Somewhere along the assembly line of Detroit’s development, the city took over the geographic location of “Coney Island” and turned it into a type of restaurant found all over the state of Michigan.
Particularly (and most notably) Lafayette Coney Island, located at 118 on its namesake street in downtown Detroit.
Nestled up to its longtime rival American Coney Island, these two contenders have put Detroit at the forefront of the Coney debate: who does it best?
According to “Food Feuds” on the Food Network, host Michael Symon – owner of Detroit’s Roast – determined that American Coney Island was the better of the two.
But for many around Detroit, that decision is a source of many contentious debates. Locals are fiercely loyal to their favorites, not giving a hoot who says which is better.
Lafayette is a cozy little diner on a hopping corner in downtown Detroit, serving the city’s signature chili dog with onions and yellow mustard. Other selections include the must-have side of fries – plain, chili, or chili cheese – alongside the Flint-style Coney requiring loose hamburger atop the dog.
The prices are fantastic – nothing is more than $4 – but beware: this is a cash-only business.
If you can’t make up your mind on which Coney Island to sample, go to both; it’s easy to eat one Coney with everything from Lafayette and then walk next door to do the same from American. Then, and only then, can you determine on which side of the Coney line you stand.
Lafayette Coney Island is located at 118 Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 3 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4 a.m. Lafayette can be reached at (313) 964-8198.
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