History

The coney was born alongside Cincinnati chili at the 1922 Empress chili parlor as a quick, cheap counter dish. By the 1950s it had spread across the Cincinnati area's chili parlors, becoming as essential to the city's food identity as the 3-way. Skyline Chili's coneys are the most familiar regional version; Camp Washington Chili runs the late-night equivalent.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Makes 6 coneysHands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 all-beef hot dogs
  • 6 hot dog buns, lightly steamed
  • 2 cups Cincinnati chili (see Cincinnati chili recipe)
  • 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • Yellow mustard

Method

  1. Heat the hot dogs gently in simmering water for 5 to 7 minutes. Steam the buns for a minute in the lid of the same pot.
  2. Place each hot dog in a bun and squeeze a line of yellow mustard along its length.
  3. Spoon 1/3 cup of warm chili over each dog.
  4. Top with a tablespoon of diced raw onion.
  5. Pile shredded mild cheddar over the top in a thick blanket. Serve immediately, with a fork.

Tip from the editors. Use mild yellow cheddar, not sharp. Cincinnati cheese coneys are about texture and balance, not assertive cheese flavor.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat cheese coney

Cheese coney in Cincinnati

Skyline Chili Clifton ★ 4.4

cliftonMon-Thu 10:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-02:00; Sun 11:00-24:00

Skyline Chili on Ludlow Avenue in Cincinnati's Clifton is the Clifton Skyline location open since 1966, with the regional 3-way chili and the cheese coney.

Try: Cincinnati 3-way and coney

290 Ludlow Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45220

Camp Washington Chili ★ 4.5

camp-washingtonOpen continuously Mon 08:00 through Sat 16:00; closed SunUntil Open 24 hours Mon-Sat, closed Sun

Camp Washington on Colerain Avenue in Cincinnati's Camp Washington runs 24 hours Monday through Saturday, the city's late-night chili counter since 1940.

Try: Cincinnati 5-way, cheese coney, double-decker sandwich

3005 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45225

Gold Star Chili ★ 4.1

mt-washingtonMon-Sat 10:00-19:00; Sun 11:00-19:00

Gold Star Chili on Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati's Mt. Washington is the regional chili-parlor chain since 1965, with the 4-way chili and the cheese coney.

Try: Cincinnati 4-way and coney

2231 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45230

More cities are in research. Want cheese coney covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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