John's Bar & Grille
 Canton, Ohio        Date of Visit  06/07/14            http://johns-bar.erfserv.com/

When I went to school in Canton, John’s Bar and Grille had a reputation for making great burgers. Being a student and eating more cupped ramen and cafeteria food than restaurant fare I only made it to John’s on rare occasions but do remember being fond of the burgers.
 

Average Chili
 

It’s been a long time and my burger experience has expanded significantly, so we’re gonna give them a taste with new eyes. The interior is pretty much how I remembered it, three rooms…two dining and the bar, lots of wood, upscale divey. Our server was friendly and pretty average overall.

There was a random dude who must have been at least part owner meandering back and forth and accomplishing nothing outside of saying some pointedly inappropriate things to customers or staff. Employees like that don’t last long in most places, he must have some stake.

We ordered a cup of chili, zucchini, and three sandwiches. The chili was perfectly average at best. It did have a fair kick but there was little to make it interesting. The same could be said about the large coins of battered zucchini and ranch dressing…typical bar fare.
 

Steph ordered what the menu calls an Italian beef sandwich. Having been to Mr. Beef’s, Al’s Beef and Johnny’s Charcoal, I can say with limited doubt they have not. Instead of giardiniera, their’s comes with hot peppers which Steph got on the side. The sandwich was also much, much drier than the Chicago staple, even though the jus did help some. The beef was alright but it seemed stuffed into just part of the bun and really left us wanting.

The ogre had the gyro deluxe with gyro meat and all the fixins with fries. The nice thing about the sandwich were the thick slices of the lamb/beef loaf. What was missing was the crust that comes from either the cone carousel or a hot griddle. The tomatoes and onions were marinated in something that gave the sandwich nice tang which was accentuated by the tzatziki sauce. Add a dose of salty feta and fresh cut fries, you have a sandwich better than the Italianish beef but not special.
 

Deluxe Gyro
 

I ordered the angus burger and onion rings. The rings were dry battered and fried pretty well. The burger is still pretty good, but through more experienced eyes has been topped multiple times. They do put a serious crust on the outside (would have made the gyro better too) but all in all, it’s just another burger and John’s is just another bar and grille.