41 excellent restaurants in Southwest Detroit

By Metro Times editorial staff on Fri, Jul 6, 2018 at 7:55 pm

Southwest Detroit is known for its outstanding Mexican fare, but there's actually a lot of range in this lively Detroit neighborhood. From deeply flavorful Puerto Rican mofongo to greasy spoon sliders to all the best tacos, here are some of the top restaurants Southwest offers.

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Taqueria El Rey
4730 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-357-3094; taqueria-elrey.com
El Rey (The King) is arguably such. The key here is the marriage of succulent meat; the charcoal and smoke; and the compelling 10-spice adobo blend.
Photo MT file.

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Taquaria Mi Pueblo
7278 Dix St., Detroit; 313-841-3315; mipueblorestaurant.com
Southwest Detroit’s Mi Pueblo long ago established itself as one of the town’s go to spots for Mexican fare. Their guajillo spiced tortilla soup is a must taste.
Photo via Instagram, @thefoodiedentist

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Pupuseria y Restaurante Salvadoreno
3149 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-899-4155
The pupusa — the Salvadoran national dish and excellent street food — is the reason folks stop at this unassuming former auto shop. It consists of rice flour dough discs filled with chopped pork, cheese, beans, zucchini, or other vegetables. Also try the plantains.
Photo via Instagram, @mightyinthemitten

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Pollos Los Gallos
7170 Dix St., Detroit; 313-758-9757
Los Gallos’ birds are some of Southwest’s smokiest, and it’s easy to see why when approaching the humble building that sits across from a shipping yard on Dix. Owner Ricardo Hernandez slow-cooks his chicken on an outdoor, open air grilling porch holding several huge grills.
Photo MT file.

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Antojitos El Catracho
4627 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-209-4815; antojitoselcatracho.us
Honduran food is one of the world's most underrated cuisines. This is where to find it in Southwest.
Photo MT file.

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El Barzon
3710 Junction St., Detroit; 313-894-2070; elbarzonrestaurant.com
This high-end fusion eatery mixes Mexican and Italian fare. So, mole poblano and flan coexist happily with saltimbocca and tiramisu.
Courtesy photo

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Flowers of Vietnam
4430 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-554-2085; flowersofvietnam.com
Tucked inside the former Vernor Coney Island, this Vietnamese eatery's dishes are garnering national attention.
Photo via flowersofvietnam.com

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El Caribeno
8065 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-728-6764M
El Caribeño offers up a taste of authentic Puerto Rican fare that's a rare treat in Detroit.
Photo via Instagram, @slickeats

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Xochimilco
2409 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-0179 Look to this go-to Mexican restaurant that serves affordable burritos and other standards until late in the evening.
Photo via Instagram, @ayyjennay

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El Asador
1312 Springwells St., Detroit; 313-297-2360; elasadordetroit.com
A sophisticated steak and seafood joint with fancy sauces. Diners can choose rib-eye, New York cut, aged sirloin, squid, scallops or mussels, none of which is common in the neighborhood. Lobster quesadillas, anyone?
Photo by Rob Widdis.

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Mexican Village Restaurant
2600 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-237-0333; mexicanvillagefood.com
If hefty portions are what you’re after, look no further than this Southwest favorite. Photo via Google, user Tisha Doakes

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La Noria Bistro
5517 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-338-3545; la-noria-bistro.business.site
The folks who brought Mex-Italian fusion to southwest via El Barzon are also behind La Noria Bistro. Similar concept, lower prices, lots of pizza, and a more accessible menu.
Photo via MT file.

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Duly’s Place
5458 W Vernor Hwy, Detroit; 313-544-3076
Founded in 1921 by Duly Seit, this 24-hour Coney Island has attracted both local Detroiters and the late CNN host Anthony Bourdain as part of his Parts Unknown: Detroit special. The national praise is well-deserved and should be sampled when doing a Detroit coney stroll.
Photo via Instagram, @iconticprime

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Evie’s Tamales
3454 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-5056
Situated in a dense strip of Bagley Avenue in Mexicantown, Evie's Tamales has been serving its cornhusk-wrapped tamales for over three decades. Their 99 cent breakfast burrito is no joke.
Photo via Yelp, Kathy H.

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El Club Pizza
4114 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-279-7382; elclubdetroit.com
The former Pepe-Z pizza is now El Club Pizza. Located in the music and art venue, El Club Pizza offers up light pies that include vegan options and the MC5 or the “Meat City 5.”
Photo by Sarah Rahal

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Telway Burgers
6820 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-843-2146
This seven-seat burger joint is the dive of late-night dinner-fare: Small and cramped; it has an attitudinal waitstaff and a smattering of gossipy regulars. Still, the food's consistently good, and occasionally great -- though most people come for the burgers, the chicken sandwiches are the piece de resistance. To top it off, the fare is wonderfully inexpensive.
Photo via Yelp, Brian Ambrozy

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El Rey De Las Arepas
7701 McGraw St., Detroit; 313-307-2210
An unassuming Venezuelan eatery. Known for their arepas — the Venezuelan version of the empanada (or samosa or pasty). It's ground corn flour shaped into a circle, grilled, split like a biscuit, then filled with whatever you like.
Photo by Rob Widdis.
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Fist OF Curry
2547 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-265-3325; huronroom.com
Formerlly the Huron Room, owners did a 180 and flipped the concept overnight to a more ecclectic spicy, curry-centric menu.
Photo MT file.
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Los Corrales
2244 Junction St., Detroit; 313-849-3196; loscorralesrestaurant.com
Finding a satisfying meal at these places off the beaten path is a thrill. Los Corrales is one of them. The atmosphere is warm and laid-back. Los Corrales offers fare from all over Mexico. You’ll find chiles rellenos as well as chimichangas, but an emphasis on seafood dishes such as ceviche. Finish it all off with a horchata.
Photo via Foursquare, Al P.
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Mikes Famous Ham Place
3700 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-894-6922
A family-owned diner-style eatery known for their “off-the-bone” goodness when it comes to their many ham dishes.
Photo via Facebook
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41 excellent restaurants in Southwest Detroit

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