No day at Coney Island is complete with a few good snacks and cold drinks! Here, we’ve rounded up the most classic and time-honored eateries on and near the boardwalk where you can grab a bite or beverage while strolling along the beach or seeking thrills on the historic rides!
1. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
You knew this would be on the list! Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs is synonymous with Coney Island. Founded in 1916 by Nathan Handwerker, the landmark establishment has stood at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues for more than 100 years. Home to the annual hot dog eating contest, this location still boasts its original neon signs from the 1920s and holds the city’s oldest liquor license, acquired right after Prohibition ended.
2. Coney Island Brewery
Image Courtesy of Coney Island Brewery
Located at 1904 Surf Avenue, Coney Island Brewery earned itself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Founded in 2007, the brewery’s original location inside Coney Island USA’s Freakatorium held the record for the smallest brewery in the world. In 2015, the brewery moved to a larger location mere steps away. So while it may no longer be the smallest in the world, it’s still home to a variety of refreshing brews and that unique, off-beat Coney Island vibe. Stop by for a pint of the Mermaid Pilsner!
On September 9th, you can go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery with Untapped New York Insiders! This experience will also take you on a stroll along the boardwalk where our Chief Experience Office Justin Rivers will reveal a few of Coney Island’s secrets. You’ll finish the day by tasting some of the brewery’s fresh beers!
3. Paul’s Daughter
Paul’s Daughter is located directly on the boardwalk just steps away from the iconic Deno’s Wonder Wheel, the Cyclone, and the New York Aquarium. The stall serves all kinds of boardwalk fare, from pizza and cotton candy to funnel cakes and knishes, but seafood is the specialty. Their lobster rolls and clams on the half-shell are what patrons enjoy most.
Business partners Gregory Bitetzakis and Paul Georgoulakos opened the original eatery in 1962 as Gregory and Paul’s. The first location was in an old Howard Johnson’s location at West 8th Street. They moved to their current location on West 10th Street in 1970. The name change came in 2009 when Bitetzakis retired.
4. Totonno’s
Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana was founded by Italian immigrant Anthony (Totonno) Pero. Pero came to New York from Naples in 1903 and found a job making pizza at Lombardi’s grocery on Spring Street in Little Italy. Lombardi’s is largely credited as being the first pizzeria in America, and Pero’s descendants say it was their grandfather who introduced pizza to the business. In 1924, Pero left Lombardi’s to start his own venture out in Brooklyn. Today, after surviving two fires, Hurrican Sandy, and a long pandemic shutdown, Totonno’s is open and still run by Pero’s family. The menu has just two items on it, traditional pizza and white pizza, both thin-crusted and cooked in coal-fired ovens. The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday noon to 8 p.m. with the last seating at 7:30 p.m.
5. Ruby’s
Ruby’s Bar & Grill occupies a space that was originally the Hebrew National Deli and Bar in 1934. The restaurant is proud of its Coney Island history, even incorporating pieces of original 1920s boardwalk wood into its walls, tables, bar, and ceiling. Owned and operated by the same family since 1972, Ruby’s is a full-service restaurant where you can sit inside and enjoy foods like hamburgers, chicken tenders, and corn dogs and follow those up with an ice cream dessert, funnel cake, or cotton candy. They are open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to midnight for fireworks, and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with weekend breakfast 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
6. Williams Candy
Williams Candy is a historic Coney Island candy store. Located next to the world-famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Williams Candy opened more than 80 years ago. The windows of this shop are packed with fluffy cotton candy, and candied apples smothered in sprinkles. and caramel marshmallow sticks. In addition to those sticky sweets, the shop also sells ice cream and Italian ice.
Nicole Saraniero is the Insider-in-Chief at Untapped New York, leading our Untapped New York Insiders membership program. Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Televis
