Was visiting republic with my lady to do some shopping. Based on a shop keepers recommendation we gave the Iguana a try. According to her the owners are from the south and have really authentic dishes. Locally owned and not a chain? We said sign us up. First off all the place looks great. Older building updated with red up lighting from glass squares in the classic wooden flood. Service was friendly and prompt. And really enthusiastic about flavors as we asked about what fairy dust was on the guac menu. So we ordered the guacamole and were happy to have table side creation. The server was clean and orderly. Its just the result was just ok if not a little bland. We did a 2 avocado guac and almost felt like the server did seasoning for just one. Not worth a flogging but a real shame as we love the stuff when done right. She had a quesadilla and I had the pulled pork enchiladas. We both had the same thoughts. Bland. The amaerican/swiss mix of cheese on the top of my enchiladas really was the strongest flavor. The black beens on the side could have come straight out of a can and the rice seemed like plain white minute rice. Yikes guys. What happened there? Needless to say we were not expecting that. It was 4pm on a pretty saturday so maybe the regular chef was out? 2 stars for the service and decor. The rest I could have done better at home. read more

Are you a fan of poor service and lackluster food? Do you like a wait staff that dumps salsla upon you? How about staff that ignores you when you walk up right next to them to tell them you have been seated for 10 minutes and would like a drink? Do you like one of those restaurants that used to have really good food but now have been defeated by success? How about Margaritas that are watered down and overpriced? Then this is your place! I was in a party of 12. They could not bring out everyone's entree in a timely manner we waited an hour for the food. They forgot the order of one oat the table and they messed up 2 the orders as well, and to top it all off they charge you 18% gratuity. 4 instances of bad service. The food is ok, nothing to write home about however it is expensive. They also nickel-and-dime you if you want spicy salsa. To be fair the guacamole was good, and the chips are pretty good as well. I would stick with appetizers and overpriced drinks. I've also looked more on Yelp about this restaurant and it seems their biggest knock is horrible insensitive service and blah food. read more

Something has gone horribly wrong since we've last been here. The service has dropped down and the food was awful. Either burnt or not cooked at all. read more

By far one of the best Mexican places in the Springfield area hands down. I had the enchiladas and the flavor what's off the charts. Atmosphere here is nostalgic and inviting. They have a nice bar and beer selection on tap. For starters the chips and salsa were fresh and delicious. The meal was amazing as I said before. I had smoked chicken enchiladas. The flavor was full and almost had a molè taste to it which I love. Bottom line you have to check this place out. Prices are a little higher deservedly because of the quality. read more

Still love this place but everyone else does too. Turn on air. Been hot last two times. Also get poor girl help in bar. Lastly. Turn cooler down. Beers are not cold enough for premenopausal women. I'll try again. Love the food. read more

Initial impression is that this is a solid choice for Mexican fare in the Ozark. They have a somewhat limited menu compared to some other Mex restaurants and a strong emphasis on margaritas and tequila. Tried a pork burrito and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meal. Quantity was also quite sufficient and I was only able to eat half. The atmosphere is relaxed but the acoustics in the dining area are a little tinny. With only a few tables it still was quite noisy. I think this will require a few more recons but for now, based on first impression, I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. read more

Iguana Roja Restaurante - Hot wings! - Mexican Near Me - Ozark, Missouri

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This place is a hidden gem. My husband and I got so much food we could not finish it. The chips and salsa were very unique. A nice seasoning on the chips which were thin crispy and non greasy very nice starter. Very nice atmosphere in the restaurant tastefully decorated. My husband got the shredded pork burrito which he could only finish half along with Spanish rice and black beans with an almost Cuban flavoring which he said was delicious. I ordered the chimichanga which was too with a perfect amount of queso sauce. Again nice an browned with no grease . I had beef with black beans in my chimichanga. Served with a delicious guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream on the side. I also opted for the black beans and Spanish rice which both had nice flavors. I also could only eat half of mine and look forward to leftovers. Usually we do not get dessert but our waiter convinced us to try their empanadas with pecans and served with a scoop of their homemade vanilla ice cream. It was absolutely spectacular I would almost go back to this restaurant just to get the empanadas and again we are not really big dessert people. Will definitely be going back read more

All I can say is this is one of our favorite places to eat! The food is unbeatable! Especially love the seasoning dusted on the chips! Plus their queso and salsa is life! I love the chicken quesadillas! And the chimichanga is huge! They have an awesome menu with a variety of delicious food! I can't rave on this place enough! If you don't give it a try you're missing out big time! read more

We went here yesterday for lunch. Well, the better verbiage would be, we tried to go here for lunch yesterday. We sat for twenty minutes before a waitress came to get our drink orders. Another 10 before they actually came. We ordered Queso as an appetizer. To make a long story short, we sat for another 45 minutes with no queso and none of the food we ordered. When the owner came out, he was super rude. We left without any food and the people around us said they wish they would've did the same. Unfortunate because the building was super cool! read more

If you came just for the chips and salsa you would leave happy! But the guacamole is amazing too. Literally nothing I have ever got has been bad. read more

Excellent quality food and the prices are reasonable. Service is good and the margaritas are amazing! I love the table side guacamole service. UPDATE: we have enjoyed this place for several years but our last visit was not great. One couple in our group split fajitas and only got 3 tortillas. When they asked for a few more they were going to charge them. Silly! Three couple lbs eating and drinking and you $2 for a few more tortillas? Really? Then when we were done they 18% us(party of 6) and didn't say anything. I usually tip more and I was adding an additional 20% when I noticed they already added the tip in. It's pretty customary to let the table know when you auto add the tip in. We like this place but we may go else where the next time. read more

$16 for fajitas, with a mass of onions, and very little chicken or peppers. Tortillas were low quality, and very little filling (little tomato or guac,). Wanted an extra $1.99 just to add a little lettuce. Flavor not impressive. read more

This place has awesome food. The menu has all the standard fare, but my only complaint is that it's a little bit on the expensive side. For instance, I love a lot of enchilada sauce and melted cheese on my burrito but to accomplish that I need to order it "igro" style, which pops another $3ish bucks on top of the ~$10 price. I've heard that service can be slow but that's never been the case for me. Plus, the "fairy dust" on the chips is great with the salsa (which is free). All in all, a great choice for some huge portions of Mexican food. read more

As a local and a fan of Iguana Roja, I am highly disappointed with the interaction I just had with a worker as I called for an order at this restaurant just now. Adam had extremely poor and rude customer service to which I told him to cancel my order. He replies, "THAT'S NO PROBLEM BYE" rather than trying to resolve the issue. I will not recommend or be back until he is gone or apologizes for the way he spoke to me on the phone. I'm actually shocked that he represents this restaurant as the first contact. I am highly disappointed to end my frequent orders here! read more

Took the waitress 10 minutes to bring our first beer and forever for the second. The beer was flat. It was hot and sweaty in the restaurant with fans barely blowing. Our guacamole was bland and a bit on the sweet side. Our gulf shrimp tacos were sweet as well. My husband's burrito although he took the red peppers out was bland. My burrito was supposed to be enchilada style, but, was more like a burrito topped with tomato paste. Neither of us ate very much of the food. Just didn't set well. Worst Mexican food ever. We will not be going back. read more

Horrible experience. Service was abysmal. Waitress didn't even crack a smile.. granted we were a party of 15, but we called ahead to let them know we were coming. They sat us in an upstairs room with no air conditioning, and wedge forgotten about multiple times. My kids' juice was never brought to us, a family member never even got their order. The waitress and manager didn't even care. There was no one in the restaurant when we got there, and they acted like we were an inconvenience. read more

Pretty awful experience ! From the get go our waitress seemed irritated at every simple request! I called ahead to let them know our large family was coming , (15 of us ) , the restaurant was empty when we arrived , they were not busy! Service was awful, my husbands food never came , our waitress never checked in on us , so she had no idea his food never came , she didn't care . When my aunt spoke to a manager , he didn't seem to care either , never came to our table , never tried to make anything better . The food that made it to the table was ok, but the horrible service totally ruined what was suppose to be a fun family dinner ! And my husband came home and ate leftovers! read more

My hubby and I really enjoyed our visit here. The salsa that accompanied the free tortilla chips tasted so fresh...as if it had been made with only freshly picked tomatoes. I ordered enchiladas, and the black beans that came with it was the best side dish I've had in SW MO. The service was great, the atmosphere unique, and there was plenty of free parking outside. It was a little pricier than some other Mexican restaurants in this region, but very worth the difference. read more

The best guacamole, best margaritas, best food. This is our go for a week night Chef inspired meals. Support local business. No other mexican restaurant compares. read more

Great food & good service! We went last evening & had a great server & food. Been there three times & never had a bad experience

My husband and I wanted to try this place again. The first time we went it was great but then I heard some pretty bad reviews. We tried it out again and aside from the chips being greasy- we had a great waiter and great food. read more

Last year, when my family had went. The food was great, and the service was not bad. However, returning with the family, we left with the feeling of a ruined night and dinner. Absolutely horrific service, acted as if it was a chore to refill our drinks and bring us more chips. After taking 15 minutes to do that, that is. Then once we had got our food, one of my family members didn't get what they ordered. And our waiter never even noticed as she didn't check on us. We had to go to the manager, and even then he didn't come to our table to apologize, nor did he help us with the check due to our inconveniences. Do not come here, do not bring your girlfriend/boyfriend, do not bring your family. Do not let this restaurant be an option. Horrible service, for okay food ruined our night. read more

Hidden gem- homemade chips and salsa on point; salad was also amazing. Queso was great too.

This owner is disrespectful and raises his voice at employees. He does not treat his employees correct. He is very rude and hateful. But the employees were super nice just the owner is horrible. read more

Food is pretty good, especially the enchiladas and chips and salsa. They serve meals with plain white rice which I think is unappealing. The food is somewhat pricy and the service is often very slow, wait staff is generally unprofessional. If your looking for good Mexican food in Ozark this is the place to go but make sure you have plenty of time. read more

The chips with fairy dust are great and the white cheese queso is good! Salsa is not hot so got the "Diablo" side to add in-Definite must! The tacos were delicious and the wait staff was attentive. We were not there at a busy hour so not sure how they are when busy. read more

This place is kinda confused on what they want to serve. This is NOT a regular Mexican joint. This is Cuban Mexican food which was unexpected and probably affected my review. My main complaint is that they put raisins in the beef. read more

What restaurant offers a lunch special yet doesn't offer it to go??! Seriously???? Never heard of such a thing and I eat out and get food to go all over the place. Also charging 65 cents for a tiny little thing of salsa to go even when it's free if you sit at table??!! Punishing customer who get food to go?! Advise to the owners: research customer service and what your competitors do. Do they chase customers away? Even though the food is good I will avoid this place on principle. read more

I've heard good things about Iguana Roja for over a year and finally had a chance to go last Friday evening. I was confident that it would be good so we arranged to meet some good friends from out of town for dinner. When we arrived they were busy but there were 4-5 empty tables. The hostess informed us that there was a 45 minute wait, but it was only 5:30 so we waited outside on some benches. After 45 minutes we went back in, expecting a table and were told unapologetically that it would be at least another 45 min! I asked if we could just sit at one of the still empty tables and have drinks while we waited and was told that the "owners wouldn't allow that", and our only option was to wait on the sidewalk outside. I mentioned the poor reviews that I had read and that we would be leaving one ourselves and the hostess replied, "That's not my problem." We left and will never be back. Sayonara Iguana Roja! read more

What a shame. The food is so good but this is consistently the worst service. The hostess moves at a snails pace and has trouble multitasking. The wait staff is fine but can't make up for the first impression. Came in on a Tuesday night. 7 free tables. Told it was a 15 minute wait. Was way more than that. Had to walk out. Probably never to return. Save yourself the time and go someplace else. read more

Always understaffed. Food is great. If you sit in the corner by the bar your server is the bartender-not good. Sangria was not good house margaritas are awesome. read more

Great food. On a whole other level than the typical Mexican food we find in the area.

I am vegetarian so I really appreciated and enjoyed the veg burrito. I was impressed with the ingredients inside the burrito, but the sides of rice and beans left much to be desired. The black beans were bland and the white rice tasted like it had sat in the cooker for a while. The chips and salsa were just okay. Prima's has better chips, salsa and sides. Overall though the burrito was tasty, a little pricy. read more

We enjoy Iguana Roja because of its contemporary approach to Latin food and the fact that it draws from more than just Mexico for its menu. Often we frequent this restaurant once every week or so. read more

My family and I frequent this establishment often. Staff is always great especially Adam. We have ordered several menu items and they are all very good. If you like spice order the diablo sauce and a Jalapeño margarita. read more

With a very sleepy "grumpy" family of four, we were in and out in less than forty-five minutes full and with left-overs. I couldn't ask for anything more. Great place!!! read more

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The Red Iguana is the place to eat Mexican in this area. Taco Tuesday is a good time to try all the different taco offerings and discounts on margaritas. I had the pulled pork enchiladas the last time I was there, the best I've ever tasted. Chips and salsa are above average and the tableside guacamole is excellent. The atmosphere is exactly what I look for in a restaurant. Locally owned and it shows. The owner takes great care to put out a great product. It is a little pricey but worth it. If you want cheap go to taco bell. Overall a great place to relax with friends and get a good meal that is not the typical run of the mill Mexican. The location on the square is perfect as well. This restaurant is worth getting my hard earned dollars. read more

Okay, so we begin with the food traffic is for ppl that had to deal with local government of christian county... so by the time u do ur business with the local government, your probably going to be hungry... you come in the door to a blockade that says wait to be seated? Okay I will stand here like an idiot not knowing if anyone can see me behind this wall. Not inviting at all.. nice waitress sat me, itz dark in there so had to use my flashlight to see the menu... No clear menu choices, asked the waiter about it, and he pull some other menu from behind the register tacos tacos tacos... so he asked me ten questions to order two tacos, I don't like ppl and I don't like ppl asking me question about their food. so you can have pork beef chicken, flour hard or soft, texas, street and something else... I opted for hard, street and whaterver else he asked... bad combo... don't offer it, if it sux... it did... so the booth across from me was upset because they couldn't get their change from a hundred dollar bill... I had to lol.... they were scrounging around in back to put together 80$ in change... read more

Been enjoying Iguana Roja for the last ten years but in two of the last three visits the food quality has been subpar. The mahi fish taco included spoiled fish which my son couldn't finish. More recently, our take out order served a very different taco... from best in the Ozarks to most boring. The take out order had two chicken enchilada meal when we ordered only one and included no chops and salsa. read more

I'm no expert, but I have binged watched every episode of kitchen nightmares and have eaten at every Mexican/Latin Restaurant in the Springfield area. If your a fan of the show as well then you know it is not easy to pull off perfection but this crew is doing it. Ramsey has probably never been here, lol but I'm sure he would approve. Amazing atmosphere, clean as a whistle, perfect music volume, fast service, STRONG drinks, unique chips, correct order, fair price, simple menus, clear and great specials and hands down the absolute best Mexican food I have had in the US. The chicken was perfect and the food came to the table super hot and cooked to order. If your reading this and you haven't been here yet then YOU ARE WRONG!! This is it, this is the place to get your fat on on your Mexican craving night. Do it.........do it. read more