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| Johnny serves up fresh baked cookies |
The
combination of quality food, good service and reasonable prices is sometimes hard to find in a lunch spot, but Johnny
C's Deli and Pasta in Kansas City offers just that.
Opened
in 1992 by Johnny Caracci and inspired by wonderful memories of preparing and
eating homemade Sicilian cuisine with family in his grandmother's kitchen,
Johnny C. wants his customers to experience that same feeling of happiness when they eat at his place.
 |
| Entering Johnny C's |
To
be honest, I never would have known about this restaurant if a friend had not told
me because the location I visited (there are actually two locations) at
approximately I-435 and Front St. was so nondescript. Tucked
into the middle of a commercial strip mall at the end of Universal Avenue, it
is not in a place where you would normally ever drive by and see
it.
In
fact, as I walked toward the front door of Johnny C's, I looked around and
wondered, "Why have a deli here? How many people are actually going
to find it?" Then I opened the restaurant door. Surprise! The
place was packed.
 |
| The Muffaletta Sandwich |
My
next thought was, "Bummer, now I'm going to have a long wait,"
because there were approximately 15 people ahead of me in the order line.
However, just the opposite turned out to be true, and in less than five
minutes, I was placing my order with Johnny C. himself. Their operation
was running like a well-oiled machine, plus they had both sides of the counter
open to serve double the people.
As
far as lunch deals, on the day I was there, the menu included two
specials. The first included a serving of homemade lasagna, salad, bread
and butter, and a medium drink for $8.99. The second special was a 1/2 sandwich
(ham, beef or turkey), a cup of soup, chips, and a 22-ounce drink for
$8.49.
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| The dining room at Johnny C's |
The
rest of the menu included a variety of cold and hot sandwiches along with
spaghetti, garlic toast, soup, several types of salads, an option to "build your
own sandwich," and yummy desserts like freshly baked Otis Spunkmeyer
cookies and the "cake of the day."
Cost
wise, most of the sandwiches, pasta dishes and salads ranged in price from
$5.99 - $7.99. The sandwiches were served with chips, and the pasta came
with salad plus bread and butter. I thought the Italian steak and chicken
cordon bleu sandwiches sounded yummy, but in the end, I ordered a Swiss beef
sandwich which included roast beef, Swiss cheese and barbeque sauce.
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| The Swiss Beef Sandwich |
I
then found a table in the dining area and waited for my order, which didn't
take long either. While I was sitting there, I noticed that the walls were
covered with old family photos. They were kind of interesting and gave an
otherwise typical-looking restaurant a more unique and inviting
vibe.
Once
the lunch rush died down a little, Johnny also came out from behind the counter
to speak to his patrons, stopping by each table to say hi and check in with the
customers. It was a nice personal touch.
 |
| Johnny C. checking on customers |
Overall,
I found my eating experience at Johnny C's to be quite enjoyable, and if I
worked in the vacinity of I-435 and Front St., I would eat there often. It is
such a better lunch choice than the fast food places around it, like McDonald's
and Taco Bell, and if you're in a hurry, you can call in your order ahead of
time, and they will have it ready for you when you get there.
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| Johnny C's marinade and salad dressing |
Keep
in mind that both Johnny C's Deli & Pasta locations have limited hours and only serve lunch
items, but they do offer catering services, including box lunches, deli trays
and sandwich trays. They also sell bottles of their own salad dressing and marinade.
So, if you're ever in the area, give Johnny C's Deli and Pasta a try. It's not fancy, but Johnny will make sure you leave full and happy.
Johnny C's Deli and Pasta
7012
Universal
Kansas
City, MO
(816)
483-3354
Open
Mon - Fri
9:00
a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
1113
North 5th
Kansas
City, KS
(913)
281-3663
Open
Mon - Fri
9:00
a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
