The Backyard Carne Asada That’s Become an Industry Gathering Spot #DetroitFood

Where anyone can feast on thick-cut arrachera, sip on spicy micheladas, and chill with Detroit techno DJ sets every Monday night

The carne asada is shorthand for the quintessential Mexican American backyard barbecue.

It’s more than standing next to a grill and flipping burgers though. The carne asada is a way to close out a weekend of drinking and dancing, a chance for your friends or relatives to nurse their crudos in a safe space. It’s stopping by the local carniceria bright and early and ordering a big bag of carne arrachera. It’s hitting up the party store, picking up a 12-pack of Modelos or Coronas and a 10-pound bag of ice, and throwing them in a cooler. It’s setting up the perfect playlist with your perfect stereo equipment and not being outdone with the bangers by the neighbors on the next block over. It’s grilling green onions and tortillas until charred and crisp on the plancha alongside skirt steak marinated in a blend of spices, citrus juice, and a beer for good measure. It’s icy aguas frescas or fiery tequila shots.

The carne asada has taken on new meaning at Vecino, which every Monday night, opens its sprawling backyard in Midtown to serve as a chill backdrop, particularly for those who work in the restaurant industry and have the night off. While regular service at the modern Mexican restaurant offers an elegant representation of pre-Hispanic tradition — including what is believed to be Michigan’s only full-scale nixtamal masa program in a restaurant setting — Mondays are set aside for a more casual food and drink lineup.

The indoor dining room and bar are closed for service. Instead, pop into the well-manicured outdoor seating area through a wooden gate to the rear of the restaurant, where you’re likely to bump into local chefs, bartenders, and other service industry professionals out in the wild and ready to hang. To order, walk up to the outdoor bar and try a refreshing watermelon-infused margarita, an umami-rich and spicy michelada, a Vecino Mule made with your choice of tequila or smoky mezcal, or share a bucket of Modelos between friends. To eat, choose a plato of thick-cut carne asada marinated in orange and lime juices and beer for the table; a serving of elote — which here come out as flame-grilled corn ribs topped with the requisite mayo, parmesan cheese, queso fresco, and chile; or select from a lineup of Mission-style burritos or dogos — generously-sized Sonoran hot dogs.

Once your order is placed, pull up to a picnic table in the covered outdoor seating area adorned with twinkle lights and allow the sounds of one of the DJs on duty to take over your senses with an eclectic mix of Detroit-style techno.

For dessert, a variety of paletas are available. All that’s missing is the neighborhood paletero with his tricked-out ice cream cart.

Eater Detroit stopped by a recent carne asada night at Vecino to capture scenes of the food, drinks, and vibes.

Rosa Maria Zamarrón

from Eater Detroit - All