This was a great experience. Â Clearly, the chef likes garlic as much as I do. Â
We went early on a Saturday night and very hungry. Â It was our first visit and so we couldn't resist ordering way too much food.
We started with the mustard wings. Â I'd never heard of such a thing, so we really had to do it. Â They were sweet and tangy and mostly lacking in the advertised kick, but they were just perfect. Â And thankfully not spicy so that my wife could enjoy them too. Â
With our salad also came the bread, which was topped with a garlicky seasoned oil. Â I had the caesar salad, and was thoroughly impressed with how much garlic flavor came through in the caesar dressing without crushing the anchovy and other flavors. Â Fresh cracked pepper table service is always welcome with me.
At the main course, we both had to get the fried chicken dinner for our first visit. Â The corn custard was especially good, and the green beans really picked up a salty ham flavor that I liked. Â
The chicken itself was cooked very well. Â I didn't like the blend of seasonings much, but that was just personal preference. Â I think I like my chicken breading loaded with salt - and this had a more earthy/herby flavor that was done well for what it was. Â Inside, the chicken stayed very moist and tender. Â
The portions were very generous and we had plenty of food to take home. Â While I care more about the food than the general atmosphere, the inside of this restored building is just too unique to ignore - especially with all the recovered bits of history making up the decor.
Myself and husband took a drive out to Waterloo to try their fried chicken on Sundays.
Quaint town. Great décor. Good Service. And great food.
Since it was just the two of us we had leftovers.
Their was a car show the same Sunday we went so it was really nice to see a sense of community.
We will definitely be back!!
Sunday 3/10th- we arrived at Gallaghers 30 minutes before they closed-
we were turned away at the door because "they had a wait longer than they were open".
We had drove all the way to Gallaghers-and we saw about 10 other people walk out too who were all extremely pi$$Ed- with good reason and said they would never go back.
I didnt even see any one waiting---
So note to Gallaghers- DONT TURN AWAY PAYING CUSTOMERS!!
but we went to Farmers Inn in Millstadt and had delicious fried chicken, so if you get there and they turn you away too, keep Farmers Inn in mind! :)
Fried Chicken Sunday.
Arrived here just as the doors opened, so it wasn't too bad. We had a big party. Myself, my parents, my sister and her husband, their two kids, and my 6 year old nephew. They took us upstairs and placed us in a room that was facing the street. Nice to see downtown Waterloo. Â The room had a Christmas tree, even though it wasn't Christmas, but it was cool nonetheless. I do like how they converted an old house into a restaurant! They even had an elevator that my niece, nephew, and I took downstairs because we can.
So much food. You get: family recipe fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, cream gravy, corn custard & slow-cooked green beans with ham & a complimentary
dessert served family style. The corn custard was so good! The chicken was just right. For dessert, we had various cake options. My tummy was so full from all the food, I had no room for dessert, but stuffed my face anyway.
Great food, great atmosphere, fun times had by all. Make your way over the bridge to Waterloo and see what all Gallagher's has to offer. You won't be disappointed.
Mmmmm! Â Yuuuum! Â Sunday Fried Chicken family style dinner at Gallagher's. Â Fried chicken with crispy delicious skin, real mashed potatoes, gravy, greens beans with chunks of ham, biscuits made from scratch, corn souffle, and a great dessert of cake with banana glaze. Â Oh my oh my!
The service was friendly and spot on. Â This place really packs people in on Sunday so get there right when they open. Â
The decor is delighful. Â All the reclaimed wood and old wood on the floors makes ther place feel warm and welcoming.
Gallagher's has small town surroundings, but once you get inside, you might think you're in Soulard. Â It's in a very cool old building just off the town square in Waterloo. Â Lots of unique wood decor that lands it somewhere between upscale and casual dining. Â The staff is all small-town friendly and represent their little burg well.
We had a part of six, so we were able to make reservations (five and over), still there were a few bigger tables available when we arrived a 7 on Saturday. Â Since we were with extended family, I got to try a few different things. Â I ordered the Grand Marnier Maple Glazed Salmon. Â the other dishes I got to try were Chicken Modiga, the oddly named Smoke-Cured Pork Chops Beautiful and the fried chicken, which is the Sunday special. Â It was all really good. Â Smoked pork chops are pretty much like ham, the Chicken Modiga was smothered in provel, so be warned if you're a hater. Â The salmon was kind of a homely dish with a pretty thick glaze, but it was very tender and delicious. Â For sides, I got the green beans, which were very peppery and unique, and cajun rice, which was pretty meh for me. Â The fried chicken was very unique. Â I hate to say this as it might sound like an insult, but it kind of reminded me of the Colonels original recipe, except with regular size pieces and not the mini-chicken pieces they serve at KFC. Â One other note: Â if you're the sharing type, don't have two people get the baked potato. Â They are roughly the size of a loaf of bread.
I don't think the waitress ever offered salads, but I'm glad. Â The entrees all come with two sides and I don't think anyone finished even that. Â Prices were very reasonable, so I think the two of us spent maybe $65 or so with a couple of cocktails. Â
Waterloo and Columbia are a couple of pretty awesome "local small towns" if that makes sense. Â They are both worth a visit if you haven't been, and Gallagher's is a pretty great destination.
We visited this restaurant on 8/9/2012 the day after the MMJ, BOH show at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis. Â The lunch specials were great the food rich and wonderful we all had leftovers. Â Bartender mixed great drinks and servers were good. Â Family business family atomsphere. Â Good for all... just go try it!
Review Source:Saw a BOGO coupon in the RFT for the family style chicken dinner that this place serves on Sundays. Never been to Waterloo (pure town) before but was a painless drive from STL via the JB bridge.
The place is very nice. There are are dining rooms up the stairs but in the dining room downstairs are booths made from the The Chase Park Plaza's old doors that the owners took during the renovation. Very cool.
The chicken dinner was excellent! Everything was hot and tasted very fresh.
Saw the menu for the regular lunch and dinner menu that is served during the week and will definitely go back to try.
I took my wife here for her birthday. We just moved to the area from Los Angeles, and everyone told us we had to try this place. We could definitely see why. It has a great atmosphere, and good food.
On "Tenderloin Tuesdays" you can pick any steak on the menu plus two sides for $15. Seemed like a good deal, so I ordered a New York strip steak with salad and green beans and my wife ordered the tenderloin with a salad and baked potato.
The service was good, but our food took for-ev-er to come. Like, pushing an hour and a half.
However, once it did come out, it was delicious. The cuts were great and mine was huge. The sides were tasty. (One of my pet peeves is when I go to a nice restaurant and the salad is obviously straight from a bag. This salad wasn't.) My steak was cooked a bit less than the medium I had ordered, but it was close enough for my taste.
Over-all our experience was very nice, and we'll definitely be back. (I have  a feeling I'll want to bump my rating up a star after another try.) We especially want to try their famous fried chicken!
EDIT: Second experience was similar, minus the long wait. Love this place!
Went for the Sunday noon fried chicken family style. Fried chicken, green beans with some pork cubes, biscuits, corn casserole (which was quite similar to a corn souffle), mashed potatoes (skin on) and butterscotch cake.
A special treat for some diners (me included) was a bacon-infused vodka bloody mary, which was divine. I had just one. But it was perfect.
The food was all delicious, filling and pretty darned close to being at Gram's for Sunday dinner. The chicken tasted like there was some cornmeal in the breading, but hot and juicy; the green beans had plenty of onions; the biscuits were flaky, soft and hot; the corn casserole was perfectly spiced with onion and green pepper; the mashed potatoes were exceptionally flavorful because the skin was left on, and I'd say these were small red new potatoes; the butterscotch cake was (the m word).
We had a lovely service for our large table of 20. The place is well-appointed with lots of wood and brick.
A good friend took me here for my birthday dinner. Â We are both foodies, and there are plenty of places in St. Louis we could have gone to, but she said this would be worth the 30 minute drive. Â And it was! Â The first thing I noticed was how cool the building looked. Â Then I noticed how family orientated they are. Â The girl who showed up to our table was actually carrying a baby in her arms. Â Normally, that might bother me, but for some reason it seemed right here.
The wine list is small, but covers all the bases, and is reasonably priced. Â Service was top-notch... casual, but very attentive. We both ordered the tenderloin, which came with 2 sides. Â The dressing for my Caesar salad had real anchovy flavor, and our steaks were cooked perfectly. Â I could not have had a better steak if I had been at Sam's or Andria's. The vegetable sides were not on the plate as an afterthought; they were homey and comforting and delicious. Â
This is one drive I won't mind making again and again  =)
My husband and I visited on a Friday night and had a great experience. We walked in without a reservation although it was early. Our kids ordered from the kids menu. One had the pasta dish and the other had chicken strips. Both meals were HUGE and one could have easily fed them both. The pasta dish had some of the best red sauce I've ever had. I had the garlic hamburger with a side salad. The homemade salad dressing was delish, and the burger tasted like it had been grilled and not fried. My husband had the fried chicken and it lived up to it's reputation. Â Simply delicious. We will definitely go back!
Review Source:Dinner for 6 last weekend made for 6 happy campers. Entrees were reasonably priced and - most importantly - very good. The smoked pork chops were particularly tasty. Of course, I almost didn't have room for the chops after too many passes of the bread basket - definitely a highlight with several varieties including a dark, sweet bread that was a big hit. One small issue - the selection of wine by the glass was very limited. Irish coffee at the bar on the way out served as dessert - nice way to end a nice evening.
Review Source:Very nice atmosphere and ambiance here. Decor kinda reminds me of a mix of the South. Three story brick building with outrageously high ceilings. Second story balcony like in New Orleans, this would be fun to eat dinner on in the summer. Lots of natural wood finishing inside. Very nice.
Good menu, pretty reasonably priced. My friend got the Chicken Modiga and said it was good, not great but good. Green beans on the side and the biggest baked potato I've ever seen. I had the salmon which was awesome. I would go back in a minute for that!! Pasta with red sauce on the side which was OK and asparagus steamed to perfection!!
OK wine selection, not impressive though. We chose a pinot noir to go with any dish before placing our food order. It was nice, light and fragrant and went very well with our dishes.
Wait staff was very attentive to our needs. Water glasses were never empty and plates were cleared when we were finished. Surprising to find a restaurant this nice all tucked away in Waterloo.
Gallagher's is a great addition to Waterloo and definitely not the type of restaurant you would expect to find there. Â Their menu is more on the pricey side with their selection of steaks and seafood, so it's a good place to go for a special occasion. Â The restaurant has a really nice ambiance and is located in a great building with lots of charm. Â
The family style Sunday chicken dinners are great. Â It's all you can eat fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits, gravy, and green beans. Â And everything is really good. Â The chicken is very nicely spiced and not dry at all. Â You can order the fried chicken any day, but it's only served family style on Sundays.
Gallagher's is arguably the best five star restaurant in all of southern Illinois. It is located in a beautifully restored historical building; had you seen it before it was Gallagher's you'd never believe how they managed to turn something so neglected into something so beautiful. You can read all about the history of the building and all the repairs and upgrades the family made to the building when you visit (and you should), but one tidbit that sticks out in my mind is that the tables are made from Waterloo's old bowling alley lanes; this place is seriously innovative.
The innovation doesn't stop there. The food at Gallagher's is a new take on old classics. Take the crabby pretzel for example, it is a Bavarian style pretzel stuff with crab meat, topped with provel cheese, and baked to golden bubbly deliciousness. They also offer a grilled chicken breast with apricot sweet & sour. This twist on what is usually a boring entree makes it both unusual and delicious. Some members of your group scared of new things? No worries. Gallagher's also offers plenty of pastas, steaks, and chops that are traditional and delicious.
I'll admit, I've only been here for Sunday dinner, but Gallagher's has quickly become a tradition for our family. Just a short drive across the Mississippi river from St. Louis, Gallagher's is in historic downtown Waterloo, Illinois. On Sundays they serve a traditional Sunday dinner that's always the same - green beans, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, fresh baked biscuits, and the best fried chicken you'll ever eat - just like Grandma used to make on the farm! Its all they serve on Sundays.
I've heard that during the week, they serve good food and have live music sometimes, but we've only been on Sunday.
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