Restaurant Review: Tacopocalypse in Des Moines, Iowa

Fusion Tacos = Yummy Tacos

This is one of those places we discovered because Guy Fieri featured it on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. What we also discovered was a super cool neighborhood called East Historic Village in Des Moines. What a neat town!


Tacopocalypse is a cool place. I'm not sure why the people here are so into zombie references but there is also a Zombie Burger down the street which we didn't get a chance to try. What is is about death and gloom? The town itself is picturesque and colorful. I would definteily recommend this as a road stop. There is a cute little store called Raygun which was Iowa's version of our "Made in Detroit" kind of branding but their version is more humorous. There are also colorfully painted old buildings in the shadow of the capital's gold dome and a piano right on the street corner.

Tacos have a lot of options. You start with the meats which range from braised pork, bacon chorizo, chicken, wasabi brisket, and vegan options, and then you add delicious toppings. You can customize but they had some good combinations right out of the gate. I chose a Bulgogi (Korean Beef) with spicy mayo and kimchi, and a Sesame Pork with spicy mayo and slaw. I liked them both but that kimchi was memorable and I wish I could have one again. the pork was also very flavorful, with a red curry. This wasn't just some carved up meat with topping for flavor. Every component brought taste to this adventure.

This place also serves burritos and quessidiallas of couse, with many of the same options. Where they stand out is their Masa Fries. These fries are a combination of potatos and corn that are deepfried sticks of goodness. We ordered it with a poutine of bacon chorizo. This is not your standard chorizo which I do not really like but bacon that has been made into a sausage like texture.




There is a lot of swag to buy to commemorate this experience. I will proudly say that I now own a t-shirt from this place. My kids preferred souvenirs from the Raygun next door but I'm happy to own my cool new shirt that I had to order online (they were out of a lot of stock) but it beat me home and was waiting for me when we got back to town.