El Cascabel — Restaurant in Grinnell

After church last Sunday my wife Pam and I decided to try the new El Cascabel Mexican Restaurant in Grinnell, and we're seriously glad we did, it was an awesome dining experience. The El Cascabel is located in the old Depot Crossing just East of downtown Grinnell and SE across the street from the park. I ordered the shrimp El diablo which featured 16 perfectly prepared shrimp of generous proportions and smothered with a delicious tasting spicy chipotle sauce. Pam ordered a meal with steak and chicken, I tried a bite of the chicken, it was wonderful and literally melted in my mouth. This is a beautifully decorated restaurant with lots of atmosphere, our meals were nicely plated, of generous proportions and our servers were outstanding, we were quickly seated, with our orders arriving soon after. Both meals were simply off the charts delicious. Nelson Lopez the owner of the El Cascabel is the young man pictured with his mom. Nelson's parents are the owners and founders of Newton's La Cabana Mexican Restaurant.

I can safely predict this will be a very successful restaurant, the folks in Grinnell are fortunate to have them and in for a real treat. The El Cascabel gets my coveted cleaned plate award for sure, a really excellent dining experience from...

Authentic Mexican food located in the former Grinell Union historical train depot 😍 The building is absolutely beautiful. Everything structure wise (brick and wood) located to the left of the main entrance is all original. Exterior is just as beautiful as the interior. Plenty of seating options available, such as: table, booth, bar, and outdoor patio. Fully stocked bar. Loved the train track views. Huge selection of food options from traditional Mexican to pasta and steak. Loved all the historical pictures and train memorabilia. We ordered queso, Taquitos mexicanos, and the shrimp ranchero. Everything was delicious. Our food arrived in what felt like 10 minutes, use of fresh ingredients, and temperature hot. Service was just as amazing! Overall, great food in a beautiful building with huge character! Definitely...

Excellent experience. Food, ambience, and staff were all wonderful. We sampled a variety of foods from street tacos to enchiladas to huevos rancheros. They have a wonderful and diverse menu. Some interesting options you don't usually see in the Midwest. All was prepared and plated with care. Flavor was full and nice. Salsa was fresh and fragrant - very mild (it's Iowa after all). Ask for some of their other salsas and sauces. They offered to me without asking and I was so happy to touch up my tacos and chips with the variety of green salsa, chipotle, verde... Yum! I absolutely love the depot feel in this actually historic railroad depot. I'm not local, but can't wait to go back on the next visit...