With this all-new list of the best tacos in Greater Des Moines, as voted by locals, you can live every day like it’s Taco Tuesday. Try them all and savor the south of the border flavors right here in the heartland!
*All of our Des Best lists are crowdsourced and voted by locals.*
Tacos La Familia
It’s possible that the origin story of how birria became so popular can be traced back to Tacos La Familia, because they perfected the recipe long before it was a ubiquitous menu item. Often imitated but never duplicated, their Tacos Ahogados have become one of Des Moines’ signature dishes. The rich birria consommé is the best we’ve had, and besides being the perfect dipping sauce for your tacos, is a decadent, comforting meal in and of itself.
Taco tip: At only $18, their gigantic birria pizzadilla – a fried birria quesadilla cut pizza style, filled with cheese, birria meat, cilantro, and onion, and then topped with avocado salsa and sour cream – is one of the most economical ways to feed a family or two adults with nothing left to lose.
Fiesta
Sometimes you just want tacos. Other times you want a taco party. Like an early aughts era P!nk, Fiesta is here to get the party started with taco options like grilled tilapia, birria, carnitas, and grilled chicken. Of course, any taco party worth its salt better have killer margaritas and Fiesta has some of the best around; on the rocks with salt, naturally. Celebrate taco time at any of their three locations in West Des Moines, Adel, or Pleasant Hill.
Taco tip: Also appearing on the Des Best Margaritas list, Fiesta offers eight different types for every taste; but it’s the Original, served with a tableside shaker, that has everyone buzzing.
Bar Nico
While we would happily eat at taco trucks every day, it can be equally rewarding (and delicious) to indulge in some creative twists on the classics. At Bar Nico, Chef Matt Small studied under some of the top chefs in town (Joe Tripp/Harbinger, Matt Altheide/Alba) and after trying his tacos, we’re going to say he graduated with honors. This modern Mexican fare includes wild boar carnitas tacos, Gulf shrimp tacos, Campechano tacos (beef barbacoa), and a rotating list of equally delicious sounding specials. Plus, everything is gluten free, and blue corn tortillas look incredibly cool. Yes Chef!
Taco tip: From 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. every day, enjoy Taco Happy Hour and get two tacos for $7 and half price draft beer.
El Michoacano Taqueria
Their sign screams “ice cream” (literally), but don’t let that deter you from the fact that some of the best street tacos in the region are being served off Merle Hay Road and Urbandale Avenue. The fresh ingredients do all the heavy lifting for the 15 offerings here, including a variety of vegan options like cactus and soy tacos. Of course you’d be remiss to leave without trying the ice cream. The sign brought you in after all.
Faustinos
Since opening in 2023, Faustino’s on Franklin Avenue has become a foodie favorite quicker than you can scarf down one of their dangerously delicious a la carte tacos. Included in the all-star lineup are the classics (steak, chicken, al pastor), the authentic options (beef shank, tripe), and the up-and-coming originals, like the popular Vampiros Tacos – which include melted cheese, refried beans, guacamole, your choice of meat, and crumbled cheese inside a grilled corn tortilla. With 17 types of tacos, your best bet is a taco tray with 12 tacos and six salsas, or the family pack, where you can sample 24 tacos, chips, guacamole, and choice of two sides for $74.99.
Taco tip: The online menu has descriptions of all the items, but the counter menu doesn’t, so you might want to figure out your plan for taco domination ahead of time. And make sure to save room for some homemade churros at the end.
La Baja Cocina Mexicana
Tucked away inside an unassuming strip mall south of downtown, La Baja Cocina Mexicana is a true hidden gem on a list chock full of places that would qualify. Enjoy a full menu of favorites like tamales, fajitas, and burritos along with some seriously good quesatacos. For the uninitiated, a quesataco is a consommé dipped tortilla, griddled until crisp and filled with your choice of meat with cheese, topped with onion and cilantro. We’ll assume you’ve stopped reading by now and are already on your way there.
Kung Fu Tap and Taco
Kung Fu Tap and Taco isn’t a place where you’re going for authentic tacos. You’re there for the Miller High Life, pool table, Iron Maiden pinball machine, tree stump barstools, and retro biker ambience. And fingers crossed, a Jason Momoa sighting. But all of that is to say that the old-school, crunchy beef tacos just hit different here. Load up with lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce and wash it down with an old man beer. You’re not here for the foodie style points, you’re here for the stories.
Taco Villanueva
File this one away in your mental taco truck rolodex. Taco Villanueva, located on University Avenue near the East High football field exemplifies the credo, “do few things but do them well.” Sample eight kinds of tacos, from carne asada to chorizo, or mix and match tacos with a burrito, torta, or quesadilla. The burritos come with that elusive crispy griddled tortilla that can turn a passable lunch into a rotation staple.
Flame the Taqueria
Local taco truck makes good with three brick and mortar locations in Johnston and Ankeny. That’s the headline for Flame the Taqueria, whose success story should serve as an inspiration for ambitious food truck owners everywhere. Make no doubt, its success was no accident, but rather the product of fresh ingredients, remarkable consistency, some of the best chips and salsa you’ll find anywhere, and of course, tacos. Always tacos. Try the al pastor tacos for a perfect representation of the style.
Taco tip: The Ankeny location is called Flame Cantina and is the one to go to if you’re in the mood for margaritas and mingling.
Tacos Degollado
Tacos Degollado is your favorite chef’s favorite taco truck. Located at 19th Street and University Avenue in the Advance Auto Part parking lot, this is everything that food truck tacos are supposed to be. Tinfoil wrapped delights, topped with copious amounts of cilantro and onion, clocking in at around $2 a taco. This is the way.
The Walnut
When you think about tacos, The Walnut, with its modern American eats, might not be the first place to come to mind. But that’s only because you probably haven’t been there on Tuesdays to try the out of this world Mahi-Mahi tacos. Pan seared mahi-mahi, shaved red onions, avocado, and wasabi garlic ginger sauce are assembled in flour tortilla griddled to perfection. Make this a standing Tuesday appointment.
Nina’s Tacos
Nina’s iconic red taco truck has become a staple of festival season in Des Moines. Their birria has also become a staple in the bellies of all those festivalgoers. And not just birria tacos. Burritos. Grilled cheese. Quesadillas. Tortas. Ramen. We feel like Bubba talking about shrimp in Forrest Gump, but this birria is worth droning on about.
Takbron Taco Al Carbon
Come for the carne asada, stay for the vibes. Takbron's food truck is a literal feast for the senses, from the open-air grill that sizzles, the Latin beats the pulsate from the speakers, and the overflowing, colorful creations that were custom made for your Instagram and TikTok feeds. Pair a taco Pirata (flour tortilla with steak, avocado, white cheese, grilled onion, cilantro) with a humongous michelada and photo ready backdrop and dare we say you’re now officially a taco influencer.
The Yankee Clipper
Tasty Tacos is a local fast food chain famous for their puffy flour taco shell, but if you want to sample that taco iteration in its final form, head up to The Yankee Clipper in Ankeny on Tuesdays. It’s there where you can get the unique Clipper Taco. Taco meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato (along with optional jalapenos, sour cream, and onion) are all tucked into their bread-dough crispy shell – think handheld taco salad. There’s also an Uptown version – replace the beef with ham and cheese and the sour cream with ranch dressing for peak Iowa eating.
Casa Oaxaca
Located in Minburn, Iowa, population 377, Casa Oaxaca is one of the best kept secrets in the whole state. It punches well above its weight class, offering expertly mixed margaritas and some of the freshest Mexican food you'll find in any city, regardless of size. The chips are warm, the drinks are cold, and their tacos, ranging from carnitas and tilapia to beef in a hard shell, all make for destination dining.
Malo
Enjoy a roster of 16 different tacos at downtown favorite Malo, whose chic, art deco firehouse space is the perfect place to sip a glass of sangria or up the ante with a margarita shaker. Mixing and matching is not only allowed but encouraged, so there's no reason not to try a crispy onion and avocado taco, beer-battered cod taco, and a smoked pork belly taco. Three down, 13 to go.
Taco tip: Try their two taco lunch combo, where you can mix and match two tacos of your choice with a salad or side for just $13.99.
