Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Grape Escape

    4.3 (156 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    The Grape Escape Photos

    THE GRAPE ESCAPE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Grape Escape

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Inside
    Alexandra A.

    My favorite place in downtown Galena for cocktails! There are so many to choose from and it's hard to just pick a couple, they truly are all delicious! This is a small town local bar but feels so much more than that. Our bartender was really nice and friendly. She gave recommendations and also helped me figure out what I would like the best. My fiancé tried a mezcal cocktail and enjoyed it, it was well balanced and had a good amount of Smokey. I tried the tiramisu martini and ughhhh it was phenom!! Creamy, smooth and sweet! It was a great dessert martini.

    Menu
    Kaitlin C.

    The cocktail menu here is above and beyond! Lots of options for everyone. Can be a bit chaotic here on the weekend so come early if you want a seat. The night we went (Saturday) there was a live performer who was phenomenal! (Can't remember her name). Really fun to sing along with some good drinks.

    The staff is lovely, the drinks were a good price, the place was packed, and the live music was fantastic. Would recommend to anyone looking for somewhere fun to go on a night out in Galena.

    Dirty martini $12 and beer
    Christina H.

    They have lots of outside seating and lots of bug spray (bonus) and sanitizer everywhere. Then of course they have a fun wheel you spin for a $2 shot. Staff couldn't be friendlier and make great drinks which is the important part of a bar as far as I am concerned. Would definitely recommend stopping in for a drink. They also have a couple slot machines if you are feeling lucky.

    Seasonal, apple martini. Tastes similar to apple cider. I can't remember the specific name but it was very good!
    Sara A.

    Great place for drinks and food with friends! Ambiance is great! Employees were friendly and the vibe was just all around great! We came during the Galena night of the Luminaria and Living Windows, so Main Street was busy. It didn't phase the staff at the Grape Escape. They all seemed to really enjoy their jobs. They were dressed very festive, bar tenders wearing Christmas suit jackets, we really got a laugh out of that! Hostess was very friendly. Drinks were really good. Ordered a pizza for the road and it was delicious! Can't wait to visit again.

    Lexi J.

    My absolute favorite place in Galena! The owner (Ms. Kitty) was incredible. She could tell my friends and I were out for a girls night (my birthday) and she took great care of us. I asked her if I could keep the menu as a souvenir, and she printed out a new one in the back! Our server was super nice, the ambiance is great, I love the art and decor. Live music, great lights, catchy drink titles which I live for. The drinks were great, and tasty didn't like the "bruschetta" it was bread with mozzarella cheese, and pesto. I recommend the cheese plate, cannot wait to return

    Bloody Mary bar-bbq vodka!
    Dana B.

    What a fun place! The Bloody Mary bar on Saturday was perfect. BBQ vodka was delicious! The music and energy is fun in here. Loved the variety of hot drinks and they had mock tails too which I think are a nice choice too.

    Lauren C.

    Hear ye hear ye! I'm going to let you in on a little secret... The Cat House & Grape Escape is where it's at!! The hospitality & generosity of Miss Kitty & Rick are second to none. The amenities were comfortable, clean, cozy & quaint - everything we were hoping for on our Christmas vacation. Their dog-friendliness is unmatched & the view of main street was the cherry on top. If we ever come back to Galena, this is where we'll be staying! The Grape Escape downstairs was a home away from home - a hub of amazing cocktails, scrummy pizza, talented & entertaining musicians or just a quiet place to spend your Christmas Day, doggies & all. I couldn't imagine a better way to have spent our Christmas than all together in a bar with Miss Kitty & her guests. From the moment we rolled into town & Rick patiently helped us get settled in, to the moment we left & Kitty sold us a memento from her Cat House, we felt welcome & cared for. A colossal Christmas Tea cheers to our hosts! ps. Be sure to hit up the Galena Juicery behind the Grape Escape during your visit. Brandon is a juicing wizard! pps. Shout out to the Grape Escape bartenders, who greet you with a glass of water before your cheeks hit the chair. Each & every one of them was genuine, friendly & fun to be around.

    Lobster roll. Yes, it's as delicious as it looks!

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 22
    Thanks 10
    Love this 22
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Pizza was mid. You can bring in dogs. This makes it sweet. The dogs can even go on the couch.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dana B.
    1
    49
    30

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great martinis, live music. Unique old fashioned drinks. Cosy atmosphere. A little pricey but to be expected in Galena.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alexis G.
    623
    12
    168

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    What a great place with friendly staff. We can't wait to go back. Thank you Miss Kitty for taking such good care of us.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Doug F.
    104
    21
    0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jordan M.
    88
    201
    73

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great vibe and service! We had a terrific evening - live music, with good food and drinks!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Grape Escape

    Review Highlights - The Grape Escape

    but the music, the drinks, getting to meet Miss Kitty in the flesh, and that amazing blonde girl (Kate, maybe...

    Mentioned in 32 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Paradise Bar and Grill - blt

    Paradise Bar and Grill

    (136 reviews)

    $$

    Not sure why they have a big sign that says Family friendly dining! Completely opposite of that and…read moreI will also disagree with the bloody Mary's. Not the best in town either. Family and I decided to check out galena for the first time and decided to check this place out since the galena brewing company was closed. Not sure why because the sign said open and it was 11:15 am. The food here was alright, wings didn't come out with the celery and we felt rushed. We asked for menus and he said we needed to wait till after 11 am! It was 11:15 am lol. Food is nothing to brag about, but it did the job after a 3 hour drive. I should've read the reviews before going into this place. Not a top choice if we go back. Be aware this place only takes cash and checks. No credit card payments. Found that out at the bar when I had to go pay my bill because the waiter didn't mention anything! Lady at the bar said the ATM is at the front. Terrible way to start a Galena visit. Here are some pictures of our food and hopefully this place has better management and nicer staff.

    With this restaurant being located in such a charming little town such as Galena, IL, I was a…read morelittle disappointed in the service. From the get go, the lady taking our order was in a bit of a rush. My family was with me and we had a couple questions regarding the menu. I felt that our server's response was abrupt and felt like she was brushing us off to get to the next customer. The food was meh. I mean it wasn't terrible but it was pretty basic. The hubby got a cheeseburger, my daughter got the grilled cheese meal, and I got the buffalo wings. The menu said that celery and carrot sticks came with my order but I just got the wings. When I was able to finally flag down our server to inquire about my veggie sticks and dressing, she said "oh we're out of those" and was about to walk off until I quickly asked her what about the ranch? She then quickly pointed to the little square ranch container that was in the middle of the table. I mean maybe offer other things to accommodate for what's missing or at least tell me that off the bat would have been nice. We pretty much just ate our food and was ready to go right after. The name Paradise Bar & Grill is an oxymoron as we did not feel like we were in paradise.

    Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill - Signature Pub Burger

    Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill

    (173 reviews)

    $$

    Fun place, the real deal. Authentic Irish pub, dance floor and all. Place was decorated with the…read moreinteresting bar and chandeliers. Wifey had the fish sandwich. Generous portion of snapper on a nice bun with red slaw and small basket of fries. I had the fish and chips. Three pieces of haddock nicely battered with kale slaw and a dill tartar sauce. Small basket of fries kept me occupied. Service was great. I'd live to return when the place is packed and the dance floor full. Really looked like a fun place. Highly recommend without any reservations. Can't miss. The place is too cool to pass up.

    I'm back. I haven't left a review in a long time. I just got lazy and tired. But since we are…read moretourists I will review this place I've become to notice Irish pubs seem dark. It's hard to see if the place is clean but I can say the bathrooms were and I didn't notice anything that was dirty. We got seated within a minute. Place was not very crowded being a Sunday night. The hostess greeted us with a smile and felt with our difficulty to choose where to sit. She chose for us because we were just indecisive. A plus, they had a musician playing singing some Irish songs and he had a good voice. I can see this place being loud if it's packed but for the 20 people there, it was not. The restaurant itself was a little warm but whatever, no big deal to me. The most important part of the restaurant is obviously the food. I ordered a Rueben which I know is a basic meal to get but I wanted corned beef but didn't want to pay the corn beef prices. I will admit this was one of the best Rueben's I've ever had. The flavors were awesome, the meat was tender which isn't always easy with corned beef. The fries I thought were pretty damn good. They aren't my usual typical fries I like but they were seasoned well and nice and crispy. The wife got another basic item of the fish and chips. Again, the fish was amazing, the tartar sauce, which I usually do not like, was good. I thought it was some of the best fish I've had in a while and the tartar sauce was definitely homemade. The alcohol, well can't go wrong with any of the beers I chose or my wife chose. I also got a black and tan which I haven't had in about 20 years and it's just like I remember in college with the exception of drinking 4 of them. So why would I give this place 4 states instead of 5? Unfortunately, the waiter was not very good. He was not very personable, didn't seem to smile, didn't seem like he really wanted to be there. I know most of us don't want to be at work, but in this industry, you gotta fake it. I will recommend this place and if we are ever in town again, I'd like to try some of the other food. The atmosphere was a good time, and the decor, especially the Irish flag was good enough for me. I would go there if you're in the area.

    The Grape Escape - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...