WHAT IS A CONEY DOG?
The history of the Detroit Coney dog — and the family restaurant bringing it to Palm Harbor, Florida.
Many people think that the Coney dog, also called the Coney Island hot dog, got its start on Coney Island, NY where the hot dog was created. In actuality, this popular food got its start in Michigan, although the exact location is still disputed. Three locations in Michigan all claim to be the birthplace of Coney dogs: American Coney Island in Detroit, Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit and Todoroff’s Original Coney Island in Jackson.
In 1917, Gust Keros opened American Coney Island. A few years later Keros’s brother opened Lafayette Coney Island next door. Both of these Detroit Coney Islands are incredibly popular to this day, where there is an on-going argument over which establishment serves the best Coney dog. The dispute has been featured on several food television shows, including Food Wars and Man v. Food.
A Coney dog is a beef hotdog, topped with an all meat, beanless chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard. A true Coney dog uses made-in-Michigan products.
Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society
From a Detroit street cart
Gust Keros immigrated to the U.S. in 1903 from Greece. Unable to find work, he started selling hot dogs with chili on them out of a cart on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Lafayette. He opened American Coney Island in 1917 and shortly after brought his brother to the U.S. who eventually opened Lafayette Coney Island right next door. Both Coney Islands are still operating today in Detroit.
Detroit Coney Island, Palm Harbor
Detroit Coney Island is a family owned and operated restaurant. We want nothing but the best for our customers from our service to our products. At Detroit Coney Island you will find not only is our chili straight from Detroit, we carry Better Made Potato Chips, Sanders Hot Fudge, Faygo, Vernor's, Koegle and Dearborn Sausage Company brand products.
OUR MOTTO:“If you came in, had a good time, great food and left feeling like family, we did our job”