Michelin-Starred Restaurateur Opens Taco Bar in Grosse Pointe Woods

Lola's Taco Bar swung open its doors Monday at 20195 Mack Ave. in Grosse Pointe Woods. Branden McRill runs the fast-casual restaurant, and he earned his Michelin star at Rebelle in New York City.

Seven tacos appear on the menu, served on warm flour tortillas, or corn tortillas can be requested. Al pastor and steak get shaved from vertical trompos, while rotisserie chicken shows up in tacos or as family-style meals. The Baja Shrimp tacos pack tempura shrimp, chipotle lime sauce, cilantro lime slaw, white onion, and cilantro.

"Lola's is meant to be a place you come back to again and again," said McRill, a Grosse Pointe native, in a statement according to WXYZ. "Great tacos, affordable margaritas, warm hospitality — that's what makes a neighborhood restaurant work."

McRill returned to Grosse Pointe in March 2025 after more than 22 years in the hospitality business. He ran restaurants in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, where he founded Rebelle in 2015. The wine-focused, French-inspired restaurant earned a Michelin star before closing in 2017.

Co-owner Melissa Fuechtmann worked in management at several of McRill's ventures in New York and Philadelphia. Growth strategist Nikolaos Moschouris serves on the boards for Detroit Wing Co. and Beyond Juicery + Eatery.

The restaurant sits in a former Boston Market building that housed the chain for around 30 years. Staff kept the rotisserie chicken oven left behind after Boston Market filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023. Whole rotisserie chicken dinners cost $28 and include two sides, chips, salsa, flour tortillas, jalapeño onion relish, queso fresco, cilantro, and limes.

Three types of margaritas get served on draft: classic, guava, and frozen mango. Kitchen staff squeeze limes daily and prepare simple syrup mixed with agave. Beer and zero-proof cocktails flow.

Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. daily, with hours stretched until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Indoor seating and a walk-up window for carry-out are available now, with a patio set to debut in spring 2026.