Downtown Rochester has offered a variety of different cuisines, from the juicy steaks at Rochester Chop House to Taiwanese delights at Bangkok Cuisine. One thing Rochester has been lacking for quite some time is a Mexican restaurant.

Lucky for Mexican food lovers, two new restaurants have recently opened: Miguel’s Cantina, located at 870 S. Rochester Road, and Rojo Mexican Bistro, on the northwest corner of Main and E. Fourth streets.

Rojo celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 11, and manager Mark Adamo said “business has been great so far.” There is another Rojo Mexican Bistro in Novi. Rojo plans to open two more in 2011: One at Patridge Creek and another in St. Clair Shores.

“We give you the upscale feel without the upscale price,” Adamo said. “It is the best of both worlds.”

All of Rojo’s entrées are from homemade recipes. Everything is cooked fresh to order. The menu includes Mexican classics like Enchiladas Verdes and also features signature dishes like the lobster tacos with Mexican fare.

Rojo’s bar currently offers 112 different kinds of tequila, the largest tequila selection in Michigan. There is live entertainment Tuesday through Saturday in the bar, which at night, Adamo said, turns into a laidback scene.

“What sets us (Rojo) apart is the décor and atmosphere,” Adamo said.

Less than one mile south of Rojo’s is Miguel’s Cantina. Miguel’s, open for about nine months, has been embraced by the community said co-owner Michael Versaci.

“I think there is a demand for great Mexican food. There has been a void for five or six years in Rochester,” said Versaci.

Versaci co-owns Miguel’s with his long-time friend and Mexico native Reynaldo Paez. Many of the dishes served at Miguel’s were recipes from Paez’s hometown of Mazatlan.

“We want people to feel like they are going on vacation to Mexico. The food, décor and staff represent that,” Versaci said.

Miguel’s aims to keep their menu authentic, they serve no ground beef in any of their dishes since it is not used in classic Mexican food. They also made fresh salsa, tableside, for each customer.

The menu includes Carne Asada and hefty Chimichanga. They offer margaritas by the pitcher and buckets of beer.

Miguel’s Cantina was one of the 2010 nominees for Best Mexican Food in Channel 4’s “Best Of” contest.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously. This isn’t ‘nuevo latino’ cuisine,” said Versaci. “It’s great Mexican food at a very reasonable price.”

Miguel’s even caters to students with empty pockets with “Broke Student Specials.” The offer is only valid for Oakland University students. Bring a student ID card into Miguel’s and say, “Dos tacos por favor” in order to get your two free tacos.

“I love Mexican food,” OU senior Megan Herald said. “If there were more authentic Mexican food in the area, I would be really excited.”

Herald said she had not eaten at either Miguel’s Cantina or Rojo yet, but she would probably try both places.

Rochester’s Mexican trend will expand later this year with the opening of Los Locos Cantina, at Rochester and Tienken roads, in the Papa Joe’s plaza.