Excellent meal. Had baked fish special, husband had eggplant rolatini, desserts were amazing!!

Aside from my own mother's cooking, this might be some of the best Italian food I've had. Be warned that this place has a huge wait for that very reason. We started off with some delicious bread, which was hard on the outside and soft on the inside, and served with olive oil. Of course, this was a very filling start to what ended up being a huge meal, and I had half of my entree left over. I got chicken parmesan, which was not one, but two cutlets. It was fried to perfection and topped with an amazingly hefty amount of cheese and really good sauce. I ordered the pasta that comes with it on the side with their pink sauce, which is marinara, cream, and some other fun additions. It was also very very good. Really a spectacular dining experience. Unfortunately I doubt I will be finding myself in Schenectady in the foreseeable future so all I have now is the memory of it. read more

Johnny's - Chicken parm and pasta with pink sauce - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We had dinner here before a show at Proctors. We sat at a high top at the bar and had a great meal: Caprese for the app, I had the walleye and gnocchi special, and my wife had chicken Marsala. Fantastic all the way around! Highlight was our bartender Vallee, who was awesome. Excellent dessert recommendation for the tiramisu, cannoli, and espresso martinis! A-1 experience! read more

The two star rating is for my last visit to Johnny's. Don't get me wrong, the food at Johnny's is amazing, but I was a little disillusioned this time. I ordered the filet special, which was a filet mignon on a lobster cake with a roasted red pepper puree and autumn vegetables. the filet was cooked perfectly, but lacked flavor, the rest of the dish was fine. When the check came and saw that I paid $40 for that dish I was in shock. I had better steak for half that price. Johnny's always hits a home run in my book but this time they struck out. read more

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Located across the street from Proctors theatre, this bustling restaurant is a downtown staple of Sch'dy NY. We opted to go during Restaurant week where several local restaurants participate offering 3- courses for 25.00. There were two choices for each category. Appetizer, entree and dessert. Everything we had was flavorful and delicious. Make a reservation as this place can fill up especially on a weekend. A place to go for a drink and appetizer and people watch. Music outside warm weather permitting. read more

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I've often tried to get in here on a night we were going to a show at Proctors but it's always booked solid. Stopped for lunch today with clients and we were seated immediately. No cocktails as this was a business lunch but the waitress was at our table immediately taking a drink order. She checked back promptly, mentioned specials and took our order. The place was fairly busy for 1pm on a Tuesday. It is an Italian place so I went with the meatball sandwich. Others went with a chicken sandwich special. Food came out rather quickly and my sandwich was delicious. The meatballs tasted homemade and the marinara sauce was super tasty. Plenty to eat, very reasonable and nice decor in the heart of the City. To top off the good experience, the owner or manager stopped by our table to make sure everything went well. I always appreciate that personal touch. Lunch menu is a bit small compared to their dinner fare but good variety. read more

WoW just WoW. The place has such an authentic Italian vibe I expected James Gandolfini to come out in his boxers and house coat to greet me. I made that joke and I was informed That Mr. Gandolfini died a few years ago... I was in tears, NO ONE HAD TOLD ME. I didn't want to find out this way. NOT LIKE THIS, never like this. After a few minutes I stopped crying, got off the floor, put my shirt back on and ordered some grieving apps. After all it was happy hour. so I should at least fake a smile for the hour. What a deal too, 5 wings for 6 bucks, when according to their menu you can get 12 wings for 12 bucks normaly... it has to be a savings, it's less. SUCH A GOOD TIME!!! oh wait JAMES GANDOLFINI DIED WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH read more

Great Mexican food variations , taco salad, creative drinks. Special orders don't upset them!Has a super location.

Really enjoyed the calamari and love Marines so it was fun to see all the old photos and memorabilia! Other than that it was a disappointing experience, the bread had the feel of cheap supermarket loaves that they didn't warm before bringing out. The marinara lacked flavor and was akin to cheap tomato sauce out of a can with a slight bit of gussying up at best. Our steak was overcooked and the peppers that came with it were on par with the marinara. None of these things on their own are a big issue but when the price of the food is taken into account Johnny's has fallen very short. The only way Johnny's would be worth going to is if their entire staff gets paid a proper living wage, otherwise there's no excuses for the high costs and lack of quality. read more

Had a great night out with friends at johnnys. This was my first time here and would absolutely go back again! Our waitress was amazing and the atmosphere was really nice. I was a little disappointed with my dinner but overall it was a decent meal. The appetizers we ordered were really good. It was the best calamari I have had in a long time! My wife ordered chicken parm and it looked amazing and the portion was huge. I ordered chicken Marsala and it was ok, I was a little disppointed in the portion size and the potato and vegetable side was very bland. Next time I will definitely order the chicken or veal parm!!!! read more

Johnny's - Chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Let me start off by saying this the first time that I've ever been to this restaurant to get any type of meal. I heard about a promotion that they're running which is 4 entrees for $40 which is included in all the pictures below. I just want to say that it was well worth the money. The food was simply amazing. I enjoyed the salad the house dressing that went on the salad oh, the chicken was cooked perfectly I'm not a huge chicken fan but it was done very well. The Ziti were al dente and the sauce that went on everything just brought all the flavors together. It is simply a very excellent experience that we had. The bread, was still warm when we got at home and was so delicious we put the butter on it and the butter actually was melting the bread that's not normally something that you see when you're taking a meal home at least for me. The cupcakes were simply Delicious they gave you options and they were not too sweet so they were just the right consistency and they were from The Villa Italia also in Schenectady which is amazing bakery shop. The reason for the lack of the one star was the parking situation. It is very difficult to find parking around their building because they are in the city of Schenectady and it's on street parking they do not have a parking lot. So if you don't get there at the right time you could be walking a block just to get food to bring it back to your car which can end up being quite the hassle. It would be nice if they had a couple of spots there for carryout customers it probably would do so much more for the morale of returning customers who are taking out orders. Because the reality of that is unless we are dining in we are probably not going to order from them again just because of the parking situation although their food was very delicious. I will say this if you are ever in the area and you want a great place to have a delicious meal then this was the place that you should go to oh, I definitely recommend it for eat in dining. Thank you for listening. read more

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This restaurant gets 2 stars for this review because of the busboy. Our waitress was terrible and MIA most of the time. The hostess was slow and rude. The busboy--He (the african American guy, sorry we forgot to get your name. We gave 50% of our bill as gratuity to him) was very attentive, hard working, and friendly. We were there for 1hr and he cleaned about 6 tables, carried super heavy tray, and did everything carefully and with a smile. Bravo to him!! He deserves a raise and/or promotion! The waitress--I think her name was Donna. We ordered appetizer but it never come out and she didn't even notice about it???? We told another server to cancel the appetizer since our entree came out already. our waitress decided to come to us after 10 minutes we told the other server about it. When we told her we were ready for bill and Togo box, she disappeared for a good 10 minutes before coming back with the bill. FYI, she forgot to box our leftover. It was the busboy who saw us sitting idle and came to us offered to box the leftover. She was nowhere to be found. The worst service ever!!!! Then took her another 5 min to come back with the credit card slip for us to sign. By the way, It was around 8:45pm (they closed at 9:00pm and the restaurant was empty) when all of this happened so not sure what she was doing and taking so long for simple bill?!! The hostess--we came in. 2 hostesses were chit chatting with a group of people and didn't even acknowledging that we came in. After I said "excuse me" that was when they turned around and asked how many people, then another group came in shortly after us. The hostess seated them before us when we have a reservation and still waiting????? How's that possible??? I know for a fact that group didn't have a reservation. Overall, if it wasn't the busboy, this review will be 1 star!! read more

Johnny's - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Yes, the food is decent here, and the location is great especially if you're coming from the theatre. But don't make the mistake of going to the wrong "Johnny's". There is another Italian restuarant a mile away in Schenectady called Johnny (or John) Ricatello's. This place has far better, authentic food and better service. It's one of the classics of Little Italy and all the local Italians have been eating here for decades. But in downtown, Johnny's serves decent panna and their dessert menu has a lot of delights. read more

My husband and I came in for dinner last week and we will not be back. Our waitress had the worst attitude I have ever encountered while dining out and I was extremely dissatisfied by her service. The food was good as you'd expect, would have been well worth the money if the service was better. Wish I could give this place a higher review but good service is one of the most important assets to a restaurants success, and our waitress was less than impressive. read more

Went there for my Birthday dinner. Service and food was delicious! Definitely will go back! Shrimp scampi was outstanding! The waitress was right on when I ask her to pick a Pinot noir for me. Staff was totally accommodating! read more

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Johnnys crushed it tonight. After last night's debacle at another restaurant , it was great to go to an Italian restaurant that knows how to do it right. It felt like night and day and it was very appreciated. Service was top notch. Bussers were on point. Bartenders made great drinks even with a packed bar scene. Super impressed with the hospitality side of the restaurant. On the meal front, clams casino is the way to go. 6 fully stuff delish clams set the meal off right. We moved into entrees with the Osso Bucco and the steak. Both were so good. I had a side of ziti with garlic and oil. Everything was out of this world! The vegetables with my steak were cooked perfectly giving you the spicy and savory flavor. My steak honestly rivaled anything a premier steakhouse would put out. Finished with villa Italia tiramisu and capped off a meal that was just done right. Wonderful experience. Thank you to the Mallozzis. read more

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Had a great meal at Johnny's- ate out doors on a nice night on the patio. Beer and wine selection was great- I had the local IPA on tap. The fresh made bread was tasty- they gave us a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip into that really tasted extra special- maybe I was just starving! Two of us had the Veal Sorrento- veal layered with eggplant and topped with cheese - over a bed of the home made fresh ziti. A huge plate that I did manage to finish most off in a few attempts! The wife had Veal Marsala which was great also. The service was excellent- we had 2 waiters keeping an eye on us. Our main waiter- Seneca- was a charmer. Will definitely go back when I am in town! read more

We are travellong in NY and found your restaurant on Yelp. I am sooo glad we stopped here!! Eggplant capri and lasagne were both served in large portions and home made recipes were used. My lasagne was the best I have ever eaten - freshly made pasta was delicious! The service was impeccable- Debbie was the best! So attentive and made sure we had a great dining experience. Please move to Houston TX so we can see you again! read more

The reviews on here are quite scattered. I am a fan of Mallozzi's so I knew I wanted to try Johnny's but I didn't expect to be blown away. The food was outstanding from the bread to the entrees. If you have a group of people I highly suggest splitting the Italian nachos. One of the more creative dishes I've seen in awhile. The sausage alone was fantastic. It's large and heavy so you may not want to eat your dinner if don't have alot of people helping you. For dinner I got the eggplant rollatini. The red sauce was thick and tasty and they only serve fresh pasta which is noticeably better. Even though they are fairly new its already a very popular place. I called Thursday afternoon for a Friday night reservation for 2 and they only had a high top available at 7:30. So call early for reservations and don't expect to just pop in if you are in the neighborhood. The location is great if you are going to Proctor's but otherwise you may have a slight walk because they are downtown and its on street parking only. The service was great and I enjoyed our waiter but plan on being there for 1.5-2 hrs. We received our appetizer quickly but there was a large gap before receiving the entrees. read more

Meatballs are gigantic. Sauce is good. Servings are large so you'll definitely be taking some home with you.

They're not open until 2pm. Doors closed tight. I'm sure the food would've been decent. Nice location. Hours are definitely off. read more

I came to Johnny's for my first time heading out of Proctors which is just a block away. This place has a lot to offer from sea foods to home made Italian food. I started out my meal with an Italian Antipasto Plate. I would highly recommend this appetizer, especially if you're an Italian food lover. It has all your favorites from prosciutto and salami to olives and cheeses. It's a great tasty snack to have before an entrée. For my entrée, I had the Seafood Panna. I've tried sea food in and out of the area but the shrimp and scallops were the best I've ever tried. I would definitely recommend to try this dish with rigatoni pasta, which has a rich creamy taste to it. If you're looking for some high quality Italian food around the area, Johnny's will give you just what you want. read more

Johnny's - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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This place is excellent we were traveling from Lake George to the Finger Lakes to Saratoga and stopped. we usually don't stop for Italian because of the amount of pasta that restaurants have on their menu but there's a number of Great chicken dishes that don't include pasta. The bartender recommended to chicken cognac or the chicken marsala so we tried the chicken cognac it was excellent and enough to split read more

I ate at Johnny's on a Monday night and sat at the bar. I have to say that I found the service to be a bit slow and impersonal. I ordered the Chicken Picatta. It was a big dish, but I thought it could have been dressed with more capers. It was served with potatoes which were a bit rubbery. Overall, I was underwhelmed with the food and I thought the prices were a bit high for the quality. The restaurant is convenient if you're attending a show at Proctors, and my understanding is that it gets busy. read more

The staff and food are amazing! I hosted a small gathering for my sister's birthday and had the best time. My family was very impressed with the ambiance as well. Overall, I highly recommend a meal at Johnny's!! read more

Can't believe it , but I eat dinner here twice , on 2 nites , back to back. Think Maggiano's but plenty of local flavor. read more

This is about the best you'll get in this town, and would compare to a very good restaurant in most. Good atmosphere good food and great service, what more could you ask for. I the veal Marsala was very good and gelato ice cream cake. You might not get a table on show nights from the theater across the street, so call ahead. read more

Johnny's - Gelato ice cream cake - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

One of the best Italian places in Schenectady. There's a lot of room and the overall atmosphere is definitely very friendly. It is relatively pricy for being Italian food but nonetheless still tasty. Additionally, there are a lot of vegetarian food options which is always pleasant (especially when dining with vegetarian fri. I enjoyed the good customer service which definitely made the experience more memorable. It is a good place for a nice sit down place for a casual Friday night dinner or date night! The lighting is really nice and adds to the overall ambiance of the restaurant. Look out for the fresh bread!! read more

On our Tour of the Italian Restaurants in the Capital Region we visited Johnny's in Schenectady, I will start out by saying the Ambience is great, you enter and feel like you are in a top notch restaurant, we were greeted by a very hospitable host and hostess, we were seated At a nice table in the dining room and our bus boy came over and started us with ice water and bread with garlic and olive oil for dipping and butter if that is your preference, our waiter came by and took our drink order and also gave a sample of beer as a taste to help us decide, three of had wine one went for the beer special . for appetizers our friends ordered the fried calamari which were excellent they included the tentacles for the authentic taste, my wife and I shared the clam and shrimp oreganato, the portion was a little light for the price the taste was delicious, for dinner Both my friend and I had the Chicken Parmigiana with fresh Ziti we both enjoyed and agreed one of the better ones in the area my wife had the fresh tagliatelle with garlic and oil with anchovies she cleaned her plate.my friends wife had an individual pizza that she said was excellent, we finished off with cappuccino and a very decadent chocolate cake. We all enjoyed . the only reason not 5 stars is we thought it was a little pricey but well worth it read more

The birthday girl wish was dinner at Johnny's and to my surprise for my first time it was delicious. I ordered the seafood Panna, which was shrimp and clams served with tagliatelle in a cream sauce. The service as quick the ambiance was very perfect. The portion of the meal was large enough for two people. read more

Johnny's - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Place is trash, the hostesses were terrible, impolite and handle pressure about as good as a goldfish. The waiter "who they named a dish after" might be the worst in existence, he talks a big game and definitely had me fooled; but he's worthless. I guess the mayor (big thrill) came in the same night as me and my father (his birthday) and we became an afterthought. Another waitress from a different table named Sue came over and checked on us from time to time as she saw our frowns getting bigger and bigger each time she passed. No refills on water- about a drink every 45 minutes , and we didn't get our food for more than an hour and a half...had to ask for bread and butter, from Sue, not our waiter (we had not seen him for about a half hour at that point). Naturally we decided to leave, and it was a hassle to get the food off the tab that we hadn't even been served yet. They still charged us for the drinks... You couldn't pay me cash and buy me a free meal to attempt to sit down and eat here again. Management blows (train your hostesses! They're the first line of defense, we know right there the night wasn't going to be good after our interaction with them), but the bartenders are cool though. I'll come here to have drinks, but never sit down and mingle with any of the wait staff (except for sue!) ever again. read more

Not all that in a bag of chips! This is NY....Italian food shoUld be the bomb not mediocre. Disappointed. And the drinks were soso, nothing was craft or fresh.......all pre-mix or readymade. All and all just soso. I will say that the staff was very nice too bad the food & drinks aren't as good as them. read more

It's a very large establishment with a few outdoor tables. The menu is primarily pasta. i ordered the Eggplant Rolatini. It was average at best. Covered with way too much mozzarella cheese, the eggplant was soggy and barley cooked with no breading, and it had about 50% too much ricotta cheese in it. all tasty ingredients, just poor delivery. unfortunately our waitress was somewhat inattentive, which compounded the not so great experience and the time we were trapped in the restaurant. I'm not sure what the big hubbub is about the place. if you want pasta, go buy fresh pasta and boil some water. save yourself about $20 per meal. read more

Class act. Went for a private party. Room was perfect - intimate but not stuffy. Food was delicious from start to finish. Real deal antipasto with excellent meats and cheeses. Crisp, tasty, perfectly breaded calamari. Awesome little arancini. Plated salad was really fresh and tasty. Chicken piccata was super flavorful and cooked perfectly. Folks raved about the broccoli rabe. Service ... ended up part of the family by the end of the evening they were so amazing and engaging. All around exceptional experience - I would trust them with another event any time. read more

Very good! Johnny's is definitely better than most! It is a little more expensive but certainly worth it. The food is high quality and they don't cheap out with bargain store noodles. The staff is typically very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu items. read more

$26 for chicken parmigiana in Schenectady. And no salad. Sad as it was a longtime favorite.

Delicious food. Perfect service thanks to Bobby and Phil. Thank you for a perfect evening with kind, professional, attentive and fun service. Clean and appropriate Covid protections. Delicious house salad, nachos, cognac steak, veal parm and amazing dessert of chocolate cake although my descriptions are wanting. Cocktails and wine were delicious too. read more

Service was OK. Menu had nice selection but temperature of apps and meals were cold and overall it was pretty slow. Portions were large and tastes were good but watched as people around the table added salt and cheese. For the money there are many better options available and while I'm glad I tried it, I wouldn't probably ever come back. Took 2+ hours to get through the meal. We were a party of 9 and we got a variety of foods. The Italian nachos came highly recommended and had good tastes but were stone cold. The greens and beans were delicious. Three people had chicken parm and portion sizes were generous but were cold. Overall consensus is that for the money details should have been much better. read more

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of food. Calamari was perfectly light with nice sauce sides. Eggplant Rolitini was very good. Loved the sauce and pasta. Very nice espresso with an adorable mini biscotti. Cream puffs were perfect. read more

Johnny's - Smooth espresso with mini biscotti. Light cream puffs were perfect. - Italian Near Me - Schenectady, New York

My family and I stopped in Friday evening. I asked the hostess if it was ok if we just had a drink and some dessert for the kids. She told us they would only permit us to sit at the bar. I asked if this included the high top bar tables. She said she was sorry but only at the bar. I understand completely that a busy place might have tables reserved however the place was half empty. I didn't want to be belly up to a bar with my 9 & 12 year old kids. We kindly said thank you and left. I for sure won't be back, as this place is obviously too high end to cater to a family on a road trip. To bad, I would have gladly spent some money to support a local place and absolutely would have over tipped the staff to make up for the lack of the food order. Zen restaurant down the street was wonderful and had a great selection of desserts for the kids. read more