Gallagher's Steak House, located at 228 W 52nd St in New York City, was founded in November 1927 [1] by Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld girl, the wife of Edward Gallagher (1873–1929), [2] and Jack Solomon, a colorful gambler with a large loyal following from the sporting element. These were the days of Prohibition and Gallagher’s was one of the first speakeasy gathering places for gamblers, sports figures, and stars of Broadway. There is now a location in the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. [1]
The restaurant opened, next door to the Alvin Theater just nights before "Funny Face" opened.[3]
In 1933 when FDR 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.[3] 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 and Aqueduct Racetrack at Jamaica are honored. [4]
When Helen died, Jack Solomon married Irene Hayes, who was also a former Ziegfeld girl and one of the top florists in Manhattan 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 and the Four Seasons. [5]
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.