Cheap thrills

Salsa music is pumped through several speakers, fútbol is on flat screens around the room, and the tables are adorned with liter-sized bottles of Corona. Such is the scene inside Detroit's Taqueria El Nacimiento.

Situated on the north side of Vernor Highway about two miles west of the off-ramp for "Mexicantown," El Nacimiento's storefront blends in a bit with the other local businesses, but the giant gated parking lot stands out along the busy street side.

More festive than raffish, the interior glows from the televisions and the assorted neon signs hanging around the restaurant amid the assorted Mexican-themed decorations. A Good Humor chest freezer sits along the window to the open kitchen, and one can peer through to a mountain of Jarritos sodas available in every conceivable flavor. Locals wander in and out to pick up their carryout orders.

Order the salsa tray ($1 to $3) and you'll get a basket of corn chips with a trio of options for dipping: The pico de gallo is chunky and fresh; the guacamole is whipped to complete smoothness, which in this case doesn't make it any less delicious; and the brick-red salsa is as seductively smoky as it is spicy.

Inexpensive tacos ($1.25 to $1.75) and burritos ($4) are available with mostly the same fillings, a long list that demonstrates an embrace of every part of the animal. In addition to readily available options such as chicken or beef, diners can order tripas (beef stomach), cabeza (beef head), lengua (beef tongue), buche (pork stomach), or chorizo and egg, among others. 

The tacos and several of the other smaller menu items can also be ordered in multiples as a dinner platter. Tacos always arrive in a corn tortilla unless one asks for flour, and while neither is among the best that southwest Detroit has to offer, both options are entirely satisfactory. Tortas and burgers — a conspicuous offering notable only because they come with sour cream among the toppings — round out the less expensive portion of the menu, all at around $4 apiece.

Consider starting with a tostada or sope, especially if you're in the mood for a larger meal. The seafood tostada ($2) comes topped with a generous heap of tart, oniony ceviche. Sopes are available with a choice of several meats, and each comes topped with lettuce, tomato, and reassuringly uneven shreds of queso fresco. The shell for the sopes is dense and heavy — a knife is definitely helpful — but simultaneously flaky and not at all overcooked.

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