Des Moines has its share of Mexican restaurants, serving a mix of regional dishes and family favorites. Diners can dip into crispy birria tacos, tender tamales steamed in corn husks, and savory bowls of pozole. The metro area includes newcomers bringing their own twist to Mexican fare as well as older restaurants honing in on customer favorites. Here's a look at some of the best Mexican restaurants in the Des Moines metro.
Feel like a good Mexican restaurant is missing from this list? Drop us a line with some details along with your favorite dishes to order at sstapleton@gannett.com .
Bar Nico
This East Village restaurant features a completely gluten-free kitchen. Restaurateur Jason Simon opened Bar Nico with Mexican fare and a takeout window in 2022. Chef Matt Small relies on heirloom corn as the centerpiece for many dishes. Tacos here come stuffed with Baja fish or pork belly carnitas, while tostados come with smoked trout or chicken tinga. Do look at the mushroom queso fundido or roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese to start.
The bar leans into tequila, mezcal and bourbon. Stop by for brunch with breakfast tacos, crispy gulf-style shrimp. and huevos Benedict with chipotle hollandaise and an heirloom corn biscuit, huevos Libanese with shakshuka, huevos frittata, and more on Saturdays and Sundays. Head out to a small patio during the warmer months.
Location: 428 E. Locust St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-243-0611 or barnicodsm.com
El Fogon
El Fogon, Spanish for "the stove," offers two locations in West Des Moines with a giant menu of Mexican dishes. Try the quesataco birria with consomme on the side for dipping, guacamole served in a volcanic molcajete stone, or a tamal en hoja.
Some of the specialty dishes include mole poblano with chicken or los tr3s chivos with grilled ribeye steak, broiled chicken breast and grilled shrimp served with peppers, onions and mushrooms. El Fogon makes its tortillas in house.
Also find an all-day breakfast menu, a section for healthy fare and another for kids.
Locations: 1250 Eighth St., West Des Moines, 515-635-0133, or West Glen, 5465 Mills Civic Pkwy., Suite 101, West Des Moines, 515-221-7989.
Contact: elfogondsm.com
Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant
Festive sugar skulls decorate this restaurant with locations in Ankeny and Altoona. Try dishes such as flautas stuffed with chicken or beef, chiles poblanos filled with chicken or seasoned ground beef and smothered in cheese, or a tamale dinner. Order seafood dishes such as mojo de ajo shrimp sauteed in garlic with mushrooms or diablo shrimp in a spicy sauce. The menu denotes spicy dishes and customer favorites.
Locations: 202 S.E. Delaware Ave., Ankeny, 515-963-0054, or 3221 Adventureland Drive, Altoona
Contact: guadalajaramexicanrestaurantia.com
Los Laureles
Los Laureles, Spanish for bay leaves, serves casual Mexican fare on the east side of Des Moines. Diners can try chile rellenos, tamales, flautas stuffed with shredded chicken, or hard shell tacos filled with chicken or ground or shredded beef. Other favorites includes corn sopes topped with beans and a choice of meat or carnitas tacos. Do order the pozole and grab a seat on the patio.
Location: 1518 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-265-2200 or loslaurelesiowa.com
El Michoacano Taqueria
Since 2016, this Mexican restaurant near Merle Hay Mall has served an assortment of dishes including elotes, quesabirria tacos, tortas with 14 meat options from cabeza to lengua, empanadas rellenas, or sopes. Best of all, the restaurant offers helado in flavors such as mango or cotton candy. The restaurant also offers a separate vegan menu, as well as a food truck at 415 E. Euclid Ave. in Des Moines.
Location: 2922 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines
Contact: 515-277-1826 or elmichtacos.com
Paleteria La Michoacana
This shop in the Capitol East neighborhood specializes in homemade Mexican ice cream, as well as chicken flautas and carne asada fries.
Location: 1552 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-265-0696
Pueblo Viejo
Try some of the Pueblo Viejo favorites such as tacos el carbon with skirt steak or chicken breast served in soft corn tortillas, taquitos rancheros filled with shredded beef, or molcajete with a combination of flank steak, chicken and shrimp with mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. Do look for egg dishes served all day.
Location: 3841 E. 14th St., Des Moines
Contact: 515-265-1720
Tacos Mariana’s
Tacos Mariana's in the King Irving neighborhood restaurant serves 10 different protein options in its tacos that come with two soft corn tortillas made in house. Try proteins such as carnitas, pollo, chorizo, and asada, as well as cabeza (beef head), tripas (beef intestine) and birria (shredded beef). Prices start at $1.25 or head here on Wednesdays or Thursdays for 99 cent tacos.
Find it: 1305 University Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-288-1499
Tacos La Familia
The casa de la barbacoa in the River Bend neighborhood serves street tacos in a small space along Sixth Avenue in Des Moines. Order barbacoa (lamb) pata de res (beef feet), camaron (shrimp) or picadillo (beef and potatoes). Try the taco ahogados (fried tacos) with corn tortillas dipped in beef birria and fried with melted cheese that start at $3.50 or street tacos with double corn tortillas that start at $3.
Find it: 1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines
Contact: 515-244-6659 or tacoslafamiliaia.com
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook , Twitter or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Craving some good Mexican food? Here are the best Mexican restaurants in Des Moines.
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