Detroit: Detroit 75 Kitchen Food Truck
We love good success stories . . . and this one is definitely that! We know that any food or restaurant venture entails a lot of hard work and dedication. Nothing shows that more than Detroit 75 Kitchen. Opened in 2014, by 2 brothers Mike & Ahmad Nassar, in the parking lot of their family’s truck stop not far from the Ambassador bridge. Detroit Kitchen 75 is a must visit destination in the Detroit food scene. They were named as one of the top 3 food trucks in Detroit in 2017 by ThreeBestRated.com and one of the top 100 places to eat in 2019 by Us Weekly magazine. We figured they must be doing something right. After trying their food, we agree that they are!
THE OWNERS: Mike (the culinary genius) and Ahmad (the visionary) are the perfect ingredients for success. Here are their bios right from their website:
“ Chef Mike, born in Beirut, Lebanon, and arriving in the States as a teenager, Mike was inspired by his mother’s love of middle-eastern cooking and the multicultural flavors of Southwest Detroit. His first job in America was in the kitchen, working as a dishwasher. Today, people wait in line at Detroit 75 Kitchen, certainly for the food, but often equally to meet Mike at the kitchen counter, the warm-hearted, self-taught, award-winning Chef turned social media star. Chef Mike doesn't favor the frivolous. Flavor and consistency are paramount. His menu isn't large, but everything on it is made from scratch and worked then reworked until it is perfect. Mike is often heard saying to his team, “The people should be knocked on their ass when they are done eating.”
“Ahmad was on his way to medical school, like many other children of immigrants, but his entrepreneurial spirit and devotion to being part of the ongoing revitalization of Detroit compelled him to take a sharp turn in his career. Ahmad is passionate about business and building brands that stand the test of time. He decided to earn degrees from multiple universities including an MBA from Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a specialized degree in entrepreneurship from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. If you ask Ahmad, he will tell you that when he and his brother started out, nobody gave them any chance of success. Today, with Mike in the kitchen and Ahmad managing the creative direction and growth strategy, the brothers are well on their way to building the most iconic hospitality brand to ever come out of Detroit.”
Detroit 75 Kitchen has received numerous awards and has been featured nationally on several occasions. However, if you ask Chef Mike, the accolades mean nothing if the food and guest experience isn’t perfect every single time.
LETS TALK ABOUT THE FOOD: The menu is not too large, but has something for everyone’s taste, and everything is scratch made. It consists of 6 sandwiches, 2 types of chicken shawarma sandwiches, chicken tenders, lobster crab & shrimp empanadas, an “elevated” fattoush salad, BBQ chicken eggrolls, hickory smoked chicken wings and fries (garlic cilantro fries, cajun or just plain salted) all are served with roasted jalapeno ketchup and don’t forget the fresh, ice-cold strawberry lemonade.
We have been there a few times. We have had the 3rd Street Cheese Steak with an order of Garlic Cilantro fries . . . and yes it was enough for the 2 of us. The cheesesteak is a delicious combination of beef, peppers, onions and mushrooms cooked to perfection and served on a delicious sesame seed hoagie roll with lettuce, tomato, sweet pickled jalapeno, Swiss and provolone cheese and topped with a house made vinaigrette. The garlic cilantro fries are fresh cut and the roasted jalapeno ketchup made me reconsider my “no ketchup on fries” stance. They also sell it by the bottle. Another time we tried the Shrimp Po’Boy and Vernor Chicken Shawarma with Cajun fries. The sandwiches were delicious and the fries were good but not as good as the garlic, cilantro fries.
There are 2 words that best described our experiences: Absolutely Fantastic! The food was delicious, the vibe was cool with an outdoor patio with plenty of seating. You can order ahead online but I think if you are eating there it is better to order when you get there. It doesn’t take long to get your food and it will be nice and fresh.
Detroit 75 Kitchen is located at 4800 W Fort Street between Junction and Clark in the parking lot of the Shell Gas Station and right next to the Detroit Firehouse Engine 27. Here’s the kicker: they are only open Monday – Friday (10-6 M-T and 10 – 8 on Friday) they are closed on the weekends. I promise it will be worth fitting it into your schedule during the week.
They are also in the works to open a full service brick and mortar location sometime this summer in Troy on 14 Mile near I-75.
Until next week . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker