Grub Hub: Johnny's much more than sports bar (WITH VIDEO)

STERLING – Some sports bars have mediocre food. Not Johnny’s Bar and Grill in Sterling.

Formerly M&D’s restaurant, Johnny’s is similar to many sports bars I’ve been to. Flat-screen TVs are placed throughout the restaurant. There is a place to play pool and throw darts, and tucked in the back of the building is a dance floor with a DJ booth.

But what makes this place different is the service.

[ CLICK HERE TO WATCH A PIZZA BE PREPARED. ]

Co-owners Johnny and Ilir Alimi, who are father and son, treat everyone like family. The first thing Ilir did when I met him was to give me a hug. He speaks to me as if I’ve known him for years.

To my surprise, he invites me into his kitchen. A couple of my editors have spoken so highly of Johnny’s’ pizza that I wanted to try it.

“I have nothing to hide,” Ilir, 32, said on the way back to the kitchen area. “I’ll show you how this is done.”

This is only the second time I have been invited into a restaurant’s kitchen to see how the food is prepared.

Food is cooked by Alimi and his parents, Johnny, 60 and Robbie, 57. Johnny and Ilir bought the bar and grill just over 3 years ago. It’s named after pops.

All of the dough for the pizza is tossed by hand.

I order a Mama Mia combination pizza, with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, fresh tomatoes, onions and green peppers.

It also comes with mushrooms and black olives, but I am not a fan of either topping.

Once the dough is laid out, Ilir loads the pizza with the fresh toppings.

“I grind my own cheese, and we use whole-milk mozzarella,” Ilir said. “All of my produce is fresh and cut daily, and my meat is never frozen.”

Once the pizza is ready, he puts it in a large oven.

After about 15 minutes, it is ready to eat. But before I dig into it, Ilir lays on the tomatoes.

“I put the tomatoes on afterward so they can cook while the pizza is still hot,” he said.

Not only is the pizza really good, it is filling. I’m stuffed after only two pieces.

Johnny says what separates his pizza from everyone else’s is the sauce – a recipe that’s kept under lock and key.

“If I tell you what the recipe is, I’ll have to kill you,” Johnny said with a chuckle. “You can get pepperoni and vegetables from anywhere. Our sauce is what makes our pizza great.”

But Johnny’s has more than pizza. The menu is full of favorites such as Italian beef, gyros, chicken strip baskets, taco salad, and a shrimp basket.

But the sign outside the restaurant touts Johnny’s pizza, and Ilir says it’s the best around.

If you don’t believe him, he invites you to try it for yourself.