Senate Coney Island & Restaurant

I came for breakfast while my car was being worked on down the street.
It was as busy as expected for a Saturday morning, but I was greeted quickly and found a table to sit near the entrance.
They have your basic coney island fare… The breakfast menu is substantial. They had a lot of egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, various omelets, etc.
They have great specials! I ended up getting two eggs (over medium), bacon, toast and hash browns for $ 3.50. The bacon was cooked perfectly. Not too crisp, not too under done.
They have a lot of lunch and dinner options as well as breakfast.
Service was pleasant and quick. I would come back, again!

Been going here for 30 years. Hard to believe since I am not that old. This is my #1 go to place when I want chili cheese fries. This visit (Saturday) we got there later than usual. Our waitress was awesome (sorry I don’t remember her name) with a smile and friendly personality. We ordered what we always do: coneys and coney cheese fries. Wonderful as ever. What I did notice is that the staff behind the counter and in the kitchen are now young men where as 5 years ago they were all middle-​age +. They must have trained these young men well because the food is still as awesome as I remember it to be. Don’t change Senate and I’ll be yours forever.

Talk about nom nom nom! The place was pretty great for an unexpected date night in these neck of the woods. We stopped here versus other coney islands because of they’re excellent rating and I must say that we weren’t disappointed.
We started off with jalapeño poppers and they were by far some of the best I’ve ever had! A serving of 6 and saying that they were large doesn’t do them justice. They had a nice big chunk of jalapeño, a creamy, oozy cheddar cheese, and had a perfectly breaded, crunchy outside.
Next came the side of coleslaw which my other half and I shared. It was just the way I like it — nice and saucy! Crunchy cabbage with a nice tang to it and a generous helping it was.
Following our appetizers was the main event — a gyro plate and delicious original gyro sandwich. Both were toppling over with mounds of meat atop a warm pita that was ever-​so-​slightly toasted on the outside. We both packed our food in as much as we could but were struggling by the last few bites as it was so much food. We were in no way disappointed with our choices.
We were so stuffed that we couldn’t manage to also fit in the rice pudding that came with the gyro plate but took it home with us and by that time, we were ready to dig in. It was creamy and custard-​y with a nice hint of cinnamon.

I used to go here once in a while when I lived in the area and I hadn’t been back in a while. I went the other day and just found it to be kind of mediocre. I wanted a combo of eggs, potatoes, and toast without meat, and the waitress didn’t really seem to get what I was talking about and told me that I could only order it with meat. Well, I don’t like bacon or sausage links, only patties, and they don’t have patties. Luckily, I guess someone showed her how to do it because she didn’t charge me for meat.
Personally, I prefer Leo’s Coney Island to Senate, but this is okay, I guess. The food is decent and REALLY inexpensive, which is a plus. But I’ve always had a bad taste in my mouth from hearing stories from girls how used to be waitresses there about how poorly the management treated them. I guess the takeaway here is that Senate isn’t the worst in the world, but I also wouldn’t choose it over somewhere else.

I went here today with my best girls. It’s a great standard type of place for meeting in the middle.
I’ve been coming here for years. It’s a good coney not going to start the whole coney war here. but Senate stands alone all you Detroiters know what I’m saying.
Okay good Coney dogs (see pics). And chili fries and great gyros, spinach pie and greek salads (dressing awesome) Anywho today was good no place is perfect but good. One thing I will say if Senate screws up they’ll make it right.
One visit quite awhile back there was an issue with my meal. My meal was comped and a five dollar gift card given… way more then then the average compensation.
I, got nothing but love for you Senate Coney Island,
Your Allright;)

I’m reading Racquel D.‘s review and was rather offended. Those not from Michigan simply don’t know. We’ve all seen west coast shows of people who try food that’s not from their part of the world. It’s ok.
Quick recap: a coney is an all beef vienna style hot dog made with natural casings served in a bun with chili, mustard, and onions topped in that order. It started in Jackson Michigan during World War I. The chili is generally made from beef hearts with some tomato, peppers, spices, onion, chili powder and water and cooked for hours.
My version is a fond one. Senate used to be on Michigan Avenue just west of Livernois on the north side of the street. My parents used to dine there when they were dating in the 1950’s. Decades later, Senate opened the Livonia, then Dearborn locations and then SOLD the Detroit location to a man who ran it under the same name for a few years with the same original menu, without even eradicating the others owned from the list. He ran it for a few years and then it burned to the ground. This was probably 1997−1998ish.
Fast forward to 2015. Senate has been in the family for over 60 years. They started in Detroit. They have made their way to several suburban locations. They do an absolutely whopping business and they do a huge volume. There is no time to be a waitress and miss a beat because the management isn’t having it.
Senate is for the most part very clean and the food is for the most part very consistent. When you do the kind of volume they do, you sometimes miss a few spots. That’s ok. Let’s talk food.
The Coney’s are the main attraction. If you are not from Michigan, you simply don’t get it. See my review on Lafayette Coney Island. That tells the story. For you Detroit natives, Senate is the west side’s answer to National Coney Island on the other side of town. Don’t give me Kerby’s, Abe’s or Leo’s. They’re all pretty good. They don’t have Senate’s charm. Don’t take it personally. It’s a west side thing.
The Senate Coney’s are some of the best in town. They are leaders in making Greek salads and like always they’re served with a pita.
Do you like pie? Senate has great pies! Ask for lemon merengue. You’ll love it.
Do you like to go out for breakfast? They serve that too! Great selection of breakfasts and lots of menu items to choose from.
By the way, they have great coffee!