Nothing like Nick’s Coney Island

Welcome back to another Spotlight Series with Sarah!
The series where the writer gets to know the city more personally, while the readers get to know the writer better in the process.
In March 2023 I finally decided to get my own gym membership, instead of only going to the gym with my boyfriend or friends as their guest.
I picked a gym close enough to my house that I’d have no excuse to skip a workout. The employee working behind the front desk the day I went in was Jazmyne Hawk. She was very friendly and helped me sign up.
My original plan for the gym was to mind my business, work out, and leave without speaking to anyone. But the more I went to the gym, the more Hawk’s extroverted demeanor slowly started to chip away at my more-introverted-self with each check-in.
As the months progressed, Hawk and I began to talk more. I’d hangout at the front desk a little longer in conversation before my workout. Our talks got deeper, and then one day I realized that Hawk had become my friend when I really wasn’t looking to make any new friends.
Sometime around summer of 2024, Hawk and I were standing at the front desk of the gym together talking about our faith and religion. We realized we shared the same faith and she had mentioned she was looking for a new church to attend.

Nick’s Coney Island is located at 35425 W Michigan Ave.

Oddly enough, I had just started attending a new church with my family in February 2024 that I really liked and I invited Hawk to join me for a Sunday service. She accepted my invitation and I offered to pick her up so we could ride together and sit together during the sermon.
Almost a year later, we’ve been going to church together almost every Sunday since.
After attending church together on Sunday, April 27th, Hawk and I stopped by Nick’s Coney Island for lunch.
As you probably know by now based on my previous columns, I’m a big fan of food. And a fun fact: I’m a big fan of Coney Islands restaurants. There’s nothing like the comfortability and familiarity of a Coney Island.
Hawk and I walked into Nick’s Coney Island and it was the same familiarity you’d expect from any Coney Island. We picked a table and were quickly greeted by our server, Chelsea.
We ordered drinks, myself an iced tea with lemon and Hawk a Diet Pepsi, and then we looked over the menu to decide what we wanted to eat. For all the iced tea fans, I will mention that my iced tea was unsweetened, so I added some sugar that was provided on the table.
When Chelsea stopped by our table again, I ordered the BLT pita with a side of chili cheese fries. Hawk ordered the five-piece chicken strips with honey mustard and ranch, and like me, a side of chili cheese fries.
It didn’t take long before our food was being brought out to our table and it all looked great. My pita was loaded with many pieces of bacon. The bacon was perfectly crispy, the tomatoes and lettuce tasted fresh, and the mayo was light and smooth. (I did ask for extra mayo because I love mayo). I didn’t realize the pita comes with a giant pickle on the side, and if you remember from my last column, I can’t stand pickles. So had I known, I would have asked for no pickle. But if you like/love pickles, this would have been perfect for you and you would have been impressed with how large this pickle was.
Hawk rated her chicken strips a 10/10. “You can never find a good chicken strip anymore. These are the flat ones, that’s important,” said Hawk. Hawk also pointed out that the ranch was homemade. “You can always tell the difference,” said Hawk.
Both of our chili cheese fries were smothered in chili, in a good way. Hawk rated her fries a 8/10 saying they could use a little more cheese but were still really good.
After I finished eating and was waiting for Hawk to finish her meal (yes, I am a fast eater), I noticed the soups of the day (chicken noodle and chicken lemon rice) listed on a framed chalkboard on the wall. I pointed it out to Hawk because both my mom and I are huge fans of chicken lemon rice soup and she informed me that her mom is also. So next time Chelsea walked past, I asked her if we could place a to-go order. Hawk ordered a bowl of lemon rice soup for her mom and I ordered a quart of lemon rice soup for my mom and me to share. Shortly after, our soups were brought out in to-go bags (when I got home, I saw there were bags of oyster crackers inside as well), we paid our bills, and headed out. It was a lovely experience, and I would recommend stopping by and getting served by Chelsea.
Nick’s Coney Island has been in Wayne since 2011, new ownership took over in 2015. “We’re a family-friendly breakfast and lunch Coney Island,” said Ledi Shkembi, Nick’s Coney Island owner. “We have a lot of regulars and serve a lot of community people, businesses, and CLS (community living services).”
Shkembi has always wanted to own a restaurant. He has been involved in the restaurant industry since he was 15 years old and was a cook from 2008-2015, until he took ownership of Nick’s Coney Island.
“My favorite part is talking to people and interacting with the customers,” said Shkembi. “I like making sure everything is taken care of and people are coming in here with a smiling face.”
Nick’s Coney Island offers breakfast specials and lunch deals, including sandwich or pita with soup or salad for $9. Some of Nick’s Coney Island best-selling items are the omelettes and Johny’s Pita.
Nick’s Coney Island is located at 35425 W Michigan Ave and is open Sunday – Saturday 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information about Nick’s Coney Island or to place a to-go order, call (734)729-5100.
Be sure to check out Nick’s Coney Island and be on the lookout for the next Spotlight Series with Sarah!