Pam Schwartz and I drove west towards Weeki Wachee. Along the way we stopped at Coney Island Drive Inn (1112 E Jefferson St, Brooksville, FL 34601). This place has served the same huge foot long hot dogs and sausages for the past 40 years. Stepping in felt like going back to the 1950s. Elvis posters adorned the walls, along with vintage pop logos and advertising. I ordered a standard foot long with mustard and sauerkraut along with
fries. It was good. Pam naturally had something a little more interesting. I wish this place was closer to Orlando. If I had my way, I could live on hot dogs and pop. I taste the varieties of hot dogs much the way a sommelier tastes fine wines, and this was a rare blend.
They serve John Morrell all-meat Hot Dogs, both short and the
“World Famous” Foot Long Hot Dogs. Everything is cooked with
steam. The Hot Dogs can be served many ways and they will custom make
them any way requested. The Coney Sauce is a meat sauce
with no beans, or they also have a made from scratch chili with beans. They offer a variety of specialty Hot Dogs as well as Corn Dogs and many other sandwiches.
On July 7, 1960, Darrell and Gertrude Todd and family from Brooksville opened Coney Island Drive Inn in an old boat manufacturing building. In 1961 Elvis Presley was in Inverness, Florida filming a movie and legend has
it he ventured down to Coney Island Drive In for one of the famous foot longs. The business has changed owners four times over the years, but Fred Rice was the master hot dog slinger for over 24 years and he still keeps an eye on the place. If you are ever driving West on 50, this a definite required stop for a foot long.