Gallagher's Steak House
Encyclopedia
Helen Gallagher (Solomon)
Helen Gallagher Solomon was a Ziegfeld girl and restaurateur who co-founded Gallagher's Steak House. She was the wife of Ed Gallagher , of the "Mister Gallagher and Mister Sheen" comedy team....
, a former Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies , which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris....
, the wife of Edward Gallagher
Edward Gallagher
Edward Gallagher was a vaudeville actor and half of the act Gallagher and Shean. Their story was told in an animated movie Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean by Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer who also created Koko the Clown and Betty Boop...
(1873–1929), and Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon was a colorful gambler-and-sports enthusiast turned restaurateur. He co-founded Gallagher's Steak House in 1927 with Helen Gallagher, the wife of Ed Gallagher ....
, a colorful gambler with a large loyal following from the sporting element. These were the days of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
and Gallagher’s was one of the first speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
gathering places for gamblers, sports figures, and stars of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. There is now a location in the New York-New York Hotel & Casino
New York-New York Hotel & Casino
New York-New York Hotel & Casino is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip at 3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South, in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International.-Description:...
in Las Vegas.
The restaurant opened, next door to the Alvin Theater just nights before "Funny Face
Funny Face
Funny Face is an American musical film released in 1957 in VistaVision Technicolor, with assorted songs by George and Ira Gershwin. The film was written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Stanley Donen. It stars Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, and Kay Thompson...
" opened.
In 1933 when FDR
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
took office he fulfilled his promise to end Prohibition. With liquor now legal, Gallagher and Solomon brought a new style of restaurant: Broadway’s first steak house. This is where the first “New York Strip” steak was served. With just the basics and an informal atmosphere of speakeasy and American country inn. The walls were covered with photos of the stars of Broadway, Hollywood, business, politics, and athletes past and present. Even the stars of Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
and Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
at Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
are honored.
When Helen died, Jack Solomon married Irene Hayes
Irene Hayes
Irene Hayes was a Ziegfeld girl and businesswoman who owned Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe, a leading Manhattan florist, and Gallagher's Steak House after the death of her husband, Jack Solomon....
, who was also a former Ziegfeld girl and one of the top florists in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
known as Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe. After a number of years at the helm, as the sole owner of Gallagher's, Irene decided to sell and chose Jerome Brody, the restaurateur responsible for the Rainbow Room
Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room was an upscale restaurant and nightclub on the 65th floor of the GE Building in Rockefeller Center, Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-Cuisine:...
and the Four Seasons.
Recently, the menu at Gallagher's has changed, along with the new management. Most important among the changes has been the removal and exclusion of the Porterhouse steak (a thick cut t-bone steak with a large tenderloin), which once 'graced' the frozen windows of the meat locker that greets customers as they enter the restaurant. To some of Gallagher's old customers, removal of the Porterhouse has caused alarm -since it had been a staple of the restaurant since its opening and is considered the finest cut of steak, also originating in New York. The official website for Gallagher's still shows pictures of the porterhouse. But they are no longer available at the restaurant. To many former customers, this is a veridical indication that Gallaghers no longer is a top flight steakhouse, but is simply driven by the market forces associated with the corporate decision of turning toward a chain restaurant.
Gallagher's is open 365 days a year from 12pm to 12am.
The Trophy Room is a space for business meetings, private dining or events. Located on the second floor it features a bar, real wood-paneled walls and an extensive photo collection. The Trophy Room accommodates 110 seated, 200 reception style, 100 theater style, and the entire restaurant 400 seated.
Franchise locations
- Gallagher's Steak House, Las Vegas
- Gallagher's Steak House, Denver
- Gallagher's Steak House, Newark Airport
- Gallagher's Steak House, Atlantic City's Resorts International Hotel & Casino
- Gallagher's Steak House, Tampa