Restaurant Review: A second act for Jefferson Park ‘s Gale Street Inn; supper-club vibes and great ribs!
“I want my baby back baby back baby back baby back baby back ribs!”
Old-time commercial for Chili’s restaurants
When I lived in Galewood, one of our favorite places for ribs was Gale Street Inn, located a few miles away on the Northwest Side’s Jefferson Park. What they did with ribs…tender, slow-cooked ribs glazed in Gale Street Inn’s own house BBQ sauce…were some of the best we’ve ever tasted. And I’ve been to Memphis and St. Louis, which are also renowned for their barbecue!
History
As the Chicago Bar Project notes, George Cholies opened Gale Street in January 1963, after being forced to abandon his sandwich shop & tavern across the street due to the construction of the Jefferson Park Blue Line El stop and bus terminal. Cholies sold Gale Street Inn in 1984 to the Karzas family. Both families maintained the quality of their food, taking pride in their service and winning numerous local and national awards.
However, as Eater recounts, in 2025, the 62-year-old spot closed in June. At the time, owner George Karzas cited staffing shortages as the primary reason for the shutter. Enter Paulo Villabona, a longtime restaurant veteran and neighborhood resident, who purchased the business and officially took ownership on November 1. Dinner service reopened in December.
“To me, buying the restaurant is all about the community,” he told WGN News, per Eater. “Our goal is to keep making amazing food, allow the phenomenal staff to continue to shine, and ultimately keep this pillar of the community alive for another 60 years.”
Not only does the reopened restaurant feature classic ribs and steak, they also feature live entertainment, including weekend French Gypsy jazz and acoustic performances.
And now, the food…
Gale Street Inn has preserved its tavern-like atmosphere and community ambience. In addition they’ve expanded their offerings to nclude weekend brunch, Thursday and Friday lunch service, and early/late-night happy hours.
I long for their Parker Rolls, served warm and fluffy, with honey-chive butter. They carry a separate charge but are worth every penny, as are their tangy Deviled Eggs, with crispy prosciutto and fried onion. Fried Calamari has another tangy twist of lemon and pepper tempura and giardiniera aioli. Potato Skins are made with candied bacon, truffle-gruyere fondue and scallion.
Before we get to the ribs, it should be noted that the Gale Street Inn has something for everyone. Take the Tangy Fry Chickie, a sandwich made with a tender chicken thigh, with sweet-savory-spicy honey-sambal sauce, and served with pickles and house slaw. It can pack a punch!
If a full slab of ribs seem too much, try instead a Rib Sandwich, every bit as tasty and packed with boneless ribs, pickled onions, BBQ sauce, and pickles on a brioche bun, served with coleslaw.
Chicago’s Finest Ribs come in full or half-rack. They are to be savored, with meat just slipping off the bone, dripping with their famous tangy Gale Stteet sauce. While fries and other sides are available for an upcharge, the ribs come with their own coleslaw.
Other steakhouse options include a juicy 12oz New York Steak served with a baked potatoand demi-glace. Steak Frites is a 10 ounce grilled Hanger steak grilled, served over red wine reduction and topped with a cilantro chimichurri. Additionally, the steak is accompanied by harissa marinade, whipped ricotta, harissa yogurt, chilled couscous salad, crispy chickpeas, pickled onions, and shoestring fries.
Pescatarian options include Fish ‘n’ Chips, avodka- battered cod and creamy homemade tartar sauce. Walleye Filet has Calabrian chili-butter, potato and caramelized onion puree, with sautéed spinach and fried leeks.
You can add a four-ounce lobster for an upcharge to make it a Surf & Turf.
As we say at Dean’s Team Chicago, save room for dessert! Banana Bread Pudding is served à la mode. The popular Dubai-Style Chocolate Pistachio Cake is another popular option, as is their Basque Cheesecake is served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce.
Mine is not the only positive review:
“NEW OWNER SAME GREAT QUALITY. So excited children could once again join the meal. The updates to the place are gorgeous very chic and still very cool supper club vibes. It was great to see Paulo brought back people who had been working their for years. The food was phenomenal service impeccable. Will be back soon!”
“It looks like Gale Street in his back and better than ever! Ribs were delicious. The ambience is beautiful in the service couldn’t be better. The only thing I wasn’t a fan about was the sautéed spinach. There was no garlic. Maybe that’s just my personal preference I prefer more garlic or at least some garlic. Other than that, A+ will definitely be going back again!”
Gale Street Inn is located at 4914 N. Milwaukee Avenue. They are open Monday from 4pm–10pm, Wednesday, 4pm–11pm, Thursday from 11am–11pm, with a last seating at 8:45 PM. Friday, they are open 11am–12am. Last seating at 9:45pm. Saturday from 10:30am–12am, with a last seating at 9:45pm. Sunday, from 10:30am–10pm. Last seating at 8:45pm. They are closed on Tuesday. For reservations, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
