Such a cool spot. The wife and I did date night at El Barzon and were very glad we picked the spot. I was a bit hesitant for the Italian/Mexican mix however it had a great menu. I ordered the goat tacos and my wife had sea bass ravioli. Best restaurant we have been to in Detroit. Our server Alex was awesome and made the experience even better. Can't wait to go back. read more

We had reservations but were told the only place available was outside on the patio. Not ideal in February. Waited 10 minutes to be approached by a server. Had completely finished out drinks and appetizer before she even came to take our entree orders. Entrees came out lukewarm and with almost no flavor. With no salt or pepper on the table, and the server MIA, we are a few bites and asked for the bill from the first person we could find. An expensive mistake. We won't be back. read more

We hoped to have dinner on at El Barzon on a Saturday night but did not have a reservation and no tables were available. The hostess was very accommodating and asked if we would like to try their sister restaurant in the front and walked us over to La Noria Wood Bistro and turned us over to the care of Alex, who seated us and took care of us so warmly and attentively! The food and drinks were excellent! This combination made for a very special and enjoyable evening! Thank you! read more

We went for the Caymus Wine Dinner. Several of the wines that were advertised as part of the dinner were swapped for others without our approval. First course was skipped initially, served the second which was delicious. Homemade noodles and great red sauce. Finally the "first" course came out, it was supposed to be a soufflé but it was a puddle. They clearly did not know how to make a soufflé. Final course was a Beef Wellington, it was okay. Pastry (on top) and broccolini were good, pastry near the bottom was completely soaked and soggy. Beef had no seasoning. Not with $300 read more

Definitely a hidden gem. If you want good drinks, great food and excellent service then El Barzon is your place. I'd been wanting to try it since reading the positive reviews and boy oh boy did it live up to the hype. Located on Junction just south of Michigan Ave, on what appears to be primarily a residential street, may deter some but there was nothing unsafe about the surroundings. There is a well lit free, private parking lot in the rear. And once you enter the restaurant you are immediately glad you came. The patio was closed for the winter, but it made me note that I wanted come back during better weather to experience it. The foyer has a wall covered from top to bottom with frames that boasts the restaurants accomplishments as "top this" and "best that". The inner dining room décor is reminiscent of Mexican traditions with flags and sombreros sprinkled throughout We visited on a Friday night and didn't have a reservation. We had to wait for about 20 minutes for a seat which was fortunate because the place was packed. This was a good indication to me that we were in for a treat. We were seated in the main dining room where the tables are donned with white clothes and candles, and room was abuzz with the sounds of friends laughing and talking. We were instantly given chips and mild and hot salsa to munch on while we perused the menu, which is an amazing combination of Mexican and Italian specialties that makes it hard to decide which type of fare you'll choose. There was a bit of a wait for our server as there was some slight confusion about who would take care of our table, but when we met Gustavo who apologized immensely in his and promised to take good care of us for the evening in the most jovial of tones, all was forgiven. And take care of us, he did! He had the most perfect level of attentiveness and made wonderful recommendations on menu choices. Our party of two had peach sangria (yum) and coffee to drink (they made a fresh pot). For appetizers we went with the Frito Misto, complete with fried calamari, fried shrimp, fried zucchini and garnish with lemon and marinara sauce. For dinner we selected the Spaghetti Gamberoni, which translates into prawns. It was sooooo good! Fresh, hot and perfectly seasoned. We were also served warm Italian bread to accompany our pasta. We each ate every bite of our pasta, not because the serving was small but because it was that darn good. We were offered dessert but had no room left to try anything. One thing is absolutely true...El Barzon has been added to my list of favorites right up near the top! read more

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Absolutely amazing, food, and ambience! I ordered both Mexican & Italian food. My favorites were the grilled calamari, enchilada queso (sans yellow cheese!) mole poblano (perfect flavor!), cucumber cilantro margarita, and the green salsa - yum! The heart shaped raviolis were delicious and perfectly cooked. The patio was full of gorgeous flowers, a waterfall, fresh roses, and candles lit everywhere. Absolutely stunning and romantic. I'll be back next weekend!!!!! read more

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I must admit that a couple of the more recent reviews gave me some pause not only to go here for a birthday celebration but for a particular meal choice. I can only chalk up those reviews to what must have been a bad day or two because our four meals and appetizers were fabulous including my veal medallions alla crema. Other stellar plates were the penne with vodka sauce (adding chicken), veal limone, veal Frances, guacamole and cheese soufflé. Seven cocktails, two appetizers and four dinners for about $200 - and there was no gratuity already included on our bill. Highly recommend this gem which I hadn't been to in years. read more

Amazing Italian and a real nice high end Mexican food that is extra moly flavorful. Love the pasta , love seafood and steak. Pizza at LaNorta is also amazing. read more

The outside of this place and location doesn't do justice for how good the food is . We said in the patio area which is very beautiful. It was called out then they had the heaters lit which made it romantic. Can't wait to go back in the summertime where everything is growing.. Prices were not bad the food was outstanding. Great place ,a gem Off Michigan Avenue in Detroit read more

Don't know how this place has good ratings. Overpriced for the ambience (peeling paint, old decor, scratched up wood panels) and for the mediocre food. The eggplant appetizer was underwhelming. The enchilada with green sauce was meh. Not flavorful at all. The place is also super loud when full. We were sitting by the kitchen and it smelled suspiciously bad. For the above, the prices need to be a third of what they are right now. One star for the decent (but overpriced) margaritas and one star for the good service. read more

Enjoyed a great time last Saturday at El Barzon. Service by Anna was top notch. We had the pulpo, shrimp with puff pastry, and fried seafood appetizers. All were great. Entrees were the chilies and nogata, the snapper Vera Cruz, the chicken limone, and the goat barbacoa. All entrees were excellent. We will definitely be back. The only comment is that the noise level was high and it was difficult to talk. Probably expected with a full house on a Saturday night. Great place. read more

Chips and salsa were pretty unremarkable, so I was worried. The Enchiladas Suizas I ordered didn't disappoint, however. Pleasantly spiced, the sauce was flavorful, with a fresh hint of lime. Thin slices of avocado topped the dish. Nice addition. I was very excited by the black beans and rice. Instead of being a flavorless filler, these were very good. I think this is the first time I have ever finished this ubiquitous side dish. Service was quick and attentive. My server recommended the enchiladas. The patio was elegant, with real red roses on the table. I was thoroughly charmed. read more

El Barzon - Patio at El Barzon - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Great menu. Very understaffed. First drink took 25 minutes. Had appetizers before a drink arrived. Second drink came when we finished our dinners . read more

1.5 hrs. To wait for our food. No shrimp, mussels, clams on my Spaghetti Allo Scoglio. Some meals were cold. They offered us no comps for the food or the long wait. Mgr. would not even come over to see us (told he was busy). But the people eating on the patio got served right away. 1.5 hr. time limit on the patio. And it was not crowded. This place has gone downhill FAST. read more

Delicious authentic Latin cuisine at a reasonable price point for its quality. El Barzon translates to a reference of social agricultural movement and more specifically, the rope ring used to pull a farm plow. Whatever its history, this restaurant has created a menu and environment that you can feel comfortable bringing your children or your date to. Entrees starting around $20 and a nicely selected wine list. Overall 4/5 order the seafood if you like a small kick with your shrimp. And if you can manage to get onto the patio, you won't regret it. Enjoy! read more

El Barzon - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Dined early Saturday evening. No reservations but we're seated after a short wait. Our server Fatima was sweet from the get-go but couldn't compensate for the mostly below-average tasting and over-priced dining experience. The chips and salsa were mid. The chips tasted stale and literally bland -- not sure how that is even possible. Then I opened the corn tortillas that came with my green mole chicken breast. Mystery solved - more flat cold pieces of tastelessness. The chicken was tender and sauce looked good but flavorless. Flavorless green mole -- the marvel of mole sauces is their complexity! Not a hint of epazote or chili or pumpkin seed or even cilantro or garlic. Nothing was simmered together. Just a breast topped with sauce. The entree came on a huge platter with an okay side of rice. The beans were on a separate plate and they were gray in color!! It was still very light and bright in the indoor atrium. Maybe in the dark, no one can tell. Once again, a food without flavor. My neighbor has had the green enchiladas before, got them again and she ate every bite. She said they were delicious. She also has the apple cider margarita and didn't finish it. She said it did not taste good. My daughter ordered the clam & mussels appetizer as her meal. She does this often as there are usually a bowl of mussels. I wish we would have taken a picture. It was laughable. I think there were 4 mussels and 4 clams. She said the broth was delicious. Service was fine, my food choice was obviously not a good one, and we left hungry. I just don't get the hype. read more

Excellent high end Mexican/Italian restaurant! The owner went above and beyond to made sure everything was quality and we had a great time. Can't say enough nice things about our server Alex as well! Delicious meal, quality people, and A+ atmosphere read more

Had a good experience at this restaurant for mother's day. The waitress provided fine table service and the food met expectations. My wife and I ended up splitting the tab and she initially did not notice that the calculated tip was for the entire bill and not her portion. She scribbled out her initial total, edited the tip and wrote the correct total clearly on the receipt. Due to issues with this in the past she took a picture of the receipt. When looking back at her credit card statement she realized they had added $9 on to the tip. I called the manager and he did not seem overly concerned and asked me first what he wanted me to do, and then offered to give me a free appetizer if I chose to not go through the hassle of refunding the card. In my opinion this is terrible customer service. When I go to a restaurant I want to feel safe enough to not have to double check my credit card statement to make sure I was not overcharged. If an intentional overcharge occurs I would expect to have at minimum my wife's bill comped along with a sincere apology. I texted the manager the pictures of the restaurant copy receipt and the credit card statement showing the overcharging. He said he would call me back and I never heard back from him. He tried to pass if off as a mistake but as you can see from the bill before, the total amount was quite clear, the picture shows it is the restaurant copy of the receipt. Also as we already tipped over 20% this theft added insult to injury. Atrocious service outweighs the average dining experience. read more

El Barzon - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Beyond delicious! We had eaten in the restaurant before COVID-19 and it was so beyond delicious. Today we ordered carry out for dinner and it was great! Everyone was wearing masks and I felt very safe picking up the food. Can't wait to order again! read more

El Barzon - Carry out gnocchi and broccolini. - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

this is one of my favorite restaurants. I always have exceptional service and food. dawn the sommelier is amazing,

Excellent! Come hungry, leave happy. Italian and Mexican... Makes the whole family happy. Kids get pasta and we get Margaritas!! Didn't even know there was a local Tequila until here, yummy. Make reserve for dinner. read more

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Outstanding Mexican/Italian restaurant in Southwest Detroit. The patio ambiance and the food were a great surprise given the restaurant's location. I had the red snapper ala Verecruzana. The fish was perfectly cooked in an exquisite sauce. I tasted the pesto tortellini which was also very good. Service was too-notch as well. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

El Barzon - Patio - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

About the only good thing I can say about this place is that their mild salsa was really good. Cocktails? Way overpriced and subpar. Chicken? Tough and chewy; a steak knife had trouble making it through. Potatoes? Ice cold. Pasta sauce? Flavorless. Dessert? Wouldn't have stayed to try it if you paid me. Save yourself a drive and go anywhere else. read more

Amazing food and atmosphere. Must do chorizo and cheese dip. Can't wait to get back their Goat Tacos

Best Italian food in Detroit in my opinion. The back patio is beautiful. I've had several dishes from here and have never been disappointed. Don't be discouraged by the location. It really is a gem. I'd go here any day over the overpriced restaurants that are all over downtown. Highly recommend the pollo. It's delicious.. read more

Their water game is ON POINT. Seriously, though, the girl with the water comes by after every 2 sips -- and that's the type of service you can expect from everyone here. Food is very good, too. Went in today for Detroit restaurant week and had the arugula salad, arrachera, and tres leches cake. All were delicious enough that I wanted to lick my plate -- but I didn't since I'm guessing that's frowned upon. Cocktail menu is creative, too. The Mexican town Mule comes with a bit of a show (waiter literally torches a jalapeño in front of you), which is cool. read more

Huge disappointment! We had a reservation at El Barzon, indicated that we want to be seated inside it was acknowledged but when we arrived we were informed that theres a wait for outside seating and we could NOT be seated inside. Our name's on the list but no one seem to know why we cannot be seated when we arrived, rather, we were asked if we would consider going to the sister restaurant with the same menu. We agreed but we were seated and NOT given a menu, NO server showed until about half hour later so we decided to leave. It's rumored that the food is good BUT it doesn't matter because we did not get service----we hope they learn how to provide good, efficient service, after all, the name of the restaurant is El Barzon and not La Decepcion. read more

Birthday celebration success! We arrived early(20minutes) No Problem we were seated promptly, server Mirjana was informative, warm and answered all questions with a smile. An array of appetizers were ordered all very yummy(I suggest the shrimp with beans & arugola) next the entree from branzini dishes to a vegetarian pasta eggplant dish(I wanna bath in the red sauce!) to a Barbacoa el Chivo(Bbq goat) everything was fresh, seasoned well with the portions being more than enough! Dessert was a Flan which they decorated the plate with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and a candle! Awesome! Owner/Chef came out introduced himself and chatted us up, even answered a few questions. To top off the night Chef bought us Tequila Shots! Very cavalier of him. Definitely will be back! read more

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Very friendly service and upscale vibes from this unique restaurant that blends Mexican and Italian food. The cocktails were refreshing and tasty. It's a little pricey, but everything is nowadays and you get what you pay for. Did you know action figures cost like $20 now?! That makes me feel better about El Barzon's prices read more

Overpriced for the quality of food served. In our case and overcooked Halibut ($43), fishy Bronzini Sea Bass ($25), soggy and salty Scallopine Alla Piccatta ($25). Outdoor space is first rate providing terrific ambience and hints of a fine meal to follow but as they say "you can't eat ambience." Staff is attentive and polite. The straw that breaks the camel's back is noting on the bill that you are charged separately for a "gin and tonic" - once for the gin and $1.00 for the tonic. Similarly there is a $1.00 charge for soda. Frankly this is insulting. Just raise the drink price. Hidden costs are best left hidden. read more

This is such a hidden gem. My husband and I come here to celebrate things such as birthdays and anniversaries. The food is exceptional and so is the atmosphere. Prices are average for type of restaurant. read more

El Barzon - A Chocolatini - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Can they have more than 5 stars? One of our favorites hands down. I had forgotten just how delicious the food was, perfect seasoning, friendly staff, wine and bar offerings spot on. It's pricey for Mexican and Italian but worth every cent. Do yourself a favor and head in. read more

I'd go with 3.5 stars. The patio is gorgeous. Neighborhood is a bit sketchy. Having tried food from both Italian and Mexican sides of menu I would say they should focus on Mexican fare. The fish ravioli were so fishy I couldn't even choke them down. The pollo alla alcachofa was good. But the stand out dish is definitely the enchiladas suisas del pollo. This dish is why I will return. Chicken enchiladas with green sauce that has layers of flavor. So delicious! Get dessert elsewhere nothing worth the calories. read more

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For all the people who are dubious about a Mexican/Italian joint in an arguably less-than-stellar-part-of-town, here's a tip: DON'T BE! This place lives up to the hype. The gnocci was the best I've had since Rome (ignore the pretentiousness of that statement and focus instead on the crazy awesomeness of the food here). Homemade and melt-in-your-mouth. My fellow diners were equally as pleased with their orders. Sangria was booze-heavy but tasty .. some would say, it was just the way it's supposed to be. Do yourself a favor and stooop eeeeating halfway through. That will allow a few things to happen: 1) your stomach won't burst from the massive portions, 2) you can doggy bag your leftovers and make the magic last one more day, and 3) you'll have room to sample the dessert menu! The flan I can vouch for (we ordered one and split it between the four of our overstuffed bellies), but I'm dying to go back for the rest. Also, make reservations if you're dining around dinner time, especially on weekends. read more

Came today for a birthday celebration (Tuesday 8/23), service was really slow. We were waiting for someone to come seat us and that took about 5 minutes. Lo and behold, I get the same waitress as last time, lol. She forgot about our drinks a couple of times and our water was only refilled once and it was only after we were finishing up our meal. Our waitress seemed really frazzled, she was running around the whole place, which I understand, and it's fine, maybe she had a big party at another table. But not once did she apologize for the drinks she forgot, and the bread she forgot. She dropped off our appetizer and was about to leave us before I stopped her to ask her to tell us the specials so we could think about what we were going to choose. So she told us the specials at about a rate of 500 words per minute and ran off. Two things I took away from today: 1. Don't come on a weekday, service is really bad and slow, so bring good company to keep you distracted. 2. Although their service is lacking, their Italian dishes are amazing. Much better than ottava via hands down. Although Giovanni's is just as good too. Maybe I'll start going there from now on. I'd still come back, just not every week like I used to. It's a shame that they can't be more warm and attentive like they used to be, I don't get it. I wonder what's gone wrong. read more

El Barzon - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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My friend who lives on Manhattan summed up El Barzon like this: "This place reminds me so much of restaurants in New York: the food, the ambiance, the service, the prices." Yeah. I'll go backwards down that list. The prices you will find online for this place: add $8 to each of them. I can't remember a single entree under $17, and most were above $20. Then remember that everything is a la carte here, so don't expect salad or sides or anything to come with them. You do get (wonderful) chips and salsa when you arrive, and they will bring out bread if someone at your table orders italian, but to me $20 for three chicken enchiladas with verde sauce is borderline outrageous for Southwest Detroit. They also charged me $2 per wine glass for iced tea, so, uh, I guess it is really gourmet iced tea? Our waiter was nice but service was slow. It seems like this is a pattern. We had a 8:00 reservation on a Saturday and left at 10:15. That's just for an entree course. The patio is simply stunning. Sit outside if you can. But not in the winter (duh). Alright, so the food is pretty delicious. Like, really, really delicious. Every person at the table both times I've been here loved their dish, both Mexican and Italian. The food is superb. Until you remember that you paid $24 for gnocchi alfredo and water. Hhmph. read more

El Barzon - The patio. Really lovely on a breezy summer evening. - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Please don't let the neighborhood fool you; the food and ambience is a total and worthy surprise! A friend and I had the pleasure to dine on their beautiful outdoor patio, and we walked out of there happy campers. Chips and salsa came flying out and I have to say that the chipotle salsa packs quite the heat and punch! The salsa verde is equally as satisfying and much tamer in the Scoville scale. We were quite hungry, so the chips could not have arrived at a better time. I enjoyed the chipotle salsa immensely, and with the heat sneaking up on me gradually, by the time our appetizer arrived, my mouth had reached a reasonable heat level. :) We started out with the Chile Rellenos appetizer, which consisted of 1 large poblano chile stuffed with cheese. In case you're in the mood for something meatier, you can opt for their stuffed beef version. The sauce was smooth and balanced in spice. The chile itself was easy to cut through, and the amount of cheese was nicely balanced with the acidity of the sauce. Afterwards, out came our entrées: Pollo el Barzon, Filet Bronzini, and Enchiladas Suisas de pollo. All were tasty, but out of the 3, our favorites were the Pollo el Barzon and the Enchiladas. The sea bass is one of my favorite types of fish, but I felt the lemon caper white wine sauce overpowered the texture and flavor of the fish. Sides of scalloped potatoes and spinach were excellent though. Pollo el Barzon, which was essentially Chicken Cordon Bleu, was mouthwatering delicious and a healthy portion. I enjoyed the enchiladas just as much, and the tortilla wrap with the chicken filling were very very good. The plate came with 2 enchiladas, and though we each had 1, the amount was plentiful. We paired our meal with the two types of Sangria, and I enjoyed both, but liked the Red Sangria just a bit more. Highly recommend both. As much as we wanted to try their flan, we were pretty darn full. Will try for next time. All in all, we had a wonderful time, and loved the patio. The weather that day was perfect, and if you get a chance, definitely dine out in the patio. We arrived around 5:30pm, and by the time we left at 7:30pm, the entire place was filled, so plan accordingly. Thank you to Eddie and his team for a great meal, and I look forward to coming back again! read more

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WOW fantastic food,Fantastic service, and great atmosphere. People typical dress up a tad for this restaurant but still very laid back. Their flan was fantastic. Wish they had some tres leches. read more

El Barzon - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Oh El Barzon what a pleasant surprise! It's not in a friendly looking place but inside they were so kind. This was our 3rd stop Saturday night because silly us didn't make reservations anywhere before hand. We arrived right at 10pm and that is when they closed after seeing the hunger in our eyes they graciously sat us and we didn't even feel rushed to order, although, we ordered as soon as possible. Appetizers, entrees, and after our meal we ordered dessert. I plan on going back hopefully sometime this week as they are apart of Detroit Resturant week. They have both Mexican and Italian food in case you haven't heard. When you sit down you are brought chips and 2 different types of salsa: verde and hot. Then with our entrees they brought out bread and butter. This alone easily would have won heart. The Chiles Rellenos, a stuffed chili pepper, with tomato sauce I ordered mine stuffed with cheese because I don't eat beef and it was a great start to my meal. I ate it all and it was just enough for one person. The Risotto with white truffle sauce was so good although it may not look like much it was amazing. I love truffle anything and mix that with mushrooms I'm sold! So picking this dish made all the sense in the world. It's worth every penny. The dessert we ordered the chocolate mousse cake was creamy and delightful. Definitely order it if you like chocolate. This has dark chocolate and white chocolate and you can't go wrong. read more

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The ambiance was fancy but the staff was incredibly rude. They left us to wait for so long to just order and we needed to order drinks and it was such an issue to have those ordered separate from the main check. Again the wait for a drink was ridiculously long and the wait to even order was worse. You would imagine the restaurant was full but there were only 3 other tables dining at the same time. With so many positive reviews I was shocked at the horrible service. read more