Does your town have a famous restaurant? We love non-chain restaurants, especially if they are dive-type places. While visiting Fort Wayne, Indiana, we were given gift certificates to visit Coney Island. We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The front of the store didn't look like there was much going on except for a lot of hot dogs being cooked inside the front window. Upon entering, the place, which is not very large, it was packed. We almost took stools at the bar until we spotted one open table in the very back of the restaurant. Having never been before, we asked for a menu. Well, they don't have one, it is actually posted on the wall.

The menu isn't large and there isn't much variety but given how busy this place was, the food had to be good. A traditional Coney Island hot dog comes with chili, onions, and mustard. My husband ordered one minus the onions. The rest of us ordered our's plain. We also tried a bowl of the chili soup. It had a distinct flavor I couldn't quite place but I have definitely had that spice before. We tried it with cheese which I guess they don't usually get a request for.

Our server was very friendly, professional, and quick. We noticed he was wearing chili dog designed socks! (so playful)

As we sat and ate, the tables near us had a large family. From what they shared with us, it was a family tradition for them. Some of them were visiting from Florida. When finished, they took a family photo. Actually, many of the customers took photos while they were there to document their visit. The activity was always in flux. We entered through the front door but noticed people also entered and left through a back door that was accessed through the kitchen.

As we walking back to our car in a nearby parking lot, I noticed a sign on the ground for a selfie spot with shoe prints. Apparently, you stand on that spot and take a selfie and Coney Island will be framed in the background.

You can learn a whole bunch more about Coney Island and their history on their website.

I wanted to give a special thank you to Coney Island and Visit Fort Wayne Indiana. We were a part of a special Family Media Tour hosted by Visit Fort Wayne.

@FortWayneIN
@FortWayneConeyIsland