Alley Taco

Would have received a high rating a few weeks ago; I had been grabbing a quick dinner here once a week or so. But they have apparently started «portioning» their food, so a chicken bowl now includes a bunch of rice and beans with a few shreds of chicken. I actually went back after taking out and inquired about the Great Depression-​esque amount of protein in my dinner and was dismissively told that’s the deal now… few grams of meat for $ 10. Oh, and they charge for condiments. I won’t be eating here anymore.

After some trouble finding the place, I realized it was that deli-​looking set-​up in the back of Marcus Market. Ordered 2 veggie burritos (1 for me and 1 for a friend), one fajita filling (peppers & onions) and one with seasonal root vegetables — they cost about $ 8 dollars if I recall correctly and came with chips and salsa. I had the root vegetable one — I liked it, but found that the flavor profiles weren’t quite what I was looking for… One review had said that this place was better than Lupita’s in Mexicantown… not from my experience. Nice to be able to grab Mexican food in Midtown, friendly staff, tasty food — just not what I was really looking for.

I’ve been here a handful of times when I come downtown and usually enjoy the food. However I have a big problem with the service.
I walked up to the counter to order when only 1 person was working, a middle aged african american male. I’ve bought cookies here before. There was a single cookie on the counter that I picked up to see if it was chocolate chip or oatmeal. The I noticed there was a whole basket of cookies off to the side. I went to grab a different cookie and he walks over to the counter. He said in a rude tone «how come every time you come here you grabbing stuff» I felt offended that he basically accused me of trying to steal something I was trying to purchase while I was standing at to counter waiting on him to come to the front to order.

I only downloaded Unilocal so I could write this review. This food was so good! I work in midtown and for some reason never even thought of having tacos here until yesterday and I am so glad I did. I’m also a huge fan of places that include chips and salsa with your meal. What a bonus.

Needed some detergent to do my laundry, so I came into the market. I find a taco place. BONUS! Really good, cheap tacos. They ARE greasy. But sometimes I like a little greasy pleasure. Worth the trip.

Samuel you are awesomeness and the tacos were magnificoso and scrumptious ALL at the same darn time!!! My Canadian and I will be visiting every single time we’re in the D!!! Your customer service truly «maximized the stakeholders experience» KEEP up the fabo hard work and THANK YOU for everything :-) :-) :-)

I was going to give three stars until the description for two included «meh» because that is exactly what I thought about the experience.
Simply, you can better tacos for less money at lots of other places in the area and it annoyed me that the people I went with kept saying it was, «soooo good,» when it was really just average. I had the 3 tacos, which had plenty of contents but not of quality taste, especially the chicken, which was dry. The pork by contrast had a lot of flavor but was extremely greasy.
Overall, it was fine, but I see no reason to go back.
Also. The menu has chorizo spelled as churizo, which ultimately says everything I’d need to know for overall authenticity and quality.

I hate when I have to go here at the end of my day… rude! They act like you know their inconsistent menu, gnarly, among other things. Today is my last day… the big guy that works there ruined it. If you are a young professional and actually somewhat care about customer service… the hell with this place! The slender guy that is usually there at least tries to be friendly. I get it, it’s cheap fast food… but really just be human at a minimum.

I called to see where is place was and when they said they were in the back of the liquor store, I was skeptic. very! I went in and order thinking it would not be that good… WAS I EVER WRONG!
The food is amazing, it taste like authenic mexican food. Its just… amazing great food. Like the tacos here are better than some of the ones in Mexicantown! You have to give this place a try! It may not look like a lot but the food is amazing!
FWI, the location is inside, in the back of Marcius Market I guess its a one stop shop lol

I got the garlic beef, steak and chicken fajita 3 tack meal for 3 of us and we all thoroughly enjoyed our food. I also got guacamole for my chips and it was good but it could of used a sprinkle of salt and lime. Over all it was a good experience. I was even able to grab my tequila from Marcus Market for tacos and tequila night !

I’m really only giving this place 1 star since I need to give it any to write a review…
I’ve been a member on Unilocal for almost 5 years now, I’ve only ever used it to see what was around me at the time and what people had to say about those places… This place has forced me to write my first review… I’ve eaten here about 5 times since it opened and every time the food has been different and not in a good way. $ 1 upcharge for steak which was essential ground beef… Once I found it amongst mountains of hard rice and undercooked beans in my burrito. This is not the first time that I’ve had rice this way form here either… I hate this place… I like to support local whenever possible but I can never overpay for anything from this place ever again.

From reading the reviews to Alley Taco it seems like people have had really good or bad experiences. I will say that I agree completely.
I’ve been to Alley Taco about 8 or 9 times. Every time, the chicken burrito I have gotten has been on point. The first time I went, I got a side of salsa, and when I took a bit it tasted like someone dumped club soda into it, clearly spoiled. I let it go, because the burrito I also got was fantastic. Didn’t have much of an issue until recently, I got a side of guac and found that it had already browned through most of the cup. Not like it’s not edible, but that’s not what you want to present to customers.
Multiple times I have ordered I have had to wait at least 20 minutes for a take out order regardless of how many people are in front of me. It seems like there’s one person working at all hours of the day, and not working that fast. Be careful if you want a quick lunch option.
All that being said. The chicken burrito with the chipotle sauce is the bees knees. The chipotle sauce is full of flavor and hot enough to add a kick to the burrito without lighting your mouth on fire. The rice is interesting, a yellow mixture but it adds to the seasoning on the chicken. I will continue to come back to the taco store in the back of the liquor store because of the burrito alone. Maybe they will fix everything else.

I went to Alley Taco a couple months back and got a chicken taco bowl. I am a pretty healthy eater so I took the bowl menu item with chicken, veggies, queso, cilantro and topped it with salsa and avocado. I skipped the rice to lessen the carbs. It was cheap and quick and you should check it out!
BTW — it’s in the back of Marcus’ Market.

Alley Taco is located in the back of Marcus’ Market in Midtown. I’m not even sure if there’s a real sign anyways.
Doesn’t matter because the food and service make up for it! My friend took me here for the first time yesterday to get an afternoon lunch/​snack. He’s always raving about Alley Taco so I was happy he took me somewhere that he loved so much. Prices here may make things *slightly* expensive, however. Nothing to make you walk out the door and shake your head, however!
A kind gentleman took our order just as others were starting to line up. He may have been the only one working (maybe another cook, who knows!) but what was awesome that he made everyone’s meal fresh and hot within 10 or so minutes.
My friend and I shared chips and salsa and a burrito (not sure what kind it was) but it was all incredibly fresh and delicious. The portion was actually enough for both of us to split and still have some left for later.
Detroit has many hidden gems and Alley Tacos is one of them! If you live on campus or just enjoying a beautiful day downtown, stop it and I promise you’ll be happy you did!

Marcus Market (the liquor store in which Alley Taco is housed) has been steadily making some much needed improvements. Getting rid of the dried out, sitting around all day greasy pizza and chicken and bringing in the tacos is one of those welcome improvements.
For quality, the food is on par with the many favorites of southwest Detroit, but the taste is quite different. Much saltier and greasier than one might expect, but very savory. Whether pork («marinated and cooked for 24 hours») or vegetarian (veggies or «root»), you will be surprised (in a good way).
The price is a little more than it’s worth (nachos + guacamole + sour cream = $ 10.50ish), but with precious few competitors in the area, and considering the quality, it’s a bullet I can swallow on a rare occasion.
Conveniently (as mentioned above), it’s housed in a liquor store with a decent selection, so one can knock out two birds with one stone.
Customer service is a bit lacking. It all depends on how high, happy, sleepy, or irritated the guys working behind the counter a feeling on any given day. I’ve had piss-​poor, great service, and everything in-​between. Never any mistakes though, so I suppose one cannot complain too much.
If you live in the area, give this place a try when you’re buying your booze.

Wanted a snack but not a full on dinner on a late Saturday afternoon. Saw this on a Unilocal search of the midtown area. It is located inside a grocery store. We actually walked by this grocery store contemplating if we should go in. We decided not and continuing walking. We soon realized that the restaurant is located inside the market. They really need a sign or something.
We both ordered a taco. 1 taco = $ 2. You can choose your protein. Takes a bit to make and they don’t sell drinks so browse the supermarket. They have a couple stools around the order area but you can also enjoy your food on the benches located outside the supermarket.
The taco was really good. It had a good amount of each ingredient. I would definitely come back here.
One problem I had was that they didn’t seem to have trash cans around.

So I was there a few minutes ago, and I just came back home with no food but a certain bitterness.
This hipster cashier was a total asshole. I just ordered a side of guacamole and a side of rice. When he brought them up, the rice was on top of the guacamole, but I still checked the guacamole, and I am glad I did. Half of it was brown: it was brown on the top, in the middle and in the end. So I came back and told him, which he answered «it’s still tasty».
Man, I don’t care, when I buy guacamole, it is supposed to be very fresh = all green, precisely because it turns brown pretty fast. So if you give me a guacamole aldready brown, guess how it’s gonna be in a few. I am a huge lover of guacamole, I almost eat some every day, and never EVER I have been given a brown guacamole when I just ordered it.
But that’s not the worth, not at all.
The guy’s reaction was absolutely inappropriate. After he said «it’s still tasty you know» (in a very condescending way) I asked if all of their guacamole was like that, which he answered yes, hence I asked to be refunded. He said «sure» with the most irritated face, typed on his filthy tablet computer (seriously dude, CLEAN THAT SHIT, it’s the first thing we see when we arrive at the bar, it’s supposed to be white but it’s covered with dirt, it’s gross), and handed me the money without even looking at me. Then, he went behind (where we can still see him though), threw the side of guacamole in the trash bin with anger, and sighed heavily so everyone could know how upset he was.
All the other customers looked at me, I felt extremely embarassed. Plus, he refunded me for the whole thing so I did not know if I could keep the rice or not. I finally decided to let it on the counter, so I was sure to not steal anything. If he did not show such a huge scorn and anger to me, I could have just asked. Man, I hope you’ll come here, because let me tell you that you obviously do not know how to behave properly for your job, and you need to get trained, or to quit if you’re unable to work on yourself. I worked many time in the food service industry, I know how it is, some people can make it and some just cannot.
It’s really sad because the first time I came I really enjoyed my experience despite the not really great food. It was the manager (or owner?) of Alley Taco who was at the bar, and he was SO sweet. We talked a bit while he made my order, it was really cool. The rice was good, the guacamole really basic (just guacamole and cilantro) but at least fresh so I ate it with my rice. Unfortunately the tacos were not great but I am vegan and he had to adapt so that might explain. If it was not for the sweet man who served me, I would not have spend my money there again (or tried, since I got refunded).
See, the service plays a lot. You just cannot treat your customers like that, especially if they are not being rude at all..

Detroit is known for their many hidden gems and Alley Taco is without a doubt one of our favorites. They are located in the back of Marcus Market and are known for their fast service and fresh, quality food. Tacos in the back of a market is what you will get at this spot!
You can get a variety of items for under $ 7, Burrito, Nachos, Quesadilla, Bowl or 3 Tacos. They also have Homemade guacamole, chips and salsa among many other yummy items. We personally recommend going with the 6 Tacos for $ 12. You can choose between a variety of meats or veggie and they come with onions, cilantro, pico and cheese (without pico and cheese $ 10).
As you walk through the doors of Marcus Market, you probably wouldn’t expect to find a delicious taco stand. Alley Taco is easy and laid back. If you want a drink, you can grab it from one of the coolers at the store and have it with your meal. Pick your order off a large chalkboard, pull up a stool and enjoy!

Pros: Fun neighborhood, and the tacos themselves tasted good. I ordered the steak tacos, barbacoa, and pork tacos.
Cons: Awful customer service: the guy working there took my order without looking at me, and then after seeing me standing there for several minutes, asked me if I wanted to order… I was dumbfounded, and then he clearly rushed back there to make the tacos. 15 minutes I waited and the tacos were colder than room temperature.
Overall, not worth the time.

Alley Taco has the street tacos you need.
My favorite item to order is the nachos with barbacoa and guac, they are so good, and under $ 10. Yes, you have to walk through a liquor store to get there, but I’m not sure what’s wrong with that… one stop shopping for to-​go tacos and craft beers. Plus, unlike most places in Midtown, there’s actually a parking lot, so you don’t have to scour the streets for parking or worry about getting a ticket. Lastly, they are super fast; you get fresh quality food just a couple minutes after ordering it. They sure know what they’re doing.