Great service, tasty food (try the Pollo Loco) and average prices make this a must-try. Service and atmosphere is WAY better here than the Grand Ave location, too, although that location does have a much nicer outdior patio area.. read more

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Food poisoning again ! Second time !! Prices have doubled and food quality has been terrible !! DO NOT EAT HERE ! read more

3.75* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 3* 05/05/2023 Didn't even know this was a restaurant until a co-worker scheduled a going away party here that happened to fall on Cinco de Mayo. Seeing it from the North side, it struck me as more of an industrial building or health store than a restaurant. As the attached pictures show though, it is indeed a Mexican restaurant - and I found the experience to be worth the stop. Because it was Cinco de Mayo, the place was packed and we had a tough time getting a couple of tables for the group to sit together. Ultimately we were able to get most of the party (other than some late arrivals) seated together at a couple of tables that they pulled together for us. Service was average at best...again likely due to the packed restaurant with multiple parties waiting at the front door to be seated. The 16oz Lime Margarita that was the special for the day was quite tasty once it was delivered and came with a pitcher to refill it a couple of times. For our meal, we ordered the Fajitas Viva La Bamba (see pictures) - which tasted great and proved to be plenty of food for my wife and I to share (especially after eating plenty of chips and salsa). I look forward to stopping back some time when they aren't so packed and rushed, but regardless found even this stop to be worthwhile - so would recommend stopping, especially if you see one of the daily drink specials that are of interest (see pictures). 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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Very tasty Fajita's. The portion was huge and the margarita I had was also very good. Worth giving this place a try! read more

This is my go-to mexi spot. Chicken fajitas are always on point. More often than not I stroll in, place a to-go order, and it's ready within a few minutes. Great portions, and a nice size bag of chips and salsa also included. The meat is never dry/overcooked and has great flavor. read more

Little hole in the wall restaurant. Interesting atmosphere. The table we were at had fake clover or something on the wall. The salsa was very good for the Midwest and this was the best carne asada that I have had in Iowa. Wife said the chile rellenos were very good as well. Will defiantly try it again. read more

We like this place and their food. The service has always been polite and attentive regardless of our server and the food is tasty and hot. It was hard to find a consistent and comfortable Mexican fare restaurant in the Des Moines area and after trying several places we came upon Viva, and their sister restaurant at 6101 Grand in Des Moines and have returned several times. I like that they serve warm bean dip with their chips and that their house margaritas have some taste and alcohol. read more

Excellent service outstanding food fast paced good quality Texas Burritos were delicious

We have been regulars for years. We love everything about this place! Except, The bathroom odor needs to be addressed. It has been going on for quite some time. Duct tape over the bathroom drain is not a fix. Please fix this so we can continue to enjoy Viva! read more

My friend and her husband love this place. It was their pick when we decided to go out the other night. We got there before them, right at 5:30 and had no trouble snagging a table. The waiter came over and got us drinks right away and he could tell that we were waiting on others. When my friends arrived they raved about how he is here constantly. He was coming weekly for awhile before they changed the menu. They knew him by name and he ordered the same every time. The chips on the table were pretty good tasting, they brought out salsa and refried bean dip. It did take awhile for the waiter to come back after my friends had arrived considering the place was not that busy. We were close enough to the kitchen to hear the chatter and see the wait staff coming and going. We all ordered pretty simple things. Only one order didn't come out right but it didn't even hit the table before it was rushed back to be corrected. The food all around was pretty good. I have had better but everyone seemed satisfied. We sat and chatted a long time. Once the check was delivered the waiter pretty much disappeared to help other tables. They are kid friendly. Our friends brought their son who got a free scope of ice cream at the end of his meal. There was a ice cream bar right near us where you can load up on toppings for the ice cream. Nice touch! I think I have enjoyed other places more, however it seems to have improved since the other reviews have been posted. However they do have $2 Margaritas twice a week all day. read more

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I have eaten at Viva about ten times over the years. It's consistently gone downhill with regard to food and service. I dined there last week. The place was basically empty. I got in and got fast service for my drink order. I ordered the carnitas and they were quickly delivered. They were supposed to come with guacamole. No guacamole. So I asked for a side of guacamole and sour cream. The $14 meal was fair at best. When I got my bill, I was charged an additional $5 for guacamole and $5 for sour cream. These were tiny amounts. So, $32 later I left the restaurant. I can have the best steak in town for $32. This place is hostile toward customers. I will never go back. read more

Recommended by the desk clerk at our hotel, Viva was a short drive for a great meal. Chips, salsa and bean dip were presented not long after we were seated. The salsa had a good kick which I loved and my husband ate almost all of the bean dip before our meals came which happened fairly quickly. I had the Seafood Enchiladas and my husband ordered the Chicken Chimichanga. We both finished every bite! I also had a house Margarita which was on special, only $3!! Definitely recommend this place if you're in the Des Moines area. Attentive service too. read more

Great experience! Service was quick and friendly and the food was tasty. I got a burrito bowl with steak and it was full of flavor. The meal and the atmosphere felt authentic. I'll be back. read more

Prices have definitely increased. Use to pay 13.00 for fajitas now it's 17.99!! LOVE eating and cooking authentic Mexican food and this ain't it. I don't know what happened but the food has increased in price but decreased in taste. Had to pay extra for beans and rice that use to come with our meal (that's why it's called a combo right?) black beans were straight out of the can maybe warmed up in the microwave? No flavor, didn't even add salt. We were given a foil container full of canned, dry black beans. What really did it for me was my chorizo was raw in the middle so I had to bust out a frying pan at and re-cook my meal which I then added onions, green peppers and proper seasoning so it ended up being delicious lol paid 17.99 to cook my own food ha! 3 people ate and our bill was 80 bucks (no drinks included). Never again. read more

We stopped there in the middle of the afternoon, so the place was fairly empty. We both had quesadillas and thought they were delicious. We will go back for a "real" meal some evening. read more

The food was really good.. until we found a BUG at the bottom of the chip basket.. so disgusting! The server tried to be very hush hush about it because it was busy in there and I'm sure they didn't want other customers to hear. We did get our meal for free but we won't be back! read more

I had to give it one star so I could post. This place is absolutely the worst. We went in on a Monday knowing it would be slow and could get service, NO!!! We stepped up to the bar to get our drinks we waited 20 minutes to get our drinks then when we ordered our drinks I ordered a Bud Light draft it was totally flat we had chips and salsa and beans and the beans I have tasted better out of a can of salsa was nothing but tomatoes and catch up we did not stay the the ass for our bill he just threw it at us and left I do not recommend this to no one. read more

We went on Saturday 5/15/21. It was a late lunch we order a combo enchilada and the steak viva. Food was good service a bit slow but ok. Margaritas were good for $3.00. I think this is one of very few time I took home steak from a restaurant. read more

Traveled to Des Moines for work from Southern California, and not surprisingly, was craving Mexican food. I thought I would have to wait until my return to get some tasty food but I found this little jewel down the street from the hotel. When I walked I felt like I was back in Cali at one of our many restaurants. The décor was standard and I started feeling relaxed. We were seated and were presented with chips, salsa...and wait....refried beans. Nice touch. Additionally, each person at the table gets their own salsa dish to dip...Awesome to not worry where everyone's mouth has been at the table. I ordered the chili Colorado. Fantastic. I washed it down with a jalapeño margarita- just enough tequila, just enough spice. Will definitely visit again on my next trip. read more

Stopped in for a meal on a week night. I had a fajita taco salad that was good and the chips and salsa at the table was warm and very good. The beer was reasonable and so were the prices on the menu. Altho not cheep, it was a little busy that night but I was not overly pleased with the service. I never ran out of anything but I think they could put more effort into customer service. Like I said it is worth a try and I wouldn't let 1 night and 1 person change my review about this place. Enjoy friends! read more

Viva Mexican Restaurant - Taco salad fajita - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

Great location on Grand, nice facility. Ordered to go, order was wrong when we got home. Food was marginal, service was as well. Host talked and laughed with a waiter instead of engaging with me. Held his hand out for my credit card while he kept talking to the waiter looking away. Off the list for us, too bad, we loved the facility but the host and waiter seemed to care less. Hope they get a wake up call before they lose all business. Go have lunch at St Kilda's and take notes on what good service looks like. read more

Me and my friend went here for lunch. The food & drinks were great. They brought our chips then took our drink order. They brought our drinks then took our meal order. Our burritos were fantastic & well priced. The place was very clean,every employee that walked by was polite & seemed happy. The only complaint were the booths along the back were very small & I felt like I was going to fall off the seat. read more

Came here for a late lunch. We had the place to ourselves. The service was good, and so was the food. I had a chimichanga for the first time ever. It was really good, albeit a bit on the salty side. They give you chips and salsa which is par for the course at Mexican places, but the chips were really good. They have a large menu which makes me very excited for a return trip. I could go for a margarita right now as I'm thinking of it! read more

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Got a bean burrito with a side of rice and refried beans. They charged me $21.00. That's crazy. $5.00 for a side of rice and $5.00 for a side of refried beans is a rip off. Won't go back. read more

Large portions and wonderful service. Staff went out of their way to offer us drinks and have good conversation! I like the choripollo and flautas read more

Came here last night with a gaggle of girls. I showed up around 7 after everyone was seated so I'm not sure what the wait situation was like. I do know we tried to get a place in the bar but it was full. The service was pretty prompt considering how busy it was. They have $2 margaritas on Saturdays, so we were all capitalizing on that. Not the best Marg I've ever had but for $2 I can't complain. I ordered the fajita quesadilla. Again, not the best I've ever had but it filled me up and got the job done. Beans are brought with the chips and salsa which is different from prior Mexican food eating experience. So for those who really enjoy refried beans, this may be your jam. We ordered quest dip but I didn't get to try it. The total bill was $18 for everything. I'll take it. Overall it was pretty average with the exception of the service. read more

Dont waist ur $!! Gt a fajita quesadilla.......came w rice and beans....and toppings of lett., tomatoes, sour cr., dot of guacamole.....the so-called quesadilla was a glorified soft taco....w hardly any chicken!!! :-(.. Poor excuse for Mexican!! There is plenty of other places....less $ and more food! Staff nt friendly. ...more worried about other customers! Will never go back!! Over $ ed for what u get! read more

We were seated promptly and our orders were taken. The service was quick and our dishes were still sizzling when served. The chicken fajitas are quite tasty. We will probably be back soon. read more

Food is ok. Drinks are good. Service is unbelievable poor! One server in particular is so bad. Too many faults to list. Almost comical!

Wow! Got there at approx 3:30. 5 min later got chips and water. Asked some drink questions either they didn't have what was on the menu or I couldn't understand his lingo. I asked for a few minutes to decide, he didn't return for 20 mins! I said I'd just take a dessert, thats all he says acting disgusted I said I dont have time to order a meal. 10 min later still no dessert could only hear people talking in the kitchen, I left 1.00 for the chips and salsa, they owe me for the extremely horrible service. How do they stay in business. Get back on your meds buddy. Management better do something or maybe hes the manager. YIKES!!! Oh, and I never got the ice cream he can dump it on his head if he ever even had it made. read more

Have been here several times. Very good food, prompt service and always on top of refills. Margaritas were a bit better than similar restaurants in the area- EXCEPT the pitcher (seemed watered down). Unlike the other review, I've never had to wait long for anything at this Viva La Bamba. I've been here with just a small group and with large groups as well. Servers are friendly and efficient. Food is very good and reasonably priced. read more

We've been coming here every Thursday for over a year. They always have great food but service has started to decline the past few months. Tonight there were 6 servers with 8 tables and it took 20 minutes for us to receive our beverages. At this point our server still had not taken our orders and indicated he would be right back. It took over 10 minutes for him to return to take are order. We all order a different version of nachos which are my favorite here. We waited another 20 minutes and the food arrives, we have now been at the restaurant an hour and I discover my order is missing a specific hot salsa I asked for. I reminded our waiter before he walked away, it took 10 more minutes to receive the hot salsa so at this point my nachos are soggy and cold. About 10 minutes later, at this point we have been here almost an hour and a half and I couldn't find any of the 8 waiters to get a refill on my drink. I finally spot one and hold my glass in the air to signal for a refill. Once we were completed we waited around for our check but it never arrived at the table so we decided to go up to the front and ask to check out. I will be looking around for a new spot for amazing nachos but in the mean time I will return. read more

Good authentic food at a reasonable price. Never leave hungry or disappointed. I love this place for a fast lunch or business lunch where we can talk and eat all while enjoying great food. Highly recommend. read more

Viva Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Urbandale, Iowa

We went for $3 margarita night on a Thursday and it was great. The place was super busy but the service was excellent and food came out quickly. It was delicious. read more

We went here for dinner and sat in the bar. When we walked in person behind the bar left and another person came and asked what we wanted to drink. In mid order he stopped listening and brought us water and said he would be back to wait on us. After 15 minutes we went to the restaurant area (which was not busy) and asked someone to please wait on us. A lady and a man that were waiting tables looked at us and then never came back to to take order. After waiting for 25 minutes to even get chips or a drink we walked out. Poor service! read more

The food is always consistent and fairly good, but the service is bad. Hosts have always been rude and waitresses are very inattentive. Last time we went we were one of only two tables seated in the restaurant and we still waited 15 minutes before someone even took our drink order. The only reason we have returned is because the restaurant is conveniently located. read more

This was our first visit here. We chose it because it was close to home and the Yelp reviews were ok. We arrived at 5:30 on a Saturday evening. As it was early we were seated right away. The server brought the typical warm tortilla chips and salsa. And some bean dip. All were just average. The bean dip really lacked flavor. The server took our drink order promptly and asked if we were ready to order. My wife had chicken quesadillas, I had Pollo Loco. The food arrived quicker than expected. Plates were HOT. The food was good, not great, but certainly not bad either. I would preferred having sour cream and more guacamole than what was on the plate. Both the quesadilla and the chicken were ok. I've had better and worse in other places. So 4 stars because the service was good and the food okay. read more

I've visited Viva about every Thursday and really don't want to post about it due not wanting it any busier than it is. They have the best margaritas and bean dip with chips and salsa. The chicken nacho supreme has a very generous portion of chicken and we never leave hungry. read more

Worthless service. The two females with me got excellent service and their order prepared correctly. I asked for no guacamole or lettuce and got a burrito covered with both. The server was rather indifferent and didn't notice that the order was wrong, nor did he notice that I didn't touch it. Ate about five bites and didn't have anymore. Took forever to get the checks. Cashier asked me how the meal was and I muttered OK. He didn't respond. Got upcharged for steak without the menu mentioning as such. Never again. Adios. read more

Met a friend at 5pm for margaritas on a Friday night. Two drinks in, server kept checking back asking if we were ready to order food. We felt a little pressured to get our order in. It was about 6:15 by this time and the place was filling up and getting noisier and it was getting harder to have a conversation. Food came, was average, we asked for water, which he brought along with our checks and told us we needed to leave as there were people waiting for our table. I kid you not. I looked and saw nobody in the entry waiting to be seated. We had just been there "long enough" and they knew we weren't going to be drinking any more alcohol so they wanted us to move along. WOW. This has been a great spot for my friend and I to meet since it's a halfway point for us. But after being treated so badly, we will never return. They made a big mistake. Huge! read more