We stopped here on a whim making our way through Iowa on a road trip. I was looking for a good place that could fill my family and keep them full for a while so we could keep driving. From other Yelp reviews, this place looked like a good place to try. Walking in, it first reminds you of a dive bar and staff were a little slow to seat us on a Thursday lunch but once we got our seats, service was speedier and we were eating soon enough. Service was attentive and our waitress made sure we had things taken care of. The best bang for your buck (or at least for my family of five) was ordering the family sampler platter. We got an assortment of meats including pulled pork, brisket, sausage, and chicken. We also tried the baked beans, mac and cheese, and waffle fries. Portions for the sampler are huge and filled us all up with a little extra left over. The BBQ was really good, just what we were wanting. You can't have good BBQ without good sauce (my opinion) and Jethro's had an assortment to find just the right one for the meat/entrée you were eating. Definitely a great stop, I'm glad we took a small detour to find this location.

When you enter it feels very homey, like a dive bar with the budget for a few extra televisions. Tuesdays are 2 fo 1 wings at Jethro's, our service was amazing and super attentive, couldn't of asked for better. I ordered 20 wings with the Garlic Parm and the Carolina sauces. Amazing. Not too much nor too little, the Garlic parm was completely different to what you may find anywhere else, definitely a worthy choice (garlic parm and jethro's).

This is one of a small chain of BBQ restaurants in the greater Des Moines region. The menu offers many of the same quality dishes that were served up in the main Des Moines outlet, which was destroyed by fire and never reopened. And don't let looks deceive you. Physically, this is an enormous sports bar, with tv's, pool and other games galore. It is also a full service bar. But the 'cue is squarely in the Jethro's tradition, and the service is very good. $19.51 + tip purchased a hefty stockyard sandwich with a side of mac 'n cheese, and a refillable soft drink (Pepsi products). Taking the sandwich apart revealed sliced brisket and burnt ends that were moist, tender, well smoked, and flavorful. The mac 'n cheese, a Jethro's signature dish, was creamy and loaded with flavor-- but the pasta was rigatoni, so naturally the flavor exploded in one's mouth. In sum, this is solid 'cue, and it is well worth driving in from the interstate.

Very good service and tasty entrées. We originally told would be waiting an hour for our seats but ended up only being 15 minutes.

Worth the visit!! Jethro's has been on a number of food TV shows and famous competitive eaters have made their way out to Ames for various food challenges. The facility itself is HUGE. They have a large game room, private dining rooms, bar and regular dining space. It was pretty busy during our last visit so we took a seat at the bar. Plenty of big screen TVs to keep you entertained. They got a little bit of everything on the menu so you can't go wrong. We tried the wings and then we got the Cajun Sandwich and the Fried Pork sandwich, they were both very good and packed with flavor. All of their sides are homemade! Service was also great which made our stay even better. It will likely be a regular spot I visit the next time I'm in Ames.

Jethro's BBQ is a local chain that serves heaping family platters, such as The Iowa Platter with four different meats, four sides, and your choice of Texas toast or cornbread muffins. Six different sauces provided ample variety for the most discerning palate. The three of us ate a meal that easily feeds four... and the price of the platter was under $30! That's just insane! You must go here! About the only issue we had was our platter was not hot, but just a little above room temperature, so I get the feeling that the food was just sitting around all day in containers waiting to be plucked out and served. Still, the meats ranged anywhere from good to very good, so I'm satisfied with the food here and the great value for your money.

Man, this place is huge! It's a sports bar, BBQ restaurant, game room, and hotel conference room(s) all rolled into one. The Ragin' Cajun sandwich was great at first, but by the end it was only so-so. I kind of felt the same about the Jalapeno Cream Corn. If I had a do-over, I'd probably try the brisket instead.