Really satisfying Smashburger and delicious fried green tomatoes. Lovely outdoor seating even though it's raining a little. Great lemonade. We're here for lunch at almost 4pm but totally not an issue. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - What's left of my smash burger, fried green tomatoes and their in-house lemonade - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

Before you read this review. I want to preface this with, I have only been there once. EVERY restaurant in existence has had days where things they cannot control happen. I will definitely go back, and eat from their food menu, and take pics. I didn't take any pics, because our experience didn't seem to align with all the 4 and 5 star reviews. which signals to me, that our experience may not have been a normal experience. We had never been and had not heard much about it. I checked out their website first. Which is a fun looking website. It appeared to be a diner that also sold ice cream. We pulled in, there were outside tables set up under shaded canopies. Lots of space for kids to run around We noticed the front had a walk up and order Ice cream window. Past that was the door to the restaurant part. The restaurant inside area was small, The menu sounded amazing. Chili dogs, fried hot dogs, they had some interesting hot dog ideas, as well as Hamburgers, fish plates etc. shakes, Ice cream. Very laid back atmosphere. If you have kids, it will be a super, affordable win. It definitely has its place in Lodi, and I do see they are a big success with Ice Cream and take out. Which is what I wish we did. The first thing that hit us when we walked in was the smell of fish, it was a super strong offensive odor. I looked to my right and saw a few people at the table with fish baskets. I thought to myself, that must be where the odor was coming from. But wondered why they smelled so bad. We sat down, ooh'ed and ahhh'd over the menu, but still nose crinkled over the odor of fish. We decided that the kitchen must not have good ventilation either and we were smelling every fish fry they had cooked that day, and maybe even more days. I do not recommend eating inside. Then we noted the flies. We were swatting left and right. I know restaurants have flies, it is hard to keep them out of the kitchen, and they are expected in outdoor seating, but inside the restaurant. Nope! That's even a Big Nope for me. Little miss outdoors. We decided to leave the indoor seating area, skip lunch, and ordered Ice cream outside at the window. Dessert for lunch felt a bit naughty, in a fun way. Yes, I heard it too. I am an adult, that doesn't like adulting. Haha! We ordered soft serve twists. Our rational being that just the soft serve machine needed to be clean. So there was no chance of flys landing on it. We are not weird germaphobes, but once your brain starts down that rabbit hole, sometimes you just cannot find your way back, that was us. We were down the rabbit hole. The Ice cream was really good, ALL of the employees were very nice. We felt no judgement leaving the table and going outside to order Ice cream. While we were waiting for our ice cream, the wind shifted and the odor was just disgusting. This was outside, we took a look around and we found a Porto-potty on the side of the building. Just around the corner from the Ice cream pick up window, and next to that was a Dumpster. So take your pick on what caused the odor. While we were in our car we decided to play a game of what we would do differently, if we owned it. This what we came up with. 1) Deep clean the inside eating area 2) add ventilation to the kitchen and dining area. 3) add a mesh, magnetic fly door. 4) make sure employees are also swatting and disposing of flys. 5) move dumpster to front left side of parking lot. 6) buy a portable- potty trailer, those will need magnetic mesh fly doors on those as well. read more

Drove up not sure if the place was open but was happy to see movement inside and we were greeted quickly, and being the only ones there we went to the counter to look at the menu. Noticed the soup at that time and wanted to give it a try as well as other offerings. The place was very nice and clean so we ordered and sat at a table near the far wall. The cashier was pleasant but seemed geared more towards locals as we felt a bit awkward in our asking about the menu, especially the soup. After placing our order we looked over a few table games located in the corner, could not decide on one, which was ok since our food quickly arrived. I tasted the soup and commented that it was excellent to the cashier and asked if they made the soup and got an awkward, no I don't make the soups, Johnny makes them. I was blown away from the flavor, consistency and presentation and just wanted to know if it was made in house. The soup was incredible and better than many fine dining variations I've tried across the country and abroad. The Haddock was fried perfectly with a light crispy coating and delicious coleslaw and perfectly cooked fries with just the right amount of tartar sauce. The Bacon Jam Smashburger was equally as excellent as the jam really stood out and completed the burger presentation. Lastly the Brussel sprouts were nice prepared, and spot on in flavor and presentation. These too were flavorful, and perfect. This entire dining experience was a joy and an experience we were not expecting, even commenting the next morning on how well executed the menu items were presented. Johnny's food would compete well again many high end gourmet establishments I've been too at much higher prices. This place is absolutely a true food Mecca and offers a wonderful dining experience! Thank you for the skills presented on the menu that carried over to the food we enjoyed! read more

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Extraordinary food in a simple (no frills) setting...all the "frills" are in the food!! The three of us ordered a range of things: grilled peach salad, fish fry, fried green tomatoes, Tomato and avocado sandwich on homemade focaccia bread, macaroni salad, shrimp tacos, homemade lemonade. One review I noticed said food took a long time to get to the table...yea, 'cause they are making it from scratch and not just microwaving something from the freezer!! One person in our party is celiac and the fish fry was so welcome. Whether you've got a gluten intolerance or not - this fish fry is fabulous. We got there around 4:30 for a very early dinner and the place was empty - couldn't figure out why given the quality of the food. By the time we left it was hoppin'. Good to know others know a good thing when they see/eat it! Thanks Johnny's for a great meal. read more

Food was delicious. Great menu options. We ordered the fried fish (large portion is HUGE!), fried rice and the greens and grains salad. We have enough for dinner tomorrow night as well. Fish was fried with a thin crispy batter, cornstarch and tasted great. Clean place inside and out. Looks like a real fun place to visit in nice weather with the outside seating. I think it was the owner who I interacted with who was super friendly. We will definitely visit again and I'm trying the hot dogs and smashburger next time. read more

We just came here for ice cream, but it was fine. They do have specialty sundaes, which was cool. They also had milkshakes. I know they also have food, but can't speak to that since we didn't have any. However, there was a family that ordered food before we ordered our ice cream and they were just receiving it after we had all finished our ice cream, including our 4 year old, so it took quite a while. Ambiance was also fine, your typical ice cream and burger stand. There is indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Sundae flavors - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

Johnny's Kitchen, in Lodi, is my go-to when I want to treat myself with a meal out. I usually get takeout, and either eat at Lodi Pt. State Park nearby, or bring it home. This weekend I got a bowl (pretty sure it's a whole quart) of their white chicken chili. I ate half last night, and I'm beginning the second half right now. It is SO. GOOD! I added the saltines (when I was a kid, that's how we ate chili). November 2025. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Delicious white chicken chili. Generous portions--I added the saltines--childhood comfort combo. - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

My mother first discovered Johnny's Kitchen after reading about it on a Facebook page. There had been a post about their special "fried fish sammy with house tarter sauce, tomato, and lettuce all between our homemade brioche bun." She's a sucker for a great fried fish sandwich... so, of course, I had to come check out the reviews here on Yelp. Well, with all this hype? We had to visit, so I decided I'd take some time off from work so that I could take her for a little roadtrip and we could grab lunch. We got to Johnny's Kitchen around 11:45am on a Thursday (they open at 11:30am on Thursdays) and there were already a couple folks in line ahead of us... so yeah, it's a popular place. Now, there are two important things of note when visiting Johnny's Kitchen. One, food will take a bit of time. As the business owner replied to an earlier review, the restaurant is "a very small place with a small kitchen and only one chef (Johnny) who is cooking all the food to order for everyone who comes in and calls in an order to go." So just be mindful that you'll need a bit of patience after ordering your food. My mother and I knew this going into the visit, so we had no issues with the bit of a wait. Two, there's a mention on the door of the restaurant that there's no public restroom available. I'm not going to hold that against the restaurant because they DO have the sign, but I will note that it's an inconvenience. At least one patron during the time my mother and I were visiting went looking for the bathroom and were stopped by the person at the counter and told that a public restroom wasn't available. Previous to that, another restaurant patron had just walked into the room that adjoins the dining area to go looking for the bathroom. I get that the restaurant location is on the small side, but I do think it'd be helpful and hospitable for them to have even just a single stall restroom available to the public. In terms of the actual food quality, it's delightful. I tried one of the smash burgers (the 'pineapple express burger', which comes with grilled onions, grilled pineapple, ham, cheddar, bbq, and mayo) and my mother got to order her fried fish sammy. We also ordered the Mexican street corn side to split. Both sandwiches were delicious - even if very messy. The Mexican street corn had a delightful kick. The food is certainly worth the wait. Ambiance and service are welcoming. It definitely feels like a local favorite / hidden gem. read more

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Wow!! Ummm, Hidden gem here. Food is amazing and they have a ton of gluten free stuff. If you are GF, get the fish fry ...... Took a bit to get the food, so we had some ice cream while we waited. Good quality ice cream. Only slightly weird thing was you had to go inside to order the food and if you were getting takeout you could order and go sit in your car and they would bring it out. But if you wanted ice cream you needed to go outside and order it through the window lol read more

The smash burgers and homemade fries were absolutely amazing! We were greeted with a smile and excellent service. Everything, including the homemade lemonade was on point. Can't wait to return for the fish fry! read more

Such a cute little spot in Lodi! The food is incredible! I highly recommend Johnnys bean burger, but everything I've had here has been delicious! read more

Amazing ! A must stop in the finger lakes trail. You can bring your our wine and enjoy . read more

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The food here is amazing and I love that the menu changes often. They have a lot of vegan and gluten free options. Their menu is also incredibly diverse - they offer dishes inspired by a variety of cultures. I've seen some complaints about the wait times, but I've personally never had to wait long. Service has always been great! read more

I realize the kitchen is small, but... waiting 50 minutes for an ok burger and salad was a bit much. Hand-cut fries was the best part. read more

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I drove past Johnnys, and then did a uturn after I saw the pictures and it was totally worth it. The menu variety is something that you would NOT expect. I couldn't pass up the specialty hot dogs so I decided on the Salami mami. Great flavors, bun, and hot dog with an abundance of crispy salami on top. I also got some soft serve on the way out. Friendly staff, cute interior, and a MUST stop all summer long! read more

Food was fresh, tasty, and was served quick. I had a fish fry and the tomato corn salad side. My friend had the grilled peach salad and was super happy with their pick as well. Cute ambiance (love the tin ceiling), great music playing (if you're a fun 40 year old like me), and a selection of fun easy-to-learn board games. read more

Great ice cream menu... great prices for very good ice cream. Best ice cream shop in the area!

Made a destination trip to Johnny's Kitchen with friends based on the 4.9 review. What looks like an ice cream stand turned out to be an exciting, creative, sumptuous experience. Unsweetened iced tea was make and bottled in house...fresh and refreshing. The fries were a flash from the past...real potatoes, crispy and crunchy. the sandwiches were what one would expect of a diner...yet they each had a creative twist...the addition of avocado, or salsa, or a special mayo or sauce. Truly extraordinary. Yes, we had to wait, but the wait was worth it. Yes, we had to use the portajohns, still worth the trip. Service was excellent and ambiance was retro - fun! Will absolutely return! read more

Truly a hidden gem. Excellent vegetarian options and very accommodating with allergies. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Beet Reuben and Kung Pao Cauliflower - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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Delicious food! Perfect environment- quaint, clean, and relaxing. Will 100000% be back. Plus, lots of gluten free options. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Squash soup, autumn salad, garlic mashed potatoes - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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I don't recommend this so called restaurant to anyone stay away fries cold chicken wasn't done Don't get lodi hot chicken or grilled jerk chicken was burned and cold very dissatisfied read more

We came upon this little diner type restaurant while vacationing in the Finger Lakes. The menu looked surprisingly good and it was cute inside. No complaints about the food, it was actually some of the best we had the entire vacation. However, the wait for the food was sort of ridiculous. We ordered pancakes and a breakfast sandwich and waited 50min for it to come. I gave 4 stars for the quality and taste of the food, but for the wait I would give them a solid 1 star. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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Cute little food/ice cream joint! Service was quick and there were so many options for the ice cream. read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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What a find we stumbled on after a bad experience at another spot down the road! This place is great with owners and staff that you can tell really cares. It comes across in the food, service, and conversation! Don't let the unassuming but beat and clean outward appearance deceive you. This place is turning out delicious versions of old favorites. I will go out if my way to visit again! read more

Food is fresh and excellent. Be prepared to wait for the wood. It's well worth it. Also careful with allergens and great vegan and GF options. read more

Very cute and stylish ice cream and burger stop. The burgers were juicy flavorful and the fries were incredibly fresh and crispy. The service was excellent and fast. read more

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Wow!!! The food here was absolutely amazing and soooo delicious! I had the seafood pot and the greens and grains salad and it was probably one of the best dinners I have ever had. So flavorful and cooked to perfection. The service was great and the icecream hit the spot. Definitely will be back! read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Greens and grains salad - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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Stopped here on Saturday. Very cute space with friendly staff and quick service, it seemed to be a "locals" type of place which is always nice to see. The smash burger hit the spot and we're going to try their brunch soon! It definitely fills a void on the northern end of the wine trail and is worth the stop. read more

Easy ordering, quick service, and *delicious* food made this stop a stellar find! We stopped in around 9:30am on a Saturday and were the only guests at first. We ordered at the window inside then had our food and drinks brought to our table. A few other groups came in soon after us, but there wasn't a shortage of seats. So glad we found this place! read more

Johnny’s Kitchen - Inside seating - American Near Me - Lodi, New York

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Were visiting for the weekend and went to pick up an order for takeout (ready in 15 minutes! fried fish basket and smash burger- both very good, my husband raved about the burger!) and we saw their ice cream window so naturally we had to get some pre-dinner ice cream. The quality of the ice cream was superb! I got a nutty bon bon sundae which was Bavarian cream ice cream with peanut butter swirls and peanut butter bon bons in the ice cream itself, and the sundae included Nutella, caramel sauce, pecans, and whipped cream. Unreal! I wish we werent leaving tomorrow morning otherwise we'd come back to try one of their other sundaes! The service was great, everyone was so friendly! read more

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Great food, super hospitable. Six tables inside, lots outside with cover. Lots of takeout biz. Where else in Lodi can you get focaccia? Yum

Johnny's is a great place for breakfast in Lodi if you want something a bit more than what could be easily replicated at home. I ordered a breakfast "sammy" which was the perfect size, served on a light brioche bun, a good amount of eggs, and a flavorful homemade sauce. I also ordered a side of breakfast potato's which were perfect crisp and large enough to easily split between 2 people. The cold brew was also phenomenal. In addition to great food, the service was quick and very friendly! read more

If you're looking for breakfast and are anywhere between Watkins (who are we really kidding though?... Watkins falls short on local delicious choices, too) and Geneva, this is the place!! The owners, Johnny and Reagan, are also the full staff-cook, prep, and serve.... And they are absolutely delightful and sweet folks. Locally sourced, delicious and filling! We shared The Johnny cakes, breakfast tacos, sausage breakfast sandwich and crispy potatoes... it was all excellent and well made, with all the flavor profiles... seasonal apples, homemade hot sauce and peach jam.... The cornmeal pancakes...what even is this heavenly delight??? Absolutely absurd how wonderful they are... and. REAL MAPLE SYRUP! These folks know what they're doing. This is a new staple on our "northern" drives from the Hector region. read more

Food was so good!! Loved it. Everything tasted so good. Also got the strawberry lemonade. Delicious! read more

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We spent the weekend in the Seneca Lake area. Came across Johnny's and thought we would give it a try. That was probably the tastiest, best meal we had all weekend!!! Absolutely delicious. I had the Lodi Chicken Sandwich. I requested it without the honey hot sauce because I didn't want too much heat). So good and still a little spice from the spicy relish. Husband had the bean burger. "It was a very tasty bean burger." The fries were yummy!!!! read more

Went for breakfast it was delicious, but a little too much oil/grease on my breakfast sandwich! I will definitely go again and try more of the menu! Coffee was quality too. Cozy spot to eat! The service was great too! read more

Food is awesome and service was great, I would recommend Maddox Ryley and Kali as your drive through server! Best place I have ever gotten after I ate there food I felt like a sigma. It was fast to. read more

Food was delicious for an unassuming, side-of-the-road pull-off place. Very friendly wait staff. Clean dining area. Only down side : no restrooms. Definitely recommend. read more

Don't drive by! The food is delicious! Cooked perfectly and creatively. I only wish I had a cold IPA to wash it down with. Next time I'll have to try the ice cream too. Wonderful stuff! read more

Found this local gem on our trip through the finger lakes. The service was great. The food was amazing. Biscuits and sausage gravy was so good. The homemade brioche French toast was delicious as well. Will definitely have to come back our next time traveling through. read more