Johnnie's New York Pizza

SoCal chain determined to provide a near-Big Apple pizza experience.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
For those accustomed to authentic New York pizzerias, entering Johnnie's induces an excruciating sense of déjà vu: black-and-white prints, checkerboard tablecloths, raucous music and, most notably, a heady waft of garlic and Romano cheese. New Yorkers swear it's the water that gives their pizza crusts that special "something," so Johnnie's has installed an exclusive water-filtration system. Specialty pizzas like the "white pie"--topped with garlic sauce, spinach, whole-milk mozzarella and ricotta--mimic East Coast counterparts. Caesar salad makes for a simple, lighter dish.

08/18/06

Best (yikes!) pizza in L.A. and directly across from La Brea Tar Pits (great for kids)

by latruchaloca at Citysearch

I know, I know, I feel so unsophisticated claiming that Johnnie's, a chain, is the best pizza in L.A. But I honestly believe that Johnnie's is the best, and I'm a big pizza lover. I've tried pretty much all of the "best" pizza places on CitySearch (except for Casa Bianca, which I know everyone raves about, but Eagle Rock is just too far away from central L.A.), and Johnnie's ranks at the top. I especially love the kalamata black olives. At any rate, besides the pizza, the location is just as much of the attraction for me. My wife and I have a two-year-old, who loves pizza by the way. And after we eat pizza, then we walk across the street to the La Brea Tar Pits. There's, of course, the tar pits to look at, but there is also a whole lot of grass and some hills and basically a great place to have your kid(s) run wild and get tired out before bed time. In the summer, there are also free concerts over at the western end of the park in, what I guess is, the museum patio area. The whole family enjoys watching these, too, and there are a lot of families with kids doing the same thing. Finally, not to be superficial, but there is plenty of parking at Johnnie's. With validation, you'll have to pay about $1.40, but to me that's pretty cheap, especially considering I don't have the anxiety/headache of looking for a spot and/or having to pay for valet parking. I recommend both pizza lovers and/or families to check out Johnnie's on Wilshire by the La Brea Tar Pits.

• Pros: great pizza, even greater location (by La Brea Tar Pits), ample parking ($1.40)
• Cons: none that I can think of (maybe sometimes the free garlic rolls are hard/overcooked)

02/05/06

Johnnie's Pizza Rocks

by smetheney at Citysearch

I have been to Johnnie's several times since I moved to LA last year and each time the pizza was outstanding. I would stay away from eating outstide, since the service was not very good. The service inside is outstanding though and this restaurant is highly recommended.

06/14/05

Best Delivery in the Miracle Mile

by sbardell at Citysearch

Johnnie's has the best delivery pizza in the Miracle Mile/Mid-Wilshire/Wilshire La Brea neighborhood. The crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings are very high quality and worth the price! Delivery is always prompt, usually a few minutes earlier than they predict. I've also dined in occasionally and the pasta is "home style", slightly above average for an inexpensive Italian place. The pizza is the best item.

• Pros: Pizza is great

07/11/03

Very impressed

by cpevey at Citysearch

I came with a few co-workers to this place. The garlic and baking pizza smell greeted us as we came in. Nicely decorated inside; we chose to dine al fresco. Service was prompt, accurate, and pleasant. The pizzas, available by the slice for takeout and on display, looked wonderful. I chose the calzone with pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms. HUGE, like half a medium pizza, and a good deal. The pepperoni had more of a kick to it compared to pepperoni from most places. A co-worker chose the sausage and peppers sandwich; she liked the spiciness. Meatball and classic Italian subs looked great, too. All big sandwiches; you'll probably take half of it home. Parking's in a paid lot, but the experience is worth it! Bring a few friends.

• Pros: Great calzone, Great sandwiches, Excellent service
• Cons: Parking in a paid lot, and that's it, Pros beat cons