This was excellent BBQ, and are server was wonderful, we went with a Large group of family. Most of us got the dinner for 2 with 4 sides and all shared was smart way to feed a lot of people and we had lots of left over. Sauces are awesome with great vatiety I will go back!!
(4)
Drew H.
Nice place. Clean, good bbq, friendly staff, and they had shiner bock on tap. I had brisket, pulled pork, and turkey combo. All 3 were great, and pork was exceptional. Applesauce was awesome. Only reason for 4 stars was the noise. It is appropriate if in a group out for a good time, but a little loud if alone or with family and you want to just go and relax.
(4)
Kevin N.
Pretty good bbq. I sat at the bar and got faster service than you'll get at most sit down restaurants. Food came out less than 10 mins after order was placed. Nice staff and overall good bbq. They were featured on man vs food.
(4)
Robert K.
WOW!! Stopped in after a long day of driving. Staff was friendly. Food was bonkers good...sauces were OK, but the chop spoke for itself. I tried the smoked chop, mac n cheese, and the waffle fries...all of which were great! The cornbread was fantastic as well! A must try for locals and travelers both!
(5)
Frederic B.
What do you do when traveling in business? Try some of the local favourites. This one did not disappoint. Great brisket, great pulled pork and savoury sides. Just wish they offered a range of various sauces to try with those great meats. I know I will be back in Des Moines often and Jethro's will be on my list to go back to.
(4)
Andrea T.
We had a group of 10 come here for lunch a couple weeks after it opened. I had called ahead the week before and requested a space for 10 and was told they were not accepting reservations since they had just opened. However, they agreed to give us a table "away" from the noise as much as possible. We arrived at 11:30 am and were the only ones initially in the back room. Our waitress took our drinks order right away. The place filled up VERY quickly and we saw many people who were waiting for a table. We started with a large order of wings (40 total) with 4 different flavors. My favorite Jethro's rub for the wings is the BBQ Rub. We devoured the wings and then ordered our dishes for the lunch. I opted to get the special that day which was pulled rib meat with pickles, onions, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I had a salad as my side. I really like Jethro's ribs and this meat was no exception. I will admit that I didn't eat any of the roll as the meat was plenty. The only reason for four instead of five stars is that it took quite some time to get our actual lunches out. I'm not sure how long we actually waited but it was a while. Also, I do not like the arrangement of tables in this location (and most Jethro's locations). It leaves little room to move and get around the other tables if needed.
(4)
Chelsea M.
I have been here several times. Must have: MAC N CHEESE! So creamy and delicious! My sister actually brought a vat of the stuff back to WI for us. Yes it's that good! The "applesauce". More like applesauce with apple slices and cinnamon. So delicious. Thye have a great array of sauces for every taste. Only downside, our service is always lacking a little. Nothing that stops us from going back every time we visit, but prepare to wait.
(4)
Mark C.
I went here alone when in the area for business and sat at the bar to watch a game, eat some food and drink some beer. There were both bar seats and tables available around 8pm which was nice. The TVs were huge and all on the game I wanted. The bartender was great at letting me try 2 local brews before I decided which was helpful because I ended up getting the one I didn't think I would like. I ordered a 2 meat plate (brisket and pulled chicken) with sides of mac and cheese and stuffing. Both sides were recommended by the bartender, and man were they good. I eat a lot of of BBQ and while the chicken was awesome, the brisket was just good - only reason for 4 stars.
(4)
Andy S.
As average BBQ as you can get, but for some odd reason they keep appearing all over Des moines. You will eat here with a big group sometime, you will not mind the food, you will forget about this place because it is a dime a dozen.
(3)
Tim W.
There are few BBQ joints that I would go out of my way for and Jethro's is one of them. We had an epic selection of meats, sauces and sides. Standout favorites were the wings, cheddar cheese jalapeño smoked corn (holy awesomeness!) and the hand dipped onion rings within chipotle ranch. The place is large (~250 seats) and has a big bar with good beer selection. Enjoy!
(5)
K S.
I remember watching a Man verus Food episode that included Jethro's BBQ. Add on that newspaper article about Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies showing interest and I just had to stop. This place is brand new and immaculate. There's plenty of parking in the rear if you're worried about a full parking lot up front. There's also plenty of space to sit inside. The all wood interior and televisions just made this place more fun. I ordered the half rack and half chicken combo. I also added the macaroni and corn dishes for my sides. I was not dissapointed with the quantity for all four. That rack looked a mile long and it felt like it after I finished. I do prefer the meat of my chicken and ribs to fall off the bone. I didn't quite get that this time but it was still good. I did try all four sauces including that mysterious white sauce that I actually liked. The sauces were pretty good and added a lot of variety. I'll be back.
(4)
Meredith L.
Other than me being the only one cheering for Iowa state, we had great service and the food was wonderful. Thank you! GO CLONES!
(5)
Joshua G.
I guess you could call me a BBQ snob, I love to grill and smoke my own, so I expected to be underwhelmed by Jethro's BBQ n' Pork Chop Grill. I had the Jethro, which is a pork tenderloin with Carolina style pulled pork, house smoked pit ham, and a double order of thick slab bacon. First off, the thing as HUGE. I'm a big man and I couldn't finish it. The ham was the star of the huge sandwich, had excellent flavor. I had the mac 'n cheese as a side. They use big pasta shells and the cheese sauce is excellent. Service was excellent. The place was packed, yet there was ample room. It does get really noisy there (at least when we were there) which is a big turn off. As much as I like this place I WILL NOT RETURN. They have a NO WEAPONS sign posted on their front door. I'm a big supporter of the second amendment and refuse to give my money to businesses that don't want me to protect myself and my family. There's a Facebook group with over 16k members that list businesses in Iowa that are anti-gun and I didn't check it before I went, shame on me... and Jethro's is listed as anti-gun. Most Yelpsters (hipsters) won't give a shit about this, but I don't give a fuck about them ;) so, it's whatever. Good restaurants should focus on food and not politics and not treat their customers like children. Bad move Jethro's... bad move.
(4)
Jimmy M.
Don't be dumb, try the cream corn. Speaking of dumb, the s in Des Moines is silent......feeling like a meat head.
(4)
Megan I.
Tried the sampler for 2. Delicious brisket, ribs and pulled pork!! Sides of creamed corn, Mac n cheese, cole slaw and sweet potato mash. It was all really good, great atmosphere and friendly staff.
(4)
Misty H.
Our first visit here, loved it. Sat at bar Saturday night. Bartender was friendly . Food came out super fast and wow the pint drinks are awesome. We usually drive to KC for BBQ but man, mama I'm coming home, the serving was huge for 26 bucks we got double what we would get at Gates BBQ. It was different then Gates but really good.
(5)
Sarah A.
This is one of my favorite places so far in Johnston. We met a few friends here for drinks and then a few days later we ordered out. The service was friendly on both occasions. When people at our table asked for drink recommendations the waitress was able to suggest beers off the menu that matched their tastes. She was also extremely patient when a few of us lagged behind after paying the check. When we ordered out, they did forget one of our side dishes. However, when I stopped by later to pick up the item and asked to buy a dessert, they gave me the dessert without charge as an apology. This is a very good service practice and was greatly appreciated. In addition, we found their food to be of high quality. Both my partner and I are in love with the sandwiches we got there. His club sandwich was moist and flavorful. My pulled pork was similar and came with a fantastic sauce that didn't overpower the good meat it was made with. Don't even get us started on the pickle chips, which we ordered both times. They're sliced thin and served with a zesty ranch-like sauce.
(5)
Jessica D.
We love Jethro's and visit the various locations often, but this is the last time we'll visit this location. The service was very slow and my sandwich the "Ricky Bobby" was dry" and the breading was burnt.
(2)
Chris B.
I really like to leave positive reviews, but here's an instance where I can't. This place doesn't deserve the Jethro's name. You really get the impression that the staff would love their jobs if not for these pesky customers. I ordered wings on a Saturday afternoon. They tasted like they were leftover from Tuesday night's wing night. They were dry and cold. Skip this location and go to the original by Drake. Better food, better customer service, better atmosphere.
(1)
Brian O.
Love the pulled pork melts with cole slaw and cheese. I tried the ribs but they were not to my liking--too fatty. Stick witht he pulled pork melts and you won't be unhappy.
(4)
Luke D.
We generally go to Jethros at least twice a month and have enjoyed are experiences. Until now! We showed up and sat there for about ten minutes at 9:00 after the rude host sat us. No one took our drink order so we left, Never going to any jethros again.
(1)
Mike P.
Good BBQ for the area, good place to get a sandwich and a beer while watching the game.
(4)
Nick H.
Best lunch ever, BBQ rub wings are my favorite, can't wait to come back and try all the other amazing items on the menu
(5)
Sylvia D.
Ordered the stuffed pork chop @ $18.95. Wouldn't order it again and found my entire meal to be cafeteria quality. The stuffing tasted like it came out of a package. The thickest part of the meat was actually not cooked enough and the meat was raw in a couple of places. My sides were mashed potatoes with gravy and coleslaw. I love coleslaw but mine arrived just below room temperature and while it looked like it would be crisp, it was disappointingly limp. Was concerned it had been left standing with salad dressing on it and so didn't eat much of it, although if it had been crunchy, would have said that it was excellent. The mashed potatoes seemed like they came out of a package and they had apparently been nuked in a microwave because they arrived super hot and were way, way too hot to eat. If everything had been perfect, this meal should have been no more than $12.00. Right after a food runner brought my meal and before I'd delved into it, my server came by and asked if I had everything I needed. I had no comments yet on the food, but I told her I had everything I needed and she never checked back to see if the food was satisfactory. She disappeared until she brought my check and it was at that time that I told her the problems with my meal and showed her the raw parts of the meat I couldn't eat. My check total was reduced by a couple of dollars. I also had a Bud light draw which was $4. I was there around 6 p.m. for dinner, the place was about half full. My food came out promptly, but my server should have been more on the job. Would have had her at least take back my coleslaw and bring me fresh. My total with tip after the discount & disappointment in my plate of food was $22.50.
(1)
Troy G.
This place has the worst customer service I have ever experienced... And they are consistent with having poor service...save your money and go to Texas Roadhouse there BBQ is better and great service. When we came in this place was not busy and all the girls were chatting about gossip...we tried to seat ourself then they decides to get up...after waiting 56 minutes for our food a elderly gentleman who had a hard time walking seated himself and the waitress actually told him he had to go back up to the front door...the elderly man explained to her that the girls at the front door are busy talking and joking around...stay away from this place unless you like poor service and cold food!
(1)
Adam G.
This particular location isn't as good as the others in this local chain. You get better food and service out at the Jethro's in Waukee. This one is far closer to my house but we always drive out to Waukee.
(3)
Rich S.
Good Bar B Que. Must try the jalepeno cream corn side. Just the right mix of hot and sweet. Service was fast and provided good recommendations. I will have to come back next time I am in town.
(4)
K H.
Sunday brunch was the typical American fare, with a slight BBQ twist. Far overpriced for the food quality.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Carly S.
This was excellent BBQ, and are server was wonderful, we went with a Large group of family. Most of us got the dinner for 2 with 4 sides and all shared was smart way to feed a lot of people and we had lots of left over. Sauces are awesome with great vatiety I will go back!!
(4)Drew H.
Nice place. Clean, good bbq, friendly staff, and they had shiner bock on tap. I had brisket, pulled pork, and turkey combo. All 3 were great, and pork was exceptional. Applesauce was awesome. Only reason for 4 stars was the noise. It is appropriate if in a group out for a good time, but a little loud if alone or with family and you want to just go and relax.
(4)Kevin N.
Pretty good bbq. I sat at the bar and got faster service than you'll get at most sit down restaurants. Food came out less than 10 mins after order was placed. Nice staff and overall good bbq. They were featured on man vs food.
(4)Robert K.
WOW!! Stopped in after a long day of driving. Staff was friendly. Food was bonkers good...sauces were OK, but the chop spoke for itself. I tried the smoked chop, mac n cheese, and the waffle fries...all of which were great! The cornbread was fantastic as well! A must try for locals and travelers both!
(5)Frederic B.
What do you do when traveling in business? Try some of the local favourites. This one did not disappoint. Great brisket, great pulled pork and savoury sides. Just wish they offered a range of various sauces to try with those great meats. I know I will be back in Des Moines often and Jethro's will be on my list to go back to.
(4)Andrea T.
We had a group of 10 come here for lunch a couple weeks after it opened. I had called ahead the week before and requested a space for 10 and was told they were not accepting reservations since they had just opened. However, they agreed to give us a table "away" from the noise as much as possible. We arrived at 11:30 am and were the only ones initially in the back room. Our waitress took our drinks order right away. The place filled up VERY quickly and we saw many people who were waiting for a table. We started with a large order of wings (40 total) with 4 different flavors. My favorite Jethro's rub for the wings is the BBQ Rub. We devoured the wings and then ordered our dishes for the lunch. I opted to get the special that day which was pulled rib meat with pickles, onions, and cheese on a hoagie roll. I had a salad as my side. I really like Jethro's ribs and this meat was no exception. I will admit that I didn't eat any of the roll as the meat was plenty. The only reason for four instead of five stars is that it took quite some time to get our actual lunches out. I'm not sure how long we actually waited but it was a while. Also, I do not like the arrangement of tables in this location (and most Jethro's locations). It leaves little room to move and get around the other tables if needed.
(4)Chelsea M.
I have been here several times. Must have: MAC N CHEESE! So creamy and delicious! My sister actually brought a vat of the stuff back to WI for us. Yes it's that good! The "applesauce". More like applesauce with apple slices and cinnamon. So delicious. Thye have a great array of sauces for every taste. Only downside, our service is always lacking a little. Nothing that stops us from going back every time we visit, but prepare to wait.
(4)Mark C.
I went here alone when in the area for business and sat at the bar to watch a game, eat some food and drink some beer. There were both bar seats and tables available around 8pm which was nice. The TVs were huge and all on the game I wanted. The bartender was great at letting me try 2 local brews before I decided which was helpful because I ended up getting the one I didn't think I would like. I ordered a 2 meat plate (brisket and pulled chicken) with sides of mac and cheese and stuffing. Both sides were recommended by the bartender, and man were they good. I eat a lot of of BBQ and while the chicken was awesome, the brisket was just good - only reason for 4 stars.
(4)Andy S.
As average BBQ as you can get, but for some odd reason they keep appearing all over Des moines. You will eat here with a big group sometime, you will not mind the food, you will forget about this place because it is a dime a dozen.
(3)Tim W.
There are few BBQ joints that I would go out of my way for and Jethro's is one of them. We had an epic selection of meats, sauces and sides. Standout favorites were the wings, cheddar cheese jalapeño smoked corn (holy awesomeness!) and the hand dipped onion rings within chipotle ranch. The place is large (~250 seats) and has a big bar with good beer selection. Enjoy!
(5)K S.
I remember watching a Man verus Food episode that included Jethro's BBQ. Add on that newspaper article about Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies showing interest and I just had to stop. This place is brand new and immaculate. There's plenty of parking in the rear if you're worried about a full parking lot up front. There's also plenty of space to sit inside. The all wood interior and televisions just made this place more fun. I ordered the half rack and half chicken combo. I also added the macaroni and corn dishes for my sides. I was not dissapointed with the quantity for all four. That rack looked a mile long and it felt like it after I finished. I do prefer the meat of my chicken and ribs to fall off the bone. I didn't quite get that this time but it was still good. I did try all four sauces including that mysterious white sauce that I actually liked. The sauces were pretty good and added a lot of variety. I'll be back.
(4)Meredith L.
Other than me being the only one cheering for Iowa state, we had great service and the food was wonderful. Thank you! GO CLONES!
(5)Joshua G.
I guess you could call me a BBQ snob, I love to grill and smoke my own, so I expected to be underwhelmed by Jethro's BBQ n' Pork Chop Grill. I had the Jethro, which is a pork tenderloin with Carolina style pulled pork, house smoked pit ham, and a double order of thick slab bacon. First off, the thing as HUGE. I'm a big man and I couldn't finish it. The ham was the star of the huge sandwich, had excellent flavor. I had the mac 'n cheese as a side. They use big pasta shells and the cheese sauce is excellent. Service was excellent. The place was packed, yet there was ample room. It does get really noisy there (at least when we were there) which is a big turn off. As much as I like this place I WILL NOT RETURN. They have a NO WEAPONS sign posted on their front door. I'm a big supporter of the second amendment and refuse to give my money to businesses that don't want me to protect myself and my family. There's a Facebook group with over 16k members that list businesses in Iowa that are anti-gun and I didn't check it before I went, shame on me... and Jethro's is listed as anti-gun. Most Yelpsters (hipsters) won't give a shit about this, but I don't give a fuck about them ;) so, it's whatever. Good restaurants should focus on food and not politics and not treat their customers like children. Bad move Jethro's... bad move.
(4)Jimmy M.
Don't be dumb, try the cream corn. Speaking of dumb, the s in Des Moines is silent......feeling like a meat head.
(4)Megan I.
Tried the sampler for 2. Delicious brisket, ribs and pulled pork!! Sides of creamed corn, Mac n cheese, cole slaw and sweet potato mash. It was all really good, great atmosphere and friendly staff.
(4)Misty H.
Our first visit here, loved it. Sat at bar Saturday night. Bartender was friendly . Food came out super fast and wow the pint drinks are awesome. We usually drive to KC for BBQ but man, mama I'm coming home, the serving was huge for 26 bucks we got double what we would get at Gates BBQ. It was different then Gates but really good.
(5)Sarah A.
This is one of my favorite places so far in Johnston. We met a few friends here for drinks and then a few days later we ordered out. The service was friendly on both occasions. When people at our table asked for drink recommendations the waitress was able to suggest beers off the menu that matched their tastes. She was also extremely patient when a few of us lagged behind after paying the check. When we ordered out, they did forget one of our side dishes. However, when I stopped by later to pick up the item and asked to buy a dessert, they gave me the dessert without charge as an apology. This is a very good service practice and was greatly appreciated. In addition, we found their food to be of high quality. Both my partner and I are in love with the sandwiches we got there. His club sandwich was moist and flavorful. My pulled pork was similar and came with a fantastic sauce that didn't overpower the good meat it was made with. Don't even get us started on the pickle chips, which we ordered both times. They're sliced thin and served with a zesty ranch-like sauce.
(5)Jessica D.
We love Jethro's and visit the various locations often, but this is the last time we'll visit this location. The service was very slow and my sandwich the "Ricky Bobby" was dry" and the breading was burnt.
(2)Chris B.
I really like to leave positive reviews, but here's an instance where I can't. This place doesn't deserve the Jethro's name. You really get the impression that the staff would love their jobs if not for these pesky customers. I ordered wings on a Saturday afternoon. They tasted like they were leftover from Tuesday night's wing night. They were dry and cold. Skip this location and go to the original by Drake. Better food, better customer service, better atmosphere.
(1)Brian O.
Love the pulled pork melts with cole slaw and cheese. I tried the ribs but they were not to my liking--too fatty. Stick witht he pulled pork melts and you won't be unhappy.
(4)Luke D.
We generally go to Jethros at least twice a month and have enjoyed are experiences. Until now! We showed up and sat there for about ten minutes at 9:00 after the rude host sat us. No one took our drink order so we left, Never going to any jethros again.
(1)Mike P.
Good BBQ for the area, good place to get a sandwich and a beer while watching the game.
(4)Nick H.
Best lunch ever, BBQ rub wings are my favorite, can't wait to come back and try all the other amazing items on the menu
(5)Sylvia D.
Ordered the stuffed pork chop @ $18.95. Wouldn't order it again and found my entire meal to be cafeteria quality. The stuffing tasted like it came out of a package. The thickest part of the meat was actually not cooked enough and the meat was raw in a couple of places. My sides were mashed potatoes with gravy and coleslaw. I love coleslaw but mine arrived just below room temperature and while it looked like it would be crisp, it was disappointingly limp. Was concerned it had been left standing with salad dressing on it and so didn't eat much of it, although if it had been crunchy, would have said that it was excellent. The mashed potatoes seemed like they came out of a package and they had apparently been nuked in a microwave because they arrived super hot and were way, way too hot to eat. If everything had been perfect, this meal should have been no more than $12.00. Right after a food runner brought my meal and before I'd delved into it, my server came by and asked if I had everything I needed. I had no comments yet on the food, but I told her I had everything I needed and she never checked back to see if the food was satisfactory. She disappeared until she brought my check and it was at that time that I told her the problems with my meal and showed her the raw parts of the meat I couldn't eat. My check total was reduced by a couple of dollars. I also had a Bud light draw which was $4. I was there around 6 p.m. for dinner, the place was about half full. My food came out promptly, but my server should have been more on the job. Would have had her at least take back my coleslaw and bring me fresh. My total with tip after the discount & disappointment in my plate of food was $22.50.
(1)Troy G.
This place has the worst customer service I have ever experienced... And they are consistent with having poor service...save your money and go to Texas Roadhouse there BBQ is better and great service. When we came in this place was not busy and all the girls were chatting about gossip...we tried to seat ourself then they decides to get up...after waiting 56 minutes for our food a elderly gentleman who had a hard time walking seated himself and the waitress actually told him he had to go back up to the front door...the elderly man explained to her that the girls at the front door are busy talking and joking around...stay away from this place unless you like poor service and cold food!
(1)Adam G.
This particular location isn't as good as the others in this local chain. You get better food and service out at the Jethro's in Waukee. This one is far closer to my house but we always drive out to Waukee.
(3)Rich S.
Good Bar B Que. Must try the jalepeno cream corn side. Just the right mix of hot and sweet. Service was fast and provided good recommendations. I will have to come back next time I am in town.
(4)K H.
Sunday brunch was the typical American fare, with a slight BBQ twist. Far overpriced for the food quality.
(2)