Bites Nearby: Johnny's New York Style Pizza

I like pizza, but not just any kind of pizza. So, this week Patch went over to . I used to go over to Decatur to get Johnny's pizza from there, but it closed several months ago much to my dismay.

This Johnny's pizza chain is located throughout the South and Midwest in nine states, including our neighbors Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. There are more than 50 franchise locations in Georgia. And, for the most part -- as far as I've been able to tell -- the menu is the same.

There's pizza, of course. And, you can get it all kinds of ways. Single slice or whole pizza. Traditional or specialty. A dizzying array of toppings are also available, including meatballs, eggplant, bacon, broccoli, chicken strips, and more. Chicken strips? Yeah, I tend to think that's a little on the odd side. But, I guess to each his own. There are beers and several wines to chose from, as well.

When I went on Friday, I got a few more things besides my usual pepperoni pizza. I ordered garlic bread with cheese, a Greek salad and a cannoli dessert (which is new to the Snellville location.) I also got a VERY big glass of pink lemonade. The cups are huge! My total was about $13 for all of that. I thought that was reasonable.

The food was good. No complaints on the garlic bread, which was extra chessy with mozzarella. Loved the Greek salad, especially because there was a nice helping of feta cheese. (Sometimes folks skimp on that.) Also, Johnny's own oil and vinegar dressing was super tasty. The pizza was great, and not burnt on the bottom. Exactly what I would expect from a New York-style pizza shop.

And, the $2.95 cannoli, it was OK. I've had better, but that's probably because I got spoiled living and working in Connecticut, where my co-workers would bring their grandma's homemade cannoli's in to the office. I still haven't had cannoli's better than those.

My waiter seemed nice enough, too. He asked if I needed anything a couple of times, and he was quick to bring my next food item when I had finished something. He also made the cannoli I had. The decor reminded me of an old New York pizzeria with the checkered table cloths, so that was cool. There were three box televisions there. They were good for background noise, I guess. But, you can't watch football there. There were also lots of beer signs around; some were lit; some were posters. Nice and unpretentious. I like that.

The Not-So-Good: The menu indicates there are specials on Monday - Friday, but actually there are no specials on Fridays. The waiter said that was a misprint. And, I don't think they had wifi. I had the hardest time getting my portable hotspot to work in there. So, by the time I left I'd eaten a lot, but done no real work on my computer. Oh well! The pizza was worth it.

Johnny's is located at 3035 Centerville Highway, Snellville. Hours: Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.   The menu, which include children's items, varies in prices from $1.85 for a cheese slice to $19.95 for a large, gourmet pizza. Dinner entrees, including lasagna, baked ziti and more, are $7-$9.