Sometimes you find yourself in an area without a Roadfood approved stop nearby. So when my wife and I pulled into downtown Johnstown, Pa. on a rainy day to tour the Johnstown Flood Museum, we asked the parking lot attendant where to eat. He didn’t hesitate answering "Johnnies – the best food in town". We walked the few blocks to 415 Main Street and found a storefront marked "Lounge Ohnnies Restaurant" (The J is missing), the kind of place you might pass by without someone’s recommendation. We entered and found a darkly lit bar in the front, then another room, and finally entered a beautifully furnished old dining room in the back. (It reminded us of the Satsuma in Nashville.)
The waitress staff consisted mainly of several "experienced" women in old-fashioned white waitress dresses with their names on them, and a few younger ones who wore white pantsuit outfits. Our waitress, Mary, greeted us warmly and helped out with suggestions. When I ordered the pierogee lunch special and asked for mashed potatoes as one of my 3 sides, she said "why would you want potatoes, they’re already filled with them…but you can have them if you want them." But instead I selected the macaroni & cheese, coleslaw, and an interesting dish of cabbage and noodles. Everything was excellent. The menu featured a variety of unique dishes as well as typical luncheon fare. It was a Friday in Lent, and many people seemed to be ordering the fish sandwich special. As noon approached the room filled with locals and business people from the nearby city hall and business district. As we left, Mary said "Stay Dry" – we weren’t sure if that was because it had rained that morning, of if that is a typical greeting among the people of Johnstown! When we went to the museum after lunch and said we had eaten at Johnnies, the staff asked "Did you get Mary?". Yes, we were happy to say we did, and happy to have found a restaurant worthy of the Roadfood name in downtown Johnstown, where their motto is "Flood’s Over…Come Back!".