Hasn't changed in 10 years since our previous visit. Charming venue & atmosphere. The food though. I had a Chicken dish & it just wasn't memorable. Chewy, bland. Hubs had a pasta dish was simply ok. The bottle of cabaret was good. Worth a visit for the ambiance. read more

Romantic but casual ambiance as we were celebrating our anniversary. We had a nice cute small table in the corner by the window. There were so many options, but my tastebuds were delighted with fettuccine seafood and warm garlic bread. They also had one of our favorite wines, very reasonably priced, conundrum. The wonderful server brought us a delicious tiramisu for our celebration. It was a special night. Family owned, hand-made pasta, attentive staff. A must-have in Galena. Right on Main Street. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - What a conundrum!? Delicious wine - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Vinny's is a Galena staple and I'll stand by that! Pros- friendly sized portions, cozy atmosphere, delicious cocktails and a sick view over Main Street. Cons- just okay service and flies. read more

Cute place. Cool historic building. I ordered a whiskey sour which was great. My wife ordered a lemonade cocktail. For $15! It was not a good drink. Watered down lemonade. The fries with my meal were for sure frozen fries and over heated. Chicken sandwich was decent. Garlic bread was ok but nothing special. Service was fine although not overly friendly. Would not go again. read more

Food - fantastic. Great food! Would love to try the whole menu!! Service - very attentive and knowledgeable! Ambiance - we chose to eat outside. Was very nice! Uncomfortable chairs is only criticism. 10/10 would eat again! read more

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

Terrible food that I am certain was frozen. Just gross. I had the Dee Dee's carbonara. Sauce was possibly sour. I'll know shortly I suspect. Mushrooms were not cooked at all and neither were the peas. The prosciutto was very gray so I didn't eat any. Truly bad from back in the day. read more

Had great service by Meghan last night and a delicious Viniti chicken pasta dish meal with gluten free pasta. It came with a great salad, lightly dressed and Parmesan bread that was to die for! We'll definitely be back next time in Galena! read more

i went to the bathroom to take a poop. i went to wipe, and the toilet paper sucked i had to wipe 3 times and i don't think i got it all. then one of the employees came in and used the restroom. when he was finished he turned on the sink for a second and didn't wash his hands. the food was good though. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - this is pretty awesome - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Went for late lunch and everything was fantastic. Seafood stuffed mushrooms got us started. Delicious and cheesy with an abundance of seafood. Also had Chicken Vinito and substituted roasted vegetables for pasta. No upchage. Husband had Vinny's Pasta that was loaded with shrimp, scallops, and real crab meat. Bread and salad was great too. Enough for another meal. It has a good wine list too. Highly recommended. read more

We. Love. Vinny's. I'm actually a bit shocked to see I've never reviewed Vinny's since it is ALWAYS on our 'places to eat' list during our Galena visits. Everything about Vinny's is top notch. Plenty of seating so that you can almost always get a seat (there may be a wait during peak dinner weekend times). The waitstaff are always super friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Prices are excellent and portions are giant. A win all the way around! A staple of the Vinny's experience is the salad and bread that comes with each meal. The salad is a delicious salad mixed with a raspberry dressing. The dressing leans more into the olive oil flavor rather than the raspberry, so it is light and non-sweet. I love it. The bread is divine: fluffy, crispy, buttery, and covered in cheese. Yum! And the beauty of it: the salad and bread are refillable...so eat to your heart's content. But beware...you need to save room for the other courses! The drink list is extensive. We usually order from the vast and amazingly varied wine menu, but since it was lunch my husband got the Bell's Two Hearted and I got the Prosecco Royale. It was a nice change of pace and we loved it! For our meals, my husband got our absolute favorite dish: Auntie Gracie's sausage ragu. The mixture of spicy marinara, sausage, peppers, onions and baked cheese is an absolute flavor perfection. Highly highly recommend this dish. I decided to branch out today and got the Chicken parmigiana. It was sooooo good! However, it is massive, so I had to get a to-go box. We didn't make it to dessert (in fact, we've never made it to dessert!), but the menu does look good! Maybe one day! As we drive back to Chicago, the wonder and beauty of Galena remains in our hearts and minds, and Vinny's is an important part of that joyful experience...especially for our tummies! Until next time! read more

See all

This was an okay place. Choices are limited for full size restaurants and this is definitely full size. It was high on a hill so if you can get a spot on the top you will be happier than the stairs up. The restaurant has several rooms with different themes so that is interesting. The food was okay no huge flavors stood out. Garlic bread had sprinkled parm which tasted good. Cheesecake was the best of it all. Staff was friendly and the place was clean. read more

See all

We just got home from Gelina. This restaurant had the most overpriced food and underwhelming seasoning and taste A group of 4 of us went in... mediocre food at best, I could do better at home in my humble opinion. my wife had Joey Zs Shells and I had fettuccine Alfredo. Wasn't worth the money.together I spent 60 bucks with food and tip. There are many other places that I liked much much better! read more

Excellent dinning experience Outstanding service, fantastic staff. Great food , high quality, nice portions and reasonable prices. Plenty of indoor seating on different levels , several dinning rooms gives a good more intimate atmosphere and each room has a bit different style. There are larger rooms to accommodate a larger group. There is also an outdoor seating terrace. Very good menu from sandwiches to full dinners and a nice selection of wines and other drinks. I recommend making a reservation when you plan to dine here. It can get busy. If you are looking to have a nice dinner, this is the place, you will love it read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Lasagna, served fresh and hot from the kitchen - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

The food was tasty. The server was attentive. It had a cozy Italian family restaurant essence that you don't get from franchise/commercialized restaurants that serve Italian cuisine. Though one critique is they didn't give a veteran discount but I understand by where they are located at (City of Galena). Maybe they do if it's Nov. 11? read more

Great food, fast service, and lovely ambiance. Highly recommend the seafood bake some of the best crab meat ever. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Baked Seafood Italiano - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Food was excellent. Our server was Deidre. Top shelf. The host was very accommodating to our party as we were with older people who couldn't walk far. Highly recommend. read more

Charming location, lots of separate rooms in an old building. The food was basic Italian-American fare, and and portions were decently sized. read more

I was disappointed that they no longer had linguini with clam sauce which was my favorite. I had Chicken Viniti which was good except that it was a little bland. It would have tasted better if it had some garlic in it. Also the garlic bread was also missing any garlic taste and it also was bland. I know you can sometimes overdo garlic but when it's missing all together, that's even worse. read more

We had one of the best Italian meals ever (Chicken Penne Romano) that we've ever had! Paired with the delicious nonending salad and garlic cheese bread, it was wonderful! I look forward to returning here on my next visit to the Quad Cities! YUM! read more

In the area for work & Vinny Vanucchi's was our lunch spot. Talk about delicious! Such a cute space, attentive waiter and you can buy dressings by the bottle! read more

See all

Do not be tricked by the vibey atmosphere when you walk by, food was actually so bad. Fettuccine Alfredo tasted like lean cuisine and the lasagna was icky. Friendly service and sort of cute and cozy but food was bad and so overpriced. read more

Food was great. Big portions. Family style mixed salad and basket of garlic bread. Very tasty!! Service was great read more

Couldn't have been happier with the service, atmosphere and food. We were in Galena for a family weekend, and had our 2 year old granddaughters with us. The restaurant accommodated us with high chairs and a room to ourselves. Also accommodated our daughter-in-law's dairy allergy. From appetizers to main course, food was delicious! Will definitely come back! read more

Lunch on the sunny patio was lovely today. There is a dedicated gluten-free menu and I was able to score a vegetarian, gluten-free entree, a penne pasta with loads of fresh mozzarella cheese. The salad was nice, too. My husband's bruschetta platter was massive. Very good service, prompt and attentive. There is a sign to encourage mask wearing indoors, but I think we were the only ones masked. Staff included. Lunch for 3 ran about $55, plus tip, which I thought was a good value. You will need to climb stairs to access this restaurant from Main Street, but there is a ramp, too. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Gluten Free Baked Penne - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

See all

It's charming interior and looks cute perched on a hill. The food we ordered- veal parmigiana and chicken Marsala were not good at all. Someone forgot to salt this dishes.It didn't have the flavors you'd expect of each dish and were quite bland. The Marsala had capers, which I don't typically see in chicken Marsala. The price was too much for what was offered. Marsala was $26 and veal was $35 Kids chicken Alfredo was $17. I get that this place has been around galena for a long time, but history and longevity doesn't always equal good food. so bummed about our experience here. read more

We went here while in Galena. The Appletini was very good but pricy at $14.95. Drink prices were not on the menu. We ordered the Chicken Marsala. I thought mine was good. My husband hated his but didn't want to mention it to the waitress. Our waitress was very nice. The only problem is there are a lot of stairs to get to the restaurant. Not good if have bad knees or back. read more

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

See all

Place was pretty good! Kinda pricey for pasta that's not authentically Italian imo but it was still good. Our service was good and ambiance is nice. Place isn't really ideal for handicap. A lot of different stairs to different parts of the restaurant and I didn't see an elevator for the public to use. Salad dressing was good. read more

This restaurant is at the perfect location to go to after a full afternoon of walking through Galena. To reach the entrance, go up the stairs on the Main Street to enter the quaint dining area. I ordered the Joey Z's shells it, came in a group of 3 pasta shells. I asked them to give me a mix of both (Alfredo and marinara sauce) and they made a cool half and half mix of both sauces which I appreciated. My company enjoyed their lasagna and chicken Marsala as well. Even though the portion size of the shells dish was relatively small, I felt filled up because of the tasty salad and garlic bread appetizer. We all definitely raved about the garlic bread! read more

See all

I don't understand the positive reviews. My meal was a crime. Spaghetti Olio was a tragic joke. I felt bad for the waiter who had to bring it to the table. read more

I ate at the restaurant today with my 2 sisters and the food was delicious. I had the rigatoni with sausage and what I liked the best was the generous portion of meat in the dish. It was then topped with a lot of melty cheese. read more

Came her for dinner with a party of nine. 4 adults and 3 kids and everyone was very happy. The salad and bread they start you with is so good. I had the penne pasta with tomato basil cream sauce with chicken. It was excellent! Others had fettuccine Alfredo, stuffed shells and spaghetti. Everyone enjoyed their dinners! If in Galena, this a place I'd highly recommend. read more

Vinny Vanucchi's - Penne pasta In tomato basil cream sauce - Italian Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Ultimate Italian fare. Almost as good as the old Sabatino's in Chicago, unfortunately closed forever. Almost as good as old Club El Bianco on S 63rd St. Vinny's on the Iowa side good too. That climb up the hill to Vinny's is well worth. Very memorable Italian food with an unrivaled ambiance of photos and memorabilia. A Galena " must" read more

Historic Galena offers many restaurant options, and we picked this for our main dinner. We each tried something different on the menu -- lasagna, chicken marsala, seafood alfredo, and chicken parmesan -- and all enjoyed the food. The salad and garlic bread to start is wonderful -- I could have made a meal of that alone!! The service was ok, we were not in a hurry so we didn't mind the pause between courses. Altogether pleasant visit. read more

We joined my family here for a vacation and wanted a nice family dinner out on the town. The reservation's were made for 10 people and they sat us at a table big enough for 6. When we asked to add another table to ours to make enough room for us, the server denied our request, in an empty restaurant and told us "I'll make sure to keep your table cleared" while proceeding to leave all dishes and drinks on the tables leaving us no room. Instead of allowing us to order or drinks in a normal fashion, he listed off every drink option and wanted us to raised hands on who wanted that beverage and then would get frustrated when someone would ask for a drink he already listed off. Again... a table of 10 people. And a toddler. Then when we got our dinner. Each plate averaging at $25, for authentic Italian, everything tastes generic. The noddles were over cooked, the sauce had no taste, and the chicken and veal were dry and bland. All in all, I am not pleased with this experience and would no recommend. It's a gorgeous restaurant but they have a lot of work to do. read more

Staff was very nice, location is super cute. Easy parking. Can't go wrong with salad and garlic bread with every meal! The sausage was a little too spicy but good! Unfortunately our pasta was over cooked. read more

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

Food was fantastic. Service was better and server met our every need/want. Love eating outside.

Stopped by Vinny Vanucchi's with hubby during our recent trip to Galena. Very cute and had good ambience. It's also located on the Main Street in downtown Galena so easy to spot. Probably one of the bigger restaurants in Galena. Has both indoor and outdoor seating. Very typical Italian setting. Typical Italian food options. I got the chicken part which was quite generous in terms of portions. Overall it was ok but not amazing. Salad that came with the dish was not my favorite. The garlic bread was interesting - literally bread that was buttered with garlic stuff on it - made an interesting and tasty option. Definitely enjoyed that. Husband got a pasta dish (I think it was the carbonara with sauce), thought it was ok nothing out of this world. The service was ok. Probably the best part was the ambience and picturesque setting which was definitely enjoyable. They do charge a "fee" for credit card use which I thought it's not exactly reasonable - having credit card fees is part of doing business. read more

See all

Loved Vinny's! Atmosphere was great. Reservations were needed - they were busy for a Tuesday evening. I had the pasta shells and they were amazing, my husband had veal parmigiana. His veal was tough - otherwise would have given 5 stars. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

My husband and I came here with our baby for lunch right before heading out of Galena. The inside is clean and the prices are super reasonable. They have a bunch of seating areas and we sat on their second floor indoor area. This would be a great place to come with a big group and they were super kid friendly and accommodating for our baby. I really liked the decor with the red and white checkered tablecloths and rustic feel. It was very much the traditional Italian restaurant vibe. To go with that theme you also get free bread and a free salad with your pasta dish as many Italian restaurants did when I was growing up. I ordered the fettuccine seafood. It was creamy and really tasted like the ocean, but lacked a big flavor. It was tasty though. The plate was small which is great for a dish this heavy. I left feeling satisfied. The salad seemed to have fairly fresh ingredients. My husband got the traditional penne pasta with meatballs in marinara sauce. The sauce was thick and rich; however, he said it was pretty plain. Overall, the service is great and the food is decent. They offer good prices and great spacing for groups. read more

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

See all

All of the past dishes at our table were overcooked ... it definitely tasted like the pasta was par-cooked in advance. We enjoyed the salad. The restaurant setting was cute but gimmicky. Service was rushed from the ordering to payment. Maybe at one point this place cared about their food and service, but certainly not anymore. $25+ for mushy pasta from a box is way too steep a price for me to return. read more