We have a friend from Waterloo who raves about this place, so we wanted to try it. First of all, vibes! Swanky, classy and dark interior, with a speakeasy-roaring 20's feel. It was raining the day we came so did not get to experience the rooftop. It was not busy on the day we came but we were seated fairly close to a lingering group of 6 who were incredibly loud, which was disappointing. We were there on a Sunday which is a limited menu because of the featured all-you-can-eat Sunday fried chicken dinner served family style. It's a great deal at $19/adult! Included are biscuits, dirty mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, corn custard, and then the chicken. Biscuits were VERY hard...like could hurt someone if you threw it at them hard. Green beans and dirty mash were exceptional along with the accompanying gravy. I also really enjoyed the chicken--flavorful, juicy, nice crust, piping hot. The corn custard, while the texture and corn flavor were nice, lacked seasoning. They mean it when they say all you can eat, and we were even given boxes to take home the few extras our stomachs didn't have room for. The service was unfortunately not great, took a while to see our waiter and we were never offered water refills. Overall, a nice restaurant with good food, would love to try their full menu. I deducted a star for noise, service, and a couple food items being a bit subpar. It was a half hour drive for us so if we ever happen to be in Waterloo would like to go back but probably wouldn't make a special trip for it due to the drive and us not being absolutely blown away. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Sunday dinner - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

For our pre-Christmas dinner, my husband brought me here. The place is located in downtown Waterloo. There were plenty of street parking available and within walking distance from the restaurant. When we arrived, we were greeted immediately and brought to an elevator. We were seated on the second floor overlooking the streets. The place is beautifully decorated from what looked like repurposed doors. I'm not sure if the door looks were intentional or they truly were repurposed. Either way, they gave the restaurant characters. Our waitress stopped by shortly after we were seated and took our drink orders. After she brought us our drinks, we placed an order for some smoked prawn roll (jalapeño cream cheese mousse, red pepper jelly, fried wanton and cucumber). Delicious! Next came our entrée. I ordered the 16 oz cowboy ribeye, medium rare. The steaks are a la carte. I ordered a side of brown butter asparagus to go with my steak. They offer accouterment for the steaks but I decided against it. My steak was prepared properly and was quite tasty. My husband had the grilled salmon which he also thoroughly enjoyed. For dessert, I ordered the chocolate grand Marnier creme caramel. It was divine! Overall, our dining experience was wonderful. Making the 20-minute trek was well worth it. read more

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Great experience for Sunday Fried Chicken at Gallaghers! Huge family style portions. Delicious crust on the moist chicken. Lovely older building that was rehabbed right on Main Street in Waterloo. Highly recommend! Check times as they close kind of early on Sundays. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

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My wife ordered the pork chops with apricot glaze. beautifully seasoned and cooked. The mashed potatoes were to die for. Green beans were perfect. I ordered the beef tortellini it was magnificent. Flavors were killer. Wine selection was excellent. Portion sizes were so large we had to ask for boxes. Highly recommend Gallaghers! Service was superb! read more

When you show up only to be told the Birria tacos are a lunch special but the chef James goes above and beyond and whips up some for you! Yeah that's special! Those were the best we've had!! The Buffalo chicken rangoon were amazing with the right amount of spice. The chocolate cake are what dreams are made of!! We had a nice booth by the bar, and our waitress was the best ever!!! You should run to Gallagher's!! read more

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You can't go wrong dining at Gallagher's. We love the return of some of our favorites from before the renovations. We have missed the wings and tomato bisque soup which happened to be the soup of the day when we were there. As always, the Gallagher's candied bacon burger is delicious! Our service by Mason was excellent! He really went out of his way to help make sure we had an enjoyable experience and even helped pick up our toddler's toys that kept falling on the ground. Gallagher's is the perfect place for an upscale date night, and they're also very accommodating when we need to bring our tiny humans with us. We sincerely appreciate their abilities to cater to both types of experiences. Shoutout to the bar manager and Mason for discovering a way to make an amazing mocktail Old Fashion so I could enjoy an NA option while pregnant. Gallagher's makes the absolute BEST Old Fashions (and Dirty Martinis). Seriously, from coast to coast, Gallagher's in Waterloo, IL knows how to do it right from the cocktail ice to the cherries. If you make a reservation, don't be alarmed by the business dress code note. There were people dressed in a variety of attire while we were there. All around, the ambiance, food and service are absolutely outstanding! read more

Have been here several times. It's a great place to go without having to drive across the river. Their bar selection is great. If you're a wino- you can bring your own for a very reasonable corkage fee or ask for the captains list. Menu has plenty. I haven't been disappointed yet. Steaks are great! Sides are good. I'd say the chef loves salt. A bit much for me, but still beats driving for a steak some nights. The desserts are homemade and usually a nice variety to meet what you're feeling on a given evening. They did a great job on the remodel and have a nice dining room upstairs and the bar area downstairs fantastic. If there was one area of opportunity for Gallaghers, the service doesn't meet the quality of food, atmosphere and pricing they're going for. That said, they do have food runners so that part is efficient. I'm still a returning customer and will continue. Just set the right expectations when you go in. read more

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Maybe it was an off night, as it was right after Christmas and there were many large groups. I didn't manager to get a bunch of pictures, and captured the item we didn't even order. Service was subpar. Everything took a long time, but again, there were a lot of large parties, so it's understandable. When ordering our appetizers, we asked about the salmon dip, the waitress didn't "sell us on it" so we went with the calamari and chicken wings instead. Wings were the best part of the whole meal. Calamari pieces were small and heavily breaded. Too salty for my liking. The dip came out and when we mentioned we didn't order it, she said we did and proceeded to charge us at the end. We are easy going so we didn't push back (I think she just graduated high school). Over all I think the highlights were the burgers and wings. The other "elevated" items were just ok. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Salmon dip - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

We went hiking at the Salt Mine in Valmeyer and decided to head to downtown Waterloo afterward for some food and drinks. Gallaghers came highly recommended, so we stopped in. It is newly remodeled and SO beautiful and classy, but still homey inside. The servers were top notch. My dad and fiancé both got the bacon wrapped meatloaf and it was amazing! One of my favorite dishes of the night were the green beans that (Sunday beans) came with the meatloaf- fresh, crisp, and an amazing balsamic flavor. My mom got the swordfish special with was very tasty as well. I got the BBQ burger because I was starving and the server recommended it. It was good, but not great and the truffle fries were disappointing, especially compared to my favorite burger and fry place, which is why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. My mom and I also had fresh cosmo martinis and they were amazing! I would come back and get the meatloaf and try a new dish! read more

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What a fantastic venue! We traveled from St Louis over to Waterloo after seeing this recommended numerous times. Location is adorable- the downtown area of Waterloo is super cute with lots of surrounding things. Lights string the roads at night and make for well lit, welcome vibe to walk from place to place. Building is beautiful, service and hospitality were top notch. Food was exceptional and drinks were well served! read more

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This was our first time to return here after they reopened. Our whole experience was very good. We were seated right away upon arrival even though we were a bit early for our reservation. Our waitress, Tala, was very knowledgeable about all the dishes. Her dad was one of the chefs so she obviously has absorbed some of that knowledge from him. We started with the grilled Caesar salad which was as nice to look at as it was to eat. The dressing had a slightly sweet taste to it. My husband loved the 2 anchovies. The salad was not all that big but enough for us to split. The beet salad was also tempting but I didn't try it. My Chilean sea bass was outstanding. Some of the best I have ever eaten!! It was served over saffron risotto and had great beans on the side. On top of the fish were potato strings that were fried- so yummy. Risotto was a slightly dry but still had a good flavor. My husband who is finicky about his pork chops loved his order! He ordered a side of brussel sprouts too and thought those were good. I gave into the little devil on my shoulder telling me to go ahead and order dessert. We split chocolate flan like dessert. Wow it was delicious. Prices for some menu items seemed high while other items were reasonable. Desserts , sides were the more expensive items. Steaks too but that is typical. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Almost too pretty to eat - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

As a re-plant in St.Louis, I have started to venture into IL, my younger sister insisting Waterloo is the gem of the state. A new friend, born and raised in the area, brought me to Gallaghers for dinner, knowing my love of independently owned restaurants, delicious food, and unique/charming atmosphere. I could not be more impressed!! As a restaurant owner and consultant myself, I am overly considerate of the pains and struggles of restaurants, especially post-covid, especially in small towns. I was blown away by not just the level of service, but the number of servers!! We had no less than 5 separate people check on us throughout our meal, clearly working as a unified team. The food, wow! I wish we had bigger appetites! The Ahi Tuna app, Swordfish, Scallops, and Risotto were fabulous! The flavor, cook level, and presentation were all on point. While yes, if we knew our seafood would be served on beds of yummy rice, we would have opted for no side or a different side, we were still very happy. This is a place we will easily return to for dinner or even drinks and apps at the bar to get a different vibe. Also, looking forward to experiencing the patio in action. My experience in private events has me hankering for a full tour of the building. The 3rd floor is for private events. Gallaghers isn't just a place to dine while in Waterloo, it's a reason to go to Waterloo. read more

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This is a very nice restaurant for dinner. It has apparently been remodeled recently but I cannot speak to what it was like as this was my first time. The place was very busy but we got our seats quickly. The staff were all very professional. As for the food. The truffle fries came out in a bucket, not literally a bucket but my gosh what a serving size. They were also delicious. The grilled Cesar salad was perfect. The burger had been very hyped up to me and I ordered it as well. (Sorry I did not get a picture). The burger was good but I will be ordering something different next time to try and explore there menu more. Great little spot to check out. read more

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I had the scallops for the first time and didn't realize how SMALL they are. They were very good but small portion. The service was 11/10. I have nothing bad to say. Ambiance was spectacular. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Scallops and green beans - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

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To start, both the service and the ambiance there were exquisite! HOWEVER, the food is as bland as my gym socks! The rice is saltier than the Dead Sea, the vegetables make me wonder if they cooked them over an open trashcan set ablaze, and the way they treat their employees that are performing to the best of their abilities like garbage is BEYOND despicable! To say the meat is correctly cooked makes me wonder if I'm at a steakhouse or a comedy club! It's either undercooked or overcooked to the point where I'm wondering if I'm eating shoe leather! To reiterate: Service: top-notch! 10/10, would recommend in a heartbeat! Ambiance: chef's kiss! Food: I would not feed that to even my dog, and she's 12, blind, and eats EVERYTHING, including dead mice! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, RUN SCREAMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE KEEPING A DEATHGRIP ON YOUR WALLET! THEY RUINED MY BUSINESS MEETING WITH AN IMPORTANT CLIENT AND BUNGLED MY RESERVATION! read more

The service, cocktails, and food were all amazing. We couldn't have had a better anniversary celebration!

We returned after a long break due to their closure and the pandemic, and let me tell you--the Sunday family-style chicken dinner is as delicious as ever! The chicken is moist, perfectly breaded, and those dirty mashed potatoes are unbeatable. Absolutely worth the drive, and I'll definitely be back! read more

The food was amazing and pretty presentation. The service was a little on the slow side, which I was not expecting. The ambience was very beautiful. It had a romantic vibe to it. I would definitely try this place one more time. It does have lots of potential. It does have an elevator for those who can't use stairs. The drinks are really good. read more

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Service was great at lunch. Friendly and welcoming. Barbecue burger was bland, very little barbecue and mislead idea of a barbecue burger. Onions were like they came out of a bag, not really sauteed on a grill. The fries tasted like the oil hasn't been changed in a week as well. In all the chicken burger was almost like it was microwaved as well as the other meals. Not worth 23 bucks a meal.. Music was alright and the total feel of the place is nice but it isn't exactly what I expected from Gallaghers for being a top rated place in town. read more

The new and improved Gallagher's is excellent as expected. The Sunday chicken meal has returned. All sides have been up scaled and better than before. The new decor is spectacular! 20's retro style speakeasy. Love the new look read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

The food, waitstaff, decor and ambiance of this establishment is above and beyond anything within a 10mile radius. However, the host is very slow, unwelcoming and frankly rude. I have been here 4 times in the last 2 months and have experienced the same issues with the same host. I do not know his name but, he is younger, has long hair and is very quiet. Each time I've come in I've been the one to greet him and his only response each time has been asking if I have a reservation. Again, the food is great the decor and ambiance is amazing, and the waitstaff is beyond exceptional. If owner/management sees this, please get a new face of FOH, it's very unwelcoming... read more

We went for the Sunday fried chicken dinner and all of the food was fantastic particularly the chicken, the green beans and the biscuits with apple butter. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is simply that they need more employees. Everyone working there was very friendly and tried very hard, but it was apparent that they were short-staffed. It is definitely worth the drive from St. Louis for a fun, getaway. read more

It just didn't do it for me. Out of six meals, 2 didn't have an issue. They were either cold or didn't have flavor or what we ordered didn't come out until after we were done eating. The staff was nice. read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. Fries were soggy, steak was over cooked, mashed potatoes l were burnt (how??). Asked to speak to the manager, and the head chef came out, his name was Brian. He had a chip on his shoulder was not open to feedback. Paid $268 for 3 people and the food was trash could have made it better at home. It's definitely not worth the price we paid. Won't be back. read more

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Utter garbage. They served uncooked chicken to my child after I was talked to like a moron by a waitress when asking if I could get a "side of macaroni and cheese", then I explained it was for the kid. Finally they mentioned they do have a kids meal which included raw salmonella on her third trip to the table. I keep trying this place only to realize it is still the worst overpriced restaurant in the Metro area. If only google could average their reviews once reopened. read more

Service here is exceptionally prompt and friendly. The food is very good here, especially the pork chops and the "dirty mash" mashed potatoes. A nice dining experience overall. read more

This is one of the best meals I've had in a longtime. Considering I travel every week, there's numerous restaurants for comparison. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable armed with answers to all my questions regarding both food and drinks. read more

Service left a big room for needed improvements. Missing food for our Sunday family style. No one checked to make sure we got everything that was included. Dirty plates and glasses just left on the table and not taken away. Drink order left sitting on the bar waiting for table delivery as the waitress kept walking by it. Bartender had to top off beer from just sitting there. Ask the waitress to package the leftovers, a certain way, and it didn't happen. The food was absolutely amazing. I wouldn't change anything with the food. The inside is amazing. They did a great job on the renovations. read more

I feel compelled to write a review because I had dined at this restaurant years ago, and tonight's experience was completely different from what I recall. First of all, the entire three-story property has been completely renovated both inside and out. Beautiful is an understatement; they spared no expense updating the entire property, and you walk into the restaurant to find stunningly beautiful decor, and I mean stunning like Four Seasons or JW Marriott lobby stunning. We were seated and presented with homemade biscuits, which were delicious, and we had no fewer than four distinct people taking care of us during our meal. Our first server presented us with a card to fill out, which simply asked how the service in the food was; I found this a bit interesting but didn't give it too much thought. Then the menus came out. Very simple, flawless, font, and beautifully elegant presentation of their menu items. We came for the Sunday chicken dinner, and again, it was completely different from that which we ate many years ago. The meal came out quickly, and the presentation was first rate. I am kicking myself for not taking any photos, but all four dishes were just superb. They had shaved brussels sprouts with bacon, a creamed corn dish that was divine and had just a hint of spice, an elevated take on mashed potatoes with country style gravy, and of course, the fried chicken, which was flawless. Everything is served on white ware and looked magazine-worthy. Today was/is my birthday, and they brought me out the most delicious dessert to celebrate: a yellow cake with raspberry ganache and a homemade crème anglaise. Best of all, the Sunday dinner pricing is under $20 per person, which struck me as borderline crazy for what we got! The service was consistently beyond reproach. The restaurant is full of true professionals, both in the front of the house and in the kitchen. I would return in a heartbeat and will tell all of my St. Louis friends and family to make the drive over to Waterloo to check this spectacular restaurant out. I give this restaurant an enthusiastic five star rating, and I'll definitely return! read more

What a revamp! We haven't been there since the remodel. They did a really nice job! We came for the Sunday fried chicken lunch. It was very flavorful. Staff were courteous and attentive. Decors gave major 1920's vibes. Beautifully done! read more

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This was my first time trying Gallaghers and I was totally disappointed. Our drinks took over 20 minutes from ordering to get to our table. Old fashions. They were good. Our steaks were cold when they arrived and we're served to the table incorrectly (I had my sisters and she had mine, they were different temps on each steak). The bernaisse sauce was cold. The server asked if we wanted bread with our dinner, I said yea but no bread ever came. When we asked for the manager, they sent the server instead. We also saw the food runners touching the crispy onions on peoples steaks before they were served! They put my sisters onions back on her steak with their fingers! Gross! Service took too long the entire time. Not impressed especially for an $80 meal. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

Food: Took a party of six there, four reported that the food wasn't good, one shared some Sea Bass that smelled and tasted spoiled. Steaks were thin, sauces were $6 a piece, we ordered two, didn't like either. Risotto was okay. Sushi was okay. Wine was okay, server didn't know how to open or serve. Service: Dishes piled up on our table, water was refilled, but warm. Had to request that plates be cleared on two occasions. Ambience: was nice, but first floor was a little noisy. Overall: We were dissatisfied. None of us are likely to return. To sum it up, the place comes off as pretentious - food quality and service did not measure up to the $360 check. read more

I'll be upfront, I miss the old Gallaghers and the menu. Our service was excellent. Garren was professional and attentive. They did an amazing job renovating and updating the whole space. Unfortunately, I feel they went from a very good restaurant to get a great meal anytime with the family to a special occasion place that is not kid friendly. Prices are high. The menus are comically large and awkward. Confused on why they are now a high end restaurant with a small limited selection sushi menu. They do have a kids menu that only has chicken finger (3) and fries, cheese or pepperoni pizza, and spaghetti. I had the salad, nothing special in regards to flavor. I ordered the skirt steak as my entree. It was cooked to med rare but very tough. The glaze was good. The steaks come with no sides to you have to order a-la-cart. I got the dirty mashed potatoes (potatoes mashed w/ the skin on). Those were good and serving size could have been for two people. My wife order the Fall risotto w/ salmon add on. That was delicious and a large portion. She also ordered the Edgar Rodriguez which was also very good. My one child got a single sushi roll which she enjoyed. My other daughter got the chicken fingers which she said were ok, again nothing special or outstanding about them. Overall, in my opinion, I'm a little let down. They went from our family of four going there 2-4 times a month ordering 2-3 cocktails each with our meal to just my wife and I maybe going on a special occasion. However, there is more of a selection in STL for us for those type of celebrations. read more

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The ambiance exudes a swanky, classic glamour that must be even more dazzling by night. The fried chicken is delish, the potatoes outstanding, and was complemented perfectly by a delicious arugula salad and delectable pork chops. Although the iced tea was slightly cloudy, (6 out of 10) it still hit the spot. The service was great & Alyssa was attentive, ensuring a top-notch dining experience. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Gallagher's in Waterloo - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

This is our third visit here and the first chance we have had to enjoy the Sunday fried chicken dinner. It is served family style and we were celebrating my wife's birthday with a table for 11. You might imagine that 8 twenty somethings were able to put away large quantities of food! The staff kept bringing as much as they wanted. Eventually they relented and after fried chicken, including Nashville style, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits , and corn, and gravy, we still had room for the desert that is included. Come hungry, leave full, and plan to come back!! read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Drink menu - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

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The service and the food were sub par. We loved this place before the updates were done. They invested too much into the decor and not enough into training staff and consistent food options. read more

Food was FANTASTIC and the service was OUT OF THIS WORLD and great service i highly recommend this place!!

After a much-anticipated re-opening, we were lucky to get a Saturday night reservation. Opulent and sexy Art Deco makeover is total eye candy. This is the kind of place i went to in NYC and Philly as a kid. Dark and moody with exactly the right light in the right places to make it warm too. We shared a spicy tuna roll - in point, each had a fresh salad, then i had the pork chop with mustard beurre blanc and gorgonzola mousse, partner had the ribeye with béarnaise. Spectacular entrees, delicious cocktails. Service was top-notch as Chrissy and Charlee attended to every detail. We live in St. louis. It's worth the easy 1/2 hr+ drive to get to Gallagher's in Waterloo. The t's have been crossed and the i's dotted. This is a beautifully planned concept Come for the mood, stay for the food. You're welcome read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - First floor bar area - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

I recommend that you make a reservation. My boyfriend make one for my birthday online. The prices look a bit high but they really aren't considering how much food you get. I ordered the scallops and was not disappointed! The fettuccine is made in house and is the best I've ever had. This dish comes with scallops, clams and lobster. The scallops melted in your mouth. The lobster and fettuccine was so delicious! The portion is huge! You won't be disappointed if you order the scallop dinner. It could easily be split between 3 people. The service was top notch! Reece was extremely nice and was very knowledgeable about the menu. This was our first time going there since they remodeled and they did an amazing job with the remodel. It's beautiful. We will definitely be back. Reece even brought out a chocolate dessert for my birthday and was to die for. read more

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I had the special which was the pork tenderloin over rice. The flavor was amazing but it was overcooked to being very dry but tender. If it wasn't for the liquid in the bottom of the bowl it would have been inedible. My date had the duck fat burger ordered medium rare. It was delivered medium well to well which wasn't juicy at all and the bun was toasted perfectly, it was short on cheese. Have we written off Gallaghers, no. The staff was amazing and attentive, wasn't too loud and the updates they have made to the building make the overall experience nice. I do recommend the shrimp appetizer. read more

Gallagher's Restaurant - Pork tenderloin Special. - New American Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

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