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El Arbol

4.3 (202 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

El Arbol Photos

Business Info

EL ARBOL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - El Arbol

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Happy Hour- Simple Margarita- on the rocks
Jacqueline S.

Went downtown for music and stopped in for happy hour. Pretty place, lively art colorful signs. The servers are friendly and happy to suggest food choices. The Brussel tacos $5 are great, enjoyed chicken enchiladas $15 and corn battered bites- chorizo hush puppies $5. Enjoyed happy hour: carne assda, 2 Baja fish, crab cake taco $5-6 each.Easy to share food, small bites. Large menu. Downstairs is nice, street level, a bit darker. Upstairs has windows that overlook the street. Good place for groups & families. Brighton can get expensive for meals, so we appreciated the "tapas" small bites, fun to share. Our meal for 3 was $75 including 3 drinks and we all enjoyed it. A favorite place of our local friends

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

The Brussel sprout tacos are a must. Great food and drink menu. The service is on point.

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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

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3 years ago

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

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Jezebel's Saloon - inside view

Jezebel's Saloon

3.9(47 reviews)
0.0 mi

Such a great place!! Stopped in on a whim. Everything from the decor to the service to the…read morefood/drink was FANTASTIC. Such a cool concept with a fun country bar vibe. 100% will be back.

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.

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Jezebel's Saloon
Jezebel's Saloon
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Bourbons - Crispy seafood platter

Bourbons

4.1(364 reviews)
0.2 mi
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A spontaneous happy trip with a 2 and 4 year old is not for the faint of heart, but Bourbons gave…read moreus the absolute best service. The entire staff was helpful, but the MVP was the hostess who supplied us with lollipops and helped to move all of our stuff to a booth when one became available. The entire table LOVED the truffle fries. I'll be thinking about those for a few days. The Nashville sliders were great too. We brought home a Smokehouse pizza. It was delicious at home, so I know it would be even better there. We are new to the area, and this was our first time stopping in. You already won us over! Thank you for your kindness and hospitality.

We recently dined here to celebrate my husband's birthday. The service was wonderful, and our…read moreserver was friendly and attentive. The menu offers a lot of delicious options, and both my husband and our friend loved the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. I ordered the Salmon, which was okay. The Spanish Coffee was one of the best I've had. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment was how my food allergies were handled. I had included my dietary restrictions in our reservation and also called the restaurant the night before to make sure they could accommodate me. I was reassured after they checked with the kitchen that most items on the menu could be modified to work within my restrictions. Based on that conversation, I felt comfortable keeping our reservation. Since we were dining with others for a birthday celebration, I had hoped the information from my reservation and phone call would have been communicated to our server so I wouldn't need to go through all of my restrictions again at the table. Instead, I had to explain everything during dinner. Because the restaurant is extremely loud and the tables are packed closely together, our server had to stand across the table from me, which meant having to discuss my allergies loudly in front of our entire party and the surrounding tables. It was an uncomfortable and awkward situation. What was most frustrating, however, was then being told that my options were essentially limited to a protein and green beans. This was a far cry from what I had been told the night before that the kitchen could modify most items on the menu to accommodate me. I completely understand that not every restaurant can accommodate every allergy or dietary restriction, and I don't expect them to. My concern is that I specifically called ahead for this reason and relied on the information I was given. Had I been told beforehand that my options would be so limited, we simply would have chosen another restaurant where I could enjoy a nice meal along with everyone else for my husband's birthday. For anyone dining with significant food allergies or restrictions, I would recommend getting very specific information about what can actually be accommodated before making a reservation.

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Bourbons - Vibrant, welcoming interior

Vibrant, welcoming interior

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

The Canopy Lounge

3.4(41 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!

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The Canopy Lounge
The Canopy Lounge - Tiramisu dip

Tiramisu dip

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Sidecar Slider Bar - Brighton - Sweet Potato Fries at Sidecar Slider Bar - Brighton

Sidecar Slider Bar - Brighton

3.5(42 reviews)
0.0 mi

Went for lunch on a Monday just before noon. The sign was up for please wait to be seated. After…read morestanding there for a while , a young girl passed, waved her arm, and said, just sit anywhere. We choose the brighter adjacent room. We waited for quite awhile for the server to deliver menus and take our drinks order, and then a very long time for her to return with a fountain drink and a water! On the plus side, she brought a cup of lemon wedges--which we did not want. She finally took our order and again we waited FOREVER for the food. My order was wrong--regular not pretzel bun and cheddar, not Swiss. Of course, she didn't return for a long time, and we needed to be somewhere, so I ate it. By the time she returned to see if everything was ok, it was almost gone! They did take $1 off the bill and offered that there was a new guy in the kitchen. I did not want to grow old waiting for a remake! They have disappointingly switched over to coated French fries. Their fries used to be good. These are not especially. All in all, it was a slightly unpleasant experience. I doubt we will be back soon. Seems there might be a staffing problem at this location--or a management problem. Regardless, there are plenty of other places where I can get a tiny overpriced hamburger made as ordered in less than an hour! If you go here--plan to spend some time (waiting)!

Located in downtown Brighton,this is a neighborhood bar serving Specialty Sliders and Hot Dogs…read morealong with Craft beers and Cocktails. Our server Rachel was very accommodating. They have an "Everyday Happy Hour," from 3-6 offering $7 Shareable appetizers and beer specials. We started with their Brussel Sprouts ,Cheese Curds,Pretzel bites and Pierogi apps. The sprouts were amazing! Topped with Bacon, Bleu cheese and a Balsamic reduction. Everyone in our party tried their beef sliders. The Smokehouse Slider was very good topped with pepper jack cheese,bbq sauce,onion ring and jalapeno. Most sliders cost under 6.00 . I would definitely go back to try more sliders and maybe one of their specialty hotdogs.

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Gaming Area and Dining Area at Sidecar Slider Bar - Brighton

Sidecar Slider Bar - Brighton - PB Slammin slider

PB Slammin slider

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El Arbol - mexican - Updated October 2026

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