I remember going to John’s Restaurant back in the 70’s. The must-order item was slaw made with angel-hair cabbage and a special orange dressing. After all these years, some family members of the original owner John Proferis have bought the rights to that famous dressing, and it can be purchased through this website. John’s was wildly popular, but things changed downtown, the owners stopped doing business there, and the building became neglected.
However, Shannon Gober and his lovely wife Shana saw a tremendous potential in the building and the location. They bought it and fashioned it into a gleaming, up-to-date, new and improved version of its former self and named it John’s City Diner. The results are remarkable.
Looking from the reception area into the dining room.
A wall in the dining room.
Front door of John’s City Diner.
Reception area.
The exterior and interior decor as well as the serving dishes play on the Steel City theme and give the whole atmosphere an edgy vibe. Shannon, who is John’s Executive Chef, is diligent about using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and has developed his own signature dishes that are sure to become even more famous than the slaw on the original menu. For example, there are 3 versions of “Not Your Momma’s Macaroni and Cheese” — the original with imported cheeses and prosciutto, the “3 Little Pigs” with prosciutto, bacon and pulled pork, and a vegetarian version with spinach, roasted red peppers and feta cheese. You’ll never want a prepackaged brand again!
John’s City Diner burger and bucket of hot, homemade French fries.
Shana Gober designed the mural on the exterior of the building. She is on the staff for Good Grit magazine and is highly creative.
Outside mural designed by Shana Gober.
I must give a shout out for the mouthwatering bread pudding Steve and I shared for dessert. Those toasted pecans put it over the top.
Amazing bread pudding.
Parking for John’s City Diner is available on the street, but more than likely you will want to head to a public parking lot about a half block away.
John’s is open for lunch Monday – Friday and for dinner Monday – Saturday. Give it a try and tell Shannon and Shana I said hello.
For more photos and information click on this article I recently wrote for MilesGeek.com. John’s City Diner also gets a shout-out in this article published in Trip101.com.
Disclosure – Many thanks to John’s City Diner for hosting me. Regardless of John’s generosity, readers receive my honest feedback as my opinions are 100% my own.”
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