Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge

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by Derek Brooks

I think a lot of people have this pre-conceived notion that if your food is served in (or with) a tortilla that it should be dirt cheap. Dos Rios is not that place - in a good way.

Step into a classy restaurant in the heart of downtown with dozens of amazing tequilas, fancy creations, and a bit of presentation with their dishes.

If you're concerned about prices not matching those of your favorite authentic Mexican restaurant, order yourself some a la carte tacos.

My typical order at dos rios is an order of guacamole to split with my wife (amazing and freshly made to order) followed by 3 a la carte tacos. The pork, shrimp, fish, and steak tacos are all tasty.

Sometimes we split the seafood molcajete (also delicious). And every time I'm there I try to sample a sniffer of new tequila.

Dos Rios is excellent. Don't come here expecting it to be your typical dirt cheap, "hot plate amigo" Mexican restaurant and you will likely have a good experience.

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by Inthewater

I have heard from a few friends recently that the quality of the food and drink here have gone way down hill. The prices, however, have not.

Margaritas made with Juarez Tequila? The food here never impressed me much, beyond the appetizers. The draw, for me anyway, was the cool bar / patio area and the awesome tequila offerings. The house margaritas used to be made from scratch with house made sour mix. They are now poured out of a jug and pre-made. :(

Here's hoping they can turn this place around and make it worth the price one way or another.

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by nevesis

Overpriced, yes. But it has one of the best atmospheres in town, and some of the food is excellent. (try the spiced shrimp with a glass of sangria)

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by Rachel Hawkins

I will start with the good news, the atmosphere was beautiful and high-class. The chips, salsa and guacamole were wonderful with lots of flavor. Now the bad news...the service was horrible because the waiter did not remember drink orders and it took him multiple attempts to get us the right order. We had a party of 11, but the restaurant was dead when we were there. At the end of the meal the 20% gratuity added on to larger parties was a little generous. The beans and rice side dishes came in very large bowls and were very bland. Many of us had one bite and were done with them, what a waste. I know of three people on two different occasions who have gotten sick from the food at this restaurant. Two of them definitely had food poisoning. Beware if you want to risk the great atmosphere for less than optimum mexican food.

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by foodie

Been there twice. The first time was for dinner and the second was for late night guacomole. For me, Mexican food is about robust flavors and the fish entree I ordered was tasteless. A mexican restaurant should be able to make a good margarita but the ones here taste terrible; there is no balance between the citrus, alcohol and other flavors.

Good:
tasty guacomole and chips

Bad:
$9 margaritas taste terrible. Mine tasted like raw lime juice and was overwhelming.
The entrees are overpriced and bland.

Overall:
OVERPRICED and OVERRATED. Would only return for the guacomole, the rest is a terrible value and I won't be back unless it changes.

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by doug luedtke

overpriced........started great with margaritas and appetizers after that, the main entrees went down hill.
if you don't mind $9.00 margaritas, then this is the place for you.i felt the entrees(molcajete de carne pollo,burrito de cerdo,pollo rostizado)were all bland and surprisingly flavorless.we couldn't find a salt and pepper shaker.
wait staff was excellant,catering to all your needs.
first and last time for me.

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by bwfrieds

Chairs are somewhat comfortable, service was okay, fish taco was good, guacamole and chips were tasty, and the churros were good. When the churros arrived behind schedule, the manager removed them from my bill, voluntarily.

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by JH

Great new vibe for the downtown nightlife and restaurant scene. Upscale, yet not pretentious, with a great bar to sit and have a cocktail. Would get five stars if not for a few missteps on my first dining visit. I decided to go simple and ordered three different kinds of tacos, which were all very tasty, yet came out after a little longer than one would expect for tacos (they were busy, I will note), and therefore the tacos were cold. It was evident that they had been sitting, waiting to be delivered to our table. I was also a little thrown off by the chips - I think some people will like them and some will not - they taste sweet, and the flavor of cumin is kind of overpowering when trying to sample their very fresh salsa. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas - The Court Ave. Margarita, and found them to be a bit on the weak side. Aside from these minor details that need improvement, the overall experience was excellent, the servers were glad to be there, and they will only get better in time. Highly recommended for either cocktails or dinner.

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Tips for Dos Rios Cantina and Tequila Lounge from foursquare users

Brad

The guacamole is a must have!

15 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Dale S.

Have a Black Margarita -- two if you're daring. THE BEST!

12 people have done this and 4 others want to

Jason S.

Order the guacamole, they make it table side, and its delicious!

9 people have done this and 2 others want to

Josh D.

If you like 'spicy' guac, order 'extremely spicy'. Their definition of 'spicy' is 'mild-medium'.

8 people have done this

John P.

There are no drink specials I've ever seen here of note. The back room is a nice place to host a small event. Spacious eating area. Not a top notch Mexican restaurant, but you'll eat OK here.

7 people have done this and 2 others want to

Norah C.

In the mood for something different for dinner? Order the molcajete with meat & chicken. It's served in a stone bowl & comes with ancho BBQ sauce or savory mole.

6 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Ashley D.

Jalapeno margarita = my fav! Try it if you're in the mood for something different :)

4 people have done this and 2 others want to

Urban515

Urban Card Member Incentive: 20% off entire bill including cocktails

3 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Bridgette B.

Ala carte tacos! Ala carte tacos! Get three and spend the rest of your money on BOOZE.

3 people have done this

Tanya K.

Josh is right, if you want medium guac, order spicy. (But def get it! YUM!)

2 people have done this and 1 other wants to

Kelly W.

Love the patio, and the margs...most of them. They are so inconsistent!! The first one is delish...the second is nasty!!! Always a crap shoot!

2 people have done this

Nathan B.

Shrimp tacos are friggin' delicious!

2 people have done this

Amy

Steak tacos are great!

2 people have done this

Jessica D.

Every Saturday is sangria Saturday! $5 sangrias!

2 people have done this

SP M.

JalapeƱo margaritas are the best!

2 people have done this

Kristen W.

Guacamole is delicious! Such a fun place eat and drink.

2 people have done this

Barb O.

The 3 salsas are a good inexpensive treat although the chips are not the best

2 people have done this

jessica h.

Super delicious appetizer sampler :) yum

2 people have done this

Eric H.

They always come back :-)

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Ben C.

The bar is pretty cool, the mexican fondue with crab meat is amazing, and the music is dope!

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Dara R.

Try the amazing homemade Ginger ale! It's delicious and gingery.

1 person has done this and 1 other wants to

Derek B.

Smells like pledge!!!

1 person has done this

Jared B.

I'm leaving a tip in your vagina...just the tip...xoxo

1 person has done this

Jared B.

Go deep or go home...

1 person has done this

CASSIE S.

Best margaritas ever! Also, the oxaca punch is DANGEROUSLY good! The guac and shrimp tacos are delicious...gotta try it! :)

1 person has done this

Heidi M.

Love the guac, but order spicy if you like heat at all. The shrimp appetizer makes a delish entree.

1 person has done this
Inside of Dos Rios Hijos De Villa Tequila at Dos Rios Pork, Fish, and Chicken Tacos at Dos Rios

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@dos_rios on Twitter

Thx! RT @BrunkReed @Dos_Rios Best guac in DSM. Missing our third amigo. @hoser31 Heading over to the EV after this. Enjoy the wedding.

Love hearing that! Thx! RT @TheTed @Dos_Rios It was my first time there and I'll definitely be back. Great all around experience! #feedback

Definitely! RT @evdayspa @Dos_Rios yay! Mark your calendar for a super fun celebration 6/4 from 5-8pm at the new location!

You are VERY welcome! RT @MCathJack Thanks for everything last Saturday night! My husband @brbates99, our guests & I had a fabulous tim

TGIF! Any big plans for the weekend?