New steakhouse brings the meat to Easton area
Johnny’s offers variety, laidback vibe
As modern chop houses try to outdo each other with tony décor, oversized cuts of meat and distinctive cocktails, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse offers a laidback experience.
Located in the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites complex in the Easton area, Johnny’s has a subdued atmosphere, spare in design with white-leather seats matching the marble bar.
The bar area has banquettes and high-top tables, and a blue hue emanating from the ceiling and lit under bar.
The place, which seats 140 inside, pays homage to the Rat Pack era, with a collage of Hollywood stars at the time and vintage music but much less of the fussy nostalgia.
The veal Sinatra pays respect to Ol’ Blue Eyes with sautéed cutlets, crab meat, shrimp, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil and cream sauce,
“It’s kind of a nod to that kind of entertainment,” said J.D. Dipietro, managing director of the restaurant, which also has a 30-seat enclosed, smoke-free patio with heaters and fireplace.
With a location at 3600 Morse Road, at the northwest corner of Morse and Sunbury roads, just beyond Easton Town Center, Johnny’s might be a draw for people with Easton-dining fatigue who want parking near the front door of the restaurant, said Sam Gregory, general manager of the hotels.
Variety is the name of the game at Johnny’s, Gregory said.
“It’s a decent-sized menu for sure,” he said.
The menu is classic steakhouse but a bit pared down, with certified Black Angus beef instead of prime, and a tilt toward neighborhood Italian favorites lasagna, calamari and spaghetti with marinara among them.
“Everything, with the exception of the pasta, that comes out of the kitchen is made from scratch,” Dipietro said.
Yet, Johnny’s has an air of sophistication with dishes such as Chanel No. 5: blended cheese ravioli with lobster, shrimp, artichokes and prosciutto
tossed in a cream sauce.
Another of the house favorites is the sausage bread, sort of a cross between stromboli and rolled pizza, which comes with a marinara dipping sauce.
Complimentary focaccia is served to every table.
Steaks are a definite attraction at the restaurant. For starters, they’re hand-cut from a single source to the standards of Johnny’s, which has 14 locations across the United States. They’re also wet-aged for 28 days minimum.
Familiar cuts are priced to compete: bone-in ribeye ($39.50 for 18 ounces, filet mignon ($29 for 6 ounces, $39 for 10 ounces) and porterhouse ($37 for 22 ounces).
There are several gussied-up cuts, such as the shiitake steak Diane, filet Oscar and the steak De Burgo - beef tenderloin medallions with roasted garlic, basil and oregano, and a ladle of cream sauce.
Other toppings are available, “if you want to add a little flair, a little zest,” Gregory said.
Classic steakhouse sides and seafood dishes abound.
In addition, there are top-shelf bourbons and other whiskeys, wines, vintage cocktails and 12 local craft beers on tap.
Johnny’s is part of the Heart of America Group – with corporate offices in Moline, Illinois, and Des Moines, Iowa – which also operates restaurants and hotels.
Middletown Hotel Management, which owns the Morse Road properties among other hotels, franchises the local Johnny’s and one near Cincinnati.
The opening of the hotels, which have a combined 240 rooms, and restaurant were delayed for months because of issues plaguing the industry: COVID, lack of materials and furniture, and a shallow labor pool.
“Eventually we will be open for
breakfast lunch and dinner but it’s all a matter of staffing,” Gregory said.
Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call 614-968-5200.
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