I stole some of my colleagues food it was so delectable…read more Service with a smiley face and the day was perfect for the patio dining. Great experience all around!!

About an hour and a half drive but well worth the trip!…read moreSaturday early afternoon and it was packed...about a half hour wait for seating was the only downside. Service was outstanding and the staff seemed to be handling multiple aspects of the jobs and helping each other out...no one just did one thing and I think that really sped up the service. Katie was our primary server and was outstanding! We ordered up a two and a three meat deal and had Campground Beans, Creamy Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes,, and Mac & Cheese as sides as well as a slice of Texas Toast and Cornbread as sides....oh, and Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer. The Corn Nuggets were good and sweet and served up with honey and a ranch sauce for dipping. The meat choices were 3) Ribs, Pork Loin, and Turkey Breast....and 2) Pork Loin and Turkey Breast. The smoke on everything was amazing and just the right amount for excellent flavors..the ribs were very meaty. Some places ribs leave you wanting but not at Watcha Smoking! The Pork Loin and the Turkey Breast were both very good as well...still tender and not dried out. I liked the Neck of the Woods sauce the best (mild tomato based) as well as the Carolina Gold sauce...it had nice kick to it. The sides were all good but the only issue was the Cheesy Potatoes were a bit dry.....I'm thinking that it must've been towards the end of the batch and had been sitting around for a bit. Cornbread was excellent, Texas Toast tops, Coleslaw was a good shredded, wet slaw, the Mac and Cheese very good, and the Campground Beans were the preferred side as they had some good chunks of smoked meats mixed in. Fantastic place, great for small groups and large groups as well...great food and great service...Definitely worth the trip!

Burnt ends were delicious! Also service staff were all friendly and knowledgeable, would highly…read morerecommend!

The food was some of the best we've had in the Midwest! The pulled pork was sinful, the smoked…read moregarlic gravy was unbelievable... the list goes on and on. Ever dish is thoughtful and executed with perfection. Our server, Tom, went above and beyond at every turn and made the experience a memorable one. He is an incredible asset to establishment. We will be back!

I brought 25 people to Hickory Park. The service was great, and the food was delicious. I highly…read morerecommend.

Came here once with coworkers at their behest early on a weeknight. Place is huge, obviously caters…read moreto large parties, bus loads of ppl, etc. As such the atmosphere is quite sterile feeling, as much as they try to fill it up with old timey tchotchkes and relics from their history and other locations. Menu is huge, lots of options. Only thing that dwarfs their food offerings is the ice cream / shake/malt menu. I'll be honest I didn't care for the food. Got the turkey dinner with chili and sauerkraut. Turkey was drenched with gravy, on a pc of dull toast. Chili was good, sauerkraut was disappoint as it was a weird grilled and chopped way too fine. Got the pb nation ice cream which was the best thing I had there that night. One coworker got a mushroom Swiss burger and honestly that looked better than anything else.

Service was great! Shout out to the girl who just turned 18. You were so sweet & very attentive!…read moreThe place is decorated on theme & they have cute shirts with their logo on them The food was a bit underwhelming unfortunately. The hot bbq sauce was good, the beans were actually the best part! The potato salad was disappointing unfortunately

The bbq here is good but as my previous review for BBQ resturant surpasses this place by far, no…read morecomparison to whatcha smokin. There is no wait staff and all our food was served in to go containers or Styrofoam. Just not as comfortable of a place again food was OK to good. Given the choice between the two I've been to given proximity I'll go to my first reviewed BBQ joint over this one any day of week.

We stopped here on a whim making our way through Iowa on a road trip. I was looking for a good…read moreplace 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.

Tried the challenge sandwich (not trying the challenge). Delicious and more than any 4 people…read morereally should eat. Every part was amazing! I ate the pork and my Mac and cheese there, and that was enough to make me full. The leftovers that I took home after this, filled a catering pan! I ate three more days on that one sandwich.

Great place if you need a quick, grab and go breakfast. The biscuit sandwiches are amazing. The…read morehomemade biscuits are to die for! Sit down breakfast is available, too. You can't leave without trying the fresh, homemade scones.

The Filling Station is a gas station, an extra stocked convenience store, a breakfast/lunch food…read morecounter, and a tables inside and out to enjoy your refreshments and the view. Gayle and I stopped in today after reading about it within some "48 hours in Ames" article. I ordered a brisket grilled cheese sandwich, while Gayle chose a similar one with blackberry flavoring. We split a can of Guinness off the convenience store fridge, and then sat outside for our street and car wash view. We had nice shade on a not too hot day and took the opportunity to hang out bit after we finished our meal. This was a tasty and pleasant experience of good value overall.

ShortE's BBQ was a really pleasant surprise. I had the ribs and smoked wings, and both were…read moreexcellent. The ribs were cooked perfectly -- tender, flavorful, and honestly didn't even need BBQ sauce because the seasoning and smoke flavor were that good. The smoked wings were also spot on with great flavor. The mac and cheese was pretty good, and the seasoned fries were solid as well, but the real star of the show was definitely the meat. I'm pretty picky when it comes to BBQ and often leave disappointed at most places, but ShortE's absolutely delivered. I'll definitely be back.

There are a few BBQ options in the area, but this one is one of the better ones. Nice atmosphere,…read morefeels like a traditional hole in the wall BBQ joint. At one point you ordered at the counter, but recent visits have had table service. My go to order is the Texas Mike sandwich. This masterpiece has thick sliced brisket and chopped brisket along with cheesy corn and bbq beans on 2 slices of Texas toast. I like to remove the top slice and eat it like an open faced sandwich. The brisket is super tender and the beans and corn add a nice amount of flavor and texture. I add their sweet sauce, but the spicy is good too. It comes with an additional side, so add the seasoned fries. They are crispy with a nice seasoning. And again, pair with the sweet sauce. Give them a try.

Stopped for lunch at The Traveling Pig, a new food truck that is making the rounds in Ames. They…read morehave great porchetta sandwiches based on flavors from around the world. I had the BBQ and it did not disappoint. The sauce was amazing and the slaw on top put it over the edge. The "truck made" chips were also fantastic. I know the truck makes the rounds around Ames and if you follow them on Facebook, you can find out where they are. I'm hoping to visit them frequently this summer.

From the owner: The Traveling Pig Food Truck specializes in chef innovated mobile meals that combine local…read moreingredients with global flavors. While our origin is the Porchetta sandwich of Tuscan street markets, our ever changing menu is a culinary vacation of taste that will please meat eaters and vegetarians alike!

Amazing food! Amazing owner and staff!!! They are quick to get your orders and prompt at coming…read moreback to check on you!

How this place got a high rating is hard to believe. Been there 2 times. Horrible ribs the first…read moretime. Fish still frozen inside second time. Not just cold, hard. It's dark and dirty. Rest rooms nasty. Don't get me wrong, if the food good I'm game. Server was nice and took fish off bill. Food price not bad, but food yuck.

Wow everyone's talking about Bubbies and now we know why…read more Amazing St Louis ribs....only on WEDNESDAYS. Love their regular ribs too but wow. Absolutely amazing. My kids are picky and they prefer Bubbies. Two racks, four sides. Call ahead if you wanna eat ribs for dinner to check if they have them in stock. Every time we visit, it's packed. Came out here again for a Saturday early dinner as a family of 10 and it was packed! Service is ok. Shop is small, seats 30 maybe at tables. Then there are 10 bar seating. Not a cozy place, really a place without frills. That's fine. We came for the food only. Highly recommend a visit and will be back when we crave them ribs.

After work yesterday I took a drive a little North to Ankeny from West Des Moines through the…read more"flurries" after work... Let's get the disappointment out of the way... They had a truck not show and there was no Wednesday special tonight. A full rack of St Louis style ribs and two sides for $20. At this point I think we all understand distribution chain issues... So it is what it is. Might want to call ahead, just in case, if you are looking to take advantage of that killer deal...! Having opened in June of this year they've been around a few months now. Bubbies sits right alongside Filet and the parking lot is very good sized. It's seat yourself with a selection of low top tables and chairs along with a small bar and bar stools. The interior of the restaurant is well lit and open. The decor outside of the one wall mural is pretty plain. Ordering is done at the table and that's where your bill is presented at the end of your meal. Let's put this right up front too... The young gentleman who served me tonight did a helluva good job! I went with the Rib and Meat Platter. Four bones of baby back ribs and I paid the $5 upgrade for for the burnt ends. Sides of BBQ beans, mac and cheese, and a corn muffin. And a fountain drink (Coke products)... $31 and change before tip. This special not being on tonight's menu was the only negative. The corn muffin was small, but moist. Not the dry excuse some restaurants try to pass off as cornbread. I could have eaten a few more of these... The mac and cheese was made with a cavatappi type of pasta and a pleasant cheese blend. Creamy...not chalky. Very good. The BBQ beans were traditional and had large visible chunks of meat throughout. They didn't exactly blow my socks off...but still one of the better examples of baked beans I've had recently. The burnt ends were very good. There were a couple of pieces that were a little salty for my taste, but it wasn't all of them. Honestly I think that can be kind of normal with most seasoning and rubs. It's not always as uniform as it could be and will vary from batch to batch. I'd order their burnt ends again in a heartbeat. St Louis and baby back ribs are both pork. St Louis are smaller, thinner, and cut lower closer to the belly. Baby back are thicker, from the upper rib cage area, and cut closer to the spine. The baby back ribs were easily the star of the show! So tender. The smoke and the seasoning were on point. The meat pulled clean off the bone! They were perfect! One other thing I should mention... My food hit the table within a few minutes of me placing my order. FAST! Now I LOVE Whatcha Smokin', but I've always wondered why it takes 30 min from when I order to the food hitting the table. My guess is most of the food was taken off the smoker long before I got to the restaurant. It's sitting in a warmer and maybe needs sliced and plated. I could be wrong... If I was ordering bar drinks I could see holding me at the table for as long as possible cause we all know drinks often drive profit, but my Coke comes with free refills. Lol They're not on the menu, but ask about desserts. Tonight they were offering a mason jar cheesecake and some kind of a mousse cake. Bubbies really nailed it on service expectations. I had a great first visit with them. My server was fantastic. The food was hot, good quality, and I was in and out. Can't wait to go back and try their brisket! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61557154408668