I love Cajun food and Buzzard Billy's has it! Their menu is like a book and I always leave full! Been going here since on court ave. Best place to park and have a beer before heading to Wells Fargo Arena read more

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

Not the best food. Wait is long. You can self seat at the bar but they don't tell you that.

Very friendly atmosphere. The food was very good and lots of food piled high on your plate. We had to bring leftover containers home. Almost everyone in our party.(8 of us) had leftovers. Plus they had appetizers brought to the table bread with spinach, dip and mozzarella cheese for dipping. Many drinks to choose from but we did not have any drinks that night. read more

Here for a concert pre party in the basement. Place is packed. Could use a few more chairs. Food was of picnic variety. Chicken strips, cheeseburgers, and pork tenderloins. Tall boy 16oz domestics are 4$ which is reasonable. Staff is friendly. read more

Food was excellent! Service was less than desired. The waitress had us feeling like we were an inconvenience when we were her only table. We were never offered refills. The ice teas were served warm so our only "request" was a cup of ice. If this had been our first visit we would not be returning, however I know this is not the norm for Buzzard Billy's! I drove from the west side to downtown specifically for the Blacken Chicken Caesar Salad as it's always amazing! My husband had a bourbon chicken sandwich which he said the cook deserved a tip for! read more

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Well, stop #3 included the Bayou Platter once again....just love the mix that dinner has and the portion size is hard to beat.

My new favorite place to eat! Come with an empty stomachs , the portions are huge. The Rancher's Pootine had the most tender meat you have ever eaten, it falls apart in your mouth. An amazing meal in a saloon type setting. We will be back! read more

Pretty good off the highway sit down cajun cuisine. Food was great tasting and service was good. If you're looking for cajun it's the place to get it. read more

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s/o to Lynn! She gave us great service, we never had to wait for anything! Best bartender we ever had hands down!

I'm from out of town and when I saw the yelp reviews about Buzzard Billy's I wanted to check it out. We were seated promptly. The Servers and staff all wore mask which was very nice to see during this pandemic. However, the social distancing with the lobby is awful. There were over 20 people waiting to be seated and we were seated at the booth right in front from the waiting area. Several customers would hover on our booth with no mask on. We had to tell our waiter several times to have them move. Then finally spoke to the manager about the whole thing which we felt shouldn't of been our job to inform him on how to keep social distancing in order. The manager did comp our meal, thank you for that but, it wasn't what we were looking for. We left and as we walked thru the lobby, I counted 18 people as we literally had to walk over people to get as the customers were sitting and laying on the floor. Awful read more

This place gave me mixed feelings in the two times I visited during the JO track and field events, so I will just describe a glow and a grow moment for both of my visits: Visit #1 on a Wednesday night: GLOW- The waitress was very nice and pleasing. She made sure all of the party was served accurately and we had everything we needed throughout the night. An error was corrected on her part very diplomatically. GROW- Beside being served the corner piece of the dry and hard bread pudding with just a little of rum syrup drizzled on top, the rest of my meal (stuffed shrimp with jalapeno wrapped in bacon, served with creamed Cajun corn and hush puppies) was satisfying and met the criteria typical bar food. Visit #2 on a Thursday night: GLOW- The only good thing about this evening was the $2 discount on our appetizers. GROW- After having to be reseated in the bar area due to me leaving my ID in the car during happy hour, the waitresses simply forgot to place silverware at our tables. Understanding this small oversight, my husband decided to just ask the bartender for sets of silverware. The bartender asked him to repeat himself by shouting "what", which he did. Then she rudely slammed the two sets of silverware on the bar. This interaction could have been handled with a little more poise and better communication between customer and employee; and, yelp, it was better to express my displeasure with this restaurant here! read more

The shrimp gabrielle (spell?) was soooo goood. I wish I could eat breads because I would've soaked all of that delicious juice up and devoured it clean. The shrimp were delicious in the sauce and perfectly cooked; not breaded or small in size. If we weren't in such a rush, I probably would have hunted down a spoon to slurp up the sauce but we were in a major hurry to get to a concert. The gumbo, however, was lukewarm at best, flavor was spot on but cool soup...not great. And I was dining with a princess that is finicky about food temp anyhow, so the trauma was exacerbated but in all honesty, the gumbo was disappointing simply because of the temp. We waited quite a bit for just these two items so we didn't have time to wait for another order. We will be back for the shrimp appetizer!!! Maybe two orders next time. Service was slow but it was concert night and it's understandable. read more

Our waitress was so helpful and accommodating of our situation! We were in Des Moines for a dance competition and needed to get back, but the kids hadn't gotten their ice cream yet so she was kind enough to put it in a to go cup for them! Food was delicious from the Gumbo to the grilled cheese! read more

Flavorful food and tons of beers, how can you go wrong? The good has a lot of flavors and some have a kick if you like spicy. The chicken tchapatoolous is so good! If you like crab get the crab corn soup. Hey have a Jamaican margarita that is perfect out in thier large covered patio on the back. Located right next to Wells Fargo if you are attending a concert. It does get packed when things are going on at Wells Fargo. read more

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

There is a lot to like about this place, especially if you are a classic KISS fan and love beer! I've only had their hamburger, but it was really good. The service was excellent and prompt. The choices of beers is fantastic and if you are attending anything at Wells Fargo Arena, Buzzard Billy's is an excellent stop off point (before or after) your event. Now I also mentioned KISS and you might thinking why? Well, this place features classic KISS (yes, the rock band KISS) posters and bubble gum cards (if you were a fan in the late 70s, you know what I'm talking about) throughout the place. Very retro and very cool... Check it out! read more

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Great food, great service!!!! We returned again tonight. Warm welcome & pleasant service. We had Shrimp Creole, Seafood Jambalaya, with Homemade Hushpuppies & then Caramel Cheesecake. You should really try their Hibiscus Marguerita, smooth. The Hibiscus flowers are very flavorful. read more

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This is a tough one to rate because their food is really good and they truly know how to cook cajun food properly. My issue is how they organize their effort....especially with delivery orders. I have on more than one occasion (after ensuring they were 'open') spent time to put an order together, only to have them cancel when I place it. Just this evening went through the whole process, ordered food, was expecting a delivery any minute per their guidance (after 45 minutes), only to have it cancelled again as they suddenly couldn't fill the order! Not sure what is going on with their management of effort, and as I said the food is very good, but these types of continuous not being able to rely on them is making we re-think whether I give them anymore business. Brett G read more

Outstanding creole food, huge portions!! Definitely bring your appetite and/or expect to take home leftovers. Great flavor, lots of traditional dishes. And hush puppies to die for! Not necessarily a place to go if you're trying to eat healthy. Hah! The servers always seem a little awkward but they get the job done. read more

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

My son and I decided to eat here tonight before we went to an event at Wells Fargo Arena. We had the worst service. The waiter was very slow and we were on the patio and it seemed like he only had 3 tables in which they would have to flag him down ask for things. We waited at least 45 minutes for our food and when it came out, my fish was very dry and my son could barely eat his hamburger and wouldn't even touch the fries. We had to ask for silverware and napkins and we even had to ask to order. I am not sure I will be back after tonight. read more

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

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Way way back in the day, I was a server at the Court Ave location for a couple of years. This place has always held a special place in my heart, so my review is biased. When I worked there in the 2000s, in the evening shifts my special treat to myself was to order the Angler's Trio to take home with me after closing. I still order that to this day and it's still absolutely delicious. I always get the crab corn soup and the amazing Monsterella cheese sticks. I will never stop coming back even thought it's different management and waitstaff. Why ruin a good thing if it still works? read more

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Nice portions. Hot food. I liked country fried pork! Good service, but server seemed a little rushed. Been there before though so no worries. read more

Stopped here for lunch on a Saturday. There were a couple large groups, but lots of open tables, was told it would be a 45 minute wait. The problem really seamed to be a serious lack of staffing at the restaurant. I sat at the bar to grab a quick burger before heading back to work. The only people that would be proud of this frozen extremely dry hockey puck would be the Wild. The bbq sauce couldn't help it. Maybe I missed it in the menu, but I wasn't looking for a frozen burger that the cook could dry out. The fries were fresh and hot. They were OK. Having worked at a restaurant or two in my time, it's always better to staff heavy on a busy day and send people home, than to be short staffed, unable to find anyone to work, and have customers leave. read more

I stopped at buzzard billys because one the employees at the hotel I was staying at said it was good. When I got there I asked the waitress what she would recommend. I ordered the chicken Katarina. It was awesome. The shrimp and chicken were tender and the sauce covering it was very good. Service was great. read more

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

Visited here on a trip from Cali and it felt like I was back home in the Midwest. It's a big sports bar with lots of food and that wood paneled interior that says "America." We had the fried cheese curds, which were decent but not Wisconsin State Fair or SF 21st Amendment quality, for those keeping score. Also had some of their various famous blackened seafood items, which were of significantly varying quality: the blackened catfish was by far the best thing on the whole table, with the blackened shrimp just OK. The shrimp Po Boy was excellent with remarkably soft, fresh bread. The chicken gumbo was spicy and otherwise just OK. Service was up to Midwestern standard, which means the best in the country. Would definitely come back here, especially since they have a solid beer list too. read more

Awesome bartender and good selection of drinks. Food was good all but tge rice. The rice didn't have flavor. The gator appetizer was really good. I had the bacon wrapped stuff shrimp la grange. It was ok. Just the rice was bland. read more

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

One of my favorite restaurants in the Des Moines area. Great food, service, and atmosphere that is kid friendly. They have both American and Cajun with good sized portions and good value prices. Simple Cajun done right! You can taste the holy trinity. read more

Great food! Good variety of menu items. Bar space is great and we were there pre-concert with a crowd. Lower level was converted to bar and food source for overflow of concert goers. Excellent!!! read more

Some friends wanted to meet here wheb they came here from out of town for dinner before an Iowa Wild hockey game. Atmospher-clean,large,nice,loud, Seems this is a sports bar.Lots of TV's.' Glagd I got there early-4:30PM-to get a table.While I was there after just a few minutjes-people were lined up out the door and taking beepers to let them know their table was ready.....sports crowd....you can't have a conversation here.That is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. My red beans and rice were great.Authentic.I was a chef in the Gulf coast and lived in New Orleans so I can make a good judgement. The hushpuppies though....were good...but they put sugar in them!They were hot and moist and like MUFFINS! One of my guests said here Philly Cheese steak Po'Boy was great....a little dry...but not worth complaining about.I tried some of her fries and they were great....rivaled old McDonalds fries!I loved them! Other guest had Shrimp Creole...he was also a native of New Orleans and loved the food.No complaints. Place was clean.Service was perfect.Food was hot.Food was good.Prices were in line....though I don't know how their cook handles the HUGE meno. I say try it.If you like Cajun food and make the right choices you will love it. This place is just 3 blocks from my apartment and this is my first time here in 5yrs here in Des Moines....I will be back....the Crawfish Ettouffe' is calling me..:-) read more

We arrived around 5:30pm on a Friday evening and the place was already jam packed. Luckily we found a couple of seats at the bar. After ordering drinks, it took a while to get the bartender's attention to order some food. We shared a cajon combo and blackened shrimp dinner. The cajon combo included blackened catfish, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, and a couple of hush puppy's. They were all delicious. The seafood gumbo looked pretty dark but it had great flavor. We loved the taste of shrimp, they were cooked perfectly with cajon seasoning. We were impressed with the food but the service was a little lacking. read more

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

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Great food and fun atmosphere! We had a group of 11 and had to wait a little while for a table large enough but the waitresses did an excellent job with our orders and we were served quickly! I had the blackened shrimp skewer and it was delicious! Definitely stop here for a great meal! read more

I went to Blizzard Billys for the first time a couple weeks ago. There was a convention going on at the Iowa Events Center and this place was packed, but we got seated right away. I had the fried catfish with hush puppies and coleslaw. My food was pretty good, but I'm jealous of my partners blackened catfish. I'd definitely get that next time around. We had a bit of a wait getting our food, but our waitress was kind and checked on us regularly and kept us posted on our food. Overall, I'd go again, and the service was great other than the speed of the kitchen. read more

Had the Burt ends with jambalaya, was delicious, had the blackened catfish for entree , this being our first time to Des Moines they set the bar very high , definitely have the blackened catfish read more

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

I liked this place. I liked the seating and the atmosphere. Plenty of TVs. Access was a little weird (had to walk a little bit to get there). Pur waitress was great. All the food we ordered was yummy and generally I would say it was between average and above average. The mixed drinks were pretty good too. I'd be more willing to return if parking was easier and maybe there was a good deal going on because I'm not sure the price was quite worth it. But when we left our bellies were full and I had a little leftover to boot. read more

Great food. Good beer selection. Got my wife to try gator. Catfish was awesome. Biggest cheesesticks ever seen. read more

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

We came here right after an Iowa basketball game. The wait was only about 5 minutes and we were able to get a drink at the little to go bar they had (expensive but strong!). We had a great waitress and our food came out fast. We ordered the wings(sweet chili and barbecue) and they were really yummy!! The loaded fries were also really good. I've also been here before for dessert and their cheesecake is amazing! read more

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

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I attended a convention that was nearby and recalled eating alligator from here at the World Food and Music Festival years ago. It wasn't busy as we luckily didn't come in during rush hour on a Friday night. Although it wasn't busy, we waited for our waitress for a good 15 minutes before she decided to check on us and ask for our order. But other than that the food was very good and the alligator bites were delicious. Their food is great and something different than the usual. read more

I usally come to Buzzard Billy's before or after a game or concert because it's right there. But will have to come more for there breakfast. It's Great. Good prices and lots of food. 100% will be back read more

Me and my husband love this place! We always set at the bar. We feel like we get the best service there. We love all the bartenders esp bob. Hurricanes are the best in town! And love the gator fingers! Would recommend to any cajun lover! read more

Pretty good food here with a lot of options. We got the mac and cheese and a combo platter. The mac and cheese was really good. It was really tasty and it was super cheesy. I added andouille sausage to it and it was a good addition. I had leftovers for the next day so the portion is quite large. The combo platter was ok. The hush puppies were good but everything else was just ok. The chicken was a little too blackened and the rice was a bit bland. The cheese curds and the beers I ordered didn't let me down though! read more

Buzzard Billy's - Mac and cheese with andouille sausage - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I haven't had a bad experience yet. They really know how to season their food. The only thing I have to complain about is I really which they put garlic on their toasted bread. Everything else is super good. I love the gator fingers. read more