Zero stars (tho yelp will not let me give them this) because I brought my son to the restaurant and even tho we arrived 30 minutes prior to close, there was no one running the restaurant and it was closed! No note on door just closed even though sign with times it is open on door stated they should be open! Guess I will never know how good the food could have been since I won't waste my time attempting to come back and be disappointed again! Badly run business do no go here
(1)
Pete P.
Alpha is a good coney dog/greek diner destination. The food is quite good for reasonable prices. I got a fried chicken dinner for $9 plus tax and tip. 4 pieces ofchicken with fries and soup. Hot and juicy chicken, in fact my last piece was still steaming when I bit into it. Their coney dogs are really good as well! I don't stop in here enough for a bite to eat.
(4)
Paul W.
Will agree with others' assessment of their greek dressing--best we've had in Ann Arbor, and we've had it at nearly every diner/coney in town. Had their homemade chili on the side w/ my salad and was impressed. Spicy with a lemony nip--coriander? Salads were good otherwise, though lettuce could have been fresher. My wife liked the fries she got. Worth another trip.
(4)
Wally S.
Yet another Koney Island review. Notice how they spell their Coney as Koney to confuse us, but it's really the same kind of place. You get what you expect you are going to get. Great tasting hot dogs, real good breakfasts, and excellent service. When you take 3 small boys into the restaurant, I expect that the wait staff will recognize that they have the attention span of a gnat. Food must be served hot and fast or they're going to be either screaming or running through the restaurant. Alpha figured it out. We were served fast!. Any time I'm on the south-west side fo Ann Arbor, I know I always have this trusty option for my lunching pleasure.
(4)
Jaz'min W.
The cooks are talented and fast, the refills on pop are free, and there are all sorts of little billing tricks that can equal a cheaper meal (if you're waitress is nice enough). Weekend mornings sometimes have a wait, but any other time is pretty much sure to get immediate service. little billing tricks that can equal a cheaper meal (if you're waitress is nice enough). There are a few things that this place does absolutely delicious and right : the Greek Salads (they make their own dressing), the gyros, the spinach pie, the lasagna, the koneys, the chicken lemon rice soup. Most of the their breakfast options are really great, especially the skillets and you can get them at any time of the day. But there are just some things that you shouldn't be buying at a Koney Island; like shrimp in a basket, the fish and chips, the steak breakfast. I mean, if you approach the menu thinking "this is a Koney Island" and make intelligent decisions with that knowledge you're going to get a lot of good food for your money.
(3)
Josh H.
This place is not much to look at, straight forward diner style in an outdoor mall. But the food is great! My dad took me to Alpha mid morning on a Wednesday, and it was nearly full. I got their 'Alpha' omelette (basically 'greek', hero meat, feta, etc...), and it was excellent. The potatoes on the side...wow, SO good. They came out hot, flavorful, NOT greasy. Their are so many terrible short order cooks in the world. Theirs is clearly a pro. Staff was very friendly and quick. The bill? Cheap. We got a great breakfast, and the bill was less than $15 for two. Don't let the somewhat mundane surroundings dissuade you, this is a great breakfast spot.
(4)
Brian M.
This is a great place, and clearly the locals know about it because there's no way you'd ever know about it from the road; it's tucked in a strip near a target. Alpha is a great Michigan coney island. The service is great, the food is great and it just has a nice feel. I can't explain it, because it's a lot like any coney, but it just feels better. We've come here for an early breakfast, a weekend lunch, or a midweek dinner and we've always been pleased.
(4)
Nicole C.
Thought I'd give this place a try. It is very bright and clean looking. I stopped in for breakfast and ordered a bacon and cheese omelet with well done bacon with a side of pancakes. The bacon came out barely warm...I'd hate to see what their definition of regularly done is if this was well. The pancakes were ok but a little dry. Unfortunately they also came with a curly black hair that I hadn't ordered. Given that there are so many great breakfast places in Ann Arbor I can't really see giving this another try though the prices are probably better than the norm for this area. Perhaps they are better for lunch?
(2)
Catherine J.
Any place that delivers my coffee, with honey, before I even ask gets 5 stars. :-) The service here is great. I also love that they have a breakfast option with egg beaters, an english muffin and HEAPS of fruit. Means I can go to a diner for breakfast and not feel guilty.
(5)
Lex S.
This is a great coney. Good greek salad dressing and rice pudding which, I believe, qualify it as a good coney island. My husband loves the chicken gyro and it has great gyro sauce. Also good breakfast.
(5)
Bea G.
I used to love going to this place for a coney island treat, but my last visit will be my last. The manager berated our waitress to the point that she was crying when she came back to our table. I can't support an owner who treats his employees that way.
(1)
Matt M.
I'm not kidding, my family has been going to this restaurant for 17 years. The service is always good, even when there are new wait staff who do not recognize us. One of the owners is often there and greeting customers. The food, well, I don't think it's very good for you - this is diner-style food - but it's tasty as heck! Their chili dogs, hamburgers, gyros, and breakfasts are all great and reasonably priced. I will miss the Saturday tradition of getting lunch at Koney's if/when I move from Ann Arbor. They recently changed it so that the whole restaurant is now smoking-free.
(5)
Jim M.
This is a great family diner. We just visited for lunch and the place was packed. Our service was a little slow to start, but the couple who joined us next were greeted before they even had their coats off. So let's call the service good or better. The food quality, variety and price were great. The only reason we didn't go with "five stars" was, if you arrive when they're full you may get stuck with the seats between the counter/grill and the dishwashing area. Of course, if we'd thought about it and waited a few minutes we'd have had our choice of seats. Next time we go in it might be a "five star" diner visit.
(4)
Melissa R.
Great food, great service, very clean and good prices. Great breakfast. Simple family restaurant with a lot of business and repeat customers.
(4)
Kristen C.
This place is great. Their prices are low, their food is good, and I like their staff (although my favorite girl left). The restaurant itself is very old fashioned diner-esque and a bit noisy at times, but it's busy for a reason... Great breakfast and great Greek salads. You can't come here for something that shouldn't be good at a diner like fish and chips or steak, just stick with your gut feeling on this one. If you're expecting a pleasant surprise you may not get it, but if you want a cheap and satisfying breakfast, you will get that. My Mom is a vegan and they're happy to throw together a "hippie-hash" (Ann Arbor, you know what I'm takin' 'bout) of veggies just for her. They are seriously a good group of people, just tell them what you want and they'll steer you in the right direction.
(4)
Ed M.
The ambiance was more 50's diner than Greek restaurant, but it smelled good so we were hopeful. I had been craving fish and chips so we decided to give them a try. Big mistake. The breading was thick and chewy, and the fish tasted old, very strong fishy taste. My wife couldn't even eat hers and was desperately trying to get the flavor our of her mouth. The Greek salad was yummy and perhaps this place has some other good options but the fish and chips were massively disappointing. When the manager asked us how everything was and we told him honestly, he just said "oh." And proceeded to give me the meal total. Not great. Just... don't get the fish and chips. Wrong choice.
(2)
Dawn N.
Decent but not the best Coney Island. Many of their things are overpriced for the quality served.
(3)
Cara C.
One of the best coneys around - exquisite chicken lemon rice soup! Alpha is an unobtrusive coney nestled in a strip mall. The staff is friendly and quick, and their prices are cheap. What more could you want -- great prices and great food? Definitely one of the best coneys in Ann Arbor. I work on the east side of AA and I drive all the way over here to get a bowl of soup for lunch!
(5)
Mimi T.
What a gem of a find in Ann Arbor. To think that I may never have found this place if my friend didn't want some Greek food. Found this while searching yelp. I couldn't believe this place got such high reviews for being a diner. Now I know why... We ordered the Greek pita and salad with fries. The gyro meat was perfectly cooked and the pita was grilled to perfection. A slather of oil/butter then grilled till the pita had a slight chewiness but still fluffy. These people knew what they were doing. The tzaiki (sp) sauce was refreshing and had great flavor. I'd def come back to try some other items on the menu. Can't beat the price with the amount of food that you get. So glad I found this hidden diamond in the rough. Also, if you're into it apparently this was one of the original restaurants on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
(4)
Sherry L.
We have a 7 month old daughter with a life threatening allergic reaction to dairy, because I breastfeed, I too have to avoid dairy.Being 2 hours from home and hungry we needed to eat. We called the allergy friendly places but they were booked. Being a weekend that didn't surprise me. We stopped at the Coney Island and I asked my waitress if they could make us a "safe meal" and I explained our allergy, if she couldn't we would leave. She assured us "no problem" as she had allergies too and knew how to handle them. I asked are you sure again and she assured me she could. The meal provided was not allergy free and caused a life threatening reaction to our daughter. She spent 4 days in the PICU and will be heading to CS Mott for treatment we can't get in our city. Now I don't expect restaurants to be allergy specialist but please don't assure parents you can make safe meals when you can't. That is extremely dangerous. If you would like examples of restaurants who serve the allergy community, please look at PF changs and Red Robin:)
(1)
MaryLiz S.
I had no idea that there was a coney island restaurant in Oak Valley Mall until we were there on errands one Sunday after church. We were walking from Joann's to Officemax and this place was in between. I'm rating Alpha five stars because it's everything a coney island should be. The food comes quickly, the wait staff is attentive, and it's a hopping place on a Sunday at brunch time. Everything was very *hot* when it arrived. Don't be in a hurry to take a bite! Hubby had the Alpha Burger -- 1/3 lb. of beef. I had a Turkey Reuben. Thick slices of turkey, sauerkraut & Swiss cheese on some ordinary but OK toast. We split the coleslaw and onion rings. Plenty of food. Portions are generous without being ridiculous. The waitress offered to pour my drink into a "to go" container and top it off as we were leaving. I like the raised platform for condiments. Makes for a less crowded dining experience, especially with four people in a booth.
(5)
Susan W.
This eating occurred in May 2014....My dining partner wanted to try another version of a coney dog while here. Just not the same as the coneys in Texas. Really in our opinion there isn't anything in Texas that resembles a Michigan coney! Anyhow there are lots of places where you can get a traditional coney dog with very good Greek food as well- in Michigan that is. That's the case with Alpha Coney! How fabulous is it to have your flaming cheese and the big Opa----Along with a great snapping hot dog with super chili, mustard and onions! Ahhhh it's great! And my review is making me want to hop on a jet and go again!!! We have eaten here several times and had fresh delicious Greek salads, several phenomenal versions of a Coney, good lamb pitas- fries crisp and fresh and well seasoned AND service with a smile. Sit at the booths or take an up close and personal seat at the counter. It's casual, it's cheap, it's great!!
(4)
B J.
My experience here is always based on the server we get. This time the server was awful. It was like we were inconveniencing her with our presence. Food is generally good but service could definitely use some work.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
Bubba P.
Zero stars (tho yelp will not let me give them this) because I brought my son to the restaurant and even tho we arrived 30 minutes prior to close, there was no one running the restaurant and it was closed! No note on door just closed even though sign with times it is open on door stated they should be open! Guess I will never know how good the food could have been since I won't waste my time attempting to come back and be disappointed again! Badly run business do no go here
(1)Pete P.
Alpha is a good coney dog/greek diner destination. The food is quite good for reasonable prices. I got a fried chicken dinner for $9 plus tax and tip. 4 pieces ofchicken with fries and soup. Hot and juicy chicken, in fact my last piece was still steaming when I bit into it. Their coney dogs are really good as well! I don't stop in here enough for a bite to eat.
(4)Paul W.
Will agree with others' assessment of their greek dressing--best we've had in Ann Arbor, and we've had it at nearly every diner/coney in town. Had their homemade chili on the side w/ my salad and was impressed. Spicy with a lemony nip--coriander? Salads were good otherwise, though lettuce could have been fresher. My wife liked the fries she got. Worth another trip.
(4)Wally S.
Yet another Koney Island review. Notice how they spell their Coney as Koney to confuse us, but it's really the same kind of place. You get what you expect you are going to get. Great tasting hot dogs, real good breakfasts, and excellent service. When you take 3 small boys into the restaurant, I expect that the wait staff will recognize that they have the attention span of a gnat. Food must be served hot and fast or they're going to be either screaming or running through the restaurant. Alpha figured it out. We were served fast!. Any time I'm on the south-west side fo Ann Arbor, I know I always have this trusty option for my lunching pleasure.
(4)Jaz'min W.
The cooks are talented and fast, the refills on pop are free, and there are all sorts of little billing tricks that can equal a cheaper meal (if you're waitress is nice enough). Weekend mornings sometimes have a wait, but any other time is pretty much sure to get immediate service. little billing tricks that can equal a cheaper meal (if you're waitress is nice enough). There are a few things that this place does absolutely delicious and right : the Greek Salads (they make their own dressing), the gyros, the spinach pie, the lasagna, the koneys, the chicken lemon rice soup. Most of the their breakfast options are really great, especially the skillets and you can get them at any time of the day. But there are just some things that you shouldn't be buying at a Koney Island; like shrimp in a basket, the fish and chips, the steak breakfast. I mean, if you approach the menu thinking "this is a Koney Island" and make intelligent decisions with that knowledge you're going to get a lot of good food for your money.
(3)Josh H.
This place is not much to look at, straight forward diner style in an outdoor mall. But the food is great! My dad took me to Alpha mid morning on a Wednesday, and it was nearly full. I got their 'Alpha' omelette (basically 'greek', hero meat, feta, etc...), and it was excellent. The potatoes on the side...wow, SO good. They came out hot, flavorful, NOT greasy. Their are so many terrible short order cooks in the world. Theirs is clearly a pro. Staff was very friendly and quick. The bill? Cheap. We got a great breakfast, and the bill was less than $15 for two. Don't let the somewhat mundane surroundings dissuade you, this is a great breakfast spot.
(4)Brian M.
This is a great place, and clearly the locals know about it because there's no way you'd ever know about it from the road; it's tucked in a strip near a target. Alpha is a great Michigan coney island. The service is great, the food is great and it just has a nice feel. I can't explain it, because it's a lot like any coney, but it just feels better. We've come here for an early breakfast, a weekend lunch, or a midweek dinner and we've always been pleased.
(4)Nicole C.
Thought I'd give this place a try. It is very bright and clean looking. I stopped in for breakfast and ordered a bacon and cheese omelet with well done bacon with a side of pancakes. The bacon came out barely warm...I'd hate to see what their definition of regularly done is if this was well. The pancakes were ok but a little dry. Unfortunately they also came with a curly black hair that I hadn't ordered. Given that there are so many great breakfast places in Ann Arbor I can't really see giving this another try though the prices are probably better than the norm for this area. Perhaps they are better for lunch?
(2)Catherine J.
Any place that delivers my coffee, with honey, before I even ask gets 5 stars. :-) The service here is great. I also love that they have a breakfast option with egg beaters, an english muffin and HEAPS of fruit. Means I can go to a diner for breakfast and not feel guilty.
(5)Lex S.
This is a great coney. Good greek salad dressing and rice pudding which, I believe, qualify it as a good coney island. My husband loves the chicken gyro and it has great gyro sauce. Also good breakfast.
(5)Bea G.
I used to love going to this place for a coney island treat, but my last visit will be my last. The manager berated our waitress to the point that she was crying when she came back to our table. I can't support an owner who treats his employees that way.
(1)Matt M.
I'm not kidding, my family has been going to this restaurant for 17 years. The service is always good, even when there are new wait staff who do not recognize us. One of the owners is often there and greeting customers. The food, well, I don't think it's very good for you - this is diner-style food - but it's tasty as heck! Their chili dogs, hamburgers, gyros, and breakfasts are all great and reasonably priced. I will miss the Saturday tradition of getting lunch at Koney's if/when I move from Ann Arbor. They recently changed it so that the whole restaurant is now smoking-free.
(5)Jim M.
This is a great family diner. We just visited for lunch and the place was packed. Our service was a little slow to start, but the couple who joined us next were greeted before they even had their coats off. So let's call the service good or better. The food quality, variety and price were great. The only reason we didn't go with "five stars" was, if you arrive when they're full you may get stuck with the seats between the counter/grill and the dishwashing area. Of course, if we'd thought about it and waited a few minutes we'd have had our choice of seats. Next time we go in it might be a "five star" diner visit.
(4)Melissa R.
Great food, great service, very clean and good prices. Great breakfast. Simple family restaurant with a lot of business and repeat customers.
(4)Kristen C.
This place is great. Their prices are low, their food is good, and I like their staff (although my favorite girl left). The restaurant itself is very old fashioned diner-esque and a bit noisy at times, but it's busy for a reason... Great breakfast and great Greek salads. You can't come here for something that shouldn't be good at a diner like fish and chips or steak, just stick with your gut feeling on this one. If you're expecting a pleasant surprise you may not get it, but if you want a cheap and satisfying breakfast, you will get that. My Mom is a vegan and they're happy to throw together a "hippie-hash" (Ann Arbor, you know what I'm takin' 'bout) of veggies just for her. They are seriously a good group of people, just tell them what you want and they'll steer you in the right direction.
(4)Ed M.
The ambiance was more 50's diner than Greek restaurant, but it smelled good so we were hopeful. I had been craving fish and chips so we decided to give them a try. Big mistake. The breading was thick and chewy, and the fish tasted old, very strong fishy taste. My wife couldn't even eat hers and was desperately trying to get the flavor our of her mouth. The Greek salad was yummy and perhaps this place has some other good options but the fish and chips were massively disappointing. When the manager asked us how everything was and we told him honestly, he just said "oh." And proceeded to give me the meal total. Not great. Just... don't get the fish and chips. Wrong choice.
(2)Dawn N.
Decent but not the best Coney Island. Many of their things are overpriced for the quality served.
(3)Cara C.
One of the best coneys around - exquisite chicken lemon rice soup! Alpha is an unobtrusive coney nestled in a strip mall. The staff is friendly and quick, and their prices are cheap. What more could you want -- great prices and great food? Definitely one of the best coneys in Ann Arbor. I work on the east side of AA and I drive all the way over here to get a bowl of soup for lunch!
(5)Mimi T.
What a gem of a find in Ann Arbor. To think that I may never have found this place if my friend didn't want some Greek food. Found this while searching yelp. I couldn't believe this place got such high reviews for being a diner. Now I know why... We ordered the Greek pita and salad with fries. The gyro meat was perfectly cooked and the pita was grilled to perfection. A slather of oil/butter then grilled till the pita had a slight chewiness but still fluffy. These people knew what they were doing. The tzaiki (sp) sauce was refreshing and had great flavor. I'd def come back to try some other items on the menu. Can't beat the price with the amount of food that you get. So glad I found this hidden diamond in the rough. Also, if you're into it apparently this was one of the original restaurants on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
(4)Sherry L.
We have a 7 month old daughter with a life threatening allergic reaction to dairy, because I breastfeed, I too have to avoid dairy.Being 2 hours from home and hungry we needed to eat. We called the allergy friendly places but they were booked. Being a weekend that didn't surprise me. We stopped at the Coney Island and I asked my waitress if they could make us a "safe meal" and I explained our allergy, if she couldn't we would leave. She assured us "no problem" as she had allergies too and knew how to handle them. I asked are you sure again and she assured me she could. The meal provided was not allergy free and caused a life threatening reaction to our daughter. She spent 4 days in the PICU and will be heading to CS Mott for treatment we can't get in our city. Now I don't expect restaurants to be allergy specialist but please don't assure parents you can make safe meals when you can't. That is extremely dangerous. If you would like examples of restaurants who serve the allergy community, please look at PF changs and Red Robin:)
(1)MaryLiz S.
I had no idea that there was a coney island restaurant in Oak Valley Mall until we were there on errands one Sunday after church. We were walking from Joann's to Officemax and this place was in between. I'm rating Alpha five stars because it's everything a coney island should be. The food comes quickly, the wait staff is attentive, and it's a hopping place on a Sunday at brunch time. Everything was very *hot* when it arrived. Don't be in a hurry to take a bite! Hubby had the Alpha Burger -- 1/3 lb. of beef. I had a Turkey Reuben. Thick slices of turkey, sauerkraut & Swiss cheese on some ordinary but OK toast. We split the coleslaw and onion rings. Plenty of food. Portions are generous without being ridiculous. The waitress offered to pour my drink into a "to go" container and top it off as we were leaving. I like the raised platform for condiments. Makes for a less crowded dining experience, especially with four people in a booth.
(5)Susan W.
This eating occurred in May 2014....My dining partner wanted to try another version of a coney dog while here. Just not the same as the coneys in Texas. Really in our opinion there isn't anything in Texas that resembles a Michigan coney! Anyhow there are lots of places where you can get a traditional coney dog with very good Greek food as well- in Michigan that is. That's the case with Alpha Coney! How fabulous is it to have your flaming cheese and the big Opa----Along with a great snapping hot dog with super chili, mustard and onions! Ahhhh it's great! And my review is making me want to hop on a jet and go again!!! We have eaten here several times and had fresh delicious Greek salads, several phenomenal versions of a Coney, good lamb pitas- fries crisp and fresh and well seasoned AND service with a smile. Sit at the booths or take an up close and personal seat at the counter. It's casual, it's cheap, it's great!!
(4)B J.
My experience here is always based on the server we get. This time the server was awful. It was like we were inconveniencing her with our presence. Food is generally good but service could definitely use some work.
(2)