The folks who resurrected Crazy Johnnie’s about two years back have added another restaurant to their collection. I was so intrigued by the gamble they made in bringing back a 1990s phenomenon. Since the phenomenon was based on prices that are simply impossible in the post-COVID world of 2026, I waited with bated breath to see how this gamble on nostalgia would work for them.
Apparently very well, it seems, because they have added another location of the steakhouse and have recently opened a BBQ place under the Crazy Johnnie’s banner. The last two are in Harahan.
Crazy Johnnie’s Backyard is located in the Harahan strip mall across from the Coca-Cola plant on Citrus. It is kitschy, as a barbecue joint should be.
The day I went, they didn’t have brisket, so I had to order pork and burnt ends rather than my usual, and I got two sides as well. Gals that work there look and act the part. A case could be made that It’s a modern-day saloon. It's a unique vibe, at least in my experience, but I like it.
A guy came to the bar for a beer while I was ordering, and he seemed to be a regular. The bartender was welcoming and friendly, and they talked about the menu that day as old friends. She had that same rapport with me. It was kind of charming.
They hadn’t been open long when I showed up, so they were still working on a menu, tweaking various items. Without brisket, I had to rethink my BBQ program. I got the burnt ends and pulled pork, and for sides I had collard greens and cowboy beans.
The burnt ends were the least good of this menu item in my experience. That’s not to say they were bad, because burnt ends are always worthwhile. But these were oddly cut, a little fatty (the pull-off-and-throw -away kind, not the good melt-in-your-mouth kind), and not nearly tender enough.
Burnt ends should be really tender, having been smoked long enough for the sauce to become a crust, and they should be moist, as much as long-cooked meat can be. These had none of those qualities, but they were fine otherwise.
The pork was equally dry and uninteresting. It’s too bad that I wasn’t hungrier. There were lots of things on this menu, like boudin balls and smoked wings and cornbread that I may go back to try.
While I was underwhelmed by the meats, I did really like the sides. I have said this more than a few times, but barbecue sides are at least as important to me as the meats. I love vegetables, particularly barbecue sides, so these are a big part of any order at a barbecue place. Collard greens are something I never eat usually, because I’m not good at cooking them.
These collards were definitely not much visually, but they tasted good. A bit on the salty side, which is typical for barbecue, I liked these enough to get them again.
And I loved the beans. This side is widely varied from place to place. Sometimes they have a great thing, then after constantly tweaking them, they’re not so good. I hate when that happens because I love baked beans. The baked beans here are very good, and I hope they stay that way.
The new iteration of Crazy Johnnie's is a perfectly fine barbecue place, with a lot of events and live music. The food is certainly good enough to keep you from traveling for fancier barbecue, especially if fun things are happening here the evening you are craving barbecue. They definitely need to up their game in getting the word out, because the folks nearby will miss out on the fun.