Cancel

Open app

Search

El Arbol

4.3 (197 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

El Arbol Photos

Business Info

EL ARBOL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - El Arbol

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Maya C.

Definitely enjoyed El Arbol. The building is from a past era and is tastefully updated with a very cool vibe and even a great mural on the side of the building. It has character that adds to the experience. We had a fairly large group, we were seated upstairs where it is bright and more spacious than expected. The service was excellent! Very attentive and the food arrived quickly and accurately. The group ordered mostly the carne asada and the Al pastor tacos. It arrives mostly on the same tray and each person grabs their tacos. They were all Presented nicely with tasty toppings. Another person ordered the quesadilla and another ordered a rice bowl, I ordered the wet burrito. It was very big and was filled with a good amount of chicken and lots of rice, topped with queso. We ordered the chips and salsa and the chips and trio, this includes salsa, queso and guacamole. We requested the hot salsa as well. We enjoyed everything! We left full and satisfied. I would certainly eat here again. Great flavors! Quick side note, the prices are on the high side, chips and salsa are not complimentary and each item is ala cart. A side of rice and each salsa, jalapeños etc. gets pricey and when it's added to the tacos priced individually, the bill climbs quickly. Just something to take into consideration when planning an outing.

Stacy K.

this place was on my food bucket list since we have been visiting Brighton lately. We were here for a really fun Gilmore Girls weekend and I wanted to try their taco window. We ended up sitting outside for full service since it was easier to eat. Inside was a long wait, but it was extremely busy from the event, so I do not know how long the usual wait is. I got a Paloma, which was tasty. Not that strong, and not the best one I have had, but I would probably order it again. The kids had the themed Gilmore Girls mocktails which were fun and tasty. I love a good themed menu, but that was the only themed item they had besides the table nearby. Still, it was fun. We tried the elote street corn on the cob. I liked it, and would probably order it again. I do not know how authentic it was though. It had spicy mayo and not regular mayo and chopped tomatoes and onions. It was good, but authentic? Not sure. We also tried the chicharones. Those were good, not my favorite because I do not typically eat that kind, I like the meaty ones you get from the grocery store, but it was really good if you dipped it in the elote sauce. My husband had the quesadilla. There was a large upcharge for chicken. It also fell apart pretty easily and I am not sure he would order it again. The tacos, on the other hand, were delicious. I am still dreaming of the ones I ordered. I had the mahi fish taco. They put a nice amount of fish and tons of toppings. It was so amazing, filling, and had a wide range of flavors bringing all together in one shell. I also tried the Brussels sprouts taco, which was equally delicious and I would order again and again. My family also tried the steak, pork, and gringo tacos. I did not try them, but they all enjoyed. So the tacos here are amzing. What I do not like is the credit card upcharge. Places either want to go cash free or cash only and it is hard to keep up. I also do not love a place that does not offer complimentary chips, especially if a family of four is going to spend at least $100 on a meal. Do I want to come back? Yes, this place is worth going to more than once, I am dreaming of those tacos and could not stop raving about them.

View from street
Eid F.

First time here... I think the entire menu is ala carte (may have missed any combos plates), so chips and salsa or extra salsa for your meal is extra. I ordered 3 corn tacos and some Elote. The fish taco was so delicious... it was grilled perfectly, still juicy, still flaky, a little smoky a little salty. Loved it. I also had my go-to Al-pastor tacos, topped with pineapple... these were made with large juicy chunks of pork vs carved from a spit. They were great! Service was very friendly and fast. There is plenty of free parking around downtown Brighton. They have a small outdoor patio (not used because of the weather). The seating inside is a little tight, few medium sized tables downstairs and upstairs, also have single seating at the bar, and along the front window. Pretty cool side walk-up window to order food from the street.

Paul E.

Its been a while since I have been back at this restaurant and was prompted by a personal quest I have been on as of late to find the best and most authentic Mexican street taco's in the area. With that in mind I ended up ordering the El Pastor and Carne Asada taco's, both of which had a slight twist on a classic Mexican street taco. Relative to the El Pastor, it had doubled up corn tortilla's, Cilantro, white onions where the twist was pineapple which really was quite complementary to the other components and added a very nice sweet taste to the taco which was very tasty. The Carne Asada had the same doubled up Corn tortillas, nicely grilled Sirloin steak, , Salsa Roja and the twist being the roasted Poblano peppers and pickled onions, So so tasty! To wash the food down I got a classic Blanco Margarita on the rocks that was very well made, quite tasty in its own right and very reasonably priced at just $8. Relative to staff and the facility, the Staff was still as super friendly as I recall it being in the past where it is clearly one of the strengths of the restaurant. Since it was a beautiful summer day I opted to eat at their outdoor dining area just off Main Street enjoying the sights and sounds of downtown Brighton, sipping on my Margarita under an umbrella with a nice summer breeze blowing. Really a great great way to enjoy my meal and really a top shelf experience where these Margarita's go down so well on a warm day. Amazing! Overall this business makes excellent Mexican food and is not to be missed if you are in the area where I highly recommend their taco's which are top shelf.

Sherry W.

The chips & trio was perfect if you want salsa, guac, and queso. We got the Baja fish tacos, chorizo taco, shrimp taco, and carne asada taco. The tacos came loaded and were quite generous for street tacos. They were all pretty good but I didn't care for the fish tacos. They were pretty bland.

Enchiladas
Christy H.

First time here and will definitely return. Fun, cute Mexican vibe. Outside seating was available, but we chose to stay in the air-conditioning and seated upstairs. Menu is very reasonably priced, huge plus! Also portions are not enormous, which I prefer : ) perfect sizes ! Waiter was attentive and food was delivered quick. Margs were actually on the stronger side and better then most All of our food was excellent! Pork and pineapple taco was a favorite, chicken quesadilla was definitely one of the better ones I've had. Perfect portion, not sitting in juice, very tasty. My husband LOVED the enchiladas.

Rashmi R.

The food is always amazing, I love tht tacos and they are all sooo good I enjoy them every visit .. I have tried most of the items on their menu and I have to say everything tastes sooooo good ( vegetarian) .... The drinks too are refreshing:) The service is quick and good . The ambience s nice and relaxing Best spot to hangout after a nice good walk around the downtown.

Pork tamal
Cory C.

I like the upstairs dining area of this restaurant, which is decently spacious and quiet enough for good conversation with people at your table. It was warm and welcoming. Service was just okay - food was brought out pretty timely, but I didn't get water refilled during my meal. As for food: - Chips & trio (salsa, queso, guac) was good, especially the queso. Bummer that chips aren't complimentary like at many other Mexican places though. - The al pastor taco was incredible: tender, juicy pork seasoned perfectly, with pineapple on top to provide a sweet contrast. I got mine without onion and cilantro. Honestly, I wish I just got 3 of these! - Gringo taco (ground beef, chihuahua cheese, lettuce, pico) was okay, pretty run of the mill. Not sure how I feel about the tangy flavor of the chihuahua cheese - would've preferred a crema which is also tangy but not quite as much, and would be a good contrast to the acidity of the pico. - Appreciate that they use corn tortillas for the tacos, which were very good (and tasted fresh/homemade) - Sadly, my tamal wasn't great: the masa was crumbly and the pork was kind of dry/bland. The salsa verde was hotter than others I've had, so I'm glad they had the sweet salsa roja to balance it out. Pricing is on the higher end for tacos: it ranges from $3.50 for the gringo up to $6 for carne asada! Overall, this was a really good experience and I would come back for more al pastor tacos!

Mexican rice
Radhika R.

I came here for Dia des los Muertos. They did a great job sponsoring the event. This place is very cool. Authentic Mexican decor, beautiful murals and an adorable walk-up taco window. The tacos are spectacular, particularly the Brussels and nopales. Their Palomas are also amazing, as are the fruit infused tequilas. We had: chips and salsa, various tacos, fruity, spicy and blood orange Palomas. We ate lunch upstairs, then had drinks on the patio to enjoy the beautiful weather. I will return for more tacos and to try a few other Paloma flavors.

Clockwise from top left: Al pastor, chicken tinga, nopales (cactus) and Baja fish tacos. Favs were chicken tinga and fish!
Lisa J.

Quick service for lunch and the tacos had so much meat!! I will consider getting some chips and guac and just one taco next time! Al pastor was more sweet bbq so not my favorite because it was not what I'm used to. The chicken tinga was very good! My husband ordered the cactus (try it if you've never had it before but we have had better) and the Baja fish taco which was really good. Perfect place for a quick lunch!!

Liz P.

This place was fabulous. It was definitely similar to Imperial, in Ferndale, but with more convenient parking, on the street nearby. Some friends and I went here after shopping for a wedding dress for me nearby, in Howell - it's only about a ten-minute drive. We found street parking about a block away and there are also a few city lots nearby. I had horchata, a carne asada taco, and a Brussels sprouts taco. All were great but the carne asada had huge chunks of steak in it and pickled onions. My friends had the Brussels sprouts tacos, the mahi mahi taco, and the cactus taco, and enjoyed all of them. Tacos range from $4-6 and are small (corn tacos) but have a large amount of veggies and/or meat on them. The Al Pastor taco looked great too, may get that next time. Overall, was very pleased with this taqueria and will be back at some point.

Jamey M.

You can't beat this spot for lunch. My wife and I were in Brighton, MI for a wedding and absolved downtown Brighton. We popped in here for lunch and loved the tacos, Jicama slaw, and chicharrones.

Tacos
Ian M.

Best Mexican food in Metro Detroit and surrounding area. The staff were friendly and so helpful, especially with a kid under 2. Place and two floors, but was still on the more smaller chill side. They had really good guacamole and tacos were yum yum. Seems to love pickling a lot of stuff. All around loved it and they had excellent drinks!! Small thing - Summer 2023 - construction craziness - so keep that in mind.

Brussel sprout tacos

See all

1 year ago

Excellent tacos, cool vibe, and plenty of tasty tequilas. Chicharrones were heckin loud

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

El arbol has Amazing food and quick friendly service. Everything is fresh and delicious!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of F C.
10
179
89

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of B G.
1
55
22

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of M M.
0
48
37

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Cute little place. Sat at the bar. Good tacos. Serve my favorite tequila. Good service.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lee F.
0
54
11

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

AMAZING! Love this place so much! We come here as much as possible. Brussels sprout tacos are amazing!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Not authentic. Definitely taking advantage of the culture and food. The food was ok but nothing to get excited about.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Shelby H.
78
116
39

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Joe C.
0
34
21

7 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Joe B.
690
1439
305

7 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Deb M.
854
513
1725

5 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 7
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Vegan tacos and amazing margaritas! Yummy food and great service even though they were busy when we went!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Thomas M.
15
15
21

3 years ago

The food was great, and the service was excellent. A group of 4 hungry hombres came away full and satisfied.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 2 of 5

Ask the Community - El Arbol

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Mexican 2,732 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Jezebel's Saloon - inside view

Jezebel's Saloon

4.0(45 reviews)
0.0 mi

The best ever! I had my husband's 70th Birthday party there last Saturday. The staff is amazing!!…read moreMichael did everything he could to make the party perfect! Great food and drinks !

Nice Western themed Bar/restaurant located on main St in Brighton. For my first visit here I…read moreordered "The Burger" which was a 1/2 lb signature cheese burger that came with lettuce, tomato and onion. The burger was well made, tasty and cooked to perfection. Having said that, if it had come with pickles it definitely would have amped up the flavor profile of this burger and made for a better sandwich in my opinion. Possibly something to keep in min d and ask for if you go the Burger route. Aside form the burger, I ordered an Old Fashioned with Makers Mark Bourbon as the base for my cocktail. The drink was well made and quite tasty and a deal at $11 in my opinion. Aside from the burger there were an assortment of food options that I would classify as Elevated Bar food bordering on a Bistro style Menu that looked very interesting. Nice! The bar itself has a dark vibe to it to go along with the Western accents making for a nice ambiance to enjoy your drink/food. Plenty of tables running along side their massive bar and numerous TV's scattered about to allow you to watch the big game. Staff is quite friendly with good follow up throughout the meal. Overall a nice place to enjoy a well made drink and grab a bite to it. Its central location in the business district is also another huge plus if you want to make an evening of it in downtown Brighton.

Photos
Jezebel's Saloon
Jezebel's Saloon - Nachos

Nachos

Jezebel's Saloon

See all

Bourbons - Crispy seafood platter

Bourbons

4.1(351 reviews)
0.2 mi
$$

Tyler M was a fantastic server, he was very funny and was great at his job! The food was JAW…read moreDROPPING and delicious. The kitchen was very fast and did a great job!!! Everyone was standing on business and we loved it. The ambiance was spectacular. Again, Tyler M was an amazing server!!! Keep it up guys!

Once again, Bourbons has hit it out of the park on service and food for my husband's birthday…read moredinner! Tyler was our server and boy howdy, he was 100% in all aspects of our experience! Great personality, efficient with drink refills and dishes clearing, and menu knowledge for great meal and drink suggestions!! My husband's filet was perfectly prepared, his Southern Smoked Old Fashioned was delicious, and my Southern Chicken Salad was beautiful and satisfying!!! He got a complimentary slice of Hummingbird Cake that is a delicious treat!! We had a guest with us visiting from NY, and she had such a great time!! One suggestion, have you ever considered any kind of sound dampening drapes or pads in the restaurant? We always have great meals but sometimes when you're at full capacity, it can be hard to hear the group or the server without multiple requests to repeat themselves, or a hand wave and a "we'll talk when we're at the car". Thank you Bourbons for giving my husband a fantastic and memorable birthday dinner!! We will definitely be back for more special meals!!!

Photos
Bourbons - Vibrant, welcoming interior

Vibrant, welcoming interior

Bourbons
Bourbons - Brown sugar & fig old fashioned

See all

Brown sugar & fig old fashioned

The Canopy Lounge - Charcuterie, board, prickly pear, margarita, and me!

The Canopy Lounge

3.5(40 reviews)
0.1 mi

What a hidden gem! Out of the way and attached to a liquor store, I was pleasantly surprised to…read morefind the atmosphere warm and "comfortably classy", and live music added to the vibe. Solan took such great care of us, A+ customer service!! Starting with a cocktail from the fall menu, I absolutely loved my Reese's Old Fashioned! Every dish we tried was delicious. The pan seared walleye was served over gnocchi in a lemon dill sauce - probably the walleye we have ever had, and the gnocchi was fantastic. The center cut blue cheese steak was cooked perfectly, the blue cheese paired so well with the candied bacon. All of desserts were great - crème brûlée, caramel mascarpone cheesecake, and the tiramisu dip - yummy!

The Canopy Lounge was introduced to us by friends who live in Brighton, and it's worth the trip up…read morefrom A2 to revisit! Located just outside of the main downtown area, the Canopy Lounge is hidden in the back of a parking lot. It's a well-kept secret, but one worth sharing. The ambiance is like a cozy sports bar with a rustic twist. There are several options for seating (high top tables, bar in the back, and a lounge-type area up front with a sofa and some easy chairs. We decided to sit in the lounge type area and took advantage of the happy hour specials. We did an order of mussels and fries for the adults, macaroni and cheese for the kiddos (one order split 2 ways, which was more than enough for them). Food was tasty and the happy hour drinks hit the spot all the way around. Our server did a fantastic job of making sure that our waters stayed filled and of bringing our food promptly. There were a number of interesting options on the menu, including venison chili and backstrap, as well as Korean BBQ duck. We bookmarked those to try for next time!

Photos
The Canopy Lounge
The Canopy Lounge - Tiramisu dip

Tiramisu dip

The Canopy Lounge - Drinks

See all

Drinks

Label Kitchen + Bar - Meatball sub with fries

Label Kitchen + Bar

3.4(168 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

Outside patio environment is wonderful, our service was great too. Will come back in the summer for…read moresure!

Let me start with that we have been to this location a number of times and normally have a good…read moreexperience. I hope that yesterday was an anomoly but I feel needs to be addressed. Our party of 6 arrived about 130 pm. The outdoor seating area was open and bustling. The indoor space was less than half full and we had no wait to get a seat except that no one was at the hostess station. The bartender did greet us and another group relatively quickly but this was the only thing that was quick this visit. Without going into great detail, we were seated for about 10 minutes before a waitress came to the table. We ordered drinks and it took almost 20 minutes for them to start to arrive and 30 minutes to get all 6 drinks. It took over an hour to get food and the entire visit was almost 2 1/2 hours. Mind you this is an upscale bar not a multicourse fine dining establishment. We were told that they were understaffed due to people not showing up but from what I could see they had 2 servers and a bar tender for about 15 active tables. Our waitress, while nice, was inattentive, often leaving us with empty drinks. The food was as good as we have come to expect as were the drinks when we could get them. I will say the chicken tenders my son ordered were over cooked but still tasty. Normally, I would rate this location as 4 stars but not this trip. Again, I hope this was just an off day but service like this again will result in losing our business going forward.

Photos
Label Kitchen + Bar
Label Kitchen + Bar - French onion soup

French onion soup

Label Kitchen + Bar - Here to see Rickett!

See all

Here to see Rickett!

El Arbol - mexican - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...