Detroit meets the Bluegrass at Mama Dee’s Coney Island. Husband and Wife, Paige Wilson and Daryl Hayes opened the spot in July of 2019. For those who are thinking Coney Island in New York, this is NOT your New York Coney Island food this is home of what many Detroit Natives call the ‘REAL Coney’. And after having Mama Dee’s food, it’s at the top of my list as far as Coney Island food goes. I know Cincinnatians and New Yorkers might have something to say about that, but don’t debate me, debate your mama! Because after you see what Paige and Daryl fixed up for me, you’re going to want to try it for yourself!
I had a chance to chat with the owner, Paige, and she was as sweet as can be. She originally moved to Lexington for school but soon found out that the city was missing something. Something nostalgic for her and what she grew up on, and that was a place serving authentic Detroit Coney Island Food. Being that Lexington has many Detroit Natives, she knew that this business would be a success. While her background is not in culinary, she worked at Coney Island in Michigan for 10 years as a server and was able to learn about the business inside and out. If anyone knows anything about some great Coney Island food, it’s her. When asked what is her goal with ‘Mama Dee’s Coney Island’? Her response was, “To build generational wealth for my kids.” The answer was simple but spoke volumes because I could see her determination in being able to achieve her dreams. She’s proven that she can do it all, mother of two, wife, and business owner, she’s juggling all this making it look easy.
Scroll Down Below to see what they whipped up for me!
Motor City Chicken Pita
This Chicken Pita was literally everything. It was seasoned well, fresh, ad a huge portion. This is what I like to call a full meal, but it was so delicious I couldn't stop there.
Motor City Pita- grilled chicken, bacon, american cheese, green peppers, onions, and ranch
Philly Cheese Steak
This Cheese Steak is really given Philly a run for their money. Talk about juicy and flavorful! It wasn't too greasy either. You know how sometimes eating heavy food makes you feel gross, this was not the case. It definitely had the perfect amount of comfort food without making you feel awful afterwards.
I know you see the faygo in the back! Talk about a walk down memory lane. I used to get orange faygo and hot cheetos at the cornerstore back in middle school.
Philly Cheese Steak- grilled onions, green peppers, swiss and american cheese
Cheeseburger with Chili Cheese Fries
You can never go wrong with a classic. I love that they toast the bun, so you're getting that crispy but soft bread with a burger cooked to perfection with every bite. The Chili Cheese fries were topped with bacon...need I say more?
Cheeseburger- topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup and mustard, served with chili cheese fries topped with bacon
Corned Beef Sandwich
Now this is something that both Paige and Daryl said this is one of their best sellers and what they're known for. They put so much time, effort, and preparation into the corned beef that I actually had to come back to try it because it wasn't ready. Not ready in a bad way but they needed to get the beef to just the right temperature so they were able to slice and serve it. Let me tell you, the wait was worth it. Dipped in thousand island dressing...BABYYYY I see why it's so popular.
Also washed it down with some blue kool-aid...yep the flavor is blue (if you know you know)
Corned Beef Sandwich- corned beef, swiss, mustard, on a toasted onion roll, served with a pickle and side of Thousand Island Dressing
This is a family business you need to support. It's comfort food done right! I had to ask Paige, “Who is Mama Dee?”. She replied, “I wanted a name that made people want to eat the food. A name that makes you trust that the food is good.” The marketer in me is amazed because that’s genius because most people trust their Mama! Not only is the food delicious, but the establishment is clean, the service is fantastic, and it’s the ONLY place that has $5 Philly Cheese Steaks and 99 cent Coneys Daily 11am-3pm. Daryl and Paige are making strides to open up other locations in the future. One thing is for sure, this food is so fire it makes you want to slap your mama.……. or in this case Mama Dee!
Follow Mama Dee's Coney Island
Facebook: @mamadeesconeyislandlexington
Instagram: @mamadeeconeyisland
Written By: Martina Barksdale
Blogger, Speaker, Actress and Host
Instagram: @thesitinandsavor_