Jethro's Bbq Southside - Des Moines

I had never visited this restaurant before, but I went in feeling nostalgic for the old Orlando's that used to occupy the space. I left pleasantly surprised by the transformation. The onion rings were fantastic, and my partner's burger was delicious! However, my ribs had a taste reminiscent of cooking fuel and were overcooked. The portions were generous, and everything was well-presented, with service that was exceptional. The open floor plan and updated decor created a lively sports bar vibe, and I definitely plan to return!

Parking: There are plenty of spaces available. Wheelchair accessibility: The restaurant features ramps and automatic doors for easy access.

I ordered the brisket and initially rated it an 8 out of 10, but after adding their Carolina White Sauce, it became a solid 10. The staff was friendly and prompt, and the atmosphere was fantastic. I will definitely be returning!

Went to this restaurant during lunch and ordered the half pound shrimp with potato salad, mashed potatoes and gravy and toast. Absolutely delicious, mashed potatoes were so good as was everything else, highly

Disclosure: I’m picky about my BBQ. If you ain’t, then disregard. If you are a fellow ‘Q’ connoisseur, however, keep reading! I ordered the Brisket Basket which comes with sliced brisket, chopped brisket, and burnt ends. It also comes with a corn muffin or toast and two sides. I chose green beans and the jalapeño creamed corn with a corn muffin. The sliced brisket was tender enough and plenty juicy, as was the chopped BBQ which is seasoned with a house rub, which was not the case with the sliced brisket. I preferred the chopped over the sliced brisket and burnt ends, as the seasoning made up for my biggest gripe with the other two options. Hardly any smoke! I’m sorry, but unless you can put a deep smoke ring in your meat, your BBQ is just ‘Meh’ to me. My personal opinion, but I think it’s a valid point. The sliced and the burnt were just too bland for me. The burnt ends were also a little too dried out to call good, unfortunately. The jalapeño creamed corn? VERY good! Surprisingly, it had a HEAVY smoke on it. I mean, what, the, actual, cuss??? How do you put such a great smoke on the corn and then blow it on the meat??!! Baffling. I would also suggest actually putting jalapeño in it, as I detected zero in the flavor profile, nor did I see any jalapeño bits of any kind. No one who is worried about something being spicy is going to order it anyway, so you might as well give it a little zing, right? It was still quite good, however. I would give Jethto’s a solid 3.5 stars. I give them high marks on overall quality and freshness (except for the burnt ends), but unfortunately they fall very short on flavor. It’s just super ordinary. And hey, maybe that’s a thing for some people. Just not me.