Southwest Detroit: El Asador

This week we are talking about the restaurant, El Asador which is a quaint little Mexican restaurant located on Springwells in Detroit’s Southwest neighborhood.

El Asador. What does it mean? Well, it depends on the context it is used in. For instance, as a cooking device, it can mean rotisserie, spit or grill. Or if talking about a person, it can mean grill master or chef. If you are talking about a restaurant, it can refer to a restaurant specializing in grilled meats, commonly called a grill house.

El Asador, as we know it today, opened its doors in 2014. It is all thanks to Chef Luis Garza, who came to the US in 1985. He started by working multiple jobs including construction and other labor jobs. In 1987 he began working at Ristorante di Modesta, before moving on to join the Andiamo family and eventually the Head Chef of Rojo Mexican Bistro in Novi. Like many great immigrant chefs, Garza, found his inspiration from his mother’s cooking. His regional inspirations come primarily from Puebla, Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, and the costal regions of Veracruz and Tamaulipas.

El Asador is located on Springwells, just off the I-75 Springwells exit, just under the railroad bridge. It is easy to miss. It’s not flashy and can easily be mistaken as a local dive bar. You can spot the building by the mural painted on the south facing wall called the “Deity of Southwest Detroit” which was painted in 2015 by Marka27 (Victor Qui?onez) , a renowned East Coast artist, you can see more of his work at www.marka27.com.

Inside the place is small and unassuming. Their decor is typical Mexican restaurant decor. They may seat 50 people tops, with additional 30-40 more outdoors when the weather is nice.

Garzas approach is simple. He believes good food is the main ingredient and it should be treated with awe and love. Everything is made from scratch, and since they don’t have a freezer, their shelf life is around 2 days from the day they receive it. They also use as much locally sourced ingredients as they can. For a small place they offer a large menu, featuring some truly authentic dishes.

El Asador does not have a liquor license, so they do not sell alcohol. However, they do allow you to bring in your own beer, wine and pre-mixed margaritas but no liquor. Conveniently, there is a liquor store right across the street.

The menu has a lot to offer, appetizers, soups, salads, classic and signature Entrees. We started with their fresh guacamole, which is prepared tableside, and an order of their Lobster Quesadilla made with sauteed lobster with their three cheese blend. Best guacamole ever!!!!

For Entrees we had:

The Ribeye Steak con Rajas which was topped with a Poblano pepper sauce

The Chile Relleno stuffed with ground beef and cheese blend and topped with tomato sauce and cotija cheese

The Mole de Gallina. If you have never tried Mole it is a dark rich sauce made with sesame seeds, ancho, pasilla and mulato peppers, with a hint of chocolate, peanut and spices.