It's not right downtown, but it is the best American food in the city. The ribs are just amazing

Try the king crab leg - rib combo. The rib meat falls off the bones and the crab legs are huge and succulent with no fishy taste. Price is reasonable for this great food.

I as visiting Chicago, and asked a local what they recomended, and consequently ended up at Gale Street Inn. Talk about a disappointment!!! My sister and I were placed in direct line of the kitchen, we couldn't get the waitress to acknowledge us, and when we did get the food it had been burned! The men sitting across from us were slobbering drunk and it took several complaints before they'd say anything to them. Needless to say we left before we'd even finished our meal :o(

gale street inn is a fabulous place for men and women both. we love going there. i personally love the steak and my friend loves the ribs. this place is amazing. defietly recommended when you go to chicago.

It is amazing to me that Gale Street end won the Editorial award for best BBQ. After reading the highly favorable reviews I made a special trip to try it for myself. The ribs are cooked in a steamer & finished on a gas grill. The ribs are fall off the bone tender as advertised, but so is anything cooked in a steamer. Anyone who knows BBQ knows that charcoal & or wood smoke is where it all begins. On a positive note, the staff is very friendly and the seafood is pretty good. Steam cooked ribs should note even be in the discussion for best BBQ. I hope out-of-towners don't judge Chicago BBQ by this quasi-BBQ. To be entirely honest the ribs at Chili's & TGIF Friday's are better (if charcoal/hickory wood is not a priority for you). I can name at least 5 places that would knock Gale Street out of the water (Lem's, Captin Curt's, Smoque, Honey1 & Kenny's Ribs). These ribs wouldn't even be allowed to enter a real BBQ cook-off anywhere in the South, especially because there wouldn't be anywhere to plug in a steamer at an outdoor cookoff!!!