Johnny's Tavern

This was an unexpected gem. My son and I checked it out while visiting U Mass. We had the burrata, squid ink spacciatelli, chicken pesto rigatti, and sticky toffee pudding. The service was great, the atmosphere engaging, and the food delicious. The spacciatelli and sticky toffee pudding were the highlights. The burrata was the only dish that I wouldn't order again.

I had a hamburger at Johnny's Tavern which was done perfectly to my requested medium and was very juicy. It came with mushrooms and melted cheese. It was very good. French fries were also hot and crispy. There are a number of specialty cocktails with interesting flavor combinations to try. This is a popular place, and according to my friends, a favorite among residents of Amherst MA.

Food was so tasteful and had a robust taste. Loved the location close to shopping and safe parking.

The place is very lively, full of super friendly folks. Had a chicken sandwich and some delicious dessert - chocolate mousse cake was fantastic.

Wow! What a wonderful find. We drove 6.5 hours into town, and needed a good meal. We found Johnny’s which is exactly what we needed. All good restaurants are good but this place is restorative for your soul. Seriously - a small but curated draught list, good wine and cocktails, too. Local options too! The food - wow! From breads to soups to appetizers to mains, it’s all super high quality. It’s big portions but they’ll split it for you, which we did. Pastas are served Al dente, and are house made. I would eat here pretty much twice a week if I lived here. The ambiance is dark, dark wood, classy, but the music in the bar area, filtering softly into the dining area, was excellent. Our server was wonderful - a local college student. The runners were great too, and helped us select beers. This place needs to come home with me.

Nice atmosphere and excellent service. Our server made us feel incredibly welcome, and helped us with our menu decisions. The cocktails were nice, and the food was quite good. The baked brie in particular was a great choice, we loved it. We had a small issue with one of our dishes, but our server and the manager worked well together to quickly address the situation. We look forward to another visit!

My son and I had just gotten off the train after a 23 hour trip, (including a 5 hour layover). My daughter and her boyfriend suggested lunch. They had heard about Johnny's Tavern but hadn't been.
It wasn't super busy so we were able to seat quickly. The service was great the food was amazing and the atmosphere was calming after a long, tiring trip!
I hope the next time I'm in CT My daughter will be willing to visit again, I think she will. It was definitely worth it!

What an amazing dining experience! We were visiting the area and did a bit of research on where to eat, so happy we chose johnnys! The gnocchi and duck were delicious, the food came out so quickly and you even get a bowl of bread. The service and mixed drinks were great too. Highly recommend!!

Overall an excellent experience here. The Homemade Pasta dishes all sounded so good but I chose the Italian Sausage Rigati. It was probably one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had. Decided to splurge for dessert too and the Burnt Basque Cheesecake was so good!

A pleasant dining experience. Had dinner here. It was busy, but they moved the tables quickly to keep the wait short.

The food was excellent. It's easy to see that they value the quality of their food.

The ambiance is very nice. A classic, higher-end tavern feel.

In the area for work it was so good I went back for a second round. I'm glad I did because I tried different items. The beet salad omg, I don't say this often but it had to be the best salad I ever had. The roasted barramundi, french onion soup, and the pei mussels were at the top of my list. The rare tuna was not a fan of mine, but it may be yours.

We weren't able to make a reservation in advance because we didn't have a large enough group. However, we showed up around 6:30pm and didn't have to wait more than ten minutes to be seated in a booth. The atmosphere was lively while still being cozy at the same time. Our waitress was fantastic along with our menu choices. Pictured below is a short rib Papardelle, a Rare tuna sandwhich and fried brussel sprouts for an appetizer. Oh My God - the brussel sprouts were the clear winner for me. A great restaurant that I would visit again if I'm in the area.

Wonderful food and great ambiance for a relaxed dinner. We were a group of 6 and it can get pretty busy when school is in session, so a reservation might be helpful. The fried calamari is a must have. If you like spicy food (real spicy), try the Fra Diavolo Tagliatelle. One last thing, the sourdough bread and the sauce was just as good as the appetizers and entrees.

I gave five stars not because I have been there recently but how much I missed this place. I relocated to DC area and there isn’t anything comparable to Johnny’s!!! No kidding!
I used to go to Johnny every other weekend. Loved all the hand-made pasta and never got a single bad experience for anything.

Cozy restaurant, with a very nice decoration. Very good service. You can order some food and split because they are very good served. The French fries with parmesan cheese and tomato, peach and mango sauce are amazing!!! Also there's a bread they serve with an delicious olive oil and dried tomatoes. Well, it's worth it going! They have good drinks also.

Food was delicious and reasonably priced. I ordered the rare tuna sandwich - loved the Wasabi spread. Our server, Brandon, was fantastic; he made the experience even more enjoyable! We will return again when in Amherst.

Probably the best bar food I ever had! No wonder it was so packed on a Monday. And reasonably priced too for food. Started off with some really good bread and oil! Then I got the rare tuna sandwich (sliced tuna steak) and it had a great wasabi aioli mixed with umami sauce. The truffle fries were also delicious! My partner got the mushroom pasta and the waitress said it was her favorite and it definitely did not disappoint! Everyone else said their food was great as well. The drinks were a bit pricey for Amherst ($14 a cocktail) but they were so good too! Highly recommend students to bring their parents here!

Great atmosphere! Snagged seats at the bar. Cocktails were well done, food was good and hot. The music was a little loud, difficult to hear sometimes in addition to all the people. Will return.

A great find! We passed it a few years ago and said we wanted to try it. We finally stopped in and the drinks, menu and combinations were unique and wonderful. Portions are big so get ready to take some home.

Wowwww.. I mean WOW! I drove from Boston for a show at Umass, and we decided on Johnny’s. They were already and wait-time was 30 mins+ booked so we decided on takeout. I got the Chicken sandwich, Bolognese, my boyfriend got the duck and kale truffle salad. The least favored was the truffle salad, too much oil. But the chicken sandwich WOWW!!!!!! INCREDIBLE! And bolognese was perfectly cooked the pasta was delicious, and the extra ricotta was just perfect. My boyfriend’s duck was perfect cooked, he was very pleased. We will be returning for a sit down dinner! 😍😍😍😍