Johnny J’s Pub & Grille

Great neighborhood bar. Good food. No fights. Stormy (the manager) keeps standards high. Great daily specials. Prices: cheaper than most sports bars, etc, etc. Clean, GREAT staff. A definite hangout spot. Management takes standards VERY SERIOUSLY.
Stormy, Becca, Stacy are my favorites lol. But all the staff is stellar.
They do get VERY busy, so have some patience some nights
I hate the «Valley» so that JJ’s sucks for ME.
The others, not close enough.
The staff does anything to make patrons happy. Music too loud, tell ‘em they will turn it down, favorite song ask ‘em they turn it up a bit.
This location is FUN!!! TVs everywhere, plays all sports, even UFC (rock).

I ordered a Samuel Adams Cold Snap at Johnny J’s in Merriman Valley and it tasted horrible! I have had this beer numerous times and it is one of my favorites. The taste and the smell were foul. My 4 friends that I was with agreed it tasted bad so I told the bartender. She brought the manager and the manager’s response was very disappointing. She told me that the beer is fine and she would not refund my money nor offer me another beer. This is an example of poor management and not putting the customer first.

This place has the best wings in the area. They have a lot of good, fresh selections on their menu as well. A lot of it is typical bar food but their salads are great, not so typical of bars.

I have to agree with the other reviewer, this is the red headed stepchild of Johnny J’s, but its Portage Lakes I feel every bar in that area is this way. I think it’s the crowd out that way. It has a pour draft selection, it not horrible inside but also has a hint of divines, sometimes the music is way too loud. Now on the plus side it does have all the Johnny J’s food specials, and the food is the same quality as the rest. I love half price apps night on Wednesdays! Also, all the bartenders are very attractive and very nice.

Although this is the second branch of Johnny J’s, this feels more like the ignored, bastard child of the one in the valley. While the Valley’s Johnny J’s is large and attracts people from all over the Akron area, this Johnny J’s feels small and is ignored outside of the summer months. You can still get good deals here, but the beer selection and prices simply don’t compare.
The clientele here is also older and is typically local. Thursdays and Fridays are the best days if you want to see people who are younger. Most of the douches these days drink at the Basement, so I suppose the social scene is acceptable.
The food here is not bad. I got a Philly cheesesteak here once, and I liked it. I don’t remember if it was better than the cheesesteak at the Basement, but I remember it being similar in price and taste.
I would recommend going to Johnny J’s in the Valley instead of here. THAT is a place that is the shiz.