There’s a new top taco in town and it’s from an award-winning taqueria.
On Sunday, July 26, it was an afternoon tasting tacos from area taquerias competing for the top taco designation, as well as for sipping margaritas.
Devotees braved the heat and long lines for tacos and other fare at the 7th annual Detroit Taco Showdown at Detroit’s Eastern Market. Attendees watched vertical spits spin and sizzle layered with roasted pork as cooks deftly shaved the pork on to flat top grills. Crumbled steak, chicken and chorizo chopped also sizzled on grills, all to be topped onto thousands of corn tortillas.
More than a 1,500 tickets were sold for the event that brings together some of metro Detroit’s taquerias vying to be named the best.
In the end, in a bracket style competition, Tacos Wuey Detroit’s birria taco was deemed the winner of the 2026 Taco Showdown.
Eddie Vargas, a well-known Mexican chef and authority on Mexican cuisine, opened Tacos Wuey last summer in Southwest Detroit. In 2026, it was named the No. 2. Detroit Free Press/Chevy Detroit Best New Restaurant.
Tequila’s of Roseville took second place, El Taco Dojo came in third and Tacos Ame landed in fourth place. The Taco Stand, which has eight metro Detroit locations, was the People’s Choice winner. Named the best margarita was Tequila’s of Roseville.
Taco Showdown judges included Lyndsay C. Green, the Free Press’ award-winning dining critic, along with Fox 2 reporter and anchor Charlie Langton and Hour Magazine food critic Serena Maria Daniels.
Taco fans attending the event not only noshed on tacos, but also got to vote on their favorites. The annual event presented by Dine Drink Detroit also featured a Margarita Mix-off for the best margarita title. The crowd was also treated to performances by traditional Mexican folk dance group from Southwest Detroit dance company Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel and could take photos with lucha libre wrestlers.
Taking place indoors and outdoors at Eastern Market’s Shed 5, 11 metro Detroit taquerias showcased taco creations, from al pastor to chorizo to steak and even tandoori butter chicken for a chance at being named Detroit’s best taco.
Those attending got three taco samples from their choice of vendors and five margarita samples.
It was the first year attending for the Frasier family from Grosse Pointe Farms.
“We love tacos,” Lisa Frasier told the Free Press. “It was a long line to get in, but once we got in things move quicker.”
Tim Frasier said he came with an appetite.
“I didn’t think three tacos would be enough, but it was enough,” he said. “And the margarita’s were fun.”
Shaneice Holliday, of Detroit also was attending for the first time. She found the tacos to be plenty.
“It was more than I expected,” she said. “when you think of samples … these were good portions and filling.”
Taco Showdown organizer Scott Rutterbush, of Dine Drink Detroit, said while attendance doesn’t grow much because they are at the market’s capacity, new restaurants come on board after hearing about the event.
“We’re seeing more and more new restaurants like Taco Stand entered this year,” Rutterbush said. “They’re like ‘Oh yeah, we heard about that event.’” “So we’re reaching a broader audience, I think, than we ever had before because every year we do it, we just, we get new restaurants and we get a bigger audience.”
This year’s participants included these neighborhood food trucks and beloved taquerias:
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tacos Wuey Detroit’s taco earned the title at Detroit Taco Showdown
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
