John's of 12th Street

There's a reason this place will be celebrating their 100th Anniversary in 2008 and it's because they do Simple Home Cooked Family Style Italian food perfectly. This is the Italian restaurant I always find myself coming back to. It is consistently Good. The Baked Clams are excellent. The Veal Meatballs are divine. You will definitely order a second helping of Garlic Bread. And if you come on the right night they might have their Black Truffle Ravioli with Taragon butter sauce. As for main course - the Veal and Chicken Parmigiana are excellent. The Chicken Alla Rosa is amazing. And their Lasagna is cooked perfectly. The portions are always huge and you won't leave feeling hungry. This is an old school Italian joint so don't go expecting some SoHo style Italian Bistro. Just go expecting a great meal at a great price.

Deafeningly loud no matter when you go, due to the tin ceiling and the closely-packed, cheek-by-jowel tables. One never feels relaxed here, so don't go if you want a quiet dinner. The food is pretty good most of the time, although the least appealing dish is their "Pasta John's." Be aware that it's a zero-oxygen atmosphere, hermetically sealed from the outside and full of burning candles. If you are a fan of oxygen, dine elsewhere. Owner is wonderful, staff is gruff.

So my wife and I went to John's on a Fri night (at 7pm). We got there and was at first kinda happy with the place. They brought us some nice hot bread, which unfortunately was the best thing about the place. I had goat cheese ravioli (special of the day) and it was mediocre at best. It was dry and bland. As a side note, the place is a little over priced for what you get. Furthermore, they don't take credit cards which I typically understand but adds to our negativity.

After my first time going to John's, I just can't stop going back. The food is unbelievable. The chicken parm is fantastic, and it makes ever other restaurant's version seem like a completely different entree. The marinara sauce is perfectly home-cooked. Portions are generous. Even the most ordinary salad feels special at John's.

i have gone here a few times because friends love it but i think it is just ok. the food is good, not great. the price is right, fairly inexpensive italian food.

I have been to many Italian restaurants in the city, and truly believe this is the best homestyle Italian food there is. You can't go expecting fancy food and atmosphere...rather it's a beautifully cozy place with tasty, traditional Italian, the way it should be. I've been going here for 2 years now and will remain a loyal customer.

I came to John's with high expectations after reading a review in my hometown newspaper. Unfortunately, my family's experience there left a lot to be desired. We started with an order of baked clams that were perfectly awful - strong and rubbery minced clams that were so bad that we had to send them back. The owner came over to our table and apologized and agreed with us that the clams were poorly prepared. Without our asking, he prepared and brought over a second plate of clams. He said that he'd prepared these himself, and that we would not be charged for either order. Sadly, these clams were just as bad as the first batch, but we politely ate them. The clams were followed by a very mediocre Veal Parmesan and a Lemon Chicken dish that tasted steamed. The side of pasta was undercoked, undersalted, and served in a puddle of watery tomato sauce. The worst insult came when we were presented with the bill, with the clam charge intact. We did not want to argue, so quickly paid our bill. However, this was a dismal dining experience.