Lafayette Coney Island, Hot dog restaurant in Downtown Detroit, United States
Lafayette Coney Island is a counter-service diner in downtown Detroit, Michigan, specializing in Coney-style hot dogs topped with mustard, diced onions, and chili sauce. The restaurant sits on Lafayette Street and is one of the most recognized spots of its kind in the city.
The restaurant opened in 1914, making it one of the oldest Coney Island diners in Detroit. It stayed in the same family for decades and kept the same preparation style throughout.
The cooks work directly behind the counter, and orders are called out loud while plates arrive within seconds. This direct, no-frills way of eating is something many Detroiters have grown up with and still return to regularly.
The restaurant prefers cash, so it is worth having some on hand before you arrive. It stays open late, which makes it a practical stop after concerts or events in the area.
Lafayette Coney Island and its direct rival American Coney Island share a wall and stand right next to each other on the same block. This side-by-side rivalry has kept Detroiters debating which place makes the better Coney dog for generations.
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