Johnny’s Reef Restaurant

Loved this place. Prices aren’t too bad compared to seafood at other spots. Love that it’s right by the water. Feels so summery! Enjoyed it and will be back! Loved my piña colada!

I’m giving the stars for my henny colada. Best part of the meal. Cash only ?! How annoying. But the prices of The bland food is the real kicker. The quantity is cool, but the food truly isn’t good. The service also lacks much enthusiasm.

Knowing this place is closing soon for the winter, we made on last trip for the fabulous food until the spring.
This is definitely a no frills restaurant, but WHO CARES! The food is great. There is a station for you to get your drinks and pay. One place for the sodas and one station for the alcohol type beverages. One area to order the fried type meals and then another area to order the steamed meals. This is all walk up counter ordering. Order, wait for food and then take it to a table and devour. There is another station for self serve cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, hot sauce and napkins.
No pictures of the food this time… we dove into our baskets of deliciousness way to fast.
I had the fried fish with French fries and coleslaw. The basket is filled with fries and then they stick the coleslaw in the middle and pile the 2 pieces of fish on top. Its a mountain of lovely! The pieces of fish, measured approximately 8×4 inches each. Lightly breaded and crispy hot. I had forgotten how hot and fresh this stuff is until I bit into it and got the hot wake up call. That blow on the food without having it come out of your mouth kind of hot.
Oh but so good. I use a little cocktail sauce on my fish. The cocktail sauce is not too spicy so you wont taste much horseradish in the sauce, but it does compliment the fish in my opinion. I passed my coleslaw portion off to G as he likes it a lot and it does not come with the steamed fish which he ordered.
Now for G and his steamed fish. He had a plate full of the fish. The fish is steamed in a very tasty buttery garlic mixture. It was so light and tasty. G always orders this and has never been disappointed. The steamed items come with a large piece of Italian bread so you can dip your bread in your buttery garlic sauce.
You do not get fries with this meal, but there are more than enough to share if you have a dining guest who orders a fried meal. When you finish, you pick up your stuff and throw it away. They do have restaurant attendants you clean up your plates for you if they see you have finished. The attendants are also good about sweeping up the floors and cleaning the tables.
As of our dinner date last night, all of the outside seating had been stacked up and ready for the winter. It was dark out so even the seagulls were gone for the evening. If you come during the day the outside picnic bench seating is great for the water views. You can feed the seagulls by hand on the perimeter of the dining area. The restaurant has the outside dining area seagull proofed with cables going across the top of the seating. I guess these strings of cable freak out the seagulls and thus they will not swoop in to get your food.
Johnnys sits at the end of City Island so in the summer this place is so busy you can hardly get in. They do have their own parking area, but that too gets filled up quickly. If you come at off hours parking and ordering is a breeze.
As I said before, this is no frills ambiance, but the food is really good and consistently good. A lot of families come here, so don’t be surprised if its a little noisy. We really like sitting outside in the summer time. Even when its hot, the breeze makes it nice.
I have used the restroom once here and it is your typical beach style restroom, but was clean and stocked with paper. No yucky smells.

I have been coming ton johnys for 15 years. The quality is the same. It can get really crowded during the summer. They defenetly need to remodel the inside of the place since it looks like a jail mess hall. The food is great tho.

My grandfather has been coming here since he was 20 years old he is almost 75 he has been taking me here since I could eat solid food I love this place the shrimp is amazing and those soggy fries are the best lol n must try the red clam chowder with a lil bit of hot sauce the best I love this place and will take my children here. My entire family goes here it’s the best ever!!!

Johnny’s brings back a lot of good memories of my childhood growing up in NYC when it was «tough» and going to City Island and Johnny’s was an unexpected treat.
The food is pretty good but they should consider changing their oil– it is flavorless and leaves the food tasting off.
It is a bit divey and they only accept cash where you pay at each station. (Sodas are one station, soup another, fried shrimp another, etc.)
They are still the best deal on City Island and with the amount of traffic they handle you can rest assured that the seafood is fresh.

This place is a great summer outdoor hangout spot to grab some seafood and drinks, with the view of the Whitestone Bridge and flock of seagulls nearby. It has an overall beachy vibe.
The serving station is more like a cafeteria style but fast. They have the best raw clams in the island; huge, fresh and delicious. However skip the fried oysters, they’re over fried so it’s more of a doughy flavor rather than its authentic oyster flavor (Btw, Po Boy factory has the best fried oysters around). Drinks are cheap and pretty strong and there’s seagull feeding around.

It’s ghetto!!! The piña coladas are STRONG, and it’s as Bronx as it gets in the summertime!!! Can’t miss it!!!

I came here on a Friday night looking to indulge in some cheap but good quality seafood. Tonys pier which is across the street was overly crowded, so my family and I decided to check this place out. We were utterly disappointed. The food was mediocre at best. My husband ordered the fried calamari which came with fries and a small side of coleslaw. I had the fried clam strips with fries. Both dishes came out lukewarm with not much flavor. My husbands calamari was not fried enough, and the breading looked pale. This place is a zoo on the weekends so be prepared to fight for a seat. We will not be coming back unfortunately.

The quality of this restaurant has gone downhill. I used to dream about heading here for the clam chowder, fried whiting & fried shrimp whenever we made it up to NY, now I believe there has been a change in management or the quality of their food supplier has gone down dramatically. The clam chowder is watered down & the fried fish batter isn’t as flavorful as it once was. Where the cocktail & tartar sauce used to enhance the flavor of the food, now they add the actual taste. The french fries taste like they were frozen and reheated in a microwave & yet the prices have gone up!
The cleanliness of the restrooms is always a major concern, but the last time I was able to stay in there long enough to use it. It is better to avoid it altogether it can be such a nightmare in there — weekends in the summer will make you sick.
It’s too bad, this was once a favorite memory of my childhood. I’m hoping it was a fluke & we caught them on a really bad day. The view of the water is nice, but I can honestly say I’ve only sat outside in the picnic tables twice — too many smells, birds & they don’t keep the tables cleaned.

This is one of my favourite places to visit when in New York. During my annual visits I usual stay in Brooklyn. The drive from Bklyn to boogie-​down is a long-​one, but worth it just to eat here. I’m not big on fried food and though 85% of their food is fried, it’s nice that they have steamed options.
I always start off with their steam lobster tails, its served al la carte but comes with melted garlic butter. Omg! Just the thought alone! As I wipe my mouth. The steam from six (6) medium size lobster tails hits you in the face as you carry your food back to your table. You sit and inhale the smell, butter and garlic after its poured ALL over the succulent meaty lobster, Heaven. Absolute, Heaven!
After I’ve come up for air, I usually start looking at my family’s plate to see who wants to share. My kids are like me, greedy so no need eyeballing theirs. My husband on the other hand… That sweet, sweet man, his eye is bigger than his stomach and he chews 56 times before swallowing. He makes for an easy prey,
but unlike my kids, he loves sharing with me.
His scallops are meant for two. Like the lobster this too is steam and sprinkled with olé bay seasoning and served with the same melted garlic butter. Yum! Can’t wait for next year!!!

On a Monday night it was just raucous and crowded enough; the weekend might be a whole other deal. Fried seafood seems like the right thing for Johnny’s but they have steamed fish and shrimp too.
The scallops were mid-​range, not as sweet as I might hope. The fries were good. And everything mixed together with tartar sauce and coleslaw worked well. For my second course I got steamed clams. For whatever reason, a dozen of the large cherrystone clams are the same price as a dozen littlenecks. The texture was a little chewy but the taste was briny perfection. I alternated between unadorned clams and adding butter, lemon or the excellent garlicky liquid.

From A to Z, this joint is a ghetto dive that is sloppy on so many levels. the only way to enjoy it is to come here drunk off your ass and/​or high. Really high. Super duper, storm trooper… HIGH!
The thing is I love a good dive, as long as the food is good. It could look and smell like a shitbox, but if the food is crack, I’m gonna come back. However, this place isn’t that sloppy chick you hooked up with at the club that’s kinda of cute with a great personality and potential; it’s a hooker from Hunts Point that probably has an STD, if you’re lucky.
The ordering process (odd and not efficient):
These are the «sections» where you stand in line to order: Fried, Steamed, Soda, Clam and Bar. If you want something from the menu in those sections, you stand in line and pay for it there (cash only). This is fine, if that’s all you want. But, if you want fried fish, steamed shrimp, a dozen raw clams, and a beer you are going to stand in four different lines and pay four times. Now imagine if it was busy and each line is 10 to 15 min long? What the fuck Felecia? My food would be cold by the time I sit down!
I got fried oysters and soft shell crabs, steamed scallops and a beer. Lucky for me, I came with a friend, so while I stood at the fried section (three people ahead of me), she was over at the steamed section (zero people waiting). It took about ¹⁰⁄₁₅ min for me to get my fried order. She got hers quicker and stood in the «bar» section (two deep) for two cold cans of Coronas at $ 3.50 each; twenty minutes later, we had two trays of food and dranks.
After you order:
We made our way outside (there’s indoor seating) to the very messy and chaotic deck with picnic style tables (find one and grab). The sun was setting and the view of the sound is pretty nice. + 100. Hundreds of birds (maybe, almost a thousand) were flying around next to the deck, because a few dozen Bebe Kids were throwing their leftovers in the air so the seagulls would swoop in and snatch up the prize mid-​air. Imagine sitting there eating and wondering if bird shit is going to land on your fries and listening to a few hundred birds squawking at the top of their lungs. –1000.
Oh, there were a few Bebe kids running around our table screaming with no shoes and nothing but a diaper on. THIS is why you need to beat your kids! Fear, is the ultimate equalizer you selfish Dick’s!
The food:
Remember when I said I got my order in about ten minutes? The oysters ($ 15) were edible at best and tasted like they had been sitting out for a while, because they were at room temperature. They had no flavor with too much batter and were soggy. I’m pretty sure they were not shucked there, but tasted like the kind you get from a jar. The soft shell crabs ($ 20) looked horrible, but were actually good. The fries that both orders were sitting on were a soggy mess. If Dick’s Burgers in Seattle were the worst fries of my life, these are a close second. Oh, and as an added bonus… underneath that mound of soggy potatoes, there was a cup of hidden coleslaw that was disgusting. I should have left it buried in that hot mess. The scallops ($ 15) were bland and mos def previously frozen. Even with the old bay type seasoning on it and swimming in a pool of butter, it was still blah and was room temp to the touch
Bonus:
Free parking, cheap beer and each plate we got was huge and good for two.
Wrap it up B:
Lastly, we came on a Wednesday night around sunset and it looked like 90% of the tables were snatched up. The cashier told me don’t bother coming on a Sunday, unless you enjoy pain. Oh, you mean it gets worse? So, why the hell did I come here? Well, I was in the area and I saw my Unilocal homies reviews on this joint and it seemed like a good idea; like TS on New Years eve, you gotta try it, at least once.

This place did not disappoint. The clams were so fresh and juicy. Loved the prices. The only thing I wish they would change is having an option for different sides. Every dish was accompanied by fries. Other than that, this place is amazing.

Hm. It’s «the end», so you cannot expect much as it relates to atmosphere and service. You are here for cheap seafood and large portion. Johnny’s definitely delivers on that. I like the fried shrimp for than the fired whiting. Drinks were very strong. There is always lots of people, so be patient for a parking space.

My family has been coming here for decades. This place is great to hang out and grab some food if your not in the restaurant serving mood. Cafeteria style ordering with a full bar for you to eat, drink and celebrate with family and friends. The fried shrimp are the cornerstone of this establishment but the lobster tails are my favorite. Beware, this place is so popular that it may be hard to find a spot to sit and eat or even get access to their two parking lots.

Almost every year, around Mother’s Day, I take my mom to Johnny’s Reef.
OK, I know some of you are scratching your head.
No, it isn’t a fancy place. You are basically sitting on picnic tables, eating off paper plates with plastic cutlery. It’s definitely a no frills joint. Also, the place can be a zoo, especially if you go on a Friday evening or over the weekend.
However, Johnny’s Reef has two things going for it, and they go a long way:
One, at the end of City Island Avenue, you have a great view of Long Island Sound.
Two, yes, the seafood is that good. I always go for the lobster tails and scallops, which you get either steamed or fried. You can get everything from whiting to fried calamari to clams on the half-​shell. Well, you can’t get sushi.
You can also get hamburgers and hot dogs, but I think that’s mostly for kids. If you want those, there are way better places to get those. I also noticed recently that they have ribs. I’m too busy with the seafood.
You purchase your food at different stations. If you go with a group, I’d suggest that you assign one person to hold your table, while others could go to the various stations and order your what you want. The people working at the stations have always been nice, even when they are super busy.
Johnny’s Reef has ample parking, which is good, because the best way to get there is by car. I know that there is a bus that goes to City Island, but it isn’t really convenient, especially if you live outside of the Bronx.
If you want to take a trip with some friends for great seafood by the sea, Johnny’s Reef is the place to go!

Johnny’s Reef is a staple of city island. This restaurant is set up like a high school cafeteria only with seafood goodness. It’s doesn’t have the impressive décor that you expect from a high end seafood restaurant. What it does have is inexpressive dinner options that appeals to all.
I had a box of shrimp and fries which comes with cole slaw and a lemon wedge. My order came with 15 shrimp that tasted fresh and are lightly fried. My wife had the fried scallops which is served with fries, coleslaw, and a lemon wedge.
You can eat your meals while enjoying the scenic panoramic views of the Long Island sound. If you choose you can eat indoors as well. They offer great drinks with a limited bar. The drinks are served with a heavy pour. It is not hard to go home with a buzz from their bar.
When I am in town Johnny’s is a must do. Seafood and beer at an affordable price. Who would pass up a deal like this? Not me…

This place can get hectic, especially on the weekend. However, it’s well worth it to get a bite of their steamed sole. It is quite literally heaven. The rest of the offerings are very good as well, particularly the fried shrimp and clams. They also have non-​seafood offerings in case you want something else but why would you go all the way here to have something like chicken fingers? Am I right?
Bottom line: it’s not fancy, you’ll probably get shoved, and have to fight for a table but on a nice spring day, you can sit outside and partake in some delicious, fresh, and inexpensive fish.

Yay! I’m a fan of the food, I give it 4 stars. The food was absolutely delicious! Can not go wrong with anything you order from here. That includes the alcoholic beverages they serve, such as their piña colada ($ 6). Just a side note: the fries are not one of their specialties. but do look forward to their seafood menu. If you feel a little overwhelm, I suggest you try the clam chowder bc it was phenomenal.
Unfortunately, the space itself downgrades this place to 2 stars. My bf and i ventured here on a sat afternoon and it was beyond packed. Yes, there is outside seating but sadly it started to rain when we got there. We had no other option but to enjoy our meal inside. It was so crowded we were forced to share seats with a senior citizen and her daughter :/​They were nice and truly did not invade our space, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. Taking all this into consideration, I do not see this as an ideal location for romantic dates nor special occasions. In any case, this could be a place to visit during a lazy wkend to enjoy their food and hopefully the nice weather. This has a cafeteria feel no matter where you are seated, inside or outside.
If you are not particularly picky about the space then make sure to come here to enjoy their delicious food at an affordable cost.