Bites Nearby: Coney Island meets Diner at Mega

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Fenton Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Overview: Walking into you find yourself entering the hybrid of a coney island restaurant and a 1950's diner.

 The ambiance is reflected in the menu which is a composition of coney island favorites including both Flint and Detroit style coney dogs and diner classics like burgers, onion rings, shakes and malts.

Entrees: Sandwiches rule the menu at Mega Coney Island — gyros, pitas, melts and all of the regulars dominate a good portion of your ordering choices. The rest of the menu is comprised of dishes and entrees you would expect to find on a coney island menu. The dinner entrée selection includes roast beef, fish, New York Strip steak and liver and fried chicken. An assortment of soups (including chili), and salads are also served at Mega.

I opted for a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and a side of toast. I love the toast at Mega, as mundane as this may seem, the toast was actually the reason I ordered breakfast. It is my favorite comfort food and the fluffy Texas toast at Mega never disappoints.

Upon the arrival of my food, I was impressed with the quality of the ham in the omelet, it was thick-cut and not thinly sliced lunch meat. The omelet as a whole was good, but did not tip the taste-bud scale drastically in either direction. I prefer hash browns crispy and with a crunch, but found mine to be slightly overdone and dry.

Breakfast will cost you around $8 in most cases, but the early bird breakfast specials will save you a few dollars.  The special is served 7 a.m. to 11 a.m Monday through Friday and features four breakfast options for under $6. Try the Texas toast! Prices for most dinners are under $9 and  slightly under that for a burger or sandwich with fries.

Desserts: As I'm still in the process of working off those holiday treats from last month, I will be sure to save room for dessert next time. The list of indulgences on the Mega menu boasts thirteen varieties of hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, pie, cheesecake,  root beer floats and old fashioned shakes and malts. The ice cream freezer is displayed prominently, contributing to the retro atmosphere.   

Service: Mega Coney Island is a family-friendly establishment,  located right off US-23 at 3251 Owen Road. The service is always polite, cheerful and attentive. Carry-out and drive-through orders may be placed in person or called in before your arrival. If you have called your order in ahead of time, but don't feel like running inside, pull up to the drive-through and let them know you called your order in, and simply pick your order up at the window.

Phone: 810-750-2234 

Hours: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m.-9 p.m.