Cinco de Mayo at El Maguey Mexican Bar & Grill

Authentic Mexican cuisine, direct from Michoacán

By Geri Dietze | April 26, 2025

Cadillac already has a wealth of Mexican restaurants, so how does one succeed in what appears to be a saturated market? It’s all about authenticity and family heritage, according to Dusty Rodriguez, manager of Cadillac’s El Maguey and member of the family who owns the eatery.

“The food sets us apart,” she says. (Rodriguez also manages the popular Casa Nueva in Mancelona, owned by a “different side of the family.”)

The family hails from Michoacán, a state in the central west of Mexico on the Pacific coast. Two generations keep the restaurants humming, and though they’ve been stateside for 35 years, they continue to go “back and forth” and still maintain a home there.

These strong ties and cultural duality are well represented in the El Maguey menu, offering an elevated experience for diners. And while El Maguey’s chef cannot claim blood ties to the family, he trained in Mexico, and his comprehensive background in Latin American cuisine gives him “a taste for the ingredients [and ability to] differentiate from the rest,” Rodriguez explains.

A Fresh New Look

El Maguey opened its doors in November 2024, after several months of interior and exterior changes. It was “quite a long [process],” Rodriguez explains, but it was “mostly cosmetic.”

And while the new venue bears little resemblance to the previous Old Herraduras, which occupied the site for over two decades, the building itself is in the hacienda style, going back to when it was originally constructed for La Senorita, the Michigan chain of Mexican restaurants still operating in select cities.

El Maguey’s blue exterior references the blue agave plant in the restaurant’s logo. The space not only feels fresh, but also different, with the owners eschewing the usual fiesta colors of Mexico, adopting instead a strong neutral palette with a contemporary air and industrial design elements. Look for exposed brick walls and columns, natural wood panel walls and ceiling, and a double-height dining room with a profusion of natural light.

Inside there is room for 450 diners, including a party room with space for 150, and a smaller room accommodating 40. (Perfect for private parties, business functions, reunions, and more.) Diners can choose from tables or comfy high-backed booths.

Rodriguez indicates that they are still in the decorating process, but patrons can look forward to both painted and photographic murals depicting scenes from La Piedad, the Michoacán city of 100,000 and the family’s hometown.

A Michoacán Palette

Michoacán cuisine emphasizes traditional techniques, such as slow cooking, combined with fresh authentic ingredients, using corn, beans, chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, and avocados. The 16th century Spanish occupation influenced indigenous foods by introducing garlic and herbs, livestock including beef and pigs, and dairy products, yielding today’s flavor combinations that are both balanced and layered.

So, while this super-sized menu has all of the south-of-the-border favorites, plus plenty for the Americanized palate, start by taking a look at the authentic entrees and sides straight from Michoacán. Try the Carnitas, the Mexican version of pulled pork (and a generational favorite of the Rodriguez family), slow cooked and then gently crisped, served with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, and choice of corn or flour tortillas.

Al Pastor, sweet and spicy rotisserie-cooked marinated pork slices, is another Michoacán specialty, and teams up with carnitas and chorizo in El Maguey’s enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, or tacos. We also recommend the Birria Con Consume, marinated beef, slow-cooked in a peppery broth, served shredded with corn tacos. (Birria is native to Jalisco, a neighboring state of Michoacán.)

The Burrito Michoacán, a big favorite, is a protein blast with steak, chicken, and chorizo, a tomatillo sauce and cheese dip, topped with a skewer of shrimp, and served with rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. For an intense traditional side, try the Chile Toreados, blistered jalapeño or serrano chiles finished with salt and sometimes a squeeze of lemon or lime.

But there’s more, much more: Breaded Wings are a favorite app, as is Papitas La Piedad, waffle fries smothered in cheese dip and topped with a choice of protein. Try the homemade Chicken Soup with rice and pico de gallo, or the rich seafood Caldo del Mar, with squid, krab, shrimp, surimi (whitefish paste), tilapia, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Build your own combos—taco, burrito, enchilada, tamale, or tostada—with your protein pick. Or try the cooked-to-perfection 10-oz. ribeye served three ways: Mexicano, with sauteed onions, green peppers, and tomatoes; Maguey, with shrimp, cheese dip, and vegetable medley; or the Tampiqueno, with fries, rice and beans, and an enchilada.

On the seafood side, the Salmon Obrera is topped with shrimp and creamy mushroom sauce; and the Cactel de Cameron is El Maguey’s house-made shrimp cocktail with fresh tomato, onion, avocado, and cilantro. (Served with saltines, allowing the flavors to pop.)

While El Maguey does not focus on wine, it does offer a satisfying collection of beers and spirits. Enjoy Modelo Special and Dos Equis lager on tap, plus 10 varieties of bottled beer including Corona, Sol, and Pacifico. Tequilas, including La Siete Leguas, Komos, Hornitos, Patron, and Jalisco are on offer, plus more. (The margarita is among the most popular cocktails in the U.S., so do indulge with your favorite brand.)

Find El Maguey at 1700 S Mitchell St. in Cadillac. (231) 444-6118