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Great vibes and attitude here, everyone friendly and attentive service. Jack at the bar is great and the tequila old fashioned is one of the best cocktails I've had outside of Chicago. What a bonus to get authentic birria here too, not always can be trusted at more frou frou Mexican places like this!
Food was delicious, I had the chipotle shrimp street tacos, they were full of flavor! We also ordered the chips and salas trio. This is the type of place where you pay for chips and salsa. It was good, but when we asked for a refill on chips our waitress brought us all broken chips. The service was lacking, our waitress didn't check on us ever. I had to glad her down to order chips and then again to order dinner. There could have been a better pace and definitely more attentiveness. They have a great patio area. Food was good but service lacks.
I enjoyed my lunch at Malo - it consisted of an al pastor, dos pescados and Mahi Mahi tacos (in ranking order of best to good). The corn tortillas were chewy with an arepa consistency, which I thoroughly enjoyed and was pleasantly surprised as my taco didn't fall apart. The service was good. There was some waiting at the front, I might've popped in at an odd time 2pm. Got seated quickly and I was ready to order as I checked out the menu online before arriving. The only thing that was off was there was no water refill; thankfully I made it through my meal without choking. Would Def have the al pastor taco again. It was legit.
Food was yummy. Margs were average. Service was slow on a Saturday night. Churros were to die for!! Save room for the homemade churros and get a side of ice cream to dip them in (you won't regret it). Overall atmosphere of the place was super cute and trendy for Des Moines. Server was really nice she must have just been busy because everything was brought out to us very slow. Chips and salsa trio was overrated in my opinion. I would try their guac or queso next time.
The last time I was here was with the old management and I absolutely loved the dos pescados. Yesterday I came post re-opening and I wasn't a fan of it. The fish was fried much differently and didn't have the same taste. It also didn't have real lobster like the last time. I'm sure their other food is good as my friends liked their food though. I just no longer recommend the dos pescados. The patio seating was really nice and servers were attentive.
I thought this place was definitely worth a four star! I was surprised to see it only at a 3.5. We made a reservation online but it was fairly dead at 5pm on Saturday. We got the chips and salsa trio to start. The salsas were good but the chips were lackluster, don't appear to be made in house. Then we both got a couple drinks. I started with the mango jalapeño margarita which was tasty. Note - you can add jalapeño to any flavor but I believed it's just the physical jalapeño because we didn't get much spicy flavor. I did like how you could choose tajin or salt rim. Next I got the rosé sangria and honestly it was so unpleasant I asked to trade my drink. Luckily the server was very accommodating and replaced it with the passion fruit margarita which was good. For dinner, I got the trio mix and match with Barbacoa, steak tenderloin and shrimp. The Barbacoa was delicious and my fav! One of the best I've ever had. The the tenderloin was solid, though I would recommend cutting the steak into smaller pieces, it was a bit hard to eat. The shrimp however fell flat for me. It was sautéed shrimp on cabbage. That's it, no flavor. Overall, good service. Good margaritas for $8 and great Barbacoa taco. I would come back with the limited selections in Des Moines.
First time for all & heard nothing but good, so we were all excited! We had a reservation & got seated right away. Once seated, we got water & ordered additional drinks. The decor & vibes were so fun, creating a great atmosphere. I wouldn't say it was too busy at that point, but drinks took 20 minutes to come. We asked the waitress & she seemed overwhelmed with the patio being open. Food came quick, hot, fresh & had soo much flavor. We definitely packed boxes to go as the serving size of everything was huge! Other than the very timely wait for drinks & flagging down our server for assistance, everything was amazing!
There are some high end restaurants in these few blocks but I wanted something more casual. Malo was a good choice. My sangria rose' and seared tuna appetizer were very good. The mahi tacos were a bit too done and dry but not a worry. I left happy.
Incredible experience! Our first time coming to Malo was for a birthday party of one of our friends - it was lovely getting to try their queso & salsa mixes & sharing with the table. 100% would recommend for an appetizer, as it's very share size friendly! I also selected the taco mix & match & was pleasantly surprised with all the different types & flavors one could select from!! Their alcoholic beverages were amazing & the service was very friendly for such a large party handled it well!
Came all the way from Hammond Indiana to pick up a friend and ran into this Gem! The Mgr straight out the door Jen was amazing and like, genuine/real. Educated us on the history of the building (firehouse) which was cool. I came in with two non English speaking indigenous friends and they loved the pork belly tacos & shrimp a la crema. The service was good. When we all walked in & felt a bit underdressed and out of place but the staff & food took our mind off of that, we felt very welcomed. Great experience and great representation of downtown De Moines or Iowans for that matter. Thanks Ms. Jen Ps: Dessert - Churro w ice cream & the fruit w cream were Bomb AF! The chocolate cake was too sweet but I'm not that into chocolate so maybe a chocolate lover would like it.,.. ALSO: we're Mexican. We approve of this restaurant
Found out about their Taco Tuesday $2 street taco special on happyhourdesmoines.com, so had to go there last night to try it. What an awesome place! There were plenty of chips and salsa (see picture) served. The salsa and cream sauce were top-notch, while the chips were average. I immediately ordered a Paloma (delicious) and one of each $2 street tacos (beef and chicken - see picture) on corn tortillas. Both tasted great, but the beef were especially great - tender and such fantastic seasoning! The chopped onions and cilantro on the side was another tasty addition. Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Value: 4 Service: 5 If you found this review helpful, please click to show your support. For a list of great Happy Hour food and drink specials in the Des Moines area, visit: www.happyhourdesmoines.com
I came to meet some friends and it was my first time in this restaurant. I was greeted promptly and with a big smile. It made me feel welcomed. Alex was a great waitress and she was very attentive and cordial. We had some type of Queso (they have a few options) the one that we had, had corn and it was very flavorful. I ordered the grilled chicken and it was a big portion. It had a salad, black beans (normally served with refried pinto beans) rice and the chicken with a sauce. The flavor were very good and tasty. Not sure what was the sauce but it was very good. The only reason that I am giving 4 stars it is because the mens bathroom need attention. They had black plastic bags over the urinals (both of them) and the floor were very slippery. Not sire if it is because of the humidity. I will be back for sure because the food it is just that good!
2 months ago
The servers was really good and the food was excellent well prepared and cooked to satisfactory read more
4 months ago
Malo was a cool experience at first on Cinco de mayo! Good vibe in the restaurant! Of course tons of people but my group didn't have to wait long so that's nice. I got the pick three tacos because they were out of carnitas which was very disappointing . The pork tenderloin taco was very average, the pork belly was kind of tough but had decent taste. Then the chicken taco was good. We also were given a bottom of the bag of chips at first with our salsa and queso. Overall pretty average food experience at malo nothing very impressing for upscale Mexican. read more
My experience at Malo was fantastic! I enjoyed tacos, chips and guacamole, street corn and a marg. The patio was lovely, service was fast and kind. I'm from Nashville and was pleasantly surprised at the affordability of this restaurant. If I'm ever back in the Des Moines area I would 100% entertain visiting here again! read more
4 months ago
8 months ago
Great vibes and attitude here, everyone friendly and attentive service. Jack at the bar is great and the tequila old fashioned is one of the best cocktails I've had outside of Chicago. What a bonus to get authentic birria here too, not always can be trusted at more frou frou Mexican places like this! read more
Food was delicious, I had the chipotle shrimp street tacos, they were full of flavor! We also ordered the chips and salas trio. This is the type of place where you pay for chips and salsa. It was good, but when we asked for a refill on chips our waitress brought us all broken chips. The service was lacking, our waitress didn't check on us ever. I had to glad her down to order chips and then again to order dinner. There could have been a better pace and definitely more attentiveness. They have a great patio area. Food was good but service lacks. read more
5 months ago
I enjoyed my lunch at Malo - it consisted of an al pastor, dos pescados and Mahi Mahi tacos (in ranking order of best to good). The corn tortillas were chewy with an arepa consistency, which I thoroughly enjoyed and was pleasantly surprised as my taco didn't fall apart. The service was good. There was some waiting at the front, I might've popped in at an odd time 2pm. Got seated quickly and I was ready to order as I checked out the menu online before arriving. The only thing that was off was there was no water refill; thankfully I made it through my meal without choking. Would Def have the al pastor taco again. It was legit. read more
5 months ago
Food was yummy. Margs were average. Service was slow on a Saturday night. Churros were to die for!! Save room for the homemade churros and get a side of ice cream to dip them in (you won't regret it). Overall atmosphere of the place was super cute and trendy for Des Moines. Server was really nice she must have just been busy because everything was brought out to us very slow. Chips and salsa trio was overrated in my opinion. I would try their guac or queso next time. read more
1 year ago
Cannot say enough about this place! The food is so amazing and the drinks literally taste like perfection. Do not let the rating for you. This place is five stars. read more
2 years ago
The last time I was here was with the old management and I absolutely loved the dos pescados. Yesterday I came post re-opening and I wasn't a fan of it. The fish was fried much differently and didn't have the same taste. It also didn't have real lobster like the last time. I'm sure their other food is good as my friends liked their food though. I just no longer recommend the dos pescados. The patio seating was really nice and servers were attentive. read more
I thought this place was definitely worth a four star! I was surprised to see it only at a 3.5. We made a reservation online but it was fairly dead at 5pm on Saturday. We got the chips and salsa trio to start. The salsas were good but the chips were lackluster, don't appear to be made in house. Then we both got a couple drinks. I started with the mango jalapeño margarita which was tasty. Note - you can add jalapeño to any flavor but I believed it's just the physical jalapeño because we didn't get much spicy flavor. I did like how you could choose tajin or salt rim. Next I got the rosé sangria and honestly it was so unpleasant I asked to trade my drink. Luckily the server was very accommodating and replaced it with the passion fruit margarita which was good. For dinner, I got the trio mix and match with Barbacoa, steak tenderloin and shrimp. The Barbacoa was delicious and my fav! One of the best I've ever had. The the tenderloin was solid, though I would recommend cutting the steak into smaller pieces, it was a bit hard to eat. The shrimp however fell flat for me. It was sautéed shrimp on cabbage. That's it, no flavor. Overall, good service. Good margaritas for $8 and great Barbacoa taco. I would come back with the limited selections in Des Moines. read more
First time for all & heard nothing but good, so we were all excited! We had a reservation & got seated right away. Once seated, we got water & ordered additional drinks. The decor & vibes were so fun, creating a great atmosphere. I wouldn't say it was too busy at that point, but drinks took 20 minutes to come. We asked the waitress & she seemed overwhelmed with the patio being open. Food came quick, hot, fresh & had soo much flavor. We definitely packed boxes to go as the serving size of everything was huge! Other than the very timely wait for drinks & flagging down our server for assistance, everything was amazing! read more
There are some high end restaurants in these few blocks but I wanted something more casual. Malo was a good choice. My sangria rose' and seared tuna appetizer were very good. The mahi tacos were a bit too done and dry but not a worry. I left happy. read more
Incredible experience! Our first time coming to Malo was for a birthday party of one of our friends - it was lovely getting to try their queso & salsa mixes & sharing with the table. 100% would recommend for an appetizer, as it's very share size friendly! I also selected the taco mix & match & was pleasantly surprised with all the different types & flavors one could select from!! Their alcoholic beverages were amazing & the service was very friendly for such a large party handled it well! read more
3 years ago
Came all the way from Hammond Indiana to pick up a friend and ran into this Gem! The Mgr straight out the door Jen was amazing and like, genuine/real. Educated us on the history of the building (firehouse) which was cool. I came in with two non English speaking indigenous friends and they loved the pork belly tacos & shrimp a la crema. The service was good. When we all walked in & felt a bit underdressed and out of place but the staff & food took our mind off of that, we felt very welcomed. Great experience and great representation of downtown De Moines or Iowans for that matter. Thanks Ms. Jen Ps: Dessert - Churro w ice cream & the fruit w cream were Bomb AF! The chocolate cake was too sweet but I'm not that into chocolate so maybe a chocolate lover would like it.,.. ALSO: we're Mexican. We approve of this restaurant read more
Found out about their Taco Tuesday $2 street taco special on happyhourdesmoines.com, so had to go there last night to try it. What an awesome place! There were plenty of chips and salsa (see picture) served. The salsa and cream sauce were top-notch, while the chips were average. I immediately ordered a Paloma (delicious) and one of each $2 street tacos (beef and chicken - see picture) on corn tortillas. Both tasted great, but the beef were especially great - tender and such fantastic seasoning! The chopped onions and cilantro on the side was another tasty addition. Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Value: 4 Service: 5 If you found this review helpful, please click to show your support. For a list of great Happy Hour food and drink specials in the Des Moines area, visit: www.happyhourdesmoines.com read more
I came to meet some friends and it was my first time in this restaurant. I was greeted promptly and with a big smile. It made me feel welcomed. Alex was a great waitress and she was very attentive and cordial. We had some type of Queso (they have a few options) the one that we had, had corn and it was very flavorful. I ordered the grilled chicken and it was a big portion. It had a salad, black beans (normally served with refried pinto beans) rice and the chicken with a sauce. The flavor were very good and tasty. Not sure what was the sauce but it was very good. The only reason that I am giving 4 stars it is because the mens bathroom need attention. They had black plastic bags over the urinals (both of them) and the floor were very slippery. Not sire if it is because of the humidity. I will be back for sure because the food it is just that good! read more
3 years ago
Malo is amazing, with a great staff, and a lot of food for your bucks. The atmosphere is great. Staff truly care for their customers and their community. Recommended: chicken enchiladas, breakfast burrito are the favorites. Tacos are amazing, too. read more
1 year ago
5 years ago
I went here on a Wednesday which happened to be half priced margarita day! Wow, definitely perked up my night. This place is incredibly cute inside. Spacious and modern. We came kind of early without a reservation but were seated right away at a table. It did get busier as the night went on. They also have patio seating. Which looked nice for a warm day in September. And from what I noticed all the staff members had masks on. I had the pork belly tacos on flour tortillas with some salsa on the side. And wow those slabs of meat tasted delish. Crispy and melted in my mouth after each bite. My friend got the veggie burrito and it was huge. Honestly the biggest burrito I've seen, and it came with rice and beans on the side. I think the food was decently priced for the quality and atmosphere of this location. Especially since we had half priced margaritas. I had a positive experience so I recommend this place for a night out with friends or for date night. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
Great and FAST service. We were well taken care of during our visit and our food came out super quick, and was hot and fresh. The basic guacamole tastes like just mashed avocados, but was good when combined with the house salsa. I also had the BEST mango margarita I think I've ever had. It was hard to stick to ordering just one. We ordered the quesadilla appetizer that comes with a dipping sauce, and we both LOVED it. The dipping sauce was SO good and adds the perfect amount of fat and flavor to the dish. For main courses, me and my own both ordered the mix and match tacos. The all stars of our orders were the beef tenderloin and the fried cod. The beef tenderloin was perfectly seasoned, fall apart, and was well-balanced with the other elements. We also got an order of fried yuca and Malo fries that we barely touched because we were stuffed. The yuca came home with us. Overall, we had a wonderful experience at Malo and are almost upset that it took us this long to make it out here. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
I give the restaurant vibe (both indoor and outdoor) a 4, the food a 4 and the service a 3. We've been going to Malo for years because the food has always been great and we love the atmosphere. If there's just 2 people, you can usually get right in and sit at the bar or the high top tables around the bar, so it's nice not to have to make a reservation. But we've also been there with groups so definitely make a reservation in that case! My go-to's are the Carne Asada Tacos or Drunken Nachos along with the Charred Iowa Corn as a side and the Queso Malo. This last time my husband and I went there for dinner, I got the Al Pastor Tacos and they were...okay. They didn't have a lot of flavor so moving forward, I'll stick to my usuals. I would definitely recommend Malo! read more
4 years ago
Malo. Wow this place is amazing. A beautiful patio with very welcoming and attentive staff. They accommodated our group and made us feel safe with social distancing. Malo has about 10 different salsas and lots of options to try them. I got the Crema, Pico and Avocado salsa. The crema was my favorite! I then got the mix and match tacos which were phenomenal. The beef tenderloin, shrimp, and cod all had excellent flavor with quality ingredients. I recommend trying their spicy margaritas as well. We celebrated my friends birthday and they were very sweet and brought out a free desert. We chose the churros and they were unreal! And they give you so much for a free desert. I am looking forward to coming back when I visit Des Moines next time. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
I tried this place while visiting my best friend in Des Moines. The service was great! Our waitress was incredibly friendly. The food was pretty good and I've never had anything like it before! It was veryyy filling. Overall I enjoyed it and I liked the ambience. It's not authentic Mexican but more like a Tex mex place. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
So good! I had the 3 Taco Mix & Match with the Seared Beef Tenderloin Tacos Chipotle Shrimp Tacos and Mahi Mahi Tacos....all of them were delicious. The tenderloin taco was absolutely a must try. Lots of seating and fun atmosphere for a night out. read more
5 years ago
Good tacos. Salsa and guacamole are good, but they weirdly don't have any salt for the chips (?). The pozole was authentic and the mushrooms were a surprise hit. The pork belly taco was the best by far. read more
3 years ago
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More info about Malo
900 Mulberry St
Des Moines, IA 50309
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(515) 244-5000
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Ask the Community - Malo
Do you still offer the brunch buffet with chocolate fondue?
Hi Heather - we do not offer our brunch buffet anymore. Our full menu for brunch can be found at malodesmoines.com!
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