Johnston’s Saltbox

The place looks nice from the outside and inside, what’s different is like you are going to McDonald’s. You wait in line place your order then seat yourself and take a number to get your food. We tried their signature Fried Chicken Sandwich and I’d say the chicken is on the dry side. Portion is huge though, if it wasn’t so dry it would be decent. Service is not mad, we had a friend show up late and fortunately the waiter took her order and not have her wait in the long line with a herd of people.

This is sort of like a soup nazi place. You play by the owner’s rules and you are fine. You complain about the lack of a reservation policy and that is not going to work so well.
So this is what my wife and I do. For us their weekday lunch works best. We slip in every six weeks or so, just as the crowds thin. We go up to the counter, put in our order — typically but not always for their seasonal salad topped with fried chicken, and are always delighted. The food is fresh and tasty, the service is prompt and friendly, and the vibe is nice.
They have gotten their groove on and are at last a welcome addition to the hood.

This place is a little pricey but so worth it. Service was great and the brunch was awesome. My son said that his quesadilla was the best he ever had. The outdoor patio and architecture is beautiful. Homemade lemonade, bloody Mary with bacon.

So today at lunch, we are a party of three at 1pm — one person in our party who has an injured knee asks us to place her order while she grabs a table — so two of us remain in line… waiting to place our order,
Tall guy in blue shirts is going thru the line asking «how many in your party?» — we say 3 — he sees two of us as we glance at our seated friend — he very rudely says «our policy is to place the order first and then be seated».
Seriously?
Well our policy is to not stand in line like cattle — so we will be spending our money eating at a place where we are not treated like cattle and it won’t be here. So I hope you shut your trap, Mr Table Nazi, about your ridiculous policy. This is no way to talk to paying customers.
About the food on this visit — meh. We spent over $ 75 for lunch and they ran out of the butternut squash soup with Verne fraiche but could not be bothered to update the list. Substitution was a sorry excuse of a soup with watery tomatoes pieces of soggy kale and a whole lotta bland — don’t waste your $$$.
The ugly way we were treated definitely left an ugly taste in our experience.
Please don’t encourage this type of abuse. We deserve better.

We came here twice. The first time we thought it was delicious. My husband enjoyed his chicken very much. I ordered the salad but with steak instead of the shrimp. The steak was a bit raw (not medium rare, raw) but the salad itself was delicious with the goat cheese melting from the lukewarm steak.
The second time was a bit of a disappointment. We had to wait quite a while for a table. It wasn’t too bad. We had an appetizer and drinks in the outdoor patio. Once seated I decided to order the salad again but this time as it was on the menu with the shrimp. My husband order chicken again I believe but it was a different dish. He liked his food OK. I didn’t. I was expecting grilled shrimp, instead the salad came with cold bay shrimp that probably came from a can. It was really unappetizing. The rest of the salad didn’t taste very good either.
We haven’t felt the need to go there again. It is just not worth having a disappointing meal after waiting for 40 – 50 min for a table.

Wonderful brunch experience here. This place seems to be the new brunch spot in town. I came here on a Saturday around noon, and the place was packed. My friend and I waited around 20 minutes before being seated, which wasn’t bad considering the huge crowd.
This restaurant has a very bougie and hip ambiance. Everything is well decorated and super instagrammable. You can tell the restaurant definitely put a lot of thought and effort into every aspect of the brunch experience and even paid attention to the small details (like pretty wall decorations). The only thing is that the wait could’ve potentially been longer due to everyone instagramming their food.
Also, I saw that they had an outdoor seating area that looked nice too. But it was too cold when I went to actually utilize the nice outdoor area.
Service was nice and the waitress was patient with all of our questions.
We ended up ordering the bacon hash and smoked trout tartine and the scones. Everything was delicious. I’d particularly recommend the bacon hash. It comes with two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It tastes delicious when you mix the egg yolk and sauce with the potatoes. Also, the bacon in the dish are actual chunks of bacon. Good portion sizes, although a little pricey.
Overall, I liked the brunch experience. I would love to come back and sit outside next time on a nicer day!

They will seat you after your entire party has arrived.
Our server was very attentive, our water was refilled quickly until after we paid and sat for 15 minutes to wrap up our conversation (the restaurant was not busy by then).
Ordered the breakfast sandwich (fried farm egg, house made chorizo, ham, bacon, jack cheese, red chili sauce, pickled red onion, cilantro, arugula, simple salad) and subbed out the chorizo, asking if they could make the sandwich vegetarian. They added mushrooms and a fried egg, perfect!
Sandwich was delicious, bread was perfectly toasted and buttery. Egg was nicely fried (over hard with a touch of yolk), sauteed mushrooms delicious! With the side salad which «cut» the oiliness, it was a nice compliment.
Will definitely be returning!

When you see the owner of the establishment verbally scold his staff in front of a Bar full of paying customers, does the food really matter? The bartender held back tears after the verbal assault, while those of who saw this incident were made to feel extremely uncomfortable.
Keep your dirty laundry to the privacy of your back room and keep your mediocre $ 16 burger.
There were so many wannabe hipster, posers here for weekend dining, it was laughable.
The ONLY reason this place stays alive is that there is NOTHING GOOD on South Laurel.

Not sure what else needs to be said about this place that hasn’t already. Get there early if you’re going for brunch, make sure your entire party is there, and be ready to wait. Get the scones — doesn’t matter the flavor, they are delicious. Food is interesting, solid and is always a different set of dishes depending on the season. Love it!
Pro tip — they have coffee in the back for those that are waiting. Make sure to grab a cup! You can also bring dogs if you sit out in the patio and they have blankets for when it’s chilly.

[This review is for the brunch.]
Johnston’s Saltbox was quite the NorCal surprise — with great, fresh ingredients and a nice setting — it’s a great little brunch spot (and note — that they do not take RSVPs).
The décor is nice with a great vibe. They have a fun outdoor patio area — really simple but elegant and love the blankets that they have for guests ready outside.
Food-​wise, they have a (seemingly) monthly changing menu that included a variety of New American style dishes. We got the bacon hash, scones, and autumn french toast. The scones weren’t too bad although they had a very sweet taste to begin with — the included apple sauce does come in handy to come as an interesting cleanser of sorts. The french toast was very solid — the whip cream had a brilliant caramel flavor to it and wasn’t too thin and the french toast itself had a nice fluffy texture (although the sauce was very sweet). The bacon hash was the best thing for sure — the bacon was thick and juicy while the rest of the dish came out with a bunch of different flavor profiles that mostly worked together (just wish it was a bit warmer). Price-​wise, our meal for four ended up around $ 60+.
Service was super friendly and easy to talk to. If you need to wait, there’s a nice little area near the private parking lot in the back where you can get some complimentary water with a nice place to stand around.
As noted above, no RSVPs so make sure to give yourself enough time to wait or come early (we were one of the first to wait on a Saturday morning around 9:45AM and didn’t see the restaurant get too busy until about 11:00AM.
Love the atmosphere; love the taste; and love the kind service. Definitely worth a stop if you’re around the area.

I came here a long time ago when they first opened up. That first time I got their burger and a beer to go with it. It was nothing memorable but I do remember it was busy and a bit pricey. I didn’t return until very recently.
I had brunch here this past weekend with my parents. The wait usually can be very long — we waited maybe 20 – 30 minutes, but we weren’t in a hurry anyway. It’s worth the wait anyway. We had three people, plus a dog so we had to wait for an outdoor table. Some tables aren’t supposed to be put together to seat three (?) so we had to wait for a specific table that could. We’re flexible and patient so we waited til one opened.
I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, which was huge and yummy. So huge that stuff kept falling out onto my plate. The fries were wonderful as well. There are plenty of choices on the menu, so it was quite hard to choose! Portions were a’plenty for my parents’ orders too. Okay, I’m hungry now…
The environment is so hip and cute. Very modern. Indoor and outdoor seating. Bar seating as well. The space is kinda small so they can only take parties of 6 or less. Prices are definitely $ 10+, usually around $ 15 for an order — not for my wallet but it’s a good treat every once in awhile.

Two of my girlfriends and I stopped by Johnston’s Saltbox on a Friday evening to celebrate a birthday. It’s a tiny, but cute restaurant. Reservations are not available so be sure to arrive early. They also do not recommend parties larger than 6, so come in small groups. Parking can also be hard to find.
Why should you come here?
Ambiance. They dim the lights and light a candle at your table. It’s perfect for you and a date. Very cozy. For us ladies, we just dig things kinds of things.
How’s the food?
My party of 3 ordered wine, ginger lemonade, the aged gouda cheese plate, the pumpkin tartine, and ribeye burgers. I highly recommend the burger. I asked for medium rare and it was cooked perfectly — absolutely delicious. The aged gouda cheese plate was also a nice appetizer to share with friends. I personally felt that the tartine was forgettable. It was good, but I was not blown away. Same goes for the ginger lemonade. The ginger was barely there and overall just tasted like normal lemonade.
Would I recommend this place?
Yes, this place is great for anyone who is seeking a good ambiance for dinner. The ribeye burger was actually one of the cheaper entrees (about $ 14). There were other options that range $ 18-​$ 26. Prices are not cheap so I would reserve it for special occasions if you’re not looking to splurge.

Came here on a whim for brunch Saturday afternoon, and it was love at first site. They have two open seating areas – the back porch covered by a tangle of beautiful secret garden vines and has benches laid out with striped blankets and Sherpa rugs – and the inside is small but thoughtfully decorated; aka my dream brunch spot.
We were seated right after healing ourselves to complementary coffee. To start, I ordered the pear Bellini and my boyfriend had the shandy which were both delicious. Our waiter was super friendly, and the food came out fairly quickly. I had the mushroom tartine and he had the bacon and eggs plate – basically an eggs Benedict– and both were delicious! I would say I did enjoy mine more, so definitely get that ;)
Because we couldn’t resist, we also ordered the daily scones and Jam to-​go. Not gonna lie, I ate them in the car.
Bottom line – loved this place! Can’t wait to come back for dinner!

came here for lunch with the team on friday, and this place was jammin’! luckily the food is served fast and people dont typically linger, so we got a nice table out on the front patio which was nice. there’s also an outside patio in the back with lots of communal seating that’s sunny and fun.
we got a selection of things — soup of the day (pumpkin), the fried chicken sandwich with fries, mushroom tartine, and harvest salad with fried chicken supplement ($ 5, or $ 6 for shrimp). i kinda wish i had opted for the shrimp, because the salad had a healllthhhyy portion of bacon, and the fried chicken was a bit much for lunchtime nomsies. my colleagues enjoyed everything else, but they knew what they wanted since theyve been before.
overall though i really liked this place. i totally would get a glass of wine and really enjoy the patio and sunshine. service was friendly, other than the fact that they brought us two glasses with lipstick on the edge. so maybe a new dishwasher is in order?

As a San Carlos native I can remember when this building was a hardware store and it’s great to see it reborn as a wonderful restaurant.
I had just flown into town on a 15 hour international flight and wanted to have dinner with my Mom and sister. We chose the Saltbox and loved our meal.
Everything here is done with great attention to detail from the décor, to the service to the menu.
I had the ribeye burger with fries. The burger was cooked perfectly and the fries were crispy and delicious. I washed it all down with a couple of Big Daddy IPAs from Speakeasy.
You can be sure that the next time I’m back in San Carlos I’ll be eating at Johnston’s Saltbox!

I love coming to Johnston’s Saltbox for brunch because they don’t open until 10am on the weekends so there’s no fighting the early bird breakfast crowds for a table.
The space is gorgeous whether you sit inside, at the bar, or on their rad patio, and while I haven’t seen it in person, I’ve heard you can ask to go up and see their rooftop garden where they grow all their herbs and seasonal ingredients.
I love that they don’t cram you in to tables, there’s plenty of space and the whole layout is super open, unlike most breakfast/​brunch spots. They don’t allow groups larger that 6, which is a great idea when you’ve got a small space but still want your diners to feel connected the experience they’re having. Also, their menu items are like plated works of art and I think when you’re tasked with making 6 or more plates like that all be ready and perfect at the same time that there’s just no way for it to not take away from the quality.
I like the ever-​changing menu. They usually have several vegetarian options and the baked item of the day is a always a win. Really loved the strawberry lemonade scones they had this past weekend.
The portions are great, the only thing I’d like to see change is the salad that seems to accompany most, if not every, item on the menu. I never want a salad for brunch. Ever. And if I did I’d order one of the salads they always have on the menu. Personally, I’d rather they use the space on the plate that they use for the salad (which is very good, but who wants a salad with eggs?) for a more breakfast-​y side, like their potatoes, which are rad.
Staff are lovely, food is unique, they do a hell of a mimosa and are generous with the coffee. You’ve got no reason not to go.

3.5 STARS
I once had a fantasy of being a rich, housewife complete with injected DSLs and big ol’ fake boobies. I had zero responsibilities other than planning out my day: where to lunch and where to max out my hubbies’ black card. In between, I would oogle Channing Tatum, our pool boy.
It was nothing but a ridiculous thirty second fantasy because that lifestyle would get bored real quick. Besides, I wouldn’t want to be married to a work-​a-​holic hubbie who’s banging his barely legal secretary with natural DSLs and natural big ol’ boobies. Dayam you, Lifetime movies.
On random weekdays I take off, I like to leave my 7×7 confines and explore the Peninsula with my furry sidekick in tote. Johnson’s Salt Box was next on my list…
There’s no reservations so come early. I thought coming after the lunch rush at 1:15 pm that we would be fine. Nope, it was pretty crowded with lots of housewives (it was like walking into a scene from RHOC) and there’s no waiter service at lunch. You order at the bar, take a number, and your food will be delivered to you.
In the interim, good luck with finding seating. The housewives who lunch like to linger and chat. While it’s first come, first serve, when people are standing around waiting for a table, please have enough common decency to take that last sip of bubbly and move that convo to the curb. We waited well over 20 minutes for a table outside who had long been done with their meal but wouldn’t leave. We talked to one of the staff and they pulled some chairs from the dining area inside so we can sit at the window sill area.
Their New American menu is limited with less than 10 items. For lunch there was a daily soup, two salads, three sammies, tartine, and an entrée. This is a $$$ restaurant, not a $$ as it’s indicated on Unilocal.One salad, one entrée, one glass of wine, and one soda was $ 60.
I had the Harvest Salad w/​fried chicken: lettuce, bacon, pickled celery, hazelnut, apple, trevisio, pickled mustard seed dressing ($ 18):
. The salad was solid with a good balance of flavors and textures but it wasn’t earth-​shattering (I don’t think a salad could ever be?). The ingredients were fresh and top-​notch, and the lettuce was nicely dressed without having a pool of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. The standout was the fried chicken tenders. They were well-​seasoned, tender, and deliciously crunchy.
My dining companion ordered the Steak & Egg w/​flank steak, sunny side up egg, croûton, heirloom tomato, roasted pepper, arugula, red onion, chimichurri ($ 18):
. I had a bite of the steak and it was ok. It was bland and a bit chewy. The steak lacked a good char from the grill. I saw my dining companion cut into the egg and no money shot. *thumbs down* Overcooking eggs is sad as not being able to c… never mind. If you have such a small menu, e-​v-​e-​r-​y-​t-​h-​i-​n-​g should be solid IMO.
Despite it being busy, our food orders arrived timely and the food runners brought us water upon request.
Loved the ambiance of Johnson’s Salt Box. It’s urban design is chic and airy. The outdoor seating even has blankets for those chilly nights. Since there’s no reservations, I wouldn’t come with a group larger than four.
Johnson’s Salt Box has their own private lot but it’s small with only 5 – 6 spaces. We were easily able to find free street parking.
While the food was good (not great) and the ambiance is as cute as a button, I’m doubtful I would return because of the no reservations policy. If I’m paying $ 60 for lunch for two, the last thing I want to do is stress over where to sit because of some people’s lack of common decency.

Such a great little spot. Came here with some coworkers; not the best place of you want to casually meet people up or gather and have a standing invitation since they do not allow you to be seated until your whole party is available… Which can be annoying. They do have tables outside designated as community tables which I am assuming works like an open bar which they also have but it started raining that day so we had to migrate inside and wait for everyone before getting seated.
The people there are all very nice and strangely either they work for a modeling agency or the management is keen on their ambiance but every waiter and waitress were all very easy on the eyes and quite gorgeous. Made me rethink ordering my usual obesity inducing meal portions.
Great selection of wine and beer on tap though it looks like they have a small capacity for tap, just around four or so at a time.
I got their burger and the kids menu fried chicken which were both incredibly tasty. The burger is comparable to Burgers and Brew which is the ultimate comparison for me. Bun was nice and toasted to a nice crisp crunch and the patty was no run of the mill Costco patty and was hand made with perfect fast content to be juicy. Fries are super good too, I had a great time here and it filled up fast for dinner.
Will be back soon!

The knock first. The menu is a little limited. Went for brunch and we were somewhat surprised there wasn’t a standard omelet or bacon and eggs option. If that would be a hangup for you, there’s your warning. Check ahead and make sure there is something you would like to order.
Next, the best part. It’s beautifully situated on a corner and provides lots of outdoor seating both in front of and behind the restaurant. We sat inside, but would definitely be interested in sitting outside next time. Seemed like a great setup.
This place is definitely solid – with creative options that embrace lots of different food items. I ordered the french toast and was well pleased. The Crème on top was delicious and the caramel syrup was a perfect compliment for the sweet cheese filling. I would highly recommend this combo served with crisp cinnamon apples.
Wife had tomato tartine, which she also enjoyed, and she was particularly pleased with the OJ. Everyone in our party seemed pleased with their order and the service was great. Glasses were never empty and everyone was very friendly.
Restaurants are supposed to give you good food and atmosphere. Both boxes checked here.

This little tiny restaurant is a big hit in my books! Although they can’t accommodate parties more than 6 people, I love the quaint and intimate setting.
Upon arrival, you will be pleasantly surprised to see they have small parking lot of their own — in this area of San Carlos, it’s so hard to find parking! There’s a patio area outside and you can order drinks from the window while waiting to be seated.
But we decided to sit inside. There’s a big beautiful bar that is the focal point of the restaurant. The décor is clean and simple. There’s tons of natural lights and on a nice day, the front windows are opened, making the restaurant flow right into the front patio.
The food is simple, fresh, and flavorful.
For appetizers, we got the almonds and green bean fritters. The almonds are lightly seasoned and very light. The green bean fritters were hot and fresh, made to order — none of that frozen crap. It was very flavorful yet still light. It sits on top of a small arugala salad which is a great contrast with the fritter.
My husband got the rooftop pesto and added fried chicken. I was thoroughly impressed that herb used in the pesto was grown right on the cool rooftop garden. There was a generous portion of pasta! The chicken was very tasty and crunchy yet at no point did we ever feel like it was greasy — fried to perfection!
I got the braised short ribs. It was tender and well seasoned — melting with each bite! It was topped with a refreshing plum relish. The faro was very light and complimented the dish well.
The restaurant is also well staffed. The servers were very attentive and friendly. The manager (Alexis) even came out to greet us and see if we needed anything.
Overall, this was a nice dinner experience on a Wednesday night. I look forward to coming here for brunch soon.