flying mango

a neighborhood gem. carol and i are foodies and newcomers to iowa from the chicago area, and we have been actively researching area restaurants to identify our replacement favorites ever since we moved here in april. the flying mango is now certainly among our favorites.

our nephew, ross, joined us and it was our first time here and we could smell that this was a smokehouse type of restaurant. we were greeted with a very friendly face and led to the big room with about 20 tables with very colorful and tasteful pictures hung all along the walls. there was also some nice "toe-tappin" background music which wasn't too loud to affect our conversation.

the menu was certainly a unique blend of grilled and spicy caribbean delicacies with a wonderful collection of specialty beers, and an adequate selection of wines.

for appetizers, we were enticed into ordering the "bag of bones" selection. what we received was a small brown paper bag with enough rib sections, prepared memphis style, to satisfy both ross and i.

i ordered something i had never tried before, smoked brisket with mixed vegetables and a glass of their pinot noir. for presentation, i spied on my plate a colorful medley of the vegetables along side a thickly sliced cut of the barbequed brisket with a small bowl of spiced apples. the brisket i found to be flavorful but a little too dry for my taste. there was a lot of fat in the brisket (not unusual) which didn't do much to moisten the meat. the pinot was perfect with the brisket and very drinkable. ross tried the shrimp creole which he said had a nice spicy flavor and he would certainly order it again.

we finished out our meal by splitting the southwestern chocolate cake with a distinctive red frosting design (pepper shape) on the top. i thought the flavor was wonderful with a light, not too sweet, chocolate flavor with a touch of a bite to it. it was wonderful !!

the prices are very fair for the value received and the service was a little slow at the beginning but then very attentive the rest of the evening. carol and i will certainly bebackto try other items on very interesting menu.

all i can say is, the best bbq in town. great service and food. worth the wait on a busy nite. a real treat, can't wait until i gobackto iowa in october. a real ddd joint.

flying fruit. the flying mango sits in a neighborhood setting in the mecca of fine dining (beaverdale iowa).

immediately the color and the music and setting .......soothes your soul.

with walls that are adorned with colorful works by until now unknown artist hc porter........and the friendly and cheerful waitress that came softly to the table.........talk of food came into the mix

the owner came and introduced himself and spoke with warmth and thanks for our coming to his restaurant ......later a surprise cut of beef brisket that melted in my mouth.......was presented along with a delightful meal

my son had the lamb chops and a unique blend of korean cajun and imagination salad that had a unique peanut sauce .......arrived in seemless fashion ......as i sipped on my peach tea (great on its own)

sharing a rack of ribs (smoked in cherry wood) .......with an array of sauces the likes i have never seen (some eclectic brands and the owners own sauces) .........it was as if i was transportedbackto the big easy ........it was served with some red beans and rice .......with little pieces of onion and other ........that was big easy master level ......a meal in itself and done with french quarter magic ....amazingly good.

this is a not a good fine dining experience........it is a great dining experience.

great service
great ambiance
great food

excellence in motion...........bucket list kinda place

my wife and i have been dining here for the last 5 years and this one of our favorite restaurants in the des moines area.  we like to reserve visits for special occasions and the flying mango is the place we go.  they serve dishes that feature barbecue, caribbean, and cajun.   the service is excellent and  the steaks, seafood, and bbq will invigorate your taste buds.     some of our favorite dinners include the memphis ribs, any of the pork chops, the louisiana platter,  red neck surf and turf, and the 24 hour beef brisket.    louisiana platter i recommend that you call in advance and make a dinner reservation.  you can call them at 515-255-411.  if you receive their voice mail leave a message with a few times that will work for you.  they have always called mebackto confirm.  in the summer they have a wonderful patio that is smoke free.  sometimes they even have live music. check out the schedule and purchase your tickets here.   these dinner events sell out and are very popular.  s

dinner. completely amazed with the taste, service and all the personality they put into the "flying mango". we ordered the brisket and ribs and were not disappointed at all. both were mouth-watering dishes!! our waiter was funny, knowledgeable of the dishes, wine etc. he helped our first impressions completely.
definately will bebacktime and time again.

excellent!. friends brought us to the flying mango recently and the flavors in the air had my mouth watering before we even got inside. the creative menu offers a tour of memphis by way of louisiana and even though i was stuffed by the end of the meal, i was still glancing enviously at dishes being brought out to the other guests (something to comebackfor, i guess!). i opted for the brisket, which was so tender and had a smoky, flavorful char that was to die for. my wife ordered the big chop--a slab of pork so thick that i wasn't sure how it would taste. my fears were quickly put to rest, however, as it was juicy and nicely complimented by the housemade sauce found on every table that offered a subtle kick. quibbles were slight--the potato of the day, a mash with bacon and cheddar that sounded delicious, was surprisingly bland and dry and the fire-roasted spiced apples lacked the zing i had hoped for.
atmosphere was fun--a lively energy in the crowd, interesting artwork, and an open kitchen near the entry area that will help you decide what you what to eat while you wait. service was fine, if perhaps a touch slow given the packed house. portions were plentiful (enough for leftovers) and prices were fair (most entrees were between $10-20, less for sandwiches).
grade: a

memphis ain't got nothin' on the mango. let me say upfront that i love memphis-style ribs. i've eaten them multiple times at the rendezvous and corky's in memphis (go to corky's if you if ask me) and flying mango's stack up well. the half-rack was 6 meaty ribs with excellent smokiness and just this side of fall-off-the-bone tender. the sauce (in a squeeze bottle at each table) was delicious. not particularly spicy, but flavorful nonetheless. had the red beans and rice as a side. the red beans were made nicely spicy with the addition of andouille sausage. lip-smacking good. and, of course, i had to have the corn bread with cinnamon butter. de-lish. short, but well-chosen selections of wine and beer. the ommegang hennepin paired very nicely with the ribs. excellent meal and attentive, friendly service. i'm anxious to gobackto try out the rest of the menu.

too yummy!. yum!!! my cousin brought me here because it's her favorite restaurant. i loved it!! i had a hard time choosing what to get because everything sounded delicious. i ended up ordering the cajun catfish and it was delish! my cousin had the brisket which also amazing. i will definitely comebackbefore i leave and whenever i come into town.

best bbq in the south is in des moines!. every now and then you stumble across a joint where the food conveys a sense of passion and pride that is, in a word, "inspirational." and it was in des moines, of all places, in a little place called the "flying mango" that i recently sampled the best smoked brisket and ribs i've ever had the pleasure to know.

i hail from bbq land. i've been in a lot famous and not-so-famous places with stacks of wood outbackand smoke a rollin' from the stack. memphis, kc, north carolina, texas… shocking as it may seem, the crew at the flying mango are cooking something very, very special. and it ain't easy for a southern man to admit that mike wedeking, a damn yankee, has mastered the signature dish of dixie!

citizens of des moines, i wonder if you know that you've got a genuine, gold-plated, diamond-encrusted, world-class bbq joint nestled in yourbackyard.

enjoy! i know i will every time i find myself in the vicinity.

mmmm! i keep goingbackfor the ribs - best in des moines - he always gets the brisket! both worth the 45 weekend wait - or pick it up to take home. glad this caterer opened a place to sit and eat. jeans or suits, comfortable location.