History | Gallagher's Steak House

It was the Roaring ‘20s. Folks were dancing. They were singing. They were drinking. Then, Prohibition ch anged the landscape of the nation’s nightlife. Instead of putting an end to the use of alcohol, though, it catapulted its demand. And, since it had to be consumed privately (away from the law), the underground bar – known as speakeasy because of its secrecy -- was born.

In New York, November 1927, just a few nights before the neighboring Alvin Theatre’s opening of “Funny Face,” Helen Gallagher and Jack Solomon launched Gallagher’s. It quickly became the clandestine hot spot for gamblers, sports figures, and Broadway and showbiz folks. Even women, who, until that point had been banned from the saloons, flocked to Gallagher’s.

Then, in 1933, FDR took office and delivered on his promise to end Prohibition. With the sale of liquor now legalized, Gallagher and Solomon transitioned their popular speakeasy into Broadway’s original steak house, the home of the first “New York Strip” ever served.

Gallagher’s offered a retreat from the formal, plush elegance borrowed from Europe that dominated restaurant décor. It was back-to-basics: plain plank floors, wood-paneled walls, and red checked tablecloths; an informal blending of speakeasy and country inn. The dark walls were covered with photos of Broadway and Hollywood stars, business and political luminaries, and athletes past and present, including the equine performers celebrated at Belmont Park and Jamaica, New York’s showcase racetracks.