How the Coney Became a Cincinnati Favorite

For more than a century, Cincinnati chili has been a way of life in the Queen City of the Midwest, and for almost that long, so has the Cincinnati coney.

Three brothers from Macedonia (the country, not the town in northeast Ohio) — John, Tom and Argiro Kiradjieff — opened Empress Chili in 1922, selling a variation of saltsa kima, a Mediterranean stew notable for its cinnamon-forward mix of 18 spices. 

“It’s based on the spices of the Levant,” says Dann Woellert, who’s literally written the book on the topic, The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili.

Its most popularly served over spaghetti, but it didn’t take long before the chili found a home on hot dogs, and then took its current form of a dog topped with chili and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 

“In 1932, a customer said put some cheese on it, and that’s been the most popular version of the [Cincinnati] coney,” Woellert says.

But it’s not the only version. Without the cheese, it’s a Naked Coney. If you add mustard and chopped onions, it’s an Original Coney. There are local variations too, Woellert says. Dixie Chili, across the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky, has an Alligator Coney served with a pickle spear. In the fall, you can get an Oktoberfest Coney with a white bratwurst, topped with chili and sauerkraut, and Camp Washington Chili has a Hot Mett Coney that uses a local spiced sausage.

Empress Chili opened in a corner of Cincinnati’s Empress Burlesque House, and for years, the business model for most chili parlors was to be located near a theater, with some even taking the name of the theater. There are a few independents left, Woellert says, but the two main Cincinnati chili-parlor chains remain Skyline and Gold Star. 

“Most people have a fond memory of growing up near one and going there after high school football games or family events,” he says. “Chili parlors are a special place to Cincinnatians. It’s ingrained in our psyche, and we’ll defend it to the last.”

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