El Mariachi (Johnston, Iowa) Restaurant Review

04/18/2026 El Mariachi +1 (515) 276-3887

This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while after seeing a recommendation in a publication. The first time we stopped by a number of years ago, we decided against going in due to there not being many cars in the parking lot. That was definitely not the case last night – the parking lot was nearly full and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, as they were quite busy. Needless to say, we left quite happy to have stopped – as we really enjoyed the experience.

Our initial indicators of a good Mexican restaurant starts with their margaritas and then their chips and salsa. They passed it both areas – as both were above average. We started with a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) from the bar while we waited for our table. It was good, but wasn’t very spicy. The chips and salsa (see picture) were very good – tasty, fresh salsa that was thick enough to stay on your chips and crispy tortilla chips with enough oil to indicate they were fried fresh.

For our meals, my wife ordered the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture), while I opted for the Tacos Carne Asada (see picture) – both based on our waiter Omar’s recommendation. Omar was great – loved his recommendations, had a great sense of humor and was quite attentive to our needs! As stated, both my wife and I loved our plates – and yes, we shared with each other as always to both confirm. The only change I made to my plate was requesting corn tortillas – as I much prefer them to flour. I just can’t say enough about both plates – not only did we REALLY like them, but there was plenty to bring home for another meal.

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Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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