Like everything else on Van Buren, Bill Johnson's is cheap & easy. The wait staff is kind and helpful. Very attentive as they knock their gun holsters against your table as they turn around. The food is marginal but you get a lot and it doesn't cost much. Let's just say, you could do worse on Van Buren.
We went for their dinner special. An appetizer of onion rings and fried zucchini, two dinner plates, and a dessert for $21.99. Smokin deal and the quality matched the price. I ordered a three meat combo plate. I'm not sure what happened to the other meat but there was a ton of pulled pork and a sausage that was split in half crammed on my plate flanked by a baked potato, corn on the cob, and a giant roll. It was a huge meal. The pork was dry but got better when I put the bbq sauce on it. The sausage was great and had a bit of spice to it. The potato tasted like a baked potato so no complaints there. The corn was sweet and really good. The roll was just okay - a little stale on the outside. Loved the zucchini appetizer too! As far as the apple pie that came for dessert - it is sitting in our fridge. There is no way we could eat it.
I'd like to try this place for breakfast but ultimately, I probably wouldn't go back for dinner. It was okay but just not enough attention paid to the preparation of the food. Love the sign outside though - a true Phx icon!