I mean you have to have the right expectation when going to a place that is shaped like a hotdog. But they did have a fire pit and water feature next to the restaurant that made it feel welcoming for a quick serve type of venue. Got vanilla milkshake and it was just ok....Have passed by this place so many times I can't count but will stop by again but definitely won't become a regular due to the higher prices.
Review Source:The famous Coney Dog, hot dog stand is a one of a kind roadside wonder. Â Its truly a remnant from the past. Â In its early years I remember stopping for a dog at the former location in Aspen Park. Â Now you have to drive a little further to Bailey, but it is still worth checking out.
The food is really just average and it is the novelty of the thing that makes a stop at Coney Island a worthwhile experience. Â Basic dogs and burgers prepared on a flat top grill. Â This is not mass production in a modern kitchen, rather an old school short order approach. Â Take in the nostalgia and don't get in hurry.
For me the culinary highlights are the delicious hot dog chili and hand scooped malts & shakes prepared like you used to get at an old fashioned soda fountain. Â Not sure if this would be worthy of a day trip from Denver on its own, but if you are on US Route 285 passing through Bailey it is definitely worth stopping by.
Short version:
The wait is definitely not worth it (and if there's one person in front of you, there will be at least a 15 minute wait, not exaggerating). The only food freshly prepared is the burgers and some of the brats. People smoke in the small courtyard which happens to be the only place to sit and enjoy your meal.
Long version:
My wife and I went here last 4th of July (7/4/11) with some friends after an adventure in the wildnerness. We waited a really, reaaallly long time. We finally got some food and it was tasty & fresh (burgers and fries). So I thought, well it was 4th of July so the wait & crowds made sense.
Well we went back today. It was a big mistake, and put a damper on what was otherwise a really fun day. Again, we came here after an adventure in the mountains - in this case climbing a 14er. We got there and the line was off the deck. I said "Amy, do you remember 4th of July last year? this line is going to take for-ev-er. But we were so hungry and already there and parked and in  line. So we waited...and waited...and waited. We may have waited longer than we did on the 4th of July. And that was just to place your order. Once you're inside the giant hot dog and you place your order, then you sit on a stool and watch the 1 cook (repeat the one and only cook) prepare the 5 meals in front of you on the other side of the hotdog. He's running around crazy, cussing under his breath, exposing all the disgusting food sources and practices of his kitchen. Granted, most places like this probably have worse practices, but you just don't get a front row seat like you do at coney island. When the 1 cook finally gets to your order, you can't bare to watch. Gordon Ramsay, are you out there?
Once you have your order, and push your way through the angry, exhausted crowd inside the hot dog and out, you make your way into a little courtyard with some tables and umbrellas. And people smoking. People smoking and thinking "I'm sure it doesn't bother the people trying to eat their food in this small courtyard that I'm smoking in their face". Â But, unfortunately, coney island courtyard smokers it does indeed bother the other patrons. I know you find that hard to believe.
And THEN an employee of coney island, who has come out to the courtyard to put more bubble concentrate in the automatic bubble machine that's running non-stop in the courtyard (because what's more important than filling up the bubble machine when ~40 people are in line waiting to get food?) well apparently it's her having a excuse to smoke a cigarette in the face of the patrons who were lucky enough to get food. Unreal.
So as my wife was enjoying her cold-in-the-middle corn dog I watched them pull from warming bin under the counter, and I was chomping on some luke-warm, an hour ago frozen fries (the  kitchen helper got ahead on the fries to try and speed things up...aaaand they don't have a heat lamp) I thought to myself "self, why did you not check yelp before you stopped here?" and I didn't have a good answer.
The owner of this place needs to cut their losses or get Mr. Ramsay to make a trip to Bailey, CO. Then again, the owner of this place can't care that much about having a successful business.
Good Gross. Â BF and I opted to stop by here and get a bite before heading out of town for some camping and a hike. Â We were lucky in that we got there before the line grew, exponentially. Â This did not, however, mean that we had good or fast service. Â The local degenerate teens were working the grill, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about a decade (maybe that adds to the flavor??). The fries were definitely poured out of a freezer bag, which was disappointing. Â I would have thought they would have been more fresh. Â The hot dog, itself, was pretty mediocre. Â Maybe it's the fact that gourmet hotdog restaurants have been increasing in quantity in the front range area, or maybe it's just that this place was really that bad. Â Either way, the people watching was definitely entertaining, and I was stoked to have a bathroom accessible before going up on our hike.
Review Source:This place makes me sad. It has a lot of potential, but it does to live up to it. The food is decent, and there is a large selection; the issue is the service. I have been there several times, and each time I was shocked at how long it took to get our food. With only two people in front of us in line, it took more than 20minutes to order and get our food. I live pretty close, and would likely eat there more often if this place could improve the service.
Review Source:The line was really long because the service was super slow. The kids behind the counter weren't paying attention to what they were doing, yelling rude things to each other, and treating the waiting customers poorly. Also, they were mishandling food, the counters were dirty, and we couldn't eat our food after watching them prepare it in such an unclean manner. Can you say health code violation? I will say my chocolate shake was prepared quickly and tasted pretty good (probably because they made it back where I couldn't watch).
Review Source:The Coney Island hot dog stand is something of a landmark. This was the first time I visited its new location, and it seems sketchier than ever. Took a long time for our food to be prepared and we were the lucky ones, hitting a short line before it grew to wind down the deck.
I ordered an elk jalapeño dog, it was just OK not up to Biker Jim standard of deliciousness. And it was cooked on a pretty filthy grill. I watched the french fries dropped out of a frozen bag into a vat of rancid-tasting fry oil. On the bright side the mocha shake was delicious. I'll probably resist the urge to stop by here again.
Waited for 30 minutes and the short line looked like it would be another 90. Â The few people who came out had a good meal though. Â But more people walked away than we're served. Â The line wasn't long for a hot dog stand, it was all due to poor ktichen management. They weren't even busy. Â Very sad
Review Source:This place rocks! Â We finally visited Coney Island last weekend on the way back from a hike. Â Have to say that the service was phenomenal, and the dogs/Polish that we tried were delicious. Â Also loved the onion rings, the batter was tasty, although not something I'll order every time.
We'll definitely be back on our next excursion up 285!
Along highway 285 near Bailey you may see a large hotdog. If you are hungry for a great dog or burger with some small town charm and smiles...then make a point to stop here.
They have quite a bit of choices from a regular hotdog, corndog, brat, as well as different types of meat. They also can top it how you want it. The folks behind the counter were friendly and the manager is friendly as well. When we stopped in she had made a batch of chips (which was not on the menu) and they were giving them out to folks. I enjoyed my Colorado Native Brat with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions while my colleagues enjoyed their choices topped Rockies style with peppers and kraut. The food was good...not high end by any stretch, but with the friendly staff, the atmosphere, and the lack of other eateries on the way - they get 5 stars in my book!
So my Rating stars are not lighting up for some reason but this place get 5 of them!
Its a good little hotdog joint in the middle of the mountains. On your way back to town after hiking a bit of the Colorado Trail NOTHING taste bad but the Jalapeño Elk sausage was particularly tasty. Its a bit pricy for a dog but man its good. I will try the malts next time I am there and report back!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
