Galo Tavern 18 — Restaurant in New York

After going to the movies, we finally decided to dine at Tavern 18, as it was late on a Saturday night and not much else in the area was still open.

We were promptly seated at a cozy table for two in the main dining area. Brian, our waiter, came over right away and greeted us. He took our drink order and after another minute a different server brought us complimentary bread. The bread, a grouping of four pull-apart rolls, was ok. My companion said they would've tasted better if they were fresh out of the oven, but I suspect they'd been sitting around for a while. Each of us barely finished one.

I was tempted to order the shrimp and lobster linguini, which was one of their specials, but my companion beat me to it. Not wanting to order the same thing, I went with my second choice, their glazed salmon. I switched my sides to their broccoli/carrots, and mashed potatoes. The carrots were covered in a sweet glazes and were delicious. The broccoli tasted like your average broccoli, and the mashed potatoes were ok. The salmon had a nice crispness to the edges and was cooked just right. The glaze was served on the side and I used it sparingly as the salmon really didn't need anything added to it.

We'll definitely go back. My companion dined there once before for brunch and had good things to say about that experience as well.

A great neighborhood spot.

Edit: After visiting for brunch I have to deduct a star from my previous four-star review.

My companion and I both ordered the scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, and potato brunch item. During the brief wait for our meals, we munched on their tasty complimentary muffins and rolls. The banana nut muffin is really good.

The food arrived and the presentation was underwhelming. Half of the plate was a mass of hard cooked yellow scrambled eggs. The other half was a dark jumble of sausage, bacon, and potatoes. The bacon was chewy and most of the potatoes were dry and unappealing. I tried digging through the potatoes to find the few good ones but eventually gave up. The sausage was ok and flavorful, but this meal is not worth $22. Yes, it comes with complimentary mimosas or bloody marys, but I can get a similar breakfast at the restaurant in my office for $6... and their food tastes much better.

The manager, Ava, was very attentive and checked with us throughout the meal. As we were leaving she stopped us at the door and apologized for the experience. We had a nice conversation and she asked us to come back another time so that she, and the restaurant, could make up for the meal.

If you’re going for brunch, skip the basic plates and get something interesting... or a burger. Better yet, go for dinner.

Edit 2: Per Manager Ava’s advice, we returned for brunch today. Ava wasn’t there, but we were seated in the section of our favorite waiter, Jorge. We gave Jorge a quick recap of our previous experience and that Ava asked us to return. As usual, Jorge gave us 5-star service. Our glasses were always full and he checked in with us several times throughout the meal.

When the check arrived, we found that the discount Ava mentioned wasn’t applied and we ended up paying full price for our meal. It was slightly disappointing, but we had a much better experience. Still, a discount on the meal...

UPDATE: the owner made good on his promise! We went back to order to pick up dinner and he paid for our whole bill which was so completely unnecessary but so kind. I feel so much better now since we missed going to one of our favorite restaurants! So glad, and as always, the food was delicious!

UPDATE: the owner called, who we know very well, and apologized profusely to my husband today. He assured us it never would have happened had he been there and he is speaking to his staff. He offered to do something for us when we come back. We are going to try and go on Saturday. We shall see. I will update my review after that.

I never write reviews but in this case, I need to. I don’t want anyone else to be treated the way my family was at this restaurant. We LOVED this restaurant. We have been going for years and they send coupons to us all the time which we use for dining in and take out. Today we go to take out food and use the coupon that does not state anywhere that it’s if “dine in only” and are told we can’t use the coupon. When my husband made the argument that it does not state “dine in only”, the manager starts arguing with him that they never take the coupons at take out, which is a complete lie since we only order in from here when we get one because the food is expensive The manager was rude and yelling at my husband that it doesn’t matter what the coupon doesn’t say and was nasty and disgusting If you want a coupon to be dine in only, then state it on there. He finally gave in and gave the discount because he was so wrong but we will NEVER eat here again and will tell our friends never to eat there again. They lost loyal customers. The owner, who my husband knows well, refused to come out and speak with him. Not a good way to treat customers. If you want a discount to be done in only, write that. Not my problem that you are too inept at your job to make sure your coupons reflect what you want them to be used for. He should have said nicely, we will honor it this time but in the future, we can not. Yoh don’t scream and yell at customers and talk over...

I ordered dinner last night during the nor'easter using a delivery platform. I picked this restaurant because I was craving a French Dip Sandwich. Also ordered additional items: Rare Lamb Chops, Buffalo Wings, Lobster Mashed Potatoes, and the Mac and Cheese. Thé Sauteed Shrimp was suggested at checkout so why not.

The delivery driver had an accident with my first order so did not deliver it and I had to pay again for a second. That's fine, not the restaurants fault. Problem is when the second driver reached the restaurant, they were told that my earlier order had been picked up already so my order had not been prepared. The restaurant should have called me if they had concerns. Then when I received my second order, the Sauteed Shrimp was not included.

For the items that I did receive: Speaking for the Lamb, the Lobster Mashed Potatoes, and the French dip, they were all bland. Salt is definitely the enemy here.

The Lobster Mashed Potatoes did not have any seasonings and had a fair amount of shell fragments, but I incorporated the lamb juices and that helped with flavor.

The Lamb Chops were a mixture of Rare and Medium-Well, and had a burntness that overshadowed the rosemary / thyme. Some chops were saltier on the outside than others, and I had one piece where the large amount of bone fat had not been seare1d fully.

The jus for the French dip had the right color but was flavorless. The meat in the sandwich was also too dry.

Only complaint I heard re the Buffalo Wings was that the Blue Cheese Dressing was not included. Mac and Cheese also had good potential, but they said they didn't think the price was worth the portion.

Overall, leaving out the delivery snafus, and the missing item, I don't think I would eat here in person unless someone else is picking up the bill. They definitely use quality ingredients, but the flavor profile is better suited for someone on a low...