Detroit’s DA BOMB TACO: A Culinary Dream Turned Reality

For some people, the only thing separating them from their goals is a good opportunity. That’s what Lisa Session was looking for when she was trying to turn her DA BOMB TACO part-time gig into a full-time business. Started in 2021, DA BOMB TACO is a Black woman-owned taco truck in Detroit that Session had been running on weekends and during special events. But cooking has never been just a part-time passion for Session.

As a child, she loved trying out recipes, recreating restaurant dishes, and attempting to bake cookies and pies in her Easy-Bake Oven. She eventually went to culinary school to further explore her love for food and even attended Schoolcraft College in Michigan for a time. Eventually, she decided that it was time to open her own food establishment and fill a culinary gap in her community that she felt her skills could excel in.

“In my trade area, there aren’t any fast-casual Mexican restaurants,” Session told BLAC during our interview. “And certainly, the people that live, play, and learn in our trade area would desire something like that because most people love tacos. So with my familiarity with the market, I thought I had a perfect opportunity to provide what I knew was lacking using my abilities and gifts that I’ve nurtured and developed.”

The vision was there, but the means were not. Like most people, Session didn’t have the resources to quit her job and devote all her efforts to nurturing a business. But fortunately for her, the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation was in position to help. Founded shortly after Olga’s Kitchen founder Olga Loizon  died in 2019, the foundation looks to help women trying to grow their small businesses by handing out 5 $10,000 grants to women-owned businesses each year.

“I actually learned of the grant through Detroit Means Business. They have a wonderful resource full of grant opportunities. Actually, it wasn’t long before the deadline that I found out about the opportunity and because I was somewhat prepared, I was able to get my application in that deadline day.

We were so over the moon when we found out that we were finalists and that we had the opportunity to come in for an interview. And even more so when we found out that we had actually won not just the $10,000 that was advertised, but $12,500. And with the stage that I was in with my business, I was able to put it right to work, even applying it toward the launch that just we had.”

Session defiantly put the grant to good use. Using the funds awarded to her, she was able to quit her job and focus completely on her food truck. And after two years of weekend-only availability, she was able to launch DA BOMB TACO full-time on June 4th. Now she’s gearing up to take her taco truck throughout Southeast Michigan this summer and introduce thousands of people to her “bomb” menu.

“We have something for everyone. We have bomb tacos, bomb sides, and bomb bevs! Our tacos have eight varieties, and they’re each so dynamic. All of them are served on top corn tortillas that we source locally from La Michoacana Foods. If the taco features chihuahua cheese we grill that directly onto the tortilla. The smokey chicken tinga and the marinated grilled jerk steak are thinly sliced or served well done and It’s topped right on top of that chihuahua cheese. There’s really something for everyone, not just for the meat lovers, but vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free people. We really strive to be inclusive in that way.”

With her food truck now being her full-time endeavor, taco lovers can expect DA BOMB TACO to be much more active this summer. If you want to keep up with DA BOMB TACO and want to know where they’ll be popping up next you can visit their website dabombtaco.com and follow their Instagram @dabombtaco.