The Coney Hot Dog Wasn't Actually Invented At Coney Island

Hot dogs and Coney Island became forever linked when German immigrant Charles Feltman began selling hot dogs in buns there beginning in 1867. The famous seaside Brooklyn neighborhood continues to strengthen its ties with franks through Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, where competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut come to down dogs each July 4 at Nathan's Famous. With that said, you might be surprised to learn that Coney hot dogs weren't invented there, but rather in Michigan. For the uninitiated, a Coney dog is a natural-casing beef hot dog served in a steamed bun with chili sauce, diced onions, and yellow mustard. This is not to be confused with a chili dog, since the Coney's meat sauce doesn't contain any beans.

While there are several contenders for who originated this hot dog style, two restaurants in Detroit — American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island — and a third, Todoroff's Original Coney Island, in nearby Jackson, all claim to be the inventor. While we may never know which one is the true originator, how a Midwestern hot dog came to have an East Coast name is most likely due to the culinary stylings of Greek immigrants.

By the 1920s, Detroit was already full of Coney hot dog lunch counters serving the city's hungry workers looking for a quick and cheap meal. The bulk of these establishments were owned and operated by Greek immigrants who had been processed through New York's Ellis Island in the early 1900s before settling in Michigan. Coney Island and hot dogs were already intertwined, and the Greek immigrants, upon hearing about the Brooklyn destination, simply borrowed the name for their new hot dog style.

Besides the type of hot dog, meat sauce, and other toppings, Coney dogs are always grilled. And while Nathan's Famous — which opened in 1916 —  grills its dogs, too, New York City is probably best known for its dirty water hot dogs that are boiled in water enriched with various additions like vinegar and spices. If you're making a Coney dog at home, you can enliven your canned chili with everything from fresh herbs, like cilantro, to chopped jalapeños. If you're sticking to the classic version, many of the old-school Detroit establishments use sauce from the National Chili Company. Just be sure not to erroneously attribute the Coney dog to the Big Apple rather than Motor City.