Mark’s Midtown Coney Island (Ann Arbor South)
3672 South State StreetWe definitely did no plan on staying in Ann Arbor Friday night.
L and B were both scheduled to be done with their events at the Margaret Faulkner Springtime Invitational by about 6:00. We only booked our hotel room for Wednesday and Thursday nights with the plan being we’d make the trip home when they were done and have the whole weekend still.
Weather happens. Plans change.
The Biggby Coffee Ice Cube – Ann Arbor was without power when we woke up Friday morning. Events that were supposed to start at 9 AM didn’t get started until 3:30 PM. L’s last event wrapped up right around 10:30 PM.
Sure, we could have still driven home. Ann Arbor is only about an hour and a half away but the kids still wanted to watch the remaining competition (which wrapped up about 12:45 AM) and we didn’t have power at home.
We decided early in the day just to stay another night. J had some credit card points we used to book another hotel. We had no place to be Saturday morning…and again, no power at home, so we all slept in a bit before packing up and heading out.
We were too late for hotel breakfast but we figured we should eat before hitting the road. J asked if there were any Coney Island’s nearby because the kids always love those places. They’re not big pub food eaters but they love a good diner.
Mark’s Midtown Coney Island happened to be really close to our hotel on South State Street not too far south of the I-94 interchange on the south side of Ann Arbor. This location in a small shopping center is one of three Mark’s location. The others are on the north side of Ann Arbor on Plymouth Road and in Saline.
We walked in to the small diner just before noon. The space is classic diner. The tables are all crammed in pretty tight in a small space. There are two distinct dining room with a glass lined walkway down the middle. There’s also a lunch counter at the back. Historic photos from the area make up most of the decor and there’s a couple of TV’s in the back of the room because this is a sports town after all.
The menus were already on the table when we sat down so L grabbed them and passed them out. I think we were all thinking breakfast when we sat down but it turned out, B was the only who actually ended up ordering breakfast.
I’m a sucker for a diner burger. I kept it pretty simple ordering the Bacon Cheeseburger. The sandwich is a 1/4 lb beef patty topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles served on a sesame seed bun. There’s just something about diner burgers. They’re never a fresh ground gourmet patty made with exotic types of beef. They’re usually really simple hunks of meat slapped on a grill but that’s what makes them so special. I’ll never be able to put my finger on it. Diner burgers just taste better. This one was tender and juicy. The bacon was crispy and accentuated the saltiness from the burger. Part of me wishes I would have added on another patty but alas, I didn’t. Still really enjoyed this burger and got everything I was hoping for.
The sandwich does not come with a side so I added on an order of fries. Nothing at all special about these. They’re out of a bag frozen fries with no seasoning on them. I grabbed some salt to give them a little bit of flavor but these were really more filler than anything super enjoyable.
J and L both ordered the Grilled Cheese. Like me with burgers, J loves a good diner grilled cheese. They’re so simple. White bread and American cheese…just like you make home but for some reason, these are just better. Both of them were really happy with their decision to skip breakfast and order something off the grill. Like my sandwich, these didn’t come with a side. J ordered fries but L did not.
B was the only one to do breakfast. He ordered the small chocolate pancakes with a side of bacon. When the waitress set the pancakes down, he looked at them and looked at me then asked where the chocolate was. I flipped the top one over to show him there was actually a lot of chocolate on the bottom of the pancakes. I got them buttered up and he went to town pretty much clearing the plate. When he started to struggle towards the end, L jumped in to help him out. She always under orders then helps him finish his meal which means I don’t have to finish it which makes me happy because then I don’t over eat.
Our bill, before tip, was a little under $55.
Like I said in the beginning, Coney Island’s are always safe choices for us when it comes to meals. The kids love a good breakfast place and J and I love diners. Mark’s Midtown Coney Island checks all the boxes. We got a tasty meal and got it pretty quickly. We were heading over to Zingerman’s before heading home (to a dark house) so getting a solid meal to start the day was a win.
SW Michigan Dining 