Johnny's Downtown

Joni's Downtown is without a doubt a must visit when in Cleveland. The service is engaging, friendly and knowledgeable. She helped us with both food and wine selections. We started with muscles. Very good choice. We then shared the mushroom salad which is reminiscent of a salad I used to get in various cities in restaurants owned by a Seattle based company. The blend of walnuts with mixed greens cheese and roasted mushrooms is incredible. I had the steak with mushrooms. Perfectly prepared and flavorful. We finished off the evening with carrot cake. Plenty to share. The feel of the restaurant takes you back to a traditional steakhouse. We love our experience.

Personally, I probably won't dine here again. Nothing remarkable other than a nice ambience, veal meatballs, and the piano guy in the bar area. I was so looking forward to this being a special night out but It fell short in so many ways throughout the evening. But, it was what it was and we still enjoyed the company and environment. I had a booking here for months to celebrate my partners birthday. It came highly recommended and and It was just ok. Not exceptional, and everyone there just went through the motions. Upon walking in we waited forever as no one was at the hostess/host stand and speaking of Birthdays, most places will toss in a gratis desert for the birthday person if you order dinner, etc. Not here, they give you two candles and charge you for the desert. Not a big deal but I remember these things and it leaves an impression.For an appetizer we order the Soft Shell Crab Sautéed and finished with Meuniere Butter ($18.95). The Meuniere Butter is like a curry. It was by far the most disgusting dish I have tried to eat in years. It was a miss and would recommend you go with the veal stuffed peppers. Our server wasn't too concerned about my disdain of the the dish but it was worth a shot to try it. It could have been the best thing ever, it just wasn't.My partner ordered the Veal Scallopini & Shrimp sautéed with Marinara Sauce served over Linguini ($36.95). He said the linguini tasted like it came from a box rather than home made but the dish was good. I hade the Angel Hair Pasta with Marinara Sauce & Veal Meatballs ($31.95). It was definitely home made and like the marinara and veal meatballs a lot.The Carmel Apple Cheesecake ($12.95) was for dessert and it was the best (next to the veal meatballs).For beverages we ordered a Benziger Cabernet ($38), a bottle of Ferrarelle Mineral Water ($10) and a bottle of Evan still water ($10). Tap water would have been fine over the Evan but wasn't a big deal.Overall, service was friendly and personable, but so slow and it wasn't that busy. We had a good time, the main dishes were ok, veal meatballs were perfect. It's worth a try they just missed the mark for me. There are so many options in Cleveland, and as a visitor, I think I would just go back to Little Italy. Another pro is it is walking distance to a bunch of downtown hotels.TIPRestrooms - this is fun to find, use door 17 in the foyer, go downstairs, left at the bottom of the stairs (not right), then left in the hall, then right & on the right.

Perfect until David Flowers the manager ruined our evening. An extremely price gouged NYE menu and my older children enjoyed the helium balloons that so cheaply decorated the dining room. Will never return. Too bad the piano player and evening itself were beautiful. Management is trash.

Food great, service great! New Year's was seriously disappointing! The piano player and his amazing singer were truly epic ! I was so sadden that the drunk idiots from the bar completely took over the evening with their requests. Wtf? Not ok!!!!! Reign those idiots in!!!!!! I will probably never go there again.

Given how few choices downtown Cleveland has today, this is one of the few ok choices. Very expensive for what you get. I've had several dishes over a couple visits. Fairly average. Cocktails however are very good. Would definitely recommend for cocktails and appetizers.

Classic downtown Cleveland, steakhouse and staple for business meetings, and conventioneers. The menu is a little light on salads... And I was a little disappointed that one of them -- the one I wanted -- wasn't available, but in this day and age that is bound to happen. The veal stuffed banana peppers are one of the specialties of the house... And I recommend them very highly. In fact, I have had just a salad and those as a meal more than once.The main menu is what you would expect from an Italian style steakhouse... Pastas, some fish, and a variety of different types of grilled meat. All of the ones that I have tried have been delicious.For me, the real gem of this place is the bar side, where a gentleman plays the piano and sings... And it evolves into sing-along by the end of the evening. A favorite of mine whenever I visit Cleveland... Which I do often.

Surprised this place has less than a 4 star average. Big birthday night for me, family took me downtown for a little meal. Strap in for a 3 hour meal, the servers slow play the meal which to me is a positive. Most places try to flip tables these days, Johnnie's does not. Great interior ambiance, definitely old school. Interesting spread on the menu, had a little trouble deciding but ended choosing a steak. Nothing special but cooked as I wanted and very filling. This place isn't too far from a 5 but I think the pricing vs quality is slightly off.366 after tip for 3 people, wine, cocktails, 2 apps and entrees. Not a bad value.

I'm writing this review to express my extreme disappointment with the treatment I received during my recent visit to Johnny's Downtown. My friends and I were genuinely excited to enjoy dinner and live music by Mike Petrone, but what we encountered was, unfortunately, the worst customer service we've ever experienced.Upon arrival, we checked in at the host station and were immediately chastised for having a smaller party than the reservation we had made. The General Manager, Dave Flowers, and the Owner, Joe Santosuosso, followed us to our table, continuing to scold and harass us as we were being seated. At one point, we were told, "It's your first time here and you're already costing us money." This was unprofessional and uncalled for, especially for a first-time guest.While we were seated, the server apologized to us for the behavior of the management and explained that staff members are subjected to similar treatment on a daily basis. This made us feel even more uncomfortable, and we were left questioning how both employees and customers could be treated this way. Given the actions of both the General Manager and the Owner, we decided to leave the restaurant and seek a better experience elsewhere. We went next door to another restaurant, where we had a wonderful dining experience, far removed from the hostility we faced at Johnny's Downtown.It's clear that there is a significant disconnect between the staff and management, and we felt that this would not be a healthy or enjoyable environment for us, or for anyone working there.I hope this feedback prompts a reevaluation of the restaurant's approach to customer service, as well as the treatment of employees. Our initial excitement about the evening turned into disappointment, and we left stunned by how we were treated. We will not be returning.

Reserved special graduation dinner for 9. Was harassed by being 13 minutes late at restaurant and with phone call. Restaurant only had 3 tables occupied. When ordering drinks was informed that both bottles were unavailable then waiter shared another 5 unavailable. Selected a white wine that was available but not chilled. Requested to order appetizers but was told not until drink order was complete so entire table had to wait for wine to chill. One drink was never delivered. Can you imagine that customer was denied appetizers! With a bill of $1000, we were treated this way? While food was good, service was unacceptable. Very arrogant Would never recommend nor return. Final comment, we ordered a final bottle of wine and took 20 minutes to receive. Sent it back as it was no longer needed. Night was over. So disappointed.

First we typically love you but this Christmas eve was horrible! There are so many families that plan their night around this. Service at bar was not good, and not friendly. I get it's Christmas eve but plenty would love a tip from a $409 bar tab. Second if you plan an employee dinner the same night then post on your website closing early. We've come 6yrs in a row and have never been kicked out at 8pm. Just awful experience. Do better we do love you. So disappointed this year.