Very disappointed! Came here for a birthday lunch for my mom. We really wanted fried green tomatoes, but they were closed so we thought we'd give Vinny's a try. Omg. It was awful!! We ordered chicken Vinito, chicken parm, and chicken fettuccine. The chicken was so BAD! I can't believe they even served it! I will never go back! Go to Fried Green Tomatoes! read more

This has always been my favorite Illinois spot. The ambiance is second to none. Every meal I've had has been delicio. Service is fantastic. Tonight I ordered a grey goose dirty martini. Perfection. I will be stopping in at least one more time before I leave town. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Seafood pasta, grey goose dirty martini, a good book, the patio. I am totally relaxed! - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Italian Food Ha! Our group of 6 ate here tonight, the chicken Marsala tasted like it came out of a can, the Espresso was was cold, the service was not good from Michael, the wine was great! read more

Great Italian food, great service, beautiful patio with cute view of main street. Lots of character. Kristin M, stay home if you are going to complain about absolutely everything! Nice surprise that big salad & tasty garlic bread included with lunch/dinner! read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Our medium pizza's were small, our friends thin crust was to thin to hold and burnt edges. They may be a sit down place, but we tried elsewhere after the disaster of delivery. read more

I was just at Vinnie Vanucchi's restaurant and was very disappointed. The chicken marsala wasn't even close, where was the wine sauce. The espresso was cold and the sambucca should have been served on the side and was instead served in the espresso, no!!! The waiter was very sweet, but had to be asked everything. Very disappointing! Don't plan on coming back any time soon! read more

No social distancing. Mask were not required for people eating there. The food was horrible and bland. Can't believe I spent that much money for a family of 4. It was dark not even a candle to see our dinner. read more

My fiancé and I went here to celebrate our engagement. All services wore masks, and there was social distancing seating indoor as well as outdoor. Our service Danny was very attentive, the food was brought out in a timely manner and it was delicious! We are vegetarian so we were happy to see a few options for us- tomato basil soup, breadsticks, spaghetti olio and manicotti. Thanks Danny for a great experience! read more

I'm too lazy to write a review so i copied my friend's review since we both ate the same thing the night before our triathlon (she knows i copied this): "The restaurant itself was cute and seemed promising however, the food was tasteless and overcooked. The pasta was mushy and the veal, tough as shoe leather. None of our entrees should have presented a challenge to any home cook...much less a restaurant chef. Even my 8 yr old niece was disappointed with her spaghetti and meatballs. This was the night before our triathlon and we were all hoping for a nice pasta dinner. Next year I will likely make it myself because I know it will be great!" read more

I am normally not the type to write reviews (good or bad) but I created an account on Yelp today for the sole purpose of writing about this restaurant. I have never been so disappointed by a restaurant. Judging by the atmosphere and the high-priced menu, I figured this would live up to their advertisement of being 'Authentic Italian'. In no way shape or form was this 'authentic'. I would barely classify food that comes to you frozen, authentic. My friend and I had started off with the baked ravioli. Sauce was piping hot but the raviolis were luke warm. You could tell instantly they were not made fresh. Next came the garlic bread, which almost made me sick with the amount of oil on it. I ordered a penne-pasta dish with artichoke hearts and sun dried tomato sauce. The pasta was very overcooked. It had a thick layer of moz cheese (so overcooked that I couldn't get thru it) The edges of the dish were hard like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for 20 minutes. My coke was watered down. I barely touched my food and it's a wonder the waitress never asked "How was your food?" when she saw how much was left and the fact that I declined a take-home box. Waitress was nice, but not much personality. She made little to no effort to conversate and stayed straight-faced after our every attempt to laugh and interact with her. Overall, I would skip this 'authentic Italian' restaurant and just go grab a burger from someplace like Dirty Gurt's. read more

This place is so interesting! We went for lunch service on a Saturday and dined on the patio. It was something out of a movie, vibe wise. It was just a really pretty day out, the patio has a really neat view and they had soft music playing. I had the ravioli with Alfredo sauce and it was okay. Nothing awful by any means, but not nearly as good as what I had heard. The service, however, was spot on. Our server was busy and she still killed it! She made sure our drinks were never empty, kept an eye on us, and was friendly to every table she had. If she was stressed out, you'd never have guessed. The "ambiance", if you will, is so neat and the service is outstanding. read more

Great atmosphere and good food. Even a gluten free pasta that's great! Very popular so get there early

I do love Vinny Vanucchi's! I have eaten at this location a couple of times (carry out) and have good experiences. A lot of food, moderate prices. I'm a bigger fan of the Dubuque location, but both are very tasty. read more

I have been here twice now with my boyfriend. The food is okay, but what keeps us coming back is their outdoor seating area. We like to come about 45 minutes before close when the town is pretty much silent and enjoy a small decent meal and some wine. read more

I heard about the top notch garlic bread and the hype was real. We had pasta dishes that were great. I also appreciated the included salad with the meal. The prices were consistent with the quality of the food. Ambiance and service were fine. read more

We went on two occasions and decided we need to order a carryout on our last day but they denied our request. Terrible customer experience.

An awesome old Italian style restaurant with spectacular menu offerings, quick and great staff, and an amazing array of goodies and decor to peruse during your visit. It was a little steep climb for a lot of dining joy once we got in. Music was Tony Bennet and Old Blue Eyes. Decor was old Italy/New York. Food was spectacular and, with such great items, it was very hard to make a choice! Amazing desserts and wines. You WILL need a baggie for leftovers, as portions are very healthy. The house salad has an amazing flavor that, at least in my book, beats the olive place's salad in a heartbeat. I had the baked mostaccioli which actually were penne rigate, but who's counting. The pasta was lightly tomatoed but very cheesy, just how I like it! The significant other unit had a glass of Merlot with his Fettuccine Chicken Romano, which featured very large hunks of white chicken and a very delicious, kinda spicy tomato sauce. We were too full for dessert, but that's for our next visit! Can't wait to come back. read more

Great food! Great drinks! Almost had to roll me out. Just took awhile for drinks and food. Would definitely come back though. Great atmosphere read more

On our second night in Galena, we decided to hit Vinny's because of many recommendations we got. (06/07/08). We were seated promptly in a dining room that only had 2 tables. It was nice and romantic and cozy however it's near the entrance and so you hear every staff member running from other rooms to the kitchen and back. It's right under the stairs so you hear the pounding throughout the meal. We started out with some Toasted Ravioli's and thought they were pretty good. You got 8 on a plate. The soup on the night was a Chicken Velvet which really is cream of chicken. It was loaded with chicken and tasted pretty good. You get complimentary garlic cheese bread and it was pretty good but a little on the greasy side. For main meals, MK got the Tortellini Carbonara and I, the Meat Lasagna. Both meals were pretty good albeit, as others mentioned in a price range I'd see closer to home. That said, we're on a weekend getaway so price is important but not a deal-breaker. An elderly couple was sitting at the other table in our cozy little spot and the waitress, although attentive and good, had us both on the "same schedule" and so we felt like we were more part of the volume moving through, than having a special night out. It was also clear that she had tables in other rooms as we saw her run by several times. I guess we did enjoy our food and the night, but I think the next time we're going to try another Italian option in town to see how it compares. read more

I really enjoyed our lunch here. Maybe too much -- I really chowed down! The meal started with a "family style" salad, which is sort of a step-up from what they bring you at Olive Garden. The Garlic Bread was AMAZING and so buttery. It was literally sitting in a pool of oil. Yummy, yummy oil. My tortellini carbonara was delicious. The pasta was tender but not overcooked; the sauce was cream but not too heavy, and the strips of ham were generous and tasty. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meal as well. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. I regret there was no room for dessert! read more

Vinny's was just ok. Our group of 14 rolled in around 7:15 for a dinner reservation. It's a nice space that's spread out over many levels - it did feel kind of old world Italian. Our server, Ashley, was absolutely lovely - if I could review just her, she'd easily get 72 stars. With 14 folks, including 2 crazy pregnant ladies and a baby, it'd be easy to lose your head. But she was just awesome. I wish I could say the same for the food. It's standard Italian food similar to Olive Garden. You get salad and bread with your food. The bread was just dripping with grease - too much so to even eat. The entrees were just ok. All of the seafood entrees were covered with cheese, which I thought was odd. I had a chicken special - chicken stuffed with proscuitto and provolone served with a side of penne. It was ok, but had I known it was going to be $22 (the price of the specials was not listed on the menu), I never would've ordered it. The other chicken dishes were around $16 or so. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. read more

Just not worth the trip. Absolutely not accessible in any way. Stairs everywhere. Tables are crammed in, so the atmosphere is just LOUD. I had the stuffed shells. It was so bland! The pasta shell, the cheese filling, the blah tomato sauce - it all tasted the same. Boring. My husband had one if the specials, and said the same thing; bland. The salad dressing was delicious and the bread was warm. Our server was attentive and kind. We won't be back at this location in Galena. I've heard better things about the DuBuque location. read more

Great food, great service! Price is fair and portion sizes are big. Definitely a must stop when visiting Galena!

Would love to give this place more stars, but they get marked down because of their service. Our server was flaky, and we hardly ever saw him. There was another server who was serving another section of the restaurant, and he was the exact opposite of our server. he was running around, filling water glasses, taking away plates. Seemed like he was doing the job of a server and a busboy. Food's not bad... I had the chicken marsala and it was actually pretty good. The bread and salad are also very good. Overall, I'd love to give more stars, but they get marked down because of the service. read more

Ate on the patio, which was pleasant. We got there late afternoon so kind of as they were winding lunch down and getting ready for dinner. Service and the food was average. Not a lot of sit down options in Galena. read more

This place was okay, but nothing special! They give you bread and salad before your meal. The bread is actually garlic bread, which I'd prefer French bread or other types of bread with butter or olive oil that you typically get from other Italian restaurants. I ordered the Nana Lu's Meat Lasagna and was a little disappointed with the ricotta to meat ratio. It had barely any meat! I also wasn't impressed with the salad. The atmosphere was neat, being an old style building and the service was pretty good. Overall, I think the food could be better! read more

I had a fantastic experience at Vinnys. The staff was very friendly and did a great job with us. And the outdoor seating was very pleasant. The food was delicious and portions were generous though the prices might have been a little on the steep side. However, they weren't so steep that I wont be going back there for some delicious carbonara. I didn't really get a chance to see the inside but from what I did that looked pretty cozy as well. read more

Nice atmosphere- good wait staff. Food was a snooze. Maybe we are spoiled in Chicago with our italian food? Not sure but both Vinny's and Fried Green Tomatoes are not really worth a return trip. read more

WOW WOW WOW!!! This restaurant is great! Our server, Avery, was very friendly and attentive.

Nothing really wowed me here and I found it to be your standard Italian fare. The garlic bread was pretty good, but the wine selection was lacking. read more

This is a tourist favorite but my experience has been so so. I ordered a seafood dish that was smothered is cheese. How do you taste scallops and shrimp under mozzarella? The answer is you don't. Service is ok at best. read more

Service was A+, our waitress was so friendly, helpful, and attentive! Food was great too...the calamari appetizer was good and the pasta was served hot and fresh... Ambiance was excellent for a date night, with Sinatra type music, soft lighting, and tucked away tables.. The salad was okay, nothing special, but it came with the meal...and one of the pasta dishes was a bit on the small side... read more

I would say definitely good Italian food!! Server was really attentive and friendly, kept the drinks full, and was welcoming. The decor was cute & the have a cute outside patio as well. The garlic bread and salad is EXCELLENT! We split chicken parm and the chicken quality was very good. Bruschetta was good as well. Got a cannoli to go- did not like it, only down fall. read more

Great Italian food and and phenomenal service. Highly recommend this place while you're in Galena. And if she's working, ask to sit in Megan B.'s "the tall one" section. She was awesome and made our Friday night even more special. read more

Wonderful experience this past Saturday. We stumbled upon this charming Italian restaurant up the stairs from the main drag in Galena. We were able to get outdoor seating which we appreciated with the Covid concerns. The staff and management was very attentive to Covid concerns wearing masks and spacing the tables. My wife had the shells and I had the baked seafood dinner. Both entrées were delicious. We had stuffed seafood mushrooms for an appetizer which turned out to be a terrific selection. I highly recommend this restaurant with visiting Galena. read more

Prepare yourself for a one of a kind Italian experience. The decor and multi-floor layout is really intriguing. The menu shows their passion for Italian cuisine in the family with dishes named after people. We went with no reservations around 5:30pm and got seated right away, but by the time we left, the restaurant was full. We went after snowboarding at Chestnut Mountain, so we were a little under dressed, but we were also eating early. Our server was very nice, seemed a little inexperienced, but overall added to the positive experience. The salad and garlic bread served with all meals was delicious and high quality. I ordered the Cousin Tony's Penne Romano which was absolutely amazing. When we were finished eating, two people in our group needed boxes which proved to be difficult for the waiter to find, but be got them eventually. Great restaurant...I will be enjoying dinner here again! read more

Wonderful wonderful place. From the appetizer to our dessert everything was wonderful. The bruschetta was amazing. My husband had the Chicken Parmigiana and I had the Baked Seafood Italiano. Both were delicious. The cannollis were by far the best we have ever had. We decided to go there to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary and we were not disappointed! read more

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I loved Vinny's!!! Tasty shells and ravioli. Meatballs were excellent! Our service was great and the atmosphere was stimulating. Highly recommended! I would return for sure. read more

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Great food! Lots of choices! Gluten Free menu. Tiramisu martini and moscato wine was fabulous. Chicken parmigiana w/penne was delicious (they make their own sauce (GF dish)). The seafood Italiano with linguine was also yummy! Not as cheesy tasting as some Italian dishes, but one of their most popular. The garlic bread was one of the best I've ever tasted! Our server, Jessica, was wonderful and attentive. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Seafood Italiano with garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

I'll start off with a praise. The garlic bread and minestrone soup were great! The entrees -- bland and not appetizing. I ordered Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo, it took a while and the reason was it was placed by mistake on another table in front of another customer. Albeit the waiter asked if I wanted to have it replated. However, my problem with that is, he already placed the plate on our table and also the other entrees on our table. Did he want to have other people in my group to wait for me to eat or should I have just sat there while the other people in my table eat. I tried to eat the pasta but just the thought of having someone talk or breathe over my food during this COVID-19 pandemic is very unappetizing. read more