We have four words for you: SUPPORT LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES. We’re not sorry for yelling because those of us who live here know that Detroit is a rich tapestry of cultural influences from all over the world, including those from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, and, of course, Mexico. We’re lucky enough to have had so many Latino entrepreneurs open up shop in Detroit as a means to share their love of family and generational cuisine with the hungry Motor City masses. While we know we’re only giving a small glimpse of the popular spots around town, we hope this slideshow offers some ideas of places — old and new — to support ASAP.

For more information on Detroit’s Hispanic Heritage Month festivities, visit SouthwestDetroit.com.  

 

La Gloria Bakery 3345 Bagley Ave., Detroit; 313-842-5722; Facebook.com/lagloriabakery While in Mexicantown, one would be remiss to forget stocking up on sweet treats, which is exactly what longstanding La Gloria Bakery specializes in. Established in the 1970s by Ruben Gonzeles, La Gloria Bakery has become a must-stop shop for handmade sugar skulls, churros, and other authentic Mexican baked goods. Photo via GoogleMaps
Antojitos El Catracho 4627 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-784-9361; Facebook.com/AntojitosElCatracho As far as Southwest Detroit’s Honduran and Salvadoran restaurants go, Antojitos El Catracho is a great place to get schooled on the beauty of plantains and pupusas. Photo via GoogleMaps
Asty Time 7340 McGraw Ave., Detroit; 313-285-9390; astytime.com Chef Asty Acosta arrived from the Dominican Republic by way of New York City and, eventually, moved to Southwest Detroit, where he and wife Diedra started working in a factory. Before long, the pair began preparing and selling food to coworkers, which evolved to an early version of Asty Time that ran out of a Southwest home, and in 2017, the Acosta family launched their brick-and-mortar location. Of Asty Time’s offerings, dishes like salami con tostones, a dish of stir-fried salami and bell peppers in a piquant sauce, is a standout, as is carne de res guisada, a dish of stewed beef soaked in a small puddle of sofrito-based sauce. Photo via GoogleMaps
El Rancho Restaurant 5900 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-843-2151; elranchomexrest.com El Rancho Mexican Restaurant opened in 1983, offering traditional Mexican cuisine via family recipes, some of which are secret. Photo by Juan Carlos Dueweke-Perez of Featherstone
Bodega Cat 1312 Springwells St., Detroit; 313-297-2360; bodegacatdetroit.com Known for its tamales, Bodega Cat is also a Mexican convenience store and grocery. Photo via Bodega Cat/Facebook
El Barzon Restaurante 3710 Junction Ave., Detroit; 313-894-2070; elbarzonrestaurant.com Fusing traditional Mexican and Italian dishes, El Barzon established itself as a unique and high-end offering in Southwest Detroit in 2007. Chef Norberto Garita, a native of Pueblo, worked in New York as a primarily Italian-oriented chef and relocated to Southfield to help the kitchen at Il Posto Ristorante before opening El Barzon, where you can get Mexican and Italian specialties, with some crossover between dishes. Photo via GoogleMaps
El Rey de a las Arepas 7701 McGraw St., Detroit; 313-307-2210; Facebook.com/El Rey de a las Arepas Though El Rey de a las Arepas translates to “the king of arepas,” when it comes to Detroit’s first Venezuelan restaurant, it’s all about the queen — as in Zoraida Gutierrez, from Caracas. Her son Rayner, owner of El Rey da a las Arepas, says Zoraida begins work every morning at 7 to start on the arepas, cachapas, and pabellones which has made a mark on Detroit’s culinary scene with its authentic fare and lowkey environment. For the uninitiated, an arepa is the Venezuelan version of the empanada, made from ground corn flour shaped into a circle, grilled, split like a biscuit, then filled. Photo via GoogleMaps
Evie’s Tamales 3454 Bagley St, Detroit; 313-843-5056; Facebook.com/EviesTamales Evie’s Tamales has been serving its corn husk-wrapped tamales for nearly four decades. Initially, Evie’s began inside Honey Bee Market. Eventually, business took off, and in 1982, owner Evelyn Grimaldo decided to move out and open her own store at a time when there was just one other Southwest business doing tamales. Beyond Evie’s signature tamales, the 99-cent breakfast burritos draw a lot of attention, too. Photo via GoogleMaps
La Noria Wood-Fired Bistro 5517 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-338-3545; Lanoriawood-fired bistro.com Before opening El Barzon — a high-end restaurant fusing modern and traditional Mexican and Italian cuisine — Norberto Garita, a native of Pueblo, worked in New York as a primarily Italian-oriented chef and relocated to Southfield to help the kitchen at Il Posto Ristorante in Southfield. El Barzon’s sister restaurant, La Noria Wood-Fired Bistro, debuted in 2018, offering a similar Pueblan concept — there’s a pizza topped with sauteed grasshoppers — with slightly more casual environment and menu pricing. Photo via Google Maps
La Palapa del Parian 1633 Lawndale St., Detroit; 313-749-7143; Facebook.com/LaPalapaDelParian The owners of the popular fleet of El Parian taco trucks in Southwest Detroit launched a sit-down restaurant with a patio in 2020, which offers Mexican stews, various huevos dishes, as well as gorditas, tortas, and tamales. Photo via La Palapa del Parian/Facebook
Mariscos El Salpicon 8600 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-914-2214; Facebook.com/MariscosElSalpicon Latin American seafood shines at Mariscos El Salpicon, which opened in 2016 by husband-and-wife duo Aldo Dominguez Perez and Yuriviana Angel, along with friend Esteban Perez. Their goal? Capture the flavors of the Pacific Coast Mexican state of Nayarit, where Aldo hails from. Though they offer dishes like ceviche (served with tostada chips and saltines), fried empanadas, stuffed pineapple (aka Piña Suprema which includes fruit, chilies, lime juice, shrimp, octopus, scallops, cucumber, and onion), their specialties are camarones de cucaracha and Molcajete de Mariscos, which is basically a seafood medley of shrimp, scallops, octopus, mussels, and crab legs. Photo via Mariscos El Salpicon/Facebook
La Rosita 7849 McGraw Ave., Detroit; 313-297-3145; Facebook.com/larositamexicanrestaurant Part Mexican restaurant, part supermarket, La Rosita has been offering traditional Mexican fare and access to authentic ingredients for 15 years. The family-owned and operated multi-use spot started when Dario immigrated to the U.S. and, eventually, landed in Michigan, where he met his wife Angelica. Their children help run La Rosita’s, which specializes in their “famous” gorditas, as well as botanas, tortas, burrito dinners, and a selection of homemade soups, or calados. Photo via La Rosita/Facebook
Los Altos Restaurant 7056 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-841-3109; Facebook.com/losaltosrestaurantdetroit Founded by Adan Lopez nearly 30 years ago, Los Altos Restaurant holds the title for being the area’s first taqueria. Inspired by Jalisco cuisine — the birthplace of tacos al pastor — Los Altos focuses on traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos made with cabeza, buche, lengua, or tripas. They also have Mexican-American favorites, like quesadillas and chimichangas. Photo via GoogleMaps
Mexican Village Restaurant 2600 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-237-0333; mexicanvillagefood.com The oldest Mexican restaurant in Detroit, Mexican Village has been serving up traditional mexican cuisine, including the restaurant’s specialites Caldo Can-can, burritos, steaks, and homemade desserts, for more than 40 years. Photo via Mexican Village Restaurant/Facebook
Rincon Tropical 6538 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-334-8526; Facebook.com/rincontropical If you want mofongo, aka mashed plantains, seek Lizaida and Rick Moreno’s Puerto Rican restaurant, Rincon Tropical. Part nightclub and part authentic Puerto Rican eatery, Rincon Tropical specializes in yucca-facing dishes, as well as empanadillas, sorullitos, relleno, and alcapurria, which take mashed plantains filled with spiced ground beef. Photo via Google Maps Credit: Photo via GoogleMaps
Centro Botanero 2303 Campbell St. Detroit; 313-982-7776; Facebook.com/Centro Botanero For those looking for some Mexican seafood via Nayarit, Centro Botanero has you covered with various ceviches, dishes like shrimp-stuffed poblano peppers, and newly introduced crab boil bags. Photo by Juan Carlos Dueweke-Perez of Featherstone
Tamaleria Nuevo Leon 2669 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-962-8066; Facebook.com/TamaleriaNuevoLeon The carryout-only Tamaleria Nuevo Leon has been making tamales in Detroit since 1957, specializing in tamales that, according to their website, are not “traditional tamale size.” A family-owned, second generation eatery, Tamaleria Nuevo Leon was founded by Pedro and Maria Alicia Villarreal and is celebrated for making tamales by hand each day. Photo viaTamaleria Nuevo Leon/Facebook
Taqueria El Caporal 1414 Junction Ave., Detroit; 313-551-4920; elcaporaldetroit.com In 2018, brother and sister Antonio and Araceli Canchola opened Taqueria El Caporal Y Restaurante, serving up recipes straight from their father’s food cart in Mexico City. Among their traditional offerings, the Cancholas offer homemade favorites, including their popular rotisserie chicken. Photo via GoogleMaps
Taqueria El Nacimiento 7400 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-554-1790; Facebook.com/elnacimientorestaurant Opened in 2001 by Rodrigo Padilla, Taqueria El Nacimiento is home to authentic Mexican food inspired by family recipes as well as dishes from his hometown near Arandas, Jalisco. Photo via Taqueria El Nacimiento/Facebook
Taqueria El Rey 4730 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-357-3094; taqueria-elrey.com Perhaps one of the most popular destinations in Southwest Detroit, as evidenced by the line that is often out of the door, is Taqueria El Rey, which is home to some of the best — if not the best — chicken in the city. Established in 1996, owners came to Detroit in 1987 from San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, their chicken is marinated and cooked over a 100% wood charcoal grill until it’s crispy, and comes in adobo sauce or sweet BBQ options. They also have beer and other traditional Mexican fare. Photo via Google Maps
La Posada 1930 Springwells St., Detroit; 313-841-1690; laposadadetroit.com What started out as a market to provide money transfer services for the area’s Latino working-class community has blossomed into a restaurant and pantry, offering traditional Jalisco cuisine. Founded by Juan Romo, a Mexican immigrant, La Posada started in 2005 and offers everything from tacos, Chiles Rellenos, breakfast items, and catered dinners. Photo by Juan Carlos Dueweke-Perez of Featherstone
Taqueria Lupitas 3443 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-1105; Facebook.com/taquerialupitas As far as casual and authentic Mexican fare goes, the longstanding Taqueria Lupitas holds its own in Mexicantown, and claims to be home of the original Mexican taco. Photo via Google Maps
Armando’s Mexican Restaurant 4242 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313- 554-0666; armandosmexicantown.com Located in the heart of Mexicantown, Armando’s was first established in 1967 by Armando Galan and, in 1986, the Hernandez family took over, continuing Armando’s legacy of offering fresh and affordable Mexican food. Photo by Juan Carlos Dueweke-Perez of Featherstone
Taqueria Mi Pueblo 7278 Dix St., Detroit; 313-841-3315; mipueblorestaurant.com What originated as an underground restaurant in 1995 — with Jose DeJesus Lopez slinging more than 1,000 tacos a day out of his house — has become one of the most beloved taco spots in the city. The family-owned business specializes in uniquely seasoned tacos but also offers traditional dishes from Jalisco, like birria, as well as Mexico City-centric dishes like tortas, coastal seafood dishes, and Mex-American fare, like cheesy enchiladas and wet burritos. Photo via Google Maps Credit: Google Maps
Vincente’s Cuban Cuisine 1250 Library St., Detroit 48226; 313-962-8800; vicentesdetroit.com Owner Vicente Vazquez founded Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine in 2005, fulfilling a longtime dream of wanting to bring family recipes to life. Vincente’s offers traditional Cuban cuisine, including Pollo Con Camarones, Lechon Asado, and, of course, the Sandwich Cubano Grande, made with pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and mayo, pressed on Cuban bread. Photo via Vincente’s Cuban Cuisine/Facebook
Taqueria Nuestra Familia 7620 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-842-5668; taquerianuestrafamilia.wordpress.com Since opening in 1998, Jorge Canchola’s family-owned and operated Taqueria Nuestra Familia has brought multi-generational recipes to Detroit diners, including freshly made corn tortillas handmade daily. Photo via GoogleMaps
Xochimilco Restaurant 3409 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-0179; Facebook.com/XochimilcoRestaurant This popular Mexicantown eatery often has a dining crowd filling both its downstairs and upstairs floors, drawn by its large portions and inexpensive menu. The atmosphere is dim but warm, and this restaurant’s liquor license offers another added bonus. Photo via GoogleMaps
Los Galanes 3362 Bagley Ave., Detroit; 313-554-4444; losgalanesdetroit.com Independently-owned Los Galanes has been serving traditional and affordable Mexican-American fare out of Mexicantown since 1967. Photo via Los Galanes/Facebook
Mangonadas del Barrio 4029 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 1210 Lawndale, Detroit; 313-724-6074; mangonadasdelbarriodetroit.com When talking about Detroit’s Latino-owned restaurants, it would be impossible to ignore the incredible dessert offerings scattered around the city including that of the Hernandez Martinez family, who opened Mangonadas del Barrio. Having sold mangos on street corners, the family came together to offer Southwest Detroit traditional Mexican desserts with flare. While they sell ice cream and other sweet treats, the heart of the business is the Mangonada, a cup topped with fresh diced mango and a tamarind paste-wrapped straw that’s rolled in chili powder. Photo via Las Mangondas del Barrio/Facebook
Pollo Chapin 2054 Junction Ave., 313-843-1885; Facebook.com/PolloChapin Guatemalan-style fried chicken, anyone? Family-owned Pollo Chapin operates out of a lowkey spot and offers affordable and accessible Guatemalan fare. Photo via GoogleMaps Credit: Photo via GoogleMaps
Peso 2547 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-974-6197; pesobardetroit.com Peso is known for using locally sourced ingredients and, also, for serving up some mighty powerful cocktails. This partially Latino-owned spot, which opened in 2019, offers a sophisticated yet refined menu of modern twists on Mexican classics like street corn, Jicama salad, tortas, and burritos. Oh, and they offer 20 types of margaritas. Photo via Peso Bar Detroit/Facebook
Pupuseria Y Restaurante Salvadoreño 3149 Livernois, Detroit; 313-899-4020; Facebook.com/PupuseriaYRestauraneSalvadoreño For a taste of El Salvador, look no further than this casual pupuseria, specializing in the pupusa, which just so happens to be El Salvador’s national dish. For the uninitiated, a pupusa is a thick, soft corn tortilla stuffed with everything from beef, pork, beans, and cheese, and is served with a fermented cabbage relish. Pupuseria Y Restaurante Saladoreño is one of Southwest Detroit’s best kept secrets as it is tucked off the street and is not located on the main drag of Vernor Highway or in the Mexicantown district. Photo via
La Terraza 8445 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-843-1433; laterrazadetroit.com Opened around 2006 by Israel Rocha, who moved to Detroit from Jalisco in the 1980s, La Terraza — which translates to “terrace” — offers regional favorites, with a focus on Mexican seafood dishes. Photo via GoogleMaps

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