We were in Galena with some friends for a fun weekend. We were bar hopping up and down the street and noticed they had a shuffleboard table and thought we would stop in for a quick game and some drinks.
The atmosphere fits the category, this is a dive bar. It's not well maintained, it's not the cleanest, and there is nothing fancy about it. The beer is served in cans, at least all of the beer we ordered, and I don't think I'd risk ordering a mixed drink here that had more than two ingredients. They are obviously a shot and beer bar. So if you take your wife in there and she wants to order a cosmo, you might want to think about going elsewhere. The beer they have seemed to be mostly domestic large brands, Miller, Bud, Coors, etc. I don't think I saw any craft beers, but I'll admit I could be wrong on that. We didn't try the food, but I know they offer it.
We were in there twice on our weekend. Both times we had fun, we were able to play shuffleboard with some of the locals. Talked with the bartender, and in general had a good time. We'll probably go back the next time we're in town.
Overall if you are looking for a hi-end bar with fancy drinks or a great beer selection, there are other bars in town. For the price, if you just want to step away from those bars and just have some fun, you can't go wrong here.
I really think people should read the CATEGORY before going somewhere and expecting something more than is offered. This is a DIVE bar and is best at being a DIVE bar. If you're going to review a business you should review it for what it is, not what you think it should be.
This place is where the tourists come to mingle with the locals. You can truly get a feel for the real Galena by spending a little time here talking with the regulars and the bartenders. This is Galena's neighborhood bar right down at the end of Main Street. (there is another neighborhood bar but you'll have to get up into the residential area to find it - just stay on Main Street if you're a tourist)
We are regulars here and have met many interesting people during their visits to Galena. And yes they have a shuffle board table and they even have shuffle board league on Thursday nights. Yes, most of the beer is served in CANS. They have a few bottles of imports but that's only because you can't get them in CANS. If you're looking for $10 martini's go across the street. If you're looking for a can of beer or a well drink (the do have some call but no top shelf) then you've found the right place and you'll fit right in.
They have a very limited menu because all they have is a grill. No Fryer, no oven, no way to make salads. Just a grill that churns out some of the best hand patted burgers you'll find anywhere.
They also open daily at 5 am for breakfast and get a pretty good group of locals as well as some of the area farmers.
Oh yeah, they have a JUKE BOX, not some machine that surfs the internet for whatever kind of music you want. A real JUKE BOX that allows the owners to control what music is offered based on thier own clientel. And it's played often and it's often played LOUD.
One of my favorite bars in Galena. Â The Gold Room gives me everything I want in a dive bar:
1. Dedicated booze hounds drinking with gusto. Â I've yet to see anyone pass out at the bar, or piss themselves, but I feel like it could happen. Â
2. Jaw-droppingly cheap booze.
3. A fascinating variety of human wreckage in varying states of (un)dress and decline.
4. Â Some kind of built-in suburbanite repellant. Â Thank the gods. Â I don't know what you do, Gold Room, to keep the golf-and-antiques crowd at bay, but please keep doing it.
This bar stays relaxed, cheap, refreshingly free of both douche- and boob-oisie, and never lets you forget that everyone knows that you don't really belong there. Â What more could you ask for?
Not the only bar in Galena open on Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Best deal for real eggs and bacon and mysterious "side meat" breakfast on the planet. And when they're out of Jameson, just throw some Jack in that coffee.
It really is the best deal for breakfast in downtown Galena, IL. Even secret, meat loving, vegetarians love their eggs cooked on top of where sausage was just prepared!
Open even earlier during hunting season... I think at 4am - but you can't get booze until 6 or 7 am in Galena.
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