The Coney dog is a Detroit hot dog topped with chili-style meat sauce, yellow mustard and chopped raw onion, served on a steamed bun. Greek immigrant invention.
Around 1917, Greek immigrant Gust Keros opened American Coney Island at 114 W Lafayette. His brother William opened Lafayette Coney Island next door in 1924. Both claim the same Coney dog recipe with different chili-style meat-sauce variations. The rivalry has run for over a century and the two storefronts still stand side by side. Detroit Coneys differ from New York hot dogs and Cincinnati chili: the dog is a natural-casing beef and pork from Dearborn-based Koegel or Kowalski, the bun is steamed, the meat sauce is finer than Cincinnati and beanless.
2 editor picks for Coney dog in Detroit, ranked by editorial score. All Detroit signature dishes · Coney dog across every city.
Lafayette Coney Island ★ 4.5
downtown · 118 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
Lafayette Coney Island on West Lafayette Boulevard has served Coney dogs in downtown Detroit since 1924, opened by William Keros. Next door to rival American Coney.
American Coney Island ★ 4.5
downtown · 114 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
American Coney Island on West Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit since 1917, opened by Gust Keros, the older brother. Next door to rival Lafayette Coney.