Johnny’s Diner

Great service and great food. I will be coming back before I head back home to Florida.

Ok there is one word that I can use to sum up this place AUTHENTIC… If there is a master class on what the sole of a diner is this place would be the master study. A diner should make you feel comfortable the food should be delicious and plentiful and the price should be reasonable. The servers should take good care of you but at the same time you know a fiesty «kiss my grits Mel» might come out. This place is small. the front façade says child of the 60’s you go in and the main galley is curved giving it the quintessential dining car feel the customer sitting at the counter with a porcelain subway tile wall behind and the cook working on the other side of the counter on a stainless steel diner line. It’s the original style diner not the 50’s chromed jukebox diner the 30’s porcelain railcar working class diner and the food? well… have you ever gotten a breakfast and the sausage patty is a perfectly round puck you know the same as you buy frozen in a pack from the grocery store. well that’s unflavorful and boring but this diner gives you a large hand made patty you know an AUTHENTIC sausage patty. The French toast is sour dough the slab beacon the home fries are not all perfectly cubed chunks of potato they have abnormal shapes. AUTHENTIC. The coffee is good and the cup is bottomless. AUTHENTIC. it’s a diner that time forgot in a corner of Pittsburgh that time forgot give it a try and trust me you will love the place. And like me planning on going back as often as possible.

Very good for breakfast.
Small restaurant run by a family that obviously care about the quality of the food they serve.

Fair at best. Service is always slow. I don’t think it’s because it’s understaffed as much as it is the lack of effort on several employees. The cook is also the waitress and also busses dishes. She did not look to happy, it was like she hated being there. Today they ran out of clean silverware. It took over 5 minutes to get a cup of coffee, and 22 minutes for a simple breakfast, no apologies.
The other waitress spent the majority of her time chatting instead of checking on customers.
Food is average, nothing spectacular or outstanding.
Atmosphere is mixed. It is old fashion, but a dive (greasy smell, uneven heat, blasts of cold air).
I live nearby so it’s convenient, but I think I’ll stay with Marges or Hanlons, that are a bit father to travel, but worth the time. Good food served fast and always with a smile.
I would not recommend this place if you are hungry or in a hurry. I would rate it 1 ½ stars based on the service. i

The service was very rude and totally ignored us. Pips was much better.

I laughed out loud when I got a look at this place. It was so small and homely! But the reviews were good so my son and I gave it a try and we are glad we did. The food was plentiful, it tasted wonderful, and the prices were low. I can’t wait to go back.

If you are looking for an authentic dinner experience, you simply must visit Johnny’s Diner. I do miss certain things about Pip’s, however many of the same employees work here that used to work at Pip’s. Gone is the «Table of Knowledge» plaque, but the community table is still there. Gone are some of the quirky Eastern European foods, such as Pierogi, but the traditional diner/​breakfast foods are still there. I like that I can order grits, that’s fairly unique for Pittsburgh. I love the smile and conversation that comes with the really good down home food. Hash brown potatoes are excellent. Marvelous toast. Great food!

After my GPS took me in circles a few times, I finally made it to Pip’s — except now it’s Johnny’s. I understand not much has changed. The other patrons were mostly regulars. The amount of butter used is heart stopping. And the breakfast was top-​notch.
It’s a tiny little place, though, so I wouldn’t recommend going on a weekend unless absolutely necessary. As it was, my friend and I got the last table when we showed up around 9am on a random weekday.
I can’t remember what my breakfast was officially called on the menu, but it included eggs, bacon, home fries, toast and pancakes. Those who know me know my love for bacon, but here at Johnny’s the pancakes were my favorite part of the meal.
Those pancakes were outstanding, and probably enough to get me to return eventually at which time I will sit at the counter and enjoy watching my breakfast being made. I think a good show will only add to my rating in the future.

I love coming here for breakfast. Best breakfast in the burgh. Still very much a hidden gem. The usual breakfast and lunch fare along with daily specials. The price and service are good. The omelette is the best thing in my opinion. Along with the home fries and mancinni’s toast. Helps to get rid of any hangover.
I bring my kids and they love the family atmosphere.
Give it a try!

Note #1: CASH ONLY. An ATM can be found inside.
Note: #2: This used to be Pip’s Diner and changed hands in 2010.
Johnny’s is as close to the archetypal American diner as you’ll get in Pittsburgh. It’s claustrophobic, only breakfast and lunch are served, a long counter acts as a centerpiece, lottery tickets are sold, and flanneled, burly, unshaven men are its primary customers.
The bill of fare is simple and mostly consists of eggs, home fries, omelets, french toast, burgers, and other sandwiches. One can’t get Eggs Benedict or have Simosas with brunch here. Hell, you might receive cross-​eyed looks for even mentioning the word «brunch» to your server.
Therein lies Johnny’s appeal.
Johnny’s Steak, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich can be had on white bread or a bagel, and contains meat that is as dainty, succulent, saliferous, and flavorsome as the best corned beef. Nothing about this steak conjured images of old shoes being pulled out of boiling pots of water. The lettuce and tomato were garden fresh, the white bread was cottony yet sturdy, and the bright yellow American Cheese deliquesced onto the meat elegantly, no doubt while underneath a cover on the flattop grill.
Also devoured were a trio of paradisiacal pancakes that were fluffier than a Maine Coon Cat and as golden as the dawn. Butter and syrup were close to superfluous; the sign of transcendent flapjacks.
Kay’s Raisin Bread French Toast was a touch overdone as was her strip of bacon. Redemption came in her grits, which just needed some butter, sugar, and salt to become the slice of Southern, maize-​derived heaven that they were.
Don’t allow the rough, trailer park exterior and rusty, underpass locale discourage you from making a stop at Johnny’s.