Coral Reef was owned by Buddy and Roberta Maleville in 1949. It had seven "enchanting" dining rooms, one of them being the Outrigger Room; the restaurant could accommodate groups of up to 150. This was the restaurant for the nextdoor Maleville's Coral Reef Lodge. Coral Reef was a Polynesian restaurant landmark for Sacramento, operating for decades until it closed in 1994 and was later demolished.
Before opening this location, the Malevilles also opened a Coral Reef location in Millbrae that only lasted until 1953.
A massive tiki from the sign for the Coral Reef today resides at Bamboo Hut in San Francisco.