Great atmosphere! Not for a quiet romantic meal but definitely a fun vibe! Food was great and service was impeccable! Definitely recommend for a fun and delicious time!
Kyle
The food and drinks were good, not great, but solid. Plates were small, but prices were good and allowed us to try many options. Service was what you would expect and they did a nice job.
Kathy
Gluten-free free says it all for me due to having celiac. Knowing there's a place that's safe for me is paramount and Bar Nico is safe. It's made even better by serving delicious food. My sweet potato tacos were scrumptious and had many flavor layers. My daughter's black trumpet quesadillas were also good, again with flavor layers. Not your typical Mexican food, but in a good way. And I LOVE Mexican food anyway, but Bar Nico serves it up with flair. And then there's the churros! Melt in your mouth and explosions of sweetness to top off the meal. What a delicious dessert. Izzy was a quick server. She brought us waters and refills in a timely manner but wasn't at all intrusive. She also made for a positive dining adventure.
Denise
One of our favorite gluten free places to dine. The food is delicious and the service is always friendly. It's not very big and we like the cozy vibe.
Rachel Stephens
I am currently in Spain for the second time this year and let me just say that the chocolate and gluten-free churros that I had at Bar Nico in Des Moines, Iowa of all places were the best I've had - far better than any of the chocolate I've ever had in Spain hands down.
I honestly don't know how this place is in business with their incredibly affordable Happy Hour. We nearly got one of everything because it was in the $5-7 range for each dish.
Even their normal prices are fantastic for meals. We definitely enjoyed the chicken wings and I loved the black squid ink tortillas that were part of the chimichangas.
We loved basically everything we ordered and it was so nice that the entire menu was naturally gluten-free as a celiac.
I live in Vegas and have talked about flying back to Iowa specifically so that we can eat here again, that's how much we liked it.
Service was fast and polite, the ambiance felt moody and cool.
Visited: November 2025
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David James
The most celiac friendly restaurant I have been to. Interesting variations on Mexican food that I haven't seen available in other restaurants this style. Mild spice levels for those who would be reluctant to try this style of food. Fresh ideas and flavors for those who are tired of the same old burrito and enchiladas routine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle
We loved our experience at Bar Nico. There was great vibes, friendly and attentive staff and great food.
John O'Reilly
This bar is a fun spot! I tried their smoked old-fashioned the other night, and it was amazing—really creative and smooth. The place has a cozy, laid-back vibe that makes it easy to just relax, and the staff are super friendly, always joking around and checking in without being overbearing. Every visit so far has been a good time, and I honestly can’t think of a reason not to give it 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alyssa Newell
Hands down the best gluten free restaurant I’ve been to!! Service and food are amazing. Not to mention they also have amazing margaritas!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Franklin
A creative menu and cocktail list - Bar Nico is a cut above and has adventurous food. Well done
Get the lobster taquitos - they're amazing. All the food we had was fantastic. Service was wonderful. It's easy to see that management and staff take pride in the place. They're quick to welcome everyone entering, make excellent recommendations, and keep everything clean and looking sharp. The churros are a bonus.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie Norris
Great food and drinks! Enjoyed everything
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kendra Wolf
First, I gave 4 stars because of the restaurant and the quality of the food and flavor was quite good. However, I wasn't too impressed with the finished product overall. First, the Chipas are excellent and fun! Then we had the campechano tacos, pork belly tacos, and lamb empanadas. All have quite different descriptions, but they all basically had some form of escabeche on top (or as a bed) which was not listed as a topping for either dish. The amount of escabeche was also the same or more as the meat, so it seemed overpowering on each dish. It also made all 3 plates more similar in taste, just different meat instead of having distinct individual entrees. If any of the entrees came with the toppings listed in the description, they were much less noticable (or indistinguishable from each other). As I said, the quality and flavor was good, I just didn't feel we got what we ordered.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Allison
I love bar Nico! I got the pork belly tacos and they were delicious! They also have great drinks, I had the prickly pear punch and salty dog and enjoyed them both.
Suzana
It is a very lovely place to eat dinner and chat with friends. They also have good coffee! (This is not the case in Des Moines, overall.) Staff is very friendly and wonderful.
Great atmosphere! Not for a quiet romantic meal but definitely a fun vibe! Food was great and service was impeccable! Definitely recommend for a fun and delicious time!
The food and drinks were good, not great, but solid. Plates were small, but prices were good and allowed us to try many options. Service was what you would expect and they did a nice job.
Gluten-free free says it all for me due to having celiac. Knowing there's a place that's safe for me is paramount and Bar Nico is safe. It's made even better by serving delicious food. My sweet potato tacos were scrumptious and had many flavor layers. My daughter's black trumpet quesadillas were also good, again with flavor layers. Not your typical Mexican food, but in a good way. And I LOVE Mexican food anyway, but Bar Nico serves it up with flair. And then there's the churros! Melt in your mouth and explosions of sweetness to top off the meal. What a delicious dessert. Izzy was a quick server. She brought us waters and refills in a timely manner but wasn't at all intrusive. She also made for a positive dining adventure.
One of our favorite gluten free places to dine. The food is delicious and the service is always friendly. It's not very big and we like the cozy vibe.
I am currently in Spain for the second time this year and let me just say that the chocolate and gluten-free churros that I had at Bar Nico in Des Moines, Iowa of all places were the best I've had - far better than any of the chocolate I've ever had in Spain hands down.
I honestly don't know how this place is in business with their incredibly affordable Happy Hour. We nearly got one of everything because it was in the $5-7 range for each dish.
Even their normal prices are fantastic for meals. We definitely enjoyed the chicken wings and I loved the black squid ink tortillas that were part of the chimichangas.
We loved basically everything we ordered and it was so nice that the entire menu was naturally gluten-free as a celiac.
I live in Vegas and have talked about flying back to Iowa specifically so that we can eat here again, that's how much we liked it.
Service was fast and polite, the ambiance felt moody and cool.
Visited: November 2025
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The most celiac friendly restaurant I have been to. Interesting variations on Mexican food that I haven't seen available in other restaurants this style. Mild spice levels for those who would be reluctant to try this style of food. Fresh ideas and flavors for those who are tired of the same old burrito and enchiladas routine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We loved our experience at Bar Nico. There was great vibes, friendly and attentive staff and great food.
This bar is a fun spot! I tried their smoked old-fashioned the other night, and it was amazing—really creative and smooth. The place has a cozy, laid-back vibe that makes it easy to just relax, and the staff are super friendly, always joking around and checking in without being overbearing. Every visit so far has been a good time, and I honestly can’t think of a reason not to give it 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hands down the best gluten free restaurant I’ve been to!! Service and food are amazing. Not to mention they also have amazing margaritas!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A creative menu and cocktail list - Bar Nico is a cut above and has adventurous food. Well done
Restaurantji Recommends
Get the lobster taquitos - they're amazing. All the food we had was fantastic. Service was wonderful. It's easy to see that management and staff take pride in the place. They're quick to welcome everyone entering, make excellent recommendations, and keep everything clean and looking sharp. The churros are a bonus.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and drinks! Enjoyed everything
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First, I gave 4 stars because of the restaurant and the quality of the food and flavor was quite good. However, I wasn't too impressed with the finished product overall. First, the Chipas are excellent and fun! Then we had the campechano tacos, pork belly tacos, and lamb empanadas. All have quite different descriptions, but they all basically had some form of escabeche on top (or as a bed) which was not listed as a topping for either dish. The amount of escabeche was also the same or more as the meat, so it seemed overpowering on each dish. It also made all 3 plates more similar in taste, just different meat instead of having distinct individual entrees. If any of the entrees came with the toppings listed in the description, they were much less noticable (or indistinguishable from each other). As I said, the quality and flavor was good, I just didn't feel we got what we ordered.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
I love bar Nico! I got the pork belly tacos and they were delicious! They also have great drinks, I had the prickly pear punch and salty dog and enjoyed them both.
It is a very lovely place to eat dinner and chat with friends. They also have good coffee! (This is not the case in Des Moines, overall.) Staff is very friendly and wonderful.
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