Despite the array of on-campus eateries available to students, local businesses nearby can offer a quality eating experience.
One of them is Abe’s Coney Island. For 22 years, Abe’s has been catering to students and locals alike.
It’s located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Hamilton Road. At the entrance there are ads, flyers and The Eastern Echo displayed for anyone to grab on their way in. Then as you enter the restaurant, you might get an old-school diner feel when you see the stools at the bar, the booths and the games on the wall. There are pictures hung above the booths of previous fraternity as well as of older EMU students and groups.
But what is really behind all of this is the history of the place – Abe’s has been part of Ypsilanti since 1987. The founder and owner is still around and keeping the business running.
“The atmosphere and the employees are really what make Abe’s unique,” said waitress Georgia Tallent.
She has been working for Abe’s for almost 15 years.
This 24-hour food joint can be busy day and night, although on weekends, especially at night, it’s quite busy for both locals and college students.
Even its food can be considered unique. Aside from the regular coney dogs, names such as “hippie hash” and “hungry man” have been used and are popular to the customers around campus who visit frequently.
EMU freshman James Lombard has already visited Abe’s a few times and said, “Out of all the coney islands I’ve been to, Abe’s has the best chicken gyro I’ve had yet.”
Many students living on campus frequent Abe’s, as well as many fraternities and students living in apartments located right around the block from it.
“It’s convenient to go to for those late nights of studying, or even partying, when you need some good grub and a place to just chill out for a while,” Lombard said.
Though there are plenty of sights to see around Ypsilanti and many restaurants to visit, Abe’s is a classic place to go to whether you’re looking for something cheap to eat, somewhere to go that’s open all hours of the night, or just somewhere different from the “norm.”
