Jeff K.
Yelp
This is a tough one for me as I grew up eating at the original Athens Coney Island and was less than happy about the Nicky D's acquisition. All and all though, in spite of my trepidation, Nicky D's is really a very solid coney / diner and I recommend it.
Any time a restaurant chain acquires an existing icon like Athens, I would imagine it is difficult. I am sure that Nicki D's, which has a number of other locations, has its own menu that it usually brings into a new restaurant. What they did here, which was brilliant, was to bring their menu but retain a number of the original Athens staples. So, if you still want your Athens Coney Island just the way it was, you can still have it. The chili cheese fries are still unbelievable, only now, they are HUGE! Prices are in line with what I recall from the old place.
In terms of food, I highly recommend all of the usual bad for you coney stuff. The Greek Salad is solid. I also think that the club sandwich is among the best in the area. The breakfast options are all solid if unspectacular.
At the end of the day, Athens Coney wasn't really the same after the remodel for me anyway and the folks from Nicky D's have done nothing to detract from that experience. I am still a regular, albeit not nearly as regular as I used to be in the old days. If you are looking for your Athens fix, don't hesitate to make a run here. Nicki D's will scratch the itch!