Oh how I wanted to love this location. I LOVE the Drake location as most of their food is fantastic. I really had high hopes for this location and my husband had said how great it was when he went. I was just left disappointed. My favorite thing at Jethro's is their ribs. So, I had to order the ribs here. Along with the ribs, we wanted to try some of the Cajun offerings so we opted for the Crawfish Etoufee. We got a side of Mac n' Cheese (another favorite of mine). Let me state, that I lived in the South for 2.5 years and know good Cajun food. This was NOT it. The Crawfish Etoufee had barely any flavor! Cajun should have spice in it but it was lacking big time here. It did include large pieces of crawfish which was nice. The ribs...they just were not the same. There was some kind of sweet sauce on them that really threw me for a loop. Why did they add this sticky sweetness!? At least the Mac n' Cheese was what I expected. Yes, it was all edible but just not what I expected. The service was not that great either. We had empty drink glasses a couple times which is never ok. Will I give it another shot, probably. Hopefully it redeems itself!
(2)
Christine C.
DELICIOUS! If you want fall-off-the-bone ribs, this is the place! My sis and I split the 1/2 slab ribs and 1/2 chicken. Crazy girl doesn't like ribs. The ribs are excellent! This dish came with four sides and corn bread, or regular bread. We had garlic mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, french fries, and apple sauce. Everything was excellent!
(5)
Adam G.
I love this place. They are consistently great. This is the best of the locations both service and food wise. Huge portions. This is one of the top 2 BBQ places I have ever been in my life. Their sauces are better than most too.
(5)
Andrea L.
Love Jethros!!!! Ribs are amazing fall of the bone and Love that they don't even need any BBQ sauce. ( Carolina BBQ Great on them Though) Mac and cheese is the Best around!
(5)
Mark M.
Sorry folks, it aint all that. I don't find this BBQ to be as good as the Drake location. I've had worse BBQ, this this is nothing special. I admit I've not tried anything from the Cajun part of the menu. Pros: Once you are seated, you can be served pretty quick. The food is decent. They have a pretty good draft beer selection. Service has been decent. Cons: This place is still somewhat new to some (though they opened 5+ months ago) and they are typically swamped, plan to be there before 5:30pm if you don't want to wait long. The BBQ is OK, the noise is INSANELY loud, I really don't enjoy that I have to almost yell across the table to communicate. I understand that turning tables is key to revenue, but every time I eat here (probably about 6-7 times now) I get the feeling that the sole purpose and culture of this place it put out half way decent meal and turn and burn the tables......... get'em in, get'em out. All in all, the Waukee area needs places like this, and my three stars should not stop you from going here, just don't expect a BBQ Mecca...... or a nice QUIET dinner.
(3)
Scott K.
This was my second visit to this Jethro's. I dined alone so I sat at the bar. The service was fast and friendly even tho the bar was packed.I ordered ribs and brisket. The ribs had a very good smoked flavor and I only use the sauce a couple times. The brisket was a little dry but not so much it fell apart. Maybe they trimmed off too much of the fat. Not sure I'd order the brisket again. I noticed many folks eating wings and heard a discussion about how good Sunday breakfast was. They raved about the Bloody Marys. May have to try that if I'm ever in town on a Sunday. Overall a good experience (but they were out of draft Moose Drool)!
(4)
Larry G.
I travel for work and like to hit the local spots. I had the 1/2 smoked chicken and Brisket plate and I couldn't finish it! Tasty, tender and not over done with sauces. Their house BBQ sauce is mild and not overly sweet. The brisket was great with just a touch of top fat (trim it if you want but won't kill you). Overall. Solid 4 out of 5 and worth the visit.
(4)
John V.
Great smoked BBQ food. Had the ribs, thought it would have BBQ sauce, found the need not there, the smoked flavor was outstanding. BBQ sauce was in table to add. We started with the boneless wings, wish they were a tad hotter (temp), but still real good. Service was great, will definitely come back when next in town.
(4)
Steve G.
Great food and service. If you crave BBQ this is the place to go. The only down side is the beer mugs are Mason Jars with handles. I would prefer a nice heavy pint glass. Try the nachos with chicken they rock.
(5)
Jim G.
Some of the best BBQ i have ever had!! And the BBQ sauces are killer !! ask for the Spikes or ghost pepper sauce
(5)
Karan V.
Love their huge size wings. THEY ARE GREASYY. But after couple of drinks you don't care. Tuesday is their 50 cent/per wing, you should try them out. I love their Parmesan garlic & barbeque
(4)
Drew M.
I've been here a few times, and I would say that the BBQ is adequate. My speed for coming here would be to grab a beer from their solid menu, and get a lunch special or something you can slather in BBQ sauce and not think to much about. I've had their pulled pork, many of their sides, and their cajun sampler. The only thing that jumped off the plate at me was their jalapeno creamed corn, which was bomb. 3 Stars.
(3)
Chris B.
Nothing felt quite as good as the Drake location but that could just be personal bias. The place just feels more chain-y and less local (which is what will happen with expansion). Still, the food was great and that's what really matters. My gut was feeling the gumbo, so I loaded up on chicken, sausage, and rice. Portions were more than generous. When my plate arrived I didn't expect to come close to finishing it (but my phatass self devoured the whole thing). Service was slow. I was part of a larger group, which automatically makes things weird, but after constantly checking in on us as we were waiting for people, there was a huge delay before our orders were actually taken. I'll go back and try out the jambalaya, which they've apparently altered and is supposed to be great, but my heart will remain with the OG Jethro's.
(4)
Dmitriy N.
Pros: Atmosphere, drinks, portions, and wings. Cons: jambalaya, and anything BBQ. Been here several times. One thing I learned was order the wings and a drink and you will be a happy camper. Order anything else and you will ask yourself why you gave the other food another chance. Their smoked meats are a joke. Doesn't taste smoked and just oversized portions with no flavor. A BBQ place can't just rely on their sauces at the table to add flavor because their cooks don't know how to season meat and properly smoke it. So 2.5 stars for meats, 3 stars for sides, 3.5 stars for wings, and 4 stars for atmosphere. I would come back again or order wings to go. Good place for groups and portions will leave you full for days. Just don't expect quality BBQ.
(3)
Liz G.
The food was pretty good. I ordered eggs, toast, sausage and hash browns. Be ready to eat a lot because they provide huge portions on large plates! My friend ordered the breakfast quesadillas, and it looked delicious! I would order that next time.
(3)
Mandy H.
Love this place. It is a go to for our family. They have the speediest service I have ever seen and the food is awesome!! We have heard about their brunch and that is it awesome but we still need to make it in for that. Great place.
For all the glitz and glamour my ribs had little taste and were rather tough off the bone. I love BBQ and give this place a C. It's average. Sorry but it is. I did love the friend pickles. That's a great way to start a meal. But then why don't we get the option of having ribs with the three meat meal? They aint that great. I have had the chicken before. Loved it. Loved the Mac and Cheese. Loved the corn. But the ribs. Come on lets get these ribs a little more tender, with a little more smoked flavor and a little better rub. I'll come back but not for the ribs.
(3)
Zee P.
I'll just say some things were good like the waffle fries and beans. However, the meat tasted like it was sitting in fat all day and other pieces too dry.
(3)
Makenna H.
We go here almost every week. The food is good, and it's one of the few places in waukee that has good food and a full bar. Drinks are amazing, highly recommend the state fair lemonade- it's great. Service is always hit or miss. I've never had outstanding service here, but we go there for the food, not the service. If you want to have the best service I highly recommend sitting at the bar- the bartenders are much more attentive and friendly than the waitresses.
(4)
Greg S.
I have always thought Jethro's in general is overrated, but I have really tried to like this place as I always thought it was me. With the original location I caulk it up to me just not being that wowed by BBQ but the food has been pretty bland my 2 visits to the WDM locale. I have only done brunch and I have been warned by some people in the food industry that brunch is code for leftovers. That is my hope as it would explain my bland gumbo hash and my friend's soggy waffle fries that greeted us today. They do have large portions but no serving size could cover the low grade chow. The reason I gave 2 stars was because they moved people in and out pretty quick so my party did not have to wait long. The staff was also very friendly. With the rapidly expanding Jethro's brand, I can't help but wonder if they have the business side of things down but have let the food slip. They better figure it out or the will not have to be good about taking care of long waits.
(2)
Ash H.
Great food the food is spot on ! I had the Creole pasta and my partner had the Cajun sampler, both were really delicious, spicy and full of flavor ! The corn muffin is sweet and scrumptious ! The service is just ok. I wish they would be more friendly.
(4)
Eric L.
Tried the dinner two with ribs, brisket and pulled pork. All had very good BBQ flavor and the served the sauce on the side which I enjoyed trying them all. The sides were good but not great. The two the I would order again were the beans and rice and the waffle fries. Service was very friendly. I would defiantly come back!
(4)
Kevin S.
This place here was amazing the food was good. I had the ribs and cream of corn and waffle fries too good to be true the wings were very good if your in this town you better stop and have something you won't regret it
(4)
carl r.
I had the turkey sandwich at the Drake location that was phenomenal - the Waukee location offers only a turkey wrap at the same price and 1/2 the turkey at best - paint me disappointed
(3)
Caroline M.
Definitely the place to get your MEATZ on! I dined here with a friend who insisted we go to Jethro's since I still haven't been to one. You don't have to twist my arm, just dangle some smoked meat in front of my face and I'm there. Jethro's was packed at 5:30pm on a weeknight. Yes. I am an old lady and eat at the senior citizen dining hour. But there are advantages, as we snagged one of the last open tables. Service was super speedy. Our server was very friendly and attentive. I got the BBQ pork sandwich complete with waffle fries. And we attempted to make a dent in a half order of onion rings. The half order could have fed an entire girl scout troop!!! I don't even want to know what a full order consists of. The value is insane, as the portions are massive. Consider sharing. Or at least fast for 16 hours before dining here.
(4)
Gene H.
This was my favorite Jethros' until the Lakeside one opened and serves the Cajun menu..as with the other locations...get there mid afternoon to beat the crowds.
(5)
Cade L.
The service was excellent and so was the environment great, but that about it. The food tasted like I bought it from a carnival tent it was so deep fried that you could literally taste the oil that was from the deep frier. Very unsatisfactory.
(2)
Andrew D.
This is my favorite of all the locations for a few reasons. Room and Food Theme. There is lots of space so don't worry about not getting a table like other locations. I am a fan of the Cajun food especially their gumbo. GET A BOWL. Other than that it's all good. If I'm not getting wings w/ ghost sauce and a side of jalapeño cream corn and gumbo. A melt sandwhiche with your choice of meats and sides is the next in line for me.
(5)
Amy S.
I don't really get the hype. Maybe it's because I'm not a guy. The food is fine. The service is fine. The prices are good (especially considering the portions are gigantic!) and the beer is cold. 4 stars though, because I work with a remote team, and every time anyone comes into town, this is where they want to go (male or female). And they do have tasty BBQ sauces.
(4)
Steven D.
I liked the atmosphere, good number of TVs for sports, good table service, 32 ounce beers and prompt services. The sausage and pulled pork were good, but the brisket completely missed the mark. Definitely need to go back to school on the brisket prep. Would go back and try others meats next time. Did like the wings with hot buffalo and hot BBQ sauce.
(4)
Aimee L.
A week later and I am still thinking about the smoked wings. I live in Texas and can't find a place with good smoked wings. The rub and the smoked was perfection. It was slightly sweet with great flavors. Can you guys ship to Houston?? The service was nice and prompt. Definitely seems like a great place to dine and watch some football.
(4)
Seth R.
Worst place for a group. We made reservations for a team days ahead of the meal. You would think they had some people serving us? Nope they gave us one waitress to attend to 30 or so people.
(1)
Allen P.
This is by far the best BBQ I've had in my life. This is one of my favorite places to eat at ever since I moved to Des Moines. Seriously, like when I don't have it for a while, thinking about it makes me salivate. Its damn good, if you haven't tried Jethros, IT IS A MUST. Three things that stand out the most to me that I highly recommend getting. 1. Chicken Wings (BBQ rub sauce) 2. Mac n' Cheese 3. Garlic mashed potatoes with country gravy 4. Cornbread
So disappointing!I had heard such great things about jethro's, but it was not good. I'm from the South originally, and have had a lot of different types of barbeque, and this is sub par. Not worth it.
(2)
Amy K.
I was in town for businesses and was told to check out Jethro's. Great find, excellent BBQ!
(5)
Tony G.
Best wings in Des Moines metro. I love that you can get all drumies if you prefer. The Chili Teriyaki sauce is dynamite! The pulled pork is great as well. Also a great weekend breakfast spot. Service is always quick and the portions yield a second meal most times. When you consider the portions the pricing is very fair. A must hit BBQ spot if your in town. With ample seating they have accommodated large groups for our family on many occasions.
(5)
mike m.
If you like luke warm, over priced, and smokey tasting burgers, this is your place. Awful service, awful food, awful prices. Save your money and go to Zombie Burger--or even McDonalds---both have them beat. One of the worst meals my wife and I have ever had.
(1)
Elsa Y.
Fantastic service - staff is great! Food is good.
(4)
Daniel M.
Was really stoked to find this place while I was staying in Waukee- Jambalaya did alright by me (living in New Orleans I have pretty high standards), but the brisket was some of the best I've had! Will be returning next time I'm in town.
(5)
Erin H.
Food here is consistent. Wide variety of menu items and both BBQ and Cajun food is good. My favorite is the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. My husband likes the ribs and jambalaya. Very family friendly, good beer selection.
(4)
DerickandMegan D.
The locals love it because it's local! They have some of the best staff around. Very friendly, nice, attentive, very knowledgable about the menu. The Gumbo soup was Delicious... Very rich, nice flavors (spice kicks in after a few bites) and the portion size was great. I wasn't keen on the chives (so I brushed them mugs off). I Stirred the rice into the soup and I was set. Plentiful... Now, I was mean hungry for some grub after shooting some hoops at the local gym. The soup hit the spot as a starter but would the main course get benched??? Timeout, Timeout!! Can I get a substitute?? I ordered the 1meat dinner with two sides. (No burnt ends at this joint) so I chose the brisket w/toast, creamy cheese corn ( yum) and their baked beans (has 3-4 different kinds of beans and the kidney beans destroy this dish-I only ate a few bites). I expected a mouth punch of flavor from the beans but was greeted with a finger flick to the side of my cheek. The brisket was average, was a nice flaky texture (it pulled apart easily and was nice on the Teeth-I've had some brisket that was like rubber). The choice of sauces at the table is nice and made the brisket a nice sweet taste. The downfall was the fat I had to cut off on a lot of the brisket before I could start eating it. Based on my experience, it was an ok meal that I didn't finish... Which is weird...I finish all my meals!!
(3)
Paul S.
The food here is fine, but the service is absolutely abysmal. We've waited more than 40 minutes for our food multiple times, and the servers just ignore you while you wait, with no updates or apologies. As I write this, we add currently at 50 minutes since we ordered with no explanation or apology and I'm finished with this place wasting my time. Very rude.
(2)
Luke T.
On business trip, recommended by a local. Stopped by with colleague for dinner around 7pm on Wednesday. Crowded. We were told 45-minute wait, but seated in about half hour. Portion was huge for the price. I ordered half slab and chicken wings. Wings were tasty, bbq was above average, not spectacular, not worth the wait. Service was good. Loud atmosphere though.
(3)
Roger P.
Tired of trying... Smoked chicken tasted like soot. Corn tasted like soot. Jambalaya was only slightly warmed with still-crunchy vegetables. Gumbo was just dry chicken meat and brown gravy. Service was slow, not friendly. Tenderloin had little flavor. One time I had decent ribs.
(1)
Anna B.
wings: delicious pancakes: ridiculously awesome and HUGE. One of the guys I was eating with is a big guy who was super hungry -- he ate 1/4 of his pancake stack and was "uncomfortably full" overall - fantastic visit. I was very jealous of my dining partners that chose brunch food--I know for next time!!
(4)
Andrew C.
While I love Jethro's barbecue on Forest, this experience was quite disappointing. The gumbo was utterly flavorless and I was very unimpressed with the service and atmosphere. I was quite disappointed as I had brought friends from out of town to eat there and they just didn't live up to theirs reputation. I hope out next visit is better.
(2)
Robert B.
First visit. Not much to report. Service was fine, not very attentive, but friendly. Normal sports bar ambience. My interest was in the Cajun side of the menu, so I ordered the crawfish etoufee. I believe the test of a Cajun restaurant is the quality of the roux. This roux was blonde and bland. No zing at all, and not much flavor. Not many crawdads either. It was essentially bechamel sauce with widely dispersed crawdads. Fortunately, there were several bottles of hot sauce on the table. On the positive side was an extremely positive side: the jalapeno creamed corn is great.
(2)
Mean Eyed C.
Had lunch, good food, good service Will return
(4)
Donald Y.
This Jethro's is just like the original one down by Drake University except this one is out in West Des Moines. The BBQ is still good and consistent. I've been here three times, had BBQ once, wings once, and Jambalaya the other time. The jambalaya was decent but seemed like it was lacking something. It just didn't blow me away. It was also the third night they were open so maybe things are different now. Like I said though, the BBQ and the wings are still outstanding. If you like wings go on Wednesday nights for half price wings and be prepared to eat a lot. Their wings are massive, not like ones you get at other places. As for people complaining about the noise, it's no different than the location in Drake and Altoona. Jethro's is a BBQ place that caters to sports bar type patrons. It's a restaurant/bar so of course things are going to get a little loud. If you want quite BBQ get take out and enjoy it at home with the volume on your TV turned down.
(5)
Aaron M.
First and foremost, I'm a bbq junkie, so I'll say this; If you come here for bbq you'll be dissapointed unless you get the ribs, which are fantastic. All other meat is sub par and not good bbq....that being said, there's a LOT on this menu that will impress. The wings are insane, probably the best in town. The tenderloin is awesome, again, probably one of the best in Des Moines. The Po Boys are very good as well, fried shrimp being my favorite and the burgers are great too, my favorite is the one with the ground shrimp patty on top of the burger, really good. The sides are all really good, the sauces are all great too, it's just the bbq meat that doesn't stack up here, that's why I only gave 3 stars. If they just called it Jethro's Jambalaya, I'd give it 5 stars, but since the bbq fails so miserably I knocked it down to 3. Get any of the items I mentioned above and you'll love this place. Update: I've now tries the RIBS, they are legit as advertised. I've tried a lot on the menu now and still stand by my initial review of the rest of the smoked meats. Very sub par as far as bbq goes. The burgers are very good, the Poboys are very good and the tenderloin and wings are still my favorites.
(3)
Charles C.
This place is fantastic. Huge restaurant with tons of seating, great food, and a fun atmosphere! The ribs and big beers are great!
(5)
Kathryn W.
"As soon as we decided to visit Iowa from Arizona, Jethro's Jambalaya was on our list of "things we HAVE to do"! You can't go wrong here! Fun, food, foam!!! HUGE portions, so come hungry or bring a friend! We ate here with our Iowa kids last night, and came back for breakfast the next morning! How many great NIGHT spots do you know that are open to serve you tomato juice and eggs the next day???!!! We saw people of every age group enjoying themselves here. And ONE MORE THING! The paper towel dispense in the bathroom actually spits out enough paper so you can dry your hands!!!!!..."
(5)
Bryant J.
Chicken was really dry
(1)
Benjamin M.
My favorite place to eat when I'm in town. Meats are smoked perfectly, the sauces are great, and the sides hold their own (jalapeño creamed corn is too good to miss). Great atmosphere for a fun Friday night meal. Worth the wait for a table. There are BBQ places I like better in KC, but I think Jethro's stands up well.
(5)
Andrea W.
Great place, great food, great service & a gluten free menu!!!
(5)
Craig Z.
Atmosphere was nice. Portions were large. Food tasted great. The pulled pork was too dry for my taste. I will not add bbq sauce to my meat unless its dry. We did have to ask for refills considering it wasnt even that crowded when we were there. I will eat here again hoping for maybe a little better service.
(3)
Thomas H.
Love the ribs and boneless wings. Jethro's Secret sauce is awesome. Several other sauces to choose from. Lot's of Daily specials and tv's everywhere!
(4)
Tony K.
One of my favorite places. Great BBQ and a fun atmosphere. Try the Milk Punch! Its good for a relaxing after work drink or hell even a liquid desert. :) I have enjoyed this place every time except when I had the Jambalaya. It was like a good flavor and a bad flavor mixed together. Wasn't sure if I liked it or hated it, but won't be getting it again. BBQ pork, turkey and chicken are the way to go!
(5)
AF W.
Stopped for appetizer. Stayed for beers. Shrimp was good, should have ordered ten, twenty was way to many. Sat at bar, great seat for iowa state game. Bartender did nice job
(4)
Ethan N.
My wife & I saw this place on the Travel Channel and wanted to try it since we were going to be in the area. Food was outstanding. Service was great. Got a half order of onion rings as an appetitizer....holy cow! Couldn't imagine how big the full order was. The brisket and smoked turkey was great and my wife couldn't finish a half slab of ribs. The sides were really good...the only exception was the jalapeno cream corn my wife ordered...way too hot for her taste. Meet all our expectations. Wished they opened in IL.
(5)
Patrick M.
I don't know what evenness complaining about. The bqq meal was great with tins of food. The bbq sauce on the table tips it off well. The drinks are in huge mason jars. Its no rowdy game day crowd but still surrounded by people enjoying themselves.
(4)
Justin P.
One of the best places to eat on the west side. Highly recommend the tenderloin with sweet potato fries and the wings. Price is to be expected. Noise level can be hi but we've been with our daughter many times and have enjoyed every time. Consistently good but can be busy and the waits long.
(5)
Jared L.
Twice is enough! The first time we tried Jethro's, we ordered BBQ fare: brisket, ribs, etc. The food was bland and cold. Since my wife and I both had colds we decided not to pass judgement. We decided to give it another go and hoped for different results. Nope. We ordered the Cajun Sampler for 2. I don't like spicy foods and this was BLAND even by my standards. The food was COLD. Even pouring tons of salt on the food and a stint in the microwave it were no help to the flavor. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. It may have cold beer and lots of TV's but those do not outweigh the BLAND and COLD food.
(1)
Hillari C.
Great food and service! Gumbo and Jambalaya are our favorites, but if they started bottling and selling the double secret garlic chipotle sauce, I'd be in heaven... Haven't tried the Adam Emmenecker challenge yet, but might have to try someday!
(5)
Kris D.
This is the newest Jethro's location with some cajun dishes added to the menu. Admittedly, I'm not a huge BBQ fan, but we've eaten at the Des Moines location several times, and I do like their wings and sandwiches. I think their wings are some of the best in the area, and the sandwiches are pretty good for standard bar and grill type cuisine. My biggest complaints with the DSM location is that the restaurant feels very claustrophobic and the service isn't always the best. The new WDM location fixed both of these issues. The restaurant is spacious with a lot of room available for large parties. The food was the same (didn't try the cajun stuff). I also found the service to be the best we've ever had. Will definitely be returning to this location.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Andrea T.
Oh how I wanted to love this location. I LOVE the Drake location as most of their food is fantastic. I really had high hopes for this location and my husband had said how great it was when he went. I was just left disappointed. My favorite thing at Jethro's is their ribs. So, I had to order the ribs here. Along with the ribs, we wanted to try some of the Cajun offerings so we opted for the Crawfish Etoufee. We got a side of Mac n' Cheese (another favorite of mine). Let me state, that I lived in the South for 2.5 years and know good Cajun food. This was NOT it. The Crawfish Etoufee had barely any flavor! Cajun should have spice in it but it was lacking big time here. It did include large pieces of crawfish which was nice. The ribs...they just were not the same. There was some kind of sweet sauce on them that really threw me for a loop. Why did they add this sticky sweetness!? At least the Mac n' Cheese was what I expected. Yes, it was all edible but just not what I expected. The service was not that great either. We had empty drink glasses a couple times which is never ok. Will I give it another shot, probably. Hopefully it redeems itself!
(2)Christine C.
DELICIOUS! If you want fall-off-the-bone ribs, this is the place! My sis and I split the 1/2 slab ribs and 1/2 chicken. Crazy girl doesn't like ribs. The ribs are excellent! This dish came with four sides and corn bread, or regular bread. We had garlic mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, french fries, and apple sauce. Everything was excellent!
(5)Adam G.
I love this place. They are consistently great. This is the best of the locations both service and food wise. Huge portions. This is one of the top 2 BBQ places I have ever been in my life. Their sauces are better than most too.
(5)Andrea L.
Love Jethros!!!! Ribs are amazing fall of the bone and Love that they don't even need any BBQ sauce. ( Carolina BBQ Great on them Though) Mac and cheese is the Best around!
(5)Mark M.
Sorry folks, it aint all that. I don't find this BBQ to be as good as the Drake location. I've had worse BBQ, this this is nothing special. I admit I've not tried anything from the Cajun part of the menu. Pros: Once you are seated, you can be served pretty quick. The food is decent. They have a pretty good draft beer selection. Service has been decent. Cons: This place is still somewhat new to some (though they opened 5+ months ago) and they are typically swamped, plan to be there before 5:30pm if you don't want to wait long. The BBQ is OK, the noise is INSANELY loud, I really don't enjoy that I have to almost yell across the table to communicate. I understand that turning tables is key to revenue, but every time I eat here (probably about 6-7 times now) I get the feeling that the sole purpose and culture of this place it put out half way decent meal and turn and burn the tables......... get'em in, get'em out. All in all, the Waukee area needs places like this, and my three stars should not stop you from going here, just don't expect a BBQ Mecca...... or a nice QUIET dinner.
(3)Scott K.
This was my second visit to this Jethro's. I dined alone so I sat at the bar. The service was fast and friendly even tho the bar was packed.I ordered ribs and brisket. The ribs had a very good smoked flavor and I only use the sauce a couple times. The brisket was a little dry but not so much it fell apart. Maybe they trimmed off too much of the fat. Not sure I'd order the brisket again. I noticed many folks eating wings and heard a discussion about how good Sunday breakfast was. They raved about the Bloody Marys. May have to try that if I'm ever in town on a Sunday. Overall a good experience (but they were out of draft Moose Drool)!
(4)Larry G.
I travel for work and like to hit the local spots. I had the 1/2 smoked chicken and Brisket plate and I couldn't finish it! Tasty, tender and not over done with sauces. Their house BBQ sauce is mild and not overly sweet. The brisket was great with just a touch of top fat (trim it if you want but won't kill you). Overall. Solid 4 out of 5 and worth the visit.
(4)John V.
Great smoked BBQ food. Had the ribs, thought it would have BBQ sauce, found the need not there, the smoked flavor was outstanding. BBQ sauce was in table to add. We started with the boneless wings, wish they were a tad hotter (temp), but still real good. Service was great, will definitely come back when next in town.
(4)Steve G.
Great food and service. If you crave BBQ this is the place to go. The only down side is the beer mugs are Mason Jars with handles. I would prefer a nice heavy pint glass. Try the nachos with chicken they rock.
(5)Jim G.
Some of the best BBQ i have ever had!! And the BBQ sauces are killer !! ask for the Spikes or ghost pepper sauce
(5)Karan V.
Love their huge size wings. THEY ARE GREASYY. But after couple of drinks you don't care. Tuesday is their 50 cent/per wing, you should try them out. I love their Parmesan garlic & barbeque
(4)Drew M.
I've been here a few times, and I would say that the BBQ is adequate. My speed for coming here would be to grab a beer from their solid menu, and get a lunch special or something you can slather in BBQ sauce and not think to much about. I've had their pulled pork, many of their sides, and their cajun sampler. The only thing that jumped off the plate at me was their jalapeno creamed corn, which was bomb. 3 Stars.
(3)Chris B.
Nothing felt quite as good as the Drake location but that could just be personal bias. The place just feels more chain-y and less local (which is what will happen with expansion). Still, the food was great and that's what really matters. My gut was feeling the gumbo, so I loaded up on chicken, sausage, and rice. Portions were more than generous. When my plate arrived I didn't expect to come close to finishing it (but my phatass self devoured the whole thing). Service was slow. I was part of a larger group, which automatically makes things weird, but after constantly checking in on us as we were waiting for people, there was a huge delay before our orders were actually taken. I'll go back and try out the jambalaya, which they've apparently altered and is supposed to be great, but my heart will remain with the OG Jethro's.
(4)Dmitriy N.
Pros: Atmosphere, drinks, portions, and wings. Cons: jambalaya, and anything BBQ. Been here several times. One thing I learned was order the wings and a drink and you will be a happy camper. Order anything else and you will ask yourself why you gave the other food another chance. Their smoked meats are a joke. Doesn't taste smoked and just oversized portions with no flavor. A BBQ place can't just rely on their sauces at the table to add flavor because their cooks don't know how to season meat and properly smoke it. So 2.5 stars for meats, 3 stars for sides, 3.5 stars for wings, and 4 stars for atmosphere. I would come back again or order wings to go. Good place for groups and portions will leave you full for days. Just don't expect quality BBQ.
(3)Liz G.
The food was pretty good. I ordered eggs, toast, sausage and hash browns. Be ready to eat a lot because they provide huge portions on large plates! My friend ordered the breakfast quesadillas, and it looked delicious! I would order that next time.
(3)Mandy H.
Love this place. It is a go to for our family. They have the speediest service I have ever seen and the food is awesome!! We have heard about their brunch and that is it awesome but we still need to make it in for that. Great place.
(5)Jennifer H.
Ate here this week and had the fried Catfish dinner entrée. It came with two sides - I got cottage cheese and the mac and cheese, and a corn muffin. The catfish was so good!!!!! The crunchy breading was perfect and it came with a lemon butter dipping sauce and lemon wedges. I preferred using the lemon. I was really surprised at the mac and cheese - not dry and very tasty. Noodles were a nice al dente, not mushy and overcooked. The corn muffin tasted like hickory smoke or something and I did not like that at all. Service was adequate. Will definitely get that dinner again!
(4)K S.
For all the glitz and glamour my ribs had little taste and were rather tough off the bone. I love BBQ and give this place a C. It's average. Sorry but it is. I did love the friend pickles. That's a great way to start a meal. But then why don't we get the option of having ribs with the three meat meal? They aint that great. I have had the chicken before. Loved it. Loved the Mac and Cheese. Loved the corn. But the ribs. Come on lets get these ribs a little more tender, with a little more smoked flavor and a little better rub. I'll come back but not for the ribs.
(3)Zee P.
I'll just say some things were good like the waffle fries and beans. However, the meat tasted like it was sitting in fat all day and other pieces too dry.
(3)Makenna H.
We go here almost every week. The food is good, and it's one of the few places in waukee that has good food and a full bar. Drinks are amazing, highly recommend the state fair lemonade- it's great. Service is always hit or miss. I've never had outstanding service here, but we go there for the food, not the service. If you want to have the best service I highly recommend sitting at the bar- the bartenders are much more attentive and friendly than the waitresses.
(4)Greg S.
I have always thought Jethro's in general is overrated, but I have really tried to like this place as I always thought it was me. With the original location I caulk it up to me just not being that wowed by BBQ but the food has been pretty bland my 2 visits to the WDM locale. I have only done brunch and I have been warned by some people in the food industry that brunch is code for leftovers. That is my hope as it would explain my bland gumbo hash and my friend's soggy waffle fries that greeted us today. They do have large portions but no serving size could cover the low grade chow. The reason I gave 2 stars was because they moved people in and out pretty quick so my party did not have to wait long. The staff was also very friendly. With the rapidly expanding Jethro's brand, I can't help but wonder if they have the business side of things down but have let the food slip. They better figure it out or the will not have to be good about taking care of long waits.
(2)Ash H.
Great food the food is spot on ! I had the Creole pasta and my partner had the Cajun sampler, both were really delicious, spicy and full of flavor ! The corn muffin is sweet and scrumptious ! The service is just ok. I wish they would be more friendly.
(4)Eric L.
Tried the dinner two with ribs, brisket and pulled pork. All had very good BBQ flavor and the served the sauce on the side which I enjoyed trying them all. The sides were good but not great. The two the I would order again were the beans and rice and the waffle fries. Service was very friendly. I would defiantly come back!
(4)Kevin S.
This place here was amazing the food was good. I had the ribs and cream of corn and waffle fries too good to be true the wings were very good if your in this town you better stop and have something you won't regret it
(4)carl r.
I had the turkey sandwich at the Drake location that was phenomenal - the Waukee location offers only a turkey wrap at the same price and 1/2 the turkey at best - paint me disappointed
(3)Caroline M.
Definitely the place to get your MEATZ on! I dined here with a friend who insisted we go to Jethro's since I still haven't been to one. You don't have to twist my arm, just dangle some smoked meat in front of my face and I'm there. Jethro's was packed at 5:30pm on a weeknight. Yes. I am an old lady and eat at the senior citizen dining hour. But there are advantages, as we snagged one of the last open tables. Service was super speedy. Our server was very friendly and attentive. I got the BBQ pork sandwich complete with waffle fries. And we attempted to make a dent in a half order of onion rings. The half order could have fed an entire girl scout troop!!! I don't even want to know what a full order consists of. The value is insane, as the portions are massive. Consider sharing. Or at least fast for 16 hours before dining here.
(4)Gene H.
This was my favorite Jethros' until the Lakeside one opened and serves the Cajun menu..as with the other locations...get there mid afternoon to beat the crowds.
(5)Cade L.
The service was excellent and so was the environment great, but that about it. The food tasted like I bought it from a carnival tent it was so deep fried that you could literally taste the oil that was from the deep frier. Very unsatisfactory.
(2)Andrew D.
This is my favorite of all the locations for a few reasons. Room and Food Theme. There is lots of space so don't worry about not getting a table like other locations. I am a fan of the Cajun food especially their gumbo. GET A BOWL. Other than that it's all good. If I'm not getting wings w/ ghost sauce and a side of jalapeño cream corn and gumbo. A melt sandwhiche with your choice of meats and sides is the next in line for me.
(5)Amy S.
I don't really get the hype. Maybe it's because I'm not a guy. The food is fine. The service is fine. The prices are good (especially considering the portions are gigantic!) and the beer is cold. 4 stars though, because I work with a remote team, and every time anyone comes into town, this is where they want to go (male or female). And they do have tasty BBQ sauces.
(4)Steven D.
I liked the atmosphere, good number of TVs for sports, good table service, 32 ounce beers and prompt services. The sausage and pulled pork were good, but the brisket completely missed the mark. Definitely need to go back to school on the brisket prep. Would go back and try others meats next time. Did like the wings with hot buffalo and hot BBQ sauce.
(4)Aimee L.
A week later and I am still thinking about the smoked wings. I live in Texas and can't find a place with good smoked wings. The rub and the smoked was perfection. It was slightly sweet with great flavors. Can you guys ship to Houston?? The service was nice and prompt. Definitely seems like a great place to dine and watch some football.
(4)Seth R.
Worst place for a group. We made reservations for a team days ahead of the meal. You would think they had some people serving us? Nope they gave us one waitress to attend to 30 or so people.
(1)Allen P.
This is by far the best BBQ I've had in my life. This is one of my favorite places to eat at ever since I moved to Des Moines. Seriously, like when I don't have it for a while, thinking about it makes me salivate. Its damn good, if you haven't tried Jethros, IT IS A MUST. Three things that stand out the most to me that I highly recommend getting. 1. Chicken Wings (BBQ rub sauce) 2. Mac n' Cheese 3. Garlic mashed potatoes with country gravy 4. Cornbread
(5)Sam C.
`I am a barbecue fanatic and love New Orleans fare, so the name alone intrigued me, yet I entered skeptically as Des Moines Iowa is far from Memphis and NOLA. My doubts increased in reading that the creator of this establishment was from San Diego. All my suspicions, however, were soon dissipated. Service is fast, friendly, and knowledgeable. I ordered 1/2 rack of baby backs, 5 wings, green beans, and waffle fries for $21. My companion ordered the Cajun sampler - red bean and rice, jambalaya, chicken and sausage gumbo, and crayfish étouffée for $16. It was too much food for both of us to eat in one meal, but the left overs provided us with lunch the next day. The chicken wings were perfectly cooked and seasoned, the ribs tender and juicy, and the green beans were actually crunchy. Jethro's has almost as many sauce choices as beers on tap, but no sauce was required for me to enjoy every bite. My companion scarfed down every drop of his gumbo and étouffée and we shared the jambalaya and red beans and rice the next day - delicious! Corn muffins were on the dry side and overly sweet, but who cares? The worst thing about eating here is deciding what to order - everything looked and smelled great. I will return.
(5)Lisa H.
So disappointing!I had heard such great things about jethro's, but it was not good. I'm from the South originally, and have had a lot of different types of barbeque, and this is sub par. Not worth it.
(2)Amy K.
I was in town for businesses and was told to check out Jethro's. Great find, excellent BBQ!
(5)Tony G.
Best wings in Des Moines metro. I love that you can get all drumies if you prefer. The Chili Teriyaki sauce is dynamite! The pulled pork is great as well. Also a great weekend breakfast spot. Service is always quick and the portions yield a second meal most times. When you consider the portions the pricing is very fair. A must hit BBQ spot if your in town. With ample seating they have accommodated large groups for our family on many occasions.
(5)mike m.
If you like luke warm, over priced, and smokey tasting burgers, this is your place. Awful service, awful food, awful prices. Save your money and go to Zombie Burger--or even McDonalds---both have them beat. One of the worst meals my wife and I have ever had.
(1)Elsa Y.
Fantastic service - staff is great! Food is good.
(4)Daniel M.
Was really stoked to find this place while I was staying in Waukee- Jambalaya did alright by me (living in New Orleans I have pretty high standards), but the brisket was some of the best I've had! Will be returning next time I'm in town.
(5)Erin H.
Food here is consistent. Wide variety of menu items and both BBQ and Cajun food is good. My favorite is the pulled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. My husband likes the ribs and jambalaya. Very family friendly, good beer selection.
(4)DerickandMegan D.
The locals love it because it's local! They have some of the best staff around. Very friendly, nice, attentive, very knowledgable about the menu. The Gumbo soup was Delicious... Very rich, nice flavors (spice kicks in after a few bites) and the portion size was great. I wasn't keen on the chives (so I brushed them mugs off). I Stirred the rice into the soup and I was set. Plentiful... Now, I was mean hungry for some grub after shooting some hoops at the local gym. The soup hit the spot as a starter but would the main course get benched??? Timeout, Timeout!! Can I get a substitute?? I ordered the 1meat dinner with two sides. (No burnt ends at this joint) so I chose the brisket w/toast, creamy cheese corn ( yum) and their baked beans (has 3-4 different kinds of beans and the kidney beans destroy this dish-I only ate a few bites). I expected a mouth punch of flavor from the beans but was greeted with a finger flick to the side of my cheek. The brisket was average, was a nice flaky texture (it pulled apart easily and was nice on the Teeth-I've had some brisket that was like rubber). The choice of sauces at the table is nice and made the brisket a nice sweet taste. The downfall was the fat I had to cut off on a lot of the brisket before I could start eating it. Based on my experience, it was an ok meal that I didn't finish... Which is weird...I finish all my meals!!
(3)Paul S.
The food here is fine, but the service is absolutely abysmal. We've waited more than 40 minutes for our food multiple times, and the servers just ignore you while you wait, with no updates or apologies. As I write this, we add currently at 50 minutes since we ordered with no explanation or apology and I'm finished with this place wasting my time. Very rude.
(2)Luke T.
On business trip, recommended by a local. Stopped by with colleague for dinner around 7pm on Wednesday. Crowded. We were told 45-minute wait, but seated in about half hour. Portion was huge for the price. I ordered half slab and chicken wings. Wings were tasty, bbq was above average, not spectacular, not worth the wait. Service was good. Loud atmosphere though.
(3)Roger P.
Tired of trying... Smoked chicken tasted like soot. Corn tasted like soot. Jambalaya was only slightly warmed with still-crunchy vegetables. Gumbo was just dry chicken meat and brown gravy. Service was slow, not friendly. Tenderloin had little flavor. One time I had decent ribs.
(1)Anna B.
wings: delicious pancakes: ridiculously awesome and HUGE. One of the guys I was eating with is a big guy who was super hungry -- he ate 1/4 of his pancake stack and was "uncomfortably full" overall - fantastic visit. I was very jealous of my dining partners that chose brunch food--I know for next time!!
(4)Andrew C.
While I love Jethro's barbecue on Forest, this experience was quite disappointing. The gumbo was utterly flavorless and I was very unimpressed with the service and atmosphere. I was quite disappointed as I had brought friends from out of town to eat there and they just didn't live up to theirs reputation. I hope out next visit is better.
(2)Robert B.
First visit. Not much to report. Service was fine, not very attentive, but friendly. Normal sports bar ambience. My interest was in the Cajun side of the menu, so I ordered the crawfish etoufee. I believe the test of a Cajun restaurant is the quality of the roux. This roux was blonde and bland. No zing at all, and not much flavor. Not many crawdads either. It was essentially bechamel sauce with widely dispersed crawdads. Fortunately, there were several bottles of hot sauce on the table. On the positive side was an extremely positive side: the jalapeno creamed corn is great.
(2)Mean Eyed C.
Had lunch, good food, good service Will return
(4)Donald Y.
This Jethro's is just like the original one down by Drake University except this one is out in West Des Moines. The BBQ is still good and consistent. I've been here three times, had BBQ once, wings once, and Jambalaya the other time. The jambalaya was decent but seemed like it was lacking something. It just didn't blow me away. It was also the third night they were open so maybe things are different now. Like I said though, the BBQ and the wings are still outstanding. If you like wings go on Wednesday nights for half price wings and be prepared to eat a lot. Their wings are massive, not like ones you get at other places. As for people complaining about the noise, it's no different than the location in Drake and Altoona. Jethro's is a BBQ place that caters to sports bar type patrons. It's a restaurant/bar so of course things are going to get a little loud. If you want quite BBQ get take out and enjoy it at home with the volume on your TV turned down.
(5)Aaron M.
First and foremost, I'm a bbq junkie, so I'll say this; If you come here for bbq you'll be dissapointed unless you get the ribs, which are fantastic. All other meat is sub par and not good bbq....that being said, there's a LOT on this menu that will impress. The wings are insane, probably the best in town. The tenderloin is awesome, again, probably one of the best in Des Moines. The Po Boys are very good as well, fried shrimp being my favorite and the burgers are great too, my favorite is the one with the ground shrimp patty on top of the burger, really good. The sides are all really good, the sauces are all great too, it's just the bbq meat that doesn't stack up here, that's why I only gave 3 stars. If they just called it Jethro's Jambalaya, I'd give it 5 stars, but since the bbq fails so miserably I knocked it down to 3. Get any of the items I mentioned above and you'll love this place. Update: I've now tries the RIBS, they are legit as advertised. I've tried a lot on the menu now and still stand by my initial review of the rest of the smoked meats. Very sub par as far as bbq goes. The burgers are very good, the Poboys are very good and the tenderloin and wings are still my favorites.
(3)Charles C.
This place is fantastic. Huge restaurant with tons of seating, great food, and a fun atmosphere! The ribs and big beers are great!
(5)Kathryn W.
"As soon as we decided to visit Iowa from Arizona, Jethro's Jambalaya was on our list of "things we HAVE to do"! You can't go wrong here! Fun, food, foam!!! HUGE portions, so come hungry or bring a friend! We ate here with our Iowa kids last night, and came back for breakfast the next morning! How many great NIGHT spots do you know that are open to serve you tomato juice and eggs the next day???!!! We saw people of every age group enjoying themselves here. And ONE MORE THING! The paper towel dispense in the bathroom actually spits out enough paper so you can dry your hands!!!!!..."
(5)Bryant J.
Chicken was really dry
(1)Benjamin M.
My favorite place to eat when I'm in town. Meats are smoked perfectly, the sauces are great, and the sides hold their own (jalapeño creamed corn is too good to miss). Great atmosphere for a fun Friday night meal. Worth the wait for a table. There are BBQ places I like better in KC, but I think Jethro's stands up well.
(5)Andrea W.
Great place, great food, great service & a gluten free menu!!!
(5)Craig Z.
Atmosphere was nice. Portions were large. Food tasted great. The pulled pork was too dry for my taste. I will not add bbq sauce to my meat unless its dry. We did have to ask for refills considering it wasnt even that crowded when we were there. I will eat here again hoping for maybe a little better service.
(3)Thomas H.
Love the ribs and boneless wings. Jethro's Secret sauce is awesome. Several other sauces to choose from. Lot's of Daily specials and tv's everywhere!
(4)Tony K.
One of my favorite places. Great BBQ and a fun atmosphere. Try the Milk Punch! Its good for a relaxing after work drink or hell even a liquid desert. :) I have enjoyed this place every time except when I had the Jambalaya. It was like a good flavor and a bad flavor mixed together. Wasn't sure if I liked it or hated it, but won't be getting it again. BBQ pork, turkey and chicken are the way to go!
(5)AF W.
Stopped for appetizer. Stayed for beers. Shrimp was good, should have ordered ten, twenty was way to many. Sat at bar, great seat for iowa state game. Bartender did nice job
(4)Ethan N.
My wife & I saw this place on the Travel Channel and wanted to try it since we were going to be in the area. Food was outstanding. Service was great. Got a half order of onion rings as an appetitizer....holy cow! Couldn't imagine how big the full order was. The brisket and smoked turkey was great and my wife couldn't finish a half slab of ribs. The sides were really good...the only exception was the jalapeno cream corn my wife ordered...way too hot for her taste. Meet all our expectations. Wished they opened in IL.
(5)Patrick M.
I don't know what evenness complaining about. The bqq meal was great with tins of food. The bbq sauce on the table tips it off well. The drinks are in huge mason jars. Its no rowdy game day crowd but still surrounded by people enjoying themselves.
(4)Justin P.
One of the best places to eat on the west side. Highly recommend the tenderloin with sweet potato fries and the wings. Price is to be expected. Noise level can be hi but we've been with our daughter many times and have enjoyed every time. Consistently good but can be busy and the waits long.
(5)Jared L.
Twice is enough! The first time we tried Jethro's, we ordered BBQ fare: brisket, ribs, etc. The food was bland and cold. Since my wife and I both had colds we decided not to pass judgement. We decided to give it another go and hoped for different results. Nope. We ordered the Cajun Sampler for 2. I don't like spicy foods and this was BLAND even by my standards. The food was COLD. Even pouring tons of salt on the food and a stint in the microwave it were no help to the flavor. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. It may have cold beer and lots of TV's but those do not outweigh the BLAND and COLD food.
(1)Hillari C.
Great food and service! Gumbo and Jambalaya are our favorites, but if they started bottling and selling the double secret garlic chipotle sauce, I'd be in heaven... Haven't tried the Adam Emmenecker challenge yet, but might have to try someday!
(5)Kris D.
This is the newest Jethro's location with some cajun dishes added to the menu. Admittedly, I'm not a huge BBQ fan, but we've eaten at the Des Moines location several times, and I do like their wings and sandwiches. I think their wings are some of the best in the area, and the sandwiches are pretty good for standard bar and grill type cuisine. My biggest complaints with the DSM location is that the restaurant feels very claustrophobic and the service isn't always the best. The new WDM location fixed both of these issues. The restaurant is spacious with a lot of room available for large parties. The food was the same (didn't try the cajun stuff). I also found the service to be the best we've ever had. Will definitely be returning to this location.
(4)Lim K.
After having terrible food at the Drake location we were definitely not going to try their BBQ stuff. However, when I saw their Cajun menu I was excited to try different dishes. My husband and I ordered the Jasper's Cajun sampler, which included chicken and sausage gumbo, shrimp jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, and red beans and rice. They were perfectly seasoned and were all so delicious. We were so surprised. We also ordered blackened prime rib. But when the food was arrived it was not blackened and had to be taken back. I like it medium rare but since it had to be seasoned and grilled, the prime rib was cooked medium. It tasted good but I wish it were medium rare. Overall, we enjoyed the food very much. I Hope they continue to serve great Cajun food.
(4)Laura R.
Great atmosphere, great food...Come early around 5 if you don't want to stand in a bottleneck by the host stand.
(4)