Is Des Moines Ready for $7.50 Tacos?

High-end Mexican restaurants generally fail to thrive in Des Moines. Here's why Bar Nico could be set to break that losing streak.

Mushroom-Birra Tacos at Bar Nico. All photos of Bar Nico staff, food, and interior are used by permission from Bar Nico.

Des Moines has not been kind to high-end Mexican restaurants.

Back in the mid 1990s, there was a stellar restaurant called Cabo San Lucas: They offered insanely good, creative-yet-grounded modern takes on Mexican food in a stylish atmos…