One of our local favorites! The food is amazing and Chef is often on site and very friendly, checking tables and chatting with patrons. Friendly staff, great bar. The Po' Boys are amazing (get the crawdad sauce) and the homemade pasta and meatballs are always good. My husband is a wing aficionado and Gallos are among his favorites - get whatever the featured sauce is! read more

The fried oysters were a little too done on the outside, and a bit under on the inside - i.e. the oil was too hot. Rookie mistake, no chops. The house salad had a dressing of salt. No quality control. My friend's meatball came at the end of the meal, but was also comped. I cannot understand how this place seems popular, people must be doormats and have no expectations or tastebuds. read more

Good food at lunch. The staff was friendly. My favorite beverage was avaliable. Lots of TVs.

OMG... REVIEW # 500...!!! As I neared this auspicious Yelp milestone, I thought long and hard about which restaurant upon which to bestow a 500th review. I scoured Yelp for new, highly rated, trendy and exciting Columbus dining establishments and watering holes we haven't been to yet. I interrogated all my foodie friends for suggestions. I asked my partner-in-foodiness, co-conspirator-in-life, and best-friend-in-all-our-craziness, my wife Kristen. I thought about our upcoming travels, and wondered if I should wait to write #500 about a great restaurant in the Bahamas, or France, or Vegas, or Napa. Then it occurred to me - maybe it would be better to write #500 about the restaurant and chef we love most...? Well, that's simple - Tommy Gallo. We love Tommy, we love Gallo's Kitchen & Bar, we love the food, the cocktails, the atmosphere and the servers (shout-out to AJ, Jamie and the rest of his regular crew). Yea, that made it easy... (warning: reference from the classic 1942 movie "Casablanca" coming)... "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world" - and we've been to a lot of gin joints in a lot of towns - Gallo's Kitchen & Bar is our favorite and the most deserving of a 500th review. The food is a mix of authentic New Orleans Creole (Tommy trained under chef Dave Russo, who trained under Emeril Lagasse at the highly respected New Orleans restaurant NOLA), and authentic Italian (the Gallos have been a prominent Italian-American family in Columbus for generations. His family's sauce recipe is deliciously close to my dear Grandmother Genevieve Monti's - tomato-ey, acidic, not sweet, and wonderful). In addition to the food, the drinks are well-executed and sufficiently strong, the atmosphere is upscale and comfortable, and the servers are great. It says a lot that many servers have been here for years. I'll only tell one Tommy story (and there are A LOT of Tommy Gallo stories... :-) - one night we were dining with friends, nearing the end of our meal. I'd had an phenomenal sandwich that came with coleslaw on the side. Everyone else loved their meals, too. The coleslaw wasn't bad - it was spectacularly fresh - it just didn't have much flavor. As usual, Tommy stopped by our table, said hi to me, hello to our friends, gave my beautiful wife a hug, and asked about our meal. Everyone told him the meal was awesome, which it was, but I mentioned - trying to be helpful - that the coleslaw didn't have much flavor. Tommy looked down at our plates, saw that the only thing left on any of our 4 plates was the coleslaw, grabbed my plate, whirled around and stormed toward the kitchen. Our table didn't have a view of the glass-fronted kitchen window, but I COULD HEAR HIM through the kitchen door. The poor sous chef got an earful - Gordan Ramsy style - about sending something tasteless from Tommy Gallo's kitchen. I almost felt badly... almost... well... no, not really :-) Tommy is almost always in the restaurant, he always works the room and greets everyone - regulars or not. And he truly gives a damn about the taste and quality of food they serve and whether you enjoyed it. That's the kind of care he puts into his restaurant. Go, just go - you'll thank me. I promise. NO... WAIT... I LIED... DON'T GO... YOU WON'T LIKE IT... it's already way too loud and crowded... too many happy people having fun eating and drinking and laughing... go somewhere else.... we need our usual seat at the bar...!!! #HolyShitHaveIReallyWritten500ReviewsOnYelp?!? read more

Very unique place! I really liked the ambiance and the calamari was out of this world! Would definitely come back.

Table we were seated at was too small to eat at. Pizza pan took up most of the table.

Food is always spot on. Service has always been on par with anyone. Ambience is not over the top. Kinda a cross between a neighborhood watering hole and a medium scale restaurant. We love this place! read more

Extremely welcoming and friendly environment with great food! Just as good of quality as a bigger name Italian Restaurant in Columbus for a more reasonable price. Fantastic service and you can really tell that it's family owned and the staff cares about the guests experience. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

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

Outstanding food and wine. Crowded, hard to get reservations without a full-week notice.

Loved it!! Italian/Creole seemed like a strange combination. We had a little bit of everything, and it was all amazing they clearly are skilled in both cuisines. The whole family loved the fried oysters, but the calamari was our 8 year olds favorite. The server was fantastic too. All around good experience, can't wait to go back! I really want to try the filet; something to look forward to for next time. read more

Great atmosphere- service -warm & inviting-busy . The manager issued a personal greeting. The kitchen got backed up which equated to a delay in our party of 4 . Adult beverages are pricey. read more

Favorite restaurant in Columbus! This place separates itself by offering quality food for a reasonable price. Service is always great, and always has a cozy feel inside. My favorite dish in all of Columbus is the Liberty Street Pasta (also called Fusilli Pasta), which is prepared in a Louisiana Crawfish sauce. I assure you it will be the best sauce you've ever tasted! I recommend adding grilled shrimp to it but it's not necessary. For a little crunch, add a side of tots to dip in the sauce. Other favorites include the calamari, gumbo, burger with the house mayo, and jambalaya. I will also mention they have a solid caesar. read more

Amazing food, service and restaurant! We were there late Saturday evening with middle school aged kids and the service was great!

I love this place! Ambiance and food are da bomb. Get the calamari to start!! And that is the end of my review. See you next time. read more

Ordered the scallop, saffron risotto special because i had just seen this dish cooked in Hell's Kitchen: scallops were undercooked, cold and unable to be cut with a knife when they should be buttery, flaky and easily cut w/fork, and risotto arrived as a packed-cake instead of a creamy-like rice dish as properly cooked risotto should be. Friend's chicken breast sandwich was completely overcooked and tough, difficult to eat and wasn't happy. The best part of the meal was the burrata appetizer. My Cosmo cocktail could have been a lil stronger too, like a true martini-esque cocktail. Ambience was very loud and busy being seated by the kitchen door. I was also taken aback when i saw that they are now adding a surcharge for using a credit card! Overall I was very disappointed as I usually love this restaurant. read more

We ate at Gallo's this evening and it did not disappoint. Julie our waitress was very attentive, friendly and funny! I had one of the specials. Crab stuffed crawfish. It was amazing. My husband had the jambalya . I wish I had taken a picture of it. I am so glad we went. Looking forward to going back there soon. read more

Italian & Cajun? Interesting combo! I'm here in Columbus for work this week, and I was looking for some comfort food. Low and behold, I found this place and oh boy was I in for a treat! I went here solo dolo, so I unfortunately only got to try one item. The service was fairly good as I got a table, water, and ordered food fairly rapidly. The place itself is well kept together and can get a bit loud too since the tables are so close to one another. So what did I get? The Jambalaya of course! This was one of the dishes was recommended by my server. Now I've had my fair share of Jambalaya and this one definitely did not disappoint! The presentation was a bit messy, but who cares! How nice can you even present a jambalaya anyways!? The flavors in this were very well balanced. You get the kick from the cajun seasoning, the mouthfeel from the roux, the saltiness from the ham & sausage, and the depth from the trinity. My gripes are the following- I wasn't the biggest fan of the tomatoes put on top. This bit I could've done without because the tartness overpowered the rest of the dish in my opinion. My other critique is that some parts of celery were cooked down while others had a significant bite to it. I personally find celery to be way too overpowering when it's not sweated and cooked down so that was a bit off putting. Besides that, the dish was great! I'm happy that Cajun food of this quality made its way up to Ohio! If I'm in town again, I'll definitely try to come back. read more

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The food was not just average, it was delicious! The whole restaurant had a great atmosphere and enjoyed a local feel, but was inviting to us out of towner's. Our server, Theresa was great! She was very helpful in answering our questions and just a really nice person. read more

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

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Its is wonderful! Great food , service is excellent! Sangria is So good! The calamari perfect! read more

Wow this place does not disappoint. Make reservations!! Place is small but not overly. Met our SIS and BIL for our Friday monthly dinner at different places around Columbus. Everything was great from the bread to the appetizers of walleye nuggets and the homemade sausage. I had the filet mignon rare and if was perfect! Mashed potatoes were great. Topped the evening off with the cheese care and bourbon bread pudding. wonderful evening! To top it off you will see the head chef walk through the restaurant to see how everyone is enjoying the food. They have a great wine list as well. Went with the Alexander CAB. read more

Reservation check in time was Friday September 16, 2022 8:15 P.M. Returned from restroom and one of the kitchen staff (big boisterous man in an apron) was sitting and cutting up with the customers, leaning on one of our tables shaking our drinks around. proceeds to the seats on the other side of and starts making poor natured jokes about Alzheimer's facilities lined with F-bombs and other vulgar language which my wife and I saw zero humor in having watched her mother die from this. No longer carried tiramisu, or raw oysters which are the 2 dishes we came for and the grilled chicken in the pasta was dry. Over 30 minute wait between appetizer and common pasta meal for party of 2. Over all was a let down when getting dressed up and expecting a better dining experience. On several occasion have patronized and rented out party room at the Gallo's Tap Room location on Bethel Rd. location with great results and good memories. Find it hard to believe that these 2 restaurants are under the same umbrella. read more

Gallo's is our go to on a Friday night. If you want to sit at the bar, you need to be there by 5:30pm or wait until after 8. We have been going there for many years, love the laid back atmosphere. The staff are great, friendly and knowledgeable. The wait and bar staff have remained the same for years so that tells you they must be doing something right. In my opinion the best dish on the menu and my staple is the Pan Sautéed daily fish with Louisiana crawfish sauce served on a triangle of polenta. It is delicious, rich and oh so flavorful. My favorite fish is the Lake Walleye. I dream of that sauce! Other great dishes are the Chicken Étouffée and the seafood creole. The chef walks around talking to customers which makes you feel important. Keep up the good work Gallos. read more

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Always amazing. The food is great and the servers are always friendly and attentive. This is one of our favorite places around Columbus.

We had a party of six for dinner on Thursday. Food was excellent, drinks were great, and the service was also top notch. When did Gallo's start adding a 3.5% credit card fee without mentioning it? I guess I should have taken the time to review all the items before I paid, and silly me for leaving a 24% tip for the great service. Next time, I'll bring all fifties in cash. Very sneaky if you ask me. Transparency please. read more

What a shame. I waited over an hour for spaghetti and meatballs! Seriously. Soooo disappointed I won't be back read more

Best dine-in Cajun/creole spot in central Ohio. We had the fried oysters, gumbo, jambalaya, and chicken creole special. Everything was great and leave room for the bread dessert. This is a fantastic dessert you can find in New Orleans. Put Crystal sauce on everything! read more

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

This is an excellent restaurant in the Upper Arlington area. I've been here 2-3 times now. They have a mixture of Italian and Cajun/Creole food, and they do it well. For drinks I got the Moscow Mule, it was decent but not great. For appetizers, the homemade meatballs are excellent. The gumbo soup is pretty good. For dinner, I really like the Jambalaya. Also, usually they have some really good daily specials. The last time I was here, my son and wife got some of their pasta specials and they were both quite happy with them. If you come here on a weekend night be prepared for a long wait or call in advance for a reservation. read more

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

I've had this bookmarked for a long time, but their hours and location conspired to keep me away. It's tucked in a strip mall off Riverside, and you kinda have to know where it is. A warm, dark bar/restaurant, it seems full of regulars, and even newbies are welcomed as warmly as regulars. Cajun is the draw, for me, but it is very definitely a Cajun/Italian place, and good at both. Since we have a small baby Sweetie stayed home and I got carryout. Unfortunately, I showed up at 4, when they open, but the kitchen doesn't really open till 5. I don't see that posted on the website, and it should be, because I'm sure lots of people come for the food. I filled the hour with a beer, and some wings (a few basic foods are available.) The day's wings were a 5-pepper blend, and there was a fair amount of heat in there. Not enough to make me sweat, but plenty hot; still, there was lots of other flavor going on. Think of them as citrusy barbecue wings with a lot of heat building on the back of your tongue. Big and meaty, they were a nice appetizer for one or two people. At home, our meal started with arancini- rice balls, but oh, what rice balls. Puffy fried goodness, filled with soft rice and veggies. The subtle flavors were almost overwhelmed by the tangy marinara; I could eat them without any sauce. We tried the gumbo. Well seasoned, a bit thinner than I like, but still full of meat and veggies, with a bit of rice. There's not a lot of crawfish on the menu, but it pops up in daily specials. Sweetie had one, crawfish etoufee. She liked it- tons of tender crawfish in a deeply seasoned sauce. She did say she wished there were a bit more rice with it (there was one small scoop, maybe half a cup.) I had the jambalaya. Thick, with lots of meat mixed into the rice, and plenty of tomatoes. Nicely seasoned, but not hot at all. Service was superb. Prices are high, but it is good stuff. I wish it were a bit more accessible, but we will make it back sometime. read more

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This place is a fan favorite for me. I am so happy that they are opened. I came here with the family in order to get out of the house for the most part. With everything that is going on in the world, we always try to go to restaurants with patio seating while we can tolerate the current temperature being that it's starting to get cooler. The service was impeccable out the gate. The host greeted me with a very enthusiastic and positive attitude and seared my family and me immediately. The menu is a diverse one, and you have to find pretty much what you are in the mood for. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted until I saw one of the servers walk past me with this gorgeous bowl of something. I asked our server what it was, and he explains that it was their seafood dish. The dish was on point and full of robust flavors. You could taste pretty much every ingredient that was in it, and it tasted fresh. I did, however, modify mine, so that is another plus for me with this selection. it was the type of dish that I could see myself eating several days out of the week and not getting tired of it. read more

Better than average bar food. Gallos has a high end restaurant in ua and this one benefits from the chain.

Overall the food was good, although not spectacular. Flavors were there though. The restaurant had a weird smell of gasoline and we were kind of cold throughout our meal. Overall a good dinner but not an amazing experience. We'd try it again though! read more

Best Cajun outside of Louisiana!!!!! Some of the Italian food is made with old family recipes, everything from scratch and you can taste it. Tommy Gallo the owner, is out and about talking with everyone making sure everything is just so. The place has the feel of an old fashioned Chicago or New York City trattoria. Highly recommend it to anyone that loves good home cooked Cajun or Italian food. Check it out. You won't regret it. read more

Amazing atmosphere and food. Menu has constant items that are great but also the daily / weekly specials are amazing.

A great experience start to finish from atmosphere to food to drinks to the personalized attention that Tommy gives his patrons! My favorite restaurant in Arlington! read more

I love every Gallos spot. Particularly the one on Bethel is my favorite. They are all different vibes. The UA and Powell one are a tad fancier, the Bethel one (next to micro center) is a bar atmosphere with awesome food and tons of beers. Great great place to watch a game read more

Go early because it's a hot commodity and there's not many open tables. I've had a variety of menu items, steak, pastas, etc. never had a bad experience with the service or the food. Always a good time and great wine menu as well. read more

Love gallos. The food is solid. The bar ambiance is awesome. The bartenders are always nice and helpful.

If I could, I would give more stars! I was trying to plan a dinner for 25 for after a wedding rehearsal. I live out of town and I was panicked in trying to find a place fairly close to the venue. Many calls and even some visits to various places.... Then Gallos Kitchen and Bar on Nottingham was suggested. Our personal hostess, Jennifer, was SUPER AMAZING! She organized it all to perfection. Every guest was VERY pleased with the delicious, awesome food and the accommodations. Such a fun time! The chef came out to our area and talked to us personally... Just a wonderful experience for all. From Judi Smith Springfield, OH read more

Seriously awesome! The daily pan seared fish with creole sauce is always a favorite along with Arancini. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. Truly a great place to go have dinner with friends and be able to hear each other. I don't think there is a bad thing on the menu. And they make a great whisky sour! read more

One of my top 4 places to eat in Columbus (Others: Caffe Davinci, Pasqualone's, and El Arepazo). Of those, only Gallo's fully embraces two cuisines (Italian and Creole). I've explored much of their menu. Both the Italian and Creole fare are individually impressive. The arancini, calamari, and polenta are all very good, but the gumbo and fusilli pasta (very rich) are next level delicious. I generally peruse the specials and if nothing piques my interest I'll order the fusilli for my meal and the gumbo as an appetizer. This doesn't happen very often, as the specials are varied and appealing - I often order a fish dish and it's always been well prepared and worth the trip. The staff are very friendly and the chef often checks on tables himself. I've also dined at the bar and enjoyed that atmosphere, too. It can be difficult to get a table, so I generally eat a light lunch and come very early. read more