Johnny’s Back Yard

This is a really mixed review. Pre 8pm review — 2 stars, = Pathetic attention to customers. Post 8pm = 4 stars for great service. Great layout for the interior and drink selection. Should be an excellent place for live music. A pre Chicken and Pickle party spot come next summer.;

Close to home but that is all that this place has going for it. All I can say is NO SERVICE. My drink was empty for one hour during the Royals game. It took 45 minuets to get the drink then never saw the waitress again.

Tried Johnny’s because a friend had organized an event that was occurring there. Went to support the friend as well as to try out Johnny’s as it’s nearby and we had heard about it but had never visited until today. Wife and I were planning on lunch there so we ordered up.
First off, it was pretty busy. I’m assuming because of the event but maybe it’s just that way. But it took what seemed forever for someone to wait on our table. My wife had researched their menu a bit before arriving. Upon asking about any specials, the first server mumbled around and said there really weren’t any specials. Then a second server appeared and he said they had Bloody Marys on special.
Wife and I both ordered water, then she ordered a Bloody Mary. (I never order anything other than water as I’m the DD) We were a bit surprised when the waters were delivered and they weren’t simple tap in a glass, but a cold bottle of Kirkland (Costco) water.
Meals finally arrived after a lengthy wait. I had spaghetti and my wife had buffalo wings. Her wings were piping hot but the spaghetti not so much. But I was so hungry I didn’t have the heart or patience to send it back for a re-​heat.
We were shocked when the check finally arrived and we were charged $ 2 each for the water. That should have been advised to us up front. Had I known, I might have opted for iced tea instead (if it’s an option)
Overall, not very impressed. Felt totally gouged on prices. Likely won’t be trying again.

This place is perfect for those lazy summer days when you have nothing better to do than to sit on someone’s patio with a cold beer and listen to an awesome random blues band. I’ll be honest, I was a little confused walking inside and seeing this 2-​story 50s style dining area that was completely deserted. But walk out to the patio and you’ll know why people come here. Let me give you the skinny:
Pros:
–Your server will always have a drink special for you. Brownie points for that one.
–There is always some good music to chill out to.
–This place is clearly geared more towards an older crowd, but everyone is welcomed here and you can feel that.
–Bathrooms are cleeean.
Cons:
–They only have one server on the patio at night, so you’ll probably get your drinks a few minutes late. Jsyk.
–There didn’t seem to be any effort put towards the insect problem. I had about 10 mosquito bites when I left. No Bueno.
–Speaking of no bueno, the food… oh the food. Eat before you come and enjoy the cheap drinks and chill atmosphere.
Overall, the people of Johnny’s Backyard are truly great. I know that I’ll come back and enjoy myself. I’ll just need to have a citronella candle on hand… or maybe a can of deet.

Ordered Sampler. Fried Food OK, and Tenderloin. Fries were awesome, bun was stale and Tenderloin no seasoning. Since it was Sunday Night there was live music and it was very good! Music and beer… yes (plus one poor person was the bartender and server) food not so much.

The music being played during the «lunch rush» makes me feel like I’m taking an elevator ride. And I use quotations around lunch rush because I’m not sure you can even call it that. There are only three occupied tables at 12:30 on a Tuesday. I count seven t.v.‘s and not one has sports on it. One is set to days of our lives, one is showing star trek reruns, one looks like it might be antique road show. It is not the kind of atmosphere you would expect from outside the building. Don’t know if it’s just like this during lunch, but I won’t be back any other time to find out. Haven’t even got my burger yet, but after seeing the menu and the ambiance I already know I won’t be returning. Kind of a bummer too cause the size of this place has a lot of potential.

Here’s another example of North Kansas City shaking of its stick-​in-​the-​mud, grandfatherly image. As a place to kick back with a drink and hear some music, it’s great. The food service needs some work.
Helen’s was busy on a Friday work night, so we tried Johnny’s thinking we’d get done faster. Apparently there was a large party on the patio out back, and maybe some staff had called in that night, but for a Friday night, they were seriously understaffed. One poor server seemed to be working the whole place, and I’ll bet they only had one cook in the back. The two bartenders had the drinks out right away, but two sandwiches, an order of fries, and 2 tamales took at least half an hour. I ordered the tamales, which were good, and covered in some tasty all-​meat chili, but they really weren’t hot enough, and my friend said the steak-​cut fries weren’t done all the way. YD said her tuna salad sandwich was very good. Other menu items run mostly in the Italian direction, and a burger which smelled like heaven coming out to another table. I might try that next time if I don’t eat somewhere else before going back.
Which I think I will, because they do the bar/​hangout/​music thing right. While the beer list isn’t in the realm of Beer Kitchen/Harry’s/et al., you can probably find something you like; ditto for wines, although I saw two different ports up on the shelf. Port? In NKC? We ARE growing up! Lots of top-​shelf liquors; I stopped shopping when I saw Woodford Reserve.
The place is a lot bigger than it looks from outside. We ate inside and watched the Royals; there are TVs visible no matter where you sit. Then there’s a side room with at least one pool table, and a pretty good size patio and stage outside. Then upstairs, apparently, they have Cigar Night (to go with your port and smoking jacket?). There’s a space in the front of the dining room for a band as well, and I discovered a great blues band, the Old Crows, that night, who will be back in a couple of weeks. So I plan on giving Johnny’s another try.

Poor service! If you are not a regular, forget about it. Food was okay. Limited menu.

If you’re looking for a chill place with a little bit of everything, this is it. Not a great draft beer selection but plenty of bottles and good drink specials and daily food specials. Also have a humidor upstairs. Great NKC establishment.

Very friendly waitstaff and a great beer selection. The also have a nice patio area with live music every Sat.

We wandered in here after being at Cinder Block Brewery and were pleasantly surprised to find a cool neighborhood bar/​diner. Would love to come back some night and listen to the live music. They have cigar specials and a cool upstairs loft area. Tried their new appetizer — bottle caps — fried jalapeños and thought they were really fun!
Owner was very friendly and brought me a taste of a whiskey that he thought I would like. Wonderful gesture and worked out great because I ended up buying a glass of it. We will definitely try to come back!

After being told at the door of Pat’s Pub that they were closed (even though advertised as open till 1:30 and it wasn’t even midnight), we drove around North KC blindly looking for a spot to try. We generally stay close to home, but we were in the mood to try new things. My bf spotted the big sign and whipped a u-​turn to take us back to Johnny’s Back Yard.
They advertise blues and jazz on Saturday nights, but when we walked in, the band had already packed up. Maybe another time.
Only seven or eight people were still there, but we sat at the bar and eyeballed their spectacular bottled beer selecton. Their taps include Stella, Murphy’s, Shock Top, Rolling Rock, and I think PBR. Not a bad assortment! They probably have fifty different bottles, and a great selection across the board, from Southern Tier double IPA to Buffalo Sweat to standard Boulevards.
This place looks like it would be incredible in the summer. Great patio with a roll-​up door. Pool table, games, etc. they also have a small upper level, but we didn’t check it out.
The bartender CiCi was cool, friendly, and gracious, thanking my bf for every tip when he paid cash. I value customer service highly, and that alone will bring me back here. For now, three stars, but I have a feeling we will be back and I will bump it up.