Harley's is always a mixed bag, but a locally-owned one. Never stellar, your chances for a great meal are stymied by some really poor choices in cheap ingredients.
--great spot to chill, chat and a cheap Chardonnay.
--eccentric service makes for a wildcard every time (could be good or bad)
--garlic bread little better than the "garlic bread to go" special at the supermarket checkout endcap as an impulse buy
--the bag salad mix (also available from "pick your store"),
--pool of olive oil for dipping.
--wine selection is a bit off with nothing that is really special.
--Alfredo usually bland, but thankfully can be thickened with as much Parmesan as you want.
--Shrimp Diablo sometimes risky, shrimps usually cooked perfectly, but sometimes overdone.
--Glass tops over maroon linens shows corner-cutting philosophy and makes me nervous. (It's entirely different at Persian Garden where I know those linens under glass are precious.)
Having said all that, I'd choose Harley's any day over Christo's or the chains-that-shall-not-be-named.
Least important is the rich history of this place. Just about the only thing remaining from the old days is the front door which is no longer used.
Originally "Livia's" it was considered one of the best Italian places in town. Given, that was before Mary Elaine's woke us up with a jolt to the possibilities of cuisine. Changing appetites and consumer tastes baffled the former owners and the place went Roman Table until Phoenix Light Rail wiped bars Harley's and Harley's Too from the Camelback Corridor at 3rd Avenue.