MP Coney Island, New Castle, PA

I’m going to go ahead and preface this review with the following statement: I grew up in New Castle, PA, and every time I go home I absolutely have to make a stop at Coney Island, or more affectionately, Coney’s.  Coney’s is not a sit down restaurant, nor is it really fast food: it’s a dive without being a dive, offering hometown favorites like the chili dog… But this isn’t just any chili, which is what makes Coney’s unique: the people of New Castle put Coney’s chili on nearly everything, evidenced by te fact that you can purchase a cup, a pint, or even a quart, to go.  In my family, Coney’s “sauce” shows up at every family picnic, and is put on everything from burgers and fries to hotdogs and potato chips (don’t ask, it’s really good).

First things first: Coney’s is a large room with a central aisle, which delivers you to the counter which spans the width of the restaurant.  From this counter you order, pick up, and can watch your food being prepared in Coney’s open “kitchen.”  Quite literally, they are creating your order not two feet behind the person taking your order.  Adding to the nostalgia of the experience, the order takers call the order back to the cooks, who line hot dogs up their arms and dress them faster than a human being should move.

The booths are wooden, so be prepared for a slightly uncomfortable seating experience; the walls are papered in diagonal red and white lines, which can be distracting; but the food is phenomenal.

Obviously the number one item to order is the hot dog “with everything.”  This could mean something different in every place you might be, but in New Castle a hot dog “with everything” means chili, mustard, and diced onions.  While that terminology might be simple, the hot dog lingo gets more difficult from there: a hot dog ordered as “ketchup everything” means chili, ketchup, and diced onions, while a hot dog ordered “ketchup with everything” means chili, mustard, ketchup, and diced onions.  But don’t worry, Pittsburgh is more lenient with their hot dogs than Philadelphia is with their cheesesteaks.

But just because the hot dogs are what made Coney’s famous, don’t pass up a chance for one of their amazing burgers.  From a regular hamburger to a double chili cheese monster (Dave’s preference), no matter what combination of toppings you choose, it’s going to be fantastic.  The burgers are cooked to order, so a word of warning: you do have to wait for a burger, usually around five minutes from placing your order to receiving your food.  If you order both a hot dog and a burger together, the order takers will ask if you want the hot dog first, or if you’d like the hot dog and the burger together.  My word of advice?  Two hot dogs and a burger, because by the time you’ve finished the hot dogs, your burger is ready to go.

Now, for the important topic of french fries: they are cooked to order, are a deep gold, lightly salted, and always the most crispy fries I have ever eaten.  Ask for ketchup packets, because there isn’t any on the table.  This is because, while we are a Heinz 57 town, Coney’s fries are best eaten when soaked in vinegar and doused with salt.  The vinegar is located on a small shelf across from the counter, where the napkins and straws are also located.

If you get a chance to visit Coney’s, please make sure that you give it a try; there are two locations in New Castle, one in Neshannock township across from Weingartner Florist, and the other downtown in the town square.  Both are fantastic, but I generally prefer the location in Neshannock because it is larger, brighter, and was the location I frequented as a child.

A word of warning?  The left hand side of Coney’s dining room is non-smoking, the right hand side is smoking.  Sit as far away from the center of the room if you are offended by the smell of smoke.

Would I suggest you check out Coney’s?  Absolutely, no question of it.

Locations:

• 9 East Washington St., New Castle PA  (724)654-6761
• 2712 Wilmington Rd., New Castle PA  (724) 654-4522