Saw in the Mustang paper today that Yukon will being getting a Johnnies. Looks to be in front of the movie theater and they are already doing dirt work.

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That joint is going to get slammed. I can't read the article so I will ask, is it the newer Johnnies Express style?

That joint is going to get slammed. I can't read the article so I will ask, is it the newer Johnnies Express style?

You can click on each image and they expand, they are just thumbnails. But no doesn't say anything about it being an express.

It helped. Thank you. Between pollen and glaucoma my vision is poor right now. I hope it's an Express model. Better lighting and faster service. I just talked myself in to a craving.

Pei Wei is coming to that area as well...

Pei Wei is coming to that area as well...

where is a pei Wei going to go?

There is some dirt work next to Cain's, maybe it is going there?...just a guess.

When I used to visit OKC in the mid-90's, some friends would take me to Johnnies and I never really warmed up to it. When I moved here in the late 90's, I tried it several times over the years, wanting to like it, but I always thought their BBQ sauce tasted like something I would use to clean the transmission in my car. Fast-forward to about five years ago and I decided to try it out yet once again and literally one bite in, I was HOOKED!!! The simple burger with a ton of Johnnie's sauce and shredded cheese is Nirvana on a bun!! I don't go there very often because they rival Del Rancho in the cost-to-volume of food ratio. Still, good stuff.

I tried Pei Wei once, because so many people I know love it, and I thought it was worse than the Chinese food I made from a seasoning envelope I bought at Safeway. :(

There is some dirt work next to Cain's, maybe it is going there?...just a guess.

If I remember right the 2 lots next to Cains is going to be a Popeye's and a Verizon store.

there are two buildings being framed in front of gold's. one is johnnie's, what is the other one?

there are two buildings being framed in front of gold's. one is johnnie's, what is the other one?

Pei Wei

Johnnie's sign is up. it will include a drive thru but it doesn't look like an express. also says it'll be open in September. it appears 90% done

Johnnie's sign is up. it will include a drive thru but it doesn't look like an express. also says it'll be open in September. it appears 90% done

Opened for business yesterday, October 11th.

Opened for business yesterday, October 11th.

Not to sound too nit-picky or anything but..... Yesterday was the 12th... ;)

Been one of those weeks. It was the 11th (Tuesday).

The Johnnies in Yukon closed on Dec. 31st.

From their FB Page:


We are looking forward to announcing a new concept coming soon to this location brought to you by the Johnnie's family.

This place was almost always an afterthought for use when going to lunch, and when we did go it was never remotely busy. Disappointing because I do like Johnnie's.

I’d love a Tuckers in Yukon. Although Hynson’s is a great onion burger too!

After saying they would be opening a new concept in this location, their FB page now says permanently closed.

It seems they can't successfully operate any restaurant other than a basic Johnnie's. They spent a ton of money at this location, the 2 Wests (Bricktown and N. Western) and Urban Johnnie's; all permanently shuttered.

Dam! I'm going to have be certain to eat there next time in town before they're all closed. So unfortunate.

After saying they would be opening a new concept in this location, their FB page now says permanently closed.

It seems they can't successfully operate any restaurant other than a basic Johnnie's. They spent a ton of money at this location, the 2 Wests (Bricktown and N. Western) and Urban Johnnie's; all permanently shuttered.

Their location in Midwest City also did not last long and is now a Billy Sims BBQ restaurant.

Their location in Midwest City also did not last long and is now a Billy Sims BBQ restaurant.

it is the first location of "Billy Burger" (from billy sims)

Press release:

*****************

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/johnnnies042822a.jpg

Cashing in on that Yukon chicken craze I see.

Interesting... so it's going to be a Johnnie's spin on a Babe's Chicken Dinner House, from the sound of it. I'd give it a try.

Interesting... so it's going to be a Johnnie's spin on a Babe's Chicken Dinner House, from the sound of it. I'd give it a try.

My exact same thought.

Has anyone tried this yet? I saw they had their soft opening

I should go out, I've never been to a Johnnies at all. Only urban johnnies.

It’s now called Pauline’s. Johnies new concept.

Drove by Paulines on Sunday and they were not open yet.

You can see their menu with prices and other info here:

https://paulineschicken.com

Is Pauline Bob Evans wife?

Looks like Bob Evans food

Not much of a menu. This place tended to be an afterthought when it was a burger place for me, and now I have little interest in this new concept. Hopefully for their sake they have success this time around.

Not much of a menu. This place tended to be an afterthought when it was a burger place for me, and now I have little interest in this new concept. Hopefully for their sake they have success this time around.

It's actually an expansive menu for the concept that it is..... Babe's Chicken Dinner Shack, which is what Pauline's is modeled from, doesn't offer any extra sides or gluten free/vegan options

Wonder if the 3rd time for this concept in the metro will be a charm..... Barry Switzer tried it in Norman originally and there was Red's in Edmond for a couple of years but neither place was able to stick.

I will definitely try this out, but in my experience, the Johnnie's folks don't fare too well when they get too far afield from theta burgers and onion rings. I did like Charlie Newton's, though.

They are now open for limited hours.

Looks like 4 PM to 10 PM which will be expanded at a later date.

Chicken was cooked perfectly but the seasoning...not good. Sides are cheap. Tasted like boxed mashed potatoes and frozen green beans. Biscuits and apple butter were the best thing I ate.

Drove by there around 6:30 tonight and it looked like it was closed. Zero cars in the parking lot.

Drove by there around 6:30 tonight and it looked like it was closed. Zero cars in the parking lot.

according to google they are closed on Mondays.

Went and tried it last night.... Not going to say it was bad but it definitely wasn't to my liking.

The biscuits appeared to be baked like a cake and had an almost cornbread texture without the cornmeal. Apparently I wasn't the only one that noticed this because the couple a few booths away from me asked if the biscuits had cornmeal in them. The waiter went to the kitchen and asked and came back and told them no.

The mashed potatoes had some lumps in them so I don't think they were instant but they tasted like boiled yellow squash to me.

The okra was just foodservice okra that could have been cooked a bit longer.

And now for the chicken... The style of the crust kind of reminded me of my moms cast iron skillet fried chicken but that's where the similarities ended.... The seasoning of the chicken, for lack of a better word, is quite pungent. I have a pretty good palate and I can't even describe the flavor well..... It was almost like a cross of Taco and Nacho Cheese flavor Doritos without the cheese flavor.... It totally overwhelmed everything.

They were pretty slow compared to the other restaurants around them at 7:30 on a Sunday. I really don't see them lasting very long. It's just too different to appeal to most peoples tastes in my opinion. It was definitely not like any southern cooking I've ever experienced.

Went a couple months ago. It's just okay as far as we were concerned. My hairdresser loved it. To each their own.

Went a couple months ago. It's just okay as far as we were concerned. My hairdresser loved it. To each their own.

Yeah... It's just so different it's hard to describe.... I can usually pick a recipe apart by taste. When we went to Dining in the Dark in Las Vegas our waitress was amazed at how well I was able to pick things out without being able to see what I was eating. I could not tell you one flavor I could recognize in that chicken.

Besides a basic Johnnies, they have tried many other concepts and none of them have lasted very long.

I'm sure they have a big investment in that building and are thus trying to find something that works there.

I'm a huge fan of Babes, and my family visited Paulines, and it was good - not Babes by a long shot, but OK. If Johnnie's is truly trying to emulate Babes, perhaps their management needs to take a field trip down there and actually *eat* at one.

I go to Babes almost any time I head to Dallas, and last weekend my son and I had smoked and fried chicken, and it was **soo** good - and my son remarked at one point, "You know, Pauline's still isn't Babe's." After getting a fresh taste of the "real thing," we both realized the gap isn't as close as we initially thought.

Mind you, this isnt a knock on the Pauline's effort. They need to keep trying. I may be unreasonably biased, but that's a pretty high bar to reach.

I'm a huge fan of Babes, and my family visited Paulines, and it was good - not Babes by a long shot, but OK. If Johnnie's is truly trying to emulate Babes, perhaps their management needs to take a field trip down there and actually *eat* at one.

I go to Babes almost any time I head to Dallas, and last weekend my son and I had smoked and fried chicken, and it was **soo** good - and my son remarked at one point, "You know, Pauline's still isn't Babe's." After getting a fresh taste of the "real thing," we both realized the gap isn't as close as we initially thought.

Mind you, this isnt a knock on the Pauline's effort. They need to keep trying. I may be unreasonably biased, but that's a pretty high bar to reach.

They brought back johnnies burgers and onion rings a few weeks ago!

Has anyone been to Pauline's lately?

I wonder how they are doing.

I heard a radio ad the other day giving away gift cards or something to Pauline's. Not sure if that's positive, negative, or neutral. It was the first time I'd thought about them for a while.

I heard a radio ad the other day giving away gift cards or something to Pauline's. Not sure if that's positive, negative, or neutral. It was the first time I'd thought about them for a while.If it was The Animal they've given $20 credits good at Johnnies/Paulines to first time callers for a long time. The past few months "first time" has reset every month.

Has anyone been to Pauline's lately?

I wonder how they are doing.

We went there just a few weeks ago. I was disappointed that they no longer offer smoked chicken, and that was a nice bonus if you wanted to avoid fried or at least *try* to be a little calorie conscious, you're now kinda outta luck, but nothing I could do. The biscuits were better than our last visit, but it did seem the menu had shrunk some except for adding Johnnie's burgers.

From Pauline’s fb page:

An exciting time for change at Pauline’s.
We have loved serving you the past year and a half at Pauline’s Southern Kitchen. With the new year, comes an exciting new change. Our last day of business will be Sunday, January 28th. On Wednesday, January 31st, we will reopen as Johnnie’s Kitchen and Bar. Please see the press release below for more information!

——————————————————————-

After collaboration with customers, iconic Oklahoma family-owned restaurant makes major move

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla (January 24, 2024) - The family of Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler is excited to announce an addition to its iconic business lineup - Johnnie’s Kitchen & Bar. The first location will open January 31, 2024, at 1700 Shedeck Parkway in Yukon, currently the home of Pauline’s Southern Kitchen.

“We have seen remarkable growth at Pauline’s,” stated Jana Haynes, owner of Pauline’s and wife of co-founder Rick Haynes. “We have stayed true to what our flagship restaurant, Johnnie’s, is known for - delicious, fresh food with impeccable service. We are in the restaurants every single day and have conversations with our customers. They wanted us to add something special and unique. They asked, we listened, and we’re delivering.”

Johnnie’s Kitchen & Bar will feature the Johnnie’s menu that customers know and love, then taking it up a notch by adding a full bar and new menu items including delicious appetizers, comforting entrees, and hand-crafted beers. It will also have pool tables, darts, and lots of TV’s.

“This new venture would not be possible without our valued customers and the amazing Yukon and Mustang communities,” said Jana Haynes. “I’m from Yukon which has been a tremendous help. I’ve scoured the town looking for old school letter jackets and sports memorabilia. I’m excited for Oklahomans to experience the new concept. This isn’t a typical sports bar with average food. This is a place for the family to come, friends to gather, devour great food, have a drink, watch a game or just hang out and shoot pool or throw some darts.”

Haynes continued, “When Pauline’s closes Sunday night, January 28th, we will flip the restaurant, ready to serve Oklahomans come Wednesday morning at 11am. We can’t wait to welcome everyone and introduce them to Johnnie’s Kitchen & Bar in Yukon.”

^

Isn't this basically the same concept they first started with at this location?

^

Isn't this basically the same concept they first started with at this location?

It was more of the traditional Johnnie’s before. This one is taking out booths and replacing with hightop tables…..plus pool tables and darts. It’ll be more like a sports bar than the old Johnny’s. Bar food as well as the normal Johnnie’s menu.

It was more of the traditional Johnnie’s before. This one is taking out booths and replacing with hightop tables…..plus pool tables and darts. It’ll be more like a sports bar than the old Johnny’s. Bar food as well as the normal Johnnie’s menu.

It originally opened as Sports Bar at Johnnie's in 2021 and it sounds like this will be exactly the same.

Look at their old FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/johnniessportsbar/


The all new Sports Bar at Johnnie's in Yukon features a full bar, booth seating, multiple tv's and a patio! Order Johnnie's full menu plus signature appetizers and cocktails. Watch all your favorite games at your favorite local, family owned Sports Bar!

I am going to miss this place. My family really likes Pauline's. We like the biscuits and family style sides. I am really not a fan of the traditional Johnnie's menu. It is OK, but I can get a better hamburger somewhere else.

It originally opened as Sports Bar at Johnnie's in 2021 and it sounds like this will be exactly the same.

Look at their old FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/johnniessportsbar/

This was the 2nd ‘version’ they did there. The original didn’t have the bar….then they closed for a couple weeks, put in the small bar and rebranded to the sports bar. But yes, this is a very similar concept. Hopefully the pool tables, darts and TV’s in the main area will give it a true sports bar feel this time. I for one hope they make it.

I sure like the lounge on Britton. Just wish they could broaden the menu a bit. I know restaurants can get pegged with a certain type food so strongly that it is difficult to get the public to let them mix it up.

I ate here for lunch today. The inside really hasn't changed that much. And the menu is a combination of Johnnies and Paulines. Still have the burgers plus the fried chicken, meatloaf, pot roast etc. Our food was very good!