New Restaurant Eyeing Former Johnny D's Spot In Davis Square

SOMERVILLE, MA – The former Johnny D's spot in Davis Square may not be laying bare for long. The legendary music club was torn down last fall after closing in 2016, but a new restaurant is reportedly eyeing the lot. Citing a post on the Davis Square Facebook page, Boston Restaurant Talk reported Monday that an eatery currently called Waikiki is looking at the Holland Street spot.

The "fast-order food establishment" would serve sushi and poke, according to the food site. It would take over the ground floor of a mixed-use development that has not yet been built.

Johnny D's closed in March of 2016 after nearly 50 years in Davis Square. It was first a bar, then a country music hall, then the spot for local and national acts once the Red Line rolled into town and the music room ballooned into a full restaurant. The club relied less on frills and more on the quality of its talent; it was always the menu of performers, rather than dishes, that kept Johnny D's a step ahead of its competition.

Image via Google Earth Screenshot