When we walked in the place looked inviting, I really love the tables & chairs. This is me and my husbands second time going there and both times we were not disappointed. Services was great especially when they had Bad Bunny banging in the back and the food is really good. The first time I got a steak quesadilla and it was good but the second time I got a chicken quesadilla and I had mouthgasm. Taco Bell can take a back seat from now on read more

Stopped by here the other day. Clean restaurant. Food was reasonable and very fast. I'd recommend if you're in a hurry. Also easy stop when leaving the West Glen area too. My partner had never had their food and did enjoy it. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Plant - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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$12 sausage breakfast burrito was mostly potatoes. Used to love them but the value isn't there anymore.

It has been a while since I have been to Abelardo's so I decided to go tonight. I really enjoyed the meal. I had a Smothered Caramon (Shrimp) Taco and it was really good! It was well portioned, and the flavors were on point. The service was very friendly and the wait was reasonable for the food. The dividing dining space is a bit cramped. There was a screaming child pretty close that couldn't be avoided and some of the seating is close to the restrooms. But the meal was excellent and I enjoyed the visit. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Smothered Caramon (Shrimp) Burrito - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

It is hit or miss, used to like this place but our last order on a Sunday night was horrible, the Meat was disgusting, the whole order was like old dry meat. Will never eat at any Abelardo's again read more

love this place real mexican food near home, everything fresh and delicious, the cashier is super nice, and the have fre chips and 6 varieties of salsas read more

So sad for me to have to leave this review! We've come here many times before and we're not sure if the cooks or ownership changed but the quality of the food has declined significantly. They were one of the few places open early enough to get a good hearty breakfast burrito and the meat used to be so tender and the flavors used to be good. We recently ordered a steak burrito and were sadly disappointed. They definitely changed the meat they use and it tasted like it had been frozen and it was so tough! Not tender at all. Had some rolled tacos too and the meat was extremely dry! When we kindly talked to the woman working about the meat and we asked her if they changed vendors for their meat she said "No it's the same as we've always used." I shared how the meat was and she looked at me as if I was the problem. I told her we had those burritos a lot in the past and they've never been that bad. And she kept repeating herself and didn't want to hear us out at all. So disappointing since we've chatted with their staff there before and they never treated us rudely before. We only brought it to their attention so they were aware and we wanted to help but she was not having it. In my usual reviews I like to leave something positive but I can't find any for this one. Will NOT be spending my money here to go to a staff who doesn't want to at least hear their customers out! read more

Neat little spot! Walk- in and sit down place but is also a drive-thru! I ordered a smaller portion of the carne asada nachos. Meal was ready within a few minutes. Basic meal. Not as great. Got my own fountain drink. There is a self area to get your own salsa's and sauces in plastic containers. Probably good for late night, drunken food. Huge menu. read more

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Sometimes food is on and sometimes it is OLD out of the freezer. I don't understand why restaurants fry food twice to try and pass it off as fresh. read more

Whenever I want fast, good, fresh Mexican food, this is my go to. It may be a small hole in the wall restaurant, but I can always count on great flavors, fresh and definitely filling! Every time I come here I end up saving some for in the morning. From the size of the gigantic burritos to the delicious desserts, yum! Conveniently located next to bars and a mini strip mall! Bring your appetite!! There is a good amount of seating inside as well. read more

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Abelardo's, what happened to you? new management or owner? I have been going to your restaurant for 10+ years and I used to make a special trip to Des Moines for your veggie burrito and pineapple drink. More recently I have been drowning out the haters who say your food is no good, but I have to admit everytime I go there especially the last couple years all I end up with is lettuce and disappointment. did the recipe change? is inflation to blame? charge me more bc I will pay to once again have my vegetarian burrito filled with beans, rice, sour cream and guacamole. im rating 3 stars in hopes that there's still a chance to go back to what we once had. am I gaslighting myself that it was ever really that good? I'm praying that there's opportunity to get things right again read more

Tried to order food and was unsuccessful. There should not be a huge Pitt-bull and Rox mix dog right at the front door in front of the salsas and order line. They did not ask man to leave. read more

This was the saddest and the most expensive Mexican food I have ever had in my life... my heart was broken when I opened up the food to see the chicken and beef tacos were basically chalupas as well. The carnitas taco was edible but so tasteless and I just ended up throwing it down in disgust :( I should've just gone to Taco Bell at this point. I thought three tacos and a quesadilla for $18+ would at least come with chips and salsa? But no. I feel really bad for the people that enjoy this place and are willing to spend $$$ for food that reminds me of elementary school cafeteria food.. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Carnita, chicken, beef taco and a chicken quesadilla. My mouth and pocket was assaulted eating this... - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Very good service and good food. I got the crunchy taco and tostada combo. I'll be back.

Take-out from Abelardo's. I used to be an Abelardo's hater... I always laughingly called it the best Mexican food you could get after midnight on a Sunday (hours vary by location)... After having a couple of good experiences with Maria's I decided to give Abelardo's another shot. I'm not sure if the competition changed them (Maria's and Lina's) or if something has changed in me... I know I can't really knock them around anymore. Pictured is a smothered burrito (carnitas...with enchilada sauce...and I bought a 4 oz. container of queso) and a fried taco. Let's start out with the fried taco. Is it a Tasty Tacos original? No... But it's also $2.29 v. $3.25. The shell isn't as flexible as TT; it definitely has more of a crunch. Some may like that better. I really enjoy a good texture contrast sometimes... Served with lettuce and cheese. The ground beef was good. I actually liked the seasoning in the meat better than TT (lately anyway), but we all know that can vary on who's working in the kitchen. No complaints and a decent bang for the buck. The smothered burrito... Let's just mention right off the top... It's a BIG burrito. And you know how they say take-out (or delivery) is never as good as it is in-house? Hmmmm... On this one I could beg to differ. Rolled up in a flour tortilla and stuffed with slow cooked, tender, shredded pork... Guacamole, lettuce, and pico inside. Served with your choice of enchilada sauce or queso... $8.49. I ponied up for the queso too (4 oz. at a $2.00 up charge) so $10.49 total for the burrito. Happiness is cutting that burrito up... Dragging it through the enchilada sauce and queso... And then letting it sit on your tongue for a couple seconds before starting to chew the bite. Abelardo's is nothing fancy. It's a late night order and pay at the counter type of place. It's kind of like the Waffle House of our local Mexican joints... Don't take that the wrong way... I like Waffle House too. Everything was great from start to finish today. Service was fine for what it is and I had a very short wait before my food was ready and I could head back to the office. Everything traveled well. read more

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Maybe on a good day this is a decent place but I skeptical. I had an assortment of tacos and they all suffered the same ailment, tasteless meat. Tough and chewy would also be an accurate way to describe the meat. The cabeza was the only one worth ordering again. The Carne asada and pork were just dry, tough, chewy, and tasteless. So since every dish is based off the meat, I would just pass. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Assorted tacos - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Good, fresh, fast Mexican food. Wide variety of menu options such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads etc. love the horchata read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Carne asada tocos. Large portions of tender, flavorful marinated beef. Also has pico and cilantro added. Very good - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

love the food, big portions and friendly service. We got the birria tacos, texas rice bowl, the lengua tacos and the Chile rellenos plate, everything was so good. read more

All of their food is amazing, but Abelardo's has the best Chile relleno I have ever had!! Amazeballs! Also delicious are their cabeza and lengua tacos! Delish! read more

It's exactly what you want when you want Mexican food. My favorite part is the 8-10 variations of fresh hot sauces and salsas they offer for free with your meal. You can literally grab a small cup of every single one, and they're all spicy enough to make my nose run and mouth salivate, but not so spicy that they've forsaken the flavor. Each flavor is different too so it's fun to try each one and mix and match with my quesadilla. They're polite and make good food, but they're also not there to wait on you hand and foot, so don't expect them to be like Chick-fil-a. They just serve good, flavorful food in a standard Mexican restaurant atmosphere. No frills kind of place. There is upbeat Latino music mixed with some Spanish-flavored pop hits, however, their sound system keeps going in and out so I've sat in silence for a minute or two a few times now which is awkward, but I don't really care. If I were having a private conversation with a friend I might care more. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Carnitas quesadilla with delicious hot sauces and salsas. - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

In the nicest way possible, the workers are idiotic. In the drive-thru line, I asked for the same thing FIVE times. They finally said they understood the order, but when I got to the window they charged me for something completely different. They claimed that was what I ordered. I argued with them for about 10 minutes, I ended up paying for it because I was completely done with their BS. I think they try to take advantage of drunk people in WDM, if you are just someone going to get food on a random night, do not go there unless you want to be ripped off. I'm only giving a one star because that's the worst review I can give them. If I could give them an zero, I would. read more

Having left a HolidayParty in the neighborhood, I opted to drive through this west side eatery for some hot fresh takeout. I have been inside the restaurant on previous visits, but this was my first time using their drive through and it ROCKED! Quick, efficient service, with fresh made food that permeated my car's entire interior for the 40+minute drive home. When I finally got the chance to eat the carne asada chimichanga, it was filling, delicious and fresh tasting. From past experience, I know this place is clean. The staff is very friendly. Family friendly place. Street and lot parking. Good prices. Quick service. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. CyHawkApproved. read more

Smaller restaurant with great food and very nice staff. Had the fajitas with guacamole and chips. Wish the guacamole was fresh hand made but still good. They don't have margaritas but do have beer. I will be back as I come back to town for work. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Fajitas and guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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If I could leave 0 stars I would. Absolutely horrible food that was so burnt we couldn't eat it. This was a Doordash order, we ended up throwing it out in the trash. The fajitas were so burnt you couldn't even see the cheese that was supposed to be on it. Then, instead of tortillas for the fajitas, we got one huge burrito that we were going to tear up and use. Absolutely a waste of money, and would not recommend to anyone!!!! read more

The food was surprisingly tasty for being a drive thru Mexican service. I had the two enchilada meal with double rice - the chicken enchiladas were drenched in their queso.... So good!! Their rice as well was a nice example of good Spanish rice. Everything was done well and the service was fast and good. Overall, I would say this is a great place to eat if you're wanting some quick Mexican food or are having a late night craving! read more

Horrible customer service... I understand its hard to get quality employees but somethings are just not acceptable. Food is just average.

This was my first time at this restaurant. I chose to go through the drive thru and it was extremely hard to hear what the person was saying.I think their speaker was partially broken. I ordered the chicken tacos platter and one order of churros. I didn't get a receipt at the window, but didn't really think anything of it. I got home and saw in my bag 5 orders of churros and I was indeed charged for 5 orders as well. The food was good, but I would recommend going into the restaurant instead of the drive thru so that you're only charged for what you order. read more

I fully admit that maybe my poor experiences here may be due to the fact that I've only been here on late night outings with friends in West Glen. With that said, the food's often pretty dry and flavorless (except maybe salt). The people who work here are friendly and the salsa bar is a plus. I don't know if it's worth going unless it's late and you don't want to drive somewhere better. It gets 3 stars instead of 2 from me, because my friends were a fan when we were there. Maybe it's better during the day. read more

We grab some takeout a few times a year. Very hearty portions and the food is consistently good and as advertised. Plenty of options with fresh ingredients, tender meat, and good flavors. They have a salsa bar so you can choose your pico or sauces to accompany your food. Reasonably quick service. Eat in area as well. read more

Best veggie burrito out there. Quick service, convenient drive through, large portions, and delicious food!

The cheese quesadilla is my favorite...if I am getting home late I will swing through the drive thru to pick one up! Glad they are so close to my house and always on my way home! Give them a try when you are looking for fast food Mexican! read more

Quite similar menu to Maria's Mexican on Grand. Ordered fried tacos which were pretty good. Lots of meat and one fried taco will probably fill you up. They have lots of different salsas to choose from. You will have to go in if you want to try more of a variety of sauces. Service was pretty good too. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Fried Taco - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

This is the closest thing to real Mexican food at least how I know it from San Diego that I've seen in Des Moines. I got a plain quesadilla and a carne Asada Burrito plus a jamaica beverage which you can't find anywhere except here. I'll be coming here a lot. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Great Mexican food in Des Moines Iowa. - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

The food was delicious, really loved the corn tortillas. The portions are big and the prices are low. read more

Abelardo's Mexican Fresh - Mexican Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Terrible service and even worse customer service. Placed our order and was served the completely the wrong order. When we brought this to the attention of the staff they attempted to charge me again for our meal. Do not patronage this establishment. I would give this a zero if yelp would allow! read more

We move recently from Austin, Tx to West Des Moines. I had very high expectations for Mexican food in terms of taste & flavors. This place meets that. Additional points go for the late availability of this place. On weekends they are open late till 3-4 am in the morning. read more

If you want amazing food for an amazing price, this is the place to go! The burritos are the best in my opinion. The 14" handmade tortillas are stuffed with the best ingredients. Nothing tastes like it's been frozen and it's never greasy. Everything tastes homemade. I've never NOT had leftovers after eating here. (And the leftovers reheat very well.) The only downfalls are that the atmosphere is not the best-I prefer to get drive thru. It also takes about 10 minutes to get the food, but I guess that is a good sign that the food is being made fresh. I recommend Abelardos for all times of day- breakfast (the breakfast burritos are my favorite), dinner, and especially when you're hungry after a night of drinking. read more

Used to love this place. My last couple orders have been sooo dissapointing!!! My husband has ALWAYS ordered Machaca burritos from here. Called in an order to go and the lady on the phone REFUSED to make one. Stating its not on the menu, and has no way to ring it up (this is not true). The woman on the phone was extremly rude and ended up hanging up on me!!!! I hadn't returned to Abelardos until today for some chips, queso and salsa for a New Years party, 2nd chance. Shop closed at 3pm, we just opened queso at 9pm, and it's a soupy mess!!! I've had runny queso in the past, this was beyond runny. Now its sits uneaten because it won't even stick to a chip. Not to mention I paid a crazy $16 for chips, salsa and cheese sauce I imagine they watered down to fill the container.. not sure I'll return. read more

Authentic, delicious Mexican food. Abelardos was highly recommended by people I trust when it comes to food. It didn't disappoint. The food is served on authentic soft shell tortillas, which were as flavorful as the carne asada that filled it. The pico de gallo was fresh and firm with just the right amount of cilantro. They have several varieties of salsa available to add to your food (avocado was great). The guacamole was simple and just right. The staff was friendly to myself and my family. No problems there. I would highly recommend giving them a try! read more

Fantastic, greasy deliciousness! Came here missing my favorite Mexican place in the world (Muchas Gracias in Portland, OR 24 hours of perfect drunk food) and found it's younger and only slightly less- yummy brother. Service is quick and to order-- I can't help that I hate onions, ok? and I totally agree that the sauce selection is worth getting out of the car for, plus I couldn't understand a word through that loud speaker from the early 90s that they have in the drive-through. We took a minute to order and I was treated to listening to the Spanish-speaking woman behind the counter complaining about "expletive slow customers acting like we have all day and nothing else to do" in a language that she obviously has no idea many Americans with blonde hair know how to speak. I found it hilarious. I highly recommend the 3 rolled taquitos (5 if you're feeling frisky) with guacamole, cheese and I added sour cream cuz I'm a baller that likes to spend my hard-earned money on fattening happiness. Carne asada nachos are pretty awesome but if you, like me, believe onions to be the spawn of satan, don't forget to leave off the pico de gallo and a 1/2 order is a full meal unless you feel the need to sing a whale song. This is my new favorite Mexican place in my new favoritest city that I just moved to-- I think it kicks Tasty Taco's behind in almost every way. Come here if you like super hot hot sauce, greasy amazingness in your mouth and enjoy being insulted by potty-mouthed employees who are adorably clueless that Spanish isn't an exotic language that no one but their coworkers are able to understand :) read more