Rooted in tradition, Southwest Detroit honors generations of immigrant culture while welcoming a fresh wave…
Come for the food, stay for the culture. If you’ve got a craving for the most authentic Mexican food in Detroit, then there’s no better place to go than Mexicantown! The area is packed with family-run restaurants that have been community staples for generations.
Mexicantown is a small community within the wider Southwest Detroit neighborhood — which is also worth exploring at large if you love colorful murals, spacious parks, and unique grocery shops with hard-to-find ingredients.
The area especially comes alive in May, for the annual Cinco de Mayo parade, which is usually accompanied by live music, walking tours, restaurant crawls, traditional dancing, and a classic lowrider car show.
Outside of the beloved Cinco de Mayo celebrations, you can still find something to do in Southwest Detroit anytime of year. Clark Park is particularly worth visiting for walking trails, an outdoor ice rink, and its popular baseball diamond.
Just west of trendy Corktown and the impressive Michigan Central, you’ll find Southwest Detroit, and its enclave of Mexicantown.
Southwest Detroit’s history is complex and deeply rooted in its Mexican and Latino roots, as well as the other immigrant communities who shaped the neighborhood’s story over the years.
Mexican immigrants began moving into Southwest Detroit in the 1920s, and initially called the area La Bagley. Migration ramped up during World War II, when many Mexican farmworkers came to Detroit (and specifically, Southwest Detroit) to fulfill manual labor jobs that were left open by deployed soldiers.
Various immigration policy changes throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s led to further waves of Mexican and Central American immigrants, joining their families and neighbors in Southwest Detroit. This led to the area being dubbed Mexicantown in the late 1980s. The name stuck, and now many people use the labels Mexicantown and Southwest Detroit interchangeably, even though technically Mexicantown is a smaller subsection within Southwest Detroit.
Southwest Detroit is also home to other immigrant communities, notably Filipino and Vietnamese. Like other neighborhoods in Detroit, there are also European immigrant ties: Greek, Polish, Irish, Hungarian, Maltese, and more.
The diverse neighborhood of Southwest Detroit is reflected nowhere better than its food establishments, where you can rub shoulders with locals as well as other intrepid travelers. Some of the best things to do include:
You can reach Mexicantown and Southwest Detroit either by car, rideshare, or bus.
You can explore Southwest Detroit either by car or walking. The more condensed area of Mexicantown, east of Clark Park, is worth exploring on foot so that you can easily pop into restaurants and shops. It’s useful to have a car to explore the wider Southwest Detroit neighborhood because it’s more spread out.
There is plenty of street parking in Mexicantown. There’s a free lot along Bagley Street near Mexican Village, as well as other lots throughout the neighborhood. You can use the Park Detroit app to find available lots and metered parking.
Mexicantown is a 20 minute drive from Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), depending on traffic.
Rooted in tradition, Southwest Detroit honors generations of immigrant culture while welcoming a fresh wave…
Even though its exact borders may be a subject of debate, one thing is certain…
Will you be in Detroit for Cinco de Mayo this year? This is an exciting…
Detroit Auto Culture
The whole world knows it – Detroit is THE Motor City. From Henry Ford to…
Live Music
Aside from being known as the Motor City, Detroit is also commonly known as Motown…
Cruises & Tours
Whether you're exploring historic neighborhoods or the scenic waterfront, Detroit has something for everyone. From…
Family Fun
Looking for a family-friendly destination that's both fun and educational? Look no further than Detroit…