Tony’s Coney’s on State Route 62 in Orient: $2.50 Coneys, Giant Sundaes and Small-Town Magic

- Advertisement -

Pickaway County

Some restaurants serve food. Tony’s Coney’s on State Route 62 serves an experience, and on a rainy Saturday afternoon, it was running at full speed.

The drive-thru line was packed. Inside was busy. People waited outside. Staff moved like they had done this a thousand times, running food to the few tables inside and carrying shakes out to people and cars. It was fast and a little frantic and completely friendly. If you have never been, picture New York pace blended with rural Ohio manners. That is the best way to describe it.

The shop bills itself as serving customers since 1951, and the sign out front says so. Two locations carry the name today: the one we visited at 9901 US Highway 62 in Orient, and another on West Broad Street in Columbus.

The order window and ice cream shoppe side of the building in Orient.

The prices stop you first. Coneys are $2.50. Read that again. The chalkboard menus run through coneys, hot dogs, sandwiches, appetizers, shakes, floats, malts and hand-dipped sundaes, and almost nothing on them will hurt your wallet.

Chalkboard menus cover coneys, sandwiches, shakes and sundaes. Prices are, frankly, cheap.

For the planners, here is the full printed menu and the specials board, so you can map out your order before you go.

Here is what we tried, with honest scores.

The coneys: 5 out of 5. They do not look like much on the short walk from the kitchen to the table. Do not judge them there. The sauce is the whole story, savory and just right under a pile of shredded cheese. It is so good they sell it by the tub, $4 for a half pound and $6 for a full pound. Now we understand why.

The coney at Tony’s: sauce, cheese and a soft bun. Five out of five.

The chili: 4.8 out of 5. Almost completely perfect. Personal opinion, it could have used a touch more cheese. Almost perfect anyway.

The burger: 4 out of 5. Fresh, simple, just a good burger.

The burger: fresh and simple. Four out of five.

The strawberry shortcake sundae: 5 out of 5. This thing is enormous for about five dollars. Layers of strawberry and ice cream and whipped cream. It looked almost too good to eat. Almost.

The strawberry shortcake sundae. Huge, about five dollars, and five out of five.

The caramel cheesecake shake: very, very good. The medium was too big to finish, and that is not a complaint.

The pulled pork: 2 out of 5. We tried to order something different. Stick to the classics here.

Two coneys, pulled pork, a burger and chili on a rainy Saturday. The tray barely held it all.

The people are the other half of the story.

One gentleman, probably in his seventies, wanted a root beer float. The float is made with Frost Top root beer and ice cream, and the barrel had run dry. Staff told him it would be twenty minutes before they could make one. He said it was worth the wait, and he meant it. He stood by the cash register for a good ten minutes while the packed house swirled around him. Eventually he settled for a chocolate shake. You could see the disappointment until he tasted it. Then he looked pretty content.

In the drive-thru, someone ordered a hot fudge sundae. We missed seeing it, but we heard it. A guy in line said loud enough for everyone, “THAT’S THE HOT FUDGE SUNDAY!? I’ve never seen one like that in my life,” and laughed. Nobody took offense. That is just how the place is.

Atmosphere: 10 out of 10. Nobody complained about the rush. Nobody seemed rushed, even in the rush. Food came out fresh. Everyone seemed relaxed and at ease. It felt nostalgic and right-now at the same time.

Inside the counter at Tony’s Coney’s, with Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream on deck. The hand-dipped flavor board on the counter, next to the tip jar.

If you go: Tony’s Coney’s, 9901 US Highway 62, Orient, OH 43146. Phone: (614) 877-9187. Summer hours run Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM, with shorter winter hours. Sunday hours are listed differently in different places, so call ahead before a Sunday trip. Go hungry. Order the coney. Save room for ice cream. It is absolutely worth the trip.

More from Hopewell Heritage Headlines:

• 186 Years of Sweet Tradition: Wittich’s Fine Candies Continues Circleville Legacy
• Load ‘Em Up: Ross County Shake Shoppe Serves $1 Hot Dogs for National Hot Dog Day

Send a tip or correction to info@heritageheadlines.com.

- Advertisement -

Send a tip or correction to info@heritageheadlines.com, or use the contact page.

This Week · Pickaway County archive