The last time I was here was in November 2021. It was dated and the food was tired. I returned this past weekend with my parents and boyfriend. I was very pleased with the remodel, service, and food. Natalie provided excellent service. Paolo, the new owner as of November 2025, came by our table to make sure that everything was okay. There was live jazz music during the evening. I found my new "after work" place in my neighborhood! read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is not a typical restaurant shout out. Gale Street Inn has long been a center point of our community and many life events. New owner Paolo is carrying on that legacy beautifully and building on it. But this time, he and his team soared even higher. Last Sunday, they featured a musical guest that has special meaning for us, as it's the band of a friend/relative that we lost recently. As we all navigate the grief, especially his wife, we thought it would be uplifting to attend. Even with a packed house on Father's Day, our Gale Street friends accommodated us graciously. Paulo and his team truly know how to treat his guests like family. We are so grateful for his kindness and dedication to his community. read more

It's been a few years since we've been to Gale Street and wow, such a great refresh. Let's start with the sleeper hit of our meal. The potato skins - crispy, full of flavor and so unique. We loved them and the dipping sauce. I went with the classic ribs. Still amazing and great. Fall off the bone and great taste. My wife had the cioppino which she loved. Service was friendly, fast and excellent. We definitely will not wait so long to come back. read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - Brussels Sprouts - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Host staff behaved bizarrely. We were seated at a table with a ledge, where all the wait staff were talking and clanging dishes. We order salads, less than a minute after we ordered our entrees, but everything was served together, on a 2-top that wasn't big enough. A manager came by the table and asked how everything was. I expressed my displeasure at the table being exposed to the wait staff and he replied; "You should just be happy you got a table." The worst? The food. Thoroughly disappointing because it was served cold. I'm shocked by the reviews, since this was the single worst dining experience I've ever had. read more

I knew Gale Street Inn would see a grand and glorious renaissance one day. All it would take would be the brilliant inspiration of an owner who possessed a love for its rich history and a passion for giving this iconic restaurant the treatment and respect it so very much deserved. It is now time to celebrate, for owner/director Paulo Villabona has created an astonishing, newly-renovated dining experience at Gale Street Inn that pays homage to the exquisite supper clubs of the 40's, 50's and 60's where the likes of Frank Sinatra, Julie London and Sergio Mendez would transfix audiences through their rapturous melodies and golden voices while partaking in superb cuisine. Founded in 1963 in Jefferson Park, Gale Street Inn had seen quite a few owners over the years and had, sadly, closed for a time when it had lost its way and the spirit was gone. Thankfully, Mr. Villabona had a vision to restore the restaurant to its former illustrious self and remodeled it with the desire to have its customers transported to a more wonderful time when life was simpler and love of family, neighbors and friends felt deeper, stronger and truly heartfelt. Beautiful, elegant dark woods, gold fixtures and vintage murals bedeck the interior and set the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. An actual small stage has been placed in back of the restaurant for live music that creates the perfect tone. Martini, anyone? When live entertainment isn't playing, expertly balanced sound system background music exemplifies this supper club theme to amazing effect. One can almost feel the Rat Pack presence. There is a beautifully designed bar area that is warm and inviting, and the bartenders are extremely courteous, friendly and consummate ambassadors for the restaurant --- as is the entire waitstaff. It's rare to find this perfect a waitstaff unless, perhaps, one has experienced the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton Hotels. The crown jewel, however, is the cuisine itself. Chef de Cuisine Greg Manuel has worked his magic and created a menu to rival some of the finest traditional dining establishments out there while energizing classic fare with sumptuous, original and thoroughly enjoyable flavor components. The last time I was at Gale Street Inn was with a good friend of mine, and we shared their warm and wondrous Parker rolls as a starter which were ideal and received gratefully on the freezing evening we arrived. My guest dined on the blackened pork chop which was a marvel to behold. She always comments when restaurants serve chops that arrive dry and flavorless, but this beauty tonight was magnificent. Well-proportioned, tender, juicy and cooked to perfection, it was complimented with expertly prepared apple chutney, charred fennel and sweet potato puree. This one received highest honors from her. I was completely blown away by the mouth-watering, vodka-battered fish (cod) and chips that had such a distinctive resonance of flavor that I simply could not get enough of it. It came with coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce which were, by far, the best I ever ate. Another home run! Since my friend and I both have a brutal sweet tooth which we should be ashamed of but aren't, we finished everything up with their delicious key lime pie and creme brûlée --- both of which were five-star Oscar winners in their own right. Other champions on the menu include their ribs which are known to be the finest in Chicago, standout appetizers, hearty jambalaya, excellent prime steaks, terrific salads and the legendary Gale Street Burger. It is virtually impossible to not fall in love with everything on this menu. I know, it's a bold statement, but Gale Street Inn exceeds expectations on all levels. My deepest thanks to Mr. Villabona, Mr. Manuel and the entire staff for breathing new life into this diamond of a restaurant. The love is definitely there, and it shows! read more

Wonderful family run restaurant. Incredible Old-Chicago Gangster ambiance. Serious comfort food. And great home style service. Highly recommend. Amazing Live Music most nights!!! read more

We Had An Amazing Experience At Gale Street Inn! The Food Was Incredible, And The Drinks Were Just As Good. Our Server, Alex, Really Went Above And Beyond To Make The Birthday We Were Celebrating Feel Special. He Gave Great Recommendations, Was Incredibly Welcoming, And Made The Whole Night Even More Enjoyable. Overall, The Service And Atmosphere Were Outstanding. We'll Definitely Be Back! read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - Wine Recommendation From Our Server - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! Beautiful, elegant restaurant. Our server was amazing she was very attentive, gave great suggestions and directed the whole meal like a pro. Dinner was delicious from starters to the finish there was not one thing that I did not like. I had the arugula beet salad which was very creative, short rib pierogi is a must. You have to get the short rib pierogi. Pistachio martini amazing! Lovely restaurant. I wish I found it sooner! read more

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A group of us went to the Gale Street Inn last night to enjoy some BBQ Ribs. We were a group of 5 adults and a 2 month old who tagged along. Three of us currently reside in Florida. However, we 3 are former Chicagoans who have dined here before when it was under different ownership. As we entered the restaurant the entry way looked as it did before ... until ... we entered the main room. It appeared updated , more modern , with low lighting creating the perfect ambiance for a romantic dinner for two or an enjoyable venue for a group setting. There are other rooms in the restaurant that offer space for larger accommodations and a large Bar area is included. We were seated after a short wait as we had a reservation. It was a Friday night and the restaurant was full of patrons. Service was a little slow due to the restaurant being filled to capacity. Menus were presented and we perused the menu knowing we were going to order the Ribs - except - for one kill Joy who ordered fish & chips ? Really ? In a rib joint and the guy orders fish ?! Who invited this guy anyway ? LOL. Our food was brought to our table by wait staff who left their smile at home. Nothing ensures a nice TIP like a bright smile accompanied with a pleasant personality. Nevertheless, I left a 24% TIP ... It's Christmas ... shrug . The RIBS ... I thought my ribs were just okay , not fall off the bone ribs. Nothing to write home about. Others in the group disagreed and said the ribs were delicious and ... wait for it ... "Fall off the bone" LOL The food was served with additional sides not included with the meal but at extra cost. I even had to ask for bread & butter. Baked potatoes ? Extra ! Still , the dinner was reasonably priced. No room for dessert. We were all stuffed. Then the check came. I passed it to the kid. He spit at me. I guess that was a NO ! I offered to arm wrestle him for the check. I even offered best 2 out of 3. He spit at me again. The nerve. So I manned up and paid the check. Despite my grumbling over my ribs everyone else was satisfied and we had an enjoyable evening dinning out. The restaurant itself is very nice and in a good location. I might be back ... Hmmm read more

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Bring a flashlight!!!! my table was the first one seated on Friday afternoon, and I could not believe how dark the dining room was. They refused to brighten the room up, even just a little bit. Terrible!!!! I could barely read the menu! The cheese and top of my onion soup was crusted so hard that I could barely chew it. I truly believed it my half slab of ribs. It was warmed up from yesterday!! I will not be back, for sure!!! read more

I feel like 2 stars is being generous, but the folks there do seem like nice people. Service was subpar. Our waiter did not seem to be on top of his game. He seemed to be more concerned with two other tables with larger parties than our lowly table of two. We were there at least 10 minutes before he stopped by to say he'd be right back. After tending to his other tables, he finally came back to take our drink order. To his shock, we were ready to order drinks and our dinner, since we had ample time to browse the menu. Food and drink at Gale Street Inn suffered a huge drop in quality under the new ownership. I ordered a coke that was flat and had to be sent back. My wife ordered the Steak Frites, I ordered the famous Ribs. The steak made my wife sick. Not sure if it was the meat itself or the red wine sauce it was covered in, but she was sick all night and most of the next day. The ribs were not very good, either. Some spots were very charred, and the flavor of bitter burnt meat overpowered everything else. The ambiance was below average. Live jazz music, however it was so loud, we were barely able to hear our waiter and he was barely able to hear us. We had to shout at each other to have a conversation. I thought they did a nice job with the remodel. The owner did stop by our table, however he timed it perfectly with when we were taking our first bites of our dinner. I am not interested in being interrupted while I eat. Ask me after we ate how the food was. The experience at Gale Street Inn was overall disappointing. This is a spot we enjoyed as our anniversary place before we left the Chicago area a few years ago. I understand new ownership took over last year and with that some things were going to change, which is natural. At the very least, I expected the ribs to be the same as they always have been, and those ribs fell considerably short of expectations. I don't envision dining at Gale Street Inn anytime during any future trips to Chicago. read more

Everything was great at the "new" Gale Street Inn. I ate at the bar & the Bartender was super, genuinely interested in chatting. The Ribs, as always were fantastic as was the ambiance read more

Very fun room, great atmosphere and decor. Had some great veggie options, including deviled eggs app, wild mushroom pierogi, and vegan risotto. Thanks to the owners for developing these choices! read more

Just love the lighting inside. Our waiter was attentive, got us our drinks and wasn't to eager to have us order right away. Our party of four ordered the ribs. They were all made to perfection. They came saucy and i put more on. I had a backed potato with mine which was Huge!! The waiter then brought all of us warm towels because you know your gonna need them!! Go for the good ribs stay for the speakeasy vibe and jazzy music!! read more

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My wife and I went to Gale Street Inn this evening, and we honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience. With new ownership and having reopened less than a month ago, it already feels like a place that truly gets it. Silvia was our server, and she was wonderful -- warm, attentive, and genuinely kind. On top of that, the owners, Paulo and Jesse, welcomed us with open arms. That personal touch meant so much and immediately made us feel at home. Everything was just right: the service, the food, the entertainment, and the overall vibe. Nothing felt forced or overdone -- just a great meal in a welcoming, lively space where you can tell a lot of care has gone into every detail. We had the full rack of ribs, broccolini, fully-loaded baked potato, and the burrata appetizer, and all were excellent! We will absolutely be back, next time with our kids. We're already telling our neighbors, and my parents are officially putting it on their radar too. We truly hope this neighborhood anchor brings even more energy and business to this part of Jeff Park -- it's exactly the kind of place that helps a community thrive. read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - Mural in the front of the restaurant - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Lovely new owner re-opening a classic Jefferson Park institution. Same terrible service, literally. Many kinks to work out yet, and they need to know that they are missing the mark for a good dining experience for the business to be sustainable. Mistakes were made by the service from host to wait staff. One menu for two people? No wine list? No server? Wobbly table? No utensils? No chiller after specifically mentioning one? Super long wait for the check? After long stretches of time, fixes for each issue started to appear. By the end, we were where we wanted to be at the beginning. We are bringing our own stress of the day to be calmed by this nice cosy restaurant, yet we left more stress than we arrived with. The food was consistent with the previous owners, well cooked comfort food, nothing fancy. The wait staff should be replaced. Having worked there in the past is no qualification for today's restaurant reality. Loved the new owner and wish him well with bringing this dated relic back into relevance with 2026 dining expectations. Each table matters. Abandoning tables and acting all "it's not my fault" is just a recipe for "I won't be coming back." We gave it one more chance and regretted it. read more

UPDATE! NEW OWNER SAME GREAT QUALITY. So excited children could once again join the meal. The updates to the place are gorgeous very chic and still very cool supper club vibes. It was great to see Paulo brought back people who had been working their for years. The food was phenomenal service impeccable. Will be back soon! read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time visiting Gale Street and looking forward to going back soon! Our party of four had a Saturday 5pm reservation and we were seated almost immediately-very grateful for easy parking in lot. Started with drinks-wine and cocktails-all great. Our favorite dishes were the stuffed mushrooms, tomatillo soup, chicken sandwich and ribs (add more coleslaw & side of sauce to ribs for perfection). Live music was delightful! We ordered desserts bread pudding & crème brûlée-both very good. Expert server made our whole evening relaxed and enjoyable. read more

Gale Street Inn - Chicago - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went on a Tuesday night just to really get a feel for the ambiance and food without the weekend vibe. It was very clean, waitress was great and food was very good. Drinks were also good and I must recommend the New Gale street Inn cuz it truly back to what it used to be.... well Done read more

Ribs were delicious ,fall off the bone tender with tangy sauce. Thimble of coleslaw included is ridiculous accompaniment. Male server was true professional . Cocktails were hit or miss- space is lovely- was surprised to be seated at a high top in bar-- when we had a reservation and our party included a child. read more

Delicious ribs and great service. The ambience was great too. Friendly people too. Wish they would give some bread or rolls with the meal.

Delicious ribs. Great cocktails. SO LOUD. Went on A Saturday night at 7pm. Busy time. No problem. Server had a lot of tables. Then the jazz trio started playing. Bass, electric guitar, snare drum. Could not hear one thing after that. We had to shout at the server when ordering so she could hear us. Couldn't even talk to the person across the table. The trio was good but the space is Way too small for live music. They were three tables away. In an alcove. Wrong time and place. Put the live music in the bar at 8 or 9 and let diners eat. Told the manager - he didn't care Said something to young man at front desk. He just mumbled " we're real busy" Do not go on a weekend!! read more

Hi! I've been a long time customer at gale street and I'm glad someone took it over and reopened. The owner approached our table very pleasant. We appreciated it. Our server Sylwia was amazing. She was funny and patient with the big group we had but was also very helpful in anything we had questions on seeing that the menu has some new things on it. I'd say some of the items look like they're from the old menu but are not the same. Calamari wasn't the same. Wasn't good. Potato skins were different they weee ok. steaks were a let down and the ribs which have been my favorite for years are sadly not the same. They do fall off the bone but the sauce was tweaked and it doesn't hit the same. With that I think it's time to move on..... sadly. One more thing everything was à la carte We loved Sylwia though!!! read more

I have been a customer of this place for years so of course had to see the new. Glad this beautiful building is being used. Had made reservations a week ago, but still had to wait 20 minutes. The place was packed. Some observations off the top of my head are....everything is a la carte now. Broccolini as a side is $10 as an example. Wine is $15 a glass. I had the pistachio martini. Had enough alcohol but tasted like sweet milk to me. I had the flat iron sandwich. Looked good in the description but was rather bland, barely any horseradish sauce, As I bit into it, it had a long piece of white gristle, very chewy. Was hard to pull it off. Yuck. The fries were good though. My fianće had the salmon over kale. He liked it very much. A man did walk by and asked if everything was good and I said no. He asked me to go into why and I just didn't want a long conversation. He asked if I wanted something else but I said no. I didn't feel like waiting. At least that was good on their part. I asked and got more horseradish sauce for my sandwich. I took half home, hopefully will be tastier. For $20 a sandwich, I was hoping for better. Will wait awhile until they work out the kinks. It's expensive and would be nice to have complete meal offerings, the a la carte prices are ridiculous. Would be nice to have a veggie with dinner. Our server was great though. Was going to have the ribs but read they are not as good as the original. The music is a nice touch. Jazz. Not my cup of tea but it was ok. read more

Outstanding food, great service and a gorgeous classic room! What more can you ask from a restaurant?! We had the pirogi appetizer which was amazing, the fish and chips (with 3, count them, 3 dipping sauces!), the most AMAZING burger I've had in decades, and the short ribs on a bed of cheesy polenta! Everything was beyond amazing! Great service and a very cool old school classic vibe! Will be my go-to from now on! (And how cool is Jefferson Park?!?!) read more

Been going to Gale Street for over 25 years... Tonight was my first time under the new ownership. The place was packed (Thursday Night around 7:00), so hopefully they are doing well. For my entree, I had the ribs. If I've been to Gale Street 70 times in my life, I've had the full rack of ribs 70 times. They were on point as always. Fall off the bone, perfectly sauced and good size portion (full rack). Previously, a couple small sides came with the main course. While the ribs themselves are very reasonably priced compared to other places, when you add in the a la carte sides it gets on the pricey side pretty quickly. My usual go-to's for the sides are the Chicken Tomatillo soup and potatoes au gratin (which are both still on the menu). Tonight, I tried the Mac N Cheese, which was something not on the menu under the old regime. It was advertised as a mixture of smoked gouda, cheddar and ricotta topped with garlic breadcrumbs. The Mac N Cheese was a disappointment as it had no flavor at all... The "cheese" tasted cheap and powdery. I definitely did not taste any gouda or ricotta and while the Mac N Cheese was topped with breadcrumbs, they were flavorless as well (tasted no garlic). Sidebar: the best side they ever had was a twice-baked potato (old ownership used to have it on Saturday's only and then not at all over the final few years). Bring back the twice-baked potato! I also "ordered" the Parker House rolls - bread and butter is no longer complimentary... While it was only $5 it just feels wrong to charge for bread and butter. As far as quality of service, I sat at the bar and both bartenders were attentive and knowledgeable. On their own merit, they would get a rating of 5 stars (along with the ribs). A nice touch by the new ownership is that when asking for a wet nap to clean up from eating ribs, they instead bring you a rolled up wet hand towel (gets the job done much better than wet naps). Overall, it was a good experience. While I look forward to my next visit there and having those wonderful ribs again, I'm going to go back to basics as far as sides I've enjoyed there previously. read more

I was heartbroken when the original Gale Street closed so I couldn't wait to try it again once it reopened. Perhaps there are kinks that need to be worked out and while I wasn't expecting things to be identical, the food is no where near the quality of what it once was. The ribs were tough and had a heavy pepper flavor. And the au gratin potatoes were borderline inedible, with oil and lumps of cheese. I can't speak for the service as I ordered the meal for carry out, but the staff did seem slightly overwhelmed with the volume of people waiting. Gale Street had the best ribs around, but since its reopening, they are mediocre at best. read more

Great News! The Gale Street Inn in Jefferson Park is due to re-open in December under new ownership. I can't wait to taste those delicious ribs. read more

Ribs were just as I remembered them, and service and drinks were great as well. I read mixed reviews before we went but were happy with everything about the visit. read more

Food, ribs.spinach, potato with cheese(forgot) Ann and the old crew is back and fantastic! I came from Lake county and well worth. Julia thank you for your extra loving. We will come back soon. Need my Ribs! read more

This was a great meal. From start to finish, everything was so good. The stuffed mushrooms were incredible. The duck gumbo was also really great. The ribs and chicken was my meal and the reviews on the ribs are accurate. Very delicious. My spouse liked the salmon but said that the mushrooms were the best. Our server was friendly and I appreciated her service. They didn't have a host so it took longer than expected to get a table despite it not being busy. I also took off a star because I don't like that owners or managers of restaurants sending messages of other review writers questioning their experience and because they only have paper straws. See other reviews. All was well with my visit and since it's close to home I'll definitely stop by again. read more

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From the moment we entered the door we were greeted by a wonderful pleasant young lady. We were sat right away. Wife got the burger and fries and I got the ribs and baked potato. The owner came by our table and introduced himself. Our server Alfredo was amazing. The food was to die for. You must come try this place. read more

Food and service both were great, but my favorite thing about the new Gale Street was the ambience - dark, jazzy, cool, and warm at the same time. The trio of bass, trumpet, drums made everything even better. read more

Picked up takeout a full slab of ribs I'm very sad because they used to be absolutely wonderful. The sauce is still reasonably good, but the meat was dry and not enough sauce on it. I could've used more extra sauce to compensate. The onion rings were good.!! read more

Slow start. We had a reservation for 6:30, but not seated til 7. But that's ok. Then we weren't greeted for 10 minutes. But growing pains are a thing. Our cocktails were not brought out for another 10 minutes. But after all that...amazing! Food was great, service was a bit better! So glad they are back! read more

I have never walked out of a restaurant before. This was my first on May 10th, 2026. We were there for a Mothers Day brunch. Such a disappointment. Yes this used to be a family favorite for us. Since the owner change, things have gone down hill very fast. The food setup yesterday had trays elevated 5-1/2 feet in the air. They could not keep up with keeping the offerings full. Even ran out of dining utensils at one point. Food was cold and tasteless. The desert offering for the brunch consisted of two types of stale cookies. Please don't waste your time at this place any longer, definitely never going back. What a disappointment!!!!!!!! read more

New owner and glad to be back with my family! Hoping they have filet next time as they were out. Ribs were good but not falling off the bone. Service and ambience very good. Will be back read more

It was my Husband's 67th Birthday and we made reservations at Gale Street Inn. We were blown away by the amazing ambiance, service, and food. When we walked in we were greeted and seated promptly. We admired all the renovations to the restaurant which added such a relaxing, cool vibe. We also really enjoyed the music playing. My Husband started off with a pistachio martini which He said was the best cocktail He ever had. My old fashioned was just perfect! The Parker Roll appetizer with chive butter was soooo delicious and we Loved the stuffed mushrooms. My Husband was so happy with The Daily Special Menu order of Walleye. When we got home He said that Walleye was the best thing I ever ate. I tried a bite and it was so tasty and flavorful. My Full Rack of Ribs Order with a side of Baked Potato with Sour cream and butter was so scrumptious. Our Waitress was so sweet and personable. Service by all staff was timed perfectly and never intrusive. My Husband enjoyed His Birthday Dessert! Best part of our Dinner was having the Owner Paulo introduce Himself and chat with us. He was so Kind, attentive, welcoming, and humble. We let Him know that we were blown away by the food and all the hard work He and His staff have put into the Restaurant and that we would spread the word. We can't wait to return and wish Paulo, His Family, and Staff the best of luck on this Huge Endeavor. read more

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The food is not the same. The ribs were terrible Ordered them for takeout Was hopeful but my intuition was correct. Don't waste your time. read more

First time back since the reopening. Service was fantastic. The food was even better! Started with calamari and the steak sandwich was excellent. The steak was tender and juicy, better than expected for a steak sandwich. read more