Wonderful place in Upper Arlington. Nice bar and the food is excellent! We especially like the sautéed fish and the Parmesan chicken! Definitely recommend read more

We love Cajun/Creole food so naturally this is our go to in our area. Lots of awesome flavors. I usually get the jambalaya and my husband loves the Po Boys. I always get a salad too. The salad itself is just a salad but that ranch dressing is damn good. We like to get carry out as it's usually really crowded and quite loud. If you have ever made Cajun food you know what a process it is to achieve the depth of rich flavors. I am very appreciative that Gallo's is close by. Delicious. read more

Super disappointing. Took 45 mins to get our meal. Our waitress was not attentive at all, never asked us if we needed anything or of our meal was good. Rushed even though it was not super busy. Meals were ok, salty. And not good enough for the price and they could not even take our visa gift card, which is the reason we were able to go on a date anyways. Super. Super. Bummed read more

My wife and I had just moved to Columbus the day before and our family was looking for a new place to try on Yelp. We ran across this and didn't think much of it. The outside doesn't look all that great but the inside was clean. Nice setting and a friendly staff. It was kinda dark inside with some nice oldies playing softly in the background. (from the 70's and 80's) We first ordered an appetizer, the Fried Calamari. I am not a huge fan of Calamari. I must mention we are from Jacksonville, Florida so we are kinda spoiled when it comes to seafood and calamari so I wasn't expecting it to be anything great. It was probably going to be chew with a lot of breading. I was wrong! It was probably the best calamari I have had. It was very tender and lightly breaded. The marinara sauce was delicious as well. Even the olive salad on top added a nice saltiness to it. Next our dinner. I ordered the Jambalaya and my wife ordered the Pan Sautéed daily Fish (which was Mahi Mahi that day). It says the Jambalaya is their spiciest dish, but if you like spicy food it isn't spicy at all. The chicken and Andouille sausage was cooked to perfection! The jambalaya was more on the Tomatoey (if that's a word) side. However, it didn't bother me, that is more for people, like my wife, who don't enjoy a lot of tomatoes. I had one bite of my wife's dish. I wasn't really expecting the seafood to be good again because we are in Columbus, but it was very good! The Louisiana Crawfish Sauce was so good I wanted to order that as a side! Our waiter was very friendly and very good with keeping our drinks filled and prompt with asking us if we had any needs. It is a bit on the pricier side, but it was well worth it. Great first experience eating out in Columbus. That will be added to our list of restaurants to return to. read more

Gallo's Kitchen + Bar - Jambalaya - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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If I could give this place " 10 " stars, I would!! My husband and I ate there Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, after driving up from Charleston, WV, to shop in the Columbus area. My husband used Yelp to find us a place to eat, and I am so glad we gave this place a try! As I told both our waiter Michael, and the owner, this was the best overall meal I have had in ages!! First of all, Michael was great. He was attentive without being intrusive! My husband and I both ordered the Pasta Russo, but with different pastas. It was delicious, and we each had enough left over to take home for another meal. I had a salad with their white vinaigrette dressing that was delicious. The salad was so fresh and a very generous size. The bread was awesome! But our favorite of the entire meal was the sausage appetizer!!! Do yourself a favor and try it! We liked it so much that we ordered 3 orders of it to take home! The sauce is amazing and it has these thin slices of onions mixed in it that just sets it apart!! The owner/chef Tommy Gallo, came to our table at the end of the meal, sat down and asked us how we enjoyed our meal. It didn't come across as just someone going thru the motions, but rather as someone who truly cared if you enjoyed your meal! I would definitely drive up from Charleston again, even if no shopping were involved! Lol. Thank you for a wonderful meal in a clean, casual, relaxing atmosphere! read more

Yum! The location and interior are unassuming but the food is hands down amazing and some of the best creole/Cajun food I've had in Columbus. Everything was tasty and seasoned to perfection. My friends and I decided to eat order a different dish and let each other try. We all voted on whose we thought was best and everyone voted for their own dish although each was amazing. We had the jambalaya, crawfish ettoufee, and the pasta from the appetizer menu. All were amazing with the perfect spice/heat levels! I definitely recommend. read more

Initially I would come here for special occasions only, but now we go as much as possible. I've never had a bad meal there and the service is truly outstanding. The filet and halibut are seriously phenomenal. read more

We had a fine meal at Gallo's, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Our dinner wasn't quite what we were expecting - my husband ordered a sub sandwich that came out cold and would have been better had it been hot (as expected), and I had pasta that was a little undercooked. The house marinara sauce was probably the star of the meal. The staff was all very friendly, helpful, and kind. We really wanted to like this place, but found ourselves saying that the meal was just "fine." Hoping for a better meal next time! read more

Gallo's Kitchen + Bar - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Cozy atmosphere and beautifully decorated. The food was delicious. Italian combined with some creole flavors was amazing. Prompt service that wasn't overbearing. read more

Absolutely amazing food!!! We had to sample just about everything!! I can't tell you how good it all was. An the prices we very good! Tommy Gallo the chef is awesome! His food and flavors are incredible! Fast and friendly service! Whenever I'm back in the neighborhood, you can bet I'll be back!! read more

Not sure how I missed this place .. I had the halibut with green beans and potatoes .. absolutely delicious and the young man at the car was an awesome server with a great sense of humor. Also got to enjoy a few on my favorite cheetah beers . Highly recommend Gallos. Next time I'm having wine. read more

I been here many times and each time it got better. I like the place and the setting. The food was great,I got the brisket here and excellent choice on my hand but they made it better than any restaurant. read more

I recently got takeout for my birthday yesterday. I'm not sure if there was a different chef or what happened but the Fusilli Pasta was awful. The sauce was much heavier than other times I've gotten this dish. The closest thing I could compare the sauce to was velveeta. I've gotten this dish takeout a half dozen times since Covid and it's never been this bad. read more

The food is fantastic. Bottom line, we had a variety of food. I had the seafood creole, my wife and daughter had the burgers and my son had pasta. All of us had amazing food. Our server was great and the beer selection is very good. I'm glad I came tonight. read more

My wife and I were in Upper Arlington visiting family and decided to explore something new. Found reviews on Yelp and had an amazing dinner experience. We arrived prime time Friday night without a reservation and had to wait, but the bartender was great! Met a local who introduced us to the owner and ended up with our meals plus extra food to taste more of their specialties. The creole/Cajun food was amazing...especially the sauces!! One of the best meals we've had in a long time. We will definitely go back and recommend to everyone. read more

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The food and service could be amazing but we'll never know because they "lost" our reservation for a party of 17 for my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner. They left us in a complete bind the night of her rehearsal. So disappointed! read more

Delicious! Muffelata was awesome. Fried oysters and gumbo...mmmmm. Service was good. Highly recommended.

My wife and I favorite place in the area. The manhattan's are to die for and steak is fantastic.

Fried Oysters, the very best in town. The Halibut was excellent. Great service, will return soon. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Columbus! We will miss this place now that we've moved to Tampa. Everything they make is amazing!

My husband and I tried to go for dinner and when we arrived with our two kids were looked at by the 3 host/hostesses like we each had 2 heads. Then we were told "We have no walk in availability tonight. Sorry." About 1/3 of the tables were open. ZERO kids there. I understand reservations are held but it seemed off. We left, disappointed because we had come numerous times before without reservations and no problems. I called 10 min later and asked what the wait was for 4 and was told "Come on in, we can accommodate you." SO disappointed that a restaurant in the middle of residential, kid-filled UA would have found something about us my family rendering them "unable to accommodate us." We won't be returning. With or without our kids. Sad. But UA has a lot of other options so really their loss! read more

Walked in at 7:00 pm on Saturday 9/21 was told that we needed a reservation because they are busy on the weekend. I totally understand needing a reservation as long as it's posted on the website ( I may have overlooked but don't see it) and to top it off the restaurant was 1/2 to 3/4 full and a party of 2 could not be seated. Lost my business and I recommend Carobbas instead.if I could remove the single star I would read more

I came here on a date with my boyfriend and it was such an amazing experience. First of all the waitress suggested a delicious wine option. We had the calamari appetizer and the sauce and topping was delicious and you could tell that it was fresh. Both of our entrees were some of the best dishes We've had in a while. We've decided this is our favorite date spot! read more

This neighborhood bar and restaurant had been around a very long time. It has been overhauled and is very hip on the inside, now. It used to look very dated, like something from 1970. We got there at 5:00 pm and happy hour in the bar was hopping. Lots of Mercedes, Ferrari, Caddys and lots of pricey cars in the lot. The restaurant section was a little empty. They were obviously there for the drinks. It's pretty much the only game in town for drinks if you are driving North on 33 past UA. Snazzy, New Orleans Jazz on the sound system. Score, one for the atmosphere!! So, back to the food. Not much Italian on the menu any more. Two pastas. Creole items were plentiful. Having been to New Orleans a few times, we decided to eat there. I ordered a muffeletta. Husband ordered gumbo and salad. Without a doubt, The.Worst.Food.We.Have.Eaten.In.A.Long.Time. I should have taken a photo. The muffeletta was on a bun. It had a thin slice of olive loaf, a slice of salami, a slice of what appeared to be pepperoni. There was a slice of white cheddar cheese on it. Some olive tapenade plopped on the cheese. There were some tots with it. For $10. Husband's gumbo had chunks of ham rind, some shredded bbq beef (along with the bbq spice flavoring) and something he couldn't quite figure out. It was a large serving, but the blend of spices didn't work. He said it was a though there was left over stews that were mixed together. He also had a salad. The chef (at least it appeared to be a cook type person) came out and asked "So, everything is good, right?" I looked at him, and said "Well, if you really want to know...". So, I told him that it really didn't meet my expectations of a muffeletta, having been to New Orleans and eaten them there. He looked offended. Whisked away plates and said he'd take it off my bill. The waiter was good. Score one for table service. Two stars. Disappointing supper. Won't be going back. read more

This is by far the best restaurant in Upper Arlington. I have been through the whole menu and every item is excellent. They have unique specials every night. The service is top notch. The owner Tommy is there every night in the kitchen. He personally makes sure you are enjoying your dinner.When the bar opens up (it might be already? ) also a great place to have a few drinks. read more

great hidden gem. great food, service and ambiance. good value why wont this app lee me post unless I type a certain min character description read more

One thing you can never get enough of his great service. I called after about a week and a half because I had forgotten my receipt, and Jamie answered the phone and sent me a copy of it. I don't know many restaurants that would have gone back and done that, so I'm very appreciative. Not to mention the food was excellent! I will be back! read more

I've been coming to Gallos Kitchen since the week they opened years ago, yet seem to always forget about it when I need somewhere different to go in the city. My husbands birthday last night seemed like a great time to go enjoy their amazing Creole cooking. I've always had great service here, but last night was a bit of a miss. Waitress immediately greeted us and took drink/appetizer orders. Drinks (chianti & hurricane) came out quickly with bread and then the waiting game began. Note on the bread: the butter is rock hard when they bring it out and impossible to put on the bread. Wait 5 minutes for it to warm up and you won't destroy the bread. It was a good 25 minutes to get our appetizers once we placed our order. They were pretty busy last night but I didn't notice multiple people being seated at once slamming the kitchen, so I'm not sure what was the problem. After 25 minutes, our apps were delivered, hot and fresh, but no mention from our waitress about the delay. We tried a cup of gumbo and the sausage/meatball appetizer to start. The gumbo was on point with a little kick, but a bit more watered down than I'm used to. The meatball and sauce were amazing and full of flavor but the sausage was almost burnt and really tough to cut through. About 25 minutes after that, our meals were brought out. Again, no mention of the delay, but tables around us were receiving apps and entrees far faster than we were so I was frustrated. I had the chicken etouffee and he had the jambalaya. I wish mine had more of a kick to it, but it was tasty and something new that I had never tried. I just asked for hot sauce (they have Crystal from Louisiana) to doctor it up a bit. He loved his jambalaya and thought it was the perfect level of spice. Hubby's allergic to seafood and Gallos is one of the few restaurants that makes jambalaya without seafood so we don't have to go through his food allergies with our server - always a plus! The portions are huge and we asked for to-go boxes for later. $81 for 2 apps, 2 entrees, and 2 rounds of wine/mixed drinks. I think it's a little overpriced but I'll gladly pay it because I can't find Creole quite like this in Columbus anywhere else. Just a note to their servers: once your guest had cashed out, DO NOT TAKE THEIR CHECK PRESENTER OFF OF THE TABLE UNTIL AFTER THEY LEAVE. I've served in many restaurants and unless your table tells you to take it after they've signed their tab for the night, you leave it until they've walked out the door for the night. I'm a great tipper, but this is one of the rudest things to do when serving. read more

This place is seriously a hidden gem if you haven't heard or been. Every single dish I've had here is hands down 4-5 out of 5 stars. They are well thought out, and well executed. The staff is great, the atmosphere is solid. Don't let the outside fool you, this is good for business, for casual, or for romantic dinner - whatever you want it to be, it'll be. I end up going here with work anytime somebody is in town, nobody ever leaves disappointed AND you won't break the bank. One of the best spots in columbus if you ask me! read more

Great ambiance and reasonable prices. Steak and seafood far surpass their pasta dishes. The pasta is not handmade, but is commercially produced. My wife ordered the steak, without the sauce, and it was superb. The scallops were huge and delicious. The pasta was OK, and the Italian sausage was OK. Happy hour is only at the bar, and Dick standstill 630. Prices are very reasonable, and the bartender Christian is professional, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable. read more

Absolutely the best restaurant in Upper Arlington and one of the top 10 in Columbus. Reason being is the amazing job owner/Chef Tommy Gallo does in using fresh, locally sourced, quality ingredients; and fresh seafood. The Cajun/creole flair mixed with Italian classics make this place a gem. They have a wonderful standard menu, from which I recommend the Liberty Street fusilli pasta or the Gallo's burger. We almost always order off their specials/daily menu. Fried oysters are the best in town, the seafood creole is amazing. They often haven prime cuts of beef besides the filet which is always a staple. Their custom lasagna's are worth the trip alone--our favorite was the Duck lasagna. The bar staff are expert mixologists and make wonderful cocktails. And to boot Tommy always comes out of working to meet and greet with his customers about once an hour--a touch that is appreciated and I have never experienced at any other restaurant in Columbus with this quality of food. I put my name on it! read more

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I was really excited to try this place given the interesting concept of Creole/Italian fusion. Contrary to other reviews, I thought the service was fantastic. The sever was knowledgeable, friendly, and efficient. He definitely earned his tip. The best part of the meal was the appetizer. The fried calamari is highly recommended. On the other hand, the entrees were very underwhelming. We had the jambalaya and a pasta dish. Both were just OK. I felt like it was something we could have cooked at home. Not to mention, it was pretty pricey. I sort of regretted dining here after I saw the bill. I think I would only come back for drinks and appetizers. I don't think I would want to eat the mediocre dishes again. read more

I definitely recommend it for a relaxed night out. Having found this place on Yelp and seen many of the reviews, I came in with high expectations, and Gallos did not disappoint. The étouffée was delicious (I was it was offered in the crawfish option however), and the burgers are well cooked. Overall the wait staff were friendly and helpful, and it was a successful meal. The wait time for the food can be a bit lengthy, but the quality makes up for it. And It can get a bit noisy inside, but such is to be expected with any popular dinner spot. I will 100% be returning again. read more

Met four friends here for dinner on a Monday night. The place was busy with an eclectic mix of patrons of all ages. Several groups of trendy twenty-somethings seemed to congregate at the bar. The restaurant got quite busy around 6:30 pm but had cleared out by 8. They have a nice selection of beers and wines by the glass and a menu with both Cajun and Italian offerings. After splitting a couple of orders of arrancini our party had two entree salads, one with chicken and the other with fried oysters. Two split the etouffee, and I had the small portion of the pasta russa. All were good but the etouffee and the fried oysters were the highlights. The pasta was good, but not really outstanding. The flavor seemed a little flat like it might have needed just a bit of acid. The small size portion was plenty, and the two who split the etouffee were both satisfied with the amounts they got. Overall a nice place with good service and a pleasant atmosphere and good food. In the future I'd probably stick to the Creole/Cajun offerings and skip the Italian. read more

Absolutely loved this place! I enjoyed the éttouffée more than the creole, but they were both phenomenal. I would recommend the cosmo for a drink, but my husband tried a few of them on the menu and they were all great. I would absolutely recommend the Simoa crème brûlée read more

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Can't believe that I have never been here before. I'm glad I found it. The Chef Specials were great. We did the Walleye and Crawfish dishes. Simply amazing. Great feel and great bar staff. I will be back. read more

This was fantastic food. The polenta was perfect, firm but soft. The fish had a creme sauce that was very flavorful. The only negative? Two appetizers but only bread dish to eat from. Small service issues. That's it. read more

Gallo's Kitchen + Bar - Fish with creme sauce - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

What the what? Where in the h-e-double hockey sticks have I been? This place is amazing. Now look, I was slightly doubtful too. I don't remember having heard of this place before...It's in UA and Cajun/Italian? Really? (It is actually some Cajun and some Italian food- no fusion that I could see, thank the stars). I went with the husband, my business partner and his wife (that made me sound way more grown up than I am) on a Friday evening. This place was jumping, but our reservations got us sat right away. Service was actually very quick for as busy as they were, but definitely a slower dining experience (it a good way). The server was good enough not to be memorable compared to the food (also a good thing). I can't speak for the Italian food, because it was Cajun all around our table, but holy molasses- fantastic. We had the fried oysters for an appetizer- then I had the Seafood Creole (walleye, scallops, clams and calamari in a creole, hot tomato sauce with rice). This dish apparently switches up depending on what seafood is fresh. And yes, fresh seafood in Columbus- it has happened. Everyone was in love with their particular dish (all off the specials menu). Service was great, food exceptional, the chef even did a lap around the room which was definitely appreciated. Parking easy, got a reservation day of... Not cheap, but reasonable considering the quality of the food. Get your rear out of Grandview and the Short North and go to this place. Seriously, you won't be sorry. read more

Well trained staff, a comfortable atmosphere, and decent menu make Gallo's a place worth going. I met a friend on a Tuesday night and while they weren't busy, they weren't dead either. Our waiter was friendly. He kept our meal well timed and water glasses filled. They had a full page of fresh fish specials and some regular menu items are a special price each day. Our server offered bread service, a nice touch. Decent crusty bread and cold butter. Not bad at all. I ordered the arancini to share, they have a variety of the day, which was potato and chive. While the marinara was out standing, the arancin were only so so containing no detectible cheese and the arborio rice being a tad under done. I'd skip this next time; not worth the $8. Especially when my yummy pulled pork sammie with fries was only $8.50. They rake it in on apps for sure. The roll for the pork sammie was awesome. Fries also awesome! Crispy with fresh herbs. Love that! My friend ordered the crawfish po boy and liked it. There are other item on the menu I'd like to try. I loved the bar area and would choose to sit there vs. the dining room. Did I mention both the Chef and manager/owner check on us and other guests through the meal? Another nice touch. I definitley recommend this place! read more

Probably the BEST Creole you will get in Columbus. The service is outstanding, knowledgeable & efficient. The Chef, Tommy, came out to us since it was our first visit. He warmly welcomed us & made sure our dishes were the best we had ever had-and they were! We were suggested to order the wings as an appetizer & I am so so glad we did. The plate presentation was gorgeous & I love that the crispy wings were set on top of a bed of wonderful BBQ cajun spicy delicious sauce versus tossed in the sauce. The scallops & asparagus dish is to die for! As well as the Mahi Mahi dish deliciously drenched with their signature creole sauce. I want to take a bath in that sauce-and you will too! You will not be disappointed with anything ordered from their outstanding menu! As someone who has been in the industry for awhile as well, it is refreshing to go to a place that is clean, welcoming, offering knowledgeable, friendly service & food that is cooked to utter perfection. This place is great to sit at the bar & have a wonderful meal over a few cocktails casually or it would be great as a dress-up-and-go-out date night as well. Can't wait to return here again!! read more