Sangalli’s Court Street Steakhouse — Restaurant in Pekin

New Italian eatery on Court St. in Pekin. I noticed that this new place was consistently busy (full parking lot), so we decided to visit for a nice Saturday night out. The business was still busy at 7pm on a Saturday, but there was only a 10 minute wait, and there is a nice bar you can relax and have a cocktail while waiting if you choose. The service was very good, even though it is a new place, the processes are worked out and the staff knows their role. We quickly had our drinks and in less than 10 minutes we had our appetizer (fried ravioli - 10 for $7) which was delicious. I ordered baked tortellini ($10) and my wife ordered the filet mignon ($30). We started with a salad - mine was a standard garden salad with mixed greens and halved cherry tomatos. Very crisp, fresh and cold. My wife ordered a caesar salad, which was also mixed greens, not what she expected, but she said that the dressing was delicous and the salad was crisp and tasty, just not a traditional caesar salad. My tortellini was excellent - not over-spiced, and the meat sauce was tasty with a nice tomato tang. The filet my wife received was around 8 ounces, and perfectly cooked. The menu boasts that all steaks are black angus "locally purchased from an Iowa family farm". The meat was delicious (had to have a bite) - an excellent steak. The bread that is served with meals is very sweet - much like Avantis. After tasting the bread I started to see comparisons with Avantis - however Sangallis has more of an upscale steak menu than I remember at Avantis. I suggested the addition of an "Ala Italo" salad - which Italo's used to serve which was a crisp greens salad with vinegar and oil and a dollop of meat marinara on top - sounds odd but it is delicious - would be a nice addition to the menu. The sweet bread does not, in my opinion, go well with olive oil and parmesean as I like to enjoy in other Italian eateries. However, the bread DOES go very well with the meat sauce so perhaps that is the trade-off. With a double cocktail, appetizer and two entrees (the most expensive one and the least expensive one) our bill was a little over $65 - reasonable enough for the high quality of food and service we recieved. I will add that the interior of the building has been revised, and additional sliding doors and subdued paint treatments have made the place more cozy as compared to it's previous two iterations as Mexican restaurants.

A nice addition to Pekin, and one we will...

TRY it - you will like it. My wife and I recommend this place.

CONVENIENCE: Easy access, plenty of parking, Thursday night crowd was easy. On busy night, might need an overflow lot.

PRICING: Very competitive. Two steaks, two drinks, coffee, dessert, my wife and I got out for (w/a 20% tip & tax) under $75. Plenty of menu options that would get you out for under $20/person.

QUALITY: Steaks were excellent. Cooked just right. Tender. The trimmings (mushrooms, steamed green beans, onions, were all done, just right).

SERVICE: (woman named Rashelle? "Rochelle" ) was very professional. Listened and took our orders accurately, explained options clearly - prompt). Not sure how they would do on BUSY nights, but our experience was better than satisfactory.

FOOD CHOICES: Plentiful, bountiful, and consistent with what you would expect, in this price range. Desserts (they swear, home-made) inspired us. The bread pudding was tasty, and flavored right.

AMBIENCE: (In the $50-$100/per couple price range), you can get the gamut from cloth table covers, linen napkins, appropriate glassware, and true silver, silverware - to a modified country look. Here - Color this place: "Country Simple". plain wooden tables, barn siding and doors, glassware more suited to soda than liquor. The look suited the place and Pekin is not really a cosmopolitan city (which is fine) - We liked it, and most of their crowd seemed fine with it also. A little piped in music would be a nice addition, and personally, I would consult with a lighting expert for a better experience. Excessive blue and harsh lighting, left the place with a COLD, washed out look. Certainly, padded bench seats and booths would add a...

Not much for Italian food, my wife and I decided to try Sangalli's today for burgers. And oh my goodness... We got two of the best Black Angus burgers we have ever had. 2 Burgers, one fries to share, 2 waters, and I added mushrooms on my burger.... only $20.

Each burger is only $8.99. McDonald's value meal is $8. Get real.... I know where I will be going for a burger from now on, and it wont be from the golden arch place.

You know the old saying of "if a restaurant has a good burger, then more than likely everything else is good." ........ We now know where we are going for our next steak or prime rib.

Want a good burger, then go to Pekin's best kept secret.... SANGALLI'S.

UPDATE* wife and I, after getting 2 great burgers, went back for the prime rib. Upon entering there was a sign on the door saying they are short handed and to expect delays. WOW! Never thought a restaurant would put a sign on the door like that. Maquets Rail House (Best food in Pekin) has no shortage of help.

Anyway, our original burger trip we sat on the bar side, this time we sat on the dining room side; absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever. So we ordered the prime rib; and it was bland and awful. Had much better prime rib at Texas Roadhouse.

Sangallis does have good burgers, and Black Angus is a step in the right direction. Truth be told, burgers are better at Macquets Rail House; and after eating the bland prime rib, we are probably done eating at...