Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon Bacon — Restaurant in West Des Moines

Jethro's has a large open interior. You can hear each other talk, something too often missing in large restaurants. It has a sports bar vibe mixed with... hmm. Let me think on it. There are approx. 20 tvs surrounding the room.

We ordered the Iowa Platter, a sampler of offerings easily big enough for two or three people. They pile on the meats and you pick four sides. The green beans and fried pickles aren't bad, the mac n cheese is homemade and legit. The mashed potatoes are for real, I can't get enough of them.

The cornbread muffins are awesome. The only thing that could make them any better is a some jalapeño baked in.

The bacon is okay. Thick and sweet, could be cooked a little more. It seems more like pork belly than bacon.

The jalapeno sausage is good, nicely seasoned. The chicken, pork, and brisket are all very good.

I tried all of the sauces, too. White Sauce: Meh. Spicy Sauce: meh and a half. Signature Sauce: good. Georgia Sauce: perfect on the chicken. Carolina Sauce: great on everything else.

The platter great is a bargain, ton of food. It would have been better served on a hot platter to help keep the food warm though. All of the staff did a good job and was courteous.

I'm still trying to figure out the second half of the vibe is. Maybe sports bar and trendy brew pub that serves decent food. Yeah, let's...

Have been here many times and it has always been happy with it. The food has been good and the service has always been great. The place seems well kept and clean from what I've seen and the place is fun inside albeit with a sometimes odd choice of music for a bbq place. Went in tonight and had some wings. All was great, but as I was looking over our bill I see the new market fee. I wasn't warned about it, nor did I notice it posted anywhere. Instead of going home feeling great about the meal, we left feeling like a place we really like just tried to put one over on us. It's a trivial amount of money, but the way it makes people feel when it catches them off guard is not. I just don't understand why as a restaurant owner you would want to itemize out a "fee" on that final interaction, (the bill) that is not something yours guests want, asked for, or appreciate. If it's not something that addsled value to the guest experience, you shouldn't draw attention to it by listing it. Prices for everything have gone up, no one will be surprised if you raise yours, but I assure you no one will be leaving happier for having had you itemize...

Out of all the Jethro's chains in the Des Moines area, Bacon Bacon in West Des Moines has to be our favorite due to our bias towards breakfast/brunch. Located in a strip mall off of the 22nd St. exit on I-235, this Jethro's location is relatively easy to access. Like your typical Jethro's, there are good BBQ meats and the ability to order and take the Emmenecker challenge. What is special about this location is the availability of brunch served all day and the stocking of tator tots on the menu. Our favorite dish is the Tator Tot Nachos ("totchos"), which is essentially a glorified nacho dish made with tator tots instead of tortilla chips. For those that love spicy BBQ sauce but can't seem to find a BBQ sauce spicy enough on the table, you can request the Ghost BBQ sauce from your waiting staff. The spiciest BBQ sauce Jethro's make comes in the typical plastic honey bear jar. As the name implies, it's made with ghost peppers and should be used with caution. Service is wonderful and the wait can get slightly long during weekend...