We visited BB's on a Tuesday night during the busy State Fair week and we actually went here because we were underdressed for anything else downtown and it was going on 9 p.m. It reminded us of the Ale House or Flannigan's etc.. if you've ever lived in Florida you've been to those types most likely. Kind of a family place with a lively atmosphere and multiple types of food from many different regions i.e. Italian, Southern, West coast, Cajun, Creole, Tex-Mex, Midwest etc.. so yeah it has everything and the menu is extensive. In other words it has something for everyone. We were seated right away (party of 2) Our server was prompt to greet us, Morgan, a happy energetic young lady. She was very nice and very attentive and actually cared about making us happy, we could just tell she liked her job and was good at it. Everything we ate was good, I won't go into details because I have a general feeling that it's the kind of place that everything is probably good for what it is, in it's own way, in respect to the region it's from, if you know what I mean. We had fun and noticed quite a few tables for the late hour and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and that's all we were really looking for in a somewhat late night out. read more

Poor customer service ignorant workers manager too apple bees more professional service staff

Good food and service. Got our big group in within the hour between games. Would definitely recommend if downtown. read more

Overall not the best food, value or service, but had Sweet Deals gift certificates to use (50% off) or lose. Would go back with Sweet Deals, but not out of pocket. Their location is their drawing card, nothing else. read more

We haven't visited in some time, because, well it's just not as good as when it used to be on Court Ave. Recipes have changed and some key beloved items have been removed from the menu. But Sunday afternoon we were there with friends who had chosen it. Off the bat, our waitress seemed aloof and didn't get my drink request for 'no ice'. Not a biggie, fixed that myself, but then when bringing a lemonade to someone else in our party, she spilled the whole thing...mostly on him! Then proceeded to 'try' to clean it all up with napkins, saying they didn't have a mop "right now" due to something going on in the kitchen. I guess the whole restaurant has ONE mop they use for front and back of house (eww grease transfer from back to front of house is seriously a pet peeve!) The large sticky puddle remained under our table throughout our meal. Ordering went smoothly and we got our appetizer. Seafood gumbo was okay but just tasted brown. The Armadillo eggs that used to be a favorite are now lacking flavor, not much inside and came barely warm. (It used to be a jalapeño stuffed with copious amounts of cream cheese and then wrapped, which was always piping hot and runny inside With a bit of kick. Since they moved it's just a bit of chopped jalapeño in a bit of sad unmelty cheese and zero jalapeño flavor. Next up was the Angler's Trio, which used to be served with drawn butter, a veggie medley and a couple hush puppies in addition to the blackened fish and shrimp. What can I say, i looked and there are NO vegetables, at all, on their menu unless you count corn and French fries. The Angler's Trio no longer includes the drawn butter, veggie medley or even a hush puppy. Instead you get a side of corn and some tartar sauce. But the worst insult of all was that the kitchen (claiming to be fixing Cajun dishes) does not know how to serve food Blackened. While the fish fillets did look to have some seasoning on them, they were neither crisp on the outside or even blacked and had next to no flavor at all. A sore disappointment. To top off our less than stellar experience, despite being there for two hours, our drinks were never refreshed and even sat utterly emptied. My husband eventually stopped our waitress and asked for a refill, to which she did comply, but she didn't bother to ask anyone else if they would like refills. We sat with empty drinks and dirty plates in front of us for more than a half hour before she came asking to settle the tab. No offer of dessert. No printed ticket for that matter, just a verbal "your share is thus much". Very strange indeed. No receipts. Nada. I'd say this was far from a $90 dining experience for our two meals. I sure miss the flavor explosion and on point service from the old Buzzard Billy's location. Sadly, I think the whole Covid debacle turned many restaurants to shortcuts and mediocrity and they've never bothered to return to their same operating standards. read more

Was definitely an average experience. Food was pretty average and service was less than that. 2 people in our party waited over 10 minutes for beers (we fetched our own beers), despite it not being busy. Another person in our party waited longer for a salad. Our server was inattentive but nice, like a 5th grader with ADHD. Also gotta add that the Texas Mac and Cheese tasted like it had a whole bottle of thyme dumped on it. Had me feeling like a clock shop with disgusting music blaring with all that thyme. Overall just below average experience. Would do for Feed My Starving Children but if you're looking for something with a little more service and a little less thyme, this place ain't for you. read more

The food is so good! They have a large variety of dishes. One of my favorite places in Des Moines to eat. Love the ambience, and the service is always very good. read more

This was a spur of the moment stop. It was an amazing idea. So we were all thinking tapas... But then Creole got thrown in the mix.... So I instantly thought of this place! We get there around 7:10 p.m.. Instant seating, drinks within 3 min. Appetizers within 15 min. And hot amazing food within 30 min. Appetizers; we ordered alligator bites and 2 orders of cheese sticks. The cheese sticks come as an order of 4. An order of 4 sounds like a waste of money... Till the mammoth logs of cheese arrive to the table and you realize 1.... Just 1 is 1/4 pound of cheese.. And they are golden and crispy and chewy logs of the gods! I skipped the alligator.... I am kinda thinking I am gonna bust after 1/2 of a cheese stick. Then comes the food... I ordered a Philly cheese steak sandwich, (I am on an odd kick lately don't judge) it comes with fries and I am full before it got to the table. No worries though. I can still reheat this tomorrow for lunch. It is giant! Full of mushrooms and onions! Smells amazing and I wipe a year from the corner of my eye and ask for a box... Exeryone else in our group was beyond pleased with their meal! This is one of my favorite places to have a casual meal. I recommend this place 9 out of 10 times to people looking for something different but with safe choices on the menu. read more

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Went there in a Sunday. Not super busy. Sat at the bar. Bartender named Taylor was terrible at customer service. Didn't check back after our food was delivered to table. Condescending tone and thought she was just that much better than the other servers. Wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Food was awesome! Staff was great! I recommend them to everyone!! I go every time I'm in Des Moines.

Troya treated us very well at dinner this evening, 9/24/22. She suggested items from the menu when we had a hard time deciding for ourselves, that turned out to be scrumptious! The shrimp Gabrielle was so good, I would suggest it if you love shrimp! With bread to soak up the tasty wine sauce, it was well worth the price! Our food was cooked very well - chicken fettuccine alfredaux (a play on words) was not the normal alfredo sauce, but with some extra Cajun spices, YUM! And the triple double burger tasted great on a very yummy bun! Their fries are great too, almost like a breaded fry - reminded me of the way Long John Silver's fries used to taste back in the day (if anyone gets that reference)! Cool and relaxed atmosphere; fast and courteous service. Come check them out if you haven't been before, or are contemplating coming back - do it! read more

Usually good service. Go and enjoy the patio Don't expect greatness expect a good time read more

The wait was short, the menu was extensive, with so many delicious looking items. It was difficult to pick an entree because it all sounded soo good! The waitress was fast, friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back! read more

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We ordered for delivery. The food did not disappoint, it was like if you were getting fed by your grandma there was just so much. And it was really tasty. Definitely would order from here again. They also have coupon in their Togo menus for free delivery of order over $25. read more

Stayed at the Hilton attached to the event center for 3 days and ate at Buzzard Billy's four times. Had the Po Boy shrimp sandwich, the catfish dinner and a gumbo. Every meal was fantastic, the service was outstanding, the manager came by every time. Ant the atmosphere was very nice, if you like sports. This is the only restaurant with in walking distance but it all you need. My wife was with me and she had the corn crab soup and Cesar salad twice and the catfish strips one night. She said it was excellent. We went there for lunch and just got burgers which were also very good. read more

Food was good but our waiter was terrible. No personality. "Ned" or so the receipt said his name was. He brought our appetizer and then didn't come back for quite a while. We asked for water and didn't get that either. I had to get it myself at the bar and after paying we had to ask for a receipt. No explanations for anything, would just come and go. I don't think the kid knew what he was doing. Won't be back. read more

I've been to Buzzard Billy's a total of three times now, the first time I went it was specifically to try the gator fries and they were pretty good..... the second time I went they must not be all that interested in impressing their potential long term customers, the gator fries were over cooked and didn't taste right, and for their strike three I tried to get a burger and pickle chips, I waited an hour only to find out they had my order done but let it sit on the counter in the back and not tell me, waitress behind the bar got mad at me for not making more noise and telling her that I was there looking for my order, and to top it off the order was wrong. read more

Just picked up to go food from buzzard Billy's. There were two women, one light hair, one dark hair from the bar. They had a 25% full restaurant, a couple people coming in and out to get food, but they were completely rude to me. They asked who I was there for and didn't say anything to me for 10 minutes after. Then some guy, completely unrelated to the transaction comes out, and hands me my food. No thank you at all. I even seen them treat DoorDash drivers like scum, essentially ignoring them, but maintaining pleasantly with their guests. I ordered the armadillo eggs. They were burnt and the chicken was dry. They said there was cheese and jalepeno in the middle, however, only half a slice of jalepeno with no cheese in them. Never go to buzzard Billy's. read more

We went twice as it was in walking distance from the venue we were playing in. Food was very good, large portions! Service was excellent!

Jodi!!!! We were visiting our son at Drake and had planned to go for dinner. On the way, I ended up falling on some broken sidewalk. Once inside, Jodi got me ice, some pain relievers and a chair for me to elevate my knee. The food was amazing too! Alligator Cesar was super good, homemade dressing. The brisket Mac and cheese was comfort food at its best. Cute place, amazing service. read more

Excellent food! Cold Cold Beer! Amazing service, highly recommend. Will for be returning.

In town for a basketball tournament. My family enjoyed their food, it was reasonably priced as well. We order Rasta Pasta, Shrimp fettuccine and Blackened Catfish and Spinach Dip! read more

Buzzard Billy's - Blackened Catfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Four of us were there on 3/19/22 before a Wild game. I'm writing this review because I want management to be aware of mostly for the top notch service we received that evening around 4:45 to 5:30ish. We were seated at a high top table adjacent to the bar, almost right in the middle of that row of tables. I don't remember her name, but she was smallish with dark hair. She was very helpful and attentive throughout our meal, and above all was very friendly. Even with the foul mouthed woman she was waiting on at the table behind us who was rude, crude, and crass, she handled it with grace and never flinched. Hats to our waitress for remaining professional and providing fantastic service to us during our visit. That girl deserves a raise! read more

Best food in Iowa. Hands down. I thought everything was great. Even the beer I got was on point.

This is a great place to stop and eat. First saw them in the Des Moines area then discovered they were near Waco Tx.

We went here for Breakfast; all 4 entrees were great. The 3 egg Omelette was massive & the Eggs Benedict were outstanding. the Biscuits & Gravy (small portion) was huge & not too salty. A moment after we got there, the place got swamped. However, our waitress just smiled and gave us great service even though you could tell she was overwhelmed. Great Bloody Mary selection, and some good Cajun offerings. The pricing, given the quantity, was almost a steal. And unlike most breakfast joints, they don't force Hashbrowns/Spuds on you by including them on EVERY entree; they offer them as an add on, which is appreciated if you don't like spuds for breakfast. read more

Great place! I only had a couple drinks and a salted caramel cheesecake but I would definitely go back and try more things! The menu looks AWESOME! read more

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Good service but line was busy and good food. Waitress good too. I'll go again in the future. I'll try something different in the future. read more

If you like fried food and big portions this is your place. Good service and decent prices, would def go again!! Make sure you try their hush puppies!! read more

My server was awesome. The first server was busy and the one that ended up taking care of us noticed us and offered to help us. She was amazing!! I wished I could remember her name! I really appreciate the manager named Jasmine. She's a really hard worker! read more

OK haven't been to Buzzard Billy's in a while. WOW what a way to refresh my memory . Started off w/"Monster Cheese sticks". There's nothing related to a stick w/these huge cheese sticks. Great breading & Marinara Sauce to dip in. Ya get 4. But we only ate one a piece. I had "Southern Fried Chicken over mashed potatoes and topped w/Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. OMG. Again, have enough leftovers for next day. It was Sooooooooooo GOOOOOOOOD!!!! read more

Buzzard Billy's - YUMMY CATFISH+Fried/Coleslaw etc - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great service, decent food. Colorful, friendly staff! The hushpuppies and alligator are amazing!!

We ordered their chicken & waffles previously and thought they were the best we've had to date, so we wanted to try the lunch menu. We shared cajun nachos with chicken which were the bomb!! Pico, a cheese sauce, banana peppers, and shredded cheese and the chips tasted homemade you could taste the mésa. I had the kickin chicken sandwich and added bacon. The sandwich had a sweet sauce that complemented the chicken well. The fries were decent my preference is crinkle cut. The catfish filets were large, seasoned and breaded perfectly and tasted just as good as they looked. We also shared a cup of chicken and sausage gumbo which was good I added a lil chicken broth to thin it out a little, it was served over rice and I would have liked a bit more rice. Overall we loved everything and will definitely be going here again. read more

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Friendly service and good food. The wait can be sometimes longer than expected but the food makes up for it. Great for large parties or just a quick date night. Fun food for sure. read more

It's not often I give a one star review, but my last experience at Buzzard Billy's was terrible. We ate dinner before an early evening show on a Saturday and it wasn't fun. Waiting for a table was expected, but there just wasn't enough servers, bar staff or organization to handle the day. Ordering a drink at the bar was a major hassle, and once seated it took a while to get any one to visit our table. I ordered jumbalaya and a salad, my wife ordered nachos. The food tasted fine but both dishes arrived cold. The garlic bread was burnt on one side, cold and under cooked in the middle. Our side salad never arrived, though it was still on the bill... No one ever bothered to check on us or refill a drink until I asked for the check. Luckily they removed the salad from my bill, but the whole thing was rather disappointing. Obviously this is a successful place, but the food is just so so and the service is very bad. The one positive thing is that it's the closest place to eat before an event at Wells Fargo arena or Iowa Events Are. Arrive prepared to wait and hope for the best. read more

Love Buzzard Billy's for food before a show at Wells Fargo Arena! Very short wait to get a table but should be cashless on the main level and the lower level as well. read more

Great service, terrific food, and a great time! Staff was super friendly and service was fast. Best place to go before your next concert!!! read more

Went here with my team on a Tuesday night around 8:30-9 pm. It wasn't packed. My team was seated less than 5 mins. I ordered the Rasta pasta, which was pretty decent. It's just regular chicken Alfredo with a Cajun flavor. One team member had the blackened catfish, rice & corn. He said the fish was salty and the corn was good. My other team member had etouffe and fried crawfish. He hated his meal. He said the fried crawfish lacked flavor and the etouffe was burned, as if it had been overcooked or just sitting on a stove all day. My meal was about $13. The service was horrible. We stayed at a nearby hotel so we walked to this restaurant. Their happy hour ends at 6 pm. read more

Buzzard Billy's - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Hotel room wasn't ready, so we took a walk by the river. Extremely happy we happened to see buzzard Billy's. They had just opened so we were the first people seated. Very nice clean restaurant. I took the servers advice and ordered the blackened catfish with brown Rice and some extremely good corn. They served it with a lighter type of tartar sauce. You can see by the picture, it smelled so good I forgot to take a before picture! I also sampled my daughters fried chicken salad, also great. You have to try the crescent chicken. Excellent. read more

Buzzard Billy's - Thursday's sound interestingly fun - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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NEVER GO AGAIN. WE will never go back. Today was our first time ever trying this place out. We watched people come and go and our food never came out. We sat for over 45 minutes with NO FOOD. This place is ridiculous. Never again. read more