Customers Find Authentic Food and Big Savings at Local Taquerias
Posted: 04.07.2010
There are many well-known establishments in the Southwest Detroit Mexican restaurant scene. Mexican Village, Los Galanes, Xochimilco, El Zocalo, Armando’s, to name a few. But say you’re feeling adventurous and want to explore cuisine off the beaten path- I invite you to consider two of Southwest Detroit’s lesser-know haunts: La Mexicana and La Barca.
Located at the corner on West Vernor and Springwells (7934 W. Vernor Hwy.), La Mexicana serves as bona fide a taco as you will find north of U.S/Mexican border. Customers belly up to the 16 seat bar and order off an extremely limited, exclusively taco menu. Service is exceptional. Segregated mounds of meat stay hot on the flatiron grill. Don’t expect your food to take more than 3 minutes to arrive (5 tops if all 16 seats are filled). Customers with less-adventurous palette can order from a very short list: asada (steak), chorizo, (ground pork sausage), and pastor (pork). The rest of the menu is comprised of more “exotic” parts of the bovine, including cabeza (head), lengua (tongue), mejilla (cheek), and tripe (stomach). Beware that even the most subtle inquiry about any of these meats will almost certainly result in a heaping free sample (whether you want it or not). Corn tortillas are dipped in an oil/onion mixture and browned with flavored drippings from the meat. Want rice and beans? Sorry. The tacos are served with limes, radishes, and your choice of rojo or verde salsas only. Save the radishes for the end of the meal. They become an extremely functional vegetable in a taqueria that doesn’t offer utensils. All tacos are $1.50.
Want the same authenticity but a more diverse menu? Try La Barca (The Boat) located at 1220 Lawndale. While you shouldn’t expect any kind of aquatic theme, you can expect two delightful dishes from the sea: Tostada de Ceviche ($2.00) or Salchipulpos ($3.99), a dish featuring hotdogs cut into the shape of octopi and served on a bed of french fries. Other noteworthy menu items include the Super Burrito ($6.50), so hearty it can feed the Fuerzas Armadas de Mexico, and the Mexican Hamburger ($5.50), piled high with pineapple, jalapeños, avocado, bacon, and cheese. La Barca also offers the standard taqueria fare: tacos, quesadillas, tostadas and more.
Both taquerias accept all major credit cards.
For a complete restaurant Listing go to www.savorsouthwestdetroit.com
