Jethro's BBQ
Jethro's BBQ things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Dinner. Wanna watch? #tiktok #fyp @Jethro’s BBQ #desmoines #iowa #sundayfunday
jennnybrooks
161
Watching an episode of the food channel yesterday morning my wife Pam observed a particularly tasty looking bowl of macaroni and cheese being prepared. The next thing I knew we were on our way to the Jethro's Altoona Location which serves the best, tastiest, creamiest macaroni on the planet. I'm not the biggest fan of macaroni and cheese but this is for sure the exception, I could easily make a meal of it and walk away happy and full. I ordered the 10 smoked chicken wings with Chili Teriyaki Sauce. The sauce features a comfortable but very pleasant spice burn, with a sweet flavor finish (It's really, really good). We were surprised to learn on Tuesday's we get 10 additional wings free, we ordered those with buffalo sauce, by the way Jethro's take on buffalo sauce is exceptional, a very nicely balanced flavor with a gentle burn. The wings were moist, tender and plump, way off the charts in deliciousness. Pam of course ordered a bowl of her favorite side, the macaroni and cheese which is what brought us here in the first place, along with a bowl of delicious green beans. We ordered a half size plate of Jethro's (epic) onion rings to munch on before our orders arrived. Glad it was only a half size, as full size would easily feed and stuff several people. Our server Jazmin knocked it out of the park with her helpfulness in answering our menu questions, she was very attentive, friendly and made us feel like family, Jazmin checked on us numerous times during our meal, we could only communicate by nodding, as our mouths were stuffed clear full. lol The Altoona Jethro's location have consistently knocked it out of the park every visit. Always excellent staff and management, nice atmosphere, the food never disappoints and has proved consistently excellent, every time. I strongly recommend this restaurant, seems to be very well run, along with having what must surely be an award winning kitchen. There were plenty of wings and some onion rings, along with a few green beans to take home. I'll Give you one guess what's for dinner tonight. lol Oh, by the way Jethro's Cousin Card saved $10. off our meal, which was around $34.00 but ended up $24.00. We both felt their pricing was very reasonable, especially after stuffing two people, than having leftovers to bring home for our meal tonight.
Ron Husted
00
Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram at SNDTRAVELS and EATWELLTRAVELOFTEN 4.27.23 Nice place with friendly service. We were greeted and seated quickly. Diane had the BBQ sandwich with sliced brisket and sweet potato fries. The brisket was nice and tender, and the fries were hot and crispy. I had the BBQ melt with chopped brisket, Swiss and American cheese on Texas toast. The first version came out on burnt toast and had leftover burnt pieces of brisket that were dry and un edible. The server agreed that it was bad and quickly had them redo it. The manager then came by and apologized and brought me the new sandwich. Very good handling of the issue. The new sandwich was perfectly cooked toast and juicy, tender brisket. Awesome. When we received our check, I noticed that there was a $2 upcharge on each sandwich for choosing brisket. I was taken by surprise because the menu only shows and upcherge for the plates, but the sandwiches say you can choose any meat and list the price. The manager tried to explain that it's a $2 upcharge on ANY item on the menu. I suggested they make that clear on the menu, and she removed the charges. The manager handled everything without big arguments and with a pleasant attitude. Overall, highly recommended two thumbs-up 👍 👌
Stephen Brewster
00
I know others will disagree, but I was not impressed. I've eaten at several BBQ places and I was really let down by this place. I ordered a 2 meat meal, 1/4 pound of each meat, Turkey and Brisket, and I had to pay 1 dollar more for the Brisket. My 4 oz of Turkey was one slice, no joke one slice, my Brisket was definitely at least 4 oz. The Turkey looked like they grilled it on a flat top before sending it out, which made it dry. The Brisket was somewhat juicy but only where there was fat, the rest was dry, and all of it had no taste, just smoke. The Brisket tasted more like bland roast beef then a smoked and seasoned BBQ meat. When I questioned the server about it, he stated that was the portion size you get, but offered to get me another slice of Turkey for $4 and I said no. I talked with the manager about the portions and he repeated what the server said, he too did offer to bring me another slice, but I was not going to pay $4 for a 4 oz slice of Turkey (that's $16 a pound for smoked Turkey) and I was just done with the whole supper fiasco. My meal of two meats (1/2 lb total), 2 sides, and a drink cost $16.00 so wasn't the most expensive, just not worth it to me. The best part of my meal was the sides. I had waffle fries and cinnamon applesauce with apple chunks in it. Both of those were good, loved the applesauce. The service was good, so no complaints there. Overall would I go again, probably not. If I did, I definitely would not order that meal again.
Jack Scott
00
I can pretty much give all 5 stars for everything, because my husband and I definitely enjoyed the food, the music, our server Kyleana ( and I'm sorry if I chopped her name up). But we really did enjoy everything. We ordered the family share platter which is way too much food for just 2 ppl, but we housed it anyway. Ribs were so tender. We also got the taco waffle fries and those were delicious too. Our server made great suggestions for us and with it being our first visit, we can not complain. My only concern is that it was a little misleading when we got our bill, because we came in on a Sunday, and at the bottom, it says happy hour is 4pm to close on Sundays. So now I'm wondering why that wasn't expressed and why my drink wasn't discounted. It was later explained that the happy hour only applies if you sit at the bar. And the server doesn't offer the information, you have to ask about it. Usually that's a highlight of the whole introduction or welcome. That was definitely a first to me. But now I know. I'll just start asking everywhere I go for happy hour info. Thanx again for the great service tho! Kyleana stayed on top of our drinks and was very pleasant the whole time.
Joanne Phelps
00
Was walking to another food place from the Flying J and decided to stop here instead. Nice place, they do play up the “Man VS Food” thing like Al Bundy scoring 4 touchdowns in 1 game against Bubba Spare Tire Dixon. I ordered steak, green beans and mac & cheese. I did order grilled onions and did not come out with the steak and I asked again and never got them. When time to pay the bill, I let the server know I was perturbed I did not get the onions and she started apologizing and said she would give me a discount. The manager came over and asked about it and she shrugged her shoulders and said, well you were not charged for them. I would not let it ruin my day but the indifference of the manager actually upset me more. I asked twice for onions, I am not going to beg for them. Manager said no discount. The food was decent and priced probably slightly higher then average. Not sure if I would return if I am in the area again.
Kevin McKinney
00
Nearby Attractions Of Jethro's BBQ
Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel
Adventureland Park
Adventureland Resort
Adventureland Inn
Adventureland Campground
Super 8 by Wyndham Altoona
super stop liqour & wine
Circuit Master CB Shop
Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Altoona
Adventureland Corporate Offices

Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel
4.0
(4.4K)
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Adventureland Park
4.3
(3.5K)
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Adventureland Resort
4.3
(3.5K)
Click for details

Adventureland Inn
3.7
(830)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Jethro's BBQ
The Big Steer Restaurant and Lounge
Spectators Sports Bar & Grill
Guadalajara
AJ's Steakhouse
Perkins American Food Co.
Flip’N Jacks Pancake House & Eatery
Scornovacca's Pizza & Pasta
Texas Roadhouse
Culver’s
Cafe at the Meadows

The Big Steer Restaurant and Lounge
4.6
(833)
Click for details

Spectators Sports Bar & Grill
4.2
(679)
Click for details

Guadalajara
4.4
(588)
Click for details

AJ's Steakhouse
4.3
(257)
Click for details
Basic Info
Address
2601 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA 50009
Map
Phone
(515) 957-9727
Call
Website
jethrosdesmoines.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.3
(2.1K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Steak-focused outpost of the regional mini-chain serving smoked meats in a publike atmosphere.
attractions: Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel, Adventureland Park, Adventureland Resort, Adventureland Inn, Adventureland Campground, Super 8 by Wyndham Altoona, super stop liqour & wine, Circuit Master CB Shop, Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Altoona, Adventureland Corporate Offices, restaurants: The Big Steer Restaurant and Lounge, Spectators Sports Bar & Grill, Guadalajara, AJ's Steakhouse, Perkins American Food Co., Flip’N Jacks Pancake House & Eatery, Scornovacca's Pizza & Pasta, Texas Roadhouse, Culver’s, Cafe at the Meadows

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