Taqueria dynasty: one Jalisco family built southwest Detroit's taco map
DETROIT. One extended family from Arandas, in Jalisco, has shaped Detroit's taqueria scene for three decades. Adan Lopez arrived in the early 1980s and opened Taqueria Lupita's in 1995. Relatives branched out from there into Los Altos, La Palapa del Parian, Tequila's, Taqueria Mi Pueblo, Jordan's Family Restaurant and Vecino.
The model is informal. A family member learns the trade in one kitchen, then opens their own. It spread past blood relations too. Chef Eddie Vargas cooked with the family before he opened Tacos Wuey.
Those kitchens kept tacos de cabeza and al pastor going as Jalisco families settled in southwest Detroit through the 1990s. Vecino was named a James Beard semifinalist for best new restaurant in 2025.
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