When you sit down at the table, you're in for a treat: Two small loaves of freshly baked bread (one white, one pumpernickel) served with a luscious garlic-cheese spread. Go easy: there's a lot of food to come! The house salad, a delightful combination of greens topped with crumbled blue cheese, cucumber, onion, tomato, green pepper and house vinaigrette (or you can opt, as I always do, for the blue cheese dressing) is excellent, as is the Caesar.

When I want a steak (the New York Strip is superb!) or a slab of juicy prime rib, Johnny Harris is the place. And although I'm not a big barbeque aficionado, I adore their barbequed spare ribs. Almost everyone else loves barbeque in all its forms, and they all rate Johnny Harris as absolutely Number One in barbequed anything, from pork to lamb, chicken to beef.

The fried chicken, done quickly and with finesse, without the slightest hint of batter or coating, is good as well.

Seafood dishes satisfy, too, especially the Crabmeat Au Gratin or the Steamed Shellfish Platter.

Most of the year, Wednesday is Lobster Night, with a whole Maine lobster and all the trimmings. Get there early, because the place is packed and often they run out by 8 O'clock or so. And it's a good idea to ask your server to make certain the chef does some preliminary cracking of the large claws. I've often gotten them so hard they were impenetrable by the tableside claw cracker. Nevertheless, the flavor is worth it all!

Appetizers, soups, salads, sides and desserts are all available. The fried asparagus, crab soup, and baked potato are particularly recommendable, as is the good ole mud pie! --- March 2004, CS

Questions? Comments? Email Editor@SavannahBest.com.

Johnny Harris Restaurant
1651 E. Victory Drive
Tel: 354-7810
Open Mon. through Sat.
Lunch & dinner
Till 10:30 pm; Midnight Fri-Sat
Entrees: $12.95-$23.95
Full Bar
Reservations recommended for main dining room