One of the spots I like to hit up when I'm in town. Close to where I train so it always tastes better when you are starving. Great service and great tasting food! read more

6/27/26. Yelp reviews looked good but all were over 5 years old. Pulled in parking lot and wasn't sure about going in because the outside looked rough!! Decided to go for it anyway. Was only one other person waiting for there to go food. Chips and salsa are $2. Chips are thick/crunchy and taste homemade. Two salsas are given, verde (hot) and roja (slightly sweet with a kick of heat at the end). I ordered a Sope with carnitas. Wife ordered Gorditas. Waited for about 25 mins. A little long considering we were the only people in there at that point. But I hoped that meant it was being made from scratch. Food arrived, it looked delicious! Both of our first bites were heaven! Sope had a thick fluffy masa cake base with the most tender roasted slightly seasoned carnitas. Topped with a soft kind of white bean, a few sliced tomatoes, a few onions, shredded cabbage and salty cotija cheese. Very filling. Wife's Gorditas were three small masa cake shells stuffed with moist shredded dark meat chicken. And the same topping as mine. We both thoroughly enjoyed our food!!Would stop back again when I town. read more

Service was quick. The restaurant is small and authentic. The horchata was watered down but the lengua and Birria tacos were great!!

Food was tasteless got home sat down to eat my food started chewing and their was hair in my tacos. Threw the whole meal away!!!! The customer service sucks!!!! I said thank you, she didn't respond at all . Won't be going back to this trashy place again!!!! read more

Always good and such a bright friendly interior! One of my favorites! Real Coca Cola!

Had the Street tacos - chorizo, birria, carnitas, Al pastor. All double small soft tortillas with plenty onion and cilantro. ($1.75/e) Used the salsa provided on two. Salsa had a small kick but good. Side of sliced radish and lime wedge. read more

I was on a road trip recently and we needed to stop for gas near Des Moines. Thanks to yelp I stumbled upon Tacos Mariana's and THANK.YOU.YELP. This place is a gem! First of all, they should be called Papusas Mariana's, and you should order all of the papusas if you can. The tacos were also amazing, don't get me wrong, but these papusas were life-changing. Like, so amazing I lack the words to describe how good they were but I feel blessed to have had them in my life. Their guacamole is made with cucumber. I'm not personally a cucumber kind of girl, but I liked this guac. I wasn't able to eat much of it (please see: papusas AND tacos, above) but what I did have was delicious. It felt like a lighter, summer version of guac, if that makes sense? The interior is really cute. Someone obviously loves this place and spent time picking out the decor and making sure that the hand-painted tables and chairs match and are authentic. I hope this pandemic is over soon and they can return to regular service. read more

Eat here! You will not be sorry. A hole-in-the-wall place that instantly hits you with charm when you walk through the door. Great service, atmosphere, prices, and EXCELLENT food. read more

Tacos Mariana's - Birria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Absolutely Delicious....Des Moines Best kept secret...Best street Tacos in town... Homemade Hot Sauce is to die for

Local hole in the wall joint with excellent food and service! Ordered the taco barria and guacamole. Very authentic and extremely tasty. If you stop here , you have to try the guacamole! You get a lot of food for the money too. read more

Tacos Mariana's - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Every time we go between Indiana and Nebraska we would stop here and always had a great lunch until this last time. As always we got a order of pupusas but this time it came with a hidden nasty surprise. A piece is raw meat was stuck to the bottom of one of the pupusas which makes me believe the food ready for consumption must be prepared in the same expect spot where the raw meat is being cut. Do yourself a favor and avoid this stop or risk getting food poisoning read more

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Waitress lied . I asked if chips and salsa came with the meal, she said yes. She then charged me. The restaurant was hot and muggy. I had to walk up and order my drinks from the counter. She did not come to the table. She over charged me and lied about the chips and salsa. Poor customer service. read more

As a Texan, I have been on the search for good Mexican food in Des Moines since I moved here 3 years ago. I've finally found it, folks. The guacamole was so fantastic I forgot to snap a pic before it was all gone. It was well balanced, creamy and had a great kick. The tacos are absolutely fabulous as well. At $1.50 a piece you are a rich girl with only $10 in your hand. The steak taco was perfectly seasoned and the chicken taco was is so tender the meat fell apart. I also got a side of rice with my tacos and it was perfect! Fluffy, well seasoned and a great match with the tacos. Finally, we got some Papusas to share and they were also an awesome addition to the meal. You really can't go wrong here. The only thing I wish they had was Queso as a starter. Maybe they will add it soon! For now, GET THE GUACAMOLE! And grab as many tacos as your tummy can handle. read more

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I dunno man... I feel bad for this review because I always want to support little family places like this. They've got enough good reviews that what I'm about to write probably won't matter, but in the event it spares one person from food poisoning, it's worth it. I guess I'll start with what was okay about this place: 1. Friendly service 2. Food tasted...okay 3. Super rad murals on the walls I had high hopes for this place simply because of the filthy exterior, and the dope Jesus murals. These elements are usually a sign of super good food to come. I'm Mexican, I'm from Los Angeles, and I've spent some time in Mexico. I'm not squeamish about roach coaches, holes in the wall, food from a pushcart in the hood, it's all good. I like Mexican and Latin food, and I've eaten an obscene amount of it. It is a cuisine I feel confidently qualified to judge. What Tacos Marianas is missing is the key ingredient to what makes a good restaurant. A restaurant can be lacking in atmosphere, friendliness and even price-point comparison IF the quality of the food is so good that no one cares. Although the flavor was passable, I would not risk eating here ever again because... This place is straight up filthy. When the tables and chairs all have visible black grime on them, trash bags are piled up and falling over near the kitchen, and the pots from which they are serving rice and beans are just sitting on a countertop with no regard to temperature, this is just begging for a visit from the health department. I can hear Gordon Ramsey screaming about "people dying in hospital from eating here." I only caught a glimpse of the trash and pots because my little girl ran off toward the kitchen area and I had to go get her before she went too far. I watched them plate up rice and beans using a single ladle, dipped into these massive pots that were just sitting there. The lady's hand was grasping the side of the pots and they didn't appear to be hot at all. It grossed me out enough to give me a bit of a chill, and I truly have an iron stomach. Alarm bells! Aside from their dollar tacos (which weren't happening on the day I came here) they're not the best deal on any item, either. The food is just, acceptable, and you can get much better elsewhere for less. read more

I was skateboarding down University avenue when I visually perceived this place. Taco's Mariana's. I hadn't eaten there afore. I ceased in and was astounded by the authentic tacos. These are solemnly to die for. I will be eating here every day. read more

Amazing food, great prices, and fabulous service! I highly recommend whenever in the Des Moines area.

If you've spent your entire life in the Midwest eating bland meat and potatoes and watered down whitewashed Mexican - don't bring your behind here. If you're a native of North Mexico aka the southwestern United States, then eating here is like returning home! I live in Ames where the food sucks and I come here when I miss the tastes of home. This ain't for someone that can't handle real flavor and spice - this is Mexico in Iowa. read more

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We got a caller on line one. Caller, what's your issue? Mariana let me holler at you, you so hot hot hot... I've been wanting to try this taco shop for a while now. It's a little hole-in-the-wall shop connected to a Hispanic grocery store. I settled on eight tacos to go and a side of chips with salsa. $1 tacos on Wed and Thur is the absolute best deal in town! The flavorful meat is very authentic (beef, pork and chicken) and if you're not adding the green sauce to your tacos, you're doing yourself a disservice. I've got paper girl, the Lamborghini, tacos from Mariana's so come get it with me!! read more

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A coworker of mine had been preaching to me for a year that this was the best place to get authentic tacos, so I finally got around to trying it and the food was great, truly authentic. I tried 4 tacos, chicken, pork, adobaba(steak) and pork stomach, I would say the chicken and pork were my personal favorite but the chicken was by far the best. I also got rice and beans, the rice was bland but the beans were some of the best I've had. My s/o got the pupusas which he really enjoyed. We did get chips and salsa to start which I was not a fan of l. Both salsa were really spicy and didn't have much flavor, so I would skip that in the future, but I'm sure a spice lover would feel differently. read more

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Tiny place with mighty good food. I love eating here. Nice staff. Great prices. Great place to stop and get a bite to eat.

Good Mexican/somewhat Salvadorian food. Service was ok. Server/waitress was not friendly but delivered ok service (I guess they don't speak good English or maybe shy or maybe she just don't wanna be there working on American memorial holiday Monday). Food is good. We ordered nachos con carne that tasted like from the authentic deep country of Mexico. Pupusa was good as well as those tacos! I'm still looking for a GREAT MEXICAN FOOD in this entire state of Iowa. So far, all these Mexican foods I've been and tasted here from Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Nevada, Ames and Des Moines cities, town.... none of them have ever amazed my taste buds! Nothing compares those real Mexican and Tex mex restaurants in Houston Texas (where I came from) read more

I don't know what's up with the rest of these reviews because the food here was absolute garbage. I'm from LA, so I know what tacos and birria are supposed to taste like...and this was NOT IT. I ordered the 3/$9 birria tacos which had absolutely ZERO flavor. The pupusas weren't even edible, and the horchata tasted like it was made with bathwater, the flavor was so off putting. Trust me, if you don't want a nasty stomach ache, avoid this place at all costs! read more

My aunt read about this place in Midwest Living magazine. The article was specifically about the guacamole. Honestly I wasn't a fan of that, I'm a purist, cucumbers don't belong in guac!!! But everything else was delicious. We shared everything, chicken enchiladas, pupusas, queso fundido, street tacos. It was all great. The pupusas were probably my favorite. Identical to what I ate last month in Belize. Wish they had margaritas but corona with a lime worked. read more

I have been dying to try this place and yesterday for lunch was finally the chance!! The hours on the door say they open at 11am. My mom and aunt arrived at 1140 and they were still closed. But as they were calling me the owner arrived and unlocked the doors. The parking lot is kind of haphazard. It's fairly small in the side and along the front of the building. At points. You are actually driving up the curb to park. And there is broken concrete debri all over the driveway so watch your step! The restaurant inside is super small, but clean and brightly painted. The outside of the building is a little off putting but the inside is much nicer. I would say this is your stereotypical hole in the wall restaurant. The service is slow. The waitresses aren't going to act like your friends. But the food is fantastic. We started with the chips, salsa and guacamole. The red salsa is good. The green salsa will burn your mouth up, if you're into that. And omg the guacamole is to die for!!!! It has cucumbers, green onion, cilantro and jalepeno. I couldn't get enough of it!! We ordered chicken tacos, carnitas tacos, a vegetarian tostada and pupusas. The tostada was very oldly shaped and hard to eat without making a mess. The tacos we good but needed something. We added salsa or guacamole and salt to them and then they were fabulous. I love authentic tacos and street tacos. But these were a tad bland so that's why we doctored them up. The papayas though! I would come back to this place just for that guacamole and the papusas. I think those were the best things I've eaten in a long time. So overall, it wasn't the best Mexican I've ever had, but there were definitely reasons why I would be happy to return. read more

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One of or the best place to get tacos in the Des Moines area. Food is reasonably priced and you can easily get full and not pay over $10. I've had the tacos, chips, and pupusas and they are delicious! My favorite tacos are the steak and tongue tacos. So delicious! The guacamole is so fresh and chunky. The pupusa was filling and oozing with flavor. The aesthetic of the restaurant made me nostalgic for Mexico and reminded me of my trips there. Service is great and food comes out relatively quickly. Overall, I highly recommend it! read more

Was in town visiting for a couple days and was lucky enough to stumble across this gem! The tacos were fantastic, the meat was well seasoned and the tortillas were the perfect vessel for transporting that flavorful goodness to my mouth. The guacamole had feta cheese and little diced up peppers that gave it the perfect balance that kept me going back one scoop after another! The best discover were the papusas. I had never had one before let alone seen one on any restaurant menu. But I'm so glad I decided to give them a try, they were mouth watering delicious. The only way I can describe it is a combination of a quesadilla/tamale/Empanada, stuffed with cheese and pork, then pan fried to create a out crispy crust that just seals all that juicy and savory goodness. My wife said this was the best place we ate while in Des Moines and we ate at a lot of well review and more expensive restaurants. The value here is unbeatable with the tacos only costing $1.50 each. I'd eat 10 easy and still spend less then at some of these other places. read more

The lady who runs this place is amazingly the carne asada tacos and the birria tacos are phenomenal! Do not pass the opportunity to eat here. I will admit the salsa is a little spicy if you're not a fan of hot hot read more

Absolutely delicious and prices are reasonable. They are a little slow but that's because everything is being made fresh. Well worth the wait. Employees are always friendly and responsive. One of my favorites of DSM. read more

Overall bland tasting food. When seated, there was not any chips or salsa given to the table. Was out of Horchata. The rice had a few uncooked pieces and was bland. The beans tasted like they came out of a can with no seasoning. My main dish was the 3 for $9 birria tacos. They had a weird after taste that reminded me of plastic. And wasn't seasoned well either. I'm used to having birria tacos fried with the red juice/sauce with it, so that was a let down. The dipping juice wasn't very flavorful either. Rating based on this one dish. Won't be coming back. read more

Tacos Mariana's - Birria tacos with rice and beans (sorry they're partially eaten) - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I love tacos so we had to try Mariana's. We ordered guac, salsa & chips. Guac was great- tastes so fresh with cucumber & lime. Tacos- I ordered seasoned steak & chicken. Steak was phenomenal! read more

Tacos Mariana's - Guac has cucumbers! Really good - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I stopped at this place on my way back to Nebraska. I was skeptical at first, because it was a small hole in the wall place. The tacos was very affordable at $1 a piece! I had 4 tacos, carne asada and Lengua. They were very delicious. The food was great, the service was great and the price was amazing. I left with a tab under $8dollars and was very fulfilling. If i lived in the area i would definitely be going back. read more

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Tacos and Pupusas are the must at this place! Place your order ahead, super for take out. Defiantly don't underestimate this place! If you order right you will want to again and again! read more

REALLY good Mexican food. They are open everyday EXCEPT Tuedays from 11am to 9pm. However, I have to mention that when we came here on Sunday at 11:30am, they were still closed.....But when we came back around noon on Sunday they were open! Yay! So glad we decided to take a double take otherwise I would have missed out on some delicious food! Here are the reviews: Chorizo torta--good but not the greatest I've had. Still very tasty but a little on the expensive side ($5) Tacos: each at $1.25 pork al pastor spiced steak tongue chorizo All of them EXCELLENT!!! I was asked if I wanted onions and cilantro. I had told the lady only cilantro, no onions. When we came home there were onions in my tacos. I ended up eating everything with the onions because it surprisingly tasted very good with them! My order came with their special salsa sauce. Spicy but a nice condiment to the food. When we came, the restaurant kept filling up with patrons. The restaurant had one patron when I arrived but was almost 75% full when I left! Most of the customers were Hispanic which says a lot about the authenticity of this place! We will be back for sure! read more

I went here last night and had a great experience. This was just my type of restaurant: small, family owned and good food. I had the steak tacos and they were excellent. They were just slightly smaller than normal so if you are really hungry order at least three but don't worry on spending too much they are $1.25 each ($.25 more to add cheese). Chips and salsa are not free. I liked this because then I don't gorge myself on chips ahead of time before my meal comes. My friend who came with me got the quesadilla and thought it had a little too much cheese but was still pretty good. Oh and the salsa was awesome. If you don't like hot salsa make sure to ask for their mild stuff. I definitely would eat here again and recommend it to anyone else. read more

Tacos Mariana's - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Found two hairs in food. Rice was cold. Don't have regular cheese, only parmesan or american cheese. Not great. read more

Tacos Mariana's - hair in food - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The service here can some times be slow, but the food is well worth the wait. That being said, if you're short on time consider elsewhere. They also don't have room for large groups. Taco Mariana's has one of the better guacs I've had the opportunity of trying. I really like that they have cucumber as an ingredient--it's so refreshing. Their tacos are reasonably priced and all the meats are well seasoned. They also have decent papusas but nothing to write home about. They have additional items on the weekends that are a MUST: pazole, tamales, and ceviche (shrimp and fish). I would highly recommend these items but they often run out so call ahead of time if you plan to dine in. If you had to choose between the shrimp or Fish ceviche, go with the fish! SO GOOD! Happy eating all. read more

Our first time here and we were loving everything about the food here. The place on the outside looks sketch but the inside is quite colorful and inviting. Service: 5/5 She was working all of the tables by herself and did an excellent job. The place was packed and she did the best she could to be attentive to everyone. Food: Chips and Guacamole- 4/5 great-tasting and fresh with cucumbers and peppers (made-to-order) Gorditas with Adobada - 3/5 these were just okay for me, but I think it's cause I should've chosen a different meat. Still good though. Pupusas- 4/5 yummy pork and cheese filled goodness. Slather on the salsas and it was just mouth-watering! Flautas with rice and beans - 3/5 tasty but small for the price. Rice and beans were good as well. All in all, we would definitely order from here again but we would probably order to go as the wait time was on the lengthy side. But this is a must try joint for sure! read more

YUMMIEST TACOS EVER!! at a great price! we always go here & will always continue. read more

Tacos Mariana's - 5 steak tacos, rice & beans under $7.00 - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Mariana's is my absolutely favorite Mexican restaurant. I have been going here since she was in the Drake neighborhood. I slowly worked my way through her menu, but some of my favorites are: Carna Asada, Steak Ranchero, Torta, Horchata, and of course her tacos. The decor reminds you of Mariana's home town San Sebastian and a lot of the furnature is actually from there. I have also taken various visitors from South America and they have always enjoyed the food there. read more

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Not much to say otherwise than I was disappointed in the tacos. I'm a taco lover and I didn't like them.