Excellent Mexican food, authentic and better than most. The service staff are attentive and fun! One of my favorite places to go.

Food was awesome but service was slow and we didn't see our server enough. They were busy so I'm giving them grace. We will be back. Love their food! read more

Absolutely love this place!!! Me and a few of my coworkers work at an unaimed pizza joint and we like to try new places or just enjoy a meal when we are slow. We decided we wanted to try El Barco and it is probably some of the best Mexican food I have ever had and the coworkers would also agree. Definitely the best around. this place is a must and the service is great. They even gave us a little extra so we decided to donate a few pizzas to them. read more

Based on the other reviews, a group of 5 of us gave El Barco a try last night. Our food was pretty good, but the drinks and service were not up to par. We must have hit them at a bad time and/or on an off night. Once we all got there we got our drink orders in we surveyed the very extensive menu. Our drinks arrived. The others were OK, but I got the Original Margarita, and it came in a shaker with the cocktail strainer on top. I'd ordered it without salt, but it came with salt - no problem; I wiped that off and took a sip. It seemed watery, but I figured that was just the first taste. As I refilled from the shaker, it continued to be watered down - not weak, just not tasty. We ordered our food and 4 of the dishes came out pretty quickly. We assumed the last one was coming and after summoning a server, they went looking for it and someone tracked it down in the kitchen. Our dinners were pretty good. Nice sized servings, my burrito had tender meat and a nice blend of flavors. My wife got the Enchiladas Jalisco and they were good, with a fresh guacamole. The salsa and cheese dip (small extra charge) were good, but the salsa was not refilled when we ran out. We seemed to be in the Bermuda Triangle of service. We had at least 4 different people check on our table - 2 of which offered to take our orders. Along with the belated delivery of our 5th plate and no refills on the salsa, it was a bit confusing to have someone different show up every time as they weren't familiar with our orders or what we'd already asked for. I'm going with A-OK for the rating since the food was indeed better than average, but the service was not at all good. read more

Wow! The food here was incredible and the service was friendly and prompt. The food came out hot, well plated, and huge portions. This is a great place for groups as it has a really relaxed, fun, but still nice vibe. You can't miss the guacamole (small portion is more than enough for 2 people) or the Santa Fe Chimichanga. Edit: The prices are also really affordable. For everything in the picture, after a good tip, our bill was about $30. read more

El Barco - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Food is absolutely fantastic. We have never had a bad meal. There is a lot of different dishes that you won't find anywhere else. Guacamole is to die for. read more

Excellent Mexican and my favourite by far in Des Moines. Great food, great service and great ambience . Kudos to the chef and keep up the good work read more

food had so much flavor without being overly spicy! will be coming back

This is a nice Mexican restaurant. The chips they serve are tasty, so is the salsa. This is good Mexican restaurant worth a visit.

We tried this place for the first time yesterday. We went around 3 so we were the only ones there! The waiter was nice and attentive. I ordered the Texas Burritos that were steak pieces in a shell with cheese sauce on top. I've ordered steak from Mexican places before and it's usually dry! It was so good here. It came with rice and lettuce and tomatoes. It was steaming hot. I don't usually clear a plate but I did here. My husband ordered Fajitas and couldn't finish. They were also delicious. It was full of flavor. We ordered two drinks. A strawberry mule and I can't remember the other but it was in a BOWL with tequila and fresh fruits. It's was delicious. It would be awesome on a hot summer day. The restaurant was clean and smelled nice! I'll be back. read more

El Barco - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

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Great food at a reasonable price. Lots of great choices on the menu. Enjoyable atmosphere.

I love the shrimp tacos and fajitas here. The sauce they put over the shrimp tacos is . They are fast, hard workers. I have never tried something I didn't like. read more

Visiting Des Moines for a work trip and trying to find places to eat can be a bit of a challenge. The first time we ate there was pre-virus days and could eat in the restaurant. I ordered pretty much every single taco in a soft shell (Steak, Al pastor, Grilled Chicken, carnitas) and a fried chili relleno. The relleno was lightly breaded but was as crisp as I thought it should be or that I am used to. The chili sort of spread out and didn't have too much cheese in it. Not to worry because that wasn't the focus of my meal The tacos came out just perfect. The soft shell was warmed up on a pan so it was warm with a little bit of a crisp to it. Each meat was made just perfect, hot but not burned and each had its unique flavor to it. I loved all the tacos but would go back for the steak and the al pastor. Hopefully you can get in there and try the tacos while sitting in the dining room. If I get back to DSM, I will be there read more

I had the enchilada Mexicano's, which was four enchiladas. All the enchiladas were delicious. I may have passed on the cheese enchilada and got an extra bean or chicken. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was fun. we also got the chorizo queso. I thought it was a little salty, but my husband loved it. read more

I have been there several times since a neighbor told me about it. Everything is yummy and everyone I brought to try out El Barco loved it.

GREAT Mexican food! We love going there, but it gets very busy at mealtime, so plan to leave a little earlier if you don't want to wait.

I ordered 3 tacos and was served four, had I not called it out i would have been paying for another subpar taco. There wasn't anything necessarily authentic tasting about the steak tacos I received. Ordered guacamole and when I asked about the price was told it was $4.00 just to receive my check to find it's actually $6.95. The waiter claimed he forgot. The waiter acted as if I was a nuisance the entire time. I'd rather eat at Maria's Mexican food, even if it means losing the ambiance, I'd rather have good food over scenery. read more

I'm very picky with Mexican food.. and oh my goodness this has been delicious every single time I have went! Soo yummy!! The staff are amazing, the manager as well. It's a great environment. I seriously crave their tacos! Always made with love. read more

Occasionally forgets some of our food but overall amazing food, good service, always busy and friendly staff.

Great spot for Mexican food. The guacamole was fresh, but a little bland. I definitely see why their Margaritas are rated so highly. They bring the shakers to your table and pour them for you. We will be back to try it out again. read more

Good food for a nice price. The house margaritas are big and good without being over $10/per (like most places). Good mix of folks. Servers wearing masks. We'll be back! read more

El Barco has delicious and affordable Mexican food. The atmosphere is fun and fast paced.

I didn't like my nachos and cheese,but I still give it try again because I'm in love with Mexican food. Lol

Food was amazing... highly recommend the pollo loco! Prices were reasonable and great service! Will definitely be returning.

My first experience here was really good so I was expecting the same when I brought my family for dinner the other night. Sadly the food did not live up to my expectations. The fish tacos were good, and the chips and salsa fresh, but our beans were lukewarm and the chicken and pork tacos forgettable. On a brighter note the atmosphere is pleasant and the service excellent. I'll give them another try. read more

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Whenever my husband and I want Mexican food, this is where we go. We normally start with the original margarita. It comes in a shaker, and you get at least 2 drinks out of it. It's a good deal for the price. We have tried just about half the menu, and have liked everything we've had so far. The only reason for 4 stars is that the last few times we went, the food has felt very Americanized and not as flavorful like it has been in the past. Maybe they changed something up, but the food was still good. Just a little different than what we've had in the past. read more

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Des Moines! I have had their seafood enchiladas, Santa Fe chimi, and the choripollo which were all delicious. Their customer service is outstanding, the owner is so friendly and makes sure you have everything you need! I will always recommend this place. read more

If this place had a patio... I'd be there every day during the summer. Great service. Delicious seafood. Margarita towers!!!

Margaritas are AMAZING! Tried their "Mexicanas Enchiladas " and I was blown away from the different flavors. It was soooo good I ended up having to order a second plate. read more

I really hate to do this because we love El Barco's food... BUT as we were waiting to be seated we saw a cockroach scamper across the floor, so we left. So disappointing! read more

The best Mexican food in the area and the staff are all very friendly! Service is quick and we've never been disappointed.

Tasty salsa served almost immediately with warm and crispy chips. I ordered a Paloma drink, which is Squirt soda with tequila and salt. Super tasty but not very strong, which was fine by me since I don't like alcohol to over power mixed drinks. My bf got a house Margarita and it was as expected, also not very strong. Our meals came out pretty fast, as is common at most Mexican restaurants. I got the seafood enchiladas that came with a spinach creme sauce, avocado slices, rice and beans. It was a crab, shrimp, potatoe mixture inside flour tortillas. An interesting mix of flavor that tasted a bit like seafood ravioli. My bf got the poblano chicken. The red sauce was super flavorful and the chicken was tender. The beans did not have much flavor but the rice was super tasty. I could eat it by itself and I am not a fan of rice. Overall a good experience. I would go back for sure and take a Lyft so I can have a few more Palomas! read more

El Barco - Top: Poblano chicken. Bottom: Seafood enciladas - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

My husband and I just discovered this Mexican restaurant off of Hickman. What a great find! The service is quick, and the food is wonderful. I had one of the best seafood enchiladas that I've ever had. My husband enjoyed his chimichanga, also. This is definitely a place to check out if you like great Mexican food. read more

Love this restaurant! They serve big portions and I find it one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to in town. I had one of the shrimp dishes and it was so good and filling. Had a margarita too and that was so yummy. The inside is clean and festive . Service was also excellent! This places gets a good crowd so seems to be doing well. Overall I highly recommend read more

My fiancée and I came here on a Sunday around 3:45 p.m. The place was quite busy! We were seated in a comfortable booth and given chips n salsa almost immediately. The tortilla chips are pretty good but the salsa was bland. The salsa had no kick ! I ordered a pick 2 combination plate with a chicken burrito and enchilada. Both the enchilada and burrito had the same red sauce. The same chicken was in both items. There was no difference between the enchilada and burrito except the tortilla was larger for the burrito and folded differently. The chicken has a good flavor and I liked the red sauce. The plate came with rice and beans. The beans surprisingly had a good flavor and the rice was standard Mexican rice. The rice could of used more flavor. My fiancée had the chicken chimichanga with rice and beans. She really liked the chicken and cheese sauce! The chicken seemed to have more spice and flavor than the chicken used in the burrito and enchilada. We ordered 2 margaritas. 1 house frozen strawberry and a blue margarita on the rocks. Both margaritas were strong and delicious! On Friday and Saturday's they have 3.99 house margaritas in a few flavors from 3p.m. to 6p.m. This is good Tex Mex Mexican food. We would definitely recommend the chicken chimichanga and margaritas. read more

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This place is now my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Des Moines area. I heard good things about it from people and the reviews were good so I gave it a go. I ordered fajitas and my GF ordered a whole fried fish. We also had salsa and chips which were great. They give salsa in a bottle so you can pour more if you run out. The food was great although the fish could have been fried slightly less. The atmosphere was nice also. Lots of tables and a homey feel. We will come back again. read more

Chips are very good not overwhelmed by the salsa. The real treat was when the food arrived. Ordered the Trio Chicken, Steak & Shrimp....outstanding and a ton of food. A great casual place that I will come back to every time I'm in Des Moines. read more

El Barco - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Food was burnt, chicken chimichanga had a bone in it. Not good I do not recommend going.

Solid 4 stars - which is a lot for a Mexican Restaurant around the metro. We enjoyed the margaritas, grilled chicken salad (not recommended) and steak tacos. Cheese sauce, salsa and chips were good. Nice atmosphere and good service. We'll be back so I can give something else a try! read more

El Barco - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

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This place is the best Mexican restaurant we've encountered in Des Moines. Try a specialty, everyone we've had has been amazing (Camerones chipotle, chile Colorado, picadillo steak). Original Margarita is a good value (in a shaker) and much better than the typical syrupy fair. Kids enjoyed the chicken nachos deluxe. read more

El Barco - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa