Carlos O'kelly's

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  To call this place Mexican is an insult to Mexico. Seriously. Our chicken fajitas were sweet. SWEET. Margaritas were 99% sugar syrup and a drop of tequila (maybe). No sense in going into further detail. We won't be back. I was a fool to think there would be good Mexican food in the central Iowa.

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  Posted on 01.31.13 Bela S.

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  Very mediocre Tex-Mex restaurant.
  
  I came here because I purchased a Groupon deal where I could get $20 worth of food for $10. I got the fish tacos and my little sister got the Sancho Burrito. I found the food to be just okay. I liked the tilapia in my fish taco to be good but i still found the taco overall to be a little bland. I also ordered the Cheesy mashed potatoes and Cilantro-Lime rice as my two sides. The mashed potatoes sounded delicious on the menu, but I found them to be a bit too mushy and salty for my tastes. I did love the rice! I recommend that as a side. What really detracted from my experience is the fact that there seems to be an abundance of onions in all the dishes. I got the feeling the chefs put a lot of onions in their dishes to give the illusion of volume or either they're onion-crazy. I even told the waitress I didn't like onions and there were a ton on my plate. The pico de gallo is all onion pretty much. It seems they have some decent margarita deals on certain days of the week so i'll be willing to come back for drinks. However, I think more local places like El Rodeo and El Aquila are better and my authentic in my opinion.

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  Posted on 11.17.12 Thao P.

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  Sometimes there are questions that we ponder about, but there is never an answer. Like which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or how the hell is Carlos O'Kelley's still in business?
  
  They serve bland, Americanized junk. I understand fully that it's Tex-Mex, so Americanization is expected. I just didn't think it would be solely ground beef, tortillas, and melted cheese. That's pretty much the extent of the ingredients. They'll be put together in a different ways to justify calling it a different name on the menu, but at the end of the day, it's just brown meat, tortilla, cheese.
  
  There are other places (a lot of other places) around town that serve Tex-Mex at a lower price and in more imaginitive ways. Go south on Merle Hay, take a right on Douglas, and keep going til you hit El Rodeo. Or go south on Beaver and turn right, into the lot of El Aguila Real. There. Two much better places within 3-5 minutes of this horrible place called Carlos O'Kelley's.

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  Posted on 11.05.11 Hugh J.

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  Carlos O'Kelly's was my first venture into Tex-Mex, and I'm glad that it wasn't the last.
  
  The food was mediocre at best and the wait-staff was forgettable. The decor was Classic Americana with it's dimly lit rooms, dark tables, booths and walls.
  
  The notion of trying fried ice cream was intriguing -- that is, until it arrived, and I quickly realized that it was nothing more slightly warmed vanilla ice cream with corn flakes slapped on.
  
  There are so many better options, like that of El Aguilla Real -- with their authentic, delicious and delightfully affordable cuisine. Take a note and bypass this place altogether. It is flourishing because in middle-America there are few and far between options for Tex-Mex and the less venturesome stick to places that are comforting and routine.

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  Posted on 11.08.09 Samantha L.

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  Carlos O' Kelly's used to be a fun tasty restaurant, but my most recent visit was not pleasurable.
    I feel that after they have been opened a while now, they are starting to find ways to cut corners on food quality.
    Service is so-so, but most of all the food was just terrible. I think the only reason Carlos O' Kelly's is still in business is because there are few options for Mexican restaurants.
    It would not surprise me to see this restaurant go out of business very soon.

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  Posted on 07.24.08 Justin B.

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