Big Bill's Sandwich Shop and Coffee Bar

They don't upcharge you for a credit card so that alone is 5 stars. But for real, our lattes were delicious and the food was very good. Small menu, but there's enough on there that there'll be something you like.

What a beautiful town! BIg Bills Sandwich Shop and coffee is a SUCH cute spot to have lunch! We were seated by the window and we could see the beautiful scenery. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken RIGHT AWAY. Great menu selection. We ordered a chicken wrap and a mozzarella sandwich with spinach and roasted red peppers, both served with homemade chips. SO GOOD!! Highly recommend.

If you want a great breakfast then make this your first stop. Only served before 11. The waitress was sooo sweet. She made me a breve coffee even though it wasn’t on their menu. So good we went back the next day. Food was spot on. They don’t have it on the menu but they offered biscuits and gravy and are we glad we tried it. They were the best we’ve ever had. The biscuits are homemade. I think I even tasted a little bit of rosemary. More gourmet than standard. My Bills Benedict was with perfectly poached eggs and served with hash browns. You wouldn’t go wrong with anything on the menu. We ordered 3 meals between the two of us because we wanted it all. Great portions and great service.

So good! The food was delicious. I feel like we waited a little while to get served despite the restaurant not appearing all that busy when we were there. But once our order was taken, our food arrived quickly and our server was responsive. The omelette hit the spot! And the hash browns were nice and crispy.

Food is always fresh! Homemade potato chips with every meal! Amazing food and amazing drinks at the coffee bar! Always look forward to try a new drink ever visit. Definitely recommend trying out lunch wraps!

We were looking for a quick bite between tours and came across this place. This is a true hidden gem. As we were passing the restaurant, everyone sitting near the window had these gigantic sandwiches that looked amazing. Since we knew we wouldn’t be able to eat these giant sandwiches, we kept it simple and ordered a kid’s grilled cheese to go. This was one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in my life. I’m not someone who appreciates over the top grilled cheese sandwiches so this was simple perfection and I will be back for more. I wish I would’ve grabbed a sandwich to go before leaving Galena. I’m telling all my friends to come here!

My husband and I were visiting Galena and we always like to find and local shops to have meals at. Our favorite in Galena is otis's. However, we decided that we would give big Bill sandwich shop a try because it we happened to walk by it when we were walking downtown Old Galena. When we first walked in, nobody said hello to us until after we were waiting there for quite a few minutes when a lady ended up coming over. She basically talked to us from across the room and said okay. You can come sit at this table and she took off walking and we weren't sure exactly if she was talking to us or she was talking to somebody. We got sat down. She brought us ice water and then she came back and took our. We both ordered a hot coffee and it took more than 15 minutes for us to get our coffee by the time we got it. The coffee was lukewarm at best. I ordered an omelette and my husband ordered an order of pancakes. My omelette was okay. The peppers were barely cooked and very crunchy which is not something I like when I'm eating and omelette. My husband's pancakes didn't look very appetizing and they did taste halfway okay. When we were getting ready to leave there was a waitress that was waiting on another table and said what can I get for you to drink and then she also stated that all tables were to get donut holes while they were waiting for their meal and waiting to order. We never got offered donut holes by our waitress and she only came back to our table two times. Once was to bring the food and the next time was to bring the bill. We might go back there again at some point but we would definitely try something different. The shop itself is very cute and they have a lot of cute little decorations and they also have a lot of local artist photos in there that are for sale if you are interested in them.

Great little breakfast & lunch spot on the northern end of Main St in historic Galena. Service was prompt, prices are reasonable & the ambiance is nice. Bonus deals also on offer if you’re staying in one of their attached apartments nextdoor! (@ 305 N. Main St)

My favorite coffee in Galena. Great friendly service. You need to meet Dieter! What a good boy!

Came looking for a great sandwich shop, my Ruben sandwich was tasty, but the meat was too small of portions for the bread. The bacon chicken wrap was good but there there was more lettuce then chicken The Hot chocolate was very tasty, actually one of the best I've had. If she put the whipped cream on it would have been perfect but she said it was too messy. All in all it was tasty but a little too pricy for the portion sizes.

I had a great experience at Big Bill's for a solo lunch in Galena! The inside is very spacious and quaint with brick interior and wooden tables. The service was also a highlight -- I had just come back from a hike and was super tired/worn out from the heat and they were incredibly accommodating to me. The Reuben is good! I asked to swap for a pretzel bun since I don't love pumpernickel and it was a great choice. The chips weren't too special so I didn't eat them.

The sandwich was amazing! Huge, fresh, and just so good. The kitchen was backed up with a large to go order but the waitress kept giving us updates and gave ours and another table a pastry to enjoy while we waited. It was worth the wait!

It was a very calm Saturday morning, and about 9:10 it was a full house. Lots of seating and I love the windows. The waitress was very friendly and fast. I got a breakfast sandwich and it was good. Nice quick place to grab a traditional breakfast.

Cute home style and small town country atmosphere. Servers are very nice. Only one vegan option but it was good so I can't be too mad lol. Coffee tasted like the pot hadn't been cleaned in a decade or two but that added to the charm. I'm sure if you're a meat eater this place would be much better.

Omg this place has amazing sandwiches for a great price, comes with homemade chips and a pickle can't be that. Also if you get a chance to try their valentines special lattes, so so good!

Loved this shop, reasonable prices, great food, nice people. Neat old building. We were staying up at 305, and loved popping in for coffee and breakfast.

I was in town on a Thursday so it was not busy. I was cold and ordered a hot sandwich. The General Sandwich This was possibly the most delicious sandwich I have ever eaten in my life. And I've eaten a lot. Then add the homemade BBQ chips Wow! Definitely coming back. I'll probably get that and take a different one home. My sweetheart and I switched half to try each other's. She had the Beefy Roman which was good but I preferred the General.

Great sandwiches, amazing staff!! Prompt service. Chill ambiance!! And let's not forget the coffee!!

It is very important to support local businesses and this is one of them to support. I went here for the first time as it was near my bnb also owned by the owner Jack. there was also very good reviews about this restaurant. I like that this is a family run restaurant and nicely decorated for a breakfast place. Breakfast is served until 11 AM. The waiter took our order and only came over one other time to see how our food was (I realize that many restaurants are short staffed). Based on other reviews I ordered the sausage with gouda cheese on a croissant which was excellent but not big enough to share. The chorizo burrito was very good and just spicy enough (that is if you like spicy food). The hashbrowns were just ok. The food was also reasonably priced. I will definitely be back to try something different!

We got some sandwiches to go and they wrapped them up very nicely and had a nice presentation. Service was very friendly and food was great. Definitely a nice place to visit when looking for a bite to eat in Galena.

Excellent food, very reasonably priced, in a light, open and comfortable setting. Pleasant service as well. Great place to hang out.

I stopped here for breakfast and it was the best decision. Service was good. Coffee was amazing and I ordered corned beef hash. So good!!! Fresh, great flavor, not greasy. Highly recommend it. Coming back again tomorrow!

I was surprised at how good the food was, and the coffee was the best I had in Galena. The food I had over a couple of days was: the chicken salad sandwich with grapes and almonds, on a black bean wrap, and the lobster sandwich on pretzel roll. Both sandwiches were really good. They have homemade potato chips, which I tried to avoid to save calories. The iced latte made with sugar free hazelnut syrup was the best coffee I had in Galena. The vibe is very casual. There's a couch in case you'd just like to chill and have coffee. Really nice waitress.

Phenomenal burgers. Really fun place with great theme. The service was really personable and just had a great time!!

Great place to stop when in Galena. I stumbled upon the place a few years back when I was traveling in the area and make sure to stop back recently when I was again in Galena for the day. Their sandwiches are hearty and the bread is soft, fresh, and perfectly comforting for when you just want a 'simple' sandwich to make your day. Big Bill's is situated near the end of the main section of shops in Galena, so while there can be plenty of diners, you also don't feel like you're stuck in the middle of a crowd (especially handy nowadays). My friend and I ordered our sandwiches for takeout and stepped out into the lobby to wait for a few minutes. They sandwiches came out quickly, and were great to take outside to eat. The sandwiches also come with a pickle spear, a small addition that helps make the meal.

We were looking for a low key lunch spot. Glad we found this place. They have a small bar area in the rear and booths and tables in the main area. Good sandwiches and a variety to choose from. Everyone should find something. There are plenty of interesting items on the walls you can eyeball as well. Worth the stop for breakfast or lunch.

Big Bill's Sandwich Shop is a MUST on our Galena visits from Chicago. Whether we are coming for a brief visit, or a longer time-frame, we always make sure to schedule Big Bill's into our meal plan. Conveniently located in the Galena downtown, Big Bill's is in an adorable and historic building that is well maintained. They also take care to follow COVID-19 precautions, so we always feel safe. Thanks Big Bill's! Since the pandemic started, we have either ate outside at their tables during warmer weather or to-go during colder weather. Ordering is always simple, fast, friendly (the staff are always friendly and helpful), and carefully packaged. The food is always warm and individually packaged, making sure that the food stays warm and doesn't get soggy. We also appreciate the prices (very economical for such high quality food). We also appreciate the business hours. Some stores in Galena have very limited hours, but not Big Bill's! Thanks for being accessible! I have had several sandwiches and love them all! The General, Bri Bliss, Gouda Breakfast Sandwich, the list goes on. But my absolute favorite sandwich is the Beefy Roman. It is fresh, flavorful, generous portions, and leaves my body feeling refreshed. I could eat this sandwich everyday. My spouse loves the Black Forest Pretzel very much as well! The house made chips are also divine! The perfect side! We also enjoy the coffee, too! If you haven't tried Big Bill's yet, you are missing out. Go grab yourself a sandwich today! You won't be disappointed! See you next time, Big Bill's!

So let's talk about the Beefy Roman. The artisanal bread used for the sandwich was soft and tasted freshly made. It comes with spinach, roasted red peppers, fresh moz, pesto, roast beef and a balsamic vinaigrette. It was fantastic. I see why it's listed as one of IL's top sandwiches. I wish they had more to often than sandwiches, salads, and soup of the day, but since the menu is small, the food has to be outstanding and it was.

Great, simple food and best prices we found during our stay here. We went there twice and happy both times.

This place was the perfect stop for lunch to-go. My friend and I were visiting Galena from Chicago and stopped here to pick up food after a snowy hike. We were hungry and cold and Big Bill's had food to fill our bellies and a full coffee bar inside. I ordered a café au lait, a cup of chili, and a voodoo wrap. At first I wanted to order a melt but they were sold out for the day. The voodoo wrap stuck out to me next because it had jalapeños and I love jalapeño anything. The service was super friendly. There was definitely a small town feel, because while we were ordering with the hostess by the cash register, a man who clearly finished eating and was about to head out said, "Bye, see you at home!" to which she said, "Bye, Dad" and then turned back to us to finish taking our orders. The sandwiches came with chips and a pickle. Their chili was delicious and the voodoo wrap was a great portion for the price. We took our sandwich boxes back to have a lunch in the car. I'd come back here the next time I'm in Galena, especially to try their melt and maybe for a sit-down meal with a specialty latté from their coffee bar.

Great ambiance. Friendly service. Amazing sandwich...you've got to try it #Beefy Roman Sandwich

We popped in here before heading back home. We hit it just as breakfast service ended, which was a bummer because I could've gone for hash browns. The place wasn't crowded when we arrived and we were seated quickly. We got waters and my husband got a mimosa quickly; the mimosas are good sized, bigger than average. After that service really dropped off. It took a while to get water refills, to order and get our check. If it were busy, it would make sense, but there were maybe 3 tables seated during our stay and 3-4 staff members that we saw. My husband got Reuben & I got the Roman, the caprese style sandwich. The sandwiches came with chips and a pickle. I would've preferred hash browns, but it's clear the chips were homemade and still warm. It was a nice little surprise. My sandwich was ok, not really all that memorable. I would've loved a more interesting veggie option. The rye bread on my husband's Reuben looked amazing and he said his sandwich was good. Bottom line, it was fine, but not somewhere I'd rush back to.

Perfect place to grab breakfast or lunch in Galena IL. We were looking for somewhere cute but not too long of a wait. We were seated right away and the restaurant had exactly the vibe we were hoping for, great coffee & yummy sandwiches. Wish we could have gotten breakfast but we got there right after the kitchen turned. Next time we will go earlier!

Spending the weekend in Galena and upon arrival it was lunch time. There was outdoor tables but they were not set up for service, so we ate indoors. It was unusual to walk into a restraunt and see none of the servers wearing masks, just not used to the change in requirements yet. Had the Beefy Roman. It was excellent. Roast Beef and pesto are not a combination I've tried before, but definitely will combine these two in the future. The bun was so fresh and was similar to focaccia bread. The mozzarella was fresh and the spinach was piled high, almost a bit too much. This was one of the best sandwiches I've had on a very long time. The house made chips were so good, not too crunchy or salty. I had a organic blueberry iced tea to go with the sandwich. It was unsweetened, but the blueberries added enough sweetness to the tea. My daughter had the Brie Bliss. She said it was good, but liked the Beefy Roman better. Overall, a cute local sandwich shop located at the end of Main Street.

Big Bill's is such a cute restaurant. We were seated immediately even during Saturday brunch hours. Food was great and coffee was good too. Service was a bit slow and we did have to ask a few times for more coffee and missing items. Otherwise a great place for a bite to eat

This was a great sandwich shop. It made me feel like I was in the coffee shop from the TV show Friends. The beefy Roman was very good. The wrap I got was good but kinda of basic (but I gets that's what veggie lovers want). The chips were also yummy and seemed homemade. It has a great vibe to hangout in and escape the heat for a good lunch.

Ordered a specific sandwich. They served different bread type, old overcooked chips and dropped the pickle without saying a word. When asked the server knew the order had substitutions and just tried to pass it off without saying a word. The other item we received was pretty good.

This is a friendly sandwich shop with great coffee. Has a breakfast and lunch menu. Plenty of choices. Fast service. March hours are different though. Closed on Mondays and Tuesday..

We were heard this past Thursday for lunch takeout: My husband told the woman who took our order that we didn't want the coleslaw, since our food was going with us on a kayak trip, but she packed it on the side anyway, and it was a soupy mess we had to throw away. Food was underwhelming, and honestly, though we love supporting small businesses, $20 for two people for sandwiches that were just meh felt like way too much money. I gave them 2 stars instead of 1 because the house-made chips were the one saving grace.

When my husband and I arrived in Galena, we were starving and decided to be spontaneous by walking along Main St and then picking a place for lunch. We made the right choice by choosing Big Bill's! We both thoroughly enjoyed our sandwiches. I modified one of their chicken sandwiches with brie and it was delicious. The bread was hearty, fresh, and the sandwich came out nice and warm. It also came with a side of house-made potato chips which were great. My husband really enjoyed his roast beef sandwich with giardiniera and chipotle aioli. Fast forward to the next morning, when we were getting brunch. We looked at one place and were told there would be a 45 minute-hour wait. We thought "we liked what we got at Bill's yesterday, should we try breakfast there too?" The breakfast was even better! I absolutely loved my platter of eggs, toast, hash browns, and single pancake. It was delicious and hit all the brunch cravings! I'm so glad we decided to come back there. In addition to the great food, the staff there are all so friendly and take the time to talk to you, make sure everything is okay, answer any questions, etc. It's a casual and comfy atmosphere. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting (or living in) Galena!

Food is just ok. Coffee is not good. Service was quick-not very talkative. Seemed like everything was rushed to get us in and out.

The breakfast was very good and the service was great! I had the frittata and the apple cider mimosa.

Stopped in to this establishment yesterday to meet some family for lunch and we pulled up a few extra chairs to the table. We were promptly yelled at by the "manager" as we "could not do that" because they needed the chairs. Please mind you there were empty tables and no other patrons waiting for tables. When asked to speak with the manager again we were yelled at again for "holding the table all morning" as we had other PAYING family members come and dine in the restaurant. We said that's fine we will go somewhere else and the lovely manager said that is a good idea. Not a welcoming experience to say the least.

2 stars for service but 4 stars for food. Been here 3 times now. Once eating in and the rest ordering out. Eating in was good. The first time we ordered out, they forgot the soup. Second time we ordered they forgot to charge us for a sandwich, good thing I looked at my check and let them know. We ordered two cold sandwiches and it took 30 minutes to come out!! Sandwiches are good but poorly organized restaurant. You pay at the counter and instead of having a person at the counter they have all the waitresses running around frantically serving as well as trying to manage the pay counter.

This is one of my secret favorite places to go for breakfast. It's the one place I've been to where you don't actually have to order the hashbrowns extra crispy because they're already perfect. Great variety of Mamosa's and absolutely A+, excellent coffee. I do love all the breakfast places in Galena but the difference with this one is that not as many people seem to know about it so you can almost always get a table and very fast service when other people are busy. They don't have that much for breakfast but what they have, they do right and it's a little different than what everyone else offers. One downfall for the customer is that they stop serving breakfast at 11 AM sharp, so make sure you get your butt there!

Tasty sandwiches! We also enjoyed the homemade chips and pickles. I was not a fan of their coffee though. It was very bitter and extremely dark. We enjoyed the sandwiches in Grant Park across the river. The food made for a great picnic.

This place is fantastic! Very generous portions, delicious sandwiches, friendly and prompt service. Do yourself a favor and if you are on the fence of where to go in Galena, go here!

Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Amazing photography that's for sale. We enjoyed our food and they didn't have a problem that we stopped in with coffee that we bought down the road.

We stopped in here on a crisp Sunday morning to kill a little time waiting for Galena Brewery to open, so a friend could pick up his credit card that he left there the night before (oops.) We were pleasantly surprised by top rate coffee, the best scone I have ever eaten (moist and delicious), and a solid cherry streudel. The service was crisp and friendly, and I will surely return the next time I am in town.

Hi Big Bill's, my wife and I visited your restaurant for the first time this saturday. It was our first time in Galena on a Saturday afternoon. The town was incredibly packed? Once we entered your establishment I noticed you guys where quite full! At first I didn't know wether to sit myself or wait to be seated. After waiting a few seconds longer I decided to walk up to the bar and seat ourselves. Recommendation #1, at least for your busy lunch rushes like that, have a sign available saying something like, "please seat yourself" or we'll help you as soon as possible" I think that'll help. Once we sat I wasn't very hungry but it was lunch time so I wanted to eat something light. I saw your menu said soup, but a server told me you didn't have any. Guys this is lunch time on a Saturday at 1:00 PM, It's october, easy sell. Recommendation #2 Have soup. I knew i wanted to have something coffee so I ordered espresso and water which was all I had. My wife had one of your cold sandwiches. You guys had 4 helping hands in FOH And what i can only guess as 1 kitchen guy (was quiet back there), for a full lunch service. Those 4 ladies where serving a full house. They where taking food orders, running the food, cash registering, bar tending/making coffee, picking up clean dishes from the kitchen and more. It was plain to see they where running ar9und like chickens with their heads cut off. Recommendation #3 some kind of gameplay for super busy service. Like in basketball cover a man or in soccer cover a zone. Your servers where helping whoever they could and talking to one another asking each other if they got this table or that, this one's been waiting a long time. And for us another server came over to get our finished plate and our check. She said "I don't know what you got but I'll ring you up" and soon after it looked like the server that served us was going to help us with our bill (I saw her crumple a piece of paper as she was walking toward us and turned around). I wonder if this was an off day for you guys. I noticed your Facebook and Yelp reviews is over 4. I don't think I need to say it but consistency is crucial, it's hard, especially from a employee point of view, the ones working the line day in and out, but that's up to the leadership to establish and continually foster a culture of order, organization, efficiency, and consistency, with caring for them on a personal level. Finally, Recommendation #4 keep it tidy. if I'm going to half ass multiple jobs I'd rather whole ass one and do one job at a time well. The picture doesn't show what was next to the roll of paper towels, but I can tell you; a milk steamer that was half full of hot chocolate or something brown, a folded wet white towel, and some loose straws (still in their wrapping though). That was on the arm of the bar. We where sitting next to that stuff. Ultimately I felt for your employees they looked like they where doing the best they could with a lot of demand of their jobs. And I get that's how the restaurant industry is from time to time. But I hope they are acknowledged for their hard work too. For just surviving another busy shift or day working at your place. It's not glamorous as the movies make them out to be. Best wishes to you all of you. P.S. 2 More things. TRAIN, If you need some training for your regular employees get some professional help. I am aware that the younger owner has a mentor but I don't know how far reaching her service as someone with 20+ years experience with Starbucks goes in the the restaurant industry. The other thing, that goes with the first. Anyone in your shop serve safe certified? That's there 7 days or 5 days of the week every week and upholds the industry wide standards in your business? Get someone in your shop certified that's in your restaurant on a daily basis.

Delicious breakfast spot! The waiters were very nice and attentive. Cute restaurant with family style tables and great family feel. The triple Berry pancakes were pretty good, as one would expect pancakes to taste like. The big bill Benedict - ask for it on a croissant bun, you won't regret it! The sausage egg and cheese on croissant is also a classic and must be tried. Overall great place and very affordable too.

Don't let the stupid name deter you from eating here, like it ALMOST did for me and my spouse. I had one of the best sandwiches in my life --- The Beefy Roman. Absolutely delicious. Fresh mozzarella, juicy roast beef, and just the right amount of sauces and peppers and basil. Hell yeah baby! My wife enjoyed her Black Forest Ham on a pretzel bun.

We came here after having a horrible experience at Victory Cafe. And man we were not disappointed. The staff here was accommodating to our large group right off the bat. The service was quick and efficient and delivered with a smile. We could not ask for better service. The food was also phenomenal. I had the Brie Bliss sandwich and I would suggest it. There is great art on the walls. An employee, or maybe the owner, came out as we were admiring the art. She thanked us for admiring her art. She was very sweet and it was nice of her to engage us. Overall it was a great experience

We had asked for dining recommendations while at Blaum Bros. Our wonderful server gave us several dinner options, but said Big Bill's was "the place" for breakfast. She was absolutely correct! My husband had the Dublin Omelet and I had the Bill's Benedict. The Dublin was fantastic! Delicious and tender corned beef, crisp sauerkraut, and their delicious house sauce not only made it unforgettable, we want to figure out how to recreate it at home. The benedict had the perfect amount of bearnaise, I loved the hardy everything bagel, the delicious soft egg; it was the best Benedict I've ever tasted.

Made a last-minute trip to do some sightseeing in Galena, Illinois. Inquired at Nine Generals Cigar Company for a restaurant to dine at. The Beefy Roman sandwich was highly recommended and did not disappoint! Friendly service, good portions, and plenty of people watching. A+!

Food and service were good. Great selection of sandwiches and drinks. It was our last stop before leaving and I'm glad we did.

It was easy to get a table here even though it was Labor day weekend. We just missed the breakfast menu and had the lunch menu. We found the selections few, and unappealing. There was not much décor to the place. After being seated we waited 10 minutes for service. No one arrived so we left to find something a bit more appealing.