Been coming here every so often since I was a kid back in the 90s. Good selection of games for kids too.

We ordered $80 worth of pizzas. I arrived 10 minutes ahead of the projected pick up time. The pizzas were not produced until one half hour later. 2 different servers looked into the matter. They did not discount for lateness. I have always said that it costs just as much to make a good pizza as a bad one. The pizza here was a "C." The crust was pretty flavor less but done well crisp. The tomato sauce was sweet and not at all authentic Italian leaning. The Italian sausage was not noteworthy at all. In short you can find a decent frozen one to rival anything here. read more

We came in for pizza and a cocktail, but they have no bar. Oops! Just 4 bees on tap. The pizza was unexpectedly yummy. Very family friendly - the game room seemed to be a hit! read more

My fav pizza from the QC. 5 stars for pizza and 1 for cleanliness of the restaurant. It's a mess and needs a facelift!

Ordered the original Taco Joe's Pizza. Excellent as always. Service was great! Flash back to original Happy Joe's interior that worked at long ago. (High School Days.) Ice Cream parlor for birthday parties.. read more

Happy Joe's - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Hidden Gem*Family Friendly*Gluten Free*Specialty Pizzas Ambiance: Low Key, Family Friendly ...order at counter, fill up your drink, sit down with a number and they bring your food to you! Food: We all loved everything we ordered. Love that they have all these great and different combinations. Love that you can do 1/2 and 1/2 pizzas so you can try 2 different things. Love that they have gluten free and cauliflower crusts. Kid Friendly: they have a separate area game room for the kiddos. They can win tickets and pick prizes. They can sit in there and eat together. Very nice set up. read more

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I love their lunch buffet of salad, pizzas & pasta. Fun place for the family & an arcade for the kids.

The staff was excellent! That was honestly why I did 4 stars. Was actually impressed with their taco pizza surprisingly. In an area that did not have too many options on a Monday evening, I was not expecting much and was happy to have such a good experience. read more

The staff was great. Food was mediocre at best. Cheese Stix were flavorless. Had to add grated parm to even attempt to fix it. CBLT was okay. Very light on meat but tasted good. Just an underwhelming experience. I'd try a pizza sometime, but wouldn't have high hopes. read more

Happy Joe's - Dining room - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Went here for the buffet with my family. Food was kind of tasted weird and the options were limited. Pizza had some weird taste to the crust. I did get what I at least believe was macaroni and cheese. It was good but plenty parts were raw and more crunchy for what's suppose to be a noodle. Lucky my standards for food are very low and I was able to stomach the food regardless. Other people may be less lucky. read more

We came in for take out and the staff is friendly and hard working! They kept the flow moving and were on top of it all, despite it being very busy! We ordered a meatball sub and a pizza sub and prices were good! Food was hot, ready and exactly to order! Yum!!! The pizzas looked super! Fun arcade with many games and prizes to win! Whomever owns this establishment needs to give Kayla and the Friday night staff a fat Christmas bonus and a raise! Pictured is the dining room decor! read more

Happy Joe's - From the front - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Every time we are in the area we have happy joes pizza. We especially like the Taco Joe.

Great place for everybody! Awesome pizza, and they have an arcade for the kids. We keep coming back, and they keep delivering!

Taco pizza was hot and fresh and so was the awesome dessert pizza. Not sure why some of the other posts are so negative. Certainly was not our experience spring 2024. read more

Didn't care that they completely forgot to place my order. Went to McDonald's and brought it back to happy joe's. It was supposed to be a party for my mil's 81st birthday. We canceled the party portion. read more

This place should have a visit from the Health Department just up the road. Some of the silverware had crusted food and the rest just did not look clean. The majority of the greens in the salad looked like they had been frozen, were beyond wilted, and just inedible. The restaurant itself could use a good scrubbing. The pizza was "ok" but some of the edges were burnt and we were nervous about eating it given how the restaurant looked. What happened to this place? We will not be back. read more

The food could have been better and overpriced I ordered 2 large pizzas one BLT and one taco they don't offer an option for a regular crust pizza so all pizzas are thin crust then you have the sauce that is impossible to open. I wish I could get a refund but I wonder if I can let me know if there is a way. read more

So, not going to lie was worried due to other reviews. When we arrived it was quiet and we were the only customers. They have regular gluten free and cauliflower pizza crust. I went with the regular gluten free crust, I think it taste just as good as any other restaurant I've been to. Staff was very friendly out food came quickly. We both were very happy with our food and the experience. read more

Happy Joe's - Our orders, absolutely delicious!!! - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Terribly dirty restaurant. Ordered a pizza at 1/2 baked and specially said all toppings on the side. I should of known when the gal on the phone said "ok, what is it that you want?!?" I picked up the pizza and waited 20 extra minutes and all the toppings were on the pizza and it was baked. I told the gal at the counter and all she said was ooooooooh yeah. read more

Thought it was odd that a place geared towards kids wouldn't have a children's menu, or at the very least some crayons and some paper to color on..... and while the girls at the counter were friendly, the server who brought our appetizer told us we'd have to get up and grab our own plates from the empty salad bar if we wanted them. Food wasn't bad, wasn't good....sundaes were disappointing, especially compared to the ones I remember getting there as a kid. We were so excited when they reopened, but this is definitely not the same place it used to be. read more

Right now you could be standing right where I was, the Best Western parking lot right next door to Happy Joe's, only you were smart enough to check your smartphone Yelp App. Put your phone back in your pocket, and find somewhere else. Your entire digestive system will thank you later. It was a running joke for the rest of the weekend about having to make "not so happy" pit-stops. This place is filled with kids playing video games and overpriced junk food. The pizza was overly greasy, the salad was sub-par, and the chicken fingers had black spots in the chicken. I don't even know what that was. Buyer beware of any place labeled as a pizza & ice cream parlor. read more

Happy Joe's - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Yikes. How is this place still in business? We stayed at a hotel next door and wanted something sweet after our dinner elsewhere, saw they had ice cream, easy quick walk. Wrong choice. This is like the dollar store run down desolate version of a Chuck E. Cheese. Not to mention the employees just look miserable to be there. So glad we just got freezer burned tiny scooped ice cream and not actual food from here. Wow. read more

Great pizza - they specialize in taco pizza and it doesn't disappoint. The large pizza will serve 4+ people.

Such a disappointing place now. This has been a family favorite for more than 30 years. So many family birthdays and celebrations held there. We were heartbroken when they closed and so glad when they reopened. They should have stayed closed and left us with good memories. 3 times when we have tried to order pizzas the store has been out of pizza dough. What pizza place runs out of dough? With it being the holidays and more skiers in town, you'd think they would be better prepared. I guess we move our family celebrations to Dubuque. read more

The service here is terrible. The second-last time I was there, I had to track down a server to get waited on. I had to find another one when I needed a refill. Then I had to track down someone a third time to pay. The last time was even worse. I sat in a booth for 15 minutes waiting and ended up leaving because I never got waited on. I will never go back. read more

Disgusting !! It was a Friday nite at 6 pm and the place was empty . I wanted to just drive thru and get some ice cream . Big mistake . Apparently they don't use the drive thru so we had to walked in to get our ice cream . I ordered a cone . They told me to sit down and they'd bring it to me . The one girl made the cone and handed it to another to bring it to me . There was no sanitary paper wrap on the cone . I asked about it and they said they don't use those ! So two people touched my food with their bare hands and expected me to eat it . Very very unsanitary !!! read more

Just shut it down! Hid slimy greens under the salad as if it wouldn't be noticed. Thank heavens I turned the greens before I ate. They don't tell newcomers that you order at the counter after you pick a table so me and the table next to me, sat for 20 mins before realizing this. Ordered a bowl of ice cream to take back to hotel room for later. Only had drink cups and no lid. These guys aren't serious about being in business and covid hiring excuses can only go so far. Suppose they do a decent cheap pizza and maybe thats really all they want to do. Didn't taste but saw others ordering it. read more

Many moons ago I had my first Taco Pizza at Happy Joe's and it was epic. I have had a few good versions of taco pizza at Pizza Guys and Godfather's but nothing come's close to my personal favorite at Happy Joe's. While visiting Galena we made sure to stop in. The pie is perfect. Refried beans, sausage, beef, lettuce , tomato, and literally a bag of of nacho flavored tortilla chips. It is a symphony of flavor and contrast. Don't forget to add their taco sauce to give it a kick. They have a fun little game room to keep the kids occupied. The place was kind of filthy so I will knock off a star but the pizza was out of this world. read more

Happy Joe's - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

My husband grew up eating this pizza so whenever we come out to visit family this is our mandatory lunch stop as we drive from Chicago to Dubuque. According to my husband, the crust is better here because it's not that cracker type that is used at the Dubuque location. I have also observed that there is less chaos and kids gone wild here than at the Dubuque location. Although you can order whatever you like on your pizza, they offer some creative specialty pizzas. My husband's favorite is the Happy Joe's Special which is Canadian bacon and sauerkraut. Sounds weird, but actually tastes good. My favorite is the buffalo chicken pizza. If you are ever in the area, check it out. read more

People from Iowa love Happy Joe's and insist you stop in for the taco pizza. 'Nuff said. read more

Absolutely disgusting. We went in today (5-24-15) for a post graduation family ice cream sit down. There were 2 clean tables in the entire restaurant when there are about 30 tables total. We were the only family there, too. Every table in sight had no guest but was covered in plates and garbage. At one point, I even cleared a table for a new family. The staff wasn't even busy, they were all wandering in the kitchen. Absolutely a disgrace to the Happy Joe's Corporation and family. I posted a photo of the mess, too. read more

Happy Joe's - Uncleared tables for over an hour. Every table in sight was filthy. - Pizza Near Me - Galena, Illinois

I really wish I could rate this 0 stars because they deserve it. My family and I just wanted something quick and tasteful, Happy Joes was neither. The place was empty, and we only ordered 3 items (one being a hoagie sandwich). We waited a solid 35-40 minutes on our food. The way the place is set up, you're able to see inside the kitchen. I saw our food waiting in the window for what was probably 10-15 minutes, as employee after employee just looked at it and passed it up. Finally, we got our food, and none of us wanted to take a bite. My fathers panini had a weird sauce that looked like it came out of someone's ass. He took a bite and threw it away. My hoagie looked fine. It's a hoagie, how can you possibly mess it up? After a bite, I found out Happy Joes accomplished the impossible. They messed up a hoagie sandwich. A. Hoagie. Sandwich. Nothing but bread, lettuce, tomato, turkey, ham and cheese. I think every ingredient in my meal was two-three weeks old. My mom and sister split the seafood pasta. I'll admit, we messed up by ordering seafood at a pizza joint, but the pasta wasn't even cooked. The cheese was thick and hard. I don't even want to know what kind of meat was in that. Nothing was edible. The service was horrible, and the place was trashed. I hope not every Happy Joes is like this. DO. NOT. GO. read more

Yuck. I should have gotten the hint that this place is garbage when we walked in to this place and wasn't even sure if it was open. Desolate, with creepy clown motifs and a confusing ordering station/counter. I ordered a half-pound burger which tasted like straight-up dog crap, and my wife ordered a nachos appetizer, which looks like it was made by a broke college student. We ended up playing with our food, mushing it around and flipping it over and over before we decided to just leave. Yeah, don't go here, unless you want to see Jojo the clown make his appearances on Tuesdays from 5-7:30. Ever seen the movie "It"?? read more

We tried the Breakfast pizza & cheese sticks! YUMMY!!!! We still talk about it months later...remember that breakfast pizza?? So much better that Procentos in Galena that we read so much about, that was so disappointing. read more

The transcendence of the Taco Supreme pizza is glorious and travels to all locations. I may have grown up in Dubuque and was raised on the Taco Supreme pizzas distributed in that town, but 15 miles away is not far enough to find any discernible difference in pies. They do, however, have other different specialty pizzas not found across the river (and vice versa); the reuben pizza is worth a small sojourn. Still, the Dubuque flagship is miles above Galena's outpost. As for service, Happy Joe's is almost completely self-service, so there's not even much to rate on that front. The tables are kept clean, and that's about as much as one can wish for. However, take-out can be a little less enjoyable. There really isn't a good place for someone to wait for a take-out order at the Galena Happy Joe's. Not even a couple of chairs. I could either stand and try to keep out of the way of people coming and going or I could sit on the floor. Not a particularly great setup. The delivery is timely, though. All things considered, if you can go the delivery route, that may give you the best Galena Happy Joe's experience. read more

Bad service and horrible food at breakfast. TV too loud. I will never go back there. I don't know what else to tell you but go to Procentos in Galena for pizza, not this place read more

Worst pizza ever. Tastes like red baron. Would not recommend to anyone. This restaurant was recommended by the hotel.

Excellent Pizza. Great Delivery. Pricing is moderate to inexpensive. Games and atmosphere at restaurant are great for my four year old twins. This is a family tradition. I grew up going to Happy Joes in Clinton Iowa. In the mid-70's through 1980 we celebrated many birthdays and friday nights at happy joes. When moving to sheboygan, wisconsin - there was a happy joe's by the marcus theaters on the west side of town - now a gas station. This was great eating as well especially after the movies. Happy Joe's has contracted quite a bit since its founding, but is still great pizza, especially it's world famous taco pizza (famous in the midwest). The crust on their pizza is a more traditional middle weight crust which is more than thin and not thick crust. great if you like crust. I still find the ingredients are very high quality and much better than domino's and especially the new pizza hut which once had great pizza, but no longer as it was cheaped out after being bought by pepsi. bottom line - if you are visiting galena this is a great place for pizza and kid friendly. read more

1 Star is being generous. The service is horrible. We've been here over an hour and the table next to us has been deserted, yet it hasn't been cleaned yet. Asked for plates, came back with water instead. No utensils, no napkins, even the bathroom had no toilet paper. Horrible service. There's a bunch of employee's, but no one to take care of customers. They even forgot our appetizers. Stay away from this place. The outside looks better than the inside. Don't be fooled from the outside. read more

I ordered the bbq chicken pizza on gluten free crust I was very happy with this choice. I have been coming here since I was a kid and it never disappoints. read more