PEC Challenge: Johnny's Pork Roll

Before we get into this one, here's an awesome video chronicling Johnny's Pork Roll, food truck culture and why pork roll means so much to us in New Jersey.  I have to admit this video was one of my inspirations when creating this blog.  

You can't fake that kind of passion, and you can tell when visiting his first storefront location that Johnny knows a ton about how to properly present pork roll.  There are several different pork roll sandwiches on the menu (yes, I will try them all of course) but I had to start with the OG.  

First of all, very simply you will get pork roll on a hard roll here, no substituting bacon or choosing a bagel instead.  They will, however, serve you without the bread for all you keto guidos out there.  In an incredibly rare and underrated move in the PEC game, Johnny's uses white American cheese instead of yellow.  Every slice of pork roll is freshly cut to order and the hard rolls are brought in fresh from Nino's Bakery in Long Branch.  They also give you TWO LAYERS of pork roll on top and beneath the egg and cheese.  Stunning. 

As you might have guessed I loved this place. Everyone should go check it out because it is a local treasure.     

Bread Rating: 8.2/10 (The hard roll is honestly the best way to eat a PEC.)

Pork Roll Rating: 9.3/10 (Top AND bottom layer Pork Roll, academic)

Egg Rating: 9.3/10 (Just look at the egg in that picture, come on)

Cheese Rating: 9.1/10 (White American cheese is underutilized, very glad they use it here.)

Composition: 9.2/10 (When you can nestle an egg in between pork roll you win)

Overall Score: 9.02/10 (Couldn't give a round 9, that would be rookie)

Price: $7, cards accepted and you can order online to pick up. 


Johnny's Pork Roll is located at 8A Monmouth St. Red Bank, NJ 07701.

Johnny's trucks can also be found outside Starland Ballroom after shows, at the Red Bank Famer's market on Sundays and in the 7th Ave & Boardwalk parking lot in Asbury during the summer.