Abelardo’s

Don’t let the shabby exterior (and interior) keep you away — they have great Mexican food. It’s not the best place to dine in, but it’s excellent for take-​out. This is fast food, but cooked to order, so it takes a little bit longer than, say, Taco Bell. So it’s not a fancy place, but if you want some excellent, cheap Mexican food that is much more authentic than your standard Mexican fast food places, you should absolutely give it a try. I highly recommend the carnitas or adobado tacos.

Food is ok, just like other restaurants of this type. My main complaint is that they need better containers for the drive thru. The food usually leaks out or spills in the bag. The people there are always super nice and prices are good. I usually only go here for a quick lunch during the work day.

It’s an unassuming Mexican place and you know you’re in the right place when Telemundo is on the TV and everyone speaks English with a Latin accent. I’ve been there many times and again it’s about expectations it’s fast food Mexican with quality ingredients I like the steak tacos I like the carnitas there’s never been anything I haven’t enjoyed. It’s actually a local family place on Sundays and a worker’s place during the week and large groups can go there especially to the one on Ingersoll. They also have local Mexican drinks and Jauritas Mexican soda pop… and coke all made with cane sugar…

I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of Mexican food but Abelardo’s is the one place that I will go to if I want some quick and delicious Mexican food. I usually order the enchiladas and they are always really good. The rice is nice and fluffy and the beans are smooth and not extremely salty. One of the best features of Abelardo’s is their ²⁴⁄₇ service. I love being able to come here at 2,3,or 4am. Also, this location is not far from downtown so this is a popular place on the weekends.
The only bad thing I can say about this place is that you should not expect extraordinary interior decorating because you won’t find it here. It doesn’t matter though because the food makes up for the drab interior. If dining in isn’t your thing, they also have a drive-​thru which makes satisfying your fast food Mexican food needs that much easier.

There are definitely some questionable things you could order so I will tell you what things I believe to be good. The steak quesadilla is awesome and it is huge! The steak and egg burrito is super tasty and also huge! They have pretty good nachos. also huge! And the have average sized french fries that are surprisingly really good as well. Its cheap mexican food thats easy to get and open all the time. Just avoid things that you would question about putting in your body and you will be fine.

A couple of friends and I went to Abelardo’s to get some food on a Sunday night where not a whole lot of places were open. Abelardo’s is open ²⁴⁄₇ and offers a small dine in area as well as a drive through. The counter has salsas and sauces to choose from which was a nice addition. The food is relatively authentic (for Iowa) and decently priced, but just nothing special. The food is a tad bit greasy and more like Mexican fast food, than restaurant quality Mexican food. For a quick late night spot Abelardo’s fits the bill, but I feel that there are a lot of other options out there for more lunch or dinner occasions.

I hear from a lot of people that this is some of the best Mexican food in Des Moines. I don’t think that’s the case, but it is definitely the best ²⁴⁄₇ food joint in the city.
The staff is usually quick and they’ve got a drive-​thru, which is great when you’re just trying to get home quick. The enchilada sauce is not very good. The Carne Asada tacos, though. Those are awesome. Anything Adobada is GF and delicious as well. Soft corn tortillas are good, the Super Fries are worth a shot.
Inside could be cleaner, sometimes the food tastes like it’s been sitting in warmers all day. Pretty good, but there is better. Awesome when your drunk and/​or hungover.

The food is good and fairly priced but the service could use a little work and the restaurant itself could use a lot of work. This is probably not a place I’d bring my family to dine in but might hit the drive thru if we needed a quick bite. I’m not 100% sure if I’ll ever come back truthfully since I am from out of town and don’t make it down this way often.
There server was nice but didn’t really seem like she was into her job so much. She didn’t make me feel welcomed and didn’t explain anything to me about the menu or condiment bar they have set up.
Their air conditioning is broken and they have 2 portable air conditioners hooked up in side sitting on some tables with dryer hose hooked up to the ceiling to vent out the emissions. The air conditioners don’t help much though because they are so small. It was definitely warm in there today. The furniture is old and out dated. My tabled rocked as though it were a rocking chair. The men’s bathroom was clean but I did notice one hazard in there which was a piece of metal from a cover plate jutting out from the wall which looks like it may be sharp on the edge.
In summation this restaurant was an experience. It is a cross between a family style Mexican restaurant and a Taco John’s or Taco Bell.

Stopped by Abelardos today for a late lunch today. My wife and I ordered the burrito and enchilada combo (#6) as well as an ordered of chips and guacamole. The entire meal was fantastic. They had several hot sauces to choose from at the counter as well as limes. This is definitely my new favorite Mexican restaurant.

Get the Carne asada fries, you will not regret it. Best drunk food and day food. Very similar to a lot of taco shops in San Diego. Nice refresh to a lot of Midwestern Mexico places.

My experiences here have reached the point of ridiculousness. The only reason this is two stars instead of one is because the food, when made correctly, is honestly pretty decent. However, I do not know that I have EVER received an order from this location that was correct. I have ordered in English, I have ordered in Spanish; it made no difference. Pollo, lengua and asada do not sound the same, this should not be difficult. Also, you work in the SERVICE industry so if I ask for a simple substitution, I should not be treated as though I’m causing you a massive inconvenience. It’s not during a busy time for service; I’m not causing you any chaos. Suffice it to say, I would much rather drive significantly out of my way to their Southside location (which, by the way, is awesome and actually knows what the hell they’re doing) than continue to subject myself to the incorrect orders, incorrect charges and uppity attitudes at the Ingersoll location. Seriously guys, it’s been in excess of ten times in a row that you’ve screwed things up. And I speak Spanish, so it’s not an issue of language barrier; it’s an issue of total lack of effort. The only reason this location is still in business is because it’s open 24 hours and close to the Des Moines bar scene. If it was open only during normal restaurant hours and riding solely on consistency and service, it would have closed a long time ago. Pull it together.

Love the fish Tacos and the carnitas quesadilla but never happy with anything else I’ve gotten there. The chimichanga was a lot of doughy tortilla and dry meat, as is most of the other meat I’ve had in dishes. The rolled tacos are dry and bland.

Horrible food orderd brand and they were old and hard I took a bite and it was gross my guac was turning colors and my quesdia was decent the rice was a little dry but I still ate it i had to wait at least 20minuites in a drive thru for my food it was at like 8 am it wasn’t busy I would say go else where!!!

Always made fresh and everything I have had has been fantastic. Huge menu to choose from. The combos are cost effective and you should plan on having left overs. Carne Asada burritos are excellent! They are opening up anther one in the Ankeny area! We will continue to frequent this restaurant and we definitely recommend for you to do the same.

²⁴⁄₇ Fast food mexican. While this might be a fast food restaurant, it doesn’t have the taste of one. It also has the full menu you would expect from a sit down mexican restaurant (Not just tacos and burritos here), but at a much lower cost. This is one of many of my friends, and I, favorite late night places to hit up after the bars. I love the chimichanga. I usually go through the drive thru, but the one time I did eat inside, I was not impressed (I think it used to be a Hardee’s). It could have been a bit cleaner. But the food is still good, so I will keep going back.

Hate to give Lardo’s 2 stars. Could really give it 1 based solely on only my recent visits. Have been a very loyal customer. There was a time i would’ve given it 4 or 5 stars all day.
Sometimes the ppl taking my order clearly do not understand what I am saying. And I feel horrible even specifying that. But having someone who speaks/​understands English taking orders is pretty crucial.
I generally just get a few hard shell tacos when I come here, because that’s just what I like. Pretty hard to mess up tacos. There has been an inconsistency in the ingredients lately. Diff shells each time I go. Last time I got what appeared to be some store brand shells that needed to be heated first to «crisp». As if those type of shells don’t already suck, they didn’t heat the shells… So the bite or two of that order I choked down was rubbery crap. Sometimes the beef is cold/​black from sitting around and being reheated numerous times. ⁹⁄₁₀ times I ask/​pay for Pico de Gallo they forget to put it in the bag. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ times I ask for extra cheese it doesn’t happen.
How about cleaning the trash in the parking lot once a day? Have a little respect for the neighborhood. It’s like a rape scene waiting to happen. If I wanted to get raped in my own neighborhood I would apply a pressed fruit bowl (google it) to the stores front window and back-​light it with the flashlight on my cellphone.
I will give you a better rating when you earn it back from me. If I ever come there again. Things have gone downhill here in the last year and a half or so. You need a much more competent and consistent staff, to start.

Abelardo’s strikes me as hangover insurance food. It’s situated in a former Hardee’s fast food building. It’s parking lot is usually scattered with the previous night’s liter of shenanigans, I know this because I walk past on my way to coffee often. This morning I saw a black wig. The drive-​thru is open twenty-​four hours. Some folks just need a burrito at 3AM (see first sentence). I recently got an order of two beef burritos to go (see first sentence). The shy girl who took my order at the counter barely managed any semblance of friendliness. My order was $ 7.94. My burritos reminded me of the food trucks parked outside factories that I’ve gambled my health on on the West Coast. It’s sustenance. It’s never going to be on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives. The rice was bland. The burritos were simple and greasy, filled with beef and baked beans.
CHANCE OF RETURN: ³⁄₁₀

Abelardos is a little unassuming. The building was obviously a former fast-​food chain (Abelardos has the same vibe as a fast food chain). The décor is dated, furniture is cramped and old. The menu is busy and distracting. All that aside, Abelardos is a deal and a half, and the food — albeit greasy and simple — is always delicious.
My recommendations are the breakfast burritos and horchata. Mmmmm!

If you are looking for really cheap food served on foam plates with plastic utensils and only the slightest amount of heat used in the preparation, this place is for you. Do what I did — order the cheese enchilada platter and a fish taco, just to be adventurous, because hey, you really never know when you’ve found a good restaurant and you roll the dice so why not?
Bad idea.
I’m not sure what kind of fish it was, it was fried and I can still taste it. It was oily fish, leaving a terrible aftertaste, but the rest of the taco was actually OK — shredded cabbage and the works. Fix the fish and it’s a bargain at the price they have it for. It was a big taco. Sadly, things went downhill from here.
Ice cold cheese enchilada, smothered in lukewarm sauce. Come on. Seriously? I realize that I’m effectively ordering a little cheese in a tortilla, but come on, this is a staple. You can’t mess that up. But they did.
This place is what it is — it’s really cheap fast food. If you’re expecting to be surprised by a kitchen that goes above and beyond the way you might find in other major metropolitan areas, you’re going to be very depressed.
Quite frankly, I got up and walked out after I realized what was going on. This experience to me is the reality of what it means to move to Iowa after having a taste of what «MEXICAN» food tastes like in a bigger city.
The comment that I made to the young lady (a very friendly, nice woman that spoke beautiful Spanish (another thing you miss hearing in Des Moines)) was this: You wouldn’t eat this at home, would you?
She had a sad look in her eye and she shook her head no, and looked at the ground.
What I want in a Mexican restaurant is a restaurant where the menu is a reflection of what the proprietors would eat at home, a reflection of your cultures passion and beauty, not what you think the Iowa palate is going to accept. This place caters to a lower denominator, but it shouldn’t.
The four salsas that were made from scratch (clearly) were an indicator of the potential that this restaurant has to be an impressive part of a progressive dining experience that is sorely lacking in Iowa and in Des Moines in specific. It needs to put the rest of the pieces together, though.
For me, the bar is set high, even if it might be a 2 am stop or an 1pm lunch. The price is there, but the quality needs to go up.

«quick and cheap snack» — — Abelardo’s it is.
My «snack» ended up being a plate of beans AND a plate of rice. Yikes, on my part. But I’m not complaining. This is your standard Mexican restaurant with an interesting fast food-​ish vibe — and I’m not just saying that because the structure itself appears to have once been a fast food joint. I’m saying it because you go up to the counter to order, food is served on styrofoam plates on trays and they holler out your orders. This neither detracts or adds to the experience in my opinion.
Plentiful horchata and hibiscus bebidas on hand. The pork taquitos my dining partner ordered were pretty tasty/​on the greasy side as to be expected with taquitos. I enjoyed the salsa bar at the front — be warned the darker red option packs a punch.
Overall, I think it was the weird vibe and average food that left me feeling 3 stars and «A-​OK» about Abelardo’s. This isn’t to say that I won’t be back for a «quick and cheap snack.»