Galerias

This place has great mexican food that's different from the usual taco's and burritos fare. While the service can be percieved as a little bit quirky, the reviews that say they have bad service are WAY off base. I'm been many a times and have had nothing but good service. I go to this palce for the food. GREAT stuffed chiliies, steak, and everything else. If you want tacos and a big bean and cheese gut bomb, you'll be dissapointed, but if you want great quality Mexican food that's not typical, go here!

Pros: The Food is terrific

Cons: None!

Posted 10/13/09

We had eaten at Galerias on one other occasion when visiting Seattle, and couldn't wait to go back! The food was phenomenal at that time, and we overlooked the 'quirky' service (the waiter said, "I am a busy man" in answer to questions about the menu). On this second visit the HORRIBLE service outweighed the diappointment we had with the food, which did not begin to match the meal we had had before. We were not greeted when we came in. The waiter acted as if he were offended by our questions. The beer was warm. Before bringing our dinner to us, he delivered it to another table where he had been riveted in lengthy discussion. He actually set our plates down in front of them, continuing their discussion while our exposed food cooled, before finally bringing it to us. We regret not refusing the food and leaving at that point. Upon commenting to him regarding what he had just done, he attempted no response. He did not return to our table until we had finished, at which point we each asked for our leftovers to be wrapped to go. He preferred to have them in one container, requiring us to specify that each dinner be wrapped separately to go. We also each ordered desserts to go. He brought our leftovers, overturned, in boxes, but brought one dessert on a plate, the other requiring two long, uneventful trips to the kitchen to discover availability. It was not available. Not surprisingly, the quality of service declined even further when we presented our online coupon, which are offered to entice guests to enjoy your establishment. But this was absolutely the worst service either of us have ever experienced from a restaurant deserving of positive repute. We will not return, nor will we recommend this restaurant again.

Pros: Excellent variety of choices

Cons: Waiter was rude/made us uncomfortable

Posted 05/11/09

We got reservations for a birthday dinner and arrived on time @ 8 o'clock. After waiting 10 minutes in line, we were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait.

45 minutes later we were seated at a row of uneven tables that had been shoved together to accommodate us like we were in-laws coming for an unannounced visit. All this while an enormous conference-sized table sat unused in another room. I joked that it was for shady deals because it certainly wasn't for large parties with reservations.

The foil-stamped menus were pretty slick. And the mojito I ordered was generous and tasted good. Of course, it better since I waited almost 30 minutes for it.

A friend ordered an enchilada with vegetables and black beans. The waiter told her they didn't have black beans. "Even though it's right here on the menu?" she said, pointing. "Yes, we're out." He said, matter-of-fact like. Instead she got what everyone else got stuck with: the refried stuff from a can in a tortilla bowl.

Speaking of bowls, another friend ordered an appetizer for a meal. The menu said it had vegetables, fresh peppers, chicken in a fresh avocado dip. What came to the table was a stone bowl with 6 deep-fried taquitos dunked in avocado mush.

My meal was nothing special: enchiladas in chipotle sauce with shredded beef. It was very plain but at least edible. I told my roommate I've had better food at Azteca. He glanced down at his Suiza beef enchilada and told me he'd had better food at Taco Time.

Since they brought out the food around closing time, I'm somewhat surprised they didn't just bring it out in doggie bags. But to their credit, they let us choke down our meals well after close and didn't shoo us out. But by the end of the night we were itching to leave anyway. We won't be coming back.

Pros: Decent drinks, cool-looking menu

Cons: Everything else

Posted 04/30/09

Party of four entered Galerias on Thursday, Jan 1 2009 at about 6:30. Strangely, while taking our orders, the waiter informed us that we would not have to pay for food we didn't like. We ordered. About fifty minutes passed before he returned -- three times-- to deliver four meals. On his second trip, my daughter engaged him in the following conversation:
Daughter: ?May I ask you a question??
Waiter: ?Yes.?
D:? My dinner is supposed to come with cactus salad. Where is the cactus??
W: ?It is underneath the fish.?
D: (Picking up small piece of fish with her knife and fork) ?Where??
W: (Pointing his finger at some clear red sauce with small bits of parsley and tomato, fifteen inches below her suspended fish,) ?There.?
D: (scrutinizing the plate) ?I don?t see it.?
W: ?Okay, cactus salad on the side.? Whereupon, he swept away her plate and marched toward the kitchen.
He returned with her original plate, now sporting small pieces of cactus around the fish. The cactus was cool?exactly as if it had been plated directly from a can.
My chicken mole consisted of dry cubes of white chicken meat and some sesame seeds submerged in a deep cool pool of dark sauce that tasted of tepid A-1 and cocoa powder.
After we marveled for ten or fifteen minutes over the slow and odd service and the horrible quality of our dinners, (one daughter quipped, ?Maybe their oven is broken.?) the waiter approached me directly and asked with apparent worry whether I liked my dinner. Unable to answer yes, I shook my head. He swept away the plate and said, ?You do not have to pay for it.? By the time we received the bill, he had deducted a second uneaten entree and brought a very large flan with four forks.

This was probably the weirdest restaurant experience and the worst food I have had in the last few decades. We laughed about it the whole way home. We just looked Galerias up on the internet and see wide ranging reviews ? including a number that mention missing cactus.

Pros: location

Cons: food and service

Posted 12/31/08

We have been to Galerias several times and have had more or less okay experiences. But then my daughter and her friends made a reservation for a special birthday dinner. They arrived on time for the reservation but were then made to wait for close to an hour and a half before being seated. They received no apologies or explanations. They then had to wait a long time for their food! I emailed the owner after their very upsetting experience but received no response. Not professional, we won't be back.

Posted 06/17/08

Here' s my story: I went for dinner at Galeria's with three other people on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. The waiter seated us fairly promptly and we ordered our food within 15-20 minutes of sitting down. We then waited for half an hour at which point our waiter came by our table to tell us that our food would be late since the restaurant was also catering a large party in the back room. We waited another 45 minutes before complaining to the head server. He looked surprised and replied that he had warned us that our food would take some time (an hour and fifteen minutes is more than just "some time"!). He nevertheless reluctantly brought four free pops to our table! Other diners who had come in at the same time as us left their tables very disgruntled at that point... When the food did arrive, our waited who was obviously new did not know what dishes he was carrying and there ensued five minutes of confusion and chaos as he went to get another waiter to help him sort it all out. The dishes were heavily sauced and were of varying qualities. My sister had ordered her dish specifically in order to try the cactus but it was missing from the plate since the kitchen had ran out. She was understandably disappointed. My dish was flavorful but the rice was way way way too salty (as were the other people's rice). All in all it was not a great experience. After one hour and a half of waiting, we expected much better food and the service was simply horrendous. We wondered why they agreed to cater a 30 people+ party with only two cooks in the kitchen? I would definitely not recommend this restaurant. The experience left a sour taste in our mouths especially since we were only in town for the week-end and we are sure there are much nicer places to eat at in Seattle. I realize that we might have just gone on an unlucky night but we felt that most restaurants would have at least placated their customers with at least a free entree or appetizer... Best to avoid it!

Cons: Awful service, long wait

Posted 05/04/08

I have been going to Galeria's for years and as always I am never disappointed. As a restaurant they are top notch. The food is great, the service is great and they have choices on the menu missing on many other Mexican restaurant menus, like my favorite Filete Uruapan.

As a night club though, they fail. They used to have a wonderful Latin Night on saturdays with a great range of music and occasional shows. The last two times I went, they charged me 10 dollars to enter, no one was there and all they played was reggaeton and rap. The fact that it was in spanish hardly gave it the feel of "latin night". No kidding, I was one of 5 people. They need to rethink the "club" experience, but as I said, as a restaurant they rock.

Pros: Food, service

Cons: sat night dancing

Posted 03/22/08

This place is good and worth visiting. The food is very nice, the sauces are incredible. Yes, portions are smaller (as others have noted), but they're going for haughty Mexican rather than bargain burrito (which I also love), please adjust your expectations. The decor is over the top without being serious. A very stimulating place. Our servers were very nice also. It's more expensive than your average Mexican places, but not by much and clearly in a different class of restaurant. Enjoy!

Pros: Very enjoyable, great sauces

Cons: nothing

Posted 01/24/08

I have been to Galleria a few times (between 8 & 10) and so feel qualified to give a good review. I rate them high on the food quality but low on the service aspect. I always order the Encheladas Suizas (w/ no meat) and the sauce is unique and perhaps the best I have had in Seattle. Very tasty indeed albeit a small portion size (about 1 tablespoon of beans come with the meal - not enough for me!).

As far as service my experience has not been positive. 90% of the time I am lucky to receive water within 5 minutes of being seated. The other day after 8 minutes I eventually left as they seemed very understaffed. I rarely get the waiter check on me after I get my food and find that sometimes bread is offered while sometimes it is not. The owner has temporarily left to Las Vegas to open another Galeria and I think this has something to do with my experiencing less than good service. I hope this is corrected soon as I do enjoy the food.

Pros: Food quality

Cons: Service

Posted 12/31/07

There are lots of tasty choices on the Menu and the staff is very freindly. Favorites include the lime soup and the Fillte Uruapan (Flank steak) with avacado sauce -- delicous. Ask for the suggested items, we haven't gone wrong yet with these. Oh and the Guava cheese cake with rasberry sauce -- wonderfull! Good value with nice atmosphere.

Pros: Unique food, good prices

Cons: Parking

Posted 12/31/07

Gallerias is easily the best restaurant in Capitol Hill. It defies easy categorization. It is not strictly "mexican" as we gringos have grown to know and love. Enchilladas and tacos apparently don't excite the chef. Their best dishes I cannot pronounce and I have never seen them listed on a menu before. The "Maria something" dish is outstanding and the chips and potent cocktails are excellent. I don't recommend the brunch. There have been times when the service was spotty, like when they have a newbie server on board; but once you get their attention they take care of you. If you want to chill out and take your time through an enjoyable meal you will not be disappointed.

Pros: Interesting paintings, murals and tequilla bottels.

Cons: The menus are large and heavy.

Posted 08/27/07

I am not a fan of the usual "Mexican" fare. Usually you get some unimaginative combination of shredded lettuce, beans, meat and salsa, but Galeria's is different. My favorite dish is the Maria Izquerida, chicken in a green chile cream sauce--to die for!! I don't know what these reviewers that have given bad reviews to Galeria's problems are, I have had nothing but great service, the atmosphere is beautiful and the food is wonderful. I suspect most of the reviewers that give the bad reviews have less sophisticated palette's, maybe they should go to Azteca instead and leave the good meals to those who can truly appreciate it.

Pros: Food, Ambience, People

Posted 04/24/07

I stumbled into this place by accident about six or seven years ago when my then-favorite Mexican place a couple blocks down Broadway was packed. Since then I've been back dozens of times on dates, with friends, with my kids (teens), and even for a few biz meals. This place has the best mole' sauce I've ever had in my life, and I eat in restaurants about 75% of the time (lots of traveling for biz, plus I'm a single dad). Everyone I've ever taken to Galerias has raved about the sophistication and uniqueness of the menu and the quality of the food. The service hasn't necessarily been spectacular, but it's very good, unobtrusive, and most of all, CONSISTENT! I read a few of the critical posts and had to wonder what the hell the writers were talking about. Galerias is one of my favorite restaurants on the planet (definitely my and my kids' favorite Mexican place, by far). I eat there at least once a month despite the fact I live in S. Snohomish County. It's definitely the best and most unique Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. Not cheap, not price-competitive with the chain places, so if you're looking for American-Mex, go somewhere else. But the atmosphere is great and the mole' and other special items are the STUFF!

Posted 04/18/07

Food and service are both terrible. My husband had chicken enchiladas which were passable and I had a main dish soup thing, which was awful! When we told the waiter our comments he shrugged and walked off.
We've given this place too many chances. Today was the last. Adious!

Posted 09/24/06

Last night was our 4th attempt at dining at Galerias. The first time was ok. The second, less so. The third, pretty bad. Last night we decided to give it ONE LAST SHOT. It failed. Miserably.
We were sat and then ignored. When we finally put in our order for the appetizer and meals we had to wait 30 minutes before having to call the waiter over to ask where our appetizer was. He brought it, looking unfinished, told us that they had to make another batch of guacamole and then left (this was also thse same excuse we had gotten during our last visit). Then the food came. The Maria Izquierdo was pretty good, but my dish, the Juan Soriano (halibut) was AWFUL. It smelled bad and tasted like a fish stick sans breading. When I flagged the waiter down to check on us and made him take it away, he made no apologies, said nothing and walked away. We finally got him to take all of the food off the bill. It was awful. We always like to give more chances to restaurants in case its a bad night, but this one will get no more. So-So food does not even come close to making up for the horrible snotty service.

Pros: Sangria

Cons: Service, Food

Posted 09/23/06

I have had dinner numerous times at Galeria's over the years and never been disappointed. We've always received great service, great Margaritas, excellent food, and the sangria IS wonderful. Never had a bad meal or a bad time, any of us. I don't eat fast food and I know what good Mexican food is supposed to be. 'sorry' to the Santa Fe snobs in a previous post, Galeria's is more mexican than Santa Fe, which is NUEVO Mexican, and our experience with them has always been very very good.

Pros: Food, drinks, ambiance

Cons: not for children. don't bring them, it only interrupts our drinking.

Posted 07/29/06

Each time my friends and I visit Galerias, we are delighted by the fresh, tasty, gourmet Mexican food (Seattle's best) and the above average service. I have a dairy allergy, and instead of the dismissive roll-of-the-eyes that I oftentimes receive, the waitstaff was incredibly attentive and responsive to my individual needs as a diner. Try Galerias for Sunday brunch for flaky pastries while you wait, unique brunch fare, and guava mimosas.

Posted 07/17/06

I've been placing votes for "best of" and keep seeing this restaurant, which of course gets my vote! Unfortunately I haven't been since my pre-baby years- ah do I miss the days of up and going with friends to Seattle and eating well! Thinking about Galleria's, I'm craving it- may need to take a mommy night out for dinner...and soon! Assuming nothing has changed since I've been there last, this place is THE BEST for mexican-style cuisine. Highly recommended is the chicken with mole sauce. Lucky you if you get there before I do! Enjoy! (and don't forget to check out their unique dessert menu)

Posted 07/14/06

The food was average and the service was the slowest service I have ever had at any restaurant. We watched two couples leave after sitting for 20-30 minutes with no one stopping by their table to take their order or get them a drink.

The food was average, and definitely not worth the wait.

Cons: slow service, average food

Posted 01/01/06

saturday night 6 PM. Only 6 tables occupied. service slow, but we didn't mind. we came to eat & chat. Ordered Cadillac Margaritas. Tasted good. Friend who doesn't drink took a taste. announced "there's no tequila in it". We dismissed his observation. later ordered another round. appetizers and dinner. pretty food on white plates. service became attentive.
Enchiladas con Mole Poblano with the shredded beef was tough. The Filete Uruapan (skirt steak) lacked seasoning, too many diced green bell peppers, what I think were canned mushrooms, no tomatoes as the menu said, not a hint of garlic. The "light" avocado sauce achieved it's lightness by being watery. Got up to leave; realized we wern't tipsy > We thought we should be after two rounds.
Do Seattle dinners prefer bland restaurant food??

Pros: elegant decor

Cons: food disappointing, weak cocktails, food tastless

Posted 11/20/05

This has been one of our favorite restaurants in the Seattle area for years. Excellent dishes. You can't go wrong with the Chipotle burrito.

Posted 11/07/05

So my boyfriend and I just moved into the Cap Hill area and decided to try Galerias one evening when the sushi restaurant next to it was closed. Man were we in for a treat! The food was amazing, service was a little slow, but the owner came and checked on us every so often and even bought us dessert for being patient. The sangria at the restaurant are to die for! I even brought my incrdibly picky parents a few weeks back and they LOVED it! The food was so good that it didn't even phase them that the service was a little slow (one of their pet peeves). Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant.

Pros: excellent food, nice owner

Cons: slow service

Posted 06/08/05

Since my dining experience at Galerias, I've asked many friends in Cap Hill if they've been there. The answer is always the same: great food, world's worst service. Two friends have refused to go back at all.

Our waiter totally ignored us and several other patrons who were visibly agitated, but he was more than happy to stand about talking to a gentleman while others pushed empty water glasses and dishes to the edge of their tables. He then snapped in a very loud voice when one woman walked up to him and tapped him and pointed at her table (a party of 6 or so).

It's a shame, really--the food was excellent from the scallion butter for the bread to the actual meal. I know I won't be going back.

Pros: Food, Sangria

Cons: Service, Wait

Posted 05/17/05

The only recommendation I could give to Galerias was that they have a spicy-scale on their menus to indicate how hot or mild a certain dish was, as I ordered a Mole platter and it was much spicer than I had expected. However, it was still delicious, all the way from the appetizer to the dessert. The service was impeccable and the selection was intriguing and satisfying.

Pros: spacious, variety, service

Posted 11/14/04

My mom and i went for lunch and both concluded that this was some of the best mexican food we haev ever had and we have had A LOT!! i ordered Chiles en Nogada and she had the enchilada mole. the flavor was out of this world! very nice staff as well and lovely setting! the price for 2 with no drinks and a nice tip was $21. not bad at all. dinner looks more expensive here though.

Pros: flavor, variety, ambience

Cons: , pricey dinner?

Posted 08/15/04

I can't understand how a place with so many negative reviews gets such a high rating.I tried Gallerias just once and I have to agree with the other posters and say yes the food was overpriced and poor quality(canned fruit and mock crab) and for a full restaurant there was only one waiter and one bus person.Also,their only blender broke so no blended margaritas .All I can say is the people who love this place must REALLY low standards.

Pros: outdoor seating

Posted 07/18/04

Go here to eat if you like being mistreated by a restaurant. Have a comment or suggestion to pass on to the owner? Be ready to have him ignore you. Owner does not take criticism well.

Enjoy an elegant meal, and when the waiter dumps food on your lap, or spills your drink, it will be YOUR OWN fault. Don't expect any sympathy from management.

I have been there twice, but after a bad experience the owner would NOT even any concession. Would it cost too much to just give me a $5 credit, or free appetizer and keep a happy customer.

Enjoy, but keep your fingers crossed nothing goes wrong, cause you'll not get any sympathy.

Pros: creative menu, decor, on Broadway

Cons: overpriced, rude staff, evil owner

Posted 12/11/03

The sangria and margaritas were quite good. The wait was 45 min+. They didn't forget about us though. The food was really disappointing. The crab crepes "Frida Khalo" [sic] were made with fake crab, which was really unfortunate due to the price tag, and so incredibly spicy they only tasted of cayenne. The mole enchiladas were sooooo sweet they were almost inedible. I could go on but it was just too sad. Go for drinks, do some people watching, but for god's sake steer clear of the food.

Pros: atmosphere, drinks, on broadway

Cons: food, crowded

Posted 07/15/03

I've eaten at Galerias twice this month & have been delighted both times. Enough yummy food to take home for lunch the next day. Sangria was wonderful the first time, average the second time. The atmosphere is festive and relaxing at the same time. I am highly recommending it to my friends.

Pros: Great view of Broadwy, Beautifully presented

Cons: A bit pricey

Posted 12/22/02

Extremely dry chicken covered with a mole sauce, rice cooked to the point of mush - not my idea of gourmet food.

This was my experience a few years ago before the restaurant moved location. I decided to give it another try Nov '02 and got the same result. This time my husband had the chicken. I ordered halibut that was also dry and stringy despite the mango sauce covering it.

Never again - especially at their prices!

Pros: nice furniture

Cons: bad food, expensive

Posted 11/18/02

My friends and I like to go there for drinks.We've tried the food a few times and realize that it's not really worth the time and effort.It's a great place to grab a cocktail!!!

Pros: drinks

Cons: food

Posted 10/01/02

Galerias is a gourmet mexican restaurant. The sauces and dishes are incredible and exotic. They are very much unlike traditional mexican food. The drinks are large and generous. I recommend the Enchiladas Chipotle and the Teotihuacana.

I read an earlier review about bad service. I would like to pointedly state that I couldn't disagree more strongly. I have eaten at Galerias probably 30 times and have never had poor service.

Pros: Sauces, Soups, Drinks

Cons: Parking

Posted 09/01/02

Excellent food, try the Mole Enchiladas, this is the best Mexican food in the city. The service is excellent in the dining area, but avoid the bar, for some odd reason the bartenders are very rude.

Pros: food, service

Cons: bar staff is rude

Posted 08/26/02

After hearing much about the new Galerias spot, two friends and I decided to try it. The space is really well-done; a vast improvement over Minnie's dungeon-esque motif. The food is interesting but overall quite good, as my friends had said. However, the service was appaling. We waited fifteen minutes to be acknowledged by the server, who finally greeted us without any hello or interest that we were there. He was snotty and rude and aloof. We filled out the comment card and asked it be given to the manager, but was told there was no manager, just the owner, whom, we were told, was the man who was waiting on us. We will never go back and have told our friends to consider doing the same.

Pros: ambience, unique menu

Cons: slow service, snotty service

Posted 08/21/02

It was OK. I'm Mexican born and raised and have to admit the ingredients were pretty close to my former home. The dishes were OK - essentially a rip off from Mexican Nouvelle cuisine. The names of tha artists were the best choice.

Posted 07/31/02

Galerias isn't really a new restaurant, but does sport a lovely new location on Broadway. I've only eaten lunch there, but the food was superb, the service was good, the ambience was delightful, and the sidewalk tables are a great summer bonus. While some might consider the portions small (for lunch anyway), it was just the right amount of food for me. If you feel the need to eat until you're stuffed, or like to binge to compensate for personal problems, there's always the Taco Bell on the next block.

Pros: Great food, Nice sidewalk tables, Great location

Cons: Small portions (?)

Posted 07/22/02

I love this restaurant. The new location is beautiful and very roomy (though the parking is horrendous). The menu is Mexican but not "tex mex." If you don't know the difference, this may not be the place for you. Don't go there and order a taco and complain that it's not like the "Taco Bell Grande" from Taco Bell, because it's not the same kind of Mexican cuisine. I found the prices very reasonable. I've always had the same server and always gotten good service, he's definately sassy and a little uppity, but it's all in good fun (and hey, it's Capitol Hill.) The salsa appetizer is delicious, the flan is wonderful and the fish dishes are fresh and tasty.

Pros: good food, unique menu, good service

Cons: parking's a nightmare, wait time can be bad

Posted 06/18/02

Two words: Don't bother. We love Mexican and Southwestern food. Cactus is my favorite restaurant in the world and we have been to Sante Fe to take cooking classes so we know what from where we speak. We had dinner at Gallerias last Saturday and what a total disapointment. I was served a chicken breast that was tougher than any I had ever eaten. My margarita was incredibly watered down. The best thing we had were the beans. I guess that about says it all. The sauces weren't bad but putting a great sauce on a piece of leather does not make it dinner.
Three words: Go to Cactus.

Pros: service was OK

Cons: bad food, overrated, watered down drinks

Posted 06/10/02