Johnny Rad’s Pizzeria Tavern

I came Saturday evening to the pizzeria. The ambience is really cool– arcade games and skateboards everywhere.
They have a very ample selection of beer– tap, crafted and other alcoholic drinks. We went with a nice cider.
The waitress was nice, checked in without being interrupting.
The pizza is so good. Ordered the one with ricotta cheese and spinach.
Is a good place for something casual, the music wasn’t loud. I saw like 2 families (2 kids each) there, so it’s a nice family place.
I’ll definitely come back to try different pizza flavor.
The bad part is to find parking around, you’ll have to take 10 – 15 minutes doing that.

Rad’s. What can I say…
To start out I ate here when I first moved to the city and loved it. The quirky hipster/​skater feel, good drafts on tap and dark ambiance make it a great place to hang out or grab a bite.
For the pizza, it does run super thin so I always get it well done so it’s a little firmer, but the ingredients are always fresh and its always delicious. (Pro-​tip: ask for the balsamic glaze on any pizza you order… YOURE WELCOME)
The cheesesteaks are the best I’ve had in the city and I’m from the Philly area, so I know a thing or 3 about good steak sammiches.
I’ve met a lot of cool people here that I struck up conversations with and became friends with afterward. The bartenders Sean and Kendall are super friendly and will provide great company when they aren’t swamped and are very knowledgeable about the menu. Enjoy!
My favorite pizza is the Trainwreck, well done with a balsamic glaze.

Hittinest chow at the price point. Cool crowd, staff, and décor — Rad’s is solid. Risotto balls and «mootz» sammich go hard. I’ve gone once /​week for a the past 7 – 8 months.

FOOD: ORDER THE PIZZA — It is thin crust, delightful, good size and well worth the money. They will tailor anything to your taste. The appetizers are wonderful and the vegan selection made me so happy. The drink selection is great. GO FOR THE VEGAN OPTIONS, my totally carnivore 8 person party loved my choices too.
SERVICE: Fast and attentive and quite knowledgeable.
AMBIENCE: Pretty standard Fells/​Canton restaurant. Nothing fancy, nothing too dive bar-​ish.
RETURN: definitely
RECOMMEND: Yes, well worth the price, the relaxed atmosphere, food, and service. Parking will of course be an issue in the area.

UGH I miss living within walking distance of this place SO MUCH!!! We used to take serious advantage of their $ 6 vegan cheesesteak nights on Tuesdays because they freaking RULE. I’ve had many different vegan cheesesteaks both in Philly and in Baltimore, but Jrads has THE best vegan cheesesteak. They use seitan as mock meat and fry it like 3 times, then smack it on some awesome sandwich bread with peppers and onions, topped with melted vegan cheddar. The result is fabulous. The texture of the seitan is so perfect. Even my boyfriend, who is super pro– real meat, prefers the vegan version here over many other options. This with a side of their fries is the most crucial combination. They also have a huge selection of beer and great happy hour specials. I’ve had a variety of their desserts that can get super creative. One time, they had a birthday cake funfetti bread pudding. Holy crap that was incredible. The people working here are all really sweet too. I was having a shitty day one time and they made my usual gin & tonic but with like 90% gin and 10% tonic. THAT is how you treat your regulars. I always have a great time when I come here. Come in for a vegan cheesesteak!!! Maybe try some pizza too.

I organized a small lunch here a couple of months back before some bowling across the street… they wouldn’t take a reservation but the guy I talked to on the phone in advance was super helpful and nice, and when we got there, we hung out at the bar for a while while waiting for the rest of the group, and the bartender (wish I could remember his name) gave us great service and asked if we’d like to use their room in the back, explained that we wouldn’t get table service but we could sit and talk easier. It was a great idea and we had an awesome lunch and time.
A friend had told me to try the el gato pizza, since it was my first time eating there, and it was ahhhmmaaaazing-I’m seriously picky about my pizza, and I actually had to stop myself from coming back and ordering this a third time that week (yes, I went back two days later and then held out a whole extra week before getting it the third time)! The same bartender was there each of those times and while weeknights were a little busier and a bitch to find parking, he is always super nice and on top of things. They also had delicious fries and cheese sticks, but really, get the el gato and thank me later.

As a long time customer who’s been coming here for years, I’ve never had a bad experience up until tonight – and have always loved the food and drink selection. Who the frog has Framboise Lambic and It’s Not Your Father’s Rootbeer and vegan pizza with dope vegan toppings and an even more on point humungo vegan churro? Nowhere. Well, here. It’s here.
But this place did have a group of four terrible little boys drinking their rent money away while watching skate videos and talking a whole lot of $h!t on our vegan lifestyle. No one on staff said anything to them and that’s where cognitive dissonance puts the real bystander effect into action – in a place that specifically caters to the people being harassed. Way uncool. How do you know if somebody is uncomfortable with their own eating habits? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you – or make rude comments as passive aggressively as they possibly can. And the bar ain’t gonna help chu.
I considered taking the low road but realized these folks were in it to win the big d party they were engaged in. We swallowed our pride and raspberry beer to dip out super pissed. Lame. Totally coming back ‘cos ya’ll cornered my market.

The beer is great, the atmosphere is pretty casual, service is fine, but the food is just ok. People had been raving to me about the hush puppies, but I guess most of these people have never had a hush puppy outside of Maryland. (I hate that some people insist that Maryland is a «southern» state — it’s mid-​Atlantic! Stop pretending! I digress, I’m a self-​admitting southern food snob.) The hush puppies were different colors, so I’m going to say no thank you to artificial food coloring. Just give me regular food without strange additives, thank you.
As to the pizza, I almost always get a Margherita pizza the first time I try a pizza place, because if you can’t get that right, I’m probably not going to want to come back. It was fine, nothing special, but not terrible. The crust just wasn’t the right texture for me. It was soft and chewy, and I would prefer something that holds on to the toppings better. I hate having to eat pizza with a knife and fork because everything keeps falling off!
I wouldn’t say no to this place again, but I’m not in a hurry to go back.

Awesome food and friendly service! I usually call ahead and pick up. Even though the bar can get really crowded, they’re really attentive when someone walks through the door.
Whatever you do, make sure you get the hush puppies! Best in Baltimore! I usually go for the El Gato which is their version of a white pizza. If you love garlic, this is the pizza for you!

I figured this place would be a chill place to get dinner as a solo diner on a Sunday night, but it was pretty busy when I entered. What was especially perplexing was that I waited at the front by the «Please Wait to be Seated» sign for a quite a while, being ignored by both the waitresses and the bartenders who would just stare up at me occasionally. After being confronted by the drunk folks behind me, I was seated at the bar.
Chef salad was good and filling, I wish I could have tried a pizza but that’s more for sharing. The bartender who was serving me had zero personality-​borderlining rudeness-​and didn’t check up on me hardly ever (maybe I was invisible in the corner?) At the end of my meal, a local bum chose to sit in the empty chair next to me. Don’t get me wrong, he was friendly and non-​threatening at the moment, but what bothered me is that the bartender held me hostage in conversation with this man for 15 minutes while I waited for my check! As a woman dining by myself, I would have liked to have the option to leave at my own will.
I would have liked to come back to this place in the future to try their pizza, but some of the folks working here are not pleasant enough to make it worth coming back.

«Wanna go to Johnny Rad’s?» is one of my favorite questions to get asked.
I don’t remember when they opened, but I remember seeing the bars flying over Fleet Street one day and thinking that I had to see what that was all about. One of the best decisions I’ve made.
I can’t say anything about this restaurant that hasn’t already been said. Best pizza around, HANDS DOWN. Also, get the hush puppies.

I love this place! This is definitely one of my favorite spots in Baltimore. It is a very relaxed atmosphere with a skateboarding theme.
Their beer selection is awesome, from ipa’s to local brews. The service has always been great.
They have a ton of vegetarian options. They have a great vegetarian cheese steak. They also have fake «sausage» for a pizza topping.
The pizza is delicious. I wouldn’t recommend it to go though. I have tried to order their pizza for take out and it always seems to stick to the bottom of the box.
Overall, definitely worth a visit:)

Johnny Rad’s is my favorite local place to have a casual dinner and a beer.
I’ve been here a million times because it is so close to my house, and I can say the severs and bartenders have always been friendly and attentive.
The beer selection is great and prices are decent.
When out-​of-​town friends come, I feel like I should take them somewhere Baltimore-​y, but I often end up taking them here because I know the food is good and as long as it is not late night on a Friday or Saturday, it is pretty chill so we will be able to have a conversation.
Word to the wise: it’s a pizzeria, and their pizza is good, but the rest of their food is really good too!
I love their cheesteak, cheeseburger, salads (the one with tuna steak especially), appetizers, etc. The bread pudding is ahhhhhmazing. It is too good.
And their fries are great. I usually don’t eat many of the fries that come with a burger or cheesteak, but I do at Johnny Rads. Nice and crispy.
See you next time I don’t feel like cooking, Johnny Rads!

Johnny Rad’s is an interesting pizza place with a unique beer selection. The vibe is skateboard hipster. I’ve been here a few times and the standouts are the beer and the atmosphere. I am actually not a fan of the pizza. It is good, but I’ve had better in Canton (Verde).
One note of caution: the parking situation is a nightmare. I always have to circle the block many times before finding a spot a few blocks away, but that is city living. Save yourself the trouble and take an über.
Go for the hip vibe, skeeball (great times after dinner in the back room!) and fun beer selections.

The atmosphere is so quaint, they have a huge beer menu. I mean who doesn’t love pizza and beer. You have to try the hush puppies they are absolutely amazing and I could have made an entire meal out of just them. The white pizza was amazing and I feel like I couldn’t get enough of it. The only issue I had was I wasn’t a huge fan of the crust which is normally my favorite part of a pizza.

My boyfriend and I arrived in Baltimore on a Friday evening, ravenous and honestly a little queasy after an especially bumpy bus ride from Philly. A quick search of «vegetarian» on Unilocal provided us with a veg-​friendly spot in walking distance from our Fells Point b&b. As soon as we walked up to Johnny Rad’s and saw the Black Flag-​inspired sign, arcade games, and quirky décor inside, we knew we chose wisely. This spot feels like it could easily be located in our beloved home city.
This place was bumpin on a Friday night, and our only option that wouldn’t require a wait was sitting outside. Despite the draw of the interior décor, we opted for sitting outside so we could eat faster. Sitting by the door allowed us the fun opportunity to see the amazing variety of people who were eating at Johnny Rad’s that evening– large families with young children, couples young and old, a group of tattooed bros, etc. The diversity was definitely a plus and a testament to how good the food is here.
For drinks, I ordered the blood orange ale from their draft list, which at $ 5.5, was very reasonably priced and delicious! The selections seemed mostly light, fruity, and seasonally appropriate. Cans and bottles were available and inexpensive if you desire something a bit heartier.
For food, we ordered the veggie nuggets buffalo style and a Tilt Mode pizza. Our waitress was sweet and polite, and our food came out FREAKISHLY fast. These hungry travelers were NOT complaining about the speed of service. The veggie nuggets were nice and crispy, and lightly dressed in the sauce, which was honestly perfect. Great texture. The dish came with plenty of carrots and celery sticks as well. The pizza was Neapolitan-​style thin crust, requiring a fork to cut and eat. The flavors were so good, we mopped up the excess oil and sauce drippings off the place with our crust. Very solid pizza!
My rating would be 5 stars if the vegetarian vs. vegan options were more clearly delineated on their menu. I am trying to transition into eating entirely vegan, but my tired brain didn’t want to figure out if any of the pizzas or appetizers (besides the red pie) could be modified to be vegan as opposed to vegetarian. I am aware how lazy this is, and upon further review of the menu, this definitely could have been done.

$ 11. Pizza. Monday’s. Go!
Seriously, I didn’t think great pizza places would have deals like this. Their pizzas are delicious. Every flavor on the menu is fabulous. The crust is thin and crispy. There is this perfect time after the pizza comes out when the crust is at its maximal crispness… around 10 mins.

I decided to try the hush puppies and unfortunately, I found them too dry. The horseradish dipping sauce is very tasty. They had a watermelon beer on draft that was light and refreshing.
Service was good. The rating reflects my disappointment with the hush puppies.

This pizza is excellent and good late at night on a Friday. It is some of the best pizza I’ve had since living in Italy — the way the Primo pizza was cooked reminds me of the authentic Italian pizza. Not too heavy like typical delivery pizza in the US, and the ingredients were on-​point. And fairly cheap for two slices ($ 6) — perfect for splitting. Service was friendly too.
Will def go back — for pizza, beer, and skeeball!

It’s very loud, so it’s no place for a romantic date night, but it is a great place for an awesome not romantic night.
Service is below average, but that’s slightly irrelevant because the music is rockin, the pizza is fantastic and they have Skee Ball.
Bring quarters. Play to win.