TacosNearYou

Mexicantown and the Michigan Taco

Michigan's taco history runs through southwest Detroit, where Mexican families settled around auto and rail work from the 1920s and built the neighbourhood now known as Mexicantown.

Michigan: 983 taco venues on record across 310 cities, 163 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 57% independent.

Taco cities in Michigan: all 310 of them

Southwest Detroit — Bagley and Vernor — is the historic core; Grand Rapids, Holland and Pontiac have their own long-established communities.

Showing the 30 busiest of 310 Michigan cities on record.

What Michigan does differently

Old-line Mexicantown restaurants alongside newer taquerias; the neighbourhood supports both.

Styles with venues documented in Michigan, most-recorded first:

Michigan is independent country

Michigan is independent-leaning — 57% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.

Taco shop 820Taqueria 136Truck 24Stand 2Birrieria 1
  • 57% independent (565 of 983)
  • 82% close at 11pm or later (156 of the 191 with hours on record)
  • 68 have a drive-through
  • 4 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
  • 17 have outdoor seating

The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in Michigan

Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.

  1. 1Arriba! TaqueriaTaqueria · 2112 South Cleveland AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  2. 2Catrina's TaqueriaTaqueria · 23019 West Outer DriveSee hoursCallDirections
  3. 3Chela's Restaurant & TaqueriaTaqueria · 693 South Maple RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  4. 4El Paraiso TaqueriaTaqueria · 604 Broadway StreetSee hoursCallDirections
  5. 5El Tapatio TaqueriaTaqueria · 3045 Carpenter RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  6. 6La Torre TaqueriaTaqueria · 1525 Washtenaw AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  7. 7Mari's TaqueriaTaqueria · 3418 Pleasant Grove RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  8. 8Mezkla TaqueriaTaqueria · 64 West 8th StreetSee hoursCallDirections
  9. 9MI Vallarta Speedy Mexican TaqueriaTaqueria · 1006 West Main StreetSee hoursCallDirections
  10. 10Mimi's TaqueriaTaqueria · 2070 J Maddy ParkwaySee hoursCallDirections
  11. 11Que Pasa TaqueriaTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  12. 12Restaurant Taqueria El ChaparritoTaqueria · 4832 West Saginaw HighwaySee hoursCallDirections
  13. 13TAQ Taqueria Restaurant & BarTaqueria · 120 East Liberty StreetSee hoursCallDirections
  14. 14Taqueria La MarquezaTaqueria · 1396 East Michigan AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  15. 15Taqueria Los CharrosTaqueria · 4090 Dix HighwaySee hoursCallDirections
  16. 16Taqueria Nuestra FamiliaTaqueria · 7620 West Vernor HighwaySee hoursCallDirections
  17. 17Taqueria San FranciscoTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  18. 18The Taco Stand TaqueriaTaqueria · 3 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  19. 19Tmaz TaqueriaTaqueria · 3182;3184 Packard RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  20. 20The Mobile CraveTruck · 131 Marshall StreetSee hoursCallDirections

Tacos in Michigan: common questions

Which Michigan city has the most taco spots?

Detroit leads Michigan with 60 venues on record, followed by Grand Rapids and Lansing. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.

Are most tacos in Michigan from chains or independents?

43% of the 983 Michigan venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 565 independents. 163 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.

Where can I get tacos late at night in Michigan?

Of the 191 Michigan venues with opening hours on record, 156 (82%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.

What kind of tacos is Michigan known for?

Old-line Mexicantown restaurants alongside newer taquerias; the neighbourhood supports both.

Which taco styles are documented in Michigan?

Crispy Rolled Tacos (3). These are counts of venues where the style is on record, so they undercount rather than overcount.

Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.