Michigan coney dog origin stories

The origin of Detroit’s Coney Island hot dogs goes back more than 100 years, thanks to some Greek immigrants who ventured first to Coney Island New York, sampled hot dogs there, came to Detroit and started selling them.

But Coney Island hot dogs in some other parts of the state have a very different origin. 

Michigan Coney dog historian Dave Liske calls coney dogs a state of mind.

“I eat coneys all over the country. Have the coney that you like, but also enjoy the other ones just like you would with pizza and hamburgers,” said Liske, author of “The Flint Coney, A Savory History.” 

Related: 

• Pizza by the square: Digging into the origins of Detroit-style pizza
• The creation and history of Detroit’s Velvet Peanut Butter brand

One Detroit’s Bill Kubota traveled to Flint, Lansing and Jackson to learn more about Michigan’s Coney Island hot dogs.

He sampled Flint-style coney dogs at Gillie’s Coney Island in Mount Morris and Starlite Coney Island in Burton, two locations adjacent to Flint. If you’re looking for a place to do a side-by-side taste test, Sparty’s Coney Island in Lansing offers both Detroit and Flint style coney dogs.

“Being the half-way point, we have people coming from Flint, coming from Detroit,” said Dominic Migaldi, who runs Sparty’s.