The food,, customer service and ambiance is excellent. Â This is a great place for dinner. Â My husband and I love to go there. Â Prices are so reasonable and the food is great quality. Â Love that the entrees are not a la carte. Â You get great portions with your meal. Â This restaurant has been in business for 50 years so they are doing something right. Â They only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. Â Ribs are the BEST in town! Â Fall off the bone and very meaty! Â Will definitely be back!
Review Source:Do not come to the Gale Street Inn if you are on a diet or in a hurry. Â This is the kind of place that you need to eat a salad for lunch, and SPLURGE on your dinner. Â What's nice is that the calorie splurge doesn't have to equal a budget-bust. Â The prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get.
I went here for the first time last weekend, after hearing about it for years. Â This place is old school Chicago, 100%. Â The big bar in front was bustling with people, young and old, watching the Blackhawks game and having pre-dinner drinks on a Saturday night. Â We got there a bit later than we wanted to, and thus had to wait about 45 min for a table for 4. Â Not a big deal - it got a little annoying as we realized they had forgotten about a few large reservations that were coming in while we waited. Â But they were incredibly nice about everything and sat us as soon as they could.
Two people in our party got the full slab of ribs, I got the BBQ chicken, and one person got the BBQ chicken salad. Â All the entrees came with potato choice and soup/salad. The salads were much nicer than the standard "iceberg lettuce & mealy tomato" nonsense, so huzzah for that. Â Both the ribs and the chicken were fall-off-the-bone tender with a sweet, sticky BBQ sauce. Â We also split the turtle sundae ice cream cake slice for dessert. Â Please, please, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT order this for only one person. We had 4 people digging into this, and we barely finished it.
Good beer/wine selection and full bar. Â I thought it was a great place to take parents/in-laws for a nice, but not fancy-schmancy dinner.
Not too shabby! Â Ribs are great! Â Service is great! They've been around for 50 years; gotta be doing something right, right? Â Minor complaint: They never change the soup; Â same 3 soups on the menu for a decade. Â PLEASE CHANGE THE SOUP.
Also, I was there when the  Queen of Gale Street was eating with her family. How cool is that?
This place has a relaxed ambience it's dark and relaxed. Good place to go with friends or on a date. They have nice bar with a lil jazz playing in the back round just a great vibe. Great place to take the whole family on Sundays. But besides all that its the ribs!! You could eat them with a spoon sides are excellent and with a grey goose gimlet it's all just so perfect. This is the best place for ribs period I can't even try any other meals on the menu because I can't say no to the ribs. Thee staple of Jeff park! If you haven't gone yet go.
Review Source:Best ribs out there! The sauce is so sweet & they fall off the bone (literally)!
We came here for my grandma's birthday and had such a nice time. Our server was friendly and was attentative. Â I ordered the chicken tomatillo soup (delicious with a little kick) and half rack of ribs (saucy and sweet) with a side of french fries (standard)- all for $16.95 which I would say is worth the price. Â I also tried some of the London broil and chicken, both very flavorful. Â Everyone enjoyed their meal without any complaints- overall a very successful dining experience. Â Also, the live music is a great touch! I would definitely come back here.
by far the best ribs i've ever had. i love me some bbq and its amazing how good this place is. the bread you get is amazing, we always call ahead and carry out, so we get extra bread. they have changed it in the past, the new bread isnt that amazing but still great. we always order for super bowl. i wish they were opened on new years day but sadly they werent. make sure you order a side of al-gratin potatoes, you will not be disappointed.
Review Source:I think my favorite part of Gale Street Inn was the ambiance. It reminded me of my favorite restaurant as a child called Redwood Inn--RIP :( Whenever we went to dinner there, I knew that it was going to be a good night and it was a temporary escape from a somewhat dreadful childhood. Since Gale Street Inn reignited those happy feelings in me, I knew it was true love from the moment we walked in. Gale Street Inn has low lights, dark wood and maroon carpeting. It seems somewhat brooding--like a place that Edward Cullen would hang out to hide from the sun (sorry had to fit a Twilight reference in to at least one review)-- but sooo wonderful.
The service was equally as fantastic as the ambiance. We sorta had two waitresses as one was in training and the other one would come back to check on us and make sure that the other waitress was meeting our needs. I liked that a lot as it showed that they really cared and that our needs were being met.
I had the herb roasted half chicken. This isn't something I'd normally order but the reviews were great and reviews don't (usually) lie! The chicken was REALLY good but humongous. I was only able to finish about half of it. Next time, I'd probably order that to share. The juice/sauce that accompanied the meal was plate-licking good and the mashed potatoes were phenomenal.
I also had the chicken tomatillo soup and the pumpkin cheesecake (seasonal.) They were both equally as scrumptious and ignited even more happy feelings in me.
Overall, the prices seemed fair, the service was good and the ambiance was great. I can't think of a single thing to complain about which means Gale Street Inn gets my stamp of approval!
The food is solid, some of it quite good, much of it was okay. Â I do not quite understand the glowing recommendations, especially when there are other true bbq places (yes, I am looking at Smoque) with much better flavor.
Frankly I did not appreciate the service, which was very uneven. Â Water glasses filled quickly, but drinks from the bar were ssssssssllllllllllllllooooooooooowwwwwww. Â I could have distilled my own vodka in the time it took to have a drink order filled.
It was just okay.
I have never been to a place where the left overs are just as good as freshly served! Our waiter Billy was amazing! Full of life and so hilarious. The food was spot on perfect as always. I don't live near GSI but I always make it a point to come here when I'm in the mood for delicious ribs!! I have my 11 year old hooked on this place!!
Review Source:This is my go-to place.
The remodel really updated things.
The live entertainment is always good and non-intrusive.
The food is delicious.
The best asset this restaurant has is the people.  The staff is über friendly and super efficient.  They truly make you feel at home.
I love this place. Â Yummy!
I heard from the restaurant and they told me their reservation policy was on their website. Â I used my phone to look and could not find it. Â They told me I was in the minority that disagreed with this policy. Â Unlikely. Â Apparently we only waited an hour and ten minutes following our reservation (because they checked the recorded video!)so I am correcting my earlier statement. Â The owner sent me a message through this website to tell me I am a horrible person and that he is glad I'm not returning. Â Ok. Â I see from other yelpers that I'm not the only one.
Review Source:I found it to be very overrated. I had the ribs and I didn't think they were anything special. It was actually pretty surprising to me that they were so outlandishly expensive since they tasted like ribs you'd get at a pizza place. The positive: it's a great, albeit loud, atmosphere, and the waitstaff was very attentive.
Review Source:Gale Street, you done broke my heart. Â
For years now, all I've heard is how awesome Gale Street is. Â I was excited to give it a go. Â My dude and I bought a house not far from here and decided to have our "wow, we just closed on a house!" celebratory dinner. Â
The waitress was great. Â Friendly and helpful. Â The calamari appetizer was delicious, crispy not too greasy. Â The soup of the day was clam chowder and was kick ass. Â
But it was a big fat fail from there on out. Â My dude ordered a slab of ribs (because all everyone talks about here is ribs, we HAD to try them) and I got prime rib. Â I must (**MUST**) have prime rib rare, it's the only way to have it, IMO. Â But my piece came to the table a very solid medium. Â When I pointed it out to the waitress, she asked me to cut into the piece to see how it was done in the middle. Â Um, it was medium in the middle as well. Â She apologized and said, "yeah, prime rib is best rare and that's definitely medium". Â Indeed. Â She did not offer to bring me another piece (because, I assume, there was no rare prime rib to be had in the kitchen... WHO DOESN'T HAVE RARE PRIME RIB?!?!) and asked me to choose something else off the menu. Â I chose another slab of ribs like my dude. Â
The ribs were not at all my kind of ribs. Â My husband's neither. Â We didn't finish them and we ended up tossing the leftovers after three days of them sitting in our fridge. Â The sauce was far too sweet for our taste and very sticky. Â They were cooked well, were fall off the bone and such, but the sauce was just not great. Â
We're sad because everyone raves about this place and it's super close to our new home. Â But we won't be back.
Best damn steak sandwich I ever had. Steak was perfectly cooked. It was lean, juicy, and tender. Fries were surprisingly good too, crispy, and perfectly seasoned. And if you're looking for dessert the bread pudding ain't too shabby either. It was so damn good I almost wanted to call them back and tell them about it. Lol.
Review Source:I frequent the Gale Street Inn. This is 5 stars all around. service, atmosphere and ofcourse the food!! The tamatillo soup is excellent and I can't say enough about the ribs. So many places with great ribs in Chicago but this is my #1. Thankyou for the wonderful experience each and every time I visit !!
Review Source:This is my go-to spot for ribs, but every time I'm there I'm tempted by the Jumbalaya. Â Every time it's hard to decide between the soups because I've never had a bad one there - and I normally don't even eat soup. Â The servers have been very friendly, and they've gone out of their way to help with my wife's gluten intolerance*. Â I prefer to sit in the bar area when I go. Â If rating the dining room, I'd give it a 4.5 - it gets a little loud in there.
*I'm not suggesting that they have gluten free options for celiacs. Â She's not so sensitive that a little cross contamination impacts her.
Love Love Love the Ribs here! Fall off the bone for sure. I work in the neighborhood and on Monday Nights, they have a live Jazz Band playing and a great Rib Special (Full Rack for $19). Â Great place to enjoy music and food with friends and family. They do get very busy on Monday Nights, so plan to do a little waiting or call ahead for reservations. Â They have a very simple menu and a bar area with lots of tv's. I recommend the Ribs, the side of spinach, and their chicken tomatillo soup. Yum!
Review Source:I've been coming here for years. Â I love Gale Street Inn, it has to be one of my favorite restaurants and always a great last minute "go to". Â Gale street is a Chicago classic. Â I don't care what anyone says about the place, the ambiance, etc... The place is classic Chicago.
Yes you walk in and it has low lighting, dark mahogany, deep red carpeting. Â You feel like you've been sent back in time. Â I like that feel, I like coming here with my wife, it feels intimate. Â They used to have the live Jazz Piano on the weekdays, I haven't seen that in a while. Â But the place feels cozy. Â If you think it feels like your grandpa used to go here... possibly, the place has been around for a long time.. GET OVER IT! Â You don't like it.. head over to your nearest skinny jean rocking establishment and get your jagerbomb, obomb, whatever bomb fix there. Â Moving on.
The wait staff is terrific. Â Everyone is courteous and they treat you very well. Â I have never had any rude or bad service here EVER!
Drinks are always good, they can make a great martini, manhattan etc. Â Decent wine selection and basically over all great bartending.
The food is all good here. Â Its classic, simple to the point. Â You want steak, they have steak, Perfectly cooked filet....you want fish, they have fish. Â The ribs are one of their specialties. Â They have an off the menu rib sandwich you can order shhhhh! Â The ribs are fall off the bone, delicious sauce. Â But the best thing there that has to be the Chicken tomatillo soup. Â I can't say enough about this soup. Â It comes in a little cup, piping hot, spicy with strips of chicken, crispy tortilla and a dollop of cream. Â It is heaven in a cup. Â IF you have not had this soup... you are missing out. Â Go get it. Go get it.... go get it. Â You will want to inhale a bowl of it. It's that good.
Recently a group of ladies made plans to have lunch at Gale Street Inn I had called
two weeks earlier to set reservations. when it came to go for the lunch I called to
double check if every thing was fine, well at this time the person in charge, I wont mention his name said, we no longer open for lunch I never got a call.
Had I reviewed this restaurant a year ago, it would have been 2, perhaps 3 stars. Dined there yesterday and must say the ambiance has improved dramatically. They clearly renovated the interiors recently and the place has a much different vibe. Feels like a nicer, cleaner place. The tomatillo soup is indeed really tasty. The ribs are also very good. Sunday night is family night and they have a magician/balloon artist going from table to table. The kids loved it. Service was good and attentive. Good beer list. All in all, a very solid dining option for the neighborhood.
Review Source:I've been here a few times and never had a bad experience. Â It is definitely one of the nicer restaurants in the area, and the food is excellent.
My roommates and I visited last night because we wanted to try out the Monday Nights Rib Special with Live Jazz ($19 for full rack... [STEAL!!!]). Â I had noticed it on the menu last time I had eaten there and had been waiting to try it out for months.
The ribs were GREAT. Â Very tender. Â I highly suggest getting the Au Gratin potatoes as a side; my parents previously lived in the neighborhood for about 15 years and claim that the potatoes, ribs, and jambalaya have always been the Gale Street Inn's specialties. Â However, be warned- if you go on the weekends, they do not start making the potatoes until late afternoon (learned this the hard way a few months ago when we went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon).
Service is good; the honey butter you receive with the table bread is amazing.
I give 4 stars because last night, to our disappointment, there was no live music accompanying the Monday night rib special. Â We asked our waitress about it and she said the band hadn't been in all summer, but would probably start up again mid-September. Â Understandable, but the website and menu were advertising live music. SO, while it wasn't the end of the world, it was a little disappointing. Â I would suggest updating the menu or at least the website.
However, I won't let that keep me away. I will definitely be back this fall! Â Everything here is very good. Â Free parking, unless the lot is full. Â Street parking is $1.75/hr on Milwaukee.
Everybody I know raves about Gale Street and their "their fall of the bone ribs". So of course, I was dying to try this place. Â I made reservations one Saturday for a party of 6, and specifically asked to be seated at a round table so it would be easier to chit chat. Â When we arrived the manager said he did not have a round table for us at first, but then excused his mistake and found us a round table in the private room, which was perfect!
Needless to say I ordered the "fall off the bone ribs", and they WERE fall off the bone. Â The ribs were extremely tender. Â You didn't even need to use your hands, the meat came off easily with a fork. However, the reason I provided a three star rating after a great experience is because the bbq was just not quite up to par with the ribs, and I always compare ribs to Smoque BBQ in Chicago. Â Nothing has quite matched up to them yet.
On the other-hand, one person in my party had the steak sandwich. Â She said it was by far THE BEST steak sandwich she has had.
Service was okay. Â Our server had an accent so at times it was hard to hear what he was saying.
Gale Street Inn has been providing delcious food and great service in this neighborhood for a very long time. Going you have to try the ribs...I would recommend to try the Monday rib dinner special....it's a steal!
The service is always great.
I really like most of the food served here...the drinks are kind of expensive with not the biggest selection and it's a little dark.
Definitely try this out.
Chicken Tomatillo Soup! Â Let me tell you, I've never had this soup before but I bet this is exactly what delicious tastes like! Â
The ribs speak for themselves ... but if I had to describe them in 5 words... FALL OFF THE BONE YUMMY.
Our server JJ was attentive, hilarious, and I'm pretty sure when we left the restaurant we were best friends.
The prices are more than reasonable for 17 bucks you can get a side, soup or salad, and a half slab of ribs. Â It's more than enough for me.
This place is so close to my house I'm embarrassed I haven't been here more. Â They also have a full bar (I can just tell they probably make a great old fashioned)
Go here ask for JJ and tell him Nona sent you =)
Went to Chicago for the weekend and ended up in a Rib Joint. What kinda fool leaves Memphis and gets ribs in another city? Me, I guess........and I wasn't disappointed.
Let's get something straight right now----They aren't Barbecue Ribs, and they don't pretend to be Barbecue Ribs. I did have a hard time figuring out their cooking method, as the texture was very similar to Barbecue. I came to find out that the ribs are par-boiled first, then finished in the char-griller. Â The ribs get a glaze of BBQ sauce at the end, and are served.
While I'm normally not a fan of boiling ribs (some of the flavor gets thrown out in the water), Gale Street has a cooking method that has held up over time. Contrary to some of the reviews here, the ribs don't "fall off the bone". They aren't that mushy. They are perfectly tender with a little outside crust, and the meat pulls from the bone cleanly.
Everything that I had was very good----crab cakes, garlic mashed potatoes, a bite of the London Broil, and the Spinach Artichoke Dip. This place is welcoming, and very Chicago. The bar has regulars, as does the dining room. If I lived in the neighborhood, they'd know me.
If you're visiting Chicago, they're right across the street from the Jeff Park Stop of the Blue Line. Very convenient to get here, and the food is worth the trip.
Yummm!! Â We went there a few weeks ago and this was our first visit. Â The service
was amazing and the food was delicious! Â I had bbq ribs that were so tender that
I didn't even need a knife!! Very very good! Â If you go before 5:30pm they have an
early bird special....check it out! Â Can't wait to go back!
We had reservations for my mother in law's birthday. Â And we still waited a long time before we were seated.
This restaurant has an old-fashioned, classy, dinner club feel to it. Â Lots of mahogany, very dimly lit. Â It isn't romantic (they serve ribs) but it's classy without being pretentious.
I had the chicken tomatillo soup (spicy!) and I haven't had anything else like it, it was delicious. Â I also had the special, chicken cacciatore. Â Chicken was tender and I felt like I was eating a quality meal. Â Everyone else had ribs and was pleased with that fall off the bone phenomenon. Â
They could use another chicken or seafood item on the menu. Â Other than a portabella panini, there weren't many vegetarian options available.
Our server refilled our wine glasses like a BOSS.
I love Gale Street Inn!
Their new bar is quite cute, and their bartender makes some very nice G&Ts.
The ribs are why you go to GSI. They are to die for and fall right off the bone, no knife required. Their steaks are also very yummy, too (I recommend the filet mignon).
In all of my years going here, I have never had a bad experience. Even their bread is fantastic and arrives piping hot with a superb whipped butter.
Try the bread pudding. You won't regret it.
The staff are always attentive, alert and very charismatic. 5 stars it is!
OMG.
i love this place.
the food.the service.the ribs.the soup and the atmosphere!
i've been wanting to try this place out because i heard they had good ribs, my bf and i decided to try this place out for our anniversary.
we were seated right away on a saturday night because we opted for a high table by the bar.
must try: -chicken tomatillo soup
       -au gratin potatoes
       - RIBS
       -jambalaya (bf said it was good, it had shrimp, chicken and sausage)
       - bread pudding for dessert.
i love you gale's! i'll be back on mondays for your rib special.
Let's be clear about one thing from the outset: the ribs aren't BBQ. BBQ is smoked, a tiny bit chewy, and meaty. These are slow-cooked, fall off the bone, and soft. They are absolutely delicious, but not BBQ.
Now that we got that out of the way, Gale Street is the only restaurant in the area you'd feel good about telling an out-of-towner about if they are looking for a casual but nice restaurant. Everyone, including me, will recommend the ribs, but the other cuts of meat are delicious, and the jambalaya is outstanding as well. Even the (honey) butter is good.
They recently renovated, which really opens up the space and made the bar area a nice option to have a martini. One of the few restaurants anywhere in the city that still does the "sympathetic bartender" thing where you can sit down, order a manhattan, and tell Lou or Boney Bob about your troubles while jazz plays in the background. I took my wife here on our first date well over a decade ago, and we still go when our diets allow. The gold standard for Jefferson Park.
If I were Scrooge McDuck, I would want to jump into a pool of Gale Street Inn ribs instead of gold coins.
I'm a fall of the bone ribs kinda gal. Some people may say they like North Carolina type tangy dry ribs. Not I. I want the meat to fall off the bone and land right into my mouth.
I order my ribs to go because I want to do diners a favor and not have them witness me attacking these ribs like an animal. Here are my quick points on the meal:
Salad - standard ice berg lettuce salad, nothing to write home about
Bread - Sometimes soft, sometimes dry. The highlight is the sweet butter.
Twice Baked Potato - Solid. It's a rather big potato baked with bacon bits, onions, and it's pretty delicious
Grilled Vegetables - Standard grilled vegetables, carrots, asparagus, zucchini.
**RIBSSSS** Â - I think they're the best in the city. Tender, Juicy, Good sauce. They also give you extra sauce to add for your pleasure.
The price is pretty reasonable it's $24 for a full rack a side, bread, and salad.
I've dined in once. It's cozy but nothing special. Also, I'd rather eat my ribs in the comfort of my home, with stretchy pants on of course ;-)
Hands down best BBQ in the city.
Gale Street place doesn't  take reservations, but it doesn't need too; worth the wait!
When walking into this place, it's clear that everyone here is treated like family.
Even if you wait, a hostess will walk around with treats for you to snack on while you wait, and the bar area is a nice area to chat and drink.
The prices are so very reasonable, and that's not the important part;
THE RIBS ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously falls off the bone; nothing to waste here.
The sides are just as good.
I cannot begin to tell you the perfection to how these are cooked.
Staff is friendly and the restaurant is very conveniently located at the Jefferson Park Blue Line and Metra station.
I will always be a #1 fan
We flew to Chicago to spend Christmas with the in-laws. Â As we used to live in Chi-town, we decided to get together with friends at this well recommended place on our last night. Â Close to the Jefferson Park L-stop (almost across the street), is very accessible by train or bus with a little problem with parking if you drive over. Â However, it is a great place once you get in. Â The bar area is very nice and comfy. Â There was a jazz band playing great hits and the bartenders were friendly and made great mix-drinks at a very reasonable (price) compared to New York standards. Â (Ok... Â I give you the lowdown... in NYC we pay $40 bucks with two drinks, not including tip but in Chicago, we bought a round of drink for 8 people and only cost $53 with tip!)
We had to wait a little for our table to be ready however we did not care as it gave us a chance to enjoy the band and drinks. Â The table was ready shortly thereafter. Â As we looked at the menu, we realized we were there for the "Monday Rib Special" which is a full-slab of ribs for $18 with one side dish. Â The main dining area has tables spread out which made it nice for a nice conversation. Â The decor is a little dark but it is ok. Â I would do a little revamping of the decor as it is getting a little worn out. Â
Our server was great and friendly. Â Always making sure everyone was having a good time. Â We order two bottles of red wine and took our meal orders. Â I had to order the Monday nighty special with the french fries. Â My friend ordered the fish special of the day which was a trout with spinach and vegetables. Â The ribs were delicious! Â The meat fell off the bone and it was very tasty. Â The fries were very crispy. Â The side dish was quite small and I wish I had more fries. Â The fist was very tasty and delicious too. Â For dessert, I ordered the chocolate mousse. Â While it was delicious, it was too sweet and could only eat a bit of it. Â It also tasted too generic but did not stop me from easting some of it. Â Everyone had doggie bags to go home afterwards. Â
This is a place I will recommend for the food, ambiance and service. Â Just a little re-vamping of the decor will make this place even better!
It's really more 4.5 stars. My friends took me out to dinner here on my birthday for the first time and i was in a food coma by the time i left.
The place is huge! Although we were seated towards the back of the restaurant; when you walk in, there is a huge open bar area which seems like a nice place to just hang out. The atmosphere is very casual and the waitstaff were very friendly as we were greeted enthusiastically while entering and leaving.
We ordered baked clams as a starter, and although it was good, there was just too much cheese on it for my liking which i thought took away from the taste of the (tiny) clams. I had the chicken tomatillo soup as well which i really liked. Very tangy with a little bit of a kick. The tortilla chips were a nice crunchy surprise to find while working my way through it.
The RIBS! Oh my THE RIBS!! I can see why everyone recommends that you try their ribs. I split a full rack, but still could not finish it all. It was literally falling off the bone as it was transferred to my plate. Very moist (I hate that word but have to use it in this case:P) and tender. Even the next day as a leftover, they were still so soft and dare i say, tasted even better.
Potatoes slathered in cheese? Yes please! the Au Gratin potatoes were so yummy! Heck, I'll take anything covered in cheese (excluding the baked clams of course).
Dessert?? Like you should even ask! The turtle pie-ooh my mouth's watering now-delicious! From the pralines,to the filling that tasted like ice cream down to the chocolate crust was pure heaven!
I cannot forget their bread... or more specifically their honey butter that came with the bread. Reminded me of when i was younger and i used to mix sugar and butter together and just eat it (yes, i was a fatty even then). The waiter was super nice too. Â He even gave us some to-go containers with their butter.
They have a parking lot and lots of street parking. OK, enough of this really long review. Final review--Yes, I will definitely come back here again!
Monday night blues music, and $18.99 full rack of ribs/a side oooOOh YEAH!
The rack of ribs is fall off the bone, me and the bf were trying not to eat the ribs we set aside to take home. They really fill you up with appetizers. Complimentary bread and hummus pieces, and then complimentary bread and honey-butter...plus your side...and your meal. WHOA. It's great!
Dessert menu is eh. pass.