Located where Reno and Sparks meet, The Coney Island Bar has been referred to as “The closest thing to a landmark” Sparks has.
Ralph Galletti, an immigrant from Genoa (a Province in Northern Italy), brought his family into the restaurant business when he bought the Sugar Plum, which specialized in raviolis, enchiladas, and tamales. The food was prepared on the families property in Sparks which was purchased in 1905 by Ralph’s father-in-law, John Gallo. The family sold the Sugar Plum in 1926 and opened a wholesale tamale factory called the Coney Island Tamale Factory in 1927 and sold their famous tamales to many local restaurants. In 1935, Ralph built the current brick building to house the tamale factory. The building cost approximately $6,000. He called it the Coney Island after the name of the amusement park across the street from his new building.
Upon his return from service in World War II, Ralph and Mary’s son, John got a liquor license and expanded the business to include a bar and a dining room for lunch and private banquets. It opened on March 16, 1946. It quickly became known as a place to find good food and old friends, and developed into a popular local hangout.
The Coney Island Bar is one of the oldest continuously operating family businesses in the City. It is one of the few buildings contracted in the City of Sparks during the Great Depression still standing today. It was added to the State Register of Historic Places on June 14, 2007.
John’s son Greg now runs the business, continuing the family tradition with his wife and three children. The Coney Island Bar is open Monday through Saturday for lunches from 11:00 – 2:00 and serves private banquet parties for dinners Monday through Saturday except for Fridays which serves dinners open to the public.
2020 RRW Menu
