Ceviche Bar — Restaurant in Des Moines

I have ordered takeout here and eaten outside with friends another time. I was disappointed both times. I was craving ceviche and this was the first place that came up. I ordered ceviche to-go the first time with tostones. It was really underwhelming. The ceviche here is salmon and shrimp that is barely marinated or seasoned with avocado and cilantro. Fatty salmon with fatty avocado in a "citrus" marinade that can barely cut through the oils. It tastes like there's not enough acid or spices. The salmon and avocado take over the whole dish. I felt like I was just eating Crisco lard. The salmon just does not work. It's not the ceviche you would think of if you've ever been to Central or South America. Ceviche is normally made with shrimp and whitefish and/or squid/octopus. The combination of these firm, mellow proteins soak up the tangy, citrus marinade which normally renders an exciting dish teeming with explosions of flavor. That's not what I experienced at Ceviche either time. Not only that but the Cuban bread I got with the "ceviche" the second time was thick and soggy. This place is a no go for me. I love to support local, and I tried to give them another chance, but no. Just no. The other two entrées we tried are also over-priced and unremarkable. If you want large servings of real ceviche that is cheap, go to Isla del Pacifico by the capitol building!

UPDATE TO OWNER:

No one is asking you to sell cheap food. If you go through all of the negative reviews your diners are saying that the quality of food +/ service doesn't match the prices. If you actually go through my reviews like other restaurant owners you can see that I'm happy to pay hundreds of dollars for good food. Making a slight against one of your competitors by saying that you won't use fish from China shows that you lack emotional intelligence. And, in reading your response to other reviews that also shows. Being a restaurant owner requires you to be able to take criticism and use it to your advantage. People aren't asking you to sell cheap food. People are asking you to do better. Not everyone is going to like your food. I eat, I leave reviews. I am not responsible for your actions or...

I've tried this place twice and both times, pretty disappointing. The first time was when they were newer, so I don't remember too many details other than the fact that the tostones had not been twice-fried, they'd been fried once, not smashed & fried again, and then just served with "mojo" (garlic and olive oil, NOT mojo). I went again today after many years, and unfortunately, still pretty bad food. The ceviche itself is "okay" but it comes on sliced bread so the bread is soggy by the time you eat it. Ceviche really needs a fresh, crispy vessel to eat with (crispy corn tortillas, crackers, crispy cassava cakes), the soggy bread was not pleasant. My friends ate the ropa vieja, which was the only good dish. Not amazing but solid. I had the cubano sandwich and it was pretty "meh", I've had better pulled pork sandwiches elsewhere and the pickle was nowhere to be found either. I asked for tostones as a side and what a mistake: cold, soggy, flavorless. My husband had the shrimp cocktail, which was OK but the sauce was weirdly topped with a whole bunch of extra things, he had to take out all the shrimp from the cup, take all the toppings off and only then was he able to dip the shrimp in the sauce. And wow, the mojitos were so awful, just flavorless, it seems like they didn't muddle the limes, and they served it in the wrong glass. Just awful, we sent them back. Service was fine, seems like people were busy but the wrong timing/rhythm meant that we were waiting for food while the other half of our table ate. The music was good and the space looks nice although my fellow diners told me the bathrooms weren't in the best condition. I'm sad because I really wanted to like this place, but no. It's just not good at all. Wouldn't recommend or go.

P.S: y quizá no tan importante pero afectó mi experiencia un poco. Nadie hablaba español, nuestro grupo era un grupo mixto de anglo e hispanohablantes, así que estábamos bien hablando inglés pero si es un restaurante cubano, creo que por lo menos deberían saber lo mínimo en caso de que uno llegue con invitados que no hablen inglés. Otros restaurantes que no son latinos tienen gente que...

Stopped in on a Saturday evening and we found parking to be a breeze and were seated right away. We ordered a few drinks, as well as the chorizo charcuterie board and three orders of ceviche.

Drinks Flamenco Rosado - tasted like a banana smoothie and was SO pink and cute. Perfect if you like a super sweet and non-alcohol tasting beverage

Cuban Margarita - delightful and refreshing in every way. Perfect if you love a good margarita!

Now, on to the food! Chorizo Charcuterie Board - This was okay. The chorizo was smokey and tasty and wasn't spicy at all, which I liked. It came with two meats, one cheese, some candied walnuts, olives, mustard, and bread. It wasn't a super balanced board, as there wasn't much sweet or acid to balance out the savory/salty. While it was overall okay, I wouldn't order it again.

Ceviche - I've never had ceviche before, so keep that in mind. I really enjoyed the mixture of salmon and shrimp, and I thought the portion of salmon was generous. I preferred the salmon to the shrimp and I loved the toasted bread it was served with. The avocado was delicious. Being nitpicky, having only 3 small slices of avocado left some of my bites unbalanced and not as delicious as the ones with it. Overall though, we all enjoyed it. Perfect for a refreshing dinner, especially in the summer or on a hot night.

Our service was good and the ambiance of the restaurant was very enjoyable. The bathrooms though need major work. I was shocked at how frankly gross one of them was (it had a literal hole in the floor and the faucet was stuffed with paper towels that looked like they were trying to stop a leak). So, just go before you head in or use the other...