Coney Island Bar

I have been wanting to try this place for a while and today I did. First, I passed it, as it’s immediately on the right as soon as you get off I-​80 E. I had to do a U-​Turn, then you can’t even legally turn into the place, it’s a really bad set up. The parking lot is full of big trucks, SUVs, etc. It’s 100% a Blue Collar dining establishment if you couldn’t tell already.
Luckily after my terrible entrance, it’s didn’t improve much upon entry. It’s super dark and dingy in there, little natural lighting and little lighting inside. I had never been here before, so I was looking for a greeting, a sign, anything to give me some direction, and there was none. I definitely stood out in my shirt and tie, and I couldn’t figure the place out. I saw a bartender, who just paid attention to the bar.
I decided to go into the room over, thinking maybe that’s the dining area, and again, very confusing I saw many tables with people at them, and they all had crackers on their tables. I saw some tables without crackers and a couple with, so I had no idea if crackers meant they taken or what was going on. Again, no signs anywhere. Everyone is looking at me since I am guessing not too many new people walk in or if they do, they probably walk out, as I was about to do.
Luckily, I saw one of my clients there, who is also an employee, and she was the one who shined me onto the place, talking about the amazing food. I decided to ask for her since she was in the back. I relayed my confusion to her, and she said sit anywhere, so I chose a spot with crackers, now that I knew this didn’t mean some barrel chested dude in overalls was going to come flying out of the bathroom and start hollering at me for sitting at this table.
I asked about the special today was a steak sandwich, but I saw Hot Roast Beef, which caught my eye, as it’s not a common dish to see. I wanted to see if this old style institution was going to rock my socks off. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, again, another confusing adventure as a barrel chested man was standing in my way, so I thought there was a line, so I waited a few seconds, then thought I should ask, and sure enough, he wasn’t in line just blocking the small hallway to the bathroom. I came back out, and you have to move around people, and now people were being a little more polite, as this time the guy moved when I came into the bigger room without my asking, and I saw my food was already on my table.
When I ordered, I was a little shocked about the pricing, it’s $ 3.50 for a half sandwich and $ 6 for a whole. I thought I hit the lunch lottery, maybe that’s why this place was so busy, and they have a hot beef sandwich that would make Chicago take notice, but this was a very small wonder bread version, and only about ½ inch of hot beef in the sandwich. It was good, I would give it about 3.5 stars, but not much food. The sides here are different too, as you can get chips, beans, salad, and soup. The chips are 50 cents, but generally I am not a chip fan, so didn’t get any sides as all the price points for everything else seemed high in the $ 4-​$ 5 range. That’s much more than I like to spend a on side. So I quickly ate the sandwich and my client asked how it was I said it was good, but it wouldn’t fill me up, so I ordered the hot pastrami half for $ 3.5.
This sandwich again small amount of meat, about ½ inch, but was just grilled. It was okay, but I prefered the hot beef. I paid my check, and was about to leave before one last chat, because I remember thinking about some dishes they had that I wanted to try, but I couldn’t remember what they were, so I got acquainted with spaghetti tuesday w/​roast beef, and corned beef thursday. I plan on trying those two items in the future.
Overall it was an okay experience, but if I did go again, I might dress down to blend in more. I could see a business like this appealing to many people as well as shoeing off many people. My guess is they like the clientele they have, and are not worried about gaining new clientele.

Only been on Tuesdays for their Spaghetti bowl special. The half and half is a must… and get the big bowl, because it’s just as fabulous re-​heated for dinner. I will never have a better bowl of Spaghetti than I have at Coney Island Bar.

Reno folks have got to try the Coney Island Bar at least once, right? As all the reviews attest, it’s a great local dive bar that serves yummy lunches and dinners. The boyfriend and I tried the Tuesday spaghetti and roast beef special ($ 7.50, with bread) and it was delicious. The red sauce was pleasantly spicy and the roast beef was a neat addition to the meal. Our server was friendly and attentive. Even though we came at prime lunch time, we were able to get a table without waiting. There is ample seating, even though the bar doesn’t look particularly big from the outside.
The vibe of this place is great: chill people, mostly of the old old variety. But hey, when I am old old, I hope that I’m still able to drive and get grub with my sweetie or friends! There is no smoking, and the deer heads and artwork are tasteful. Whereas, say, Louis’ Basque seems old and tired and kinda gross, Coney Island Bar seems old but fresh and clean. I’m a fan and definitely will petition the boyf for a Thursday corned beef lunch.
Why only three stars and not four? Primarily because the parking situation is a mess. The parking lot is one way, and it is hard to turn into the entrance if one is coming from the west on 4^th St because there is no turn lane and there are two lanes and a turn lane to cross as one turns left. I had to pass it and make a u-​turn so that I could turn right into the parking lot. But because parking is one-​way in the lot, there was a line of cars stretching out of the lot, waiting for someone to pull out of a parking space. I (and then the car in front of me in line) ended up going in the out and grabbing spots before any of the cars that were in the hold up had gone by. Perhaps that’s just a lunch time problem, but still: annoying!

I’m a local and one of the secrets in Reno are the Wednesday night dinners. The food is always great. My favorite is the garlic roasted chicken. The staff is friendly and the prices are great. Check it out!

One of the best and oldest dive bars in the Reno area. They serve family style Italian dinners on Wednesday nights too.
I come here occasionally to meet friends who are regulars and I always feel like family. This is a come
as you are old style, old Reno bar frequented by locals of all sorts. If you want to meet real Reno people this is the place to go. Generous pours,
Great prices and excellent service this place is a little
Slice of the Reno and Sparks of yesteryear.

Wow great corned beef and cabbage special! Would definitely recommend the place. Accolades from everyone at the table. One said best pastrami they have ever had!

地元民に愛されるレストランです。
火曜日のパスタランチが有名で大にぎわい。三種類のパスタから好きな組み合わせでオーダーできます。
パスタよりも牛肉が多いスパゲティー、バジルたっぷりのショートパスタ、クスクスみたいなパスタの三種類。
ビッグボールというのは大盛りのスパゲティー。
運良く火曜日のお昼には時間があれば行ってみるといいかも。

Coney Island is a cool dive bar. We try to visit a new bar every time we visit Reno and since the wife likes to hit the outlets at Legends we decided to give this place a try on the way back to Reno. The bartender was great and drinks and prices were fair. Eight beers on tap with a few micro-​brews to supplement the requisite Budweiser and Coors. Not a huge selection of top shelf liquor, but at least they had Jameson’s whiskey. Even though it seemed to mostly be a locals hangout, everybody made us feel welcome.

I received my weekly Unilocal email entitled Legendary Landmark Restaurants. Among this week’s highlights was Coney Island Bar. I read the reviews and went to their website and noticed a Wednesday Night Dinner option. Tonight’s dinner consisted of Tomato Soup, Garlic Cross Rib Roast, and Asparagus Ravioli with Tarragon Cream Sauce for $ 21. Each meal is served with soup, salad, and bread and the pasta is freshly made. Dessert can be added for $ 4 and there are four choices each week. Bread pudding is always on the menu and the other choices this week included Amaretto Cheesecake, Purple Plum Torte, and a Chocolate Zabaglione Trifle.
The first thing we noticed when we sat down was the waiter. Nick had a beautiful handlebar mustache. I felt like we stepped back in time. Most of the clientele were seniors which added even more to the ambiance. If you are looking for a quiet dinner, don’t come here. It is definitely NOT quiet. Everybody is enjoying their conversations and their meals. I think there was only one other table with a party of two. Most of the tables were groups of 4 to 8. Nick came over and asked what we would like to drink, I wanted wine, maybe a Reisling. They didn’t have Reisling but he mentioned a Chardonnay and some reds. I ended up going with a simple White Zin.
There was bread on the table that was very hearty and the butter packets were softened which is a definite plus in my book. I like being able to spread the butter without tearing up the bread. There was also grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl on the table. Our tomato soup came out first. It tasted like it was freshly pureed, not a creamy soup like you would get out of a can. There was a slightly spicy flavor and noodle scraps which I enjoyed. I sprinkled a little of the Parmesan cheese and mixed it in to the soup which added some richness to the soup.
Next came the Spring mix salad. It was topped with a sweet oil and vinegar based dressing. I asked one of the other servers if she knew what was in it. She was new so she asked Nick who came out and explained that it was a secret recipe and even he didn’t know what was in it. Apparently it is a well guarded secret. Nick pointed to a woman at the table next to us and said she was married to one of the Galetti’s who are the original owners. With a name like Galetti, I wouldn’t cross them. Haha! Nick DID say that they sell it by the quart ($ 10) when they have it available but they didn’t have any left that night. I will definitely make a trip back, maybe at lunch time, to buy some of it.
The main course came out next. Thinly sliced rib roast, cooked to a medium rare with a nice flavorful crust around the edges. It was tender and only needed a regular knife to cut. The asparagus ravioli with tarragon cream sauce was on the same plate. The ravioli was filled with a purée of asparagus and ricotta then topped with a creamy tarragon sauce then garnished with fresh tarragon. Excellent flavor, the tarragon really complements the flavor of the asparagus. We were not disappointed in any way with this meal.
Finally it was time for dessert. I am a typical female and cannot pass up chocolate so I went with the chocolate zabaglione trifle. I had no idea what it was but I figured if chocolate was the first word of the title, it had to be good, right? It is similar to tres leches cake but a little firmer. Needless to say, I really enjoyed it. My husband was torn between the bread pudding and the Amaretto cheesecake. With very little convincing on my part, he chose both… the bread pudding to eat in and the cheesecake to go. The bread pudding was a large portion and topped with a caramel sauce. The dessert was moist and heavy, not overly sweet.
Needless to say, we want to go back. The amount of food was appropriate for the price paid and we didn’t feel like we needed a wheelbarrow to get out. We were comfortably full and really enjoyed the experience. My guess is that many of the people that were there are regulars judging by they way the servers were talking to everyone.
Coney Island has a special lunch menu on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays features home made pastas and Thursdays features corned beef and cabbage.

This is an old Reno institution and judging from the people who frequent– they’ve all been coming forever! Definitely looks like a bar from the outside and the inside isn’t much to look at either BUT the food is great and the prices even better! Tuesdays are spaghetti with roast beef, yes you read that right– actually great and Thursdays are corned beef and cabbage. You can get a plateful or Reubens– either way you will not be disappointed. Plain simple un-​fancy food at great prices. If you’re a stuffy pretentious person, stay away. If you like old Reno, good uncomplicated food that doesn’t break the wallet then this place is for you. Staff is friendly and service is quick too! The restrooms are always clean and even smell sanitary– a plus for a public restroom in my book.

Sorry I just don’t get this place. Food was okay (sauage lentil soup, ham & cheese sandwich plus potato salad that I paid extra for), but extremely simple and uninspired. The atmosphere good old boy cheap. What can I say it can be another 8 years before I come back.

Great place that a friend took me to recently, from the outside it doesn’t look like much, and even when you walk inside it looks old. The food though is amazing. Go Tuesday afternoon for lunch and get a big bowl. You’ll definitely be going back for more!

Cold plate, awesome. Protein lover’s ideal, just cold cuts topped with some salad. Corned and roast beef were excellent. It’s a little like sashimi, just the meat please.

Spring. Beautiful, lovely spring. I’ve missed you. It’s so warm that I’ve been leaving my windows open at night and the ones in my jeep cracked. And as great as the occasional breeze feels when it graces my legs (both of which, by the way, have long awaited shorts-​weather), this unfortunately means that the house and the car are starting to fall victim to dust.
So, in the spirit not only of spring, but also of spring cleaning, I grabbed this review, which I’d begun who-​knows-​how-​long ago, out of the pile, gave it a good shake, and cleaned up for publication.
The Coney Island is a family tradition. So much so, in fact, that my family doesn’t call it Coney Island, but rather «Galletti’s,» after the Italian family who opened it so many years ago. My first actual memory of the place was on my 5^th birthday. My family had been invited to dinner for someone else’s birthday that night, and the restaurant was closed for the private party. I don’t remember dinner, and I don’t remember who was there. But I do remember that for dessert, I was served a gigantic (to me at the time) cream puff. It was the most decadent thing my little self had ever tasted. The light pastry stuffed with delicate creamy custard– it was something that I felt special eating. From that point on, I was under the notion that the Coney Island had made the cream puffs especially for my birthday.
You can still find that the Coney Island has delicious cream puffs for dessert on banquet dinners. But on the day-​to-​day, you can find me either eating The Mess– an enchilada topped with beans and salad, a Roast Beef Sandwich (on Spaghetti Tuesday it is made with roast beef cooked in spaghetti sauce– finger-​licking good, if not the most easy to eat), or the spaghetti itself, which comes with either a red sauce or a pesto sauce. My only complaint, being the pasta snob that I am, is that the noodles always seem to be a touch over-​cooked.
Sodas come in cans because, hell, they always have, and the beers are cheap. Walking through the doors you see not only the young and new, but you see tradition– the older generations of this great city and state, or those to whom such tradition was passed.
The Coney Island, or Galletti’s, as I call it due to ease of reference with my family, truly holds a special place in my heart. As sure as spring returns each year, I will be back time and time again to this historic Reno restaurant.

We’ve been going to the Coney for years, and it feels so much like home, it’s hard to pinpoint what’s so great about it. In a few words, it’s the atmosphere, the people, the vibe, and of course, the simple and delicious food. I love the place. I’ll never stop going. And the garlic soup rocks – wish they made it daily.

Great Lunch Spot… get the roast beef sandwich with side salad!

Just a note they serve garlic soup; on Mondays now. I love their garlic soup.
I got the hamburger and it was delicious. Obviously fried on a grill. Tastes a lot like you make at home., They have an excellent fresh-​baked bun.
The potato salad is $ 3 extra. I say pass. Too much pickle.

Everyday a different menu! Sometimes hard to find a table, but totally worth the wait! A taste of old Reno!

Coney Island remains a classic dive bar/​restaurant which delivers quality food day in and day out. Tuesday’s spaghetti lunch is classic old school spaghetti but topped with a thin slab of roast beef. There is nothing like it. Basically it is a combination of Italian and Basque consistently made with quality ingredients.
The other aspect of the place is the people. You can rub shoulders with casino executives, truck drivers or even the Nevada Governor. All are treated equally. A great place to go for lunch on a cold day. Sort of the Tadich Grill of Northern Nevada!
Coney Island has been around for decades. It remains a Nevada treasure.

As with Floyd’s, if this were a larger city, there’d be multiple reviews from hipsters praising this joint for its awesome fare and old school ambiance. I took some friends here for lunch the day before their wedding and they still talk about it (plus I had all of the guests who came in from out of town asking me about it at the ceremony).
These days the Coney Island has gotten a little more spiffy with a new paint job (plus where did the deer heads go?!) and also the Wednesday prix fixe meals. $ 25 will get you a full homemade meal ususally featuring wonderful dishes like homemade gnocci with gorgonzola sauce or the Chocolate Guiness Cake. Way better and with friendlier service than anything you’d get at one of the more «upmarket» new places around here. However don’t worry that the redecorating and home cooking means that it’s gotten snooty — it still offers a friendly neighborhood bar ambiance with more heart than attitude.