Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge: User Reviews
Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge
316 Court Ave. - Des Moines515-282-2995
I've been to Dos Rios multiple times over past couple of years and I have never been disappointed. The food is some of best this side of Texas and the Rio Grande.
Great Appetizer Sampler! Best way to go if you're unsure what you'll best/most.
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My wife and friends recently had the opportunity to dine at Dos Rios. Suffering from a number of food allergies, my wife has a difficult time finding acceptable restaurants. Having eaten at Dos Rios a number of times prior to this visit - we thought that we'd be OK here once again.
We made her allergy concerns known to the server - and reiterated them numerous times, asking detailed questions about the ingredients of her dish and the cooking techniques associated with them. Satisfied that the dish she wanted did not contain unwanted allergins, she went ahead and placed an order for that dish.
It was only after my wife had eaten most of her dish that she found out at our asking that one component contained allergins that we'd originally been assured were not present. This made us very unhappy.
To make matters worse - and underscoring a lack of understanding of food allergies - the manager offered to comp a dessert - all of which contained the food allergins that we'd tried so hard to communicate - first to the server, and ultimately to the manager.
To his credit - the manager did comp her dish - but the whole experience makes us question this restaurant's understanding of food allergies.
So - if you don't suffer from food allergies - Dos Rios has some wonderful dishes and tastes to offer.
If, on the other hand - you or one of your party do suffer from some sort of food allergy - be very diligent and ask about each ingredient and the cooking techniques used. If you do not get a satisfactory answer - ask the manager and hold him/her accountable.
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Let it be known: I am not a "fan" of Central Iowan Mexican food. To me, most Mexican food consists of beans, salsa and other stuff wrapped in a variety of shells and tortillas that tastes the same no matter where you go.
Now that that's out of the way: Dos Rios certainly tries in its venue, but the high prices and overwhelming menu sink this ship. The highlights are the Steak driven dishes, the drink menu and the chips and guacamole served at the beginning. But you can never get past the fact that the majority of the dishes are "standard" Mexican fair with a little flair added in at a cost which doesn't work for me.
Honestly, I have yet to find a high-end Mexican eatery in Central Iowa that injects something new and different into the Mexican scene. What's funny is that Qdoba (located in Clive) as a small, informal chain place, impresses me the most compared to Dos Rios and its easily half the price!! You want something different and delicious? Go to Qdoba! What something familiar in a downtown location and pay for the location? Go to Dos Rios.
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Dinner on Friday, January 8 before Lion King. Alexis was our waitress, very efficient, friendly, kept watch and checked in but did not hover. She was polite, encouraging, welcoming. Jeff made our guac at the table and it was superb! He's also very funny which made it more entertaining to watch. Key Lime Martini and Margarita were perfect, crab cakes, enchiladas, sirloin fajitas and tres flan were all good. They could lighten up on the salt a little, however. As frequent travelers to Mexico we are always leary of MX restaurants - they usually "try hard" but don't succeed. Dos Rios exceeds!
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There seems to be a trend with the reviews for Dos Rios. I just went again tonight for dinner and drinks with my girlfriends. We sat on the patio because it was a beautiful day out. The atmosphere is definitely the best part about this restaurant. Its cozy, energetic and tastefully done. My fiance and I are still looking for a spot for our rehearsal dinner, so I snuck a look at one of the private rooms. Beautiful! Its a perfect spot for an event.....if the prices werent so high. I have no problem paying good money for good food-but I hate leaving a meal feeling like I paid way too much for what I got. Tonight we had chips and salsa, guacamole and then I ordered the Mahi Mahi taco and the Wild Shrimp Taco. They were fine, but not half as good as the ones that B&B used to have. The atmosphere will keep me coming back, but not as often as I would if the food was reasonably priced for what you get.
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Sorry Dos Rios, you have potential, great location, cool atmosphere, beautiful interior but your food and service are lousy. The menu is limited with over priced items. The only highlight of the meal is the table-side guacamole, which is consistently inconsistent depending on which server makes it. I'm willing to spend good money on Mexican cuisine, but not when it is below par.
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We had a long wait for our lukewarm food. We rarely saw our waitress. We don't mind paying a premium for great food, unfortunately we did not find any thing worth going back for.
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Restaraunt was somewhat crowded for Cinco De Mayo but tables were available and we were seated immediately. Drink orders came out quickly. We ordered tableside guacamole and the preparer asked us how spicy we wanted it (from 1 to 10, hottest). Being from Texas, we wanted the spices a 10. The guac turned out to be a 1, not spicy at all. The acompanying tortilla chips had some sort of spice on them that were warmer than the guacamole. We later concluded the chips were similar to nacho cheese Doritos.
Food arrived 50 minutes after ordering, all somewhat lukewarm, and nothing like what we are accustomed to back home. The food was bland, and sauces were likewise. The chicken "enchiladas" I ordered appeared to be flour taquitos, served with a ketchup like sauce.
Overall, a very disappointing dining experience. If you're from out of state where the Mexican food is to your liking, I'd suggest waiting until you get back home instead of trying this place.
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I used to go to Dos Rios all the time, has anyone noticed the change in the Dos Rios Margarita! I noticed the other night how they pour it straight out of a jug. Does that mean that it is a premade margarita. It was a Tuesday night so i had plenty of time to ask a bartender because they were in no hurry due to the attendence at the rest that evening. He told me it was a premade batch and they now used Juarez tequila, What happened to Dos Rios premium tequila that made them so different from everyother mexican joint in town. So i guess ill hit up El Rodeo from now on they at least use cuervo and not the worst well tequila in town. Very Disappointed !
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Awesome food! We ordered the guacamole and spiced wild shrimp to share- delicious! I will definitely be returning!
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 816 users:
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