The Food Quest: Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island

To read about our invention of the food quest go here!

Saw them: On the Travel Channel's 101 Chowdown Countdown and on Food Network's Food Wars

Known for: Coney Dogs (original style with just onions and mustard)

Went: 9/5/10

We had: Lafayette: one coney each and fries

             American: one coney each

Location: Detroit, Michigan

This was a different kind of food adventure, but a super fun one! See, these two places are right next door to each other and they are owned by cousins.The restaurant was originally run by brothers and they got into an argument and split into two restaurants! Ever since then, it has been a Detroit showdown between the two restaurants; everyone loyal to one or the other. On the show Food Wars they competed against one another and American came out on top. Zach and I visited Detroit to put these coneys to the test for ourselves, and it was such a fun experience! First we learned the proper way to order a coney in Detroit (2 up with everything). We ate coneys at one, then went right next door and ate coneys at the other. Our unanimous consensus...LAFAYETTE! Not only did we prefer their coneys, but enjoyed the whole experience of Lafayette more. American is much more commercialized and almost diner looking, but Lafayette has almost a New York City feel to it in that it is long, narrow, cram-packed with tables, totally stainless steel, and everyone is yelling out orders and throwing around food...our kind of place :) 

Zach with his coney at American

Me with my coney at Lafayette

The dueling coney places

This guy was on Food Wars, he can make a coney in under 8 seconds!!

JORDAN