Lafayette Coney Island
Hot dog restaurant · Downtown
118 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
Highlights
Legendary coney dog diner with a no-frills menu.
Legendary coney dog diner with a no-frills menu.
"A classic Detroit eatery recommended by the artist as a favored local spot to visit." - AFAR
"Lafayette Coney Island is the result of a sibling rivalry. At least, that’s how the story goes. In 1936, Bill Keros opened Lafayette next door to American, which he and his brother Gust had launched more than a decade prior on the corner of Lafayette and Michigan Avenue. The Keroses haven’t been involved in this location for decades. Bill’s son, George Keros, took over operations and was credited with developing the spot’s proprietary chili recipe. These days, it’s run by several Yemeni immigrants, who took over after George Keros stepped aside in 1991. Lafayette has kept its vibe simple over the years. It still boasts a long lunch counter and an intact old-school aesthetic, and workers are known for stacking platters full of coneys on their arms as they bring them out to guests." - Brenna Houck
"Favored by many locals for ambience, this old-school coney counters a neighboring downtown icon with a slightly different sauce recipe and a classic, retro interior that encourages lively coney debates." - Serena Maria Daniels
"After passing a health inspection on Monday, March 3, the downtown hot‑dog institution reopened following a closure of more than a month; at a March 4 news conference the city’s chief public health officer Denise Fair Razo told reporters that the restaurant was cleared to reopen and said, “Everything is brand new,” and, “It’s night and day from the new lighting, from the modernized equipment they have in place.” The diner had shuttered voluntarily on Saturday, January 25, after a customer reported seeing rats; mitigation steps taken include deep cleaning and sanitizing, modernizing equipment, improving food storage practices, training all staff on cleaning protocols, and sealing any potential entries for pests. Sam Seferi, a partner at the restaurant, added that the team has been working closely with the health department and that crews have installed a new floor, painted the lower level, and added a new compressor. This was the second closure in less than three years: in September 2022 the health department closed the eatery after being notified of a video on social media showing rodents. The business dates back to 1924 when William “Bill” Keros opened it next door to a rival founded by his brother Gust Keros in 1917, and the most recent closure highlighted a decades‑long rivalry that typically involves fan debates over who makes the best chili‑laden hot dog. Grace Keros, owner of the neighboring rival, held a news conference to dispel confusion, saying, “I’m pissed and I’m annoyed [by the] ignorance of people who want to assume that we’re one and the same. We are not one and the same, we’re totally different, and that’s all. So finally, once and for all, I had to clear this up. It’s ridiculous,” and, “It’s like Channel 4, Channel 7, Channel 2, CBS… They all group you all in as fake news media. Well, maybe one isn’t [and] one is, I don’t know, but you don’t like to be associated like that, do you?” The restaurant pushed back publicly as well, calling for city support and posting on Facebook: “...The true Detroit Spirit is to help and raise each other up!.. It’s easy for American Coney Island to blame us. But who can really say the rats [aren’t] coming from them to our side?”" - Serena Maria Daniels
"A century-old downtown destination for coneys, chili fries, and late-night dining closed temporarily on Friday, January 24 for the second time in less than three years on account of a rat infestation. Denise Fair Razo, Detroit’s chief public health officer, told the Free Press that her team visited the restaurant after a visitor used the city’s complaint hotline to report seeing rats; upon inspection, Fair Razo told the daily that officials saw "evidence of rat droppings scattered throughout the basement." A city spokesperson told Eater that the eatery closed voluntarily to address the situation, and in the weeks since then the restaurant has remained closed." - Serena Maria Daniels
