Two Detroit restaurants made The New York Times Restaurant List for 2026, the paper’s 50 favorite places to eat in America right now. Roses Fine Food, on the east side, and Tacos Wuey, in southwest Detroit, made a list built from 538 restaurants in 38 states.
The New York Times Restaurant List Detroit Picks at a Glance
| Roses Fine Food | 10551 E. Jefferson, east side. Owner Molly Mitchell. Polish-leaning menu |
| Tacos Wuey | 3970 W. Vernor, southwest Detroit. Chef Eddie Vargas. Birria and regional tacos |
| The list | 50 restaurants, unranked, chosen by 16 Times editors and reporters |
| The legwork | 538 restaurants visited in 38 states, every meal paid for |
Roses Fine Food, East Side
Molly Mitchell ran the original Rose’s Fine Food on East Jefferson for nine years, known for brunch, sandwiches, and house-made bread, before it closed in 2023. She reopened it in summer 2025 as Roses Fine Food, now a dinner spot. The Detroit News describes the 28-seat room as a circa-1964 space with green walls and pink and orange curtains, and the new menu draws on Mitchell’s Polish grandparents.
The Times noticed the shift. “The burger, which is served on slabs of sourdough and has long been a favorite, is now joined by pierogi, kluski and kielbasa on this more Polish-inflected menu,” Sara Bonisteel wrote. The Detroit News lists pickle martinis and pierogi with caviar among the draws.
The national nod lands on top of a strong local year. The Detroit Free Press named Roses its Restaurant of the Year in February, and The Detroit News gave it three stars. Even so, Mitchell told WXYZ the Times pick came as a surprise, because the paper does not tell restaurants what its visits are for.
Tacos Wuey, Southwest Detroit
Eddie Vargas opened Tacos Wuey on West Vernor in July 2025. His family’s taqueria roots run back to Jalisco, Mexico, and birria made from family recipes sits at the center of the menu.
For the Times, Brett Anderson wrote that the menu “reflects Mexican cuisine’s often idiosyncratic evolution on U.S. soil.” Vargas told WXYZ he was “honored, humbled” by the pick and thanked the people who followed the restaurant from the start.
How the Times Picked the 50
The list is unranked, and restaurants from earlier editions were not eligible. Sixteen Times editors and reporters spent the year eating across the country, paying for every meal so their experience matched what a regular customer gets. They visited 538 restaurants in 38 states to land on 50.
It is the second time in two months the Times has pointed at Detroit food. In August, the paper named Vecino in Midtown one of the greatest Mexican restaurants in the country. With the Michelin Guide coming to Detroit and its first stars set to be announced April 21, 2027, at Michigan Central, the city’s dining scene is drawing more outside attention than it has in years.
Plan Your Visit
Roses Fine Food has only 28 seats, so plan ahead for dinner, especially after a week like this one. Check both restaurants on Instagram for current hours before you go. For more spots to try, see our running list of new restaurants in Detroit.
FAQ
Which Detroit restaurants made The New York Times Restaurant List 2026?
Roses Fine Food on the east side and Tacos Wuey in southwest Detroit.
Where is Roses Fine Food in Detroit?
10551 E. Jefferson Ave., on Detroit’s east side.
Where is Tacos Wuey?
3970 W. Vernor Hwy., in southwest Detroit.
Is the New York Times list ranked?
No. It is an unranked list of 50 favorite restaurants in America.