American Coney Island
 Detroit, Michigan        Date of Visit  05/25/11            http://www.americanconeyisland.com/home.htm

We pulled into Detroit to watch a little baseball and a lot of rain. Knowing that rain was likely certain to come I was hoping to find some unique Detroit eats that might offset any disappointment that comes with postponed entertainment. Before heading to the park we decided to see for ourselves if there really is a somewhat friendly rivalry between the two Coney Island dog shops which sit right next door to each other.
 

Close Competition
 

American Coney is much bigger and shinier than it’s brother next door and it is open 24 hours. We plop down at a table and our server was quickly table side. We went basic knowing we had another round awaiting right next door. Coneys, fries and an order of baklava. Turns out the two places are different and the division between Detroiters is not manufactured.

To all in our party the pros on the food shows got it wrong. In our opinion the flashier place actually wasn’t anywhere near as good. To me, everything tasted like what I would expect from a place that orders their Coney sauce in #10 cans. Sorry, but it was plain and rudimentary. The dog itself had an excellent snap but again the flavor was nothing extraordinary. The fries were fine…pretty basic that got some help from a dose of the sauce and cheese but since they had their own shortcomings I was underwhelmed. The standout was the dessert. Tiny serving size but way long on flavor the baklava was not overly sweet but the pastry and the nuts melded into a wonderful crunch that had a satisfyingly light sweetness. One of the best I have had. Unfortunately the Coneys were not. If you’re curious about the other joint, click here for Lafayettes.