The Galley

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2442 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405

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(310) 452-1934
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The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
The Galley - Santa Monica, CA
Reviews
( 18 )
( 4 )
( 1 )
( 3 )
( 6 )

Best

My love for this place knows no bounds. I live in San Francisco, but I'm always in Santa Monica for business. I must go to the Galley at least two or three times a month. Whene...

Worst

If you read these reviews, you will notice that the dates of the ""5 star"" reviews were YEARS ago and clearly do not reflect this place now. We had a terrible time there with a ...

Editorial review from Citysearch 7/28/2013

I often eat dinner at the Galley before going to the Edgemar Center for the Arts across the street. The food is great and the service is good. I've had the steak, burgers, chicken and salmon. All were tasty. By the way, happy hour prices are excellent. more
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Stay Away from the Galley Restaurant!! 4/9/2012

I used to be a fan of the Galley and take all my friends there. It has a pretty good happy hour and drink special, steaks are pretty good too but beware, there are skeletons. I was a fan ... until one night when my laptop was stolen after being left unattended for less than 10 minutes and the staff was unwilling to file a complete police report. The manager at the time claimed that she did not have any ID on her and she kept yawning in the police man's face. To add insult to injury, Captain Ron, the owner of the restaurant, called me the next day .... Instead of apologizing about the situation or asking what happened, he starts blaming me! Due to the fact that the cops searched one of the employees cars because one of his employees switched his stories throughout the night. Staff was terribly rude after paying over $100 for our meal. It is just odd that the tagline of the restaurant is ""Restaurant with a Heart"" when the manager rolls her eyes because she has to help file a police report. Buyer Beware!! more
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May look like an abandoned ship, but it's a yacht in flavor 6/28/2011

I love The Galley located on Main Street in Santa Monica. It may look like an abandoned ship from the outside, but it is definitely a yacht when it comes to quality and taste of the food and drinks. The Galley opened in 1934, and remains Santa Monica?s oldest restaurant and bar. Owner, Captain Ron makes sure ?the drinks are stiff and the friendly service is first class.? The menu offers everything from seafood to steaks to soups, salads and everything in between. Try their famous salad with the Galley ?secret recipe? house dressing ? taste like Thousand Island dressing with a hint of tang and something you can?t quite place your taste buds on. Other favorites include: crab cakes, lobster tacos, clam chowder, pasta dishes and more. more
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Does not deserve 4.5 stars 12/19/2009

If you read these reviews, you will notice that the dates of the ""5 star"" reviews were YEARS ago and clearly do not reflect this place now. We had a terrible time there with a bartender and I was so disgusted by the behavior I will not return. As a server myself, I was just in disbelief that anyone could be so rude and still keep their job. Shame on you Captain, you obviously have become quite lazy with your employees. If I behaved that way at my job, I would have been fired on the spot. And rightly so. Its too bad, because the food wasn't so bad and the ambiance is pleasantly rustic. Pros: Friendly hostess, good sauces, good atmosphere Cons: Horribly rude bartender, stay away! more
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Fun minus the food 5/10/2009

Dinner house prices with a limited menu; sauteed spinach and canned corn were... well, both from a can (spinach not freshly sauteed); Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and white rice not offered during lunch hours--how do you order fresh fish and couple it with french fries? You may as well order fish and chips for less than half the price. They shouldn't offer the dinner menu if they can't really offer it. We could've gone to Monty's, Ruth's Chris, or The Palm for a similar price. If I go back, it will be for a glass of wine in the bar... seems like a fun atmosphere. Pros: Excellent, friendly service; good dipping sauces Cons: Overpriced, side orders disappointing, limited menu more
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wretched squall in your tummy! 2/15/2009

Batten down the hatches! Avast mates, twas a Horrible hellish painful night indeed. \r I never b*#@$ed so bad on dry land. And on valentines night too? Sick men do tell tales. Cons: not digestible more
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Awesome food and even more awesome service!! 10/7/2008

My love for this place knows no bounds. I live in San Francisco, but I'm always in Santa Monica for business. I must go to the Galley at least two or three times a month. Whenever I step in the door, I am welcomed with such hoopla, I swear that I feel like Norm from Cheers. The service is so amazing, they already have my drink made before I get to my booth and then the server confirms ""Ribeye, medium rare plus with peppercorn sauce on the side? And garlic mashed potatoes and spinach?"" How can they possibly remember all that? It's truly a great home away from home, fabulous food and friendly service. more
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Overpriced and sub mediocre food!!! Why was this recommended????? 3/30/2008

Wow!!! What a stunning surprise. I thought with all the reviews, the ""oldest restaurant"", the ""great atmosphere"" that we were in for a fun yummy night. We drove all the way to Santa Monica and walked into what could only be described as a somewhat seedy location with the local old men drinking at the bar and leering at the hostess with bleery eyes. Our reservation was for 7PM and we finally got our table at 7:45PM. We were then rushed through ordering from a BORING menu. We got our food and it was so sub mediocre. The Ahi that they charged 27.00 for was a cheap sinew laden piece of ahi that was the kind you get from costco. Their Seafood Diablo...was a JOKE. The cooks in the kitchen didn't drain the pasta enough so there was a pool of water at the bottom of the bowl and the sauce was canned tomatoes with a little bit of seasoning. The steak that we ordered was a low end cut of meat with no flavor to it. We payed for quality food and got mediocre service (the busser was more expeditious and helpful than our waitress). NOT RECOMMENDED!!! The atmosphere is cramped and seedy. Don't do it folks...it isn't worth it! Pros: The bathroom was clean Cons: Bad food and weak service more
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Reservations- with an hour wait!!!!!! 3/8/2008

I cannot honestly review the food because the service made me so mad I left. We called ahead with friends who had been there before and recommended it. We arrived at 8:15 on friday night, on time for our reservation. The Table wasn't quite ready yet, so we sat at the bar and had a couple drinks. An hour and 15 minutes later, we asked why we weren't seated yet. The Response: Well, on Friday nights, even with a reservation, you can expect to wait for an hour or so. What? why even take reservations!!!!! I had a similar experience in another restaurant two weeks earlier, and got a free round of drinks and an appetizer. no offers came forth. Not a good experience, and I will never go back because of this. more
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Great food, service!! It made our recent trip to California so much better, we'll be back!!!!! 7/17/2007

We discovered The Galley on recent trip from Baltimore MD, and the food, especially the steaks, and service were high part of our trip. We will be back!!!! more
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Great Local Hang and the Best Steaks in Town! 5/1/2007

I have a blast everytime I go to The Galley. It's a great bar scene and the place is always packed with loyal regulars. I've never had a bad meal there and the jumbo shrimp cocktail is amazing! You must say HI to Captain Ron and have him tell you a story of the ""old days"" if you go. This is a great place for a date or to meet people at the bar. I highly reccommend it! Pros: food, service, ambiance, easy parking more
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an old friend 1/27/2007

i have been eating here for 40 years, and even though I was a kid then, it still has almost the same feel to me. I remember waiting for hours to get a table because there were only a few. There are more tables now, so you wont be quite as sauced when you sit down. The food is good, and the service is good. I cannot write an objective opinion about this place; it's just to emotional. I miss the bumper pool table. more
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Great food and great customer service 1/9/2007

A group of us had our New Year's dinner here and we had a great time. The food was good and fresh! We will definitely come back here for more. more
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Consistent food and service 11/24/2006

I love the Galley, I've been going there for years. It's always been a favorite of mine, and it doesn't hurt that it's walking distance from my house. Captain Ron makes sure that everyone is given special treatment, and is well taken care of. The steaks are worth coming in for. Pros: Friendly local restaurant with great steaks more
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Good food, great atmosphere 11/24/2006

My girlfriend and I went to the Galley for our 2 year anniversary. We started out with the shrimp cocktail, which was bigger than we expected. Very good. Then I had the spinach and mushroom ravioli, which was delicious! She had the New York Steak, which she really liked alot (I don't eat meat). We weren't sure what kind of wine to order, so the waitress was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. She recommended a wonderful cabernet that went well with both our dishes. Pros: Great food, superb service Cons: interior a little rough around the edges more
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Great Hot Dogs! Mellow vibe. 11/24/2006

It's a little dark in there, but if you are craving a rockin chili dog, you won't be dissapointed. Pros: Food, vibe Cons: lighting more
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Great burgers, full bar, friendly staff 11/16/2006

The Galley is a friendly, low-key neighborhood restaurant that has fantastic burgers and a full bar. There are plenty of places in the area that offer good burgers, but none of them seem to have good wine or hard alcohol. The Galley is a great local hideout. Pros: Patio, secret parking area in the back Cons: Metered parking only - 24 hours more
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Great Food 10/30/2006

This is a fun place to go with friends or family. Not a good date spot or romantic environment, but if you're just looking for a tasty meal and a chill atmosphere check this place out. more
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Leave the Wee'Uns at Home! 10/14/2006

In response to the review from the person who griped about the service regarding their baby, three words, get a sitter! There are restaurants that are child friendly, believe it or not, there are ones that would prefer you left them at home. This also applies to resorts, hotels, spas, salons, etc.\r Not to ruffle feathers here, I have a young child, and the place she likes best is home! So on the rare occasion when my husband and I go out for an adult evening, we get a sitter. Sure, it is expensive, but why should we inconvenience ourselves, not to mention others, with a cranky child when all are forking over a large sum of hard earned cash in the attempt to enjoy an evening out? \r The Galley is a fun restaurant, maybe the food isn't the best, but the service is pretty good, the atmosphere is festive, drinks are strong. Leave the little ones at home and you might find a carefree evening out to be the spark that flames the fire, taking you back to those times when you drank martinis with mermaids holding olives, and made you fall in love with your significant other in the first place.\r So lighten up and have some fun! The Galley is not the place for a fine food experience, but it's a place where you can have a good time. If you go to JiRaffe, Melisse or Capo for haute cuisine, I seriously doubt they will be any more accommodating in regards to the kids. When we want to go out with our little girl to a place more upscale than Islands, we find Il Fornaio and CPK to be not only very kid friendly, but nice for the grown-ups, too. more
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ARGGH! Worst. Restaurant. Experience. Ever 8/8/2006

I'm not kidding. Words can't describe how bad the sights, the smells, and the tastes were -- but I'll try. I have NEVER not finished at least half a steak and this piece of, ahem, filet mignon was inedible. Not even the peppercorn (I swear it was spiked A-1) sauce could hide the fact this was a bad bad piece of meat. I tried my girlfriend's halibut. Horrible. To top it off it's expensive. This is a tourist trap with capital T's. Avoid at all costs. Cons: Everything more
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Menu for The Galley


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Editorial

  • This place rocks! It's ""The Restaurant with a Heart"" per the logo and it's true. Come for happy hour and enjoy over a dozen dishes 1/2 off.

  • 5/16/2012 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Monday thru Saturday 5pm to 11:30pm, Sunday open for lunch at 1:00pm
  • Payments: Discover, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diner's Club
  • Neighborhoods: Ocean Park, West LA
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