Review stars given for what this place is, a local Tex-Mex restarant. I can't believe no one has reviewed this place yet. It is very well known in Des Moines. Their reputation is for good food, very low prices, and great service. It is a treat just to watch a food server carrying five hot plates of food on his arm. You are just waiting for it to fall, but it never does :-) Great place for kids and adults. Good variety of Tex-Mex style food. Specials are an unbelievable value.
(5)
I l.
If you have had Tex-Mex you it's nothing new, they just generally do it a little better. It tastes good and it's cheap. Check out tacos de carne asada, someplaces call it tacos al carbon, swap out the beans for rice. Top it off with the salsa verde and that is about as good as it gets.
(4)
Andrew S.
Average Mexican food at decent prices.
(3)
Patrick T.
My Favorite thing about El Rodeo, has to be the Chips and the Salsa. They have got it down there! I have gone here a few times and always dug my meals, usually got some sort of Vegan friendly thing and it always tasted pretty darn good, but I was usually full before the meal even came cause like I said, The CHIPS and Salsa are some of the best in town! They also have a funky decor, and cheap drinks.. SOUNDS like a trip south of the border of fun for me!
(4)
Andrea B.
They have new menus and it seems their salsa has changed -- both for the better! Their fajitas come in huge portions, you can easily make two meals out of it if not three (depending how big of an eater you are). I recommend tacos de carne asada -- my favorite! Some other favorites are the Locos Burrito and Nachos del Rodeo. Food is always quick, tasty, & inexpensive for quality food.
(5)
Sue K.
You can get a whole lot of food for very little money. And very cheap margaritas! You'll get your money out of this dinner. Huge menu, quick service, and at such a great price, you can't go wrong here.
(5)
Summer M.
We went on a Sunday, around lunch time. Service was fine...the food was not! The carnitas had hardly any flavor and were dry. The guacamole tasted like flavorless paste. My husbands dish was a cheesy greasy mess. It too was hardly flavorful. My Margarita was barely drinkable. The only thing I really enjoyed were the chips and salsa. I will admit, the queso dip was good. Worst Mexican restaurant in Des Moines. I won't be going back.
(1)
Casey G.
first let me say that I'm not a big Mexican food fan, but I go when it's the choice of others. This place is.... meh... not bad. Not good. Nothing memorable either way. Pass.
(2)
Jared R.
Second time I've been here & still very good! I get the fajitas. In my opinion if a Mexican restaurant can not make good fajitas, they shouldn't be in business. They do a good job. My steak is moist & tender. Not cheep junk! I would add a bit more seasoning to meat, but just me. I will order fajitas here again! Salsa is fresh & cooled!!!! Chips are fresh & warm!!! Very good! They also have white cheese dip/sauce that is sooooooo good!!! I normally do not go for things like cheese sauce, but a friend introduced me. So good: Hot, creamy, mild - good with anything!!! Recommend & Will Return!!!
(5)
Kelley M.
Food is delicious every time I go and the portion sizes are just right. Fast and friendly service. One of my favorites.
(5)
Mark G.
So so food, bland with not much seasoning. Has a typical menu, nothing too stand out here. This is not a 4 star place, to be one you must stand out on your dishes from other places. Can't say this place really does that.
(2)
Alice H.
My husband and I were in search of a good Mexican place for diner. The place was busy so we thought we had found a good place. Looking around the place we noticed that almost every table had margaritas. If that is your thing than this might be a good place for you, however, I would not go here for the food. While service was quick (not necessarily friendly), all of the food was bland and didn't exactly match the menu description. The chips and salsa were flavorless. I ordered a burrito. It came with only ground beef inside and covered in red sauce. The only thing that had the slightest bit of flavor was the red sauce but not much. I don't remember the menu saying it had sauce on it (I may be wrong but really didn't care because nothing could have saved me from disappointment). My husband for some unknown reason got seafood tacos. The crab taco had no crab in it, just imitation crab. Shouldn't be allowed to all it crab if its not crab. He said his food was bland. We won't bother coming back. Even though the prices are good, the food is not worth the money.
(1)
Eric A.
So yeah, the menu is similar to most other Mexican restaurants in town, but the service is always great here, the food is ready fast and of consistent quality and they load up the margaritas if that's your thing. This is my first choice for Mexican in Des Moines (it does get crowded on the weekends at times).
(5)
Steve J.
To be honest I didn't try any food besides the chips and salsa. I was to busy drinking myself into a stooper. El Rodeo serves $1.50 Margarita's (blended -or- on the rocks) between 11AM and 3PM. The margarita's were strong, and very good! I have to say the salsa is the best salsa I have had at any mexican restaurant in a long, long time. From what the people around me that actually ordered food had said is that the food is good and is at a moderate price .. but you can never go wrong with a quality $1.50 Margarita!
(4)
Nicholas K.
Decent food and good prices. Lunch time is best, $1.50 Margarita's and cheap fajitas! There are better places in town though.
(3)
Lynn M.
Five stars all the way! It's everything you want in a mexican restaurant: Great food, Cheap prices, Excellent service, and CLEAN! We had a great time at El Rodeo on a Saturday afternoon drinking margaritas and chatting it up. Love this place!!! They need to franchise and make one on every corner! Go El Rodeo!!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Mia R.
Review stars given for what this place is, a local Tex-Mex restarant. I can't believe no one has reviewed this place yet. It is very well known in Des Moines. Their reputation is for good food, very low prices, and great service. It is a treat just to watch a food server carrying five hot plates of food on his arm. You are just waiting for it to fall, but it never does :-) Great place for kids and adults. Good variety of Tex-Mex style food. Specials are an unbelievable value.
(5)I l.
If you have had Tex-Mex you it's nothing new, they just generally do it a little better. It tastes good and it's cheap. Check out tacos de carne asada, someplaces call it tacos al carbon, swap out the beans for rice. Top it off with the salsa verde and that is about as good as it gets.
(4)Andrew S.
Average Mexican food at decent prices.
(3)Patrick T.
My Favorite thing about El Rodeo, has to be the Chips and the Salsa. They have got it down there! I have gone here a few times and always dug my meals, usually got some sort of Vegan friendly thing and it always tasted pretty darn good, but I was usually full before the meal even came cause like I said, The CHIPS and Salsa are some of the best in town! They also have a funky decor, and cheap drinks.. SOUNDS like a trip south of the border of fun for me!
(4)Andrea B.
They have new menus and it seems their salsa has changed -- both for the better! Their fajitas come in huge portions, you can easily make two meals out of it if not three (depending how big of an eater you are). I recommend tacos de carne asada -- my favorite! Some other favorites are the Locos Burrito and Nachos del Rodeo. Food is always quick, tasty, & inexpensive for quality food.
(5)Sue K.
You can get a whole lot of food for very little money. And very cheap margaritas! You'll get your money out of this dinner. Huge menu, quick service, and at such a great price, you can't go wrong here.
(5)Summer M.
We went on a Sunday, around lunch time. Service was fine...the food was not! The carnitas had hardly any flavor and were dry. The guacamole tasted like flavorless paste. My husbands dish was a cheesy greasy mess. It too was hardly flavorful. My Margarita was barely drinkable. The only thing I really enjoyed were the chips and salsa. I will admit, the queso dip was good. Worst Mexican restaurant in Des Moines. I won't be going back.
(1)Casey G.
first let me say that I'm not a big Mexican food fan, but I go when it's the choice of others. This place is.... meh... not bad. Not good. Nothing memorable either way. Pass.
(2)Jared R.
Second time I've been here & still very good! I get the fajitas. In my opinion if a Mexican restaurant can not make good fajitas, they shouldn't be in business. They do a good job. My steak is moist & tender. Not cheep junk! I would add a bit more seasoning to meat, but just me. I will order fajitas here again! Salsa is fresh & cooled!!!! Chips are fresh & warm!!! Very good! They also have white cheese dip/sauce that is sooooooo good!!! I normally do not go for things like cheese sauce, but a friend introduced me. So good: Hot, creamy, mild - good with anything!!! Recommend & Will Return!!!
(5)Kelley M.
Food is delicious every time I go and the portion sizes are just right. Fast and friendly service. One of my favorites.
(5)Mark G.
So so food, bland with not much seasoning. Has a typical menu, nothing too stand out here. This is not a 4 star place, to be one you must stand out on your dishes from other places. Can't say this place really does that.
(2)Alice H.
My husband and I were in search of a good Mexican place for diner. The place was busy so we thought we had found a good place. Looking around the place we noticed that almost every table had margaritas. If that is your thing than this might be a good place for you, however, I would not go here for the food. While service was quick (not necessarily friendly), all of the food was bland and didn't exactly match the menu description. The chips and salsa were flavorless. I ordered a burrito. It came with only ground beef inside and covered in red sauce. The only thing that had the slightest bit of flavor was the red sauce but not much. I don't remember the menu saying it had sauce on it (I may be wrong but really didn't care because nothing could have saved me from disappointment). My husband for some unknown reason got seafood tacos. The crab taco had no crab in it, just imitation crab. Shouldn't be allowed to all it crab if its not crab. He said his food was bland. We won't bother coming back. Even though the prices are good, the food is not worth the money.
(1)Eric A.
So yeah, the menu is similar to most other Mexican restaurants in town, but the service is always great here, the food is ready fast and of consistent quality and they load up the margaritas if that's your thing. This is my first choice for Mexican in Des Moines (it does get crowded on the weekends at times).
(5)Steve J.
To be honest I didn't try any food besides the chips and salsa. I was to busy drinking myself into a stooper. El Rodeo serves $1.50 Margarita's (blended -or- on the rocks) between 11AM and 3PM. The margarita's were strong, and very good! I have to say the salsa is the best salsa I have had at any mexican restaurant in a long, long time. From what the people around me that actually ordered food had said is that the food is good and is at a moderate price .. but you can never go wrong with a quality $1.50 Margarita!
(4)Nicholas K.
Decent food and good prices. Lunch time is best, $1.50 Margarita's and cheap fajitas! There are better places in town though.
(3)Lynn M.
Five stars all the way! It's everything you want in a mexican restaurant: Great food, Cheap prices, Excellent service, and CLEAN! We had a great time at El Rodeo on a Saturday afternoon drinking margaritas and chatting it up. Love this place!!! They need to franchise and make one on every corner! Go El Rodeo!!
(5)