Johnny B’s

You have to be extremely patient to have breakfast here.

I really like this place, and have been going on and off over the years as I’ve moved in and out of the neighborhood lots! (does anyone remember when this used to be a grubby little Winchell’s?) This is a neighborhood breakfast and lunch diner, run by a really nice family. I always get the breakfast, but recently thought I’d try something different. I had a turkey melt with homemade coleslaw. DELICIOUS! My sister was supposed to meet me there to pick up her house key. Two bite into my sandwich, I’d HOPED she wouldn’t arrived until I was finished because my food was so good I didn’t want to be bothered! (I am being serious here!) The coleslaw wasn’t fancy, but perfect! (light and crunchy – ) The sandwich (which I still haven’t forgotten about) was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. Johnny B’s gets all 5 of my Unilocaling stars!!!

I have to add a star here because frankly I come here regularly. I can’t seem to pass it up. It’s not fancy, but it’s clean, friendly, and totally consistent.
I can’t seem to navigate away from the chicken fried steak, but it’s so damned tasty there’s really no need to even get a menu when we come in. I usually go for the grilled English muffin, but sometimes I get a Johnny cake or two along side the chicken fried steak. The pancakes are so damned fluffy and cinnamon-​y. Every. Single. Time.

Good food, very friendly waitresses!

Johnny B. Goode! Pretty tasty breakfast and very well priced. Has that cool old time diner atmosphere and the cook likes exactly like Joe Pantoliano!!!

I continue to go to Johnny Bs because it’s cheap and I can walk there. The guy in the kitchen is pretty rude, but the ladies that serve are really nice. The food is pretty good, not awesome. But they are always consistent and I know exactly what I’m going to get. Biscuits & gravy are mediocre, but I love their hash browns!

Johnny B’s, an old-​school type diner has amazing johnnycakes, great hash browns and eggs, crisp, buttery toast, really reasonable prices, and attentive service. Coffee, however, was surprisingly weak. We’ll be back for the food, though!

stock.

WYSIWYG.
What you see is what you get. Johnny B’s looks like a breakfast diner on the outside and that is exactly what it is. Nothing more and nothing less.
Usual breakfast fare — eggs, omelets, hash browns, biscuits & gravy, etc.
Service was great. I liked the kind older waitress who put her hand on my shoulder to explain that we could either pay at our table or up front, whichever we wanted.
Our food was fine. I ordered the ground round steak with eggs, hash browns and toast. I thought the ground round was extra fresh and flavorful. JP had a cheese and mushroom omelet. It had an interesting taupe-​colored sauce on top. Very good.
Only minuses to our experience today was that the coffee was weak. And, it was freeeeezing in here. One diner cracked to the waitress that she probably didn’t notice the chill because she was running around so much.

(With apologies to the Beach Boys, the Kingston Trio, the indentured people from the Bahamas, and whoever else has sung it)
We came to the Sloop Johnny B
My hungover friend and me
We needed food that don’t pull no punches all right
Drinking all night
Got into a fight with my stomach
Well I feel so broke up
I need potatoes
So hoist up your purse and coat
See how the coffee floats
Inside your stomach until you have to go home
Have to go home
Eggs and hash browns they don’t mess around
This is a kind place to be when you feel the worst

Cute little diner, the wait staff was very nice, and the food came quick (it wasn’t too bust but about 80−90% of the tables were filled) my husband liked his breakfast (egg, meat, hash browns) I had the chicken fried steak… rubber, bland, and no flavour! same with the biscuit and gravy. I am not sure if I will give this place a chance again. Don’t get me wrong I really like greasy breakfast, but with only a few things on the menu my choices are limited. Maybe I’ll try the burgers…

Johnny B was so good to me I went back for round 2! DING!
Good food again. Wait… Scratch that. GREAT food again. I some how mustered up an ounce of self control and didn’t order anything with gravy this time. It was a true devil on one shoulder and angel on the other kind of battle. I even started to sweat a little when the waitress took our order.
What did I order you ask? Mushroom Swiss omelet. Hot damn was it good! Good even with out the gravy! I might have gone to such extremities as licking my plate like a dog to make sure I consumed every little crumb possible… But you can’t prove anything. Just understand that this place is that good.

Are you gonna eat those pancakes? Because… well… I will if you don’t hurry yer ass up.
Johnny B’s is home to good old fashioned breakfast goodness. There isn’t much in the way of Portland fancy-​pants here. Scones? Johnny scoffs. Only if they’re deep fried and salty!
The Wife had pancakes, sausage and eggs. I had an omlette with hash browns. And the wife’s pancakes. All was quite well prepared and tasty.
I need bigger pants.

Seriously subpar. We didn’t finish our meals. The wheat toast was nearly white and drenched in margarine. My «well done» hash browns were undercooked and mushy, straight out of a dehydrated potato box. My daughter’s orange juice was served overflowing, while my tomato juice was only ²⁄₃ full. The place was dirty, from the tabletops to the cut-​up tennis balls on the feet of every chair. We won’t be going back.

I… love breakfast.
I mean, I love the fancy schmancy crepes and eggs benedict as much as the next person, but seriously… give me greasy spoon! Give me hash browns! Give me bacon! Give me… Johnny B’s!
It’s easy to miss this place. Hell, I’ve lived in Portland and I’ve never seen this place before. And it’s sitting right on Hawthorne.
Teensy, tiny, little joint with ‘50s tile floors and a little breakfast bar. Family owned, charming, and I’m sure there are lots of regulars. Browns were perfect, omelettes rocked, and I’m sure the pancakes and everything else is equally delectable. And everything is very reasonably priced.
Only drawback is that they close at 2 p.m. What’s a girl to do when she needs hash browns at night?

Remember those television shows in the 50’s? You know, the ones where the short order cook in the back of the kitchen wears all white, the waitress is chipper and happy and the décor is bright and blue?
Johnny B’s. I am a diner connoisseur, and Johnny B’s has been a diner I’ve come to since I was 5 years old.
I’m 21 now, but going into the diner always reminds me there’s a place that seemingly never changes. The bacon is crispy, the eggs are over easy and the biscuits and gravy is delish. Hashbrowns are perfecto.
The best part is people watching. I recommend Johnny B’s for a good people watching sesh alone. Get a book, newspaper, «pretend» to look busy, and observe the regulars.
Who knows, you might become the regular soon too.
Credit cards:
Must have a minimum purchase of $ 5.00.

Excellent traditional American style breakfast. Today we had the chicken fried steak, three pancakes, bacon (I didn’t eat it) and hashbrowns. Delicious! Charming family establishment. Seems like a lot of regulars come here for breakfast/​brunch. The Johnny Cakes were delectable! At first I couldn’t quite pinpoint what made it so special, but figured out that it was the cinnamon in the batter.

This is the greatest little traditional diner in town. The owner and his wife run this place by their lonesome and do a fantastic job! They are only open for breakfast and lunch and do a great job of both. The Johnny Cakes are delicious and the burgers are fantastic! After 2 visits they’ll have your order memorized (or at least part of it)…

Absolutely perfect diner food. Everything on the menu drips with delicious (if not exactly nutritious) greasy-​spoon flavor… and, believe me, I’ve eaten here enough times that I may have literally eaten everything on the menu! Could be the best no-​nonsense hash browns I’ve ever tasted. Crispy, buttery, golden brown heaven. Mmmmm… taters.
Despite its central location at the axis of lower Hawthorne and Ladd’s Addition, however, Johnny B’s is remarkably free of yuppie homeowners and hipsters. (I guess they prefer the more fashionable social scenes at Junior’s and Cup & Saucer. Their loss. My gain.) And frankly, there are already so many regulars in here that coming to Johnny B’s is almost like coming home to a second family.
I miss you guys already… can you send me a care package, #2 Mom?

If you love greasy breakfast food (or your parent’s do when they visit) come to Johnny B’s. This is definitely not a city-​type of restaurant, but sometimes that is what is great about it. The dad works the grill while the mom, son, and daughter wait tables.
Word of warning: Call ahead to make sure that they are open. Sometimes times can change, probably because it is a family run joint.