EM — or Employee Meal — is an homage to the staff meals that take place before service commences, which here means expertly-executed regional Mexican specialties. Owner Joe Bongiovanni brings flavors inspired by the Mexican chefs from his other businesses, Market North End next door to EM and O.W.L. in Royal Oak. Vibes are modern, but not too fancy, so as to attract locals. Order from the daily trompo — featuring different styles of meat each day — whole fried snapper, and Sinaloa-style aguachile, in addition to an impressive, agave-leaning cocktail menu.

Residents of Berkley can rejoice because they’ve got access to award-winning tacos and other Mexican specialties in an unexpected space. Chef Amado Lopez was named a semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category for the 2023 James Beard Awards for his work during the pandemic to transform the community’s Atomic Dog hot dog restaurant from fledgling diner to a pop-up operation, and eventually a full-time taqueria. The specialty here is braised meats, such as the pork braised in red chiles, as well as vegetarian and vegan options, like the mushroom taco or vegan beans and rice. Guests still thinking about those Atomic Dogs can reminisce while enjoying Amado’s Sonoran hot dogs topped with bacon, green chiles, and garnishes of pickled onion, jalapeño, and roasted chile sauce.

One of metro Detroit’s best-kept taqueria secrets is tucked inside a Mexican market in a strip mall off John R. Road. While most patrons go for the corn tacos that are served with the standard cilantro, onion, and lime accoutrements, the restaurant’s enormous tortas are some of the best sandwiches in town.

Mezcal Mexican Bar & Kitchen has quickly expanded its footprint in metro Detroit, with locations in Ferndale and more recently, Midtown. Diners can expect traditional carnitas, torres de mariscos, birria, and aguachile de ribeye at the Midtown spot, which is more of a fine-dining affair. Both locales carry a variety of tacos, as well as a huge selection of agave-based spirits.

Detroit has been a leader in the Midwest birria game for generations, but in 2021 Antojitos Southwest landed what is likely the city’s first birria-specific food truck at the intersection of Wabash and Bagley in Corktown. The operators focus on birria de res dishes, including quesabirria (with consomé for $1 extra, for dipping) and birria ramen, which combines the best of both worlds — a cup of noodles with broth and birria meat. Carne asada fries and drinks are also available. Be sure to bundle up as the truck often has a long line of fans.

It’s a supermarket with a bountiful butcher’s counter and house-made chicharrones. But La Jalisciense has also made a name for itself as a dining destination. The restaurant features standbys like tacos, quesadillas, and tortas, along with a decent breakfast menu with Mexican favorites like huevos rancheros, birria de chivo (goat), and a full-service bar. The multi-generational family-owned business also pays attention to the latest trends in Mexican cuisine. Recent specials have included a quesadilla made by hand with freshly-prepared masa and a michelada infused with house-made blueberry juice.

This Southwest Detroit dessert parlor that faces Clark Park is exceptionally popular on sunny days as families and kids stop in for scoops of ice cream, fruta loca cups loaded with choice of fruit and garnished with chile powder, chamoy, and a tamarind straw, and cream or water-based paletas made daily in house. Neveria La Michoacana also offers Mexican street food snacks like Dorilocos, refreshing aguas frescas, and strawberries and cream.

Everything that comes out of the kitchen of this humble cash-only spot is made with love. The slender burros are filled with tender guisado de res, its earthy red mole with chicken is rich in flavor, and during the 2022 Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, owners Carol and José Luis Durán developed a special green mole, which we’re hoping will make more frequent appearances.

Named after the highlands region of Jalisco, Los Altos offers a variety of shareable appetizers like queso flameado, guacamole, asada fries, as well tacos, tortas, gorditas, fajitas — all with diners’ choice of meats — seafood platters, and soothing caldos like birria and caldo de res. A full bar features cantaritos, micheladas, interesting takes on margaritas, and Mexican beers.

Mi Pueblo, a Detroit stalwart, started off years ago as an informal weekends-only taqueria in a house but has become a destination for its vast menu, friendly atmosphere, and colorful decor. Staples include weekend-only birria, pozole, and menudo, bountiful tortas, and house-made chicharrones served with red salsa.

This family-owned establishment is a Southwest neighborhood mainstay, not the least because it stays open late on weekends. True to the town of El Nacimiento, for which it’s named, the restaurant serves Mexican food in a family-friendly atmosphere. Strong cocktails, including enormous micheladas, also are served alongside options like ceviche-stuffed oysters, traditional breakfast specials, and whole fried fish.

The pastry institution is a destination for a quick breakfast snack and a coffee, or a special occasion. Load up on all manner of fresh pan dulces — seasonal pan de muerto available around Dia de los Muertos, chocolate-dipped orejas, gingerbread cochinitos, and more. 

This Southwest Detroit gem is great to splurge on a steak flavored with poblano pepper or savor a plate of grilled fish tacos. Reservations are not required, but highly recommended for indoor dining or for seating — parties of four or more — in one of the all-season, enclosed outdoor luminarias. Trays to go at this all-halal spot are perfect for large parties.

A mangonada, the treat that the shop is named after, is a chilled fruit drink comprising of mangos, chamoy, chile powder, and lime juice, but the shop also offers ice creams, aguas frescas, and Mexican street foods like Dorilocos. If you like sweet and decadent, take out the Gloria mangonada, which contains eggnog and sweetened milk. The fruit in the cup is as fresh as it gets. The sweet, spicy, and salty Mangonada Queen and Elote contains mangos, chile powder, lime and chamoy, with crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos.

For fine Mexican dining or a special occasion, head to La Terraza, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. La Terraza is known for its seafood, like tostadas topped with ceviche or shrimp, and its molcajete de mariscos filled with a mix of octopus, shellfish, and cucumber, all in a chile-lime marinade. The West Vernor Highway establishment is also popular for its birria as well as a full bar, and a stage that regularly hosts regional Mexican musical performances.

For a seafood paradise with nightclub vibes, Mariscos El Salpicon is the jam. The menu is inspired by the Mexican coastal Nayarit region, with specialties like the molcajete de mariscos that’s literally overflowing with citrusy shellfish, tostadas available with a variety of seafood toppings, spicy shrimp a la diabla, and equally huge cocktails and micheladas.

Downriver arguably has some of the state’s best Mexican food, thanks to the steady migration of Mexican Americans from Southwest Detroit to the suburbs. Chef Galindo serves up a specialty of his hometown of Mexico City: the torta. Served in big, flaky bolillo, the monstrous tortas are prepared in a dozen different varieties, including El Chapo — which comes with breaded chicken, pork, American cheese, queso Oaxaca, and pineapple. Other Mexican classics like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas are also available.