Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in Des Moines

Written by:
August 12, 2022
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Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in Des Moines

Cooking meat low and slow over an indirect heat source—the only real qualifications for barbecue—is a truly American tradition, going back to indigenous cultures and picked up by early Spanish colonizers who also gave it the name the cooking style goes by now: barbacoa. Today, barbecue is a wildly popular staple across the U.S., with many cities and regions boasting their own take (and all claiming to have the best). Because barbecue meat spends hours upon hours cooking, restaurants are a go-to source for many Americans who would rather not spend all day and all night tending to their flames. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated barbecue restaurants in Des Moines on Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Some restaurants on the list may have recently closed.

#7. Jethro's Bbq N' Bacon Bacon

- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (215 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.0/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)
- Type of cuisine: American, Barbecue
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 1480 22nd St, West Des Moines, IA 50266-1403
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. Uncle Wendell's BBQ

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (17 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (3.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (2.5/5)
- Type of cuisine: Quick Bites, Barbecue
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 2716 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312-5240
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Big Al's BBQ & Catering

- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (77 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.0/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5)
- Type of cuisine: American, Barbecue
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 1810 Army Post Rd, Des Moines, IA 50315-5413
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Smokey D's BBQ

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (54 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.0/5), Service (4.0/5), Value (4.0/5)
- Type of cuisine: American, Barbecue
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 1200 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50391-9995
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Jethro's BBQ

- Rating: 4.0 / 5 (660 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)
- Type of cuisine: American, Bar
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 3100 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311-2838
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. Flying Mango

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (343 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.0/5), Atmosphere (4.5/5)
- Type of cuisine: American, Barbecue
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 4345 Hickman Rd One mile East of Merle Hay Road on Hickman Rd., Des Moines, IA 50310-3352
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Smokey D's BBQ

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (780 reviews)
- Detailed ratings: Food (4.5/5), Service (4.5/5), Value (4.5/5), Atmosphere (4.0/5)
- Type of cuisine: Quick Bites, American
- Price: $$ - $$$
- Address: 5055 NW 2nd St, Des Moines, IA 50313-1701
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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