Lola's Taco Bar Brings Fresh Cuisine to Grosse Pointe's Limited Dining Scene 

With the aromas of fresh tacos, rotisserie chicken meals, and margaritas, the abandoned building at Mack and Norwood is getting a makeover. What was once a Boston Market is now a new, vibrant restaurant cooking up fresh Mexican cuisine. 

“Simply great tacos for everyone,” is the motto of the new Lola’s Taco Bar in Grosse Pointe, chef and co-owner, Brandon Zarb, said in an email. “The concept blends the speed and convenience of fast casual with the warmth of full-service hospitality.” 

Zarb decided to open Lola’s in Grosse Pointe because the other co-owner, Branden McRill, grew up here. 

“We love the neighborhood,” said Zarb. 

Zarb describes his restaurant as a “lifestyle brand and a neighborhood staple rooted in community,” and “something that doesn’t currently exist in the area.” Lola’s will open on Jan. 12, 2026

But the new addition of Lola’s Taco Bar has some Grosse Pointe locals wondering why there are not more similar options in the area. 

Ellena Gatzaros, co-owner of Metro Detroit restaurants such as London Chop House in Detroit and Fishbones Southfield, has the answer. Gatzaros said in an email that Lake St. Clair is a reason why they currently do not own any restaurants within Grosse Pointe. “Lake St Clair cuts out half of a business's radius.” She noted that the lake “can certainly impact a restaurant’s success.” 

She said that areas such as Birmingham and Troy are better locations for owning restaurants because they “can attract clientele from a 360-degree radius.” She has learned this firsthand by owning restaurants in St. Clair Shores, a neighboring city to Grosse Pointe, also on Lake St. Clair. 

“I would make different choices in the future,” she said.

Many Grosse Pointe residents feel as though restaurant options within the city are limited, and neighboring metro Detroit cities have better options.

Anthony Provenzano, a student who lives in Grosse Pointe, said, “There’s better food options in Detroit and out by Somerset, Birmingham.”

Another student, Ruby Noble, said that Grosse Pointe is “much more limited” than other places and has “a lot less options.”

Noble also said the cost as another reason. She said that Mount Clemons, where she lives, is “a little bit more inexpensive.” 

Another student from Grosse Pointe, John Lubera, agreed, “It's a little more pricey to eat out in Grosse Pointe.”

Grosse Pointe is also highly concentrated with fast-food restaurants. An analysis by the Ligg showed that 45% of all restaurants in Grosse Pointe are fast-food locations. This is a higher percentage than Birmingham, a restaurant hotspot, in which fast food only accounts for 12% of total restaurants in the area. 

Additionally, Grosse Pointe has fewer restaurants per person than Birmingham. There is one restaurant for every 432 people in Birmingham, while there is one restaurant for every 559 people in Grosse Pointe, according to the Ligg’s analysis. That count includes the restaurants on the Detroit side of Mack Avenue. 

As a result, Grosse Pointers often resort to fast food as their best option. Hexter, who said that she goes out to eat every day, frequents fast food restaurants such as Detroit Wing Company and Chipotle. 

Lubera said he does the same. “I’m probably at the fast-food restaurants more often.” 

Similarly, when asked about traditional restaurants, Provenzano said, “I don’t go to too many.”

Regardless, there are still some family-favorite Grosse Pointe restaurants that have stood the test of time. 

Little Tony’s on Mack, for example, has been open for 55 years. Owner Tony Alfonso said his parents opened the restaurant in 1970. When asked about what has contributed to the long-term success of his restaurants, Alfonso said, “Good service. Good food. Consistency.”