my first time here and my last. today, me and my family from my dads side came to this establishment to have lunch, I'll admit, I'm from the south side and not from this side of town so the Mexican food over there is something I'm use to, but this? the food truly had no flavor, salsa had a strange taste to it which overpowered the salsa, and the Choriqueso is an insult to all choriqueso, in my experience, all choriqueso has had the chorizo be dark and crisped up, this tastes straight up boiled and tossed in, and the Rodeo bowl? I got it with the Pork option, that was the most flavorless and overcooked pork I've ever had, and the corn on it was cold. Who puts cold corn on anything that isn't a salad?! Also the bowl had a mystery ingredient in it, disgusting! Will say the service was great and the ambience reminds you of Cracker Barrel, not a compliment, especially for a Mexican restaurant that's serving only Mexican food, not a single burger in sight, you would associate this ambience to burgers or steaks or anything remotely close to American cuisine, this is all Mexican food, the only thing that feels like Mexico here is the music. read more

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Time for lunch at El Rodeo's one of the great choices for seafood enchiladas and guacamole. The atmosphere' is spectacular, and the prices are very reasonable. The waiter wore a mask,and was prompt in taking my order. Very friendly place. The food was beyond scrumptious. Everything was served hot and well seasoned. If you are in the area -- show them some love! read more

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Service was fast, friendly and nice check backs! Chips were warm and salsa and salsa was bright with added cilantro for added flavor. Fajitas were served with rice, beans and toppings. Some of the best fajitas I've had in a long time. Real skirt steak with peppers and onions with a wonderful flavor. Trice and beans were above par. Highly recommend this business!!! I'm going back for sure! read more

Good food and good service, this is where I go for true Mexican food and atmosphere Ajb read more

It's been years since I visited. 1:30 on a Friday afternoon and this place was on the down hill side of busy. Met my group here. Table of five. They were already a couple beers in. The waiter was over right away to help. The place seemed a little empty for a Friday. We all ordered right up. Lots of food all the way around. I ordered the shrimp fajita to share. It's a good thing that I did cause it was a good quantity of food. The waiter came back once or twice. The food was filling and everyone at the table was satisfied with their meals. The food was okay. Still slow for a lunch afternoon which is weird. Regardless we were well taken care of. read more

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Went for lunch. Had the chalupa. A hard corn tortilla with beans, guac and lettuce. A tomato slice that was hard - pass Free chips and salsa too!! For lunch they have a $2.25 margarita. A little smaller than most but good value and the right size for lunch Our server was attentive and friendly. Give it a try. Enjoyed it read more

Been my favorite go-to lunch spot near my work. The service is attentive and quick, the food is decent, and the prices are exceptional! There's plenty of seating, lots of booths, and a separate bar area. I can't say much about the bar, having only gone for lunch, but if the service and prices match my lunch experience, than it won't disappoint. read more

El Rodeo - Taquitos Mexicanos on special - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Best Mexican food in central Iowa. Plenty of seating, good customer service, fair prices. Two dishes with no drinks came out to just $22! Food is served within 20 minutes of ordering if not in a rush. Ask for their spicy salsa to go alongside the free chips, it's the best spicy salsa in central Iowa! read more

El Rodeo - Choripollo with no beans and an extra side of rice - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Very spacious seating, friendly staff, but the food was just so-so. We thought the chicken was pretty dry and the fajitas just a little greasy. I have to say the waiter we had was great. Super friendly and attentive. The drinks were great as well - very generous size and tasted great. I also thought the seating arrangement was nice, plenty of big tables but not too loud either. If the food were a bit better I would give this a higher rating. read more

Omg the food here was soooo good. I have been seeing this business recommended on several different platforms so when a friend suggested meeting here for dinner I was looking forward to giving them a try. We were seated promptly the waiter was prompt and attentive as well. We ordered the Patron margaritas and both thought they were really good. I ordered a tamale and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived with sauce and meat on top, I love tamales but usually they aren't served with sauce and they should be because these were the best tamales I've had. The sauce gives it the perfect ratio of flavors no hot sauce needed! The choripollo dish had great flavor, a nice white sauce and was cooked perfectly. I have to agree with what the locals are saying, for good Mexican cuisine in the Des Moines area give El Rodeo a try. read more

El Rodeo - Tamale - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

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Yep I gotta say. I liked the patio, it was nice.. It did take awhile for our table to get chips and salsa and or drinks and waters but once they came we ordered it all! Margas were quite possibly the best part of the meal! Sign me up for those, and they are cheaper and frozen over lunch I dig that! Chips were pretty stale tasting, and quite possibly not salted, but the salsa was good and chunky so it's a toss up! The veggie fajitas were good, not great.. but I would get it again! I dig that there is a good variety of veggie in it, and it came hot and without to much grease, so I dug it.. Beans, write, and lettuce salad and tortilla's were good too! This place could easily be a 4 star joint. With a little more attention to the staff.. working a bit harder and faster, and the food being just a little bit better.. But all and all the patio was perfect spot for a nice lunch today! read more

Had the fajitas del rodeo, shrimp chorizo chicken and carne asada. It was GREAT! The hot salsa is fantastic too. We had a party of 15, and everyone was happy. Beware the kooky reviews complaining about the steaks or shrimp that's not deveined. This is a Mexican restaurant! Get a chimi or fajitas or something like that. This is a very good spot for greasy Mexican grub. We love it read more

El Rodeo - Fajitas del rodeo - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

We go here for lunch a lot and I find myself underwhelmed by their food. I find myself getting the same thing every time I go and the really sad part is that I even modify it from the menu. One plus is that they have quick seating and service. However, the payment line can get lengthy. read more

The menu is unlimited here with your favorite Mexican food every Wednesday's Margarita any flavor $3-4 each. Tasty cheese dip, awesome atmosphere is great and they are never late with your plates great dishes plentiful items on the menu highly recommended read more

Good Mexican food in Iowa. Who would've thought? El Rodeo has fast, tasty food with friendly service. Best of all, it is affordable with cheap beers and $6.35 combination plates. Combination #11 is what I had, two enchiladas and a taco. This place is great for groups because they willingly divide checks up and they have great margarita pitchers. read more

Really great salsas... Ask for the spicy if you're ready to sweat. chips were served warm. Jalapenos toreados are excellent and $1.99. The fajitas are a huge serving with lots of peppers and tomatoes. Not too many onions like others tend to favor. Lots of shrimp in the fajitas jalisco. Flour tortillas are 3 per order and nothing special. Thick but soft. Not grilled and thin, served piping hot like at some others. I'm going to start noting the tortillas around town. Some are really fresh and grilled fresh. Here at el rodeo the star is the corn tortilla. Served piping hot, strong and held together well but not too thick. Served 5 per order. We had excellent service. June 2017. read more

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Well, Happy Valentines to me!! This place has really went down hill, I use to LOVE it! Lately I've been picking up orders with food missing but this last pick up is what ended it for me. I ordered the fajitas ranchero and mixed in my lettuce, guacamole and pico de Gallo little side salad was a RAW strip of chicken. I noticed something long and thick covered in sour cream and lettuce pieces so went to the kitchen and rinsed it off. I wanted to vomit. I can't believe they served me raw chicken. It obviously missed the pan where my fajitas were being cooked. I hope I don't get sick in the next few days. Called and spoke with Marcos who was very understanding. He apologized and assured me their chicken is fresh and that they threw out the other salad in the kitchen as a precaution. He offered me another free order but after finding raw meat in my meal, my appetite was shot. He did gave me a credit. I will say, he seemed very genuine in his apology and I appreciate that but serving raw meat is a HUGE mistake. I just really hope I don't get sick. read more

El Rodeo - Raw chicken strip found in side salad - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Went last weekend ... My four-year-old and his seven-year-old cousin ended up with head lice after we visited there wearing the hats for birthdays, the toilet in the women's room is disgusting as it is broken, I called today about the lice and the lady on the other end asked what am I supposed to do about it? Are you serious I said don't let anybody else use the hats and clean your facility she hung up on me... I don't recommend this place read more

Love this place! The staff is great, the atmosphere is perfect, the food is super fast and always pretty darn tasty.

The chile relleno was really pretty good. Super spicy, but very flavorful. Not too bad for Iowa mexican food. I still thing most mexican restaurants in Iowa are cooking for white people, I just don't see the kick and the flavors I am used to having with mexican food. Service is good, and it's a good place to go if you have kids or want to sit and eat a lot of chips and drink Coronas =) EDIT: I have been here a couple of times since my initial review, and I don't know what happen, but the food was absolutely horrible. Tortillas hard, chips stale and salsa was obviously out of a jar. I will never return again. I think they've really gone down hill. One star. read more

The service is always great, the cheese dip is to die for and Monday's fajita special can not be beat! Cheap, cheesy, salty Mexican food with a decent bar-yes please!! read more

El Rodeo seems to have a pretty substantial local following, but it's basically your typical textbook Mexican restaurant (for Iowa anyway). The entrees are cheap with few standouts. Based only on the food, I'd pass - there are many better options. I prefer El Aguila Real, which has more vegetarian options and a more impressive menu overall. Also, the chips here were dreadful - cold and overcooked, and it tasted like the oil needed to be changed. The food arrived fast but the service was terrible. A runner dropped off an incorrect entree and disappeared, the waiter took quite some time to check back, and then tried to argue with us about it. Finally, he got a menu and was proven wrong, and only then begrudgingly fixed the problem. At least the price is right. read more

Staying the night in Des Moines, we stopped in to El Rodeo for some dinner. All in all El Rodeo is fair at best. The salsa they brought out with the chips lacked flavor, although the chips were some of the better ones I have had. I ordered the chicken chimichanga for dinner, which was pretty average, both in size and taste. Lack of flavor seems to be a theme here as the side of beans were also close to tasteless. Service here was subpar as well. Our server didn't seem all that busy, but at least 2 of his tables, including ours didn't receive the attention they deserved. read more

What can I say that everyone else hasn't already said. Great fast Mexican food. Lunch in less less than 30 minutes. There's always a daily special that will leave you satisfied. And it's never spicy if this is a concern. read more

El Rodeo - Great fast lunch!!! - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

My last review was about 3.5 years ago... I've been lucky enough to only visit this place twice since then- the last time being last week. I haven't missed anything, and I'm hoping that I can make it quite a while before I have to go back. Food is straightforward and boring- bland (and I don't like spice, so if I think that their food is bland, it must be bad!). Margaritas are most certainly premade, not anything to go back for- not bad, but not good. I love good Mexican food, and love a good margarita. El Rodeo has neither of these. While it is relatively close to my home, I will continue to avoid it. read more

This place is trash. The food is bland and overpriced and the service is slow. Also both of us got sick immediately after eating here. Will not be returning. read more

We were trying to find decent food even though it was late. We had called ahead to this place to see if they would tend to us if we arrived in 8-10 minutes. They close at 10:30 and it was 10:05 when we called. The lady said yes. We arrived in under 10 minutes and the lady was locking the door as we were trying to get in. When I looked at my clock again, it just turned 10:15. Thank you for making us drive all that way. read more

I went to the bar to get a margarita and order food to go. The margarita was WARM - the glass had just come out of the dishwasher. The ice immediately melted and the drink watery. My food arrived within minutes - all plated, they missed the TO GO part. I tried to get a box and the help ignored me. I had to get up and tap a waitress on the shoulder to get her attention. read more

We ordered lunch today. Had the chicken chalupa. And taco salad. The service was hood and portions good. My husband said his chalupa was great. Lots of good tender chicken with spice. My taco salad was nasty. No cheese, burnt taco shell. Unseasoned ground beef with one slice of tomato. About 1 tablespoon of sour cream. No salsa. No spice on beef. Yuck. They need to make major improvement on taco salad. Just awful. read more

WHAT HAPPENED?! This used to be my favorite go to Mexican restaurant and thought it was so nice they had several locations to choose from. When we went everything was so bland. The cheese sauce was bland, the chips were stale and the quesadilla rellena lacked any flavor. I don't know if they've given up, or i've been spoiled at a better Mexican restaurant.... It breaks my heart and I probably won't go back unless my new favorite place starts to suck! read more

Canned tasteless Shedded chicken used in taco salad and enchilada. It was reason never to return. Disgusting !!!#

Coming here for years and decided to write a review finally. I love this place since I first had in summer 2007. Food is always fresh and fast. And did I mention cheap? I mean $7 for a full dinner with chips and salsa. How do they do that? My favorite is the chicken fajita taco salad. It has white meat chicken cooked to perfection. I also love their enchiladas. I think their long lines speak for their food better than the reviews shown on yelp. read more

As I sit under the painted neon bar, my margarita swirls in my mouth as a sour yet sweet treat. The salsa dances with my chips. The taco fills my tummy with glee, I can feel the early onset of diarrhea. The server made out with me in the restroom. They gave me free tequila shots all night and I drove home wasted. Can't wait to go back tonight for dinner. This truly is the rodeo. read more

Went today for lunch with my family. I ordered the chalupa (think tostada no meat just beans) and a cheese enchilada. Both were great..in fact the best enchilada I've had in a while! And they use white which is a plus. read more

This is my 2nd time at this location. The first time I also ordered a taco salad and it was good. This time I ordered the same. My shell was burnt and I didn't eat it. My tomatoes were dried up and shriveled, they had obviously been cut a day or two ahead of time. I ate a few pieces of hamburger only to find completely uncooked meat in my salad. The person I was with also had pink hamburger on their nachos. I didn't know what I had eaten until we got home and talked about it. I thought it was a mushy tomato. The waitress didn't bring me a refill. I won't be coming back to this location. read more

Ordered the camarones al mojo de ajo (garlic shrimp). When they arrived it was obvious that the shrimp hadn't been deveined. They also didn't look adequately cooked. Tried to explain the issue to the server but it was obvious he didn't understand the issue. Food for everybody in the party came out incredibly fast. So fast it was obvious everything just sits in warming trays. Very different from when they opened years ago. Margarita was good. read more

I'm only giving this location 4 stars, because the atmosphere is lacking. It's dark and dingy looking. However, if you want authentic Mexican food that is at a decent price, this is the place. By far one of my favorite go-tos here in town. This particular location serves better food, in my opinion, and the service is always speedy and friendly. read more

The food is good, not great. The margaritas do the job. And it's moderately priced (for Des Moines.) However, I've never not had the time of my life when I go to El Rodeo. Maybe it's nostalgia, but El Rodeo shaped my margarita drinking life, and I can't wait to get my fix during Drake Relays 2007. read more

Terrible costumer serrvice! They messed up on my to go order but didn't notice until I got home. I called them to let them know, and the lady tells me I have to bring my receipt. Sin verguenzas tell me to bring the food and once I get there I was expecting my food to be ready(since it had been20 minutes since I called them), but it's not. I have to tell another guy(probably manager) what had happened and that guy doesn't even apologize or anything and waited another 15minutes for my food.‍ read more

Good food and service on the several visits I have made, with a bit more atmosphere than the dozens and dozens of other generic Mexfood places that have popped up in Des Moines in the past five years. I have now eaten at three (are there more?) locations, and all are quite different in how they look which makes me not like the other two as much as this one. I'd recommend La Hacienda right down the road over El Rodeo, though. read more