Fast and Affordable: Patch Dining Picks from South of the Border

Hungry for a spicier taste from beyond our Midwestern borders?

Troy has restaurants that serve up Mexican platters for most any wallet, from full-service traditional fare with adult beverages to drive-thru eateries that are anything but typical fast food.

While a Macomb County favorite for nearly 40 years, El Charro’s Restaurante Mexicano expanded west to a new location on Rochester Road, between Big Beaver and Wattles, in Troy.

“We fell in love with this building,” owner Lynn Martin Cacchione said. Cacchione is the daughter of the founding restaurateurs who runs the business with her three brothers Ed, Mark and Jeff Martin.

Having recently converted the space from an Arby’s Restaurant to an airy and well-decorated full-service sit-down dining room, the remaining drive-thru window allows commuters an opportunity to take meals home anytime.

Visitors can choose from combination platters -- ranging from $6.20-$10.65 -- or single items like El Charro's signature soft shell taco: a deep fried corn-masa shell with beef, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, for $3.65. The taco shell, which is both puffy and crunchy, is a treasured family tradition.

“I have a soft spot for that shell,” Cacchione said. “It was my mother’s recipe, and that’s what started it all.”

The establishment hopes to finalize a liquor license by this winter.

, at Long Lake and Rochester Roads, is another one Troy's newest eateries. The colorful painted inside and out of the eatery in bold hues, spices up what was formerly a Denny’s Restaurant. Its festive decor blots out any remnant of coffee and eggs and replaces it with margaritas and huevos rancheros.

Owner Silviano Arellano operated his business in Virginia Beach, Va., for 15 years before bringing his food north.

Frugal diners can scarf down a Speedy Gonzales (taco, enchilada and rice or beans, for $5.49) or come back for a leisurely dinner of Fajitas Vallarta (Mexican sausage, chicken and beef with bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, for $11.79), served with a Gulf of Mexico-sized 27-ounce Jumbo Texas Margarita.

Family-owned , on John R near E. Square Lake Road, is a small operation with big traditional taste. Though take-out is a large part of the business, La Botana also offers tables for dining. Featuring family recipes from Guanajuato, Mexico, diners can fill up on traditional favorites as well as satisfy a sweet tooth with homemade desserts including tres leches cake, flan or fried ice cream.

Offering affordable pared-down menus and cafeteria-style service, national chain restaurants like ; at Rochester and Big Beaver Roads; , at Crooks and Big Beaver Roads; or , at Rochester Road and South Boulevard; and , 1357 Coolidge, give guests an interactive experience. 

Customers can choose toppings and fillings and watch as servers pile them up on burritos, tacos and salads. Options include beans, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and olives. Hungry guests can top their beef, chicken and steak in enough ways to try something new nearly every time they visit. 

Some frequent diners stick to favorites, though. Sarah Ellero, of Royal Oak, works in Troy and goes to Chipotle during her lunch hour “because it’s quick, and they use fresh ingredients.” The chicken burrito bowl is her usual.

LaTosha Young, kitchen manager at Chipotle, said the dish is one of the most popular.

“We typically serve 150-200 lunch customers, and we sell more chicken bowls and chicken tacos than anything else.”