years ago. This was my very first time ordering from them. My order via Door Dash came to $33.45. I ordered the pork rib dinner with a side of collared greens and mac n cheese. The dasher was at the restaurant waiting to pick up my order when my daughter received a message saying the restaurant couldn't fulfill my order. No other reason was given as to why. At that point I'd been waiting more than 20 minutes for delivery. Door Dash said it would take 3-5 business days to refund my account. This is just sad and I don't think I'll ever order again from them. read more

This review is a long time in the making. When I was a little girl, one of the things I looked forward to when my parents went out was that my siblings and I were going to get Johnson's chicken when they came home (usually in the middle of the night). Fifty years later Johnson's is still there, still has their DELICIOUS chicken - with the crunchy skin and mustard sauce. I was in the area on a Saturday afternoon and had been thinking about Johnson's for awhile - it's been a minute since I've been there so I decided to stop by. I ordered a chicken sandwich which is a half chicken chopped up on white bread (extra sauce please). I also noticed that they now sell their delicious mustard sauce so you know I had to buy a bottle. I wanted a side order of potato salad (which they only have on the weekends), but they didn't have any at the time. They also sell ribs and fish - both dinners and sandwiches. The dinners come with two sides like greens, mac and cheese, yams or potato salad. They also sell desserts (strawberry banana and coconut cakes). The chicken was just as I remembered - moist on the inside with crunchy skin - although the chicken could use a tad bit of salt but it was good. The memories came flooding back as I bit into that chicken and I'm so happy that Johnson's is still there and doing well. read more

Chicken leg was burnt and not edible. Gave them another shot the next week and mentioned to the staff @ my experience. He laughed. Also it's been years since the potato salad has been available. read more

Excellent service, and food. The owner and the staff really make you feel welcome, I go from St. Albans, Queens, to get an order. You don't find this kind of BBQ cooking anymore. Very pleased. read more

I live in the area and I have been going to Johnson's over over 40 years and I remember Mr Johnson. LUVV the Chicken sandwich and especially luvv the Mustard sauce. Just had a sandwich last week and his son Dwayne is doing a good job and people come from all over read more

I am disappointed to read these reviews because when I was a child this was our Friday spot for good behavior. When I tell you it use to be line down the block for this great food. As people retire for their business and pass it down to others, people often take the short way out. They don't want to put the hard work in to keep up the reputation. It's so sad because they are taking people money who is expecting a certain flavor and quality of food. Just remember everyone can't cook, and some don't care. Bless read more

Its too expensive to have your order delivered to you!!! In person my order was only & $29.00 for 1/2 chicken, barbecue ribs with 2 sides! When I order the same comb gor delivery it costs $37.00 plus delivery fee which equals approximately $56.00, Wow what a big difference !!! read more

Adding to my previous review, the chicken is a must have. I had not had it before, given it sells out so quickly. Understandably, it is so crispy and fried just right. It is not the most seasoned, which keeps me from giving this a fifth star, but it is prepared so very well like everything I have had at Johnson's BBQ. No one will complain and you can put their mustard sauce on the chicken and or hot sauce of your choice to bump it up to your liking. Their mustard sauce goes well with their fish too and I bought a bottle of it this time. I also had their candied yams for the first time and they are great, not too sweet, just right. You'll get through their menu quickly. It's a very simple menu, but everything is done just right. When something is sold out, like the potato salad yesterday, the look on peoples' faces tells the story. I was there at 2:15, so better get there early as the regulars know. Oh, and uh, about those ribs... They'll keep you coming back. The ribs are their strong suit and they play that hand with a friendly smile. read more

Most tender ribs I've ever had 10/10 would recommend and WITH the mustard sauce. Great food, Black-owned, family owned. Take out, order in and catering only, no dine in. read more

Johnson's BBQ - Amazing ribs with mustard sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Bronx, New York

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Johnson is very messy. He's loud always making passes at women his food is messy does not taste good.

Great ribs and mustard bbq sauce. It is not handicapped compliant or wheelchair capable read more

I visited this establishment with friends for the very first time on October 12, 2025. The wait was extremely long as there were side conversations being held by owner (Pearl) and his friends as if we weren't there. In the middle of my ordering, he had to leave the restaurant to move his car because a man entered to tell him that he was blocking him in. Upon his return, I placed four separate orders and Pearl became upset because I did not place the fish and shrimp orders back to back. After I paid for the four separate orders (mine with a bottle of mustard), I asked for mustard on the side for the orders which weren't mine. Pearl responded by telling me that he'd given me the mustard for free and that instead of providing the mustard for the other orders,I needed to open the bottle and share mine. He gave me small "cups". I opened my bottle of mustard and shared with my friends prior to leaving the counter. Immediately prior to leaving, we checked our orders and noticed that Pearl made one incorrectly by placing no collard greens and the mac and cheese was supposed to be on the side. When I explained that he made a simple error, he refused to admit that he made the error and instead blamed me for placing the wrong order. He then stated that he'd previously told me that he put all the sides in one container. When I attempted to explain that this was not the case (it wouldn't even make sense because there were four different orders going to four different places), he was instantly belligerent; yelling, pointing his finger towards me and telling me that I knew that what he was saying was true. He told me to (and I quote), "stop acting crazy"! I was flabbergasted! My friend offered to simply (re)pay for the collard greens. Instead, Pearl ignored him and continued to yell and be disrespectful WHILE HE HAD PATRONS WAITING. Once home, I attempted to eat the food. As soon as I opened the container, the pungent smell of black pepper caught me by surprise. It was all over the mac and cheese which appeared and tasted like it was made with American cheese only! My first time having spicy macaroni and cheese. No thank you! Disgusting! I'd purchased collard greens and ribs for my husband. The greens were bland and tasted like frozen, chopped spinach. The ribs were fatty, bland, and dry! We literally fed it to our dog. The shrimp (albeit soggy when I got home 30 minutes later) was just a tad too salty, but delicious! Their "special mustard sauce" tasted exactly like the spicy Gulden's mustard which I keep in my refrigerator. With the way that food tasted, PEARL SHOULD ALWAYS BE NICE TO EVERYONE WHO STEPS INSIDE HIS ESTABLISHMENT! And he has the nerve to only accept cash! His attitude is a prime example as to why it's often hard to support your own people! I WILL NEVER RETURN, NOR WILL I EVER RECOMMEND! PEARL, DO BETTER!! MUCH BETTER!! read more

A while ago a coworker came in totally excited about a restaurant she heard was in the area, she lives on the upper east side and is an older woman, who has been deprived of a lot of different tastes throughout her life. Happy to pay flowers to the older generations while they are still here, i surprised her with a trip to Johnson's for lunch. Johnson's is a small take out restaurant in the South Bronx that has been a staple of that community for a while. I enjoyed speaking to the now owner who has taken over the family business from His father. There is a limited menu with certain sides being only offered on the weekend. I ordered 2 dinners, one dinner for my co worker and the other for myself. The portions on the meals were huge. During my order a gentleman came in to order two cakes which he couldn't stop raving about, he was ordering them for a family get together for the weekend. My coworker who was originally excited for her food loved the candy yams, she said they were sweet and had a flavor she hardly gets to enjoy , her previous house keeper was jamaican and "never made such things". The cabbage wasn't similar to her ukrainian background, but she appreciated the different perspective. She wasn't too keen on the ribs, and repeatedly asked me to taste them, which i didn't. I ordered the fried chicken dinner, the chicken was large and crispy, i'm pretty sure it was a half a chicken, deep fried. I would have probably preferred collared greens but the options for sides for that day were cabbage, rice with black eyed peas, cabbage and macaroni. I put the chicken to the side to find a huge serving of mac and cheese and cabbage filling the plate. This could easily feed three people. There was a slight cheese pull from the macaroni and i was more than ready for this meal. I tasted the, macaroni from different corners of the plate, i moved the cabbage to the side trying to see if i missed it , i even looked under the huge chicken to see if it was there, but i couldn't find it. The flavor was missing, like covid without the sickness. One thing i will say, the food was not overly salty or greasy like other places. Disappointed that it didn't live up to my coworkers excitement, but glad to know maybe next time I should try the cake. Hoping they just had an off day. read more

Johnson's BBQ - Fried Chicken Dinner -huge portions, minimal flavor. - Barbeque Near Me - Bronx, New York

Johnson's has been a neighborhood staple ever since I can remember. My mom would always enjoy their food years ago so I decided to head over there for memory sake. I called up before I went attempting to place the order over the phone but they don't accept phone orders. So I had to wait while the order was prepped. Luckily I was the only customer and it didn't take long. I went with rib dinners for everyone, Mac & cheese plus yams being my side. I didn't enjoy the Mac & cheese but everything else was absolutely delicious. Prices are extremely reasonable, I should also mention they're cash only. read more

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My mom is on the hunt for the best mustard/vinegar based bbq sauce. She has been for a while. She happened upon a Righteous eats video and was excited to try this place out and it's sauce! Unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations. The ribs weren't fall off the bone. The sauce was thick but had more tang and not balanced. There was a lot of fat. The sides: yams and collards, we're average in flavor. Perhaps we caught them on an off day? But respectfully, it was an underwhelming meal. I can't comment on the service or ambiance since I wasn't present. Please I would suggest trying them out for yourselves and get your own opinion, but the ribs, sweet potato and collards were not my favorite. As always thank you for the food and God bless your business! read more

Very good food,I've been buying from from here for over thirty years Their Bar B Q sauce is excellent on the pork ribs read more

Great Chicken Sandwich and I highly recommend the mustard sauce dressing on top with a side of Mac and cheese!!!

Shout-out to the owner Dewayne, he's a gem. He has a big heart and a beautiful personality to match. We all enjoyed our incredibly delicious food, from the ribs, Mac n cheese, yams and collard greens. All came in large portions and was absolutely YUMMY . Dewayne gave my niece a free fish sandwich and a slice of lemon cake for free, which was awesome. But we thanked him, and give him the cost of the additions. Being we understand, how small business operates. I recommend Johnson's to anyone who wants some down home southern cooking. This is the place!!! read more

REALLY GOOD!!! We cats love to CHEW!!! The BBQ was nice!!! Try this place- you will PURR like I did ‍

Not the same from years ago. Looks delicious but the food is not tasty anymore. The Mac n cheese taste like it came out the box, it need some Cracker Barrel touch to it, the fried chicken was disgusting when you bite into it but looks good when it is placed on the plate, heart attack waiting to happen. It's just not good as it used to be. Sorry but I'm being honest. Only thing I like is the mustard sauce, I'll take a bottle to go read more

the food here is trash ! wayne let this place go down the hill years ago! bland food dry ribs ..notice he nolonger allows for reviews on his review page read more

Just left haven't been there in about 10 years, sorry I went collard greens had no taste, ribs were chewy, the yams were the best thing. Will not be going back. The sauce was still great bought a bottle of the mustard sauce. No mask and no napkins. read more

Great food, I've been going over 15 years, Mr. Johnson treats customers like family. Fried chicken and ribs are my favorite. Good portions for price read more

Best value for what you pay in the whole south Bronx hands down. The ribs are to die for . Still can believe I only paid 20$ for all that food man. Took me half a day to finish it read more

The food was not seasoned. You could tell the oil that the chicken was fried in was not filtered. I kinda disappointed because this is not what I remember about this place. read more

Great place, very good food, small place but the food is better then Sylvia's in Harlem

Johnson BBQ has been in business since the 1970s if not longer. I live a distance from the restaurant and consider it a treat when I go there or if someone brings a meal from there to me. Some months ago I asked my friend if he would get a rib dinner for me the day before Mother's Day and that would be my Mother's Day dinner because I had no intention of cooking on my day. I spent the day in Washington, DC the day before and often thought about my Mother's Day meal. Mother's Day arrived but my friend was not very late in bringing my meal. I'm calm because I feel the ribs are so delicious that it's worth the wait. Finally, he gets to my apartment and I put the meal on a dinner plate. I sit at the table and I take a bite of the collard greens and removed it from my mouth immediately. It was horrible. It had no flavor not even salt or flavor from smoked turkey. Ugh! Next, I started eating the ribs and they were not good either. The ribs were very dry and tough to chew and ugly looking. I know it's a strange thing to say but food cooked well usually smells and looks good. Looking at and smelling foods promotes that mouth watering experience. Well, that didn't happen for me. One negative experience should not be a deal breaker but I had experienced not being happy with my meal before and at that time I thought it was an off day for them but after trying to eat a meal from Johnson's BBQ on Mother's Day that is the proverbial straw. I will not buy another meal from them. I am deeply disappointed because I've been going there for more than thirty years and until the last two times I've always raved over their cooking of ribs. Nah. I'm good. SMH read more

The ribs were good, but the chicken call a greens no flavor. The mac & cheese was good and the yams very good. They fell off pretty bad and the potato salad. It was the worst potato salad I ever had. read more

Yuck! Chicken was cooked well done but had no taste. Totally disappointed because it was highly recommended. read more

Johnson's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Bronx, New York

5 stars for the food alone. It is amazing, best soul food I have had in a while. It's a quaint, carry out spot but the food will make everything worth your wild. From the yams, to the Mac and Cheese, to the collard queens, omg if you don't like what you taste, feel free to contact me, and you will be reimbursed! read more

Johnson's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Bronx, New York

"Omg..." As I see him pick up what looks like a big slab of ribs n pouring on his BBQ sauce all over it. Then I see him scoop up large sides of mac n cheese, candied yams, n collard greens. Unbelievably huge amount food for $14 bucks straight. So he gave me my greens free but still what a bargain. And the food is delicious. Too bad the church ordered all the potato salad which means I will come back for that n taste their fried chicken. He tells me he's been open 62 years. Tips Closed on Mondays. Cash only. Definitely a hidden treasure. Menu is limited to ribs chicken chicken sandwich n sides like mac cheese collards pigeon peas rice potato salad n yams. read more

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After reading the reviews, I was so excited to try this place out. I completely missed the other one star review. My experience almost makes me question what others consider soul food. You do get a big portion of food so if that's important and you can care less about what the food actually tastes like, then this is the place for you. I got the half chicken meal which comes with two sides. I got Mac and cheese as both sides (the greens are only made with pork here). The chicken was BAPTIZED in oil. The funny part is that the chicken doesn't seem fried. It's like it's boiled, then floured/battered then thrown into a fryer to give the outside a quick browning. It lacks so much flavor. I love a good crisp chicken skin but when you pull off the skin, it just drips oil. It reminded me of that scene in the movie Precious when she has the pigs feet in the oil cooking for her mom (yeah that oily). The mac and cheese is nothing to rave about. It's not baked which I usually do not mind but it seems to be lacking in the cheese department. I gave up on this platter after two bites of each item. Despite my disappointment in the food, Dwayne was such a sweetheart. He is very personable and he makes you feel comfortable as soon as you walk in. You can tell that he really cares about his customers. He definitely has the right personality for a soul food restaurant. He is the only reason why this review gets two stars. I just wish the food was better. Maybe I went on an off night but it was enough to deter me from going back again. I'll just take the trip to Harlem next time. read more

Johnson's BBQ - Super oily - Barbeque Near Me - Bronx, New York

They really need to overhaul their business model. The owner didnt make eye contact with my buddy. this is a red flag for sure. A keen indication of bad things to come. According to my buddy the ribs were dry & difficult to chew. One shouldn't put in so much work to chew food. Having a flat screen television doesn't do much. The interior is dark and stark. This is not a restaurant. There's no place to sit and eat the food-another red flag! Is this on purpose? Cause if you take the food home then you're reluctant to go back with your complaints. I saw a few Youtube and Instagram videos which highlighted this place; significantly different from what is actually there. In the videos the owner and his daughter smile and speak nicely. This wasn't my observation on my visit. One thinks they are perpetrating a fraud! They smile for the camera but when the camera is gone it's back to business as usual. They need an overhaul in a bad way read more