"We walked to Rita’s Cantina for Mexican and had a lovely evening. We sat outside which had a nice feel, and our waitress was very sweet. The chips that came with the salsa weren’t the greatest, but the food overall was tasty. We shared the frozen Margarita flight, which confirmed that lime is definitely our favourite flavour. The Tacos each came with a side, the beans were nice and each plate came with a little dollop of corn tomalito which basically tasted like dessert. I’d happily go back."

"Went with a group of 5 to enjoy food and drinks on a Monday night. I love the outdoor seating because you can see the beautiful Des Moines skyline. They had plenty of seating and a free parking lot. Overall, I had a great experience! The servers were alright, nothing special. I enjoyed my 3 steak street tacos + side of black beans + my virgin frozen margarita. My friends loved their burrito bowl. It looked exactly like the picture in the menu and it was a big portion for the price! Ordered take out for my boyfriend (steak and potato burrito) and he enjoyed it! He said the potato bits were interesting but you get what you order lol. I would come back again. :)"

"Ava was phenomenal at being very attentive and making sure we had anything we needed. Drinks came out within 5 minutes of ordering. The hangover nachos were amazing and the perfect mid day snack to share."

"This was my first time at Rita's & I was very impressed! The margherita flight was fun, the queso flight was tasty, the entrees that my group ordered had no complaints, & the service was adequate. The margarita flight has a small sample of 4 different flavors that varied from each other enough so that you knew they were 4 different drinks but they all were very good, my favorite might have been the watermelon. The queso was fantastic too! They start you out with chips & salsa but I ordered the queso for my group to share & everyone raved about the different varieties! My steak & potato burrito was great also, it was well prepared & was probably one of the best burritos I've ever had. The only knock I'll give them is our server was busy watching whatever game they had on the TV that day & my group had to work to get his attention for refills. Overall it was a good experience!"

"Rita’s Cantina is a hidden gem in Des Moines that deserves more love! The food is absolutely delicious, and the recent updates to the menu are seriously impressive—fresh, flavorful, and full of creative touches. My top favorite? The shrimp tacos—perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and even better with a side of their house hot sauce. We started with the homemade guacamole, which was so refreshing and full of citrusy zip. Definitely one of the best I’ve had in town. I also requested a margarita made with mezcal instead of tequila, and the bartender, Jaicee, couldn’t have been more accommodating. She crafted the perfect smoky margarita with a chili-salt rim and a dried citrus wheel on top—beautifully balanced and so good. Our waitress, Luci, was warm, attentive, and made sure everything came out just right. Great service from start to finish. If you haven’t been to Rita’s in a while, it’s time to go back. The menu upgrades are spot-on, the cocktails are amazing (especially if you ask for Jaicee!), and the vibe is relaxed but vibrant. Highly recommend!"