Where do you start with such magnificance? We were going elsewhere, but it was closed for vacation. We looked across the way and Lizzie said, let's go there. Neither of us had had Puerto Rican food, so we went for it. We started with the Trio appetizers. We had the beef Empanadilla, which was amazing, especially with the spicey mayo-esque sauce that comes with it. The chicken Alcapurrias, which were a surprise. I am not sure what I expected, but it was a new flavor to me. This wonderful, almost vinagery sort of undertone to it. I loved it. The Sorullitos, are a really tasty corn fritter, loved those as well. Lizzie had the Chicharrones De Pollo Mofongo with the Tostones. The Chicharrones were magnificent. Wonderful crunch on the outside, lovely and soft on the inside. She thought the Tostone were a little too salty, I really liked them. Both meals were on a bed of mashed green Plantains, which were marvelous. Rich, and thick and flavorful. I had the Carne De Cerdo Frita Mofongo, same sort of frying as Lizzie's chicken, same quality. Wonderful crunch to it. I had the potato salad. Lizzie preferred it. I thought it was wonderful as well. I am so glad that by chance we stumbled on this amazing little restaurant. We will go back soon! read more

If you want to "Bomba" after tasting the good traditional spices of Puerto Rico cuisine then venture into Bienvenidos in Windsor Heights tucked in a strip mall down the street from Hy Vee. The Pleasant and knowledgeable owner described some of the fan favorites which intrigued me in ordering an appetizer-- a deep fried ball stuffed with mash potatoes and ground beef with a garlic sauce on the side -- surprisingly not oily but deliciously flavored -- this is one I would order again. My entree was another dish I have never had -- Mofongo -- mashed plantains served in a dome shape -- richly spiced with garlic, olive oil, oregano and a plethora of other spices which brought this dish to above and beyond other Caribbean entrees that I have tried. The spices all complimented each other to make your sit down meal full of surprising goodness that put you in a Zen mood that made the peaceful environment feel down--home. Now go and " bomba." read more

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Every time we come here we are more and more impressed with their food. There's no better spot in town to get Mofongo or any of the Puerto Rican favorites that we all have. There is not a better Cuban sandwich in the city., nothing's even close read more

Visited the Puerto Rico restaurant based upon recommendations and needless to say I won't return. The service wasn't the problem and that's what's carrying the review higher but the food was lack luster. It lacked seasoning, and wasn't like the typical Puerto Rican food in other places. It looked like it and seemed authentic but it wasn't delicious. Maybe it was an off day based upon other reviews but I can't recommend them nor will I return. read more

4.25* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5* Service: 4* 06/17/2023 It was Father's Day...so I got to pick where we went for lunch. If you follow my posts, you know I prefer experiencing new foods and places and this place looked interesting. The outside is nothing special...just a storefront in a strip mall along University - but it is what's inside that matters. We started with a round of drinks (see picture) while we reviewed the menus. On our server's suggestion, I ordered the Pernil Plate (see picture), my wife ordered the Carne Frita (see picture), and our sons ordered the Cubano (see picture) and the Camarones (see picture). All of the food was delivered promptly and I sampled some from each of the plates - finding each of them to be worthy of a recommendation. My only concern was that I found the pork on the Pernil Plate to be a little dry to my liking. For dessert, I ordered a Pastelillo for us to try and share. Similar to my pork comment above, I found this to be a little dry. While that is possibly the way it is supposed to be made and served, I like a little more moistness in my desserts - so wouldn't order it again. 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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Had to grab a Cuban and fries from the Puerto Rico Restaurant...! This sandwich reaches out with flavor and slaps you across the face! A pressed toasted roll, ham, pork loin, dill pickle, and mustard.... Pulled pork loin v. sliced, but I can give that a pass... Fries were salted and cooked perfectly. Always pleasant service. A short wait for the food to come out of the kitchen. Table service. Seating is booths by the window. Lower tables and chairs in the rest of the dining area. Along with a small bar... $13 and change for the Cuban and fries before tip. One of my favorite sandwiches close to my own local area of the metro. Good stuff! https://puertoricoiowa.com/ read more

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We visit here whenever in the area. The food is superb! The servers are always polite and go out of their way to make diners feel well locked after. The food is fresh, just like mom made it and so plan to come early and wait a bit but it's 5 stars from me! Awesome place, great variety of foods and always super clean! read more

I travel to a lot of small midwestern towns and I rarely find Puerto Rican Restaurants, unlike Mexican restaurants that are everywhere. (Love Mexican food too) I have been here several years earlier while passing through Des Moines. I ordered the roast pork with Rice with pigeon peas and Tostones. (Pernil plate) My wife Maria makes this dish all the time. The flavors were all there in the plate. Savory with sofrito, Garlic, perfectly salted. It was delicious and a pleasure . I will recommend this place to my friends and co-workers or anyone who reads my comments. I also ordered the pollo guisado and this dish did not disappoint, the chicken was tender melts in your mouth flavorful throughout. Delicious. Come and try it for yourself. The. Service was spot on, you can ask the staff for recommendations, they know their menus very well. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Pernil plate, Roasted pulled pork with arroz con gandules. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

I have been wanting to try this place for a while because it's in my neighborhood and I've never tried Puerto Rican food before. After reading some great reviews about their Real Cubano sandwich, I ordered it for dinner with fries. I was very disappointed. I don't know what I was expecting but I guess I was hoping it would be similar to Mexican food. I found the sandwich to be very bland and without any flavor. I don't think the pork had any spices or seasoning on it. I love spicy food; not necessarily as in hot, but meaning it is seasoned with spices. I couldn't detect any seasoning in the sandwich. I don't know if this is true of all Puerto Rican cooking, but this experience makes me not want to come back here and try their other dishes. If you don't like spicy food, you may enjoy their food. I don't think I will be back. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Real Cubano sandwich - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

My wife and I didn't know where to have dinner when we arrived to DSM for a visit. We found PRR on Yelp and thought we'd try Iowan mofongo... Mofongo...EXCELLENT! Rellenos de papa...EXCELLENT! Arroz con gandules...EXCELLENT! If there had been a beach I'd have thought we were on The Island... read more

Amazing! I came here about 2 years ago and had the buffet. I thought it was ok but today I had mofungo with shrimp and red sauce. I loved it! It has great flavor with lots of garlic and veggies in the sauce. I think I am coming back within the week. Mofungo is like mashed potatoes with a crispy edge. I asked for hot sauce but it was NOT hot at all. The traditional rice and peas had great flavor and were moist. Mom had the tripleta sandwich and was impressed by the amount of meat. Tostones were excellent and I enjoyed the Saude that came with it. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Mofungo with shrimp YES - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

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Stopped in for lunch to try this cuisine for the first time. It was definitely worth the try! We ordered the real Cuban sandwich and the chicharrone del pollo mofongo. The service isn't very fast so if you have a strict lunch time, you will not be done and back at work under an hour. The Cuban was so delicious and juicy! It's the best Cuban I have ever had. The mofongo is something I've never tried before. It was so delicious. I could eat mofongo by itself! It tastes like a very flavorful mashed potatoes. The chicken was fried and crispy. It came with a creamy sauce. I had fried plantain on the side. I like the potato salad better as a side. I would definitely come back for the same order. We really hit the jackpot on our first try! read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Chicharrones De Pollo Mofongo - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

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I'm not Puerto Rican, but have had Puerto Rican food before. This place is legit IMO. There were other PR patrons that came in and that's my gauge on whether a place is authentic: if their own peoples eat at their restaurant. I ordered the pernil that came with tostones, arroz con gandules, and mayo ketchup sauce. Also ordered the alcapurria. ALL OF IT WAS DELICIOUS. Pernil was moist and juicy. The alcapurria (ground beef with yuca on the outside and deep fried) was delish. My only comment is that service could've been better/more attentive, but the staff was super friendly. Definitely coming back to try the mofongo. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Alcapurria - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

Went on a Friday night. The place got busier as the night went on. Our waitress was helpful and knowledgeable. We chose 3 different single appetizers and split them to be able to taste them all. All 3 were deep fried. We both liked the corn fritter the best. The other 2 had meat and were fine. Friend had roast pork and I had chicken hunks (thigh pieces) with the garlic plantains. I had a side of fried plantains and she had an interesting cold potato salad that seemed like mashed ones. Her pork was yummy and a big portion. I couldn't tell from the menu that my chicken was thigh pieces or I wouldn't have ordered it. We finished by sharing a piece of coconut flan. Mild, smooth, with a bit of caramel. It was the highlight of the meal. A fun experience but too much heavy fried stuff. I should have paid better attention to that. P.S. It's not a fast food place. We saw a lady getting upset because of their wait. Just chill at this place & enjoy the experience. read more

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We came here for dinner at 630pm Friday night hoping for some good Puerto Rican food. Unfortunately we were told that after 5pm they only serve sandwiches which did not include the jibarito. Disappointed, we and another table walked out. What weird business practice to stop serving the full menu after 5pm. The good points about this place is that the staff is friendly (only one waitress) and it's clean. read more

I had been hearing mixed reviews about this place, so I waited a little bit before venturing there. I love Puerto Rican food so I was very glad to see this restaurant in Des Moines. The decoration and atmosphere is simple but cozy, nice music and a full bar. I went during lunch time and it was a bit busy but not unbearable. There is a hot food bar which, if you are in a hurry, is the best alternative because you can get served sooner. It's a buffet style case of food with assorted Puerto Rican classic dishes. I did not have the food bar but my friends did and they liked it. I had the special: a chicken sandwich with tostones and a drink - all for only $8. The sandwich took a little while but it was tasty. Flavorful, moist chicken, creamy sauce on a nicely toasted bread. I thought it was also a pretty big portion! The tostones were OK, I wish they had put some of the garlic "mojo" or whatever garlicky sauce I always ate with these when I visited PR. I was disappointed that I could not eat mofongo, the server said they only have it in the afternoon (I assume for dinner?). Also, though the staff are very nice, it seems as though they are understaffed, so the quickness of the service needs some work. I think Puerto Rico Restaurant is still finding its rhythm, but its food offerings so far are good so I will give it another try, hopefully I will be able to get mofongo. There is Malta India to drink, so if you are a fan of this molasses-flavored drink, make sure you get some. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

Overall, I'm happy to have a diverse cultural option in this area for food. The price is a bit high, but with no real competition for this kind of food, I think it's justified. For me, this place will be more for special occasions than a weekly stop. I visited on their opening day and was pleasantly surprised by the menu options. From traditional Puerto Rican dishes to "Cubano" sandwiches, I will need to update this review after returning to sample more their cuisine. The atmosphere is spacious with options for sitting at a high top, the bar, or a booth. There's a large TV behind the bar to catch the latest soccer game. The staff were attentive and friendly. I had the mofongo with shrimp to go. I was told about the 15-20 minute wait time as they make it to order, so I had some time to soak in the restaurant scenery. The mofongo was delicious, a bit uneven on the distribution of the flavor - I had a few extra salty bites. There was a side salad that consisted of iceberg lettuce and a couple slices of tomato. The dressing was either thousand island or a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup, I couldn't tell. I don't think the side salad added any value to the plate, unless there's some local cultural significance that I'm missing. There are a lot more items on their menu that I'll definitely be back to try. Till then, here's my review. read more

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Finally Des Moines has an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant!!! And it felt like a reunion seeing so many other Puerto Ricans there. Where you been hiding, mi gente?!?! Food was how I remember out of my grandma's kitchen except for the tripleta sandwich, which seemed like they forgot the ham so it didn't have the mix of chicken, pork and ham flavor I was expecting. The roasted bread is delicious and the rice was flavorful. The fried foods were the best part. The empanadilla de pollo had big chunks of flavorful chicken and the alcapurria tasted like the ones from the food trucks on the island. New place so the service is still being worked on. It was super slow and I had to go up a few times to ask for the sides, hot sauce, mayo-ketchup, and to go boxes. The place is small and filled up fast, with a steady stream of diners and people coming for take-out. Met a guy who was there for the 3rd day in a row. I will definitely be back. read more

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Went to Puerto Rico restaurant in Windsor Heights for lunch today. They've been open a week or so, and I was ready for some bumps, but there honestly weren't any issues. It was so good and the portions are huge! My lunch came up to $11 for a huge sandwich (I ate half of it) and a side of sweet plantains. My friend got rice, beans and ribs with a side of salty plantains for $12 (she also has a meals worth of leftovers). All the servers were so friendly and the owner came and chatted with us for a bit. I also got a potato ball on my way out. Everything was great, and they said they change the food daily, so there's something for everyone. 10/10 would recommend. P. S. She gets her liquor license on the 9th. read more

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We tried Puerto Rico Restaurant for the first time last week and left very happy. The service was friendly and attentive. We both ordered Cuban sandwiches, mine with tostones and her's with pasta salad. The sandwich was probably the most authentic I've had in Iowa and the tostones crisp and sweet - must order if you go. The only thing I'd say needs improvement is the pasta salad. I can't say why it's on the menu (bland Iowan palettes?) but it's on par with grocery store macaroni salad. We will be going back for sure to try more dishes like the Pernil, Mofongo, and Tripleta. Give this place a try, I'm sure you'll feel the same. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Cubano with Tostones - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

This is one of our favorite restaurants in Des Moines. Their food is ALWAYS excellent and well made! You will not be disappointed to come here and eat. I would come daily if I could swing it!! The staff is friendly, always smiling and very helpful!! My husband had the Pascada (Red Snapper), rice and beans, salad and tostones. I had rice and beans with bean stew and Beef Stew. Today they were out of Flan, but they usually have Coconut, Cheese or Vanilla flan which is so good!! read more

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I am so incredibly happy with Puerto Rico Restaurant. The owners and the team have been some of the most genuine, delightful people I've ever met. The atmosphere is fun, the cuisine is delicious. My wife and I had a dinner date and our portions were huge. I had the Cubano with Tostones and a Jugo de Parcha to drink. My wife tried the Mofongo Carne Frita. We shared Flan for dessert. Our server was Nailiez, who was prompt and professional. Monica and Lisa are also incredibly fun and passionate about the restaurant. Huge thank you to a great evening and several wonderful visits! You guys rock! read more

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Very nice place, great staff and the food was excellent and filling, nice lighting and space between tables and booths and very quick service will be going back EXCELLENT GREAT FOOD AND SERVICE #1JOB read more

Authentic puertorican food at its finest. I ordered the monfongo with pernil and chicken mofongo. Very good portions. Remember to ask for mayoketchup sauce for your mofongo. As a puerto rican, flavor was on point. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Pernil mofongo and fried chicken mofongo. Eating at a different location. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

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In April 2019 my Wife and I were on our Wedding/Honeymoon cruise! Our trip began and ended in Puerto Rico. Never in a million years did I ever consider Puerto Rico as a destination I wanted to visit! Within an hour of reaching our hotel in old San Juan, I began to be overwhelmed by the beautiful culture and cuisine! We ate at a restaurant call el Jibarito on Calle sol in old town! Amazing flavors of food! This restaurant reminds me of this! It's amazing !!! read more

We got to the place around 3:30pm on a Sunday and didn't leave until 6ish. So we weren't expecting it to be busy. Which is wasn't too bad. There was still open tables, but they were dirty because they are very slow and turn over. It took us (2 people) over 1hr to actually get our food. While waiting, a customer said the food was worth the wait. However that was not the case for us. We both ordered from the menu with their specialty dishes: mofongo dishes ( one plate and one bowl) the plate fish was their crispy chicken, and the bowl was their mariscos. The crispy chicken was bland, it did not have any flavor but fried oil, I think they forgot to add a little salt to their dish. But the Mariscos bowl was so salty! It's like they forgot to put the salt on the chicken and added double salt on the seafood! The seafood was not fresh, I get it no seafood from Iowa is fresh, but this was straight out of a frozen bag. You could taste the bitterness and the freezer burn, to where it was chewy and gritty soft on some of the seafood. For both sides of each dish, one was their potato salad which is like any other American potato salad taste. It wasn't very special tasting, the next was the pasta salad, that again lacked salt or taste. The noodles were super soft but the side itself did not have any flavor but a fatty/oil taste to it. And the rice side was okay. It was braised with some beef so it was savory but again not note worthy. And the actual Mofongo (smashed plantains) was just like the fried plantains. Tasteless, not soft (like they were unripe plantains) it was just starchy. I normally love fried plantains, however these were not good. They were dry and had no flavor. It tasted like I was eating cardboard. You can have plantains that are savory or sweet, and these were none of them. The only good thing about this place was their passion fruit drink which was sweet and tangy. And the waitress was super nice, however I doubt we will be going there again. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Mariscos Mofongo bowl - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

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Visited this location today around noon. The food is excellent! Very well seasoned, a nice balance of flavors, and generous portion sizes. I ordered the mofongo bowl with fried chicken and potato salad. My husband ordered a bowl as well, but with carne de cerda "frita". We also ordered two of the dessert empanadas which were filled with cream cheese and guava. I deducted a star because it took 40 minutes for us to receive our food and the entrees did not come out at the same time. However because the food was so good, I'll definitely try it again and hope for better luck next time. Also, I'm not sure if this is everyday, but I noticed they had a special $12 plate for two entrees and sides. While I didn't take advantage of it, I noticed quite a few people did. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

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Great customer service and good food big portions of rice and meats delicious Tripleta sándwich and cuban sandwich and the pernil plate

We had a fabulous meal with fabulous service. Highly recommend this place. The staff was great at answering our questions and very attentive. The food was yummy. Can't wait to go back and try the other food I saw come out. I ordered the jiburito and coconut flan. Both were amazing but the other dishes that come out looked good, too. read more

Food was pretty good, but service was bad. Server was very young and seemed to be either untrained or too afraid to afraid to be a server.

My happy place. Great Puerto Rican dishes. Not fancy, just nice. Best Cubano sandwich I've had in the metro.

Just had my 3rd meal there on a busy Sunday afternoon and just as delicious! Decided to order off the menu this time instead of the buffet and was not disappointed! Tried the El Jibarito sandwich with the roasted pork- yum!!! Have napkins ready as the "bread" is basically 2 large tostones, but that's what makes this sandwich so different and tasty! My friend had the Cubano and it looked just as good- and like the real deal unlike a lot of other Cuban sandwiches I see other places attempt. Next time I'm trying that mofongo- looks amazing and everything else I've had has been so authentic and delicious! ....... Absolutely delicious and authentic! They're new, so try them out and try something new! I grew up with these foods, and it's nice to see a whole restaurant now dedicated to Puerto Rican food. I had the lunch special, which you get to pick 2 entrees with rice- I chose the arroz con gandules (chickpeas), roasted pork, red beans, beef empanada, and added some tostones (non-sweet plantains that are fried twice). Everything was delicious! I even had some vanilla flan for dessert which I couldn't pass up. Nice clean restaurant, good prices for everything. The staff is super nice and helpful if you have any questions about a menu item you're not familiar with. It's family owned, and something different in DSM so give this Caribbean cuisine a chance! read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Roasted pork, red beans, arroz con gandules, beef empanada. All delicious! - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

So very disappointed, I sent someone there today on Mother's Day to place an order that was a bit over 100.00 They once again ran out of food and took over an hour to get the food out. Instead of asking if substituting the meat they were out of was something we cared to do they replaced it with what they felt would be a good substitute. That's not what was wanted or paid for since they charged ahead of the order coming out. I was really hoping this time around would be a good experience but I was sadly disappointed. It seems that the front of the house and the back of the house don't communicate much when it comes to what they have or don't have. read more

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My husband and I found this restaurant by accident--and we are so glad we did. Great food and service, very cheerful atmosphere. We had the tripleta sandwich and the pollo guisado and they both were delicious. We will be back! read more

Primera vez en Iowa y consegui el major lugar para comer. I recommend this restaurant and the employees was very helpful and friendly. read more

Puerto Rico Restaurant - Modo go con carne frita .. delicious !!! - Puerto Rican Near Me - Windsor Heights, Iowa

I went shortly after they opened with some friends. I had the Cubano sandwich with the tostones. Delicious! One of my friends is Cuban and he gave it the stamp of approval. They were very busy, but it wasn't long before we were sat. I will definitely go back! read more

It's confusing when you walk in when no one greets you and there's no indication if you can sit anywhere, order at the counter and then sit, or simply order take out. It took a few awkward minutes standing over an empty dirty table before anyone came over to us. The food is cheap, served in big portions, and very much like Puerto Rican comfort food. Not super impressive but also not bad. I hesitate to try the Cuban sandwich for this very reason. read more

We had the buffet and everything I had was good. My favorite was the rice with beans over the top. I also had two chicken wings and some garlic cassava. I definitely want to eat here again and with a $10 buffet, it is a good deal too. Finally, the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. The buffet is not self-serve, rather, you go up and ask for what you want and they FILL your plate completely full. They have some extra stuff in back like potato salad too that can be requested so ask about that. read more

Yum. Their sandwiches are delicious. The one with the plantain for the bun is good but the Cuban is my fav. Worth a try since they're fast and friendly. I would consider this more of a lunch spot due to its casual nature. read more

Two stars for now, we'll see how its business unfolds since they're fairly new to the area. I was excited to see them very close (walking distance) to home, but when visiting hoping for a great mouth watering Jibarito sandwich (after a day of family swimming with cravings) we were told that they did NOT have the sandwich or offering a section of the menu. We were bummed!!! Had to resort to the buffet, that happened to be just ok. The place was also too dimmed and not as lively with music as Puerto Rican's are know for. ...until a next visit. read more