Faustinos: 19 tacos, every single day
A Beaverdale taqueria that became a local favorite, now serving breakfast, birria, and street tacos in West Des Moines too.
Faustinos opened its first taqueria on Franklin Avenue near Beaverdale in 2023, and it didn't take long for word to get around. The tacos were the real thing, the menu went deep, and people started making the drive. Now there's a second location on University Avenue in West Des Moines that adds a full breakfast menu to the mix, which means you can eat at Faustinos three times a day if you want to. We won't judge.
The tacos
There are 19 tacos on the menu every day. The street tacos cover the classics (asada, al pastor with pineapple, carnitas, chorizo, tinga de pollo) and go further for anyone feeling adventurous: suadero, lengua, cabeza, and tripa. Then there's the "Tacos Exoticos" section: quesabirria, grilled cactus, chile relleno, shrimp, and grilled tilapia. If you only order one thing, make it the Vampiro. Pick two sauces, verde and rojo, and work your way through.
Breakfast is the sleeper
The West Des Moines spot opens at 8am and does a full Mexican breakfast: chilaquiles verde or rojo, huevos a la Mexicana, huevos con chorizo, and enchiladas Mexicanas. There are omelets too, including carnitas and birria versions, plus skillets, breakfast burritos, and breakfast tacos. If you've got a sweet tooth, there's French toast with berries and a trio of pancakes.
When it's cold out
Fall in Iowa calls for soup, and Faustinos has a whole section of it: birria ramen, pozole de puerco, and house-made caldo de pollo and caldo de res, all served with tortillas. It's the kind of meal that fixes a bad day.
Don't skip the drinks
Get a fresh-squeezed orange juice, a glass-bottle Coke, or one of the aguas frescas (horchata, pepino y menta, or jamaica). On a cold morning, champurrado, a thick, warm chocolate drink, is the perfect thing to order. Save room for churros, tres leches cake, or flan.
Go: 2800 University Ave, Suite 400, West Des Moines · Mon to Thu 8am to 9pm, Fri to Sat 8am to 10pm, Sun 8am to 2:30pm · 515-963-6109 Also: Faustinos Taqueria, 4944 Franklin Ave, Suite 1, Des Moines (Beaverdale) · 515-255-1410
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