Sonny's Place

"It doesn't make much sense for a guy who hates the water to live on an island."
"It's only an island if you look at it from the water." – Jaws

Upon arrival to Galveston, I, of course, knew that it was an Island. But it didn't particularly feel like one. Maybe there’s something about driving onto an island that makes it feel less like one than, say, floating there on a ferry.

But it is an island, obviously, and you'll hear locals refer to it as "The Island" if you keep your ears peeled. And it's also one with a rich history. Galveston was Houston before Houston was Houston.

Before the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, it was on the path to being one of the biggest, richest cities in America. Its tremendous growth attracted everyone from vacationing celebrities to fresh-off-the-boat immigrants (literally) looking for work.

Of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants that arrived via the Port of Galveston, Italians were among the most prominent groups. And that’s why one of the most revered establishments on the island to this day is Sonny's Place, a working-class Italian joint that has been serving cold beer and classic spaghetti since 1944.

Sonny's is helmed by Lawrence "Junior" Puccetti, who started working here in 1951. Even before then, his grandparents lived upstairs and grandma would bring food down to the bar downstairs.

From the outside, Sonny's looks like it’s big enough to house an army company. But inside, the wood-paneled bar and restaurant is decidedly more "cozy" (in realtor speak). The low-slung ceilings don't leave much room for gymnastics and the fluorescent lighting makes it feel like you’re walking into a police lineup room. But once I had a hot bowl of chili and a cold glass of beer, I was ready to settle in for the long haul.

In fact, it can get quite difficult to leave. The jukebox is stocked with classic albums and the mixed drinks are dirt cheap. A dangerous combo.

When you do visit, there’s one item you can't miss: a plaque commemorating a shootout with 3 armed robbers. There's even a bullet hole in the bar to this day. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

Galveston may be an island, but it's still Texas.