Restaurant serving traditional Mexican plates & cocktails in a colorful, casual interior. Based on 346 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.1 stars. Price $$
Address:
327 E Market St, Iowa City, IA 52245
Phone: (319) 358-2836
Website: http://elbanditosiowacity.com/
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Reviews
Michael Harris
We will start with some of the most flavorful Mexican dishes I’ve eaten anywhere in the country.
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Katy Brown
Gluten free and vegan options. Plus, a great staff and delicious food. An Iowa City gem. I recommend a spicy margarita and Pechugas de Poblanos. From the menu: Strips of delicious chicken breast, poblano peppers & onion, sautéed together with poblano cream and covered with our three white cheese blend. Get corn tortillas on the side and OMG.
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Gretchyn Paz
Always stellar food, get the queso it’s the best you’ll ever have! Recommend the mushroom taco as well.
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Shanna Tilley
I love their hibiscus margaritas! Had only been there for Taco Tuesday deals prior to this visit. For that they have a salsa bar which is fun and different. Tonight I tried the carnitas bowl and it was delicious!! Very generous portion of marinated pork and the side of potatoes were done in a way I’ve never had before. Everything was delicious and our orders came out really quickly. They even split the cost of the pitcher of margaritas between the 3 of us without us asking. Would definitely go again. A fresh take on Mexican that’s worth trying.
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Stephen Smith
Good atmosphere, not too loud, with quick and excellent service. Little parking lot across the street is convenient.
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Bailey Cichon
Food was fine, mostly. I had chicken tacos on corn tortillas with rice on the side. Rice was hard and crunchy–waiter was nice enough to take it off the bill which I appreciated. The chicken was dry. My friend loved her burrito with shrimp in it though. Our waiter was kind and on top of things. Just wasn’t a fan of the food and likely won’t be back.
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Kate Richard
Loving the new remodel! It looks great inside and has plenty of bar seating. (The old place did not). The food was delicious as well. They have a stage upfront, and I know the owner likes good music, so I’m excited to see who they’ll bring in!
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Ellie Farrier
I used to love this place in college, but this time I went I was unenthused. There were bits of bay leaf in our food, and it all was just a tad runny and undercooked. The margaritas, chips & salsa, and staff were awesome though!! I’m hoping we just caught them on an imperfect day, or ordered the wrong thing. I’ll definitely back, and will continue to recommend.
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Ben Cool
Ordered some of the perez family tacos. Would compare them to tasty tacos out of des moines. Pretty good, but very greasy. Definitely need some hot sauce if you’re a spice guy. They did give me a massive container of salsa and the portion size was pretty good for the money. Overall I would give 9/10, we’ll round up to a 5 star for the salsa. Have heard from friends that their burritos are also top notch.
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Brian Kelly
Decent food , fair menu fresh ingredients. High middle price range. It may have some better food than the beef tacos I had. That being they were good enough to eat, and I dislike ground beef tacos. Horchatas were excellent but there is too much ice , best if asked for easy ice.
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