4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $31 04/18/2026 This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while after seeing a recommendation in a publication. The first time we stopped by a number of years ago, we decided against going in due to there not being many cars in the parking lot. That was definitely not the case last night - the parking lot was nearly full and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, as they were quite busy. Needless to say, we left quite happy to have stopped - as we really enjoyed the experience. Our initial indicators of a good Mexican restaurant starts with their margaritas and then their chips and salsa. They passed it both areas - as both were above average. We started with a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) from the bar while we waited for our table. It was good, but wasn't very spicy. The chips and salsa (see picture) were very good - tasty, fresh salsa that was thick enough to stay on your chips and crispy tortilla chips with enough oil to indicate they were fried fresh. For our meals, my wife ordered the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture), while I opted for the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture) - both based on our waiter Omar's recommendation. Omar was great - loved his recommendations, had a great sense of humor and was quite attentive to our needs! As stated, both my wife and I loved our plates - and yes, we shared with each other as always to both confirm. The only change I made to my plate was requesting corn tortillas - as I much prefer them to flour. I just can't say enough about both plates - not only did we REALLY like them, but there was plenty to bring home for another meal. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com read more

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I went on a Tuesday with my parents. it wasn't very busy at all. I ordered lunch chicken fajitas, Steve ordered steak fajitas. mom got a chicken taco salad. mom is very particular about spice. she could eat the salsa, the cheese dip, guacamole and her taco salad. the taco salad was full of chicken and not alot of lettuce. the chicken fajitas were good. I tried the steak fajitas and it was really dry. the lunch fajitas were huge. the sides were not huge, but plenty. service was good. I enjoyed my meal and will have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I enjoyed the cheese dip and the guacamole. read more

El Mariachi - fajitas plate - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Such a fun mexican restaurant!! We were sat quickly on the outside patio and were greeted by a friendly server who was helpful with recommendations. To start, chips and salsa are free and we ordered some guacamole to go with. I personally love when guacamole has chunks of avocado and that was the case here. We each got a jumbo margarita, one traditional and one jalapeño. For our main meal, we ordered the Jalisco Fajitas and Birria Tacos. The portions are on the bigger side and the fajitas could definitely serve 2. When the food came out, our waiter gave us two free patron shots. He was hilarious! The food was good, service was fast and personable, and I recommend this restaurant for a casual dinner. If it's nice outside, definitely sit on the patio. read more

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This spot has LEVELED UP lately! I've been here a few times over the past year when visiting home, and man, they used to be good when I grew up in Johnston but now they are crushing it! Some highlights: The free chips and salsa are plentiful, and the salsa flavor is on point. Ya gotta get the queso for the table...duh! Prices are very reasonable and their plates and platters are HUGE. The best deal they have is $22 margarita pitcher - which was brought out to us in a HUGE pitcher with three marg glasses already full! That's a steal! Service is so speedy, friendly, and fun here. I love the ambiance inside. Plus, they just added a huge new patio which is gorgeous! Why are the bathrooms also so pretty?? This is THE Mexican spot in Johnston! read more

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Great food fast service. And great margaritas Even when they are super busy the wait is not long. Large menu , chips and salsa with queso to die for read more

Very nice employees. Food comes out fast and hot. Always clean. I think the food taste great read more

I've been here before and has been good, but not today. Service was mediocre and food was not wonderful to say the least. Usually when I go to these types of establishments, waiters are prompt, but not mine. I had ordered chicken Taquito lunch and it had no flavor. Chips, salsa and iced tea were good though. My waiter nor the person who took my money didn't even asked me how was my lunch. I still gave him a tip however. read more

Food poisoning. First and only visit!! Ordered chicken quesadilla. How hard is that for a Mexican restaurant. It was room temperature not even lukewarm. Within 30 minutes after leaving had projectile vomiting which latest through the night. Sick and weak the whole next day. It was awful. read more

I took my family to El Mariachi for dinner. I had heard that it was a great Mexican Restaurant. I had always wanted to try it. We arrived with a group of seven. We were seated immediately and greeted within minutes by our server. The standard routine, the server took our drink orders and went to get them. The beverages came out quickly and the server took our food order. Our food was served within ten minutes. Everything was properly prepared and delicious. This is a fantastic Mexican Restaurant. We will definitely return again. There was one issue where the queso dip was not delivered to the table. The server apologized immediately and took it off our ticket. read more

They USED to be our favorite for YEARS!. My favorite margaritas in DSM by far. We havent been for a while and went tonight 3/15/25 and it was the worst Mexican food I've had in DSM. The margarita mix is new, more all lime juice. Not the same dark colored so I new right away. Their chicken has always been seasoned ,well no more. Bland boiled chicken. My Chipotle chicken had squeeze taco bell Chipotle sauce on it!! My wife's chicken,rice, and cheese (arrow con pollo) had a powder cheese instead of a real cheese on it. It was just missing the KRAFT box! It was not a $40+ meal. Disappointing when you're a patron of a business for 10? years and have expectations to have such drastic changes and not for the better. OH, and most of the regular staff is no longer there anymore either! New manager or new owners perhaps?! You messed up a good thing! read more

The service was fine. The food really didn't have much flavor. I had a burrito and my companion had the ground beef enchiladas. My beans were so runny and her red sauce was very watery. read more

I've been here about 5 times. It Never disappoints. Great margaritas, salsa, steak dishes, fajitas, and bean dip! Seafood burrito was good, but different, red inside. read more

El Mariachi - T-BONE MEXICANA. TONS OF VEGGIES UNDERNEATH. DECENT SIZED STEAK. - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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I thought I was going to an Italian restaurant, wasn't paying attention to my gps. Glad I came here! Good atmosphere, with attentive wait staff. I usually get the Camarones a La Diabla at Mexican restaurants. I was brought chips and salsa to start off. Good flavors in the salsa, and the chips were warmed and plentiful. I could not believe the amount of shrimp on the plate! Wow! Good flavors, good quantity, and good prices. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting Mexican food in Des Moines! read more

El Mariachi - Camarones a La Diabla - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Love this place!! It has the best food, service, and atmosphere! I got the chicken fajitas, and they're the best ones I've had anywhere. The portions are also huge, so I leave with leftovers! read more

El Mariachi - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I love this place every one is so nice. The food is amazing. It is a great environment to eat. This is my favorite place to eat.

The food was excellent as usual. However, the service was lacking severely. We've been in twice in the last two weeks and service was poor. Getting seats and delivery of chips and salsa was great. It was after the meals were served that service went down. Waiter never came by to check on how the food was and we requested extra salsa which arrived as we were ready to leave. Service bad once is okay, but twice within two weeks is a trend. Need to step up their game on service for sure. And the restaurant was not busy both times. read more

10/10 establishment, I've been coming here for 20 years and it's been my favorite restaurant my whole life. The food is fast, the staff is great, and the ambiance is incredible! I moved to Florida and still come here every time I'm in town and it NEVER disappoints! Love this place read more

Amazing! This is the husbands all time favorite and he's been dying to show me it for a while - I can understand why now! The service was super kind, making us laugh, and very personable. The chips & salsa were incredible (first thing we notice 10/10) and the margs, he got a pitcher and was living his best life!! First time having a margarita and for sure won't be the last. The food was served extremely fast, and we will be visiting again! Thank you! Loved it here!! read more

El Mariachi - Margaritas L/ Chicken Rice Lunch - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Very good jalapeño margaritas. I love coming here. It is a friendly atmosphere. Everyone knows me. Everyone knows my daughter. They know our order and it just feels like home. I also love to get my margarita to go. It is awesome. I haven't tried much food here, but when I walk in it looks delicious on other tables, so yeah, I would give this four stars or five or whatever it's a great place to go! read more

Ordered. Looked great! I ordered 3 dips. And then bf ordered the special dinner. We got guac which I ordered. Cheese meat dip which I ordered. And his meal. Plus a cheese quesadilla & salsa No queso. So that's fine. Things were missing with replacements lol. It was all good & timely said was going to be late but only took 30 minutes. read more

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they are the best! great food and great margaritas always so fun here. with very family friendly place!

Visited El Mariachi first time while training at camp dodge. We were greeted promptly and sat right away. They provide salsa and chips which were delicious and have a vast menu. However I'd consider it more of a Tex Mex restaurant and not authentic. The tacos are served American style and Ik hard shell and I wish I knew prior to ordering. The food was ok but my perspective is from having more authentic food and expecting that here that night. I would visit again but I don't think there's anything special. They are priced on the low end too. read more

For me this is the best Mexican place in dsm metro area. Food is good and very reasonably priced. Stuff is always friendly and helpful. Margaritas are great! Especially the jalapeno Margarita! read more

El Mariachi - Jalapeno Margarita my favorite drink here - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I have been here a few times throughout the years and it is ok Mexican food. It isn't amazing and it isn't disgusting. I have friends that eat here weekly. I had a chicken and taco enchilada and a tamale. The sauce is a seasoning away from tomato sauce. Guacamole doesn't have onions, tomatoes and cilantro. The chicken has a little flavoring but not much. Beans and rice were are normal mexican fare. read more

El Mariachi - Tamale, chicken enchilada and taco - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

This place is great! Absolutely love it. Great food, price is very affordable. I come here at least once in a month. Normally we just get 1 plate of fajitas and share between me and my girl, meals sizes are huge. I took a lot of my friends here and they loved it too. Servers are very cool, nice and friendly Their coronaritas are a must try !!! And one more very important thing they cook food super quick even when they are busy, ive never waited here for food longer than 10 min. read more

El Mariachi - Coronarita and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Do not order fajitas here if you want fresh, sizzling, what you expect from fajitas. They come all soupy and look/taste like they have been sitting in a crockpot all day. Yuck! I wouldn't even bring the enormous amount home with me, and I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD! But this was pretty bad. See picture of the soupy mixture below. read more

El Mariachi - a plate of chicken and peppers - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Service is excellent. Mexican food is Mexican food if you know what I mean. They do a great job

My favorite dining companion and I both love Mexican food. While there are certainly a wide variety of them in Des Moines, we are always on the lookout for one that is particularly good. We decided to give El Mariachi a shot after perusing the menu and reading through some reviews. The restaurant itself is pretty low-key. It was reasonably busy but not packed when we arrived. We were seated quickly and provided the customary chips and a carafe of salsa along with two bowls. I thought that was a nice touch, as sharing one can be a nuisance when you're both quite hungry for some chips and salsa. I'm also a big fan of carafes of salsa! It's a fun presentation, while still making divying up the salsa quite easy. The salsa was quite mild, probably due to the older demographic that lives in Johnston, but definitely excessively mild for our tastes. We decided to get a bowl of the hotter roasted salsa typically found at Mexican restaurants to kick things up a notch. While it was slightly hotter, it was a bit milder than we were hoping for in a roasted salsa. That's alright though, it still tasted good. We did also order some of the chorizo cheese dip as our appetizer. For entrees, my companion went with the El Mariachi Special. This was a combination of thin steak, mushrooms, buttered shrimp, and grilled onions. This was all along with the typical Mexican accompaniments of refried beans, rice, guacamole, and salad. I opted for the carnitas. Carnitas are delicious pork tips that are slow cooked and then fried for service. They are accompanied by bell pepper, lettuce, onion, guacamole, refried beans, and rice. I was excited. I don't order carnitas often, so they're in the "rare treat" category for me. Our appetizer arrived quickly. The chorizo cheese dip was quite hearty. They definitely are not shy with the chorizo! It was a bit on the heavy side of course, but it was quite good. Our entrees didn't arrive long after the appetizer, and they did not disappoint. My dining companion's dish looked great and was still sizzling. My carnitas were... ridiculous, honestly. There were four enormous chunks of pork along with all of the fixings on my plate. I started salivating immediately. I did not stand on ceremony. I quickly tried the pork. It was fantastic. It was fall-apart tender, shredding easily with my fingers. It was flavorful and juicy, and just begging to get shoved into a tortilla with some veggies. I quickly did just that, carefully adding quacamole, pico de gallo, onions, and salsa. I rolled it up and took my first bite. I let out a satisfied groan of satisfaction and closed my eyes for a second. The carnitas were damn near perfect. I devoured as much of the plate as I could, but I couldn't finish all of it off. My dining companion didn't get any further on her large entree, either. You definitely get a LOT of food for your money at El Mariachi. I don't think it would be possible to leave this place hungry. If you're looking for good ol fashioned tex-mex Style Mexican food, look no further. The food is great, the service is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable for the substantial portions received. Our only real complaints were that both salsa were excessively mild, even the hotter salsa. It would've been nice to have access to a salsa with some bite to it, but that's a minor complain overall. Highly recommended. read more

El Mariachi - Carnitas. Delicious, delicious mountains of porky goodness. They were exceptional. - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Its definitely not the five star cuisine everyone is raving about, but its far from the worst. I was greeted promptly and within three minutes was seated, had a glass of iced tea, and a large basket of chips and salsa. Lunch specials run between $5-7 and most are sided with rice and beans. With that said... The rice was rather clumpy and lacked flavor. The beans were serviceable...and the burrito tasted much like food found at other restaurants of this nature. Its definitely a step up from Taco Johns or Taco Bell (and comparable by price, which raises it in my eyes), but you have to search harder for truly authentic Mexican food. It's only a block or two from work, so I'll stop in again, but if you live closer to something like el rodeo, you're just as well served going there. read more

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It was not great, but it was not the worst. Our food was out within about 5 minutes of us ordering it. My fajitas were warm, but not sizzling like I get at other places. The salsa was on the bland side. Would not recommend. read more

The only reason it's not a 5 is sometimes I get something and there isn't a lot of it, like queso on the meal I ordered. But other than that it is a really good restaurant, and the food is absolutely amazing, and it comes out super fast and hot. The waiters are super nice and respectful. Keep doing what you guys are doing , I hope this review kinda helps. Remember stay cold and alpha. read more

Any time I pass this place during the week for lunch, it seems to be packed. We had heard it was good and needed to find a place for lunch in our driving path on a Saturday. Surprisingly, even at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday, there were quite a few people there. The server was quick to bring us water and chips and salsa. The salsa definitely had a kick to it. I would say it was spicy. I ordered the chicken chimichanga while my husband had the California Burrito with steak. When his meal came out, it looked like a flag with the three sauce types. He did enjoy his. My chimichanga was good but was it great...no. It was just your typical Mexican fare. The waiter became more sluggish as we were there and we were confused when the bill came as to if we paid up front or at the table. They eventually came and got it but we still didn't know if this was the normal process. read more

El Mariachi - Burrito California - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Thank you for filling our hungry bellies, El Mariachi and door dash! Sincerely, broadlawns ICU night shift! read more

El Mariachi - Chicken enchiladas, tacos , and chicken taco salad! - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

We stopped in on a busy night nut they somehow found moreroom for us. I really enjoyed the salsa the brought out to the table and I was really curious if they sell it in a bottle to take home. I had the taco salad with ground beef. It was good and I really enjoy all th toppings. I would really be interested it I could get it with pork next time. It sounds sooo good I want to go back right now. read more

El Mariachi - When in Rome - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Lunch is a packed time here. Walked in at 12:30 and lucky got an open table. Chips and salsa made it to the table before my waiter did. I ordered the lunch margarita for 2.50. My blended drink came out on the rocks. The chips were warm when they hit the table but stale. I got the white cheese. The lunch menu was good priced and food was good. For the price I would come back. My date had a#5 and I had the chimichanga. She devoured hers and she frequently visits this locations. read more

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This place has been my favorite since I've moved to IA. Great Mexican food and beer. Salsa has good flavor. Prices are very reasonable. Took my fiancé for her Birthday and they did a great song and dessert. Will be going back! read more

El Mariachi - Ice cold Modelo - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I have been coming to this establishment for YEARS!! They are always packed inside but it's never a long wait for a table. The staff is always cheery and willing to accommodate. Now the food. The food is so good. Authentic taste and love is put into every bite. Yum read more

Love that they expanded their patio. Great place to sit out on a nice evening and enjoy a margarita and chips and Mexican food. Great salsa. For the price, I really enjoy the food and it's fast. Just had the mushroom quesadilla, delicious. Good enchiladas and fajitas too. read more

Cold, very small portions. Better to get real Mexican food in the southern states. Will never go in or order food from here again. Food has no flavor, tastes like frozen shit. I can get better food at a taco truck than this place. read more

This is my favorite Mexican food in the metro besides their other restaurant La Casa in Indianola. Their Burrito California is my husband's favorite as well. I always get the Chicken Tip Quesadilla and never leave sad. The service is usually pretty good and it seems they're always busy. Sundays and Mondays are $2.99 house margaritas. read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Johnston, Iowa