Patronizing a family-owned-and-operated business simply feels good. Owned and managed by a husband-and-wife team, Johnny’s Pizza & Pub on 56th Street in Ocean City is a family-fun restaurant offering gourmet pizza and Ocean City’s best wings and coldest beer.
    Husband and wife, Johnny and Pam, work alongside their son, Hunter, and daughter, Katie. “We’re extremely proud of our class-act staff this year,” said Johnny. “Our customers continuously compliment our young staff for their positive attitudes and exceptional work ethic.” Johnny’s Pizza is enjoying its highest volume of customers ever this summer, and Johnny credits his outstanding staff for the steady clientele.
    The restaurant offers plenty of bells and whistles, too, including a state-of-the-art sound system with Electro-Voice® speakers. Johnny is excited to install a new entertainment system this week, featuring the Orange Door Experience®, which is an authorized, high definition, computerized music video system. “We’ll continue to broadcast surf movies and sports events, and we’ll also play official music video to accompany our stellar sound system,” explained Johnny.
    Flowing through glycol draft lines, an array of ice-cold beers is on tap, including at least three seasonal taps from local breweries, such as Evolution. A full service bar, Johnny’s Pizza & Pub offers premium house wines at affordable prices, locally famous sangria, and countless microbrews. I enjoyed dinner and happy hour with my good friend, Regina, this week. She sampled Anchor Brewing’s California Lager while I sipped on a pint of Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. Also on tap are domestic brews, such as Bud Light, Miller Light, and Yuengling.
    Regina and I were delighted to see my longtime friend, Matt, bartending at Johnny’s Pizza. We perused the jumbo, deep-fried Buffalo Wings menu and agreed to share 10 pieces of the Old Bay flavor. Johnny’s Pizza has been the recipient of the “Best of Ocean City – Best Wings” award for two years. Flavors include classics like Honey BBQ, plus unique bastes like Cajun Teriyaki, Thai Peanut, and Glazed Jamaican Jerk & Honey. The top-selling Garlic Parmesan Wings are smothered in butter. All wing flavors are available in orders of 10 or 20, bone-in or boneless.
    Johnny’s specialty Gourmet Pizzas are like no other pies that I’ve ever seen. Johnny’s Special signature pizza is cheese, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Per Matt’s recommendation, we ordered the Neptune’s Seafood Feast Pizza, which is a lip-licking concoction of garlic butter, shrimp, Old Bay seasoning, white onions, Maryland blue crab meat, mozzarella, Wisconsin white cheddar cheese, and Italian parsley. This pizza is baked at 500 degrees until golden brown.
    Other popular gourmet pizzas are the Mediterranean Chicken Pizza, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza, Maryland Blue Crab Pizza, Shrimp Scampi Pizza, and Hawaiian Pizza. The Buffalo Chicken Pizza features spicy buffalo sauce, all-white chicken breast cuts, mozzarella & cheddar cheeses, carrots, and ranch dressing. Try the Thai Chicken Pizza for spicy peanut & sesame ginger sauce, grilled all-white chicken breast cuts, mozzarella & cheddar cheeses, green onions, carrots, and roasted salty peanuts.
    A self-proclaimed veggie lover, I recommend the Barefoot Britney—mushrooms, sweet white onions, green peppers, green olives, black olives, and diced tomatoes. I also love the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza—smoky honey BBQ sauce, all-white chicken breast cuts, Dole golden Maui pineapple chunks, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and red onions. Comprised of buttery crust, extra cheese, and whipped eggs, the Breakfast Pizza is a must try for dinner or late night. White Pizza, Meat Lovers, Aloha Pizza, and The Works are just a few more Gourmet Pizza options. Or, you can choose from a variety of toppings and build your own pie. Pizzas are prepared in 10-inch, 12-inch, or 14-inch sizes.
    In addition to pizza, Johnny’s also features calzones, subs, and pub food. Spring Rolls and hand breaded Coconut Shrimp with homemade coconut marmalade are new on the menu this year. Try the Hot Pastrami with Swiss or the Irish Triple Dog while you cheer on your favorite NFL team. Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and The Great Bacon Burger are other suggestions.
    “Our healthy, big salad bowls are our best-kept secret,” revealed Johnny. The Chop Chop Yum Yum Draft House Salad is grilled chopped chicken, chopped bacon, three-cheese blend, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Try the Tropical Salad with crisp mixed greens, mandarin oranges, shaved coconut, and Dole pineapple. The Fresh Cut Greek Salad consists of feta cheese, sliced tomato, cucumber, black olives, and red onion. Chef Salad, Garden Salad, Caesar Salad, and Buffalo Chicken Salad round out the Salads selections.
    Johnny’s Pizza delivers to all of Ocean City. Simply call 410-723-5600 to place your order. Locals and vacationers love “pre-gaming” at Johnny’s Pizza for affordable food and drinks before they go nightclub hopping, and “post-gaming” at the restaurant for late night munchies until 4 AM. On weekends, live bands keep the crowd dancing until last call. Flanked with surfing, NASCAR, baseball, football, and other sports memorabilia, Johnny’s Pizza Pub is open year round. The owners are actively involved in several charities, fundraisers, and community events. For more information, visit www.johnnyspizzapub.com .