Gigi’s

Called for reservations for Saturday evening 5 days in advance.
Mentioned this would be our first visit and it was our anniversary.
Person on phone very friendly and assured us a great table.
First: very nice place, easy to find but, they should really separate their sign from the cheap motel sign, it’s a bit misleading as GiGi’s has nothing to do with the motel.
Anyway, greeted by a very friendly staff, which remembered why we were there (nice touch folks).
Huge selection of wine, very impressive.
Interesting choices of bar drinks (in a good way).
Very creative.
We started with their seasonal deviled eggs, (chipotle, bacon, onion). Man were those things good.
Shrimp bisque (chef special) was fantastic, although my wife thought it a bit too salty where I thought it was perfect.
I opened with their French onion soup.
Well, thicker than I was expecting and sweeter, not salty at all
Presented in a hollowed out onion.
Looked great, tasted very good but the cheese turned very hard once the heat left the «bowl» and was inedible.
We also had the catch of the day (sea bass) with fried green tomatoes.
Bass slightly overcooked and under seasoned, would not get again.
FG Tomato’s were spot on.
8 oz fillet w/​mushroom risotto grilled perfectly and very good.
Drinks included the (sch)Root, Derek recommended a Chardonnay along with a well presented Stella A, these were all excellent.
Finished with house-​made chocolate mousse pie, again, excellent. Which they threw in BTW. Many thanks GiGi’s and Derek.
Oh and our server Derek. This guy was spot on.
Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly. These, along with the most comfortable/​roomy seating anywhere makes this place one of our new favorites.
Bottom line? Will we be back? You bet.
Lots of great menu (and drink) choices yet to try.

We gave it another try after more than 1 year and they turned out better than expected. The catfish was superb. We also ordered the pull pork sandwich and it was good. Hope they keep it up.
I think their cocktail selection is quite cool; though I don’t quite like the low country whiskey jar and it is too diluted for my taste. I would probably try other cocktail next time.

I made a reservation 10 days ago. I called to let them know that one of my guests is a morbidly obese person. They said they cannot accommodate us so far but that they would get back to me soon. Today I received a phone call. Emily said that if I show up they will do what it is necessary to sit my friend. Then she said she was gonna talk to her manager and get back to me. She called back and said that they are sorry but they cannot sit my morbidly obese friend. It is Sunday, I am not being able to find any other reservation for Valentines’ day. I am very upset. I find it distasteful. Also, if I would have not let them know about my friend’s condition, what would have they done when I show up?
Never again with Gigi’s.

Had dinner with 3 other couples on a busy Friday night. Service was efficient and friendly. We had reservations and were seated immediately. We had calamari app which was delicious. Crispy with a good sauce. Husband had catfish which he said was quite good. I had a greens salad with goat cheese and some nuts. LOTS of field greens. Not very much of anything else. Dressing was mostly vinegar and not very tasty. I also had small plate grits and shrimp with andouille sausage. Never did find the sausage. There were 3 shrimp on top. Grits were very watery. Overall my meal was not too good. My husband agreed it was ok, but wouldn’t rush back. It was raw bar night but unfortunately our waitress didn’t tell us until we had ordered our appetizers. We have gone there just for raw bar Friday and that is well worth a visit.

Gigi’s delivers. Period. The food was fantastic. The service was exceptional and the atmosphere was cozy and comfortable. An upscale restaurant in a college town but accepting of all attires. The food was great down to the pecan honey butter served with warm bread. Highly recommend the shrimp and grits appetizer. The mushroom risotto was cooked perfectly with tender mushrooms and a delicate creaminess. My only complaint was my petit filet was a little over cooked to my liking (medium rare). The cornmeal crusted catfish was excellent. The crust was seared perfectly leaving the catfish flakey inside. The black bean side was not the best pair to the catfish though. Other than that, a fantastic find! We will be back :)

Delicious. Will make this stop any time I’m in the area. The space is interesting and everyone in my group was pleased with their choices (even a colleage on the picky side). Two of us ordered the gumbo and were so glad we did — it reminded me of a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Good food with real flavor has been tough to find since moving back «up here». Contrary to popular belief, a deep fryer is not all one needs to create Southern food.

My daughter convinced us to try Gigi’s the last time we were in town. Our experience with State College eateries to this point has been «OK, but nothing special.» That all changed when we opened the menu at Gigi’s and our waiter (Ryan I believe) started to review the different offerings with us! The food was incredible, the service impeccable and the prices very reasonable for the quality of the food being served. We were so impressed that we’re headed back there again this weekend. Lots more on the menu that we want to try! Nice job bringing a little «Southern Charm» to State College!
Came here with the family to celebrate my birthday. As incredible as ever! Great meal for all, and the menu has changed for fall, so we got to try different variations of our favorites. Katelyn made our meal special, with great recommendations and impeccable service!

Food was very good had the lamb shank over Grits with pea pods … Other delicious dishes wet the pork chop with Mac and cheese. Appetizer chicken Panko coconut crusted chicken wine selection was nice and reasonably price. Nice atmosphere attentive service. Worth a visit !!

Went here for my anniversary back in May. I was very pleased with our meal. We had the full shebang: appetizers, dinner, and dessert. The food was creative and delicious. The atmosphere was elegant, quirky, and comfortable (we sat in upholstered armchairs at the table; it was much appreciated as I was 9 months pregnant!) The waitstaff was exceptional. They were knowledgable about the menu, courteous, and provided prompt service. I took off one star simply for the price to food portion ratio. Portions were somewhat small for the price of the meal. Otherwise, it was fantastic!

Gigi’s makes me question «Gee (gee) how can they charge these prices for this food?» I find this a slightly confusing restaurant. The food is good, but it just doesn’t justify the prices. I love a good tapas approach, but when eating here I always need to order then re-​order more as the portions are smaller than you’d expect — think normal size tapas, at twice the price. The bar is beautiful and very busy at happy hour and on weekends. They have a mid-​week Raw Bar at the bar, which is rather fun. However this bar is usually slithering with mid-​life divorcees that are frequently slimier than the raw bar oysters. If you’re over 50 and still going to happy hour every night, this is where you’ll be. There’s a growing rumor that many State College swingers hang out here. Maybe it’s because of all the oysters?
If you want a change of pace in an adult environment to relax with a girlfriend (or two) and don’t mind hanging with a «swingin’» crowd, give it a try. Just be sure to bring extra cash and, maybe, an extra set of keys.

This is my 3^rd visit. I always go for the smoked salmon deviled eggs they are the bomb! I ordered the valley burger. It’s fantastic! Brioche bun, perfectly grilled medium burger, melty gooey brie cheese, bibb lettuce and a suprisingly good peach chutney then tooped with thick cut local bacon. It’s hard for me to get excited about a burger but this one is over the top and all the flavors work so well with each other. It comes with a potato salad that is decent to. Good service, nice atmosphere made this a great little lunch stop for the day.

Order a few small plates for a fun foodie experience. The ownership and menu has changed over the past few years, and all for the better. They’ve noticeably stepped up their tapas, even within the last year or so.
Easily one of the best date spots in town, and they’ve got the wine list to prove it. I’ll definitely be back to see what new items pop up on the menu.

Went to Gigi’s a couple times for lady’s night first of all very nice place great atmosphere. I love it in there but there prices are pretty high from what i personally thing they do have happy hour like 4 to 6 or something like that I would recommend going then as that’s when the best deals are

Absolutely delicious farm to table meals. Large portions for a great price! My favorite place to go out with the girls — daytime and nighttime!

There aren’t a lot of food options in State College, especially with the Gamble Mill closed. That isn’t to say this place wouldn’t be good anyway, but its by far the best game in town… and a suprise considering I expected Jethro’s or Prospectors or the old used motel. Quite contrary: the ambiance is cool. They’ve got local art, (Fraser St. Gallery), the staff is friendly, and its set up so it feels intimate.
The highlight was the desert: the tart lemon curd with empanada is fantastic. Its really good – sort of a modified take on an apple tart made into a soft pear empanada with lots of sauce adjacent.
We also ordered sliders, salads, and soups. All were fresh and quickly served. Blue cheese in the salad was great. The french onion soup got rave reviews as did the shrimp bisque. Recommend!

Went here for lunch today with two friends. The food was very good and also the service. Love the décor! Very classy looking! Two thumbs up! :-)

Very pleasantly surprised with the food and ambience at Gigi’s Southern Kitchen for lunch. Upscale southern and Cajun food. I had the Express lunch, which is 3 items on the special menu for $ 13. I went with the NE Clam Chowder, a brisket slider, and a shrimp taco.
The chowder was the best I’ve ever had. I could have eaten a tub of it. Very clean, good balance of broth to cream, and tons of clams.
The shrimp tacos were spicy and had a nice, large shrimp. The brisket slider was just ok, the roll seemed to overwhelm the meat a bit.
I will definitely go back.

Had a great lunch today. Highly recommend and will go back when in town again. Loved the French onion soup and in particular the presentation.

Upscale white table cloth restaurant in State College. As you approach the restaurant from the road, it’s difficult to see the place as its’ hidden behind a crappy looking motel. Trust me, it’s completely disconnected from that shoddy place and is a modern, updated interior. In fact, they have a large and very comfortable outdoor patio with a fire pit and nice views of the Valley. Well worth eating outside if weather permits.
Stellar bar with solid wine selection. Good selection of beers on tap as well (including Blue Moon, so I’m set).
At the table, service was very friendly although a bit slow. We tried the calamari and clams appetizers. Definitely above average for State College.
For my entrée, I had the rib eye steak which was a very generous portion. My only complaint was that it was undercooked. I ordered it medium and it was quite rare. I didn’t send it back, as I was ready to eat given the service was a bit slow (not horrible).
I recommend it for a couples night out alone or with friends. Service might be a bit slow for larger parties.

We had a mixed «meh» to «A-​ok» experience here.
The highlight of our meal was the dessert. The dark chocolate flourless torte seemed to be rock solid at first fork, but it was oh soo tasty, just the right balance of sweetness and chocolate-​ness.
Dinner service started off wrong and didn’t get much better. At barely half full, we still waited 5 mins for the hostess to acknowledge us. After being seated, we were left to our lonesome to read and re-​read the menu for 15 minutes. Eventually we had to ask for our server. Then after our starter, it took another hour for our entrees to arrive. The staff apologized profusely and sincerely for the glitches. I guess they still have quite a few kinks to work out.
Despite all this, we are willing to give the this place another try (everyone has a bad day, so they get a pass for this one). For State College, the food is good (decent enough but not quite there yet…). And because I will wish them success… we need more options for «nicer» restaurants in town.
A note about ambiance, the dinning room needs to be at least 25−50% dimmer, especially for dinner service. This would help tone down the knotty wood showing through the white painted walls and ceilings.