While on a drive coming back from the Gulf Coast of Florida, I came across a local restaurant along the side of the road called Coney Island Drive-Inn.
The parking lot was packed with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I figured it had to be good considering how many people were visiting.
It had a cute roadside attraction feel inside. There were old signs on the wall, licenses plates from all over the country. It was fun to see where they were from.
There were a lot of items on the menu. But since the place was called Coney Island I felt that I needed to get a hot dog. They had a variety topping that you could get on their foot long dogs. I got a plain cheese dog and a chili dog. I actually shared the hot dogs because I knew there was no way that I could eat them by myself.
The cheese dog reminded me of how my mom would make them when I was a kid. A soft, squishy bun with a grilled hot dog nestled inside was covered with slices of melted American cheese. The cheese was creamy and coated the entire hot dog.
The chili dog was the same grilled hot dog on the soft bun. It was loaded with a meaty chili that was full of beans. And a chili dog would not be complete with out fresh chopped onion on top.
A hot dog would not be complete without french fries. They had these great shoe-string fries. I could not order just plain fries. I had to try the chili cheese fries. That same yummy chili from the hot dog was put on top of the fries. Then liquid cheese was drizzled on top. It was messy to eat with a fork but they are worth the mess. It was a salty, meaty treat.
They also offered Poutine on the menu. I was so excited to see this. It is a Canadian dish that is hard to find in the states. I knew I needed to order this too.
The french fries were covered in a brown gravy and chunks of cheese curd was tossed throughout. The gravy added the saltiness to the fries and as the cheese curd melted it added creaminess.
Coney Island was a fun place to check out. Naturally everything I ate was salty so I made sure to wash it down with a fountain soda. If you are driving near the Gulf Coast, you should go out of your way to check out Coney Island Drive-Inn. They are totally worth the stop.
Enjoy!
T
