Follow the scent of fresh pan dulce to Southwest Detroit, where Mexicantown has been the heart of the city’s Mexican community for a century. Along Bagley Street and Vernor Highway, family bakeries fill their cases with conchas and empanadas, taquerias press tortillas to order, and restaurants serve regional Mexican cooking that draws fans from across the metro area.
The neighborhood’s landmark is the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge and its welcoming plaza near the Ambassador Bridge, and Clark Park — with its outdoor hockey rink and tree-lined paths — gives the district a green living room. Murals splash color across building walls, and weekend afternoons bring families out for elotes, aguas frescas and mariachi on the sidewalks.
Plan to graze: start with pastries and Mexican hot chocolate, save room for tacos, and finish with churros. Visit Detroit’s guides to Southwest Detroit at visitdetroit.com list favorite stops.
