海角大神

I don鈥檛 like hot dogs. Something about the texture of this classic, all-American fare just doesn鈥檛 do it for me. Of course, they are a mainstay of holiday celebrations, from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July. People often comment in bewilderment when I reveal my distaste for them. Nevertheless, I鈥檝e stood firm, almost always opting for a burger on any occasion involving a grill.

That sentiment, I learned during a recent reporting trip to Detroit, is not a popular one in the Motor City. Detroiters take great pride in their city鈥檚 claim to inventing the Coney dog, a style of hot dog popular in the Midwest and especially Michigan. Coney dogs distinguish themselves with their toppings, which include a soupy, all-meat chili; diced white onions; and a squiggle of yellow mustard. The sausage of a traditional Coney dog also comes in its natural casing, giving it a satisfying 鈥渟nap鈥� when you bite into it.

But perhaps more significant than the Coney dog itself is the rivalry it has created in its supposed hometown. (The authenticity of Detroit鈥檚 invention claim is disputed.) Two local joints, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island, say they make the best Coney dog around. The restaurants sit next to one another in the heart of downtown and have been embroiled in a (mostly) friendly rivalry for more than 100 years.

After hearing tales during our reporting, my colleagues and I started asking our sources which of the two restaurants they preferred. Everyone had an opinion聽鈥� and sometimes a strong one. People will even specify 鈥淟afayette鈥� or 鈥淎merican鈥� on dating profiles. I decided to put my dislike for hot dogs aside and give each restaurant an honest try. Anything for journalism.

Cameron Pugh /海角大神

Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island stand side by side in downtown Detroit on Oct. 9, 2025.

One might assume the Coney dog comes from New York鈥檚 Coney Island, home to the amusement park in Brooklyn widely considered the birthplace of the hot dog. Not so. Though it鈥檚 difficult to definitively pin down the Coney dog鈥檚 place of origin, Detroit makes a strong case by sheer number of restaurants. Joe Grimm, co-author of 鈥淐oney Detroit,鈥� once told NPR that Greater Detroit boasts Coney dog restaurants.

One popular origin story goes like this: As Greek immigrants flocked to Detroit鈥檚 burgeoning Greektown in the early 20th century, they often passed through New York, then the largest port of entry for those seeking a new life in the United States. There, they encountered Coney Island, where hot dogs had already become all the rage, and borrowed the name for their own sausage-hawking ventures.

That tale fits well with the story of Lafayette and American, the latter of which also sells Greek food. Constantine 鈥淕ust鈥� Keros, a Greek immigrant, founded American Coney Island in 1917, according to the . A few years later, he invited his brother William to the states to help, and William eventually opened his own restaurant, Lafayette, in 1924. The two establishments have been next-door neighbors .

I started with Lafayette. Inside the restaurant, a narrow hallway runs alongside a small bar, where servers clad in white shirts and aprons dish up their famed fare, before opening into a larger seating area. Various framings of newspaper articles and portraits of people associated with the restaurant hang on its turquoise accent walls. It has the kind of vibe of the endearing diner you might encounter on the side of a highway during a long road trip.

A gruff server with an accent I couldn鈥檛 place asked me what I wanted to order. I took a moment to look over the menu before deciding on a classic Coney without the chili. I realize, now, that omission was a mistake 鈥� I hadn鈥檛 yet done the scrupulous research that would later tell me the chili is the best part. Nevertheless, the server merely cocked an eyebrow at my request and prepared my order.

I have to admit that Lafayette鈥檚 Coney was one of the better hot dogs I鈥檝e tried. Part of my hang-up with hot dogs is that they strike my tastebuds as artificial. Not so at Lafayette: Their Coney tasted like 100% beef.

Cameron Pugh /海角大神

The interior of American Coney Island is decked out in red and white on Oct. 9, 2025. The restaurant opened in 1917 and has been embroiled with its next door neighbor, Lafayette Coney Island, in a 100-year rivalry over who makes the best Coney dogs in Detroit.

A few patrons agreed. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no competition, really,鈥� says Richard Trudo, pausing between bites of his classic Coney and fries, when I ask why he prefers Lafayette over American. 鈥淚t tastes like it鈥檚 real,鈥� adds Angela Trudo, his dining companion.

For fairness sake, I ordered the same thing at American. I鈥檓 sorry to say that their take on the Coney didn鈥檛 impress me as much. It tasted like a regular old hot dog 鈥� not bad, but nothing all that special.

But what American might lack in flavor, it makes up for in style. Decked out in red and white paneling, with chairs to match, American鈥檚 seating area is far larger than Lafayette鈥檚, and sunlight poured into the space from tall windows. The black-and-white checkered floor, American flags hanging on the wall, and servers wearing retro diner hats makes the restaurant feel like a true mid-20th-century eating experience. I appreciated their flair, even if my hot dog had a few too many scoops of onion.

That dedication to form does appear to draw in customers. 鈥淭his one looks cool,鈥� says Demetrius Harmon, who鈥檚 waiting for his food alongside a friend, when I ask what made him stop by American instead of Lafayette on this day.

He also brings up a sore point for Lafayette that鈥檚 made him wary of the restaurant: It 聽in January, for the second time in three years, after a rat sighting.

A waiter, overhearing our conversation as he serves Mr. Harmon and his companion, interjects. 鈥淵es, you鈥檙e right,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey do have rats on the other side over there.鈥�

Really, what ties Detroiters to their Coney dogs, in a city with a rich, vibrant, and diverse food scene, is familiarity. For Richard and Angela Trudo, their allegiance to Lafayette is a matter of tradition.

鈥淚鈥檝e been coming here since I was 5,鈥� Mr. Trudo says. 鈥淐ame with my dad all the time.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e been coming here forever,鈥� Ms. Trudo agrees.