DEARBORN – It’s easy to find plenty of quality halal food choices in Dearborn, but up until now, one of Detroit’s favorite culinary creations was hard to come by.

Leo’s Coney Island in Dearborn on the corner of Ford and Greenfield has changed all of that by offering authentic coney island-style food favorites, all with certified halal meats, just in time for Ramadan. It is the only one of the popular chain’s 40 locations that serves halal meat.

Leo’s opened the Dearborn location in June, and owner Ken Vlahadamis said customers have enjoyed its diverse menu choices that range from coney dogs and chili fries to authentic Arabic cuisine such as meat kabobs, fattoush, and the always-popular Greek salads.

“We offer a little bit of everything and as long as people know it’s halal, they’ll try something new, and they usually love it,” Vlahadamis said.

All halal food is cooked in a separate area of the kitchen on separate grills, broilers, and fryers to ensure it lives up to its namesake, and the halal menu is separate from the regular menu. Managers Ahmed and Mohamed Ghamloush along with Bill Kanellopolous watch over the kitchen to make sure all halal foods are prepared properly. The prices are a little bit higher, but customers don’t seem to mind.

“The price reflects the food and we want to put good, quality food on peoples’ plates,” said Vlahadamis.

Leo’s is committed to buying local products including chicken that is hormone and steroid-free. All meats are bought locally and many foods including hummus, soups, dressings, and Leo’s garlic sauce are made from scratch in-house.

And despite the filling nature of Leo’s generous portions, pies, cakes, and desserts such as ice cream and baklava are also popular choices for customers.

The atmosphere is laid-back and conversational with free wireless Internet and flat-screen TVs showing sports and news as oldies music plays over the speakers, giving Leo’s the feel of a popular old school diner with the benefit of modern amenities.

On Thursdays from 5-7 p.m., Leo’s holds a kids’ night with a balloon-making waitress and face painting for the little ones.

From now through Ramadan, Leo’s will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet the demands of the holy month.

For more information, visit www.leosconeyisland.com or call 313.253.0200.