El Patio

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Des Moines. The food is wonderful. Everything is made from scratch and it has a kind of at home with the family feel. My favorite is the chicken tacos and the fried ice cream.

El Patio is like your second home. Once you go there a couple times, you'll begin to get to know the staff and owners, and you will love coming back. As for the food, it is outstanding! There is no other Mexican restaurant that offers food of this quality at their prices! Instead of iceberg lettuce you'll get hand cut romaine. Instead of cheep cheese on your food, you'll get delicious cheese that melts perfectly on the plate! You'll start getting excited to hear, "be careful the plate is hot!". I'd recommend the Blue Corn Enchiladas. Homemade blue corn tortillas filled with chicken, beef, cheese, black beans or a combo. They are topped with a homemade red chili sauce that offers some spice to the spicy food lovers, but is also mild enough for just about anyone.

Enjoy, and tell them Anthony sent ya!

Definitely a great little Mexican place. Homey and relaxing, the staff is great and the food is excellent. It is one of the few Mexican restaurants where the surroundings are cozy and you can enjoy an intimate meal - not a dime-a-dozen kind of place.

Don't be afraid to open the door to this wonderful find. From the exterior, it's hard to tell if it's still in business, but once inside, the cozy, warmly decorated rooms of this converted house, you'll be glad you ventured in. The Southwestern art is lovely, the owners are gracious and welcoming and the food is delicious. The restaurant has been in the family for many years.
This is not your "how many margaritas can we drink for $10.00" kind of place, but it's just perfect for quiet dinner conversation in a nice atmosphere. The crowd is mostly over 30, which for all us of a certain age, is quite refreshing sometimes.

My husband and I accidentally found this small restaurant when looking for somewhere to eat...we were not sure where to enter or what to expect...we received decent service, but excellent tacos and I wouldn't say the salsa was the best that it was ranked, but the food was wonderful and a cheap dinner to match! Definitely reccommend for something a little different!