Galo's Italian Grill — Restaurant in Richmond

We were a group of 4 and extremely excited to try this place, as it had been years since I’ve been and my friends had never been. Understanding that it was Valentine’s Day, we tried to be as patient and understanding as possible but the evening just got worse and worse. We were told they don’t do reservations, no worries. We show up and get told 45 minute wait. That’s fine, we went to the bar and had a couple drinks. Which was great service. We had our table in 30 minutes, which also awesome but they did not let us know that sitting on the patio was a possibility - I would have let them know we would wait longer to sit inside. The option wasn’t given and we weren’t told where we were going - just to follow. Ok, 10 degrees out but it’s warm with heated lamps. Not a big deal. Server was friendly but extremely forgetful… we were sat without silverware. Had to ask twice. Had appetizer before napkins with silverware. We waited 15 minutes for our beers for her to come back out and say they were out of what we ordered, so then we wait another 15… and have to ask if they are coming. When we got our food only 3 of us were served. We asked if another plate was coming for 4th person and was told “oh probably”. Then the server walks up, pulls out her book looking at what she wrote, and says “remind me what you got”. What? Bad way to express that you forgot or whatever happened. Unsure. By the time we got that plate it went in a box, everyone else was done eating. I had the chicken masala, unfortunately highly do not recommend the dish. You get very thin slices of chicken covered in a gross unseasoned sauce with canned mushrooms. I did not eat. During the evening we asked for more bread a total of 3 times, she finally apologized that every time she goes to get it they are out. Finally just asked for a manager and we got the one meal we didn’t receive removed from the bill, that was nice of them. Most disappointing part is that once we got the manager we never saw the server again. Just would walk right by us. Again, I understand maybe it’s a fluke from being extremely busy with Valentine’s Day but I would have waited another hour to be sat with better food and service. Highly disappointing....

With a recommendation of some friends, the TuesCrew of Ohio TuesDayTrips took to the road and drove west into Richmond, Indiana. Just off US-40 is Galo’s Italian Grill. This was for one of our Virtual Trips to Europe during the pandemic. We arrived at four o’clock to insure a lighter crowd. During our stay, only a few tables were put to use by other patrons of Italian Cuisine. And none were close to us so, it was like private dining.

Our waitress, Brittany, was bright and effervescent. She provided us excellent service throughout the time we were there. One could see her smile even with a mask on. She took our drink order and helped us understand a few of the menu items we had questions on. We then worked out our individual orders with an educated flair!

As we were scanning the menu, she brought our drinks and some bread with herb infused oil for dipping. The bread and oil are phenomenal and worth the drive to Galo’s. The cheesy crust and tender center are great on their own, but when dipped into the oil it’s a whole new level of flavor that starts a party in your mouth!

We ordered a couple of Della Casa Salads and three Galo’s Chopped Salads along with our entrées of Spaghetti with Meatball, Penne Carbonara, Mixed Grill, Medallions of Filet with Boursin Spinach and Eggplant Parmigiana. The salads were delivered shortly, were nicely presented, fresh and delicious.

Like our salads, the entrées were well presented. The only dish with any negative concerns was the Medallions of Filet with Boursin Spinach. It was not as hot as expected and the flavor just didn’t match up to what was anticipated, but that is probably a personal taste issue. The rest of the meal was basically fabulous!

We had a wonderful time at dinner. We exchanged bites with others to so all could experience the different flavors. It was an amazing experience and we all plan on returning here...

Great service and atmosphere but just, "okay" food. We were greeted immediately by the host and seated promptly. The decor is beautiful and tasteful, transporting you from Richmond, IN to eating dinner in Italy under the moonlight. The waiter knew the menu well, was professional and first class. We ordered Shrimp Scampi and Mozzarella Fritti for appetizers. The Shrimp Scampi was close to perfect. The Mozzarella Fritti had the perfect blend of crunch and soft cheese on the inside, almost perfect. The children's fettuccine and chicken was good and well portioned. The Mozzarella Tomato Caprese originally came out drowning in balsamic vinegar almost gritty to your teeth. We sent back and requested balsamic vinegar on the side. That was much better! For the rest of the review, there will be a similarity of the main star of the dishes drowning in sauce that sabotages the experience. We also have to say that bagged Parmesan cheese covered in anti-caking agents should not be served. Even Olive Garden grates cheese at the table. Every dish we ordered had potential, but either the chef wasn't in or may have lost their drive. Please take this review with a grain of salt as I'm spoiled with great restaurants in Northern Virginia (NOVA). This may be the best Italian in this town but the food would be mediocre at best in NOVA. The Lobster Bisque had an undistinguishable aftertaste. The Italian Wedding Soup was too salty to the point of beyond preference level. For the Medallions of Filet with Boursin Spinach I almost couldn't find the medallions because they were drowning in the sauce. The spinach taste overpowered the cream to the point of almost tasting canned. The star of the show are the Medallions, the cream sauce should elevate and not overpower. The Stuffed Seafood Portobello was good but the risotto lost the battle between oatmeal...