Guys. I’m all about these close-to-home trips lately. With so much going on in our busy schedules, it just doesn’t always make sense (for time and money) to go in all out vacation mode.
Galena, IL is the perfect spot for us in Illinois or our neighbors in Wisconsin. Just a 3 1/2 hour car ride away from the Chicagoland area, this picturesque town is not only a perfect weekend getaway but it has GREAT food. From breakfast to dinner to drinks there are plenty of options to keep your belly full. I hope you’re ready to plan your next food trip to Galena.
Note: Each restaurant name is linked to the its Google page, where you can simply save it to your Google maps. When you’re ready to head to Galena, you’ll have your food trip already planned!
One Eleven Main
When restaurants in this area say that they’re farm-to-table, it’s like you have no other choice but to believe them. Fruits and vegetables are so fresh you can tell just by looking at them that they were just picked that morning. This place was no different.
WHAT I HAD: One Eleven Salad with chicken and a side of Homemade fries … cause balance
WHAT HE HAD: Bacon Cheese Burger and a side of Homemade fries
Galena Cellars Winery
This place made me love white wine and port. Before this, I was a red wine snob. They offer such great pairings with your tasting: cheese and crackers with your reds and dark chocolate with the raspberry port are two that come to mind. Galena Cellars Winery employees are so friendly and thoughtful, too!
WHAT I HAD: All of the wine!
WHAT HE HAD: Same
Log Cabin
Locals recommended that we go to this steakhouse and given that we were celebrating our anniversary, we thought it was appropriate. The quality of the food in this town is insane. And Log Cabin was no different. The old school charm and history of this restaurant added to our entire experience and fit beautifully with Galena’s history.
APPETIZER: Flaming Saganaki
WHAT I HAD: Queen filet with Greek toppings
WHAT HE HAD: New York cut with Greek toppings
Gobbie’s Sports Pub & Eatery
It was a little chilly at night when we were there in mid-September, but the drinks and the heaters made up for that. The cushioned outdoor provided comfort while we chatted with some locals. We also learned that Gobbie’s is known for its pizza!
WHAT I HAD: Prairie Path beer
WHAT I HAD: Stella beer
Embe Eatery and Lounge
This cute little bar was right on Main Street. We were lucky enough to experience the ukelele sounds of Barncore Betty. So much talent in this wife-husband duo (their son cameos as well). As we listened to their folk-hard rock sounds, we had a couple drinks too!
WHAT I HAD: Dirty martini and plenty of vodka waters
WHAT HE HAD: Kept the Stella flowing here
Otto’s Place
What can I say about good ol’ Otto? This was our last meal in Galena and it sure was worth it! Again, we talked to some locals who gave us the inside scoop on this place. It’s been said that it’s haunted by its’ original owner – that he still can be seen around the building making sure that everything is going well. How awesome is that?
It’s not all ghost stories here though, the food is enough to keep people coming back.
WHAT I HAD: A house-made Bloody Mary with all the fixings and Sweet Potato Hash with two eggs over-medium
WHAT HE HAD: Another Bloody Mary (he’s such a copier ;)) and the best biscuits and gravy ever! Those were his words, not mine. He hasn’t stopped saying it since. This meal inspired me to create my own version of it: chicken milanesa and GF biscuits (coming soon to the blog!)
The Galena Farmers Market
I absolutely love farmer’s markets, so whenever I get the chance to discover a new city or town, I always look for their local farmers market to check out. Galena is no different. No matter the time of year, there’s a farmers market you can attend:
Every Saturday
Mid-May through late-October
7 AM – Noon CST
No admission
galenamarketplace.org
Second Wednesday of the month
November through March
4 PM to 6:30 PM CST
No admission
galenawintermarket.com
There you have it! I hope you find this a useful guide when planning your next food trip to Galena, but there are so many great places we didn’t get to visit so be sure to fill up the comments with your suggestions. I’ll move ’em into an honorable mention section on this post!
