Leo's Coney Island in the Heights Shopping Center in Dearborn Heights, Michigan

If you live in the great state of Michigan you have probably been to a Coney Island restaurant at least once in your life. While a few Coney Island's may only offer a limited menu which may include coney dogs, which are hot dogs served with chili sauce and onions, and loose meat burgers similar to sloppy joes and french fries, others have a vast menu. Detroit has two famous Coney Island Restaurants, Lafayette and American Coney Islands, that stand side by side one another on the corner of Lafayette and Michigan Avenues in Downtown Detroit. Lafayette and American offer menus of the more limited variety. There are also a couple chains of Coney Island restaurants in Michigan including National Coney Island, Kerbys, and Leo's Coney Island, whose menus offer a vast number of choices to satisfy any cravings you may have.

Having visited all of the Coney Islands mentioned at least a few times in my life, it is Leo's Coney Island that stands out the most in my mind, especially the one at the Heights Shopping Center in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Leo's offers its diners a large menu including the traditional coney dogs, as well as a vast number of breakfast items and authentic Greek choices as well.

The Leo's at the Heights Shopping Center stands out not only for the quality and taste of their food choices but also for their prompt and attentive service. Living only a few miles from the shopping center Leo's is a great choice when wanting to grab a quick bite to eat while out shopping, or making a special trip to the restaurant to satisfy a craving for their Chicken Gyros Dinner.

There is another Leo's located not too far from my home, but their food just isn't the same and I haven't had the same quick attentive service at the other location as I have had at the Leo's in the Heights. The exceptional service at this location almost certainly has to be related to the fact that the owner/manager is almost always at the restaurant. Please be aware when visiting the restaurant on a Sunday morning or on a weekday during lunch that you may be asked much more frequently than normal if you are finished with your meal. Management works hard to offer quick service which means the desire for quick turn around on tables during peak times.

Besides the exceptional service at this location there is something special about the food offered here as well. I have ordered the Chicken Gyros Dinner at 5 Leo's locations including the one at the Heights Shopping Center. I have found that the chicken and pita bread taste the same at all of the locations, but what separates this location from the others is the taste of their tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki sauce is a Greek yogurt based sauce served with both the Chicken Gyros as well as the traditional Gyros which is made with thinly sliced lamb. The tzatziki sauce at this Leo's has just the right amount of creaminess, whereas the sauce at the other locations can be watered down and runny. You can order a side of tzatziki for 50 cents, a cup for $2.00 and a bowl for $3.00 if you are interested in having the sauce with other menu items or a little extra with your gyros. When ordering the Chicken Gyros Dinner you have a choice of french fries or rice. I always choose the rice, which I find cannot be replicated at home, no matter how hard I try. The dinner also comes with a small Greek salad, which you may have served with a light version of their traditional Greek salad dressing. The Chicken Gryos dinner is extremely filling and is offered for $8.69, which is reasonable considering how much food you are getting.

Leo's also offers other menu items including burger and fries which are offered together for $4.99, Greek salads served in four sizes, mini for $3.49, small $4.49, medium $5.49 and large $7.49 (you may add a chicken breast or gyros meat to the salad for an additional $2.50), Fish and Chips are served with coleslaw for $6.29 for two pieces of fish and $7.59 for three pieces, and a variety of breakfast items that you can order anytime. The Leo's location in the Heights shopping center is smoke free daily from 11am to 8pm, which may help you in making a choice of where to dine with your children or while on lunch from work when you don't want to go back to work smelling like smoke.

So, if you are looking for a restaurant with great service, awesome food, and good prices look no further than the Leo's Coney Island at The Heights Shopping Center 26540 Ford Rd, Dearborn Heights, Michigan 48127.