Food for Thought: Gallo’s Seafood

By Donna WardGallo’s was first established in 1970 on Frankford Avenue as a take-out place and was relocated in 1983 to its present location at 8101 Roosevelt Boulevard on Pennypack Circle. Gallo’s can now seat about 340 patrons and also offers a banquet room for special occasions. Frank and Diane Galloway, who are the original owners, still operate the business to this day and pride themselves on quality fresh food that always tastes delightful.

There is no trouble finding parking in the lot, even though Gallo’s is usually very crowded. From the moment you enter the restaurant, you feel a warm welcome from the friendly host who is there to greet you. You can choose to dine in the restaurant, which suggests casual comfortable dining, or in the bar area for a more sports tavern atmosphere.

The restaurant was kept nice and clean, and while it has a diner atmosphere, the dishes are of high quality and quantity. The servers are friendly and very knowledgeable about the preparation and presentation of the seafood severed.

For a starter dish, I had the Baked Clams Casino, which was delicious and had several chunks of real clam inside the tasty filling. The clam was steamed and chopped and was not chewy and the filling had the correct amount of spices for the seasoning.  For an entrée I had the Fresh Atlantic Flounder and Fried Eggplant on the side.  The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked over a bed of rice.  I was very surprised at how scrumptious the fried eggplant was.  The fried eggplant was not over done or swimming in grease, but rather it was seasoned to perfection, dry and crunchy on the outside and still moist inside.

Gallo’s offers a wide menu of seafood delights for lunch, dinner and even take-out. Their banquet room is also available for private parties and special events.  The menu for banquet dining changes a bit to include fancier dishes prepared in style. The tables are covered with white linens and the entire room has an elegant dining ambiance. Make sure you call ahead to book the banquet room, as it is seldom left unoccupied. Prices vary when reserving the banquet room depending on number of guests and menu choices.

Overall, Gallo’s was a wonderful dining experience at a reasonable price and offered great fresh seafood that was cooked properly. The staff was friendly and, parking was readily available right outside in the lot.  For a special event or for a relaxed evening out, Gallo’s can accommodate every style and taste.

Food For Thought is a NEast restaurant review column written by Donna Ward that runs every other Thursday.