A Coney Island is a type of restaurant found primarily in the northern United States, especially in Michigan.[1] Coney Island restaurants serve a distinctive menu centered around Coney Island hot dogs, Greek-American dishes, and traditional diner fare.
Origins
In the early 1900s, the Coney Island hot dog was spread throughout the eastern United States by Greek and Macedonian immigrants. "Many of them passed through New York's Ellis Island and heard about or visited Coney Island, later borrowing this name for their hot dogs, according to one legend," wrote Coney Detroit authors Katherine Yung and Joe Grimm. The founding date and location of the first Coney Island restaurant is contested, with several establishments in Michigan and Indiana claiming to be the first.[2] An early example is Jackson Coney Island, opened in 1914 in Jackson, Michigan, by Macedonian immigrant George Todoroff, though it was not known by that name until 1931.[3] Despite these early founding dates, no Coney Islands appeared in city directories until the 1920s.[2]
There are some 500 Coney Island restaurants in Metro Detroit alone, the two best-known being Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island, located in adjacent buildings in downtown Detroit and considered "ground zero" for Coney dogs.[2] Smithsonian magazine illustrated the conflicting origin stories typical of Coney Islands vying for historical bragging rights:
Menu
The menu of all Coney Island restaurants centers on the Coney Island hot dog—known simply as a "Coney"—which is a grilled natural-casing hot dog in a steamed bun, dressed with beanless chili, diced onions, and yellow mustard.[5][6][7] Another common item is the "loose burger," consisting of crumbled ground beef in a hot dog bun, covered in the same condiments as a Coney dog.[8]
Most Coney Islands also offer Greek and Greek-American dishes, such as gyros, souvlaki, kebabs, avgolemono, saganaki, and Greek salads, as well as traditional American diner fare, such as hamburgers, sandwiches, breakfast items, and desserts.[9]
Restaurant chains
James Coney Island
James Coney Island is a Houston, Texas-based chain of fast food restaurants that specializes in Coney Island hot dogs.[10]
Leo's Coney Island
The Leo's Coney Island chain was founded by Peter and Leo Stassinopoulos, nephews of Bill and Gust Keros, the founders of American and Lafayette Coney Islands. Peter and Leo opened the first Souvlaki Coney Island in 1972 in Southfield, Michigan.[11] In 1988, the name Leo's Coney Island was given to its newest location in Troy, Michigan, and the chain was subsequently rebranded under that name. The brothers began franchising in 2005 and are now the largest Coney Island chain in the world.[12]
Leo's uses buns from the Metropolitan Baking Company and the coney sauce is their own recipe manufactured by the Milton Chili Company located in Madison Heights.
In popular culture
Detroit's American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island have both been featured on episodes of Travel Channel shows Man v. Food and Food Wars.[14][15]
In 2013, food and travel television host Anthony Bourdain visited Duly's Place Coney Island in Detroit for an episode of Parts Unknown. After finishing two Coney dogs, he said, "Every time I visit Detroit, somebody asks me if I've had a good Coney yet. Apparently, I never had a great one. I finally got one. I understand now."[16]
See also
- Coney Island hot dog
- List of Greek restaurants
References
- Jim DuFresne. Michigan Off the Beaten Path, 10th: A Guide to Unique Places Globe Pequot Press, November 10, 2009, retrieved 2017-01-26^
- Erick Trickey. The Origin of the Coney Island Hot Dog Is a Uniquely American Story Smithsonian, 2016-06-30, retrieved 2026-02-04^
- Leanne Smith. Peek Through Time: 100 years of humble hot dogs covered in chili marks Jackson Coney Island history