A friend told me this was a must dine about 4 years ago. I'd never have considered it considering the location but was surprised to have a wonderful meal and continued to have them each time I found myself in this neck of the woods. Atmosphere is excellent as is the service and the owner. The Osso Bucco is outstanding as is the pork loin and the veal. Unfortunatly the Pasts Fagioli is oil and white bean soup(no pasta) not good.The prices are very high here considering the location but were worth it. Unfortunatly, the last two times I've eaten here, both in the summer and fall of 2012, there has been a significant dropoff in the quality of food.Fair food extraordinary price. The waiter tried giving two of us a charge to sign that included a 20% tip !!! An outright attempt to rip us off, AND leaving the tip slot open. I now hear the chef has left and is at a new restaurant. Maybe one more chance? Dont know if I can do it. I am sooo disappointed.
Review Source:Let me start by saying my review would have been 5 stars if we wouldn't have run into a heinous situation and it would only be one star if the manager had not tried to rectify the situation quickly (the damage was already done however). I was attending a wedding here on Saturday night, everything was great until the bar closed. The bar closed at 10:30 (which wasn't the issue), the issue began when the groom and best man brought in some Crown to take a celebratory shot, one of the bartenders then tried to take the bottle of crown from the best man and then went on to accuse him of stealing the bottle from the closed bar but it didn't stop there. We found out from the other bartenders talking and the loud mouth bartender went on to call the best man and the guests, White Trash. Needless to say I will NEVER book an event here in fear of my guests being referred to as White Trash. The manager did try and rectify the situation but the damage was done once all of the guests attending realized how little the bartender thought of us. Also, everyone was tipping every time they made a trip up to the bar.
This was highly dissapointing to me since this was my first time at Gamba's and this is what I expereienced...my family being called white trash, which we are the furthest thing from.
Excellent service, excellent menu of high quality cuisine including authentic Italian food, excellent and cordial staff. Great place for a small wedding of up to 200 people and they are very accommodating for what you need. They also service for a large party over 200 people, by setting up a large white tent in their main parking lot and the setting is and service is fabulous, as well.
Review Source:This is my vote for best restuarant in Indiana!! Â I have been to top restuarants in Chicago, and Vegas. Â This is a gem! Â The ambiance is incredible and some of the best wait staff I have ever seen. Â I have ate there probably 5 times now and every meal I have had has been outstanding. Â My husband has loved every one of his meals just the same. Â The fish is very fresh and they usually have some fish entree that was just flown in and is rare in the area. Â Â Their Filets melt in your mouth! Â Their food presentation is also outstanding. Â And desserts?? Â HEAVEN!!!!! Â This place is a must visit!
Review Source:20 Oz Signature Porterhouse.. what else can I say?
okay.. well here's a few more words:
Everything you would expect from a classy/upscale Chicago-esque style establishment. We walked in without reservations and still were able to have dinner which surprised me.
My special lady is a vegetarian and she asked if they could make some regular fettuccine and they were more than happy to accommodate.
The only negative I could report was that 3 of the first four wines I ordered they were out of, so I got a glass on the house, not bad not bad.
Inigo was an excellent server - Bravo!
We loved the Yukon gnocchi with pistachios and brown butter sauce. Shrimp appetizers were huge ! Â
Risotto with scallops and tomatoes was soooo flavorful, creamy and delightful to the tongue.
And last but not least was our second entree - Swordfish -
All of the employees were trained quite well.
This is a hidden jewel in an upscale industrial park. Â Gamba was our finest dining treat so far in 2011! Â Excellent!
Well I guess I'm the only negative review. Ate here once, & it was good. Decided to take my fiancé here. Made a 8 pm reservation. Arrived @ 7:55, & was told it would be a couple min. Someone came by at 8:10 & again told us it would be a few min. No apology. No "Have a complimentary cocktail or appetizer for your wait". Nothing. We finally left at 8:22. Terrible way to treat your customers.
Review Source:A true hidden jewel of Northwest Indiana.Hidden in a literal sense that is...lol! For Gamba to be such an incredible eatery, it's a very hard restaurant to find if you've never been there.It cannot be seen from the street, so GPS is a lifesaver. That being said, this is my FAVORITE Italian restaurant ever. I've had some very good Italian food, but I must say this surpasses almost everywhere  I've ever been!  The key to their success, CONSISTENCY. Every time I've eaten there they have been consistently delicious and consistently given impeccable service. A top notch restaurant from the unique building design to the modern but subdued interior.So, if you're looking for classic Italian cuisine with small modern tweaks, this is the place to spend your money, you will not be disappointed. Major  kudos!
Review Source:Amazing Italian food, obvious it's made with care and passion. The rissoto was to die for as was the tiramisu. Worth the price when you want something special and authentic. The location could be better though, unless you hear word of mouth or happen across it on accident you aren't likely to find it.
Review Source:I was expecting it to be pricier lunch than what it actually was, and despite this fact it still had all of the quality and class that I originally anticipated. Â That being said it still is going to cost you a bit more than the Olive Garden, but it is well worth it.
Our server recommended the half chicken for lunch, and it was great. Â I was especially impressed when the server commented that her cousin had made it...obviously a family-operated business.
Hello, Â FOOD SNOB HERE, Â Simply put, MY FAVORITE Â Italian restaurant in THE REGION. Â Good place to bring a first date guys. Â Very Romantic. Â My man Benny is so pleasant to talk to with that Italian accent. Â And he will talk to you if they are not to busy. Â His wife and him formely owned Venezia in Merrillville. Â They built this beautiful round shaped building. Â Really sharp inside. Â May be a little too upscale for a lot of people. Â But if you appreciate good food,its worth it for a speacial occasion. Â GREAT STEAK. Â GREAT FOOD.
Review Source:Call it 4 1/2 or "How I gave a restaurant in the City of Strip Malls 5 stars"
How in the world I ended up in Merrillville Indiana (let alone a car!) is a bit fuzzy, but what is crystal clear is my wonderful experience at Gamba Ristorante.
Trying to avoid the overwhelming selection of Olive Gardens/TGIFridays/Red Lobsters/etc.etc. etc. we stumbled upon Gamba (which is quite a feat in and of itself) and were very happily surprised.
Gamba is owned and operated by Benito and Hilda Gamba, long-time restaurateurs who decided they wanted to open their dream restaurant, the result is Gamba.
The dinner menu is punctuated by everything Italian with a 5-star twist. We started with pheasant sausage with bacon and beans, and prefect crab cakes with a spicy orange mayonnaise and tomato apricot chutney. You can't go wrong. Or opt for "High cholesterol Foie gras". There is the now-ubiquitous peppercorn-cruted Ahi-tuna with nori salad and shrimp cocktail (though paired cognac and horseradish sauce), so opt for something less than typical
Near as I can tell, all of the pasta is handmade. If you are with a group, don't skip the pasta course. Order a few and share just to enjoy as much as you can. Stand outs include the handmade ravioli and the linguine with tuna.
We went with the pasta course in lieu of ordering from the "zuppa" or salad category which held the typical (by name at least) minestrone and Ceasar or sliced beet salads.
The main pasta offerings also hold the primary proteins including braised rabbit, porterhouse steaks, peppercorn encrusted lamb, Berkshire pork tenderloin and roast chicken. When I find Berkshire pork, I typically order it, but I was wooed by the rabbit. Delicioso!
The staff is professionally friendly, knowledgeable and offer a nicely-paced meal punctuated with recommendations as requested.
We did discover a very nice wine list (and wine-tastings {I should have taken a tour of the wine room})and that the restaurant offers a Murder Mystery experience. They also have banquet facilities and with the food coming out of that kitchen, if I was local and needed as much, I would definitely consider Gamba.
The restaurant and bar were full of regulars which was wonderful and a true testament to a great restaurant. Everyone there was treated like family which I found endearing and truly as good as it gets.
The only draw back for a non-smoking visitor from Chicago is that one side of the gleaming bar off the entrance is not non-smoking.
If I ever find myself back in Merrillville Indiana I will definitely be back.
Their restaurant and banquet facilities are the top. Â An excellent, varied menu of absolutely delicious food plus a great wine election make this place perfect for a night-out. Â Pricey, but worth it.
As for their special events, superb! Â Their banquet rooms are variable depending on the size you would like, and include tasteful and neutral, yet hip, decor. Â
There is an adorable courtyard!
The staff is polite, classy, and fun.
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