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Jethro's BBQ

3100 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311
515-279-3300
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Ranked #13 of 401 restaurants in Des Moines
Price range: $5 - $20
Cuisines: Barbecue
Dining options: Late Night
Restaurant details
Dining options: Late Night
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115 reviews from our community

82% Recommend
    60
    35
    13
    4
    3
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Kelso, Missouri
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013

I ate dinner there Stayrday night while in town. The place was very clean and the staff were really friendly. It was Drake U's graduation day so the place was super busy and very noisy which made it hard to hear the staff at times. I got a three meat platter with pulled chicken, pulled pork and smoked sausage. The... More

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Des Moines, Iowa
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
12 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2013

My Wife and I made our first visit to Jethro's about a week ago and found the food to be generous in portions and the pulled chicken sandwiches to be fresh with just the right amount of smoky flavor. I have to be honest though, their selection of BBQ sauce was rather a let down on the taste buds. Considering... More

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See 6 more reviews by Bob T for Des Moines
Sioux City, Iowa
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
18 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2013

Great BBQ at a good price. It's close to Drake and our son's apartment, so we've been here a few times now. Usually noisy, busy and loud, but that's OK for a BBQ joint. Usually plenty of seating.

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See 8 more reviews by jnobz for Des Moines
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
12 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013 via mobile

This place is good! Some of the best rubbed buffalo wings I've ever had. Each portion no matter what you order is big so you won't be going hungry. Me and my wife will definitely comeback. By the way the Adam emenecker challenge is nearly impossible for average fella, don't care how hungry you are.

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DES MOINES
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2013

If you want a HOT sauce that will make you scream like a little girl, try the GHOST. How brave are you?? I think their prices are on the high side, so I go on Tuesdays for their 1/2 price bone-in wing special. Then it's affordable. Lots of college age kids there most night since it's right by Drake Univ.... More

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See 4 more reviews by ShoeFly6DesMoines for Des Moines
Chicago, Illinois
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

Just down the street from Drake University, found out it was visited by the "Man vs. Food" show, so it is quite a local attraction just for that. What I love about this place, is that it is comfortable for locals, college students, and families to visit. Very casual. Food service is incredibly fast. You may have to wait for... More

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jax
Top Contributor
62 reviews 62 reviews
47 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 22, 2013 via mobile

Well i decided to give it a try while passing through.walked in and ordered right away and was out the door in 5 minutes.fast friendly service.chicken and ribs were excellent.wish i could of hung out.looks like a fun place to hang out and crush beers.full bar and several tv's.give it a shot

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Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 of 5 stars Reviewed April 8, 2013 via mobile

Tried the bar b q ribs and pulled pork and it was average at best. For the price, I would go elsewhere. Especially during lunch hours.

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Flagler Beach, Florida
Top Contributor
95 reviews 95 reviews
54 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 8, 2013

Saturday night: Bad thing: Place was packed. No call ahead seating. Wait was about 20-25 minutes. Good thing: I love their bbq flavor choices. I never know which one to select, so I use several. Alternative restaurants don't have the atmosphere that we like here. Our wait staff was attentive, which is great, because I hate to have to ask... More

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See 2 more reviews by abes92 for Des Moines
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
20 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 26, 2013

We have been to three of the Jethro's location and each menu is different but we have had the same very good service and food from each of the locations. A good value.

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See 9 more reviews by rosestogo2000 for Des Moines

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