Tacos Mariana’s

Al pastor tacos were delicious and the guacamole was the best I have ever had. Will definitely come back!

This is the absolute best guacamole recipe you will ever taste!

Real deal authentic Mexican. Flavors were excellent. Tacos were very good and the guac and chips were well worth 7 $. Will be back again soon. The waiter even gave us extra chips to go for our leftover guac. Great experience.

This is a really good place to eat. The food is great. More authentic than most places. There’s only a couple of things I wish were different and this would be a 5 star place. Location and parking. I don’t think alot people are aware of it simply because of where it’s at. The parking is horrible. It needs a larger parking lot area. I’m mean it’s small. You can only get soda in a can. It’s a small place but very clean on the inside. The outside might scare some people away. The people there are very nice as well. I feel like this place could be a real popular spot with alot more people if the location was different and was bigger. I think it would be a packed house every night and have alot of new regulars.

I love here tacos here! This place is so good! It’s a pretty cheap place and the food is so authentic! One of my go to restaurants on a splurge night

We’ve been to this place 3 times and I love it! They make authentic Mexican food here. I might just be over acting but if you at least been to some of the places like Taco Bell, chipotle or some other fast food places around you might want to just skip those place altogether coz this is the real deal. I’ve heard so much thing about this place and since my husband loves Mexican food, might as well try it.
Let’s start by, when we were trying to find the place. It’s hard to miss this place but for some reason, we did miss it the 1^st time. The exterior is very different when you get inside. We just trouble to park since they have a small parking place outside and we thought that that place was packed. There’s a parking area across the street along the dollar general store if you have trouble parking. I thought it’s going to be packed but it wasn’t. I noticed that most of the people that come here usually called in for their order and just pick-​up their food. When we came in, there was still a lot of vacant seats. What you will notice as well is they have a sign that says, they’re close on Tuesday and open on Sunday. Think about it, yes! I mean Taco Tuesday is a thing for some but not for them apparently. Being open on a Sunday was a bonus for since when some of the Mexican Resto are usually close and now you know where to go. You will also notice Jesus when you come to the door, looking at you 4 ft from the ground. Hard to ignore their colorful interior which screams fun.
When you get inside you can seat whenever you want and someone will attend you in a bit. Staff are really nice. She handed me our menu and got our drinks. The nice thing about their menu is that you can mix and match, pick how many you like and just go crazy. One thing for sure is I’m a fan of their taco meat!!! Next time, I’ll check their menu coz the only thing I can remember is what we ordered which was pork quesadilla, tamales and obviously their famous tacos. They have a different option for meat that you can put on their tacos, like pork, beef, stomach intestine, tongue and I think there was a chicken in there too. Anyway, I only went for my favorite which is most of it which except for the chicken. I tried it as well and it was good but I always go for the unusual stuff on the menu. Their quesadillas are not your typical since it has meat on it (I’m not really sure if this is already a thing anyway) and everything that they put on our table was all flaming hot! The service was a little slow so you may want to be more patient. We’re sitting not to far from their kitchen area and you can hear them fry everything there. We also ordered their strawberry shake and their orange which was really refreshing We also ordered their chips while we were waiting for the food and I think it was ok except it was too salty and I like my usual guacamole. I can skip that next since I know I will be back just for the tacos. I will certainly try some of the stuff that they have on their menu on my next visit or take-​out. We ordered a lot of stuff for all under $ 30, that’s pretty sweet!
One of the thing that kinda bothered on our first visit was how they store their food. That time, I think they got their delivery and they have no place for their oranges, cilantro and pepper. It was sitting right in front of the bathroom, which is also facing the kitchen area. I understand that the place was tiny. It was on the floor and though they all look fine I was a little gross out from what I saw. The bathroom was really bad as well. I guess they don’t have anyone to check on it every now and then. I’ve only seen like 3 to 4 people working here which is not a big deal coz each of them is in charge of something, I supposed. I was really bothered by this.
I love their food period, the fact that they’re close on Taco Tuesday, Jesus will crank me up every time you come to the door and their awesome interior but the restroom did throw off. It did make me think about horrible things really and I want to be wrong about it. I guess, I will just be one of the patrons that will call to order which is a shame. I will need to get it out of my system for sure especially when I crave for tacos. I wanted to give this place 5 stars but that might be pushing it. Seriously though, that bathroom.

Hole-​in-​the-​wall Mexican restaurant. The guacamole is on point… has cucumbers mixed in, and topped with spicy peppers and cheese. It was delicious! …and the chips were fresh. The seating is limited, and service is kind of slow, yet very friendly. I would definitely return based on the guac alone.

Good tacos and gorditas. Authentic Mexican not the «American Mex» most places serve. My second favorite place for tacos

The best Mexican place in Des Moines! Service was great! Food is out of this world good… Pieces are insanely cheap… so please do go and over crowd this place :)!!! We are going to be regulars at this place!

Love the guacamole. Love the tacos al pastor. Love the tacos adobadas. Love everything. Just like back home in Utah, where authentic mexican taco trucks are a dime a dozen. So glad to have found this gem. Get yo’self an orange jarritos and treat yo’self.

So much cheese, but delicious cheese. Chicken burrito was delicious, same with the chicken quesadilla. Beans tasted somewhat burnt. Friendly waitress. Parking lot was a bit small though. I’d come back!

A small neighborhood restaurant. This is probably one of the top places you can find authentic Mexican food in Des Moines. It’s the best place I’ve been to yet. We went on a late Saturday afternoon for lunch.
Pros: Unique and tasty guacamole. Authentic, traditional tacos. Moist carnitas and chicken. Not overly hot/​spicy but flavorful. Great tortillas. Cute décor with some great folk art. Friendly atmosphere. Mexican coke in a bottle.
Cons: Salsa was too spicy for me, would have liked a milder option. A little cramped on space. Guacamole was only available as an appetizer, not as a side (because they make it fresh when ordered so only sort of a con).
Know before you go: Parking is limited. Not great for large groups due to limited seating.
I would definitely return here. Would love to try some other options on the menu, like tamales when they offer them (I think they are only on certain days). If I lived in the neighborhood, I would be stopping by for take out on a regular basis.

This is hands down the best Mexican joint in town! Home is southern California, I’ve been spoiled with many hole in the wall AMAZING taco joint… Mariana’s came pretty close to some of the best I’ve had. I ordered asada and carnitas tacos, very tasty! Well seasoned meat, not tough at all. My boyfriend got the asada burrito with rice/​beans, big portion and very good as well. If you’re here on a Sunday grab a pork tamale (or two) :-)
I’d attach a picture but we devoured all the food before I decided to write this review. You must try this place if you haven’t already!

We heard that the guacamole was good, and we can definitely confirm that. Loved the cucumber flavor in it. That made it taste really fresh & light. We also got the salsa. Just the right amount of heat. For our entrees, we got tacos, and that’s one of the best choices we could’ve made. I had tripas (intestine), chorizo and pastor tacos. All were great. If you get the tripas, I definitely recommend having it crispy. I did, and it was wonderful.
Tacos are small but affordable. Homemade corn tortillas really set off the flavors. We will be going back there next time we’re in Des Moines.

A hidden gem in Des Moines! We loved the fresh guacamole, which includes cucumbers — absolutely amazing! I enjoyed a burrito full of fresh veggies and surrounded by rice and beans. An authentic Mexican place! My only complaint: No margaritas!

My favorite place to get tacos! Authentic, delicious, have yet to find a better taco in the Des Moines area.
I usually order to go– it’s a very small restaurant. I can see how people might get annoyed about parking, service, etc., but honestly, for the quality of tacos, it’s so worth it! (Just phone in an order & take it to go if you’re in a hurry.)

5+ stars for the food.
2 for the service.
As all the other Unilocalers stated, don’t be afraid. Don’t turn around. Don’t tear out of the parking lot because you think this place might be a dump. Sure the parking lot is a mess, sure the neighborhood might be a bit rough. Just don’t leave. Go inside. Take a seat. Eat the food.
I had three tacos. Lengua, carnitas and carne asada. Carnitas was, hands down, the best. Incredibly delicious. Lengua was next. Tender, chunky, spicy. Carne asada was good but very finely chopped and there were a few crunchy/​cartilage-​y bites in there.
If I could order again, I’d probably get three carnitas tacos. They were really, really good.
No free chips and salsa for us. Not sure if this was an oversight. We did see it on the menu for $ 2 and change.
Service was horrible. Waitress seemed annoyed by us – she seemed annoyed that we were even there. It was strange. She was very… apathetic. When I asked for easy onions and cilantro, I could sense her internal eye rolling. Not a good feeling.
But I would endure that kind of service anytime for their delicious and inexpensive tacos. I ordered three — next time I’d order 5. At a $ 1.25 a piece for a carnitas taco, I’m sold.

I’ve had tacos and burritos from this family owned restaurant numerous times, and they’re always great. If I stick to these things, I’m happy. They have a large variety of meat choices for fillings and they are very authentic with cilantro and limes served with the tacos. I tried the chicken enchiladas and wasn’t as impressed, due to a crazy amount of filler and very little protein. Everything has great flavor, and you can tell it’s definitely made with love. Definitely worth a visit.

If you’ve spent your entire life in the Midwest eating bland meat and potatoes and watered down whitewashed Mexican — don’t bring your behind here.
If you’re a native of North Mexico aka the southwestern United States, then eating here is like returning home!
I live in Ames where the food sucks and I come here when I miss the tastes of home. This ain’t for someone that can’t handle real flavor and spice — this is Mexico in Iowa.

The request came around 11:00 AM. Need tacos. Stat. But it’s early March and the taco trucks are hibernating. But you live in Des Moines and the «Mexican» food at the sit down restaurants equals microwaved and poorly prepared Tex-​Mex. Fear not, go to Mariana’s.
For many people that live in Des Moines the location of this restaurant places it square in the «do not enter» zone of the city. Admit it, Des Moines, anything east of MLK? That’s rubbish and nonsense. This neighborhood is fine and you will suffer no deleterious consequences for venturing all the way east to 13^th street.
What started as a quest for tacos ended with ceviche, huaraches and gorditas. Don’t ask me how we didn’t order any tacos. The ceviche was served ice cold on a tostada with half of an avocado. It was perfectly seasoned and tasted fresh. The huaraches were simply delicious. I’ve not seen this particular menu favorite of mine in Des Moines before, and when I saw it on the menu I ordered that immediately. If you’re not familiar with huaraches, it’s a roughly shoe shaped cake of masa that is fried and then layered with sauce, beans, lettuce. It came with a nice thinly sliced and well seasoned piece of beef, more beans and rice. The gorditas were perfect, hand made (as the huarache was, too) and left us anxious to return.
Someone knows how to cook and it showed in every single dish we were presented. It’s a rare thing to see real Mexican food being prepared with quality ingredients with the type of technique that the cuisine requires. No Tex-​Mex here, so no, you will not get a hard shell taco with the canned refried beans. Can’t wait to go back.