Vinny Vanucchi’s
201 S Main St, Galena, IL, 61036
Vinny Vanucchi’s Menu
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Address :
201 S Main St
Galena, IL, 61036 - Phone (815) 777-8100
- Website https://www.vinnysgalena.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Ruby C.
Great location!! Authentic and delicious Italian! Great atmosphere for romantic dinner or good for family and friends. The garlic bread is to die for!!! Super friendly
(5)Marcello L.
This place could be a great place. I have gone there twice, and both times the food was just ok. I didn't review the place before cause I wanted to give them a second chance. It's to bad cause the layout is old school italian like. The wine is good. But the food. The recipes need some help. Fix that and this could be the place to go to when visiting Galena. Oh and remove the tile brick at the side entrance. When wet your guaranteed to fall. My wife and kid did.
(2)Susan F.
Located in an old historic building with lots of levels and little rooms to eat in. Quite the maze to the bathroom. Our server, Coral, was very nice. The Garlic bread that they serve was so saturated in butter it was enough to make you sick. I took a couple of bites, but stopped. It was even pooled at the bottom of the basket. Yuck! The salad is served family style and there was barely any in the bowl. There was two of us, but only enough for one. Waitress didn't check on the salad amount or bread and didn't even ask if we wanted more. Most restaurants with family style bread and salad at least check to see if you want more. My husband ordered the Lasagna. He said that while it did taste good, the sauce was runny. It was served in a small Au Gratin dish and was difficult to eat do to the fact that it was running all over the place. I ordered the Chicken Marsala. Mine too had very good flavor and had fresh mushrooms that were cut large. Sauce tasted great, not too salty, but it too was runny. I prefer my sauce a little thickened. Chicken was tender and tasted fresh. Not much of a wine selection. Didn't find any of my favorites, but selected 14 Hands, Hot to Trot Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio mix which was good. Was never asked if I wanted another glass and had to ask for a refill on my husband's Coke. IMHO when you are paying so much for your meal, you shouldn't have to ask for anything. Because of the many rooms/maze I'm guessing that is why it took so long to get drink refills, as we had to keep asking for water or Coke. Side note: I did over hear another group complaining about menu items that were no longer there and the fact that they no longer have marinara. They were also very disappointed in the quality of their calamari, stating that the batter had changed and was very heavy. I was thinking of ordering that as an appetizer, glad I didn't.
(2)Megan S.
We were seated right away on a Friday night. The server was young and not very well versed on the wine selection. The gluten free food was ok but bland. I always love gf Italian but I don't think I'd go back. When we were done we wanted a bottle of wine. I had to wait 15-20 minutes for a manager to show up and purchase the wine. Overall the food and the service was bland.
(2)Jennifer H.
The Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Marsala were fabulous! Go for the Zinfandel too! Had a great experience at this adorable Italian restaurant!
(4)Melanie G.
This has always been my favorite Illinois spot. The ambiance is second to none. Every meal I've had has been delicio. Service is fantastic. Tonight I ordered a grey goose dirty martini. Perfection. I will be stopping in at least one more time before I leave town.
(5)Sid V.
Good value, above average traditional Italian-American food and so-so service and atmosphere in an ancient and somewhat odd structure. Better garlic bread than any but homemade by someone who knows what they are doing. Just OK wine list. Overall, would return and hope for one of the hard to get outside tables. Recommend the baked sausage ragu.
(4)Ray R.
On the spur of the moment, we decided we wanted some Italian food and spotted this place from the main street. Atmosphere: we were sent up to the bistro and loved the interior decorations. It really makes you feel as if you might be sitting outside an Italian cafe. We loved that. Staff: our waiter was very polite and professional. He apologized for not getting to us right away and was very attentive. He ensured we had our drinks replenished before we even asked. He ensured we were continually updated on the status of our food. Great work! Food: We received a house salad and garlic bread as part of or meal. Both were good. We had to wait a long time to get our orders. Normally I am not bothered when we wait an extended period for our food as long as what comes is worth it. My girlfriend had chicken cacciatore and I ordered the tortellini carbonara. She loved her meal. I did not like the carbonara however. The carbonara tasted like condensed mushroom soup and had the consistency of over liquified condensed soup. I was starved, so I ate it instead of sending it back (and probably requiring another long wait). If we return to Galena, we'll try a different place before coming back to this one.
(3)Darlene K.
Enjoyed dinner with 4 friends on Saturday. The atmosphere was great and we had a nice evening. But the food was average overall and the service was poor. We waited 20 min for salads. One member of our party got her food late with no apology. Our carafe of water wax seltzer water rather than tap do we thought it 'tasted funny'. My lasagne was not as good as Fried Green Tomatoes. The chicken Parmesan was just ok. The chicken tortellini was very good.
(2)Mark M.
Great food, atmosphere and service. Had the Baked Seafood Italiano absolutely awesome. My wife had the Shrimp Milanese WOW. In addition, portions are huge. Either come hungry or leave with a doggy bag. Nothing wrong with having it as a leftover. Will be back here again for sure.
(5)Laura W.
Price is right. Atmosphere is wonderful. Service is great. Garlic bread was good. Maybe it's my tastebuds but the pasta dish had so-so flavor. I got the pasta primavera. It was creamy but not that flavorful. Family style salad dressing was also so-so. Will probably visit again in hopes that the food is better next time.
(3)Michael B.
Would love to give this place more stars, but they get marked down because of their service. Our server was flaky, and we hardly ever saw him. There was another server who was serving another section of the restaurant, and he was the exact opposite of our server. he was running around, filling water glasses, taking away plates. Seemed like he was doing the job of a server and a busboy. Food's not bad... I had the chicken marsala and it was actually pretty good. The bread and salad are also very good. Overall, I'd love to give more stars, but they get marked down because of the service.
(3)E.Michael D.
Had my luncheon for my father's memorial service here. Cory the manger had everything perfectly arranged. 5* food and the staff was excellent. Must go to when in Galena. The chicken parmigiano is the best I've ever had.
(5)Regina S.
OK, so you are not going to be wowed by creative cuisine, or marvel at the unique Italian offerings of this place, but what you might experience is a friendly, warm, charming restaurant with lots of character that can fulfill all your carb cravings. This was my fourth visit and this time I brought nine family members. We were seated quickly at a perfectly quaint area on the third floor. (this place has several levels and interesting nooks for some cozy dining). Racks filled with wine adorned many walls along with blown up black and white photos from the ol Italian neighborhoods. Of course, Frank was heard singing in the background, his music being piped into the various rooms. Need more stereotypical Italian accessories? How about red and white checkered tablecloths and painted grape vines. All good including the smell of garlic wafting through the floors. Calamari with marinara was our starter. The rings (boo no tentacles) were light, tender, and crisp. The sauce was chunky, perfectly balanced and added just the right pow to the squid. The family style salad was good. The greens and veggies were super fresh and crisp and they were all tossed perfectly in a house made. Italian dressing. The bread, though not of the artisan variety. had enough butter, garlic and crunch to satisfy even the pickiest eater. With this size group, the variety of entrees ordered were impressive as I don't think any one duplicated an order. That was fun, as you got to see what the kitchen can crank out. Meals included, Italian beef sandwich, fettuccine chicken alfredo, chicken marsala, chef Roberto's baked sausage ragu (pasta, spicy sausage, peppers, mushrooms, marinara sauce, parmesan cream, and mozzarella all baked until golden brown), egg plant parmigiana, lasagne, and Auntie Gracie's Pasta Siciliano (pasta stuffed with cheese, topped with parm cream sauce, veggies and baked with mozzarella. Heavy stuff right? Well that was what this group was hankering for. No one finished their meals, however, as the portions were huge. My chicken alfredo (which I never usually order) had all the components nicely executed except for a lack of seasoning. Doctoring the plate with some pepper and parm seemed to be the right touch to awaken some of the more subtle flavors. A bit of lemon zest would have put it into a whole other category. A foodie haven? Heck no. A carb and comfort food castle? You bet. See you the next time, Vinny's.
(4)Molly M.
If you like old style Italian, you can't go wrong here. We've actually been going here for almost 20 years and can honestly say we've NEVER had a bad experience. That's pretty incredible. The seafood millennium and angel hair pasta are favorites but every we've ever ordered is exactly as expected.
(4)Miranda C.
We were here for two nights and ate at VInny Vinnuchi's and Fried Green Tomatoes. Vinny won for both ambience and food. Service was good at both. Awesome--very cool multi floor layout, very italian feel, the service staff was hustling. My Baked Sausage Ragu was mouth watering. I was so sorry to see myself get filled up because I just wanted to keep going. There was a great mix of 20 somethings, families and romantic couples in here and it worked well. The owners (or very skilled managers) stand inside the door and are just really glad to see you (unlike the placid response from a comatose hostess at Fried Green tomatoes the next night)
(5)Kevin S.
We went to Vinny's during Illuminati night in Dec, reservations were made in advance because we had a group of 8. This location is very interesting to say the least, it's above the downtown area so you have a few steps to climb to get up to Vinny's. Once you get inside you instantly notice the character of the building, getting to your table may require you to go back outside and walk up a few more floors to your table. To start off your dinner, salad with house dressing and garlic bread are all you can eat and they are very tasty and the bread is truly garlicky! You can easily fill up on just these two items. I ordered the house specialty Chef Roberto's baked sausage ragu. It's a great item and I was very pleased with the taste, truly an Italian dish! We experienced great service, our waitress was on the ball and even broke up the check for us to make it easier to pay, she was not required to do that per menu statement on groups. I highly recommend Vinny's Vanucchi's, it's always a destination for us in Galena.
(4)Carri C.
I heard about the top notch garlic bread and the hype was real. We had pasta dishes that were great. I also appreciated the included salad with the meal. The prices were consistent with the quality of the food. Ambiance and service were fine.
(5)Alexandra M.
Highly recommend - the meal starts with amazing garlic bread and salad, followed by delicious home cooked meals. The sausage in the pastas are delicious! Staff is wonderful and passionate about their mom and pop restaurant
(5)Alex T.
There were 4 other people in the restaurant and it took over an hour to get our food. The soda was flat.....twice and there was a bug in it the second time around. The bread has gray fuzz all over it and the food was sub par. We told wait staff and not even then did a manager come over to talk to us or apologize. Will not eat here again.
(1)Mark C.
Prepare yourself for a one of a kind Italian experience. The decor and multi-floor layout is really intriguing. The menu shows their passion for Italian cuisine in the family with dishes named after people. We went with no reservations around 5:30pm and got seated right away, but by the time we left, the restaurant was full. We went after snowboarding at Chestnut Mountain, so we were a little under dressed, but we were also eating early. Our server was very nice, seemed a little inexperienced, but overall added to the positive experience. The salad and garlic bread served with all meals was delicious and high quality. I ordered the Cousin Tony's Penne Romano which was absolutely amazing. When we were finished eating, two people in our group needed boxes which proved to be difficult for the waiter to find, but be got them eventually. Great restaurant...I will be enjoying dinner here again!
(4)KT Z.
I've been here a couple of times. The food has always been good (not outstanding but not bad) - Their garlic bread is good but is always too greasy. Try the baked seafood pasta- very rich but really good! Or the carbonara! We came here this weekend with a group of 11. We were sat relatively quickly for having such a big group on a busy weekend but outside of that, the service was AWFUL. Two of our meals came out wrong. Most everyone enjoyed their meals. About half of the group got a type of sandwich with fries, so we asked for ketchup. A bit later she comes back to apologize stating there is no ketchup anywhere in the building and that it would be 10 mins to go and get it from the basement. We were practically done eating anyways so no point. We get our checks, which it was very nice that she was able to split it for us, but she takes one back immediately and passes up a couple more that were ready. No joke it was about a half hour between getting our checks and leaving the restaurant. I get that we have a lot of people but we shouldn't be waiting this long to leave. Our waitress must've been new to this gig. She had a couple other tables but no bigger than 4 people. I had to remind her that we asked for our leftovers to be boxed a while ago and we thought maybe she forgot them but she said she just was waiting to get a bag, which would've been nice as they came without one. Just disappointing, overall. This one visit was a one star, only for the food. Luckily for them, it wasn't my first time there. But for many in our group, it was. The other couple times I've been there has been with 3/4 people and the service was not poor. So overall, this place gets 3 stars. I wouldn't go back with a bigger group, but if it was just a few of us, I may consider it. :-/
(3)Amanda K.
Very good food and wine list. They have a nice bar upstairs and outdoor and indoor seating. Prices are pretty reasonable. My husband and I enjoyed our anniversary dinner here when we were visiting Galena. It is a good place to go for both a romantic dinner experience and regular dining as well.
(4)Karolina T.
I have been here twice now with my boyfriend. The food is okay, but what keeps us coming back is their outdoor seating area. We like to come about 45 minutes before close when the town is pretty much silent and enjoy a small decent meal and some wine.
(3)Kim L.
A girlfriend told me we just had to stop at Vinny's during our weekend trip to Galena; I am SO glad we gave it a try! The wine was fabulous, as was the food. The portions are big, and they offer an extra plate for a small charge, which includes salad and bread. I got the chicken fettuccine alfredo with broccoli and it was wonderful. My daughter had the ravioli which was wonderful (almost melted in your mouth!) and my mom and grandma got the stuffed shells that they were very happy with. We got the cheesecake with brownie crust for dessert- and I highly recommend it! They had a moscato, Innocent Bystander, that was the best I've had. Loved it! The only downside is the accessibility, you either have to walk up a steep ramp or a few flights of stairs to get there, which was a huge undertaking for my 93 year old grandma, but if she can manage most anyone could!
(5)Jamie O.
I will begin by stating - service is slow here. I'm sure it has to do with all the stairs the wait staff has to go up and down and not the large table of 20-somethings that our waiter was at instead. :) Not to worry though - we were there for a girls weekend and determined not to let anything dampen out spirits! We could tell from the tables around us that the food portions were gigantic so the four of us decided to split two meals. We received a large bowl of salad (just enough for 4) and a huge basket of greasy delicious garlic bread prior to our meal. We ordered the Pasta ala Vinny which is a deliciously spicy seafood pasta dish with a garlic oil sauce. Lots of crab, scallops and shrimp - plenty to share the entree. The other dish ordered was a spicy sausage pasta special with delicious cheese stuffed shells. Very good and also large enough to share. With all the walking you do in Galena, sharing the dish is a good idea so you can continue enjoying the town and also work off any garlic bread guilt along the way!
(4)Mark V.
Great food, huge portions and wonderful atmosphere. We started with the bruschetta for an appetizer. It was like a meal unto itself and way, way good. After that, we didn't even have room for dinner!
(4)David M.
My wife and I stumbled on Vinny's located halfway down the stairs on a steep street. The old country atmosphere was very pleasant, and the service and food was excellent. Large menu. The family style salad and the garlic cheese bread were enough for a meal. Followed by spaghetti and meatballs with terrific marinara sauce. I highly recommend and will be making a return visit.
(5)Shon S.
Great atmosphere and great food! Seafood Italiano was delicious, and the garlic bread was to die for. Highly recommended if you're in the area.
(4)Bubba B.
The staff was very nice. The restaurant was well kept and nicely decorated. The food was good. Not outstanding, but good.
(3)Annie G.
The food is pretty tasty, I usually order the primavera and I'm not disappointed. My favorite part of the restaurant, however, is the atmosphere. Galena is a great place to be centered and with the music, dim lighting, and vintage setting, you'll never want to leave!
(4)Devvora P.
Not for me. Too rich and too much. My favorite Italian food is fresh and light. This is very heavy and too creamy/fat etc...We would not go back
(2)Rachel W.
I do love Vinny Vanucchi's! I have eaten at this location a couple of times (carry out) and have good experiences. A lot of food, moderate prices. I'm a bigger fan of the Dubuque location, but both are very tasty.
(4)Shannon M.
Wend your way up the skinny staircase and you'll find yourself in the bird'snest of a dining room that is Vinny Vanucci's. Dim, even on a bright afternoon, this place had the traditional Italian restaurant vibe going on, down to Frankie and Dino crooning out all the Rat Pack hits. It was a little crunched to get a group of 7 into the smallish room, but they did manage to squeeze a few tables together and we were alright without impinging on each others' space or that of anyone else. The lunch menu is...heavy. On a hot day I didn't really feel like pasta...or a heavy meat sandwich...or a burger. Thankfully my aunt had asked for the gluten free menu, which housed the Chicken Walnut salad (Greens with Chicken, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Walnuts in a Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette). This sucker was HUGE, but it ended up being the right choice, since we ended up walking a lot more in the heat that afternoon: a gutload of ravioli would have taken me out. The fabulous garlic bread makes up for the menu transgressions, however. Service was smooth if a bit slow, though our waitress was quick to coordinate even when my little cousin decided she was still hungry and wanted another kid sized plate of the spaghetti. (The kitchen was also able to accommodate some allergies there with ease.) Overall, things came together well enough. I might check out some other restaurants next time I'm in Galena before rushing back to Vinny's, but at least it's an option rather than a "no way."
(3)Darlene O.
Visited Galena from Chicago for a few days and decided to go here for dinner one night since they had outdoor seating. All the food we ordered was WAY too salty. The host also gave our table away to someone and didn't apologize for his mix up. Disappointing since we could pay equal for a great place in the city. (We ordered calamari, chicken parm, and the carbonara tortellini)
(2)Ed B.
To me, Italian food is the same everywhere and you can make stuff just as good at home, so I don't often want to go, but I had a taste for pasta so we went. Looking for a place on a Sunday, Yelp indicated it was closed but when we walked by to our alternate place we saw it was open and went in. We got seated quickly, but I personally thought service was slow. It was slow getting us drinks and slow getting refills. The missus gave me a line about how they do things slowly in Italy and don't want to rush you. I'm not sure how letting you savor the feeling of being thirsty helps the experience but I'm not Italian so what do I know? They start off by giving you garlic bread with cheese in oil. Its very tasty as long as you don't let it sit in the oil too long and soak it all up. They also offer a salad with a homemade dressing that was fantastic. I had the penne pasta with marinara and a hot Italian sausage. The missus had Cousin Tony's Penne romano, which is a tomato basil cream sauce with mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts baked with mozzarella and parmesan. Mine was tasty enough...its penne pasta. The red sauce was spiced nicely, although it got a little watery at the bottom. The sausage was ok, but I've had better (insert joke here). The dinner came out so hot I suspect the stuff wasn't fresh, but frozen and microwaved. The missus had them add chicken to her dish, which they either didn't charge for or forgot to. I thought it tasted good and so did she but it was way overloaded with mozzarella cheese by probably about double. She's convinced the artichokes were canned (I couldn't tell) The portions were decent, and so were the prices. You'll be ok if you go here and don't want to spend a lot of money, but you can do better.
(3)Ahmad W.
I have had the best and the worst Italian and this food is pretty much among the bottom 10! The food was so oily we asked the waitress twice to drain our food, even the bread was drenched in some oil! You could actively feel your arteries clog!! My sandwich was supposed to be hot and toasted but instead it was ice cold like it was toasted yesterday Overpriced for " a worse than Olive Garden. " food save your money and your tummy, give your arteries a break and don't step in there! You have been warned The only reason I give it two instead of one star is because of the nice place they have
(2)Catherine P.
I promised the manager I would write a review and here I am. My fiance and I were in last Friday for lunch to celebrate his 30th birthday. We had only been here once before with my crazy, loud family on a Saturday afternoon last Spring and I loved it. A little secret....any place that has buttery garlic bread is top on my list. Now, I must let everyone know that Steve (my fiance) picked out this restaurant -of all the places in the area- for his birthday lunch. HE wanted to come here. He was, by no means, persuaded by me. (really!) We sat in the "second" story dining room, at least that is what I'm calling it. This place's layout is so weird, but it's old Geneva in an old building that's up on a hill. Yes, a hill, a very steep hill. Kinda difficult for any handicapped people and people just simply out of shape, like myself. It's a WALK up those stairs just to get in the restaurant. They have a lot of tables in a room not necessarily meant for as many tables and you can sit pretty close to your neighbor. But, you know something? It just makes you more likely to talk with the table next to you and mingle just like us Italians. Hey, we're all familia, right? In fact, we had conversations with 2 or 3 tables around us on Friday. People are pretty laid back out West and much nicer to deal with. Ok, my favorite part, they brought salad with their home made dressing and fresh garlic bread straight from the oven. The butter glistening and the steam from the temperature coming off the bread. My one complaint, they serve re-fill-able drinks (such as soda and tea) in rocks glasses. Because the staff needs to go up and down stairs to get food and drinks from the kitchen, the wait time is already a little longer....I just wish they would invest in a 20 oz. cup for soda and iced tea. Steve ordered the Italian Sausage sandwich and I opted for the Chicken Piccata which is prepared with artichoke hearts, red peppers and lemon. Yummmm! The sausage was HOT! and I'm talking spicy hot, it was not "mild" by any means. So watch out if you plan on getting that thinking it's milder, it is not. He LOVED it!!! It came with delicious home made fries. My chicken dish was accompanied by a small bowl of macaroni with marinara. The lunch portion of the chicken was a single breast with the pasta and it was perfect for lunch. I ate almost every bite. Our server overheard us talking about it being Steve's birthday and she got him a cup of Spumoni ice cream with whip cream and a cherry to celebrate. Nice touch, Vinny Vanucci's! It finished off our meal perfectly and encouraged the table of ladies next to us to offer to take out photo, which was very kind. Gotta love that close nit feel you get when dining here. The staff was courteous when you are going up and down the stairs and step to the side. The bathrooms are clean and their food is memorable. Gotta love remembering a meal...that means they did something right. And VV's sure does it right!!
(5)Gillian M.
Comforting, yummy Italian food in a lovely cozy family setting. Not overwhelmingly creative expensive modern food, but we really enjoyed our garlic bread and raspberry vinaigrette salad (no choice on the dressing - but you don't need one) and I loved my sausage Ragu - mildly spicy herbed sausage in a delicious tomato sauce that had fresh mushroom and peppers. I had a really good Argentinian Malbec and the service, contrary to what others have said, was excellent. They lose one star because my boyfriend's lasagne was lacklustre with a lot of ricotta, and I guess it's a tad small ... But we will be back.
(4)Chris P.
Went there again over easter. The service and presentation was alot better. The bruschetta was awesome. I ordered the shrimp Scampi special and it had nooooo flavor. Very disappointing. I would love to give it more stars but just can't because the entrees are holding it back.
(3)Shaun B.
BEST CANNOLI since she visited Italy, according to my wife. She had the egg plant parama (not on regular menu) and thoroughly enjoyed it. My angel hair w/marinara was very good and the Italian sausage that came with it was outstanding. Cheesy Italian-American ambiance, but I like Dean Martin. Suggest 'wine cellar' seating if you can get it.
(5)Siobhan M.
Would have loved to have eaten here, but they apparently decided to just close up early. We walked all the way here when it was literally 10 degrees out to slip on the brick pavement and go home hungry. I mean, seriously, the reason is supposedly that there's snow incoming. Hi, welcome to Illinois, where winter happens every January! Glad we wasted our time trying to come here, but based on the reviews on here, I'm thinking it's probably for the best.
(1)Jessica B.
It was just okay. The atmosphere is dark, romantic, and classy. We ordered a bottle of wine which was amazing. The garlic bread is soaked in butter. It is delicious, but probably a million calories. I ordered the Papa John stuffed shells. I received three shells stuffed with ricotta. It was pretty bland. My husband order a baked pasta of some type. It was very bland too. My husband loves to cook and could easily do better in our own kitchen. The dishes lacked rich flavor. The waitstaff was good at least.
(2)Lorraine N.
Went here as it was one of the local restaurants that seemed to get a lot of press. There were five of us dining and none of us were totally blown away by the food or experience or atmosphere. There was nothing "wrong" there just wasn't anything "right".
(3)Robbie R.
I am going to give this place a lot of credit. I really liked it here. Me my mom and fiancé went for lunch when I was visiting. The prices were very reasonable and they gave us bread and salad which was much better than most places. I would have even paid extra for it. The waiter was very helpful. I got the chicken Marsala. I was not disappointed. Very tasty and I even got pasta with it. If your visiting this little town I recommended eating here first before any place. You can also sit outside if its a nice day.
(5)Nichole C.
I don't know if it was because Vinny Vanucchi's was the final stop of a three hour ride, if it was because I was starving, or because it's just that good, but I was impressed with VV. I got the Eggplant Parmigiana (I don't know if it is always a special but it's not on the menu) and it was delicious. It was the perfect portion of crispy breaded eggplant and pasta with a marinara that was awesome. The pasta was 'meh' but the eggplant was the bomb. I also had a ton of the garlic bread that was plopped down in front of me pre-meal. OH HELL YES. The bread and the salad here are both really good. The only PITA was the tiny rocks glasses for drinks, but overall, I would ride here and back just for the bread.
(4)Kurt H.
Could be great, but just very average.
(2)Ed B.
I Don't know why others are so down on vinny's. For our experience has always been more than great Very nice service.And great food everytime we vsit Galena We have had dinner there 3 times and like always its been excellent experience.Can't say enough about this restaurant.its been good for us. we will be returning to Vinny's again.
(5)Michael C.
On a recent trip to Galena, my better half and I had the pleasure of having lunch at this fine establishment! My hobby is culinary arts and my cuisine is Italian. So, being second generation Italian, I think I know a little about Italian cooking and its tastes. It is also important to know what "tools" to provide when serving certain types of pasta, e.g., spaghetti, fettucini, etc., and they do! ...a spoon! All of the dinners are served with Vinny's Family Style Salad and Hot Garlic Bread. The salad was crisp and fresh with a very nice House Italian dressing. The Garlic Bread, although not recommended for every day consumption, was a special treat! "No such thing as too much Garlic!" I ordered "Auntie Nancy's Manicotti", which is something I never order because hardly anyone knows how to prepare it! Much to my surprise, it brought back memories of Nana Carlucci's GREAT cooking. It was very pleasant and tasty. Not overpowering with spices and the pasta was al dente! The way it should be served. My better half ordered Eggplant Parmesan over Linguini with Marinara...and a spoon! It was tasty as well. She also ordered a Tiramisu as well and that was "Sinfully" good! The service was nothing short of excellent! Keeping in mind, these people are going up and down stairs all day and night long...sometimes with full trays of food! I Highly Recommend Vinny's!
(5)Rachael K.
My boyfriend and I had dinner here during a recent trip to Galena and loved it. First, we were seated in this little window area with wonderful views of Galena. Our waitress was amazing - super friendly, gave great recommendations, and had a great personality. My boyfriend was undecided on what to order and she suggested their tortellini with hot sausage and some hot sauce thrown in. He got that and LOVED it. He said it was probably the best italian sausage he's ever had. We also were raving about the garlic bread and she offered to send us home with extra on the house which we of course happily accepted. Our whole meal - salad, garlic bread, entrees, and dessert (try the tiramisu) were wonderful. We will definitely be back here on all future trips to Galena.
(5)Jessica D.
An awesome old Italian style restaurant with spectacular menu offerings, quick and great staff, and an amazing array of goodies and decor to peruse during your visit. It was a little steep climb for a lot of dining joy once we got in. Music was Tony Bennet and Old Blue Eyes. Decor was old Italy/New York. Food was spectacular and, with such great items, it was very hard to make a choice! Amazing desserts and wines. You WILL need a baggie for leftovers, as portions are very healthy. The house salad has an amazing flavor that, at least in my book, beats the olive place's salad in a heartbeat. I had the baked mostaccioli which actually were penne rigate, but who's counting. The pasta was lightly tomatoed but very cheesy, just how I like it! The significant other unit had a glass of Merlot with his Fettuccine Chicken Romano, which featured very large hunks of white chicken and a very delicious, kinda spicy tomato sauce. We were too full for dessert, but that's for our next visit! Can't wait to come back.
(4)Alexandra W.
Good classic American Italian food. Salad had way too much dressing. Garlic bread was amazing, but I'm betting each slice is like 400 calories. I went lasagna- I never finish lasagna: none of this was going to waste! Nice touch of fennel in the sausage. Husband had the tortolini carbonara- he said it was ok. Granted his "ok" can rang from best thing ever to meh. Great server, ok host- but to be fair I think we caught the host on a break.
(4)Mette B.
It's not scary bad, but folks- this place is not good! About the only perk of the restaurant is that it is large and there is tons of seating, which can be good if you're visiting Galena with a big group. From there, it goes downhill. You're going to overpay for overly oily and under-heated food. Your server will be wearing yoga pants on the job and not really care that your drink glasses are sitting empty. And if you go in warm weather, you're likely to see at least a fly or two buzzing around.
(2)Dan L.
The food was awesome!!!! The ambiance was intimate, romantic, and rustic. Service was friendly and prompt. We really loved this place!!
(5)Reyes F.
Run-of-the-mill Italian. Slightly overpriced and nothing overly special about the setting. Service was good and the oil drenched garlic bread gives you something worth mentioning when talking about Vinny's.
(3)Edith R.
I'm too lazy to write a review so i copied my friend's review since we both ate the same thing the night before our triathlon (she knows i copied this): "The restaurant itself was cute and seemed promising however, the food was tasteless and overcooked. The pasta was mushy and the veal, tough as shoe leather. None of our entrees should have presented a challenge to any home cook...much less a restaurant chef. Even my 8 yr old niece was disappointed with her spaghetti and meatballs. This was the night before our triathlon and we were all hoping for a nice pasta dinner. Next year I will likely make it myself because I know it will be great!"
(1)Monique C.
I've gone to Vinny Vanucchi's twice and I have to say it was a disappointment. The only food that I did eat and like would have to be their salad and garlic bread. The first time I went, I had ordered Lasagna and it was pretty bland. I've definitely had better from something I can just buy at a grocery store. The second time I went, I had ordered Pasta Primavera with Chicken. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes aside from pesto, but their primavera just wasn't appetizing. Pasta just seemed overcooked and was not a fan of the cream sauce. I had to force myself to eat even half of it. Aside from the food, it is overpriced for the quality and service is decent.
(2)Diane C.
This place is what it is. My husband and I both had pasta dishes for lunch. They were a descent size for lunch and for the price. We had soda and it was filled often without asking. The salad dressing was so good we bought 2 bottles. It's not great. But it's good and priced accordingly.
(4)Elaine C.
Wonderful Italian food and always our go to place in Galena. One time, we went for both lunch and dinner in one day. The atmosphere is wonderful, and our wait staff has always been great and attentive. Their Italian dressing is so good, we've always brought some home and even ordered it online once we got back home to Chicago. I'm recommending it to my mother when she goes to Galena next weekend - she won't be disappointed and neither will you!
(5)Chas. D.
Our expectations of Vinny Vanucchi's may have been too high. But our friends had told us they had the best meal of their life. So we figured how could we go wrong. Well we were disappointed in our main courses. The salad and bread were fine as long as you like salad swimming in Italian dressing and bread that had been soaked in garlic butter before a slight browning in the broiler. Our main courses were the Chicken Vinito and the Cousin Tony's Penne Romano. The chicken dish was very bland and had a very oily "sauce". There were large pieces of both chicken and artichokes, however it was really difficult to get past the oiliness of the bland sauce. The Penne dish had more flavor than the chicken dish but was far from a "best meal ever". It was supposed to have a basil cream sauce but the dish was somewhat dry and could have used much more sauce. I wish I could have written a better review given our expectations. Sorry Vinny. P.S. Please take some of the "sauce" from your meals and oil the hinges on the door that exits from the Bistro to the outside. The noise sounded like a squirrel caught in a washing machine and was very annoying sitting near the door.
(2)Rachel G.
While I loved the atmosphere I felt the actual food fell short. My friend and I ordered a bottle of wine and she got the deedees tortellini and I ordered the lasagna. We were given the usual salad and bread to start us off and those were both amazing. My lasagna was less than average, it was full of ricotta cheese and not very well seasoned. The tortelinni was quite good, but overall I was disappointed. We were able to sit out on the patio so that of course was awesome. I will return but maybe next time I will try something different off of the menu.
(3)Joy L.
I really wanted to love this restaurant since I was rather underwhelmed at Fried Green Tomatoes. I read a few of the reviews and even though my husband and I have picky palettes, we decided to eat there anyway since we already committed to a full night of drinking and we thought "you can't really screw up Italian food". Come to find out..... This place can. Where to start.... Since we had plans to drink after dinner, I ordered an iced tea and my husband ordered a 312. We also ordered the fried calamari. All soft drinks and water arrived in a short rocks glass!?! After I was done with the first one, I had to ask our server twice for a refill. As for my husband getting a 2nd beer.... She never asked him. He ALWAYS orders at least 2 beers and even though I kept reminding her of my refill, it never dawned on her to ask him if he wanted another beer. Bottom line, if you don't ask him if he wants another one, you lose the sale. Moving on... The calamari arrived and it seemed odd that there were no tentacles on the plate. The fried calamari rings were just okay, not super oily, served with marinara sauce and a lemon wedge... But something was off. I asked the waitress if the restaurant serves previously frozen calamari and she replied with a resounding YES! After giving her a disgusted look, she declared that people "from around this area" don't care so much for tentacles and she even went as far to say that the fried calamari we were eating was "the best she'd ever had". Oy The free salad and garlic bread then arrived. This place just reminded us of a really bad Olive Garden. Honestly, 1/4 way through our dining experience I wished I was at OG. The salad arrived on a super small glass plate with TONS of dressing and TONS of Parmesan cheese. The bread was cold with way too much butter and way too much Parmesan. I know what you're thinking... "you can never have too much butter and cheese". When the bread arrives cold and the first bite makes you nauseous from the grease... That's when you know it was too much. For our entrees I ordered the Pollo Compomare and my husband ordered the Baked Sausage Ragu, both items which are featured on their House Specialities part of the menu. Mine was supposed to be chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli sautéed in a white wine garlic sauce with some hot sauce. It arrived in a CREAM sauce that was super thick with lotsa pasta, lotsa cream sauce, and hardly anything else. I choked down the chicken and the veggies. My husband's dish looked good at first glance. It's supposed to be a baked dish with hot Italian sausage, penne, peppers, and onions all baked with mozzarella cheese. After he took the first bite, he discovered an unhealthy and quite frankly unappetizing amount of OIL in his dish. He was grossed out and just ate the pieces of sausage. When the waitress took our plates, she didn't comment that we had a lot of food on our plates and that we had no interest in taking anything home. Our waitress was friendly, yet cheesy, however the whole experience was just blah. Our entire bill came out to $55! Ripoff for bad food. Chicagoans who come to Galena need to stay away from this place. I think we'll give Fried Green another chance after this awful experience. This restaurant clearly caters to the palettes of the "locals". Lastly, as a couple of adults going out to dinner I'd think the host would try not to seat us around loud and obnoxious kids. This place had TONS of kids which should have been an indication that we should have turned away. STAY AWAY
(1)Beth M.
We stopped in this restaurant on our honeymoon. It is a charming casual lunch spot. We enjoyed our food and the experience. I really liked their balsamic vinegar - I had that on my salad and I'd recommend it.
(4)Sarah R.
I really enjoyed our lunch here. Maybe too much -- I really chowed down! The meal started with a "family style" salad, which is sort of a step-up from what they bring you at Olive Garden. The Garlic Bread was AMAZING and so buttery. It was literally sitting in a pool of oil. Yummy, yummy oil. My tortellini carbonara was delicious. The pasta was tender but not overcooked; the sauce was cream but not too heavy, and the strips of ham were generous and tasty. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meal as well. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. I regret there was no room for dessert!
(4)Mike R.
Loved the food especially the garlic rolls and salad. Little noisy, on upper level,also need means of finding people waiting for tables at bar. Service was good considering our waitress had too many large groups.
(4)Frank K.
Large portions, food was decent not awesome.
(4)Aimee R.
Service was A+, our waitress was so friendly, helpful, and attentive! Food was great too...the calamari appetizer was good and the pasta was served hot and fresh... Ambiance was excellent for a date night, with Sinatra type music, soft lighting, and tucked away tables.. The salad was okay, nothing special, but it came with the meal...and one of the pasta dishes was a bit on the small side...
(4)Dorotka K.
I love Galena. I am willing to drive 2.5 hours just to enjoy the feel of this cute little town. Vinny Vanucchi's Littly Italy is always a lunch spot when I visit. The food is great and the ambiance very Italian. I only wish this place was closer to home.
(4)Amy P.
Nice atmosphere- good wait staff. Food was a snooze. Maybe we are spoiled in Chicago with our italian food? Not sure but both Vinny's and Fried Green Tomatoes are not really worth a return trip.
(2)Cory C.
I use to love this place so much! It still is a great place and I love the atmosphere but it seems like it has gone down hill since the last time I was here about a year ago. The food was so filled with taste then now it seems like no matter what I order it tastes bland. I dont know what happened here but I wish they would slow things down a bit and spend more time working on getting back to the great restaurant they use to be!
(3)Tracy T.
Very Medicare. Like 1960s food served in my grade school. Iceberg lettuce, greasy garlic bread, and eggplant parm that was heavy and blah. Our waitress was nice!
(2)Cassandra F.
Had a large group of about 15. Made reservations and picked out the menu a month in advance, however when we got there they did not seem ready for us. We were seated in a giant line at the back of the upstairs by the windows which made it really hard for the wait staff to get around us and also for us all to converse. It was a wedding rehearsal dinner and the families were just meeting for the first time and it was disappointing. The meals were good, but to be honest I have had better at Buca. I am on the fence about stopping in again. Nice restaurant, but about average meal.
(3)A M.
I know everything is expensive in Galena, but I hate paying $15 for an average pasta dish. Maybe I should've gone for the +$20 options... The complimentary salad is ok, and the garlic bread is drenched in oil. Nothing special here.
(2)Jeannette H.
We have gone here years and years and love it every time! Thanks for a fun time. :)
(4)Olga Q.
The best thing about Vinny Vanucchi's is the garlic bread! I can also say I enjoyed the nice atmosphere quaint and comfotable. The food is a bit overpriced considering the quality. The pasta sauces tastes like Ragu. I've had better "authentic" pastas at the Olive Garden. I also find it a tad insulting that their prices nearly double from lunch to dinner for the same entrees. The staff was friendly although I think the waitress I had might have been new considering she never got back to our table to give us the tab we had to go to the hostess and ask for it. I would really only suggest Vinny's for lunch when you pay what the meal is actually worth and aren't being robbed.
(2)Kim J.
Vinny's was just ok. Our group of 14 rolled in around 7:15 for a dinner reservation. It's a nice space that's spread out over many levels - it did feel kind of old world Italian. Our server, Ashley, was absolutely lovely - if I could review just her, she'd easily get 72 stars. With 14 folks, including 2 crazy pregnant ladies and a baby, it'd be easy to lose your head. But she was just awesome. I wish I could say the same for the food. It's standard Italian food similar to Olive Garden. You get salad and bread with your food. The bread was just dripping with grease - too much so to even eat. The entrees were just ok. All of the seafood entrees were covered with cheese, which I thought was odd. I had a chicken special - chicken stuffed with proscuitto and provolone served with a side of penne. It was ok, but had I known it was going to be $22 (the price of the specials was not listed on the menu), I never would've ordered it. The other chicken dishes were around $16 or so. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
(3)Judy L.
My last visit was fantastic! It was a late lunch with family. Food and service were very, very good.
(4)Joseph L.
Not the best Italian I've ever had, but definitely good for the price.
(4)Daisy O.
Five years ago I would have given Vinny's an excellent review but recent visits have made me feel this place has seen better days. I have been coming back to enjoy their Chicken Marsala for as long as I can remember. I wish I knew the chef's secret but lately the service has waned, the portion seems skimpy, and the price just doesn't seem to fit the overall experience. While other establishments in Dubuque and surrounding areas have followed food tends by improving freshness, quality of ingredients, and innovative food techniques to command the twenty dollar a plate benchmark, Vinny's just seems stuck in the 90's. Today's dinner expects not to be served canned mushrooms but locally grown organic produce. Even the decor is reminiscent of 90's chain establishments, think Bennigins or Olive Garden. That being said, the food is always consistent and no one can make better garlic bread but alas I am all grown up now and it is time Vinny's did too.
(2)chas d.
Over the weekend the wife and I cruised out to Galena, IL for their Nouveau Wine Festival. We've come out here quite a few times and decided this trip we were going to try new restaurants other than our usual places we hit. Friday night we went to Vinny Vanucchis Italian restaurant. Good reviews on different travel sites and this is right along the main strip and right around the corner from our favorite wine bar. Being that it was Nouveau Wine Festival, many restaurants had special menus for this particular weekend. The inside of this place took you back to old world Italy, with it's stone walls, grape vine ceiling and red and white checkerboard table cloths. We ordered a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc and munched on the complimentary warm garlic bread. The wife had the eggplant parm. Special with a cup of their cream of wild mushroom and truffle soup, I had the Seafood Italiano and the soup as well. WOW!! I have had my share of mushroom soups and this was by far some of the best. Very creamy and filled with mushrooms and the grated truffle was the icing on the cake! She loved the eggplant parm and my Seafood italiano was quite good. I didn't care for the pasta side dish all that much but I mainly ordered this dish for the seafood and cheese goodness. For desert, we had a to go container with the chocolate and strawberry cheesecakes to enjoy with a bottle of red wine at our next stop. Overall, we really enjoyed this place and will come back. I wouldn't suggest this place for large parties bit definitely for 2-6 people.
(4)Sandy K.
The garlic bread. Nothing else matters. You would sell one of your children for it.. it's that good. The atmosphere is nice and the service has always been satisfactory. If you like seafood pasta, get the Pasta ala Vinny.. you will not regret it.
(5)Jason J.
Vinny's is one of the many great restaurants in downtown Galena. The service is always friendly and the food always good. Try the Pollo Compomare with an extra kick, you will not be sorry!
(5)josie w.
The waitress thought I was wacked when I asked for olive oil for the bread- what??? but other than that the manicotti was great & everything else was great!
(4)Kathleen B.
I have eaten at Vinny's MANY times over the years, although it had been a while since our last visit. I was in town with my kids and decided to take them out for a special treat (they are 3, 5, 7, & 12). I wasn't looking to spend a ton on lunch out, and thought that surely for lunch it would be as affordable as going out for pizza somewhere. Having just come off of Christmas and New Years and knowing that the kids were going to be in our van for awhile traveling a bit, I ordered water with lemon for everyone. The lemons were browning and withering. I told the waitress that they didn't look very fresh and she could have them back (they were on a side plate). She never apologized or offered to bring fresh lemons. sigh . . . The restaurant was slightly busy, but there were several servers working, in spite of that service was SLOOOOWWW. We finally ordered. Soup, salad, and bread for 3 of us and pasta dishes for the other 2 kids. The kids entrees' were priced the same as the lunch portions of the pasta entrees and they charged me the same price for my soup, salad, and bread lunch as they did my 3 yr old daughter! The soup was mediocre and tasted like something I'd serve at home on left-overs night. We had to ask for more bread and salad as she brought a very small bowl for the 5 of us to share. We had to ask to have the rest of the pasta boxed up and she never did clear any of the dishes off the table when we were finished; as far as that goes she didn't even offer to refill any of our water glasses. I shelled out over $50 for lunch for me, my tween, and 3 small kids. I was very disappointed at the service, the quality, and the value. Not sure what happened Vinny's but I won't be rushing back nor will I continue to recommend you to friends.
(1)John R.
My girlfriend and I decided to take a long weekend in Galena to finish out our summer. We have a couple friends who have been to Galena before and they said you must try Vinny Vanucchi's for dinner. Since it was pretty rainy and gray we had to forego the patio seating which I was kind of looking forward to. Inside our waitress was very attentive, but not too attentive which was good(everyone knows there's a fine line between the two). As for the meal, we first had the signature salad and garlic bread. The salad was good, nothing too remarkable and the garlic bread was waaay too buttery. I had butter dripping down my chin just trying to eat it. My girlfriend had the chicken marsala and I had the seafood millenium. Both were good, but again pretty unremarkable.
(3)Jedd J.
We went at 9pm on a Tuesday evening, Vinny's having the only kitchen still open. It was nearly empty. Service was great, decor was fine. Side salad and garlic bread were ok. Pasta was way over coooked and mushy. Marinara was loaded with sugar, and had only the slightest tomato flavor. The OLIO sauce lacked any flavor at all.
(2)Brian L.
On our second night in Galena, we decided to hit Vinny's because of many recommendations we got. (06/07/08). We were seated promptly in a dining room that only had 2 tables. It was nice and romantic and cozy however it's near the entrance and so you hear every staff member running from other rooms to the kitchen and back. It's right under the stairs so you hear the pounding throughout the meal. We started out with some Toasted Ravioli's and thought they were pretty good. You got 8 on a plate. The soup on the night was a Chicken Velvet which really is cream of chicken. It was loaded with chicken and tasted pretty good. You get complimentary garlic cheese bread and it was pretty good but a little on the greasy side. For main meals, MK got the Tortellini Carbonara and I, the Meat Lasagna. Both meals were pretty good albeit, as others mentioned in a price range I'd see closer to home. That said, we're on a weekend getaway so price is important but not a deal-breaker. An elderly couple was sitting at the other table in our cozy little spot and the waitress, although attentive and good, had us both on the "same schedule" and so we felt like we were more part of the volume moving through, than having a special night out. It was also clear that she had tables in other rooms as we saw her run by several times. I guess we did enjoy our food and the night, but I think the next time we're going to try another Italian option in town to see how it compares.
(3)R L.
I went to this place based on recommendations from locals and unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype. Strike 1 - Even though it was a slow night at the restaurant, our server was more interested in surfing the "net" instead of paying attention to his customers. Strike 2 - I ordered the seafood italiano and found a hair in my food. They offered to redo the dinner for me but my appetite was ruined already but I accepted. strike 3 - for the prices they charge, you figured they will use real crab meat but no such luck - imitation crab meat only. They did offered us free coffee and desert to make up for the mishap. Overall, I wasn't impressed with the service nor the food but the canoli was really light and tasty and so was the fried calamari. Will not visit again
(2)Mark F.
2 1/2 stars at best! Nice atmosphere, but food flavor was average and the prices were HIGH! Worst alfredo sauce I ever had was here, it was super watery...even Ragu is better!
(2)Chris S.
I had a fantastic experience at Vinnys. The staff was very friendly and did a great job with us. And the outdoor seating was very pleasant. The food was delicious and portions were generous though the prices might have been a little on the steep side. However, they weren't so steep that I wont be going back there for some delicious carbonara. I didn't really get a chance to see the inside but from what I did that looked pretty cozy as well.
(4).James A.
I've never been to Galena before, it was an overcast day in the 40's i was starving and didn't want to walk up and down that main drag looking for a place so I settled on VV's. i thought the food was fine, i had the chicken parmesan tasted fine to me, i really liked the garlic bread, so buttery and crisp. The salad was no big wup, iceberg lettuce, which I never see in CA but hey I wasn't in CA!
(3)Michael W.
Not a big fan of Vinny's. They call themselves an Old World Italian Neighborhood restaurant (sounds like Applebee's, doesn't it?). I've eaten there twice, and was not overly impressed by either meal - perhaps I was expecting more for pasta which averages $14 a plate. All the old standbys are on the menu: fettuccines, raviolis, stuffed shells, chicken and veal. The two dinners I ordered were good, but not, in my opinion, substantially different from what you'd get at Olive Garden. I think people enjoy the ambience - Vinny's benefits greatly from its location on Galena's Main Street - charm by association. The restaurant appears to be an old house built on a hillside, and the dining area is broken up into small rooms. It's cozy. A deli counter greets you as you enter, and there is some outdoor seating during the summer.
(3)Cali K.
I love this place! My husband and I ended up having a late dinner here while spending the weekend in Galena. The food was as expected, Italian and excellent! The only reason I take away a star, is because the bar section closes sometime around 9:00pm. You can still order with your meal, but we originally had intentions of just sitting at the bar. All in all, I am glad we ended up ordering dinner and the ambiance was fantastic. Good old Galena charm!
(4)Carrie M.
I had a pretty good experience at Vinny Vanucchi's. Our waitress was very attentive and really knew the menu when we asked for recommendations. The food portions were large, but like the other reviews, typical of a larger city, not a small town restaurant. The food (our food at least) was excellent! The overall feel the restaurant is very cozy, and we had a pretty excellent time while we were there. I only give four stars because, like I stated earlier, it was a tad over-priced.
(4)John F.
Portions of pasta were large. Agree with other reviewer on prices and quality. Food is fairly mediocre and prices are more typical of downtown Chicago than small town. Garlic bread tasted artificial, our salads were tasty but a lot of the lettuce was brownish and my chicken piccata tasted too much of vinegar and not enough of lemon.
(3)Cheryl I.
We tried this for dinner on a Sat. night recently and got seated on the outside patio in about 5 minutes. Our server was a young, energetic guy who was very talkative and nice. I had the chicken primavera alfredo and was not impressed at all. The alfredo lacked flavor and richness and the chicken seemed to have just been boiled and thrown in with some veggies. Olive Gardens Alfredo has them beat! My husband had the baked mostaccoli with sausage and he said it was good but spicy. The garlic bread was the best part of the meal. For the money I would probably pass on this place unless you want to go for an appetizer and a drink on the patio.
(2)Allison O.
Vinny V's was AMAZING!! Great pasta and drinks. Very cute beer garden for a nice warm night. Beautiful and secluded.
(5)Cara F.
I'd be lying if I said I make Galena trips solely for the shopping. The truth is, that I came across Vinny Vanucchi's years and years ago, and make it a point to stop here at least once a year. In an older building on Main Street in historic Galena, you would expect this place to be on the pricer side. However, I think the prices are well below what I would expect from restaurants in the area (with the exception of drink prices).The menu is also pretty varied, with options ranging from standard spaghetti and meatballs to pasta bakes and more. With an entree you get your standard Italian shares including salad and a greasy basket of garlic bread. On Labor Day weekend for lunch, it was far too hot to sit outside so we asked to be seated inside. I know how large the portions can be here, and since we weren't going home decided that my boyfriend and I would share an entree. I paid the side plate fee of $5.95, and we shared the Auntie Gracie's Sausage Ragu. The Ragu was okay, a little soupy with the sauce and probably not my favorite thing on the menu. However, as I was "sharing" I was willing to compromise a bit on the selection. Normally i would go for the Fettuccine Seafood or Penne Chicken Romano. So, if you want leftovers go for two separate entrees. If not, I would recommend sharing. There is also a location in Dubuque Iowa, but I feel like this is the one to visit in Galena.
(4)Rosita G.
So, we had the eggplant parmigiana. It was okay, not very crunchy. We shared it with the salad/bread extra plate charge. Just fine for us as a couple. Garlic bread while included was greasy and cold. The drink options? Pathetic, unless you want wine. My husband asked for a beer and asked what was on draft. Nothing, then the server said ... bottle only, Bud, Bud Lite, Coors ... I ordered a hot tea ... only Lipton. For an Earl Grey fan, it was disappointing. Food edible. Atmosphere nice. Service mediocre.
(2)