The appearance of this place is super cute. Parking could be tough. The meal was good. I think they should have a tad more options although I know they are known for tapas. From what I remember, it was a tad long to get drinks. The charcuterie board was really good. Would go just for that. Not sure what the bill was, but hoping it wasn't high for what we got. I remember a lot of things being salty, like the Brussels sprouts. But, besides that, honestly I will be back. Forgot pics. The owner did do a table touch. read more

Believe me guys, I would have given you 4 stars but... There are a number of funny things about this place: the menu, for its mix between Thai, Italian and Belgian is, at least, fun but at the same time.... The food was very good, fresh products, well presented dishes but... the service is one of the worst I have seen in the area. Bad service, but still fun, because it was not intentional. the team is too young and inexperienced: we had the board empty from the appetizer to the dessert, at the end of our meal the plates, glasses and bottles no longer fit on the table because nobody took care of that. I really enjoyed my risotto, the board of cheeses and meat and the waffles but, believe me guys, you must improve the service because "balance is the key to life." Recommendations for the chef: watch your timing, you can't serve the entree three minutes after having brought the appetizers . also take care of the lemon-lime dressing , which was too much in the chicken primavera bowl and incomprehensibly strong in a mushroom risotto read more

See all

Came to this location on a recent trip to Johnstown for dinner and some night life. The restaurant seems to be a new sensation in the area and when we stopped in they were very busy. The decor is very crafty and trendy with a variety of seating from small tables to bar top seating and long tables. The idea is small plates and tapas type of dining with a variety of types of food. We decided to split several options including a charcuterie board, Brussel sprouts, and steak. The meat and cheese board was very good - the mustard was the ground type which played well with the meat and cheese. As for the brussel sprouts, they were made with cherries which played nicely with the balsamic glaze on them. The steak was very good and came long with truffle butter and garlic. read more

Went for my birthday dinner. Had a brussel sprout appetizer and the Surf & Turf. Outstanding! Truly one of the best meals I've had out in a very long time I was disappointed they were out of the chocolate mousse cake. I'd hope to have for dessert, but the carrot cake was also outstanding, so no complaints here! I will definitely be back and highly recommend. read more

Balance is not just one dining experience. They have three dining experiences to enjoy. The one I'll touch on in this review is the latest fine dining in Johnstown. The experience tonight was one of my favorite dining events. The one price three course event has food selections for all to enjoy. There is one Indian dish on the entree menu along with other selections to round out the selections. This is not a burger and sandwich menu. Review the preparations and enjoy your selections. The presentation is as much fun as the meal was good. No food pictures here as I don't want to ruin the fun of the presentation. Also, the drinks matched to the menu by Patrick are exquisite. This is worth every cent do the $60,00 per person fixed price. read more

First timer, am passing through on way to Pittsburgh. WOW! Man, I wish I had a restaurant this good where I live (Rockland County, NY), and we have some pretty good restaurants from which to choose. I'm typing this as I eat, and each bite is better and better! Brussels Sprouts, caramelized, then tossed with lemon juice and parmigiana! Oh man! The Thai Salmon was equally impressive. The two together made this the best meal I've had out since I started traveling 4 nights a week, back in March, 2022. Go here! read more

Food is amazing Fresh Tasty The restaurant has a refreshing environment with nutrient dense food Everyone is super friendly. Had a long convo with a sous chef. This is a GEM Salmon was fresh Salad was filling Veggies seem like they are grown outside and plucked for your order!! Highly recommend read more

See all

Excellent service, friendly reception, fantastic waitress and great atmosphere. We sat outside on the lovely patio. Everything was very clean and well cared for. I am gluten-free and the chef changed an item to make it perfect for me. Food was delicious!! Don't pass this place up. It's a gem of downtown Johnstown!! read more

We have lived in Johnstown for 3 years and this is exactly what this town needs. The scene is very modern and decorated very well (Beautiful wood tables). What I love about this place is that the food is local and fresh. As the menu makes get change because of this I have no doubt that everything will taste great. My favorite thing was the mushroom risotto! We also had truffle parm fries, lemon parm brussel sprouts, and braised short ribs. All were amazing. The chef walked to each table and greeted everyone. Staff was very professional. Overall, one of the best restaurant experiences I've had since moving to PA. read more

Balance Restaurant - Ordered the lemon parm brussel sprouts, truffle parm fries, and the chef brought us a sample of mushroom risotto with marinated pork. - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

See all

Ok. So this place is great. Just understand that from the start! Many moons ago, this building housed Johnnies - and I have quaint memories of that spot. Wow - what a change!! What a beautiful difference! Everything is so fresh and new and it's brighter and prettier - very classy - you really do forget that you're in Johnstown. But if more places like this open up, so will this city, and we can write a new chapter. Anyway, that's another conversation. On to the food! Orange bourbon cocktail was an absolute delight! Husband and I shared the house salad, sans beets. Fantastic! And then the pierogies - just no words. Now the pork belly is where it got tricky. Fair notice: it's mostly sliced pork fat. But *oh my stars* does it smell and taste amazing!! I just know that if I eat slabs of solid animal fat, it's not going to be a fun night. So I trimmed off the meat and in typical farm-wife fashion, I took the sliced fat home to add to some dishes through the week. Let me just say that on the ride home I stopped several times to open the takeout box and inhale. Pure magic. So. If you're super hungry and strapped for cash, don't go here. But if you're looking for something upscale and delicious without being too pretentious, this is it. I truly felt like we were on vacation. Bonus points for a very friendly and knowledgeable staff! read more

See all

10/10 best place to eat in Johnstown and nobody can tell me otherwise The food is awesome (the Brussel sprouts are a personal fav) the decor is fabulous, and the staff is so kind! Thank you tons for an awesome experience every time. read more

Absolutely the best salad I ever had. I travel for my job and to find a place that serves a beautiful delicious meal is awesome. I live 80 miles from the restaurant. But I would drive there just to eat!!!!! read more

The place and food itself is amazing. Some of the best food I've ever had around Johnstown, the problem is if you want the food you'll need to wait oh about and hour or more. The service is not the greatest. The waitress never even checked on us once, a very nice waitress noticed how upset we looked and took care of us and got our food to us, while our original waitress did nothing. read more

I recently had my bridal shower here and Amanda and her team made the day absolutely perfect! From the beginning she was very easy to work with and gave us full reign of the Mission Inn section of the restaurant. The morning of, we were allowed into the venue at 9am giving us ample time to set up for the 1pm shower. Her and her staff were there for any assistance we needed and did so graciously making the morning very low stress. The food was absolutely outstanding, everyone loved the wraps, chicken sandwiches, summer salad and most of all the soup! Nick and Nate were our amazing staff and mixed up delicious drinks, made sure everyone was enjoying their meal and added bottles of wine to each table which always makes for a good time. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I would recommend The Mission Inn to anyone looking to have a private party and will always go to them first for any of my own future gatherings. read more

We came here at an off time (245 pm) and were give only the bar menu. I ordered a chicken bacon quesadilla. It was not very flavorful and I did not like it. The bacon was hard and I didn't taste much chicken. The chips that came with this tasted homemade and they were alright. The two others I came with ordered the same thing as me and liked it. The customer service here was absolutely great! The aesthetic of this restaurant was very modern and cool. I would return here but come at a time when the restaurant menu was offered. read more

We visit here a lot! Lunch, diner, events, or even just a glass (or 2) of wine!! Service and selection is always top notch!! Great outdoor seating in the summer! read more

Fantastic food in downtown Johnston Pennsylvania. Th ere are many delectable options to choose from, ranging from healthy and simple to more robust and decadent. I really enjoyed the crispy brussel sprouts that have a strong lemony zing to them as well as the pan seared orange roughy over a bed of mashed sweet potatoes topped with greens and orange slices. Very satisfied with the food and service, would definitely come back here again! read more

Fantastic food. Will return. Ordered and shared dishes, as this is a tapas/small plate restaurant. Bacon sampler and Brussels sprouts starters would have been a great meal on their own. We were a group of six and ordered multiple dishes to pass. All was delicious, but the Louisiana seafood dip and the mushroom risotto were stand-outs. And I don't even really like mushrooms. Owner Amanda made the rounds and helped take orders and serve. A class act. read more

We visited here on a beautiful summer afternoon for lunch and sat outside. The service and prices were great! We got the Brussels sprouts which were very good, the buffalo chicken lettuce wraps and the chicken sandwich. Everything was great and I would definitely recommend another trip back to try some more of their healthy options. Also, they make their own potato chips and they were sooooo good! If you're in town - definitely stop by...you won't regret it read more

See all

This place has potential but tonight's experience was a big disappointment. We ordered a "Starter" which would imply it would come out to start the dining experience. It came out with the meals about 45 min after we ordered, so nobody had interest in eating it. The starter, Cajun fries, was not hot at all. We all ordered a side salad with specific dressing requests (French, blue cheese and house dressing). All the salads came with the house tarragon dressing. Accommodations were attempted to make a blue cheese but the salad was already covered in the house dressing so it was a bit ridiculous. The steak and shrimp entree that two ordered was not hot. It was served with a cold potato salad thing that took the heat from the steak so both of my guests were disappointed. No knives were provided so they had to wait for silverware to start eating. I ordered the burger with a side of Mayo that I didn't get and the burger was not hot at all. My aunt had the salmon and said it was the best she'd ever had. My burger came with a side of some sort and I asked if I could get a side salad instead of the fried side dish and I was told yes, yet I was charged $4 for the salad with French dressing that didn't come with my requested dressing. I wouldn't have ordered it if I knew I was getting an up charge and I would have cancelled based on the dressing provided. The restaurant was also really loud, so trying to enjoy my husbands birthday ended up being an exercise in eating as fast as we could to get out of there. I really thought we were going to an upscale establishment but was sadly disappointed on all front's except the salmon. Our waiter came with issues too....not impressed with his menu knowledge or follow up with our questions or needs. I don't expect we will go back. No salmon is worth the experience we had trying to celebrate my husband's bday! read more

Amazing food and great drinks. And always nice to see what they have on tap as far as beer goes.

Love this place! So glad to see quality cocktails and food in Johnstown. The cocktails were strong, fresh, and flavorful. The food was delicious. My wife and I shared the street corn and the bacon plate, both dishes were great. Highly recommend! read more

Balance Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Wonderful. So very much enjoyed my visit there. Was fortunate to find a slow to dine. Very attentive staff. Table wine, quite nice. But, the meal was AMAZING! Oh my goodness, definitely going back for more read more

Great food and great service at a reasonable price. The menu is very unique with a wide variety of food including Gluten free and vegan. My server, Celeste was awesome! This was my first visit and she explained the menu in detail and helped me choose the perfect dish. Everyone was eager to explain the menu and the background of the dishes. They love their restaurant! Note: Ask for the official drink of Brazil. It's great!!! My first visit, but not my last! -Cheers! read more

The atmosphere is nice, modern yet country feel, clean appearance and open layout. The benches along the side wall tables are so very very very uncomfortable. I had a skirt on and left with indents in my legs from sitting on the bench. I had to keep moving back and forth during dinner because it was bothering my legs. Maybe if they rounded them off it wouldn't be so bad. It's also to deep for the table, in order to sit back the whole way on the bench. Maybe for a person taller than 6ft it could be comfortable. I know exactly where to not sit, next time I visit. Silverware is laying directly on the tables (yuck), not wrapped in a napkin or laying on a napkin, but directly on the table. Food was good, but nothing exceptional, unless we just didn't order the exceptional items. I saw rave reviews about the Brussel sprouts, which I love, so naturally, I ordered them. They were nothing spectacular for the price. I had more of a burnt parm taste than the lemon parm flavor. House salad had beets & candied pecans on it, which was a nice change. The dry aged striploin was brought out by the chef who described the meat and prep. It was cooked to a nice med well, expected quite a larger piece for the price, it was maybe 3oz. Signature martini was very good, refreshing flavor. The owner also came to our table and asked how everything was. I did let her know that I'm not a fan of the silverware laying out as such, and the bench digging into my legs, even showed her how bad the indents were on the back of my legs. She acted like I somehow put them there from something other than the bench seat. LOL It's been a few months since I've been there and have heard the menu has expanded. Which is a good thing, since it seemed to not have many choices on it previously. Overall it's OK. read more

Never would I have thought there would be a tapas restaurant in Johnstown. Having recently been to Spain, I made a point to come here and check it out as soon as I had heard about it. Tapas are my new fav way to dine. I was not disappointed. Even my mother, who is not very adventurous with food, found something she loved. She got the trio of tacos and we all tried one. They were braised beef with the usual condiments. The beef was so tender and rich. The cabbage was a nice addition instead of lettuce. The jalapeños and salsa came on the side so you can adjust your own heat level. My hubby and I ordered two different craft cocktails-- whoa! I'll be back even if just to drink some more of these delectable concoctions. We also shared the seafood sampling with charred tomatoes. Mmm! This was a lovely combination of seafood, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and a mushroom succotash that worked so well! Service was great! The ambiance has a rustic touch, but still feels classy. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

Love love love. Great drinks and great food choice. Probably the best place to eat in Johnstown.

Stopped in because I was looking for vegan options which are extremely hard to find in the area. However, noticed other tables around me enjoying the charcuterie board and other carnivorous options. I had the seasonal vegetables and mushroom risotto which was made vegan. Fabulous presentation and both were wonderful despite being a tad over salted. However, highly recommend this restaurant as head and shoulders above any others listed for the area with regard to food quality. Visiting from the east coast, I found the prices to be completely appropriate for the quality of the food. Loved the atmosphere and the owner, Amanda, was great to talk to. read more

Balance Restaurant - Seasonal vegetables of kale and charred tomatoes and Vegan Mushroom Risotto. - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

This restaurant complex continues to impress. A new Fine Dining Room featuring Executive Chef Jeet's creations was fantastic. Three of us dined there on 3/3/2023. It is a 3 course dinner with many choices for each course. I would recommend the pumpkin soup, the impressively presented charcoal smoke chicken tikka and the artichoke and pineapple chutney. For the entre course; my steak was cooked perfectly and presented flaming by Chef Jeet. The salmon and cod dishes were also delicious. We will go again soon. It is a gem. read more

We sat in the new fine dining area and had an absolutely fantastic experience. The wait staff was great and the chef was fantastic and came out to speak to us about each course. The meal consists of three courses with dishes inspired from all over the world. The food was some of the best we've ever had and the presentation of each dish was beautiful. Would highly recommend! read more

Have dined at Balance many times and enjoyed every meal I've had! Recently had some medical issues that required a no salt menu and Amanda and her staff accommodated my needs 100% without one complaint. Always a pleasant atmosphere and great food and wine as well as specialty drinks!! Absolutely worth a visit next time in town! read more

Balance Restaurant - Charcuterie - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

See all

LOOOVE Balance Restaurant! It's fresh, healthy and tasty. My first visit I had the açaí bowl and it was not only delicious but also aesthetically pleasing! My second visit I had the buffalo chicken wrap with chips and it was also very good. read more

Balance Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Oh man oh man, that food was seriously really good! We all were raving about it. The Salmon and salmon tacos were exceptional. And the service was spectacular. The owner came out and introduced herself, and we told her we were from out of town, visiting our dad's hometown for his birthday. After we finished everything on our plates, the chef came out with a butcher block, and cut up a fresh steak which was delicious. That blew us away... After we got in the car, we all kept talking about how great that meal was. You've gotta try this place out! read more

Balance is the best of the best in Johnstown. Conveniently located in the heart of Johnstown, my husband and I first stopped here just to get drinks at the bar. We received excellent service and delicious, unique drinks with fresh ingredients (I am not usually one to be impressed by fancy cocktails, but I was here). We returned recently for dinner and were blown away. Most of their plates are veggie-based, gluten-free -- and as someone who enjoys carbs-on-carbs I was a bit skeptical at first. We ordered the chef's choice (4-course dinner chosen by the restaurant) and each course was phenomenal. They are known for their brussels sprouts and for good reason, perfectly cooked and flavored. They are a must-have! The co-owner herself served all of our dishes and talked to us about the dishes. Highly recommend for any occasion. read more

Among other dishes, the Balance Restaurant is known for their Brussel Sprouts. They're amazing! Had one of my best White Russians from the bar. It was perfect! The 'Dude' would have been impressed! Employees are energetic, attentive, polite, and quite helpful with menu selections. Cleanliness is a priority--restaurant is very clean. The front of the restaurant opens up and provides outside seating with umbrellas. We now have a new lunch and dinner venue. read more

We had reservations for 7:15 and showed up a bit early, which was not a problem. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. My friends and I ordered three tapas and a few mixed drinks. We were so pleased with each dish. Everything was so fresh and delicious. The owner brought us our last plate and introduced herself. It was nice to see the owner present in the business. She kindly asked us to provide her with any comments or criticisms. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was beautiful. We will definitely be back! read more

This review is based on the bar and the absolutely stellar bartender we were lucky enough to have.: Nate . We had tried this restaurant a couple of years ago and were not blown away (prices and quality did not match), but we came back for drinks and appetizers before an event at the State Theater and were very happily surprised. The cocktail menu has some standards but also some truly inspired choices, including a praline old fashioned, a grilled pineapple margarita, and a strawberry caipirinha. Appetizers are mostly standard, but the two we tried were perfectly executed: Cajun-spiced fries and calamari. What made the experience over the top was Nate, who knew the menu inside out, made good recommendations, and genuinely listened to our interests. When I mentioned that the perfectly cooked fries deserved aioli rather than ketchup, he disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a spicy mayonnaise-based sauce that worked perfectly. Definitely above and beyond, since I did not ask for a replacement for the ketchup and did not expect one. Similarly, when I expressed interest in the praline old fashioned, he described in appetizing detail how it was made--a preparation that included creativity not normally found in local restaurants. We will definitely be back to the bar and may retry the restaurant for dinner. read more

Visiting from out of town and was happy in my choice of eating dinner here. The hostesses and bartender were all very friendly and accommodating. I ordered one of the specials and it was great. I did order the cheese and meat platter and was hoping for something a little more inventive, but it was still good. read more

Great to see modern and delicious eateries coming to Johnstown. Hopefully we will see a lot more of that to build up that beautiful city. The burnt lemon Parmesan brussels sprouts were absolutely amazing so where the buffalo tacos I must try read more

Have eaten here twice now. First time was a solid 4 stars as the place was new but felt like a restaurant not in Johnstown. Modern decor and furnishings are nice to look at. The first time we had the strip steak for $24, the salmon on greens, the pierogies, and the Brüssel sprouts. Everything was very tasty and flavorful. The service was a little slow, but we didn't mind the first time around. I mentioned to the owner that it would be nice to get a quality California Chardonnay on the wine menu. So this past weekend we were excited to go back. Could not find a beer on the menu that wasn't an IPA or something overly hopped, no good Cali whites, and a slim selection of mixed drinks on the menu. The place felt like 90 degrees inside! So we tried to order the steak again and the Brüssel sprouts. Both were sold out at 8:30! No fish if the evening either. So we ordered appetizers. The fries with truffle parm sounded good and the bruschetta with edamame hummus and local cheese sounded yummy. The fries came out with a sprinkle of sea salt I assume? Boring. The bruschetta was tasteless and I have no clue what type of cheese it was, but next time use something more flavorful like manchego or Gouda. We would have normally spent $200 easily at a restaurant like this in DC orPittsburgh. Unfortunately the slow as molasses service and the lack of offerings is acceptable in Johnstown. The owner seems aloof to customer requests, so we will not eat back. read more