Yelp reviews are spot on. I got lazy. It was across the street from the hotel. I think one time…read moreweary travelers are the only people that eat here? The restaurant is clean. The service is OK I'll give it. Both the steak and the shrimp were overcooked not to mention fajitas should come out sizzling if they're made fresh It's almost like this was pre-cooked and heated to order I wish I would've driven the extra eight minutes to find the meal yelp recommended so a victim of my own laziness I post this for you to keep going move on find better food. Don't waste your money.

Super fast and friendly service. The food was good, we had a large group and everyone was pleased…read morewith their food.

El Azteca is a must when I'm back in Ames. The food is somewhat of a Tex-mex vibe and always hits…read morethe spot. They serve complimentary fresh tortilla chips with salsa - the salsa is mild and refreshing with a nice burst of cilantro. My typical picks for entree are any of the chicken meals - arroz con pollo, poncho's lemon lime chicken or chori-pollo. My dad likes the burritos - a common go to is the burrito California. My sister swears by the burrito ruleta and she gets it every time. This occasion I also got a raspberry margarita on the rocks which was scrumptious. Food is always fast and service is always friendly.

It was a dark and stormy night…read more... After a long Dad-related day, I wandered in (from the downpour) for a well-deserved Margarita, with mole chicken enchiladas on the side. The place wasn't very busy on this mid-week January evening, as I was seated quickly with the chips not far behind. The Margarita was refreshing and strong, the chips were fresh, and the enchilada came out hot and tasty. Service was friendly and fun, making my evening most pleasant.

We had a great time here for dinner! We got our food quick and our server was sweet and attentive…read more The food portions were also much larger than I expected and they gave us a free desert at the end of our meal. It was a little hot inside but would definitely recommend!! I'll be coming here again

We wanted to go to the nearby High Trestle Trail Bridge, so we stopped here for lunch with our…read moregrandkids on a weekday just after noon. We were quickly seated and got our drinks and started to look over the menu, which house lots of options! The kids settled in on a grilled cheese and a taco respectively. I decided to get the lunch burrito and my wife went for the lunch enchilada. Our food came out pretty quickly and everything was very fresh tasting and the serving sizes are huge! For a lunch special I expected a lunch-sized portion and I got what I would consider an evening-sized portion. The same for my wife's meal. When we were wrapping up, they came out with ice cream for the kids. They really enjoyed that even though you would've thought they'd have been full after all they ate for lunch. The spice level on everything was very mild. The salsa had just a little bit of a zing to it but nothing that would stop the kids for eating it. Next time I will ask for some hot sauce or throw some jalapeños in my entrée, but I do like it spiced up a bit. Service was very good and a gentleman who I assume is the owner was very funny and engaged well with everyone in the restaurant. They have a parking lot and everything was neat and clean. We did not partake of any adult drink offerings, but they did have what look to be a nice nicely stocked bar

The food was delicious. The service was spot on. The food was very well made. We enjoyed the…read moreatmosphere and the art work was very cool

Who says you can't find awesome Mexican food in the middle of the US? The inside of this place is…read moredefinitely a little older and could use a facelift (especially the seats), but the amazing food and service totally make up for it. We got the fajitas and tacos, and everything tasted incredible. Fair warning: the portions are huge! We ended up packing a bunch of food to go. Recommend if you want a good meal.

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 Dark Room, the Mariachi music blaring, strong scent of men's cologne, a bar dominating the space…read moreand an atmosphere that would be welcome at any Quinceañera... but, do you really want to sit down for dinner. No.

Amazing food great service . Very consistent . Always a wonderful experience.....this is our go to…read moreplace any time we want authentic great tasting Mexican food .

Walked in and loved the decor! Ordered margaritas,one house and one jalapeño, both were delicious,…read moretasted handmade. Ordered chorizo tacos and relleno burrito, both were good. Unique side came with the burrito, a refreshing change from most Mexican restaurants. Staff was friendly and attentive, food was delivered quickly. Definitely recommend, we will stop by again!

Service was terrible and food was not hot. margaritas are…read moremade with cheap tequila and mixers but are $15. won't be back

I was debating getting DoorDash at work today, to get delivery. The DoorDash delivery guy was fast…read moreand did an awesome job. Now for the food-it's really good. See pics. I got the chimichangas and quesadilla sampler. I hadn't eaten yet when I got my delivery. I was able to take one bite of the chicken quesadilla and 3/4 of ONE of the 2 chimichangas, as well as a few bites of beans and rice. The chimichangas and quesadillas are LOADED with meat. Not much cheese on the quesadillas, but I'd prefer mass quantities of meat over cheese. The meat in chimichangas is shredded and juicy. They are covered with queso and paired with beans, rice, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole. These two meals will get me through two days of food. Prices are $10-20/meal. I'm glad my friend suggested this. MarcyDiner'sTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. CyHawkApproved.

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