3 days ago
A Taco Bar With Michelin-Starred Muscle Heads to Grosse Pointe Woods
is the James Beard Award-winning regional editor for Eater's Midwest region, and in charge of coverage in Chicago, Detroit, and the Twin Cities. He's a native Chicagoan and has been with Eater since 2014.
The team behind Lola's Taco Bar knows they're not reinventing the wheel. A fast-casual restaurant serving tacos and cocktails isn't new to metro Detroit. However, the four folks behind the new Grosse Pointe Woods restaurant, slated to open in September, have worked at big-time restaurants in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, accruing more than 100 years of experience, including time spent at Michelin-starred restaurants like Alinea in Chicago and Rebelle in New York.
With all that talent, it shouldn't be surprising that they're serving a taco with rotisserie chicken. Branden McRill says his crew discovered a proprietary rotisserie system left in the kitchen by the previous tenant, Boston Market. It was chef Brandon Zarb's idea to offer up the special, along with warm tortillas, pickled veggies, and guacamole as a family combo.
It's this type of thinking that will make Lola's stand apart from other taco spots in metro Detroit, McRill says. While the restaurant is primarily counter service, customers will get check-ins from staff, leaving open the option to add drinks or more food to a ticket while seated without engaging a QR code.
'We're going to use fresh-squeezed lime juice and good tequila,' McRill adds. 'We'll also make an affordable margarita.'
Accessibility is a key ingredient for McRill. The plan is to open multiple locations serving al pastor tacos shaved from a trompo. Lola's will offer vegan and vegetarian options, and build-your-own bowls and burritos. They're still debating on what tortillas to use; McRill says they're leaning toward flour.
Each of the four main team members brings a unique skillset, says McRill, a native of Grosse Point who has cooked around the country. He met his life partner, Mel Fuechtmann in 2012 while working at Pearl and Ash in New York City. Fuechtmann was also general manager at Rebelle. McRill and Zarb met while in Chicago, where they both worked with Paul Kahan's One Off Hospitality Group. Though they weren't colleagues, they knew each other. They became reacquainted through social media, with McRill scrolling his Instagram feed and looking at Zarb's food pictures. Zarb helped launch Chicago's influential Big Star taco bar, and was also a chef at Working Class Outlaws restaurants Public House, which closed earlier this year, and Imperial (the latter of which is also a cocktail and taco bar). Like Big Star, they'll offer a patio with room for 24. McRill says there'll be room for 50 inside. Design firm AvroKO is working on the project, collaborating with Tury Design.
Finally, Niko Moschouris brings experience in scaling restaurants, opening several Subway locations. He's also a member of the board of directors at the Detroit Wing Co. and Beyond Juicery + Eatery.
McRill hopes Lola's can debut after Labor Day. Check back later for more info.
Lola's Taco Bar, 20195 Mack Avenue in Grosse Point, planned for an early September opening.
