The Best Chili Dog Spots In Jackson

Chili dogs and their fraternal twin, coney dogs, are a popular comfort food and Michigan is held in high esteem for them! Let's talk about where's best to get them in Jackson!

So, are chili dogs and coney dogs the same thing? Well...kinda. Like we mentioned before, they are kind of like "fraternal twins."

Peoria Magazine talked to Terri Kalish of Nathan’s Famous Corporation (sponsors of the 4th of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest) and here's what she had to say about making the distinction:

a chili dog and a Coney dog have a slightly different definition from a regional standpoint. We believe that a chili dog is primarily a hot dog with chili or chili sauce on top of the hot dog. The chili or chili sauce may contain meat and/or beans. We think a Coney dog, in most parts of the country, is thought to be a hot dog with a chili sauce and onions on top of the hot dog. The chili may contain meat.

There is also something about beans that goes into the difference too...but it's widely-debated.

Now, rumor has it Jackson is known as a "birthplace" of the coney dog; however, the Detroit Historical Society says no one place can "definitively" hold this claim, Michigan has enough restaurants that have been around long enough to at least hold some stake in the game!

Well how did Jackson get to be one of the many to claim birth rights to the coney?

Well, according to the Hillsdale Collegian, it was all thanks to Macedonian immigrant George Todoroff in 1914.

Apparently, Todoroff put together the famous combo of ground beef sauce, onions and mustard on top of a hot dog and bun and intended it as a snack for workers and passengers passing through the Jackson train station.

Soon his 24-hour stand became a local favorite and continues to feed rumors of the tasty treat's birth in our city of Jackson.

Now that we've got some history behind us and know that coneys and chili dogs are similar enough, here's a guide to a chili/coney dog tour through Jackson!