Motown Nates brings taste of the south to the Soo

"We started Motown Nates four years ago just out of the passion for cooking. We want to serve memorable food," said Nate, owner of Motown Nates.

And for many, it is memorable with some of the food having flavor from the south.

The most popular choices are tacos and the brisket.

"We are originally from Detroit. We had another restaurant before this one in South Padre Island, Texas, called Mahi Nate. We ran that for three years. It's still open. It's the top-rated restaurant in South Padre Island. We sold that in 2018 and came up here to the Soo and here we are," he said.

Nate looked around the area before deciding to set up Motown Nates at the corner of Ashmun Street and Leroy Street.

"It's a huge investment. We thought we could start with this. This trailer is from 1956. We basically gutted it and built it to what it is today," he added.

Nate has had a lot of experience in the building trades that helped him get to where he is today.

"I have done pretty much every job in the trades, an electrician, a brick-layer, a lot in the building trades. Having that knowledge helped, but I have a love for food. I want to do something I really like," he said.

When it comes to food, Pesci has worked with some talented professionals in the culinary field.

"I have worked with Chef Paul in Louisiana and worked with their head chef and learned how to layer and process a meal that is really memorable. Everything is freshly prepared. We are cutting the veggies where it doesn't come out of a can," he added.

Nate is married and has one young daughter who sometimes helps.

"We are just dedicated to serving exciting food. We are using the BBQ with techniques from Texas. There is a lot of practice with some failure in the food business, but in the end, we always come out with something good," he continued.

Nate has a simple goal, to be the best.

"If it wasn't for our repeat customers, our loyal customer base, that is what's driving us. We are not really in the tourist area so people have to come find us. We get a lot of people from out of town that are finding us by the reviews they see on social media. My goal is to be the top-rated restaurant and just do the best we can," he ended.

Motown Nates does shut down for the winter months as they head back to visit Texas. Nate says they work 14-15 hour days sometimes and a break is needed.