Rita's Cantina

401 SE 5th St, Des Moines
(515) 777-1012

Recent Reviews Order Online

Customers' Favorites

Southwestern Enchiladas
Chicken Quesadilla
Margarita Flight
Chips and Salsa
Shrimp Tostada
Fajita Burrito
Chicken Tacos
Shrimp Tacos
Barria Tacos
Churro Tower

Menu

Appetizers
Chips n' Guac
Corn tortilla chips served with handmade guacamole.
Nachos
Corn chips with choice of ground beef or chicken. Topped with black beans, shredded cheese, house queso, jalapeños, and pico. Served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Brussels Sprouts
Roasted and tossed with achiote sauce and marinated onions and peppers.
Chicken Quesadilla
Large flour tortilla filled with cheese and grilled chicken. Served with pico de gallo, salsa and guacamole. Topped with achiote sauce and lime crema.
Cheese Quesadilla
Taquitos
Six shredded beef rolled in corn tortillas then fried. Topped with achiote and avocado sauce.
TO GO Chips/Salsa

Appetizers / Queso
Queso Flight
Our four specialty queso varieties served with chips. Includes: loaded queso, corn queso, birria queso and spicy queso.
Birria Queso
White queso topped with our slow-cooked, shredded beef.
Corn Queso
White queso mixed with corn salsa and taco sauce.
Loaded Queso
White cheese, chorizo, guacamole, and pico.
Spicy Queso
White queso blended with our spicy salsa.
House Queso

Entrees
Chile Rellenos
Poblano pepper stuffed with chorizo, potatoes, and cheese, then roasted in the oven. Served over enchilada sauce with achiote rice and black beans.
Pork Tinga Tamales
Two tamales filled with our corn tomalito and house made pork tinga. Served with sweet corn rice and charro beans.
Grande Rice Bowl
Sweet corn rice tossed with avocado, black beans, corn salsa, avocado-lime coleslaw, shredded cheese, topped with grilled chicken, sriracha aioli, and avocado sauce.
Fiesta Chicken Salad
Grilled chicken breast, romaine, marinated onions and peppers, avocado, asparagus, black beans, sweet corn, pico de gallo, and queso fresco tossed in a creamy arbol dressing.
Spinach Enchilada
Cheesy spinach and artichoke mix rolled in corn tortillas topped with salsa verde, shredded lettuce, and marinated onions and peppers. Served with achiote rice and black beans.
Beef Enchilada
Carne asada rolled in corn tortillas with cheese and topped with enchilada sauce, shredded lettuce, and marinated onions and peppers. Served with sweet corn rice and charro beans.
Fajita Burrito
Choice of steak, chicken or shrimp with grilled peppers and onions, sour cream, lettuce and rice. Smothered in house queso, with guacamole, and salsa verde. Served with rice and refried black beans.
Steak Potato Burrito
Chicken Chimi
Flour tortilla filled with chicken verde, rice, chihuahua cheese, and pico. Fried and finished with house queso, chili verde, and guacamole. Served with rice and refried black beans.

Kids
KIDS Quesadilla
Comes with a side of crispy potato rounds.
KIDS Taquitos
Comes with side of crispy potato rounds.
KIDS Flour Beef Taco
Comes with side of crispy potato rounds.
KIDS Chicken Taco
Comes with side of crispy potato rounds.
Side Potato Rounds
KIDS Crunchy Beef Taco

Sides & Add Ons
One Beef Enchilada
One Chile Relleno
One Pork Tinga Tamale
One Spinach Enchilada
Side Street Corn
Side Achiote Rice
Side Black Beans
Side Brussels Spouts
Side Charro Beans
Side Guacamole
Side Sliced Avocado
Side Sour Cream
Side Sweet Corn Rice

Photos

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Photo credit: grubhub
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Photo credit: grubhub
+39 photos
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Recent Reviews

We tried Rita’s Cantina recently and had a mixed experience. The menu was on the smaller side, which limited the options a bit. I ordered the Steak Burrito—while the filling was actually very good with a generous portion of steak, the tortilla itself was tough and inedible, so I ended up eating just the inside. We also shared the appetizer trio with salsa, guac, and queso, which was solid. Our server was great and was quick and attentive. Overall, the food was just okay—some...
July 2025
Came here for my foodie friends birthday. Servers were great. Atmosphere was calm and enjoyable. The patio was roomy. Menu is quite small.

Ordered the house on tap Margarita. Not even close to best margarita I've had but not the worst so that's a win. My guess is the type of tequila used howeverothers might prefer it? Could be mescal?

👉This is what really got me....the prices were not it. $7 for a street taco! One. Only one....
July 2025
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...
June 2025

More Reviews

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Rita's Cantina

401 SE 5th St, Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 777-1012