There’s no denying that great meals are enjoyed at traditional, full-service restaurants.
You know, the kind where a server ensures your water glass is never empty, and where the ambience and service are just as meaningful as the food on your plate.
But have you ever had a taco crafted with handmade tortillas and filled with ingredients grown from the garden of the same chef driving the taco truck it’s served out of? Or what about a slice of pizza, baked in 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven set at 900 degrees out of a family-owned truck? That’s all to say: Some of the best, most memorable dishes are delivered out of the window of food trucks run by metro Detroit’s most innovative chefs.
Southeast Michigan embraces these culinarians, with pockets of the region designated to food truck operators. Head to Downtown Street Eats in Cadillac Square for a daily food truck rally where more than 80 vehicles serve a range of cuisines during lunch from April to October. On Saturdays in Eastern Market, you can stop for bites of beignets or sandwiches piled high with layers of meat, West African staples or acai bowls while shopping for farm-fresh produce. And a handful of food trucks are often stationed at Belle Isle.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most beloved food trucks our region has to offer. Catch them while you can!
Antojitos
It’s been five years since Antojitos parked its truck on an empty lot at the corner of Bagley and Wabash in Southwest Detroit. The family-run truck became one of the earliest establishments to offer a dish that has become a staple at American taquerias — quesabirria, a tortilla dipped in consommé, stuffed with tender simmered beef and cheese and fried until the cheese is melty and tortilla crisp. At Antojitos, the quesabirria is served alongside a cup of consommé for dipping, with a heavy handful of diced fresh onion, chopped parsley and lime wedges for dressing the taco. The truck is only open on weekends, so — Taco Sunday, anyone?
2100 Bagley St., Detroit. 1313-854-5239
The Canteen at Midtown
There’s no shortage of food options at The Canteen at Midtown, near Hubbard and Evergreen in Dearborn. Inside, various vendors line the food hall. Try those viral sushi pops from Nami Sushi, or grab a Yemeni coffee from the organic café Qahwah House. Outside, a fleet of food trucks are parked in a spacious lot. At Parma, try pastas submerged in housemade pesto or marinara sauces, crispy fried chicken and waffles at The Chicken Coupe or Lebanese street food at Amo Sami’s Shawarma.
720 Town Center Drive, Dearborn. 313-922-2944; canteenatmidtown.com
Detroit 75 Kitchen
Arguably the mother of all Detroit food trucks, Detroit 75 has occupied the mobile food space for more than a decade. In 2014, brothers Mike and Ahmad Nassar began serving sandwiches and sides at their family’s truck stop in Southwest Detroit near I-75. The eatery has since become known for its punchy hand-cut cilantro fries, coated in garlic and cilantro, Detroit-style cheesesteaks and fish Fridays — try crispy catfish or haddock sandwiches, or fried perch and chips. In February, the duo expanded to open the first Detroit 75 brick-and-mortar location in Madison Heights, but never abandoned their wheels.
4800 West Fort St., Detroit. 313-843-3215; detroit75kitchen.com
El Borinquen
Many food trucks roll into town to provide a cuisine that is underrepresented. El Borinquen does just that, serving Puerto Rican cuisine in Southwest Detroit, where just one Puerto Rican brick-and-mortar has been known to lead the charge among the neighborhood’s many Mexican restaurants for years. The truck is permanently parked on a paved lot, serving crispy alcapurrias — earthy mashed plantains stuffed with salty ground beef and fried until dark brown just as they’re served on the island. There’s flavorful arroz con gandules or yellow rice with pigeon peas and steak sandwiches using fried plantains in place of bread slices. Enjoy your meal at one of the picnic tables anchored on the patio, where Puerto Rican flags fly high.
4409 Central St., Detroit. elborinquenfoodtruck.com
Nu Deli
Detroit is known for serving up great sandwiches. Most famous: The Reuben. Thick slices of beautifully marbled corned beef, funky Swiss cheese, umami sauerkraut and a sweet Russian or Thousand Island dressing sandwiched between slices of toasted rye. Nu Deli is known for great sandwiches with an Indian twist. Take the Nu Reuben, for example. The Nu approach elevates the main components of a traditional Reuben, substituting a pungent, mustard-based Indian cabbage slaw in place of sauerkraut, and chili mayonnaise as the dressing. The sandwich is then kissed on a tandoor grill. Each sandwich at Nu Deli takes this approach, for a fusion of Indian flavors and American favorites.
Visit thenudeli.com for locations; 248-885-0348.
Rollin Stone
Rollin Stone has a permanent restaurant in Brighton, but co-owners Jim and Dawn Combs started the business slinging pizzas out of their home kitchen nearly 20 years ago. They got their first wood-fired pizza truck on the road in 2012, and added a second five years later. Today, expect handmade, thin crust round pies topped with tomato rounds and basil, pepperoni, or chicken over a garlic cream sauce. Catch the truck anywhere between Brighton and Detroit.
Visit rollinstonepizza.com for locations.
Tacos Hernandez
In an area where Mexican cuisine leans toward the influence of Jalisco, Mexico, Tacos Hernandez works to introduce diners to true Tex-Mex. Owner Diana Gomez, an El Paso, Texas native with familial roots in Chihuahua, Mexico, prepares dishes inspired by her hometown, where Mexican food draws its flavors from Northern Mexico — also known as Norteño cuisine. Unlike the yellow corn-based tortillas in Jalisciense cooking, Tacos Hernandez delivers tacos and burritos wrapped in hand-pressed white corn or flour tortillas. On Fridays, Gomez parks the truck on Detroit’s east side at East Warren Community Kitchen, where she slings breakfast burritos and coffee from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The rest of the week, you’ll have to try to keep up, as she zips across metro Detroit delivering tacos filled with smoky brisket to guests at bookstores, breweries and block parties from Detroit to Bloomfield Hills.
Follow @tacoshernandezfoodtruck on Instagram for locations.
Un Deux Trois
There are countless coffee shops caffeinating working folk in downtown Detroit. But have you seen any handing over frothy lattes, iced teas or pastries from the window of a food truck? There’s only one that we can think of, and it’s parked just steps away from the doors of Hudson’s Detroit. From the team behind the moody Café Sous Terre in Midtown, Un Deux Trois builds upon the French café theme. Here, there are cappuccinos and flat whites that you can sweeten with French oaked vanilla syrup or seasonal flavors like fig bergamot or blackberry elderflower. There’s also Parisian hot chocolate and a grassy matcha. The truck is stationary, and open seven days a week.
1000 Nick Gilbert Way, Detroit. undeuxtroisdetroit.com
Waka
As Detroiters await the opening of Waka, a second restaurant from the team behind Baobab Fare coming to Eastern Market, there’s a convenient, brightly colored food truck traversing the city to offer a taste of the dishes to come. Serving East African street food inspired by husband-and-wife owners Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere’s native Burundi, Waka delivers African flavors in small bites. Try chapatis, or flatbreads filled with beef, chicken or eggplant and stewed beans or peas. Nosh on lamb skewers or savor bites of sweet plantains. This should hold you over until that brick and mortar opens its doors.
Follow @wakabybaobabfare on Instagram for locations.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 9 food trucks locals love in metro Detroit
Reporting by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
