Detroit, MI — I’ve lived back in Metro Detroit for just over a year. While happily observing the resurgence of Detroit, I note one particular comparison from when I first arrived in Phoenix during the start of its glow-up in 2017 — food recognition.

When a city is on the rise, I believe one contributing factor is often tied to the gastronomy of the metropolitan. More viral restaurants, plus new renowned chefs, usually equate to more folks going out looking for new and exciting dining experiences. — ultimately benefiting the economy of the city. And while Detroit cuisine has undoubtedly been grabbing headlines in recent years, the attention and hype around our football team (Go Lions!) has also helped get Detroit in the hearts and minds of those who might not have considered coming to check out the Motor City before.

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Similar to Phoenix, Austin, and Nashville, Detroit has been getting a lot of national recognition in recent years for its culinary contributions. Whether through national awareness and interest in Detroit-style pizza or iconic Detroit names like Joe Muer Seafood expanding nationally. As more eyes turn toward Detroit, tons of great new restaurants have been opening, including quite a few brick-and-mortar debuts for food truck operators.

One of the early rockstars in the Detroit food truck scene was Detroit 75 Kitchen, and they’re still rocking it out today as they were when they launched operations in Southwest Detroit in 2014. The origin story begins with two brothers, Mike and Ahmad Nassar, who decided to launch a food truck at their family’s truck stop on Fort Street, just one mile south of the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit to Windsor, Canada. The truck stop is also right off I-75, heading into and out of downtown Detroit. A popular thoroughfare for truckers and drivers both nationally and internationally, the Nassar brothers hoped their sandwiches would strike a chord in the bellies of hungry truckers and motorists.

“Around that time, we really didn’t have a lot of business, we were just coming out of the recession. We relied heavily on truck drivers coming to get diesel fuel from our truck stop for our livelihood,” Ahmad Nassar, CEO and Creative Director of Detroit 75 Kitchen, explained to me. “Mike had this idea of just using what we had and putting a food trailer outside to serve sandwiches to truck drivers driving up and down I-75 that each passed the Ambassador Bridge. And those were really our first customers.”

Ahmad told me the initial idea that he and Mike had was to first build a following among a few truckers and local drivers, leading to more truck drivers wanting to stop at the Nassar truck stop as word spread locally, nationally, and even internationally. It didn’t take long before it became clear the Nassar brothers had developed some seriously delicious portable sandwiches and sides that spread like wildfire throughout the foodie and food truck scenes. Crowds began lining up and down Fort Street as Detroit 75 Kitchen’s popularity grew, and the team started accruing national accolades.

FULL SECTION: MI Foodie Adventures Food Truck Series

In the span of nine years, Mike and Ahmad have earned numerous honors, including being recognized by U.S. Weekly’s ‘Top 100 Restaurants in America,’ and being named a Top 3 food truck in the U.S. While the Nassar brothers are still slinging out sandwiches from their original location to truck drivers, loyal patrons, foodies, and newcomers from near and far, Detroit 75 Kitchen has been achieving new heights fueled by their success, recognition, and downright stellar sandwiches.

“Some exciting things that we’ve done this year. We’ve taken a vacant Sears Auto Center and turned it into Detroit 75 Kitchen off of 14 Mile and I-75. We also have an exclusive catering contract with Comerica Park. Really, what we’re trying to do is just try to stay rooted in how we started and make sure that we can become a Detroit legacy brand like Better Made or Faygo and Stroh’s,” Ahmad said.

Last week, some friends and I were heading Up North for one last golf weekend in the Traverse City area. We planned to head up Thursday afternoon, and my friend Zack, who I was riding with, suggested we eat an early dinner before hitting the road. Since I launched this food blog endeavor, I’ve had several friends and followers send me Instagram reels of Detroit 75 Kitchen. The establishment was definitely on my radar and one that I intended to cross off my food truck series list at some point. But when Zack sent me one of their latest reels last Tuesday night that showcased the BBQ Chicken Eggrolls and their newest location (only a few miles up the road from me) in Troy, I was sold.

I contacted Mike and Ahmad (see quotes above/below) to learn more about their awesome hometown hero story. During their launch, Detroit was undergoing a renaissance in several districts like Corktown, Midtown, Downtown, and along the riverfront. I asked Ahmad what it was like for Mike and him to be a part of those early resurgence years and to see Detroit become a foodie paradise over the years.

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“It’s incredibly rewarding, number one. But I will say that we specifically chose Southwest Detroit because a lot of that renaissance was happening in downtown. And since our family and our family business was in Southwest Detroit, we specifically chose to stay put in that area to try to be an anchor for redevelopment on the outskirts of the city,” Ahmad explained. “We know based on people traveling far distances to try our food that we were a part of that process and that’s really rewarding. But overall, it’s very nice to see that there’s a lot of other really great restaurants in Detroit and people are coming here to try food because it’s not fun when there’s only one big restaurant, people are not going to eat the same food every day. They want to try different things, so the more great places we have, the better energy we have for our city, and the more that we can have an opportunity to be one of the leaders in that space.”

I arrived at the new Troy location around 5:30 p.m., quickly hopping out of my car to take photos and order since I knew the restaurant closed at 6 p.m. As I took some pictures and approached the counter inside to order, I noticed one of my old friends from college, Donovan, sitting at one of the tables on the patio on his phone, waiting for his order. We both noticed each other simultaneously and gave the nod of acknowledgment (I didn’t want to interrupt his phone call) and indicated I would circle back after I placed my order. I hadn’t seen Donovan since our friend Adam got married down near Tampa Bay about a year and a half ago.

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I walked up and placed orders for the 3rd Street Cheesesteak, Corktown BBQ Beef, and BBQ Chicken Egg Rolls, but alas, they were sold out of all three! I also learned the Troy location (at least for now) doesn’t serve either of the Shawarma options on the menu. Clearly, those are some popular menu items! I quickly pivoted and ordered the Atwater Chicken, Shrimp Po’Boy, and Garlic Cilantro Fries. Zack and I intended on splitting everything down the middle, so I knew I would get a taste of everything at least.

I walked back over to Donovan and caught up with him. It turns out he just recently started a new job in the area, and it was his first time checking out Detroit 75 Kitchen as well. We both were hyped, and before my order was ready, I got to witness Donovan receive his, which was an order of Shrimp Po’Boy and fries. I’m not going to lie; that was one sandwich I was eager to try. The aroma and visual of the sauce were rather appealing, and it looked absolutely stacked with shrimp. Below is a photo of the Po’Boy I ordered as an exemplary example:

Not even a minute later, my order was called, and I leapt up to collect it from the food truck. I parted ways with Donovan so he could enjoy the rest of his meal, wishing him well and congratulations on his new job. I returned home, where Zack was already waiting along with my roommate Rob, who was also going Up North for the weekend. I set the food out, and Zack and I divvied up the sandwiches and fries, determining which of the two sandwiches we would bite into first. We both decided to go with the Shrimp Po’Boy.

I was immediately impressed by the sauce, which is a house-made remoulade. Remoulade is a cold, traditional French sauce similar to tartar sauce but with a kick and color reminiscent of a cocktail sauce. It’s a great sauce between the two and goes perfectly with this sandwich, bringing some heat and unique flavors that pair very well with the shrimp. The shrimp was copious as it was delicious with excellent breading and texture, and the thick tomatoes and lettuce rounded out this hefty sandwich for any seafood/shrimp enthusiast. I was also a fan of the bread, which was very soft but still managed to hold everything (including quite a lot of sauce) together! Detroit 75 Kitchen also has a special fish sandwich on Fridays for those looking for additional seafood options.

Next up is the Atwater Chicken. While not a sandwich that initially caught my eye on the menu, I was pleasantly surprised by the range of flavors this sandwich brought. The chicken was very soft and tender and came in nice, long, bountiful portions. The garlic cilantro aioli was very creamy and garlicky; Zack and I were both big fans of that sauce. The sweet pickled jalapeños brought the heat with some sweetness, with the heat tamed by the acidic juice from the tomato slices, making the heat palatable for more folks. The bread was different for this sandwich, featuring a nice toast and crunch factor to every bite. Overall, it was a great sandwich that Zack and I both really enjoyed.

The Garlic Cilantro Fries were right up my alley. As a garlic enthusiast, I must give serious props to Detroit 75 Kitchen for utilizing perfect amounts of garlic and cilantro for these fries. One would not simply want one to overpower the other or have both be too overwhelming in quantity and hogging the flavor stage. A modest amount of cilantro and garlic were used to give just enough taste of both onto these delicious and soft fries, which were enjoyed even more when dipped into the roasted jalapeño ketchup, giving a zesty spin to the classic side sauce. By the time Zack and I were done, there wasn’t a fry left standing or sauce to spare.

My only regret regarding this latest foodie adventure was that I had not checked out Detroit 75 Kitchen sooner! The food churned out by Detroit 75 Kitchen is phenomenal and a must-try for any foodie or person visiting Detroit (or Troy). With such rave reviews, national accolades, and the awareness net cast by social media, it’s no wonder why this food truck has become such a beloved and emerging staple of the Detroit food scene. My last question to Ahmad was, after reaching and looking back on the last ten years of this endeavor, what does it all mean to the brothers now?

“It’s an extremely humbling experience, I would say, as cliche as that sounds. You really don’t imagine that you’re going to be sitting here and having this conversation with anybody about how you got started and where you are now. So we just always try to grow ourselves out of that idea that, you know, what we’re trying to build is greater than ourselves,” Ahmad explained. “It’s not really about myself or my brother, but if we can write history and be a part of the Detroit food culture scene then that’s something that we can leave behind, even after our time. So, it’s an amazing experience and I’m so grateful and thankful to even be a part of it.”

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Having only scratched the surface of the menu at Detroit 75 Kitchen, I’ll definitely be back (probably quite a few times) to try more. Especially for that 3rd Street Cheesesteak and those BBQ Chicken Eggrolls! From the delicious and hearty sandwiches to the kind and impactful brothers who started it all, Detroit 75 Kitchen is well on its way, if not already there, to becoming a recognized Detroit legacy brand. The Nassar brothers’ food, story, and mission have already convinced and made a supporter out of this foodie!

For more information on Detroit 75 Kitchen, click here.