Bar Johnny
Categories: Bars, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Russian Hill2209 Polk St
(between Bonita St & Vallejo St)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 268-0140
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Late Night
- Best Nights: Wed, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
27 reviews
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
"My new favorite bar. 2-4-1 Happy hour, good bartenders and a great atmosphere. Everything is new and clean. This is the new "go-to" spot…" read more »
127 Reviews for Bar Johnny
It's been quite a long time since I'd been here and honestly, I kind of forgot about it...until recently. I was in the neighborhood and decided, on a whim, to visit once again with a friend. A relaxed, casual atmosphere with dimly lit vibe is what you enter. It's a somewhat narrow space in the front but opens up to a nice lounge like setting in the back. The server we had that night was cool although I sensed a lack of pride in their work. Chef Roland, who knows my friend gave us some great recommendations on small plates and we weren't disappointed. The food was delicious and the wine I chose with quite nice.
A good little spot in this upper Polk Street area that makes for a good time with the right company.
You know what I love about afternoon drinking??
NO CROWDS!!!
I came in here in the late afternoon to start my weekend right, and with only a handful of other patrons...the service was great...drinks were fast (and oh so delicious)...and the decor was very tres chic.
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We went for drinks only, so see other reviews for the food.
Sunday night drinks with JAT, a good friend from Los Angeles, and her two Australian friends who recently moved to SF. We had the lounge area to ourself and I enjoyed a couple glasses of wine (a Gruner Veltliner available by the glass! A welcomed rarity) and good conversation.
The staff were friendly and it was super mellow and they played pretty good music. I am going to go ahead and assume this place gets full of foolios the weekend, but last night it was nice, mellow, and enjoyable.
A nice, intimate place to have some drinks and nibble on foods. We enjoyed our flatbread with dipping sauces, the BBQ pork sliders (with the delicious fries!) and I thought the duck breast salad was pretty good. Also, the diners at the next table shared an ice cream sundae-ish thing that looked tasty.
The weirdest part was receiving our check because it claimed the establishment's name was Tablespoon.
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Great ambience! The place was upscale but not too shi-shi. Wine selection was great and very reasonably priced. The food was great! Loved the cheeseburger! Was probably one of the best one's I have had... Yummy.
This is a cool, laid-back place. The drinks are good, the service is good - It's just a great casual and fun neighborhood place.
Nice brunch, no wait whatsoever. interesting choices. Full bar.
It was empty but thats ok. It didn't feel creepy or anything.
Plus you can sit on a high bar stool.
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Burger and fries to die for. And, they serve late which is such a bonus! The chef is a doll (even if he won't divulge his secret to making the best burger in town!) and the rest of the staff are very friendly and accomodating. Good desserts, too! Yummy, but normal size portions so you don't walk out of there feeling like a complete cow. Try the bread pudding with apricot ice cream...heavy sigh...
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One Word: CHEESEBURGER
This burger was phenomenal. Usually when I eat a burger I HAVE to have tomato, lettuce, etc. However, this burger came out and I literally ate it plain, just the bread, meat and cheese. PLAIN!!!! And it was THAT good. The meat was seasoned to perfection and super juicy.
Two Words: TRUFFLE FRIES
These fries in truffle oil were seriously out of this world. I love truffle oil and to think of putting truffle oil with fries- genius
Three words: NORTH COAST BREWERY
Yes, my all time favorite brewery is served here. Score!! I was wondering where I could ever taste Pranqster again (my favorite beer of all time). They also have Le Merle which is another delicious North Coast beer. I would come back here in a heart beat for their beer selction.
So why not 5 stars if everything was that great. Answer: The service. We came in for brunch and the bartender was the only person serving people and there was a decent amount of people in there. We had never been here before for food so went to the counter to get a menu where he scolded us saying that it was a full service restaurant. OK, but we still can't grab a menu? So we waited a lot and a whole lot more for the menu, drinks, food, beer, etc. Also, the place smelled like cigarette smoke and on a Sunday morning, that's not so hot.
So about 1 star for service but 5+ for my meal so I have to be nice because I was that impressed with the food and beer and give this place 4.
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BEST FRIES EVER!!!! And the cheeseburger? DEEElicious. I had the pork stackers, but had a bite of my friend's burger. Wow...
Friendly staff, too.
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Came in for a couple of drinks after work, ooooo I love their potato chips...hot, thin, crispy and with a spicy kick...hmmm. I wasn't too crazy for their pork sliders, the bbq sauce/seasoning was a bit too sour for my taste. Had some sort of a champagne cocktail that was garnished with a sage leaf, that was interesting, but will probably not get again. I dig the music they play in there.
The $9 bottomless mimosas alone make this place awesome! And they even use Odwalla OJ! As for the food, it was just so so hence the 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Very typical breakfast type foods but a little pricey and the food came out cold even though the restaurant was not busy at all. But I must mention that the service was great and the GM was very personable. Since there aren't many places left in the city that still have bottomless mimosas I will definitely be back. Also, it's a great place to chill on the weekends and watch football while sipping on those mimosas!
Great neighborhood spot. Burger is the best thing on the menu. Only reason I"m not giving it 5 stars is it can be a bit pricey...
The interior of this place is really great. Cute, a great place to meet up with friends, or a date. They serve food until 1 am. I had the onion rings, which were a bit too much "ring" and not enough "onion." Still, they were decent. Everyone who ate at my table had the burger. It did look pretty good. The guys in our party that night work in the restaurant industry, and they proclaimed the burgers here as the best gourmet burger in the city. So, I'm guessing it was pretty darn good. If I had been hungry, I think I would have ordered the chicken and waffles. Next time. Decent wine list, good beers on tap. Oh, and the truffle fries were quite tasty. Me likey.
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Interesting experience... I was walking down Polk street in SF minding my own business when I was accosted by a very drunk, but relatively handsome man... he insisted I come in and crash the private party he was attending... I was hesitant, but the star of the party, the b-day boy himself was like, "yeah, come eat our food and drink our liquor!"...
I couldn't pass up free drinks and food... plus I found the intoxicated obnoxiousness quite endearing.. I save a special place in my heart for happy drunks!
So, I came in.. Bar Johnny's seemed pretty cool, it was small, clean and the drinks were delicious... (the music was kinda lame though).
I normally don't drink liquor, I'm a wine type gal... but it was sooo good! My greyhound was made with top shelf vodka and I watched them hand squeeze the pink grapefruit juice in front of me...the result... a greyhound fit for a queen...yum!
By the end of the party the bill was about $395. Keep in mind there was about 22 extremely intoxicated, hammered, slightly belligerently charming people.... all of which were drinking top shelf... this place is obviously awesome for a private party... highly recommend!
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Ugh...the difference between brunch and dinner here is amazing. We have had stopped by for brunch a couple of times this month, and we were pleased both times. We dropped in for dinner, and were really disappointed. My halibut was extremely overcooked, and the sides were bland and under salted. The side of truffle fries that we ordered were burned, which completely masked any sort of truffle flavor. Dessert was decent, but the bartender put WAY too much ice in my boyfriend's glass of scotch. I'd definitely recommend brunch, but suggest to avoid dinner.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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08/04/2008
I've been hesitant to check out Bar Johnny, because a lot of reviews on Yelp were negative. What a… Read more »
Bow-chicka-wow-WOW!!!!!!!!!! This place is so good I'm just SHAKING thinking about it.
Let me give you the breakdown:
Went the other night with fellow Yelper, Phil H.
Shared the caesar, each got the burger, a cocktail & a glass of wine.
CAESAR: Made my mouth melt. This salad sets the standard for both how a caesar salad should taste as well as how it should be presented. Gorgeous, with just the perfect dressing/lettuce ratio. Croutons are Out. Of. This. WORLD. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Chewy you ask? Yes, chewy. And scrumptious to boot.
BURGER: Whitney likes her burgers one way and one way only. Medium with blue cheese, bacon & avocado. I've never been disappointed with this combo, and yet both Phil H. and our server insisted I get it as prepared. This means: Bun, beef patty, one slice of American cheese. Sounds a bit dull, no? NO! It was like a fireworks display went off in my mouth. I even ordered blue cheese on the side (just in case)... and barely touched it. How could something so simple taste so good? I'm perplexed... and loving it.
TRUFFLE FRIES: Ding! Ding! We have a WINNER! These fries are the BEST FRIES I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! Now I know what you're thinking. "Come on, Sassy Pants. That's quite the statement. Are you sure you don't want to think about that for a minute or two?". No, friend. No. If you've had them, then you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't, then what are you doing still reading this review? Get up and GO already!
DRINKS: They were good, but nothing sizzling. I'm coming back for the croutons. And the fries. And the salad. And the fries. And the burger. And the fries. Did I mention those freaking fries?
GO! GO! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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im a huge fan of this place, the burger is amazing, the service is great, the cocktails are fantastic, what else do you really need!? Plus they serve food until one in the AM which is great for service industry peeps. If it was up to me i would be here at least twice a week. shouts to amy, john and sara
Another +1 for the burger. Great selection of beer and wine (Racer 5 IPA!!) comfortable seating and atmosphere for such a small place. Seriously tho kids - the burger was out of this world.
A good go-to place for a late dinner and delicious drinks. I've tried many things on the menu and have enjoyed it all. The burger is especially good. The truffle fries shouldn't be missed!!! They're almost a little brine-y and totally addictive. The staff have always been extremely kind and accommodating, even the few times I've asked to exchange things or to change a drink order. Overall, I think its a good standard as a place to chill out and meet up.
Haven't had a chance to try the food here, but I was very happy when we walked in and waited only about 5mins before being seated at a great table half way back and on the wall across from the bar.
The inside was nice and my drink never went dry. I am not a beer girl so I had one pint of Blue Moon and quickly switched to cocktails. The White Russians were great, and all things considered (on Polk street) the drinks were not overpriced. I appreciated that there was no credit card minimum and no cover charge (these days bars/clubs usually get you on one or the other). The music was not memorable to me, except that there was something playing in the background of the place.
This was my first experience here and it was nice. I hope that when I go back for another cocktail at Bar Johnny, I will have more good yelping to do.
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hey - not a bad place. it's one of those expensive-fancy-cocktails-menu bars. we had a table in the back - that may have made all the difference.
the bbq pork sliders were quite tasty.
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Sorry Bar Johnny - but yeah two measly stars. I've been here a handful of times now and can't say I'm impressed. The look of the place is pretty cool, but would be massively improved by removing the senseless pink/blue, whatever the hell color it is, poseur graffiti that screws up the otherwise interesting and artistic mural over the bar. The white birds and telephone poles look great on their own. Paint over that other mess and it would be striking.
I understand the idea of cozy tables for two, but these just don't work. They are too wide with sharp edges causing one to have to turn, twist and sidle carefully lest you plop your ass on the cozy table for two next to you.
The food is strange. I love small plates and sharing bites but these just don't cut it. Nouveau pretzels? $12 for three shrimp? How hard is it to make French fries? It's weak sauce.
The last time I was here the bartender was clearly well immersed in his own concoctions. Is this the owner by any chance? Loud, raucous, cursing, bottle throwing and sticking to one group of his drunken friends. Chodetastic.
Service can be seemingly absent. There is an emphasis on socializing with the patrons that can have the server spend an inordinate amount of time giggling, flirting, just basically hanging out with the table of the moment why you sit at your own weird, neglected table without utensils, water or ordering. So cool!
They make good drinks. Yes, they do. You'll need them to survive the the rest of the experience. Two stars for the liquor. The rest needs a reboot.
Side note: Oh and it is way past the time that the receipts should have been changed to read "Bar Johnny" instead of "Tablespoon". Come on.
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Good spot for drinks. No real happy hour menu, though - which kinda sucks. They serve food - bonus.
My only complaint is that we asked for 4 shots of something with Vodka and something kinda sweet. That we got! They were delicious! Small, single shots, but, delicious. Then we got the bill and saw that 4 shots were $32. $8 a shot?!?! DAMMNNNN!!!! I think those might have been the most expensive single shots I've ever had.
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Decent place for drinks, so-so for dinner.
Food options are primarily bar-finger foods (pork sliders, fries, giant pretzels, pizza). The truffle fries were the highlight of the meal. I like the high seating tables and the service was good.
Probably would go again for after work drinks and split a plate of fries and flatbread/ spreads plate, but probably not for dinner.
Bar Johnny burger + 2 glasses of Tempranillo x a big old mound of truffle fries = five big ass stars.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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09/28/2007
*update 3/11/2008*
I'm a proud man but I'm not too proud to admit when I'm wrong. And Bar Johnny, I… Read more »
Review No. 103
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MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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I reckon with 102 reviews you probably would rather get a different review. I am a fan of Chef Roland Robles'(of Bar Johnny) Carmel Cracker Jacks! Enjoy!
Homemade Cracker Jacks
Ingredients
3 qts popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups toasted,salted peanuts
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until they melt then simmer lightly five minutes WITHOUT stirring. Remove from heat and add the baking soda (watch for bubbling over!), vanilla and peanuts, coating them well. Then toss with the popcorn in a large mixing bowl, carefully, so as not to break the kernels. Spread it in a uniform layer on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for forty five minutes, stirring and turning over every fifteen minutes. Cool on the sheet, break apart into larger pieces.
++Cidne W. wrote (06/30) that it wasn't sweet enough for her and to add more peanuts. Being a Diabetic, the recipe worked for me (Personally).
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Bar Johnny gets a definitive OK. There is nothing that great or that bad about the place. It is going for the upscale / sleek diner thing with full bar. It is a decent place for dinner and drinks for the 25-35 bubble (marina, russian hill, pac heights) crowd on a thurs or fri night.
I would recommend Street (less than one block away) which is Bar Johnny + one star.
If you do end up at Bar Johnny get the burger over anything else on the menu.
I really enjoyed Bar Johnny.
Great vibe, interesting selection of mixed drinks and wine, great food for a reasonable price. My friend and I couldn't decide on entrees, so we went with some apps intead. Homemade pretzels? Amazing. Flatbread and dips? Beautiful and Fresh. Great late on weekends, and during the week for a low key dinner with a good friend. Yet another good find on polk street.
Used to work there Sundays only, but I have to say, if anyone wants to hang out and actually be able to chat with bartenders and feel at home, this would be the place. Johnny is the bomb and the chefs are very kind as well. All in all, everyone is just damn nice and down to earth.
I think I miss having the food, hmmm...........better go in for a bite !
SONYA DON'T LEAVE !!!!!!!!!!!!
Sonya is gone. my best friend gone. good luck Chicka..
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I returned to Bar Johnny a year later and it was meh....The service is still the highlight. The proprietor is really attentive and nice, and although they don't seem to have that many people working there we were offered drinks a lot and our food came out pretty fast. The food was where I had problems. The yogurt and dips are still good - there's always that one dip that doesn't taste so good, but the rest are delish. My spaghetti was unremarkable but good and the meatballs were so dense and overcooked that they would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The ceasar salad was icky. Too much mayo and anchovies, and the sliders apparently had some curry in them which made them taste funny. I think I will stick to drinking at Bar Johnny from now on...
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/27/2007
I really liked Bar Johnny. The high tables were neat, and I like that you can sit next to your honey… Read more »
I gotta say, you wouldn't expect it but the burgers and fries here were awesome!! The chef came out and saw us killing the fries and went back into the kitchen with another side order for the table...he said he felt bad since we looked so hungry. My brother knows the bartenders so the drinks were flowin'! I'll be heading back
Came in on a sunny and warm afternoon. The windows were open, there were people sitting outside...it was lovely.
Good snacks and great cocktails. Our server was super friendly and even whipped me up a little something special when I asked for something inventive using, pineapple juice and vodka.
It's definitely a nice little place to meet up with some of your friends before heading out to paint the town red!
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Popped in here to meet some girlfriends on Saturday night. We got a table in minutes and the wine by the glass was tasty. Not sure about the food cause we didn't eat any, but I liked to atmosphere and I enjoyed my pinot. I will update when I have returned and snacked, but all in all a decent place to enjoy a couple of glasses before you head out into the night.
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So what if I am a 5:01pm drinker? I love this place. Great booze, great owner, great staff, great garlic truffle oil fries, and great that they let me in BEFORE they open.
Now that's what I call a neighborhood bar!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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02/23/2008
The newest addition to the Polk Street mash up of bars, lounges, and dives. Bar Johnny is definitely… Read more »
A very welcome addition to my hood. Been here for dinner and drinks a couple times and each time has been awesome. Great cocktails I recommend the Swallowtail (Bourbon, Strawberries, and Balsamic) or the Tequila Grapefruit one.
Love the fries, burger, pork sliders, and the homemade pretzels.
I heard they started doing brunch with $7 endless mimosas so you best believe I will be hitting that up soon.
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The garlic fries are delicious!! Small place but comfortable seating arrangements and good atmosphere. Small menu but good food. They were out of some of the beers. Good time but nothing amazing. Good music!
This review is subject to change as first impressions are not always astute.
I've visited Bar Johnny twice now. Once on a very busy Friday night, I met up with a friend for a drink and looked around and noticed the ratio of men to women was 0 to 10. And what few men were there were on 'dates'. We left quickly.
The 2nd time I visited Bar Johnny was on a weeknight and I, yes, believe it or not, was on a 'date'. The service was quite inconsistent in that, when we arrived we were greeted and seated quickly; and before we had a chance to view the speciality drink menu we had two waiters interrupt us, twice. When attempting to order a second round of drinks, we were completely overlooked (because waiters were too busy flirting with the girlies), so when I finally got one's attention, rather than changing our drink order, I just asked for two more. (Why complicate things).
Although we did not have dinner here ~ in spying on the neighboring tables around us, I admit, I am intrigued. However... paying $21 for a single malt scotch that is only 12 years old seems ridiculously overpriced. It is my understanding that one should always expect to pay $1 for every year a scotch is aged; no brainer right?
Wrong! Needless to say, we ordered a total of 4 drinks, and when I got the tab, my mouth dropped when I noticed $62.93 (yes, they charge tax on drinks too), and not $40 of which I expected to see. I allotted myself only $60 for the evening (which is reasonable for a week night), so I didn't have enough cash to cover the tip. Fortunately my date was nice enough to cover the tip and then some.
Again, this review is subject to change based on my intrigue. And now that I'm a privy to their over-pricing of drinks ~ its 'buyer' beware, my common sense tells me that next time ask 'how much' before ordering.
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Big fan of this place. Interesting food, nice decor, and usually pretty good service.
Not 100% crazy about the seating style, as I like to look across the table at my company and not next to me, but my neck can handle it.
Also, the menu should probably have descriptions on it for at least some of the food. I ordered pizza, and it came with duck, figs, and truffle oil. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing, but I can't imagine how many vegetarians send it back because they thought they were getting tomato sauce and cheese. Just a thought . . .
Criticisms aside, Bar Johnny is yummy and fun!
BAR JOHNNY
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
2209 Polk St (between Bonita St & Vallejo St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 268-0140
http://www.barjohnny.com/
In the Know: What a cute and quaint little joint. Designer Sheri Sheridan (of Otis and Salt House) did a fantastic job in regards to space planning. She complimented what can only be presumed as a tongue-&-groovesque wood wall with raised, white marble tables. The banquette (long, upholstered bench) that ran the length of the restaurant allowed for fantastic people watching. This also worked perfectly for the narrow space because it really only allowed for a semi-romantic dining experience for two. I should know, three tables down from me was an ex-lover dining with a friend's girlfriends roommate. (true stories of 'what a small world' San Francisco is) The other half of the space is taken up by the 8ish person bar (seats 10 but a couple of the seats are right in front of the entrance; they should not be there) which shares a partition wall with a small lounge area. Fortunately there is a huge bird mural over the bar because without it you would forget what an explosion of modern textiles would look like.
Behind the Bar: Missing that extra couple feet in your space? Wanna separate the entrance from the the patrons that are dining next to your entrance? A thought- don't use a hanging fabric. Specially one that looks like it hasn't been cleaned since before the bars conception. Put a little extra money in for something like this Aswoon design, steel tubing and stained glass partition. Hello fabulous construction!
Speaking of the entrance, once you get through the door, past the hanging fabric, you don't' get far (maybe 5 feet) before you hit the bar. I can see why they don't put a hostess here, obviously lack of space, but where does one go or who does one talk to upon entering? To the bar and bartender? Kinda did that when I went through the door and good luck getting a bartender to seat you. I say float around aimlessly (of course by float I mean step side-to-side in the small waiting area) till you are approached by someone that works there.
Whose Who: This space is pretty user friendly. That is, if the user is in their late 20's all the way to early 40's. Don't get me wrong, I have seen younger and older inhabit this space but there is more of an urban cool kids club vibe going on. As previously mentioned it is perfect to take a date but make sure you sit on your best side, you wont be staring at the person directly. If you are in a larger group, good for you...you probably made reservations at one of the 4, 4-top tables or lounge.
