La Pena
2010 Indianola Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50315
La Pena Menu
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Address :
2010 Indianola Ave
Des Moines, IA, 50315 - Phone (515) 288-3226
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Alcohol : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Lars S.
Whenever we try a new Mexican restaurant we consider it a good sign when: A: It is a "hole in the wall" place B: Mexicans are dining and not just working there. This was definitely the case at La Pena and of course the food was terrific! Other good signs were an open kitchen manned by women who looked like they enjoyed what they were doing, and the waitress asking if you want fresh cilantro and onions on your tacos. Watch out for the salsa, though fresh, it is very hot and a little goes a long way. Oh yea, and the price is reasonable too.
(5)Joe N.
I eat here regularly. Great local place with authentic Mexican cuisine. Salsa is a little spicy but made homemade every day. This is a great little family restaurant where the food is cooked to order. Decor is a little shabby but the food and service are excellent. Five stars.
(5)James M.
Good, no ... better than good .... AUTHENTIC Mexican food! Home made, hand made, DELICIOIUS cord Tortillas! We had Huevos Rancheros, goat tacos, pork tacos, and chili rellenos and they were all wonderful! Don't be turned off or intimidated by the outside. the people inside are as nice as can be and the food is absolutely wonderful!
(4)Chad R.
La Peña is some of the best homestyle northern mexican food on Des Moines' south side, if not in the city. The tortillas are hand made and cooked to order. The sopes and gorditas are a great snack. Their tamales are made from scratch and change daily (get the tamal de raja if available). The service is attentive and friendly. This hole in the wall is definitely a place where food is the focus. It's reasonably clean, but shabby and mismatched. Seating is all four top booths, and with room for 20, not a place for crowds.
(5)Jeremy W.
This is a small place...only 6 booths. The chips come out of a bag. The service can be slow and the staff speaks limited English. No alcohol. None of that really matters because the food is amazing. The tortillas are made when you order them and come off the grill tasting delicious. The chicken, however you have it (taco, gordita) is amazing. I had a chicken and a steak gordita for lunch today and mourned because they were good too soon. My wife is the slowest eater I know, but put away 3 tacos like a cheetah takes down a wounded gazelle.
(5)Jonathan W.
With today being Cinco De Mayo, there was NO WAY the sun was going to set without Mexican food being consumed by yours truly. My dilemma? I was traveling for business and my journey had taken me to Des Moines, not exactly a hotbed of south-of-the-border cuisine. Or was it? As my business colleague and I entered the greater Des Moines metro area, our Yelp search to find salsa-infused sustenance began in earnest. Overlooked were taquerias and a bait shop (not even kidding) as we settled upon a well-reviewed eatery somewhat close to the airport, La Pena. I called to confirm they were indeed open (meaning "not closed down"). A pleasant woman answered the phone and had no understanding of a word I said. We had found our place. Driving just north of downtown, our trusty navigation system indicated that our destination was a mere 500 feet past the intersection and there, next to a Hispanic clothing store in need of renovation, was La Pena. Looking through the window, one could see from the front to the back, the entire seating area of 10 booths as well as the kitchen. No doubt a family affair with no parking. Not because they were busy, mind you, but because they literally had no parking (fortunately the clothing store had a couple of spots open. Can't imagine what this apparent oversight had done to business, but that is a conversation for another day...). Upon entering, we seated ourselves in one of the booths not containing what one can only expect to be the future generation of La Penaians. One young boy got up from the group of laughing, yet well-behaved children to bring us menus. With his confident gate and deft placement of the restaurant's offerings, this was clearly not his first rodeo. As expected, the menu contained more authentic items such as tortas and chile rellenos with no ground beef in sight. My colleague ordered the three taco meal while I ordered the gordita/taco combination plate, hers with chunked pork and mine with shredded beef. Two Mexican Coca Colas in glass bottles provided the liquid refreshment for both our meals. While we waited, we received a complementary basket of what La Pena terms as "chips and salsa." In reality, we received a basket of four tostada-size corn shells and two squeeze bottles of sauce, red and green in color (the sauce, not the bottles). The verde (green) sauce had a vibrant flavor of of green tomatoes and cilantro while the rojo (red) sauce was simply hot, with little flavor. However, when the two sauces were combined on a single tostada chip...pure amazingness! Armed with this saucing technique, I promptly devoured my two "chips," eagerly awaiting the main event. With the kitchen/food prep area approximately twenty paces from our seats, we were acutely aware of when our meals were to be delivered. We watched as tortillas were heated on the flattop while beans that had probably been simmering for a number of hours were dipped onto our plates. Finally, our food was in front of us. In a very authentic style, the tacos were simply dressed with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. No cheese, no lettuce or guacamole, just shredded beef and cilantro in a soft corn shell. The gordita was minimalist as well with shredded beef and melted queso blanco served in a soft corn shell pocket of steamy goodness. Beans and rice rounded out my combo plate. Now, authentic Mexican food traditionally has little flavor. Our uneducated gringo, Tex-Mex-infused palates would tend to cry, "foul," but that would be to sell this meal extremely short. The tender, shredded beef was melt-in-your-mouth amazing while the flaky, corn shell did its best to hold the filling. With the one, two punch of the rojo and verde sauces applied, one would be hard pressed to find a more delightful taco/gordita plate with 100 miles. Combined with lard-infused beans and fluffy rice that was extra orange in color (?), this was a meal to remember...and to revisit. So the next time you're near the airport in Des Moines in the middle of the afternoon on Cinco de Mayo with time to kill and you're wanting an early dinner, look no further than La Pena. You'll be glad you did.
(4)Ann J.
I was super excited to try this place after reading raving reviews on yelp, and news articles written in the past year about how this hole in the wall was the best Mexican they've had! Maybe I went on an off day or maybe didn't order the right thing, but I wasn't impressed. My fiancé ordered the tamales, which tasted like they were warmed in the microwave (that chewy texture food gets when it's been warmed too long), and I ordered a torta with pork and a side of beans. The beans lacked any flavor, and quite honestly tasted like they had come straight from a can. I will probably give this place another shot and try to get the barbacoa, as they were out when we got there at 5. Now I need to find that elusive delicious Mexican spot I know is hiding around a corner :)
(3)Joe H.
Excellent service and delicious food at an affordable price. The Mexican food served at this restaurant reminds me of the food that my mother use to make. If you want great homemade Mexican food, this is the place to eat.
(5)Madonna V.
This restaurant does not disappoint!! We stumbled upon it by chance; from the outside it looks like it could have been a laundromat in a former life. Anyway, I ordered the steak tacos, and while I normally don't like corn tortillas, these were delicious. My friend ordered the gorditas and said they were one of the best he has ever tasted. Everything is homemade and customizable which is key for me. They serve three different types of homemade salsas upon arrival with chips. I'd venture to say this is one of the best, authentic Mexican restaurants in Des Moines. The only downside is they do not serve alcohol but the food overrides this one drawback.
(5)