Fine Dining at Johnny's Charhouse

With its main dishes ranging from a $7.95 sandwich to $31.95 for 26 ounces of porterhouse steak Johnny’s Charhouse is moderately expensive and perfect for a date night with its romantic atmosphere. All meals include delicious bread baked daily from Turano Baking Co. served with oil and butter, a potato, and the best soup in the area. The service is excellent and no reservations are necessary; Johnny’s can accommodate your party any night of the week, including Saturday night.

My family and I are not locals to the area and had no problem finding Johnny’s. It is prominently located right off of Sycamore road with clear signage advertising the restaurant’s location. Upon entering the restaurant there is a display with beautifully presented desserts and steaks, if you desire to pick out your own steak to be prepared. The light is slightly dimmed; perfect for an evening of romance. Tricia Ruthe commented on the interesting décor; the walls are covered with “tasteful and interesting” black and white pictures of events, people, history etc. We were seated in a quaint back room. The room was rather large (what is sometimes the size of a small restaurant) with ten tables perfect for large parties. There is more than enough space between other tables and the chairs. Johnny’s was able to accommodate our group of around twenty-five with only a half hours notice on a Saturday night. I was astonished at the swift efficiency of the staff. We never felt rushed, and we got our beverages (including refills) and food right on queue. Tricia Ruthe, a member of our party, observed that “our waiter didn’t hesitate” when we requested the check be split seven ways. To make it even harder we were all intermingled throughout four tables, but that didn’t seem to hinder the staff in the least.

Johnny’s in known for their delicious steaks, and there is a good reason for it. My parents and several other members of our party ordered steaks, and they all enjoyed them. My stepfather said it was the best filet mignon he had ever had for $25.95, which is saying a lot; he is a bit of a steak fanatic. It was properly prepared with delicious spices that didn’t overpower the steak’s juicy flavor. Johnny’s certainly met my stepfather’s standards for a good steak.

The French onion soup was exquisite. I highly recommend it, especially if you normally enjoy it, because Johnny’s will top it. From the mouthwatering flavor it is obvious that the chefs at Johnny’s know how to make delectable soup fresh from scratch.

The Charhouse Steakburger for only $8.95 was slightly less impressive. It wasn’t bad as far as a burger goes, but there was no pizzazz, nothing that set it apart. It was ordinary, lacking the flavor succulent burger I was anticipating. Next time I will know to stick to the steak.

The garlic-mashed potatoes were good, but not a rarity. The garlic was not overpowering, it could stand to have more garlic, and the mashed potatoes were the right consistency. I would order them again, but I wouldn’t go to Johnny’s specifically to have the garlic mashed-potatoes. It is not the garlic-mashed potatoes that make Johnny’s praiseworthy; it is the soup and steak.

Everything from the bread and soup to steak is delicious though I think there are a few things that were not praiseworthy like the Steakburger and the mashed potatoes. You cannot order wrong, everything on the menu is satisfactory, but there are select dishes that will make an exquisite meal. To enhance your experience at Johnny’s be sure to try the fresh bread, French onion soup, and most importantly a steak. To leave Johnny’s without trying the steak is to visit New York and not gaze upon the skyline.

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Johnny’s Charhouse
1950 DeKalb Avenue
Sycamore, IL 60178(815) 756-1155