Chicken Fajitas are amazing, fast service as well. The portions are huge and leaves plenty to take…read morehome.

YAY FOOD. It was pretty good!!! They were quite quick and acquiesced to my enchilada request on the…read morespecial requests option. Would order from here again.

Just an average but lively American Mexican restaurant. They have TVs so there's games on if you're…read morelooking for that. Service was ok, there were plenty of tables at dinner on a Sunday. They have a small patio. We'll go back for a margarita at some point!

A really good, full service Mexican restaurant in The District, featuring both indoor and outdoor…read moreseating. Bigger venue than you think at first. Really good customer service, and our server, Yancu, was darn good. Loved my Hidalgo meal, Mole Poblano, and their guacamole was amazing. Overall, above average food choices!

Service was quick! Food and margaritas were outstanding. We ordered the fish tacos (pico on the…read moreside) and harvester enchiladas. So good!

Stopped on a Saturday afternoon was greeted by a very pleasant hostess, and we were able to be…read moreseated right away. Iced tea fresh and clear. We ordered some queso which was proper consistency mild and tasty. Chips were fresh and our meals were great. I ordered the Iowa harvest chimichanga with rice. Husband ordered à la carte two tacos, rice and beans. Everything was delicious the meat and the tacos and chimichanga was very flavorful. They mentioned on their menu beef sourced by Ory Brothers beef delicious will definitely be back. comfortable friendly atmosphere.

I went once before, and I despised it. I declared their Chorizo terrible, and I still stand by…read morethat. However, somehow they managed to make their chimichangas legendary. Yet even so, they are so small. 16 dollars for 3 birria tacos too, all of them tiny as the size of my palm. Service was average as usual. Ambiance still average too. At least this time there was no random green stuff on my food.

Great food. My partner really enjoyed his meal and I loved mine. The margarita was also great. The…read moreprice was ok for the area. Staff were friendly.

We stopped at El Mariachi in Johnston around 6:30 and sat out on the patio, where a house swallow…read moreloudly judged us the entire time. Honestly, the patio ambiance is always pretty good here, bird commentary included. Service was a little slow, and we had to work harder than we should have just to get water, but our waiter was fine overall. Nothing bad, just nothing exceptional either. The complimentary chips and salsa were very good, and I love that they have El Yucateco sauces on the table if you want to spice things up a bit. I had the Chipotle Tacos with chicken for $13, which came with rice and beans. Kim had the #7 combo for $11, with one burrito, one enchilada, and one taco. Both meals were good, but the chicken in my tacos and Kim's burrito was seriously excellent. Tender, flavorful, and probably the best part of the meal. Kim had a small frozen raspberry house margarita for $6.25, and I had a jumbo house margarita on the rocks for $8. The house margaritas were the one thing I would probably upgrade next time. They were very sweet and not quite the stronger margarita flavor I usually prefer. They do offer several premium margarita options, so I suspect that is probably the better route if the drink is a big part of the visit. But they definitely ask premium prices! Our total bill with tip was about $54, which felt fair for two meals, chips and salsa, and two margaritas. Overall, good food, great chicken, nice patio vibe, and a solid casual stop -- just maybe spring for the upgraded margaritas if you have the cash.

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $31 04/18/2026 This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while after seeing a recommendation in a publication. The first time we stopped by a number of years ago, we decided against going in due to there not being many cars in the parking lot. That was definitely not the case last night - the parking lot was nearly full and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, as they were quite busy. Needless to say, we left quite happy to have stopped - as we really enjoyed the experience. Our initial indicators of a good Mexican restaurant starts with their margaritas and then their chips and salsa. They passed it both areas - as both were above average. We started with a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) from the bar while we waited for our table. It was good, but wasn't very spicy. The chips and salsa (see picture) were very good - tasty, fresh salsa that was thick enough to stay on your chips and crispy tortilla chips with enough oil to indicate they were fried fresh. For our meals, my wife ordered the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture), while I opted for the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture) - both based on our waiter Omar's recommendation. Omar was great - loved his recommendations, had a great sense of humor and was quite attentive to our needs! As stated, both my wife and I loved our plates - and yes, we shared with each other as always to both confirm. The only change I made to my plate was requesting corn tortillas - as I much prefer them to flour. I just can't say enough about both plates - not only did we REALLY like them, but there was plenty to bring home for another meal. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

The atmosphere here was amazing! We sat on the patio and the weather was very nice…read more Service was okay. It was kind of fast with the drinks, but ordering and getting boxes and bills required a bit of waiting. I got the taco salad with shredded beef, which was so much better than I expected. Not that I thought it would be bad, but the seasoning was so tasty, definitely not a basic salad thrown together.

I moved to the Des Moines area recently and have been on the hunt for a good Mexican restaurant,…read morebecause the one right by where I used to live was AMAZING. After trying many places, this is the best. The margarita (lime on the rocks, no salt on the rim) was strong but sweet. The chips are good (crisp, not stale). The salsa had a delightful heat that wasn't too hot. Their chicken fajitas were tender and flavorful with a good amount of veg. The service was attentive, but not overbearing. The music wasn't too loud when I went around 5:15 on a Monday, and about half the tables were full. Truly a delight. Definitely my go to place for a margarita in Des Moines!

Coming from Arizona, I've definitely missed those authentic Mexican flavors, and El Molcajete…read moredelivered. Everything we had was incredible. The carne asada was packed with flavor, and pairing it with the bacon-wrapped shrimp took the whole plate to another level. The shrimp tacos were easily some of the best I've had--fresh, loaded with toppings, and that sauce they put on them was seriously out of this world. The service was just as impressive as the food. Everyone was attentive, welcoming, and made the entire experience enjoyable from start to finish. I honestly can't think of a single thing that was lacking. Great food, authentic flavors, phenomenal service, and an overall top-tier experience. If you're in Ankeny, definitely stop by and give El Molcajete a try. Moving here from Arizona and finding a gem like this was a huge win. My wife and I already know this is going to become one of our regular spots. Easily a 10/10 experience! Can't complain the ambiance was a nice open concept.

This is my stepdaughter and her husband's favorite Mexican restaurant in their hometown, so we…read morestopped in as a group of 6 on a Friday night. We were seated right away and ordered a pitcher of Skinny Margaritas. They were VERY tasty, well-prepared, and a good accompniament to our chips and salsa. They bring out both mild and spicier salsa, and of course there are options for guac and cheese sauce. For dinner we got a variety of dishes. Two of the group shared a bowl and it was enough for them with leftovers. I got the Loco Burrito, and it was easily 2 meals for me. Others got tacos and shrimp, and everyone enjoyed their dishes. Service was excellent, and the staff worked together to keep things moving right along! I believe this is an old Golden Corral Building, so there is a lot of seating, and a bar right when you walk in the door. Great food and drink!!

The portions were HUGE and oh so good! The Molcajete was…read moreloaded with steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, onions and peppers....served along with rice, beans, lettuce. Very good representation of the Molcajete! The El Patron had loads of steak, chicken, pork, peppers and onions along with the rice and beans as well. Service was excellent, as good as we've ever had...very prompt and friendly. Decor was somewhat upscale with black and gold highlighting the room with Mexican culture pictures and paintings on the walls.

Ambiance was nice with comfortable chairs, however I felt the food was decent if not a little…read moregreasy and the drinks were a little too strong but that's not necessarily a bad thing . Service was great and I also appreciated the music too.i had the enchiladas and it came sizzling and well presented. Would recommend for anyone looking for Mexican food in Des Moines area