Dos Rios Opens
Also missed in the shuffle of this busy weekend that just past was the opening of downtown Des Moines’ newest restaurant. The place is called Dos Rios, and you can find it right by Spaghetti Works on Court Ave.
I’d like to add the new construction looks great! This place is a very nice addition to an incredible transformation that we’re all watching take place on our beloved Court Ave.
I have yet to hear a bad review, here’s what the Register had to say last week.
Dos Rios, Court Avenue’s newest restaurant, is expected to open Friday. Located by Spaghetti Works, it offers contemporary and authentic Mexican food and drinks.
Florida restaurateur and owner Karl Alterman said that besides its contemporary and trendy interior and food, one of the things that sets the restaurant apart from other Mexican restaurants is its signature guacamole made tableside. Tortillas are made fresh from ground corn. Platos chicos, or small plates, and antojitos, or first bites, are available for diners who want to share tastes.
Dos Rios, Spanish for two rivers, will seat about 180 in the dining room and another 60 in a private dining room. An enclosed patio will hold another 60 people.
This place looks awesome, if you’ve had a chance to sample the food please let everyone know about your experience!
Tina Johnson (T...Your Downtown Gal) Says:
I went with friends this past Sunday evening…..Quesadillas were great as well as the tableside guacamole. We very much enjoyed the outside patio area. I love the whole look of the place. Dos Rios is definetly a fabulous addition to the Court Avenue District!
Posted on October 10th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Scott Says:
Went here for drinks. Holy tequila! Going back to try the food tonight.
Posted on October 12th, 2007 at 6:42 am
Bethany J Says:
Has anyone been here to eat a whole meal yet? I am out of town but really anxious to get home and try out Dos Rios. Please reply so I can know what to order when I get home next week!
Posted on October 12th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Scott Says:
Had dinner there last night. Good stuff. It was very noisy/crowded and the wait staff was friendly but seemed overwhelmed. (Barack Obama was in the house, which probably contributed.) You might want to give them a couple more weeks to get the wrinkles ironed out or go when it’s less busy.
My rather non-adventurous group all ordered the various tacos: roasted mushroom, mahi mahi, chicken, etc. There were good, but not knock-your-socks-off great. I had the “Niman Ranch pork meld with tequila glazes and agave nectars” (or something like that) and it was absolutely delicious. Go for something you might not normally order and you’ll be very pleased.
Posted on October 13th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Josh Says:
Sounds good. I thought the once every 4 year visitors trended towards 801 Grand? Good for Dos Rios!
Posted on October 13th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Bethany J Says:
Thanks, Scott. I’m not big on tacos anyway, so I will try something different like you suggested.
Posted on October 13th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
EKG Says:
The food was good,definitely not the generic stuff sold at most cantinas or Taco Bell.Service and decor were top-notch.The drinks however were definitely watered down.My Mojito had no hint of rum or mint .My company for the evening had a margarita - she gave it an OK at best.Were they were trying really hard NOT to get us drunk?Definitely a good addition to the scene.The prices and ambiance will keep the “Surf Shack” type trash away and that is good.
Posted on October 21st, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Molly Says:
No way, Jose. Avoid if at all possible. Sub-par, over-priced food complimented by less than caring waitstaff and error-ridden bills. I’m still haggling after being double-charged for one dinner. If you can’t overcome the urge to try, do so in small groups - new staff cannot handle groups larger than four. My only “Oles” go to the killer mariachi band, with a lively Mexi-flavored version of Happy Birthday, and the $9 margarita that, suprisingly, was worth it’s price. Me gusta tequila, no me gusta price gouging.
Posted on October 22nd, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Kathy Says:
We went last night and were severely disappointed. Although the guacamole was great, everything else we ordered was completely lacking. The tamales were rock hard…I can’t believe they even served them (they did remove from our bill). The duck empanadas were very doughy and hid any potential filling flavor. We also had the shrimp ceviche, which was nice after removing the ridiculous amount of pinapple…way too sweet! The big finale came with the mole chicken. Great mole sauce. We thought things were looking up until we noticed the completely RAW chicken around the bone. Nasty! We were told by our waiter that it was due to the fact that the chicken was organic…what?? Margaritas were great, but I’m not sure I would go back for guac and margs. The fundamental errors are worrisome. It’s a shame, DSM could really use a nice, upscale Mexican restaurant.
Posted on November 10th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Josh Says:
Wow, that stinks. Sounds like a case of a bad cook!
Posted on November 11th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Adam Says:
They said that it would be a 30 minute wait. We sat down by the bar and had some margaritas. We had to go the the bar to get them because the waitress was only interested in avoiding eveyone except her buddies at one table. About an hour later we asked the hostess and she clamed they paged us even though we had the pager directly in front of us the entire time. They sat us right by the hostess and gave us the menus. After about 20 minutes, no waiter/waitress, and about 15 glances from the hostess, we took off and had a great meal at Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Company. (Dos Rios did have good margaritas. Rather expensive though.
Posted on April 7th, 2008 at 7:53 pm