jethro's bbq

not too bad, but not smoky enough for me.. my wife and i first tried a half order of the onion rings which was still a huge portion, wasn't greasy and tasted just great with the hot sauce that came with it. we couldn't finish it all. i tried the two-meat dinner. the rubbed ribs were very meaty but not the best that i've tasted. what really helped was the add-on sauce. i tried the one labeled "hot" and it was hot and very good. a relative mentioned that the smoked turkey was good, so i tried it and i thought it was only so-so. for the sides, i loved the baked been dish and the potato salad was just ok. the ribs lacked that really robust smoky flavor that i crave, but they were meaty and the portion size was adequate. my wife tried the sauce-less pulled pork and wasn't too crazy about it; but then again, she's not a bbq kind of gal. theservicewas a little slow at first, and then it was more attentive. the prices are fair for the value received.

stopped on the way thru town for a bite. i had breakfast "nachos" - waffle fries, white cheddar sauce, eggs, shredded cheddar, & my choice of meat (brisket). it came w/excellent sides of pico, guacamole, & sour cream. hubby had bbq dinner - one meat of choice (brisket) 2 sides (beans/potato salad) & cornbread. kids had mac & cheese & applesauce, both homemade. that plus 4 drinks was $40 + tip. i was pretty excited by my dish - every component was good & worked well together. hubby wasn't as enthusiastic, felt bbq & sides were just ok. kids liked their meal.servicewas great & super speedy.

breakfast at jethro's is good!. open for breakfast starting at 9:30am on saturday and sunday you can find something to fill your hunger. the breakfast plates here are large and for the most part have a bbq twist. i chose the game day breakfast which included sausage gravy and biscuits, 3 made to order eggs, and hash browns covered in chili and cheese. the combination of chili cheese covered hash browns and sausage gravy really did not work for me. the tastes on their own were great though. overall the food here is always empty plate good, theservicehas been great, and value is right on. i would strongly recommend that you check this any one of the 3 locations for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. it's good.

this was the new waukee location. my previous review was for the new location in waukee.


-----11 dec, 2011-----

a 3 hour wait at 7pm on saturday. this past saturday evening our party of 6 was told along with many others walking in and waiting, that there was a 3 hour wait. it was 7pm and the place had about half of its tables open. the head chef told the staff not to sit anyone for 3 hours due to the fact the kitchen was backed up and couldn't keep up. just unbelievable! a friend also told me the day before that they were told it was an hour wait for lunch! the food may be good but that is not goodservicenor worth a wait like that.

wings on tuesday are amazing! highly recommend the garlic wings.servicewas passable nothing to brag. this place is all sports bar/grill. don't expect super fancy decor orservicebut do expect amazing wings! the outdoor patio is great to eat outside and see everyone you know walk or drive by.

bring back the old jethro's. my husband and i have been regulars of jethro's since the place opened and we used to come in 2-3 times a week for lunch and dinner. we love the food, love the beer, and love the servers. however, in the last 4-5 months our visits have been pretty rough.

we've definitely noticed a new batch of people working here and we are not fans. the whole reason we go to jethro's aside from the food and the beer is because the host knew us, the servers knew us, and the manager always made an effort to come over and talk to us. it made us feel like valued customers, so we returned. lately the food quality has been pretty poor andserviceis lacking. for a while now the hostesses have been high school kids, with no personality and don't talk to us at the door and when we get to the table it's the same with the girl serving us. we enjoyed the old servers who had fun with what they were doing and joked with us, not these new girls who lack any sense of a personality. although when we do get the old servers lately, they're definitely not as happy as they used to be, and the reason is obvious.

last week when my husband and i came in and sat at the bar we were sitting close to the server station and we were not happy with what we overheard. throughout the night, the bald guy, who we've assumed is the new manager (he's never once introduced himself to us) who was handing out food berated his staff, made fun of them when they walked away, and was generally rude to everyone in his path. we were thankful when it was his turn to go home. i could not believe the way he treated his staff and it shocks me that the owner would let this happen to a place that used to be so fun and free. we've definitely cut back our visits to jethro's and i can imagine other people have as well.

good bbq joint in des moines! prices are reasonable,serviceis good, lots of bbq sauces to choose from, yummy sides (mmm mac-n-cheese)! good selection of beer and lots of big tv's to watch the game on! i'll definitely be back!

i am writing this review to commend two people on staff at the jethro's bbq, at 3100 forest ave, in des moines, ia. i was issued a riteinrain pen during my tour in iraq, and this pen holds tons of sentimental value to me. i now work for the department of homeland security. in between details today (june 14th, 2011), we decided to stop at jethro's bbq for lunch/dinner. the food was outstanding and theservicewas exceptional. but more than that, i left my pen there on accident. i called approximately 6 hours later, and spoke with chad burton. he remembered our group and our server ann bobo. she still had my pen! she noticed it was different from the other pens in her apron and had separated it from them! chad told me he would mail it to me in omaha. i cannot begin to express how thoughtful, empathetic, and helpful these two individuals are. and now on to the food! i ate the catfish w/ fries, and a 10 piece wings with their signature "bbq rub". they are seriously out of this world! i brought home half the order for my wife to see if i can sway her loyalty from another wing specialty restaurant! again, my most heartfelt thank you goes to two of your staff, chad burton and ann bobo.

great bbq and a fun place. love this place! the bbq is great, the sides are delicious, the waffle fries are fantastic (i love dipping them in the different bbq sauces), and the place is a lot of fun. theserviceis almost always friendly and fast. the prices are a little high for lunch, but it's better bbq than you can get anywhere else in the neighborhood so it's worth the extra few dollars.

potato salad was good. bbq andservicewas mediocre. should have gone to famous dave's.... sad when a chain beats a local place.

one of the best in town. when you're in dm and feel like bbq, you should try jethro's. i'm not going to make a crazy statement like it's the best bbq in town because that just leads to hour long arguments, but it's definitely in the top 5. theserviceis quick, they have enough screens to watch the games if you want, and there's beer.