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    El Rodeo

    3.0 (59 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Rodeo Photos

    Business Info

    EL RODEO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Rodeo

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    Shrimp fajita. Lots of shrimp
    Kristyn M.

    It's been years since I visited. 1:30 on a Friday afternoon and this place was on the down hill side of busy. Met my group here. Table of five. They were already a couple beers in. The waiter was over right away to help. The place seemed a little empty for a Friday. We all ordered right up. Lots of food all the way around. I ordered the shrimp fajita to share. It's a good thing that I did cause it was a good quantity of food. The waiter came back once or twice. The food was filling and everyone at the table was satisfied with their meals. The food was okay. Still slow for a lunch afternoon which is weird. Regardless we were well taken care of.

    Taquitos Mexicanos on special
    Ken U.

    Been my favorite go-to lunch spot near my work. The service is attentive and quick, the food is decent, and the prices are exceptional! There's plenty of seating, lots of booths, and a separate bar area. I can't say much about the bar, having only gone for lunch, but if the service and prices match my lunch experience, than it won't disappoint.

    Choripollo with no beans and an extra side of rice
    Jacob T.

    Best Mexican food in central Iowa. Plenty of seating, good customer service, fair prices. Two dishes with no drinks came out to just $22! Food is served within 20 minutes of ordering if not in a rush. Ask for their spicy salsa to go alongside the free chips, it's the best spicy salsa in central Iowa!

    Tamale

    Omg the food here was soooo good. I have been seeing this business recommended on several different platforms so when a friend suggested meeting here for dinner I was looking forward to giving them a try. We were seated promptly the waiter was prompt and attentive as well. We ordered the Patron margaritas and both thought they were really good. I ordered a tamale and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived with sauce and meat on top, I love tamales but usually they aren't served with sauce and they should be because these were the best tamales I've had. The sauce gives it the perfect ratio of flavors no hot sauce needed! The choripollo dish had great flavor, a nice white sauce and was cooked perfectly. I have to agree with what the locals are saying, for good Mexican cuisine in the Des Moines area give El Rodeo a try.

    Fajitas del rodeo
    D B.

    Had the fajitas del rodeo, shrimp chorizo chicken and carne asada. It was GREAT! The hot salsa is fantastic too. We had a party of 15, and everyone was happy. Beware the kooky reviews complaining about the steaks or shrimp that's not deveined. This is a Mexican restaurant! Get a chimi or fajitas or something like that. This is a very good spot for greasy Mexican grub. We love it

    Opinionated I.

    Really great salsas... Ask for the spicy if you're ready to sweat. chips were served warm. Jalapenos toreados are excellent and $1.99. The fajitas are a huge serving with lots of peppers and tomatoes. Not too many onions like others tend to favor. Lots of shrimp in the fajitas jalisco. Flour tortillas are 3 per order and nothing special. Thick but soft. Not grilled and thin, served piping hot like at some others. I'm going to start noting the tortillas around town. Some are really fresh and grilled fresh. Here at el rodeo the star is the corn tortilla. Served piping hot, strong and held together well but not too thick. Served 5 per order. We had excellent service. June 2017.

    Raw chicken strip found in side salad

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    18 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    20 years ago

    I liked the food. My main rating point is the salsa, which I didn't think was that great, but others might really like it.

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    8 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Service was terrible. The food made me sick. The place is dated and dirty. Definitely don't bring kids here.

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

    The service was prompt, correct, and my order came out quickly. The food was delicious.

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    13 years ago

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    Hidalgo Mexican Bar and Grill - Seafood Enchiladas

    Hidalgo Mexican Bar and Grill

    4.2(87 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    My daughter told me about this place because she and her friends like to come for margaritas. I…read morelike new places so we decided to give it a shot. Plain and simple, I like this place. It's nothing fancy. Friendly and fast service. It had Mexican music playing on the speakers but it was more of a pop/rock Mexican, not the typical music you usually hear in establishments like this. I enjoyed it. Great Mexican beer on tap for what I thought was reasonable prices. Chips and salsa are good. You have to get the Hildago Molcajete. Huge, temperature hot, layers of different stuff, fantastic. Plenty of leftovers. True molcajete served in the stone bowl. No restaurant is cheap anymore. But this place is pretty reasonably priced, and I thought the food is as good as any other local Mexican restaurant

    Back again! Plenty of parking outside on an early afternoon…read more We stopped back for another company lunch. This time I checked out the lunch menu. I found what will probably be my go to going forward. We were seated close to the bar. This was also a little closer to the kitchen and were attended to right away. The chips and salsa hit the table right away and we ordered up the guacamole and the queso. Everyone is always really nice and helpful. TVs on over the bar and music plays. I ordered the Huevos con Chorizo this time. Two scrambled eggs with chorizo, Mexican sausage, served with rice and beans. I had them hold the beans. Food came fast again. I was doing the happy food dance my eggs were so good. Once again, an all around great experience. 3 times out of 3 so far.

    Photos
    Hidalgo Mexican Bar and Grill - Looking into bar

    Looking into bar

    Hidalgo Mexican Bar and Grill - Chili colorado

    Chili colorado

    Hidalgo Mexican Bar and Grill - Artwork

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    El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill - Enchiladas Blancas

    El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill

    4.5(54 reviews)
    4.4 mi

    This remains our go-to when we're in the mood for Mexican food. On our most recent visit we had a…read morebunch of the family, so it was 6 adults and 2 kiddos. We got chips, queso, regular salsa, and hot-hot salsa. The chips are now a lighter type that is just as tasty but not quite as filling. I recommed the Margarita El Toreado-a shaker of the tasty beverage that will top off your glass 2-3 times. A couple of others in our group got the Sex on the Beach cocktail - a fruity blast of juices and alcohol. We got a variety of dinner times. I got the Spicy Burrito, which was very tasty, but not spicy...at least on this visit. My wife got the Seafood Enchilada, which was a nice slightly creamy dish. Others got the Arroz Con Pollo (her go-to), Texas Burrito, and 2 got the Carnitas Tacos (their favs). The kids got the Grilled Chicken - a nicely flavored dish, and the other tot got the Kids Enchilada - she ate the whole plate of enchilada, rice, and beans. Our food came out in just a few minutes, and the servers are always checking in and making sure your experience is great. There is indoor and outdoor seating, and they are always genuinely happy to see you! We'll keep coming back again and again!

    Food is the great uniter and what better way to make us enjoy each other's company than a dish…read moreloaded with Street Tacos, Queso, Salsa and Fresh Chips at El Toreado. On Friday Night you can get your happy shoulder Shay on as you listen to the small live combo as you partake of your delicious meal in a very festive atmosphere. The wait staff watches to make sure you have everything to make your meal more enjoyable.

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    El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill - Large Spacious Dining Area

    Large Spacious Dining Area

    El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill - Fajitas Tejanas

    Fajitas Tejanas

    El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill - Margarita

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    El Rodeo - mexican - Updated September 2026

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