Johnny’s B-B-Q Smokehouse Grill

The BBQ is grub, but the best thing on the menu is the Corn soufflé. Even thinking about the soufflé is making me drool right now. The staff and service are also great. I’ll definitely keep coming back.

This review is based on one visit. I was taken to Johnny’s by some East Coast Colleagues from work for lunch one day during the week. We arrived to an empty restaurant. We were greeted and seated ourselves. The service was friendly.
I ordered the pork ribs and chicken with Texas Lollipops as an appetizer. The Texas Lollipops were amazing! The ribs were meaty, tender and had good smoke flavor. There was very little sauce on the ribs. Many people use sauce to compliment the flavor of good meat but to me, good sauce is equally important. I thought the chicken was dry and was not impressed by it.

Great food, great service, very friendly staffs. Next time I go there, I will involve my meal with plenty of beer!

Terrible waiter ruined my family’s dining experience. Walk in and he tells us to sit where ever we want. So we go to a table that was a little out of the way considering we has a young baby with us. Well I guess the waiter really didn’t want us to sit where ever we want because he begin giving us dirty looks for our seat selection. We were seated with 2 less menus then people. When we asked for the «football menu» that was highly advertised. He didn’t want to give them to us. Maybe because he wanted is to spend more? I don’t know
Waited 10 mins just to get water. Food was good– not great but everything was ruined based on the poor service.
Nice Irish bartender tried to help salvage out experience by being accommodating and friendly once she witnessed how terrible our waiter was.
Hats off to her and she was the saving grace. A nice Irish lady with an accent
Moral of the story is maybe if you sit at the bar and order you can appreciate their food.

We were there on a Monday evening for early dinner, there were a couple sat in one table in their dinning room area no one was seating us. The bartender told us to grab our own table, there were a couple of tables that weren’t clean it was still some crumbs and dirty silverware left on the table.
The waitress were very nice and suggested us a few if their best items from the menu. I ordered combo meat (2 meat) ribs and beef brisket with corn soufflé and sauté cabbage with bacon and my bf ordered Houston sandwich. The waitress took the order and came back with a basket of cold stale corn bread and brick cold butter. I tasted the corn bread it was awful cold and dry if the butter were softer it might help with the dry tasting corn bread.
A few minutes later the meal came out they looks good my bf sandwich was DRY the cheese on the bread look as if the chef left them on the broiler till the cheese got dried and harden. The beef brisket was dry with some help of BBQ sauce but the fries was pretty good and fresh. Then my dish I ordered the combo meat baby back ribs and beef brisket, the ribs is ok still some moisture in it but again the beef brisket is very dry. The sides are ok I like the corn soufflé light, sweet and savory.
The service is good, friendly and attentive but I’ve had better BBQ and brisket :(
Price: not so bad for the portion
Service: friendly and attentive
Food: blah

Not worth it unless you like burnt dry bbq. Then… knock yourself out.

This is one of those tough to review places. It deserves not a four, not a three, but a barely three point five on the Unilocal scale.
Lunch, quiet, not busy, but who is in Pearl River. Ghost town that it is during the day. Service was good, people nice and everything came out as it should and with the appropriate timeliness. Big place, I can imagine that it gets crowded when the town repopulates in the evening.
On to the heart of the matter… the food. Now, I am not a BBQ snob, but I have done BBQ, great BBQ as it were, and this place, as far as BBQ is concerned, is not «great» BBQ. Not that that is a reason not to come here. I encourage you to try the place but just dont expect classic «great» BBQ.
As in most BBQ joints, the sides are all good. As a table of four, we got to try eight sides and I would have to say all were winners. They come in those little dishes that you get cole slaw in at the Jersey diners all over the place. In other words, small. Most meals come with sides but dont spend too much if yours doesn’t.
Here’s the problem, the actual meat, the «BBQ», was not that great. To me, BBQ is all about the meat and the preparation. Marinating, smoking, cooking, slicing etc, but it all comes back to the meat. And here is where the problem lies. The brisket was sliced so, so, thin. And heavily sauced. Good brisket doesn’t need sauce, much less a drowning. And, it is so marbled, you slice it thick, not thin. The pulled pork was the same. Over done and heavily sauced. Pulled pork is like pork in pork fat, who needs sauce? And I think it was the same sauce as the brisket.
All in all, dont not come here because of me. Think of this as a BBQ review, not a restaurant review. I will return myself. Just dont come here if expecting the best BBQ. After all, if you were a great BBQer, you wouldn’t be in Pearl River, NY.

Stopped in while visiting West Point. The service with the hostess and bartender were great. Ordered carry out while at the bar. Seems like a neighborhood gem.
If ecer in the area will return.

4 stars for the ribs.
2 stars for sides.
but 4 stars for the ribs. they’re great.

Went here with my bf’s family when visiting them. The atmosphere was a typical bar/​restaurant scene and it was kind of loud, but it was Friday night at 8, so that’s expected.
The food was pretty good, but I’ve had better BBQ (though I am from the south and now live in NYC, so I might be a BBQ snob).
I ate the BBQ salmon with apple salad and corn pudding. The salmon was ok, I really enjoyed the corn pudding and the apple salad was pretty tasty too. My bf got a full rack of ribs, which was a lot of food, so I ate a few of those too. They were meaty and very well cooked. I also had a few of his seasoned fries, which were yummy. The cornbread they bring at the start of the meal is good too.
They have a pretty good beer selection too.
I would definitely go back to Johnny’s when I’m back in pearl river.

Came to celebrate my son’s earning his Associate’s Degree and his heading off to Pennsylvania to finish his schooling.
Arrived early on a Saturday evening and my family was promptly seated. Our waitress was very attentive but not too intrusive. This a family place with many small children with their parent; none was too noisy. An adjacent bar and a solid beer list round things out
My son, wife, and I split a barbecue sampler as an appetizer and followed up with barbecue-​smoked salmon, baby back ribs and a two-​meat platter respectively. Each dish was prepared properly and was quite tasty.
The southern style cabbage, one of the chosen sides with my meal was so different and delicious that I wished I could have ordered 5 lbs of it bring home.
A very nice experience. Will definitely be back after my son’s 21^st birthday so we can enjoy a few beers together with our meals.

Garlic Bacon wings.Awesome.Great beer selection and helpful staff.

Legit, good barbecue with a surprisingly decent craft beer selection.
Coming in on a weekday for lunch, it is D E A D. Like, we’re the only customers at 12:15 on a Monday empty. Still, pretty good service, no issues there.
Beer — 12 – 14 lines, ordered a Southern Tier Pumking which tasted right — there were a few other good craft to somewhat craft options.
Food — my buddy got chili dogs, I got brisket. My food was yummy, with a bit of «burnt ends» crispiness plus very tangy, sweet, good sauce. I destroyed my food and wasn’t hungry for hours afterwards — same thing with my buddy. The corned bread was really good with some raisins in it.
Yes, i’ve had better barbecue, but this was pretty damn good. The restaurant itself is pretty big, so even on a busy weekend night I can’t bet there’s a lot of waiting. Plus there are a few outdoor tables in front for daytime at least which could be nice.
Net, very good barbecue option with decent beer selections.

I have a fond love for all things pork and when it comes to que it’s no exception. Living north of the mason Dixie good que is hard to come by. It’s pretty much non-​existent here in NJ and in NY you only have a very small few handful that do it right.
Outside the city lies one man, an elusive character, a BBQ legend. A man that is Simply known as Fink.
The man is a legend in BBQ circles here in NJ. He owned a shop called Stickys in the Teaneck area back in the 90s and then Vamoosh he just disappeared into the darkness.
Blogs and posts online would spread rumors of his whereabouts and about the possibilities of him reopening a new shop. I searched high and low. But with no avail.
I then heard rumors in 2008 that he was back in action at Baileys Smokehouse in Bleuvelt, NY by Orangeburg. Once it was confirmed Adam M and I flew up as fast as we could to finnaly get to try what have many fabled the best que this side of the mason.
And the man did not disappoint, we had a foodie ephinanny that night as we discovered what had to be some of the best baby back ribs we have ever tried. They were simply amazing. Perfect pink smoke ring and his homemade BBQ was uniquely just as delicious. An apple butter sauce which worked perfectly with the ribs.
Then around 2010 the ribs were just not the same anymore, they were tough, overcooked. The magic was gone. We then found out Fink was no longer at Baileys.
He fell off the face of the planet once again. Booooo!!! I was depressed upon hearing this. Would it be another decade before I got to feast on this man’s que again? I asked myself.
I began to roam the net, searching every possible food blog, Unilocal and googled his name hoping to find a lead and sure enough about four months ago, I found him!!!
He took the reigns at Johnny’s Smokehouse in Pearl River.
We flew! And that’s an understatement to Johnny’s to get our fix of ribs.
We started with an order of wings, which were quite tasty. Nice crunch, the flavor was well balanced between sweet and sassy. Yummy
And then the ribs came out. We split a full rack. Which came with two sides; we went with mac n chz and corn soufflé. The ribs were huge. The rack at Johnny’s is almost a third larger n meatier then the rack at baileys.
As good as they were, and boy were they good we just couldn’t finish it.
They were different then the ribs he put out at Baileys. The sauce was a more conventional southern style sauce which he concocted himself.
It’s a superb sauce, tomato based, with hints of dark sugar, molasses perhaps n a dozen other spices. Very well balanced and not at all over powering to the pork. It helped bring out the wonderful smoked and subtle flavor of the pork ribs which were superbly tender.
I prefer his new recipe opposed to his old ribs at Baileys. Simply amazing.
The sides kicked ass! The Mac and cheese was extremely good. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the cheeses used are really tasty. I get hints of sharp cheddar in there.
I love it. Much better then the sea of mediocre mac nd cheese that floods the area.
The corn soufflé is much different then the the one served at Baileys.
At Baileys they serve it as a family sized side portion, at Johnny’s it’s a personal sized portion. Which may turn some ppl off who are used to the size of Baileys.
The corn soufflé at Johnny’s is more like Pudding but with more the consistency of a mesh between custard and corn bread.
Delish.
Johnny’s has become a staple to feed our que cravings.
Fink please don’t leave us this time. I just don’t know what I will do.
My only complaint which is why I didn’t give Johnny’s a perfect score is the service. It stinks, I’m sorry to say but the wait staff is not trained well and they get frazzled to easily. It just seems their isnt much support. They take your order and thy bring the bill. You have to hunt them down for things such as drink refills or additional drinks as beers.
Fix this and you have a very solid establishment.

Visited here on Saturday night and ordered some food from the late night bar menu to share. Between three of us we ordered the sampler plate, which consisted of ribs, wings and lollipops and an order of pulled pork sliders that came with a side of fries. I personally wasn’t a fan of the lollipops (sausage wrapped in bacon on a stick) but my friend and boyfriend loved them, so perhaps it’s an acquired tasted. I thought the pulled pork was ridiculously flavorful and moist. The bun ending up being a little too saturated so I just ate it with a fork. The food was really great and I think it’s a great addition to Central Avenue — I even told my parents they should check it out!

I am a southern girl, and having recently visited my roots, realized exactly how much I missed southern cooking, and most of all, BBQ. I made it my mission to find a decent BBQ place in the tri-​state area. I read many reviews of different BBQ places, and decided to try Johnny’s Smokehouse Grill in Pearl River, NJ this evening. I called ahead to ask a question and then after deciding what to order, called back to place my order for take-​out. Megan answered the phone both times and was extremely friendly and helpful.
When I arrived (earlier than the 20 – 25 minutes I was asked that they give them) my order was packaged up and ready to go. The restaurant and bar area were packed.
I ordered the combo (choose 3 — I got the turkey and double order of pork ribs) and for my sides, I got the bbq beans and smoked cabbage. I asked for a side of extra bbq sauce.
It took me about 15 minutes to get home and everything was packaged very well and still hot.
The ribs were crispy on the outside and were quite tasty and very, very tender. Nice smoky flavor.
The bbq sauce that I requested on the side did not taste like bbq sauce to me. It was pure liquid. While not at all bad, just not what I would consider BBQ sauce.
The pulled turkey was decent, but not something I would order again.
The bbq beans were good, but I guess I set the bar pretty high being from the south. The smoked cabbage was inedible. It seemed fresh, but was just not my cup of tea.
They include a generous portion of cornbread, and while I’m not usually not a big fan of cornbread, it was on the sweet side with corn nuggets inside and was rather tasty.
In summary, I would go back for the ribs, and to try a few of the other items on the menu, but will have some of my own bbq sauce on hand. I will keep searching for a more authentic bbq place, but would definitely return. The portions are generous, the prices reasonable, and friendly staff.

Went there on a saturday night… hungry! Left there in a food coma. Ordered the BBQ platter for four and we couldn’t even finish it. It had everything from two different style ribs, pulled pork, pulled turkery, Texas lolly pops, bbq chicken and it includes fries plus three sides. Simply amazing!!!
P. S. They also have great beers on tap!

Been here twice, had the same main course, the prime rib sandwich, based on my first experience, 2 stars, which I was shocked… this time it seems they have thier **** together because the sandwich was a solid 4 stars. Can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu, which If this sandwich was any indicator, will be much better this time.
So I did
I had ribs, the flavor of the sauce was very good, No visible smoke ring, (camera seems to show what I couldn’t see) and a bit mushy, they lacked a certain porky flavor that comes from slow smoking meat. Maybe just the meat, I will have to revisit.
The corn soufflé I had was a tad on the cold side, but delicious…
I will be back because I so want to love this place.
People are wonderful, staff is attentive, and this place is potentially a 5 star favorite…

Fink is back and better than ever!
WIfe and I shared a special mixed sampling appetizer that had some spare ribs, chicken wings and the bacon wrapped sausage lollipop. All three items were great! The stand out for me were the spare ribs.
Wife had a beautiful piece of maple glazed salmon with pecans that came with some greens and a side of corn pudding. She loved it!
I was thrilled to see beef ribs on the specials menu. Out came two giant Fred Flintstone cut end pieces that were spectacular. It is not easy finding beef ribs on a menu in our area and ever rarer to find such great quality barbecue. They even came with two sides… I chose beans and cole slaw.
We got to sit outside on a beautiful summer evening!
So happy!

Went here with high expectations because the legendary Fink is supposed to be affiliated. What we found:
Décor is changed a little from Danny’s BBQ, waitstaff appears identical. Service was a little quicker, but gone are the local taps (sniff!) — it’s all big beer here. Free cornbread at the start of the meal is un-​delicious. It’s not gross, but not really great, either. Not worth the calories or the room in your stomach.
What’s important: for your sake, my boyfriend and I ordered meat. I had the pulled pork, he had the babyback ribs. We shared a lot. The pulled pork, I thought, was pretty good and better than most I’ve had — not too fatty, not too much sauce, highly edible — I finished the entire dinner platter, which I didn’t think would happen! The ribs, on the other hand, were a disappointment. They were definitely tasty and the meat was very good, but: no meat falling off the bone, no delicious-​looking pink center. I’m not sure if this is due to the tiny smoker that I’ve heard is in the kitchen, or the fact that rumors of Fink are overblown, but the ribs really took my high expectations and made me face a more stark reality. This place is not unique, special or amazing. At least, not yet (they’re new… they get some room to grow. I hope they take it).
Sides: I had the wedge and the corn soufflé — both tasty. The corn soufflé is worth a try — especially if you were disappointed by the cornbread (as you should be). My boyfriend had fries and beans — the beans were pretty good and not soaked in molasses — again, tasty (but maybe not delicious).
Mostly, the food was decent, but we’re finding no reasons to come back — this was no better or worse that the also-​underwhelming Bailey’s, and with the local taps gone, we might as well just hit Defiant for beer and weekend BBQ.
Oh: I’d heard complaints about the prices here being high. No idea where that is coming from. This place is reasonably priced for what they serve, and if anything, overall, it seems less expensive than Danny’s for more food.