YPSILANTI TWP., MI — Growing up in Metro Detroit in a half-Mexican household meant I enjoyed the coney islands exclusive to Michigan as well as tamales, tacos, enchiladas, rice, beans and more. Truly, it’s the best of both worlds.
That’s why Antonio’s Coney Island at 2896 Washtenaw Ave. has become my favorite restaurant in the Ypsilanti area since moving to the city in 2023. It serves some dishes you’d typically find at a coney island, but also authentic Honduran, Central American and some Mexican cuisine. It’s a nostalgic mix I didn’t know I was missing.
It was close to 6 p.m., the sun had mostly set and it was the perfect time to have breakfast for dinner.
Chilaquiles aren’t on Antonio’s Coney Island’s regular menu, but it’s often a special. It wasn’t listed on the restaurant’s chalkboard specials Wednesday evening, though, and I ordered it anyway. They didn’t seem to mind, but I’m there kind of a lot.
Chilaquiles are a common meal in Latino households. It’s an affordable dish made with just a few ingredients – eggs, salsa and tortillas.
Everyone makes this dish a little differently. Antonio’s rendition is traditional but the best I’ve had. The chilaquiles at the restaurant are a large platter of crisp tortilla triangles softened by red salsa – or green if you choose – topped with eggs, fresh pico de gallo, avocado and cotija crumbled on top. I prefer my eggs over easy.
The black beans were seasoned to perfection and topped with crema. The rice tasted strongly of fresh cilantro. I paired my meal with horchata, a drink made with rice, milk and cinnamon.
My mom – who says this is now her favorite restaurant too – had chile relleno. It’s roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in a fluffy egg batter and fried. Her dad, she said, often made chile relleno growing up. She recalls thinking it was too bitter and her parents making her stay at the table until she finished her plate, which she’d take hours to do.
At Antonio’s however, my mom cleaned her plate. It also came with rice and pinto beans, which she says tasted how her mother, my grandmother, used to prepare them. She drank jamaica – a sweet, tart iced hibiscus tea.
As nostalgic as all the Honduran and Central American flavors are for me and my mom, there is plenty at the restaurant that’s a little less familiar to us, like pupusas and yuca frita. With so much more to try, we keep coming back to Antonio’s Coney Island.
DISH OF THE WEEK
Chilaquiles at Antonio’s Coney Island
Address: 2896 Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti Township
Hours: The restaurant is open Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. A menu and more information is available on the restaurant’s website.
Price: $17
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