Jethro's BBQ All Stars features fan favorite dishes from across the Jethro's Iowa empire

Long-time Des Moines residents probably know the story of how Jethro’s BBQ got its start. Bruce Gerleman visited his youngest daughter in Austin, Texas, in 2007, loved the barbecue, and decided to open his own barbecue restaurant in Des Moines. Gerleman already owned Splash Seafood Bar & Grill in downtown Des Moines.

His chef Dominic Iannarelli worked on the recipes, the rubs, the sauces, the smoke, and Jethro’s was born, opening in the Drake neighborhood at 3100 Forest Ave. in April 2008, right before the 99th running of the Drake Relays.

Since, Gerleman and Iannarelli went on to open nine Jethro’s across Iowa. There’s the Lakehouse in Ankeny, jambalaya in Waukee, the pork chop grill in Johnston, the smokehouse with steaks in Altoona. Even Iowa City and Ames have locations, with the 16,000-square-foot Ames location dubbed the largest sports bar in the Big 12.

Now fans can stop by the newest Jethro’s in downtown Des Moines, one block south of Wells Fargo Arena and across the street from the Iowa Events Center.

Jethro’s BBQ All Stars brings the best dish from each of Jethro’s locations to the menu here. Of course, the restaurant’s roster of barbecue dishes make the menu. The house-smoked pit ham, turkey, pulled chicken, Carolina pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket and house-smoked bourbon bacon all make an appearance.

In early 2022, Gerleman closed his original Jethro’s BBQ in the Drake neighborhood for a remodel of the kitchen. At the time, he planned to reopen that location at 3100 Forest Ave. in time for March Madness. Gerleman said he'd already done quite a bit of remodeling to the 14-year-old space when the downtown Des Moines location hit the market in early February 2022. "I’ve been dreaming about having a downtown Jethro’s," he told the Des Moines Register earlier this year.

Doc Holliday’s Roadhouse, based in Williston, North Dakota, plans to take over the former Drake location.

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What's on the menu at Jethro's BBQ All Stars?

Filet mignon, rib-eye steaks, the State Fair pork chop (yes, on a stick), jambalaya with smoked gulf shrimp and andouille sausage, Jessie Bob’s Creole pasta with smoked chicken and spicy jalapeno sausage, a shrimp dinner, and Atlantic salmon all come together from the other Jethro’s locations.

Of course, wings bathed in the family of Jethro's sauces from hot Alabama white, garlic Parmesan, and Jethro's Original; to medium hot Carolina, sriracha dry rub, and Korean barbecue; to very hot raspberry habanero, ghost, and hot Buffalo are all available.

Diners can opt for slow-cooked baby back pork ribs, angus steak burgers, platters of barbecue, and sandwiches such as the Boss Hog with pulled pork tossed in Jethro’s barbecue sauce with Texas bacon, or the Ragin' Cajun with a half-pound of blackened pork tenderloin, topped with pepper jack cheese, smoked pulled pork and spicy andouille sausage.

Where is the new Jethro's located?

The restaurant takes over the former two-story home of the Master Builders of Iowa at 221 Park St. The 6,800-square-foot space brings a bar area on the first floor and a dining area on the second. Diners head to the lower level to find the hostess stand and get seated. Request the upper level for stunning views of the Des Moines River, Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge, State Capitol and downtown skyline.

Things to look for inside Jethro’s BBQ All Stars

“Really, to make a Jethro’s … there's wood, there's neons, and there's TVs,” Gerleman said during a tour of the space. “It's a very simple finish in this building because we had a lot of the existing brick. I saved all that brick I could so now rather than just all wood, it's brick and wood.”

The neon is everywhere. Aside from beer signs, Gerleman has an upside-down Hook ‘em Horns logo over the bathroom for Iowa State fans who despise the Texas Longhorns. He also has a pink neon selfie sign that says, “Feed me bacon and tell me I’m pretty" near the bathrooms on both floors.

Throughout the space, mementos of the past show up. Upstairs, find a tribute to contestants in the Adam Emmenecker food challenge, along with images of Drake University, Iowa State and University of Iowa.

The floors in the lower level have timeless mosaic tiles.

The smoker came from the former Drake location that closed in 2022 and can smoke 1,000 pounds of meat an hour. Gerleman said he uses cherry wood in the smoker for ham and hickory and oak for other meats. Brisket cooks for 12 hours.

Gerleman said Jethro’s is the “largest independent purchaser of pork” in Iowa. His restaurants go through 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of pork per week, and that includes pork butt, bacon and ham.

The Jethro’s sign came from the Drake location as well.

The restaurant seats around 360 with room for 50 on the patio.

The bar features copper and Italian granite.

Still to come, a lunch, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Pepsi or Coke?

Pepsi

What is the Adam Emmenecker challenge?

If you can finish this 5-pound sandwich in less than three minutes and one second, the current record, Gerleman said he would pay $10,000. Drake basketball player Adam Emmenecker led the school to the NCAA Tournament in 2008. Emmenecker chose his favorite foods — pork tenderloin, angus steak burger, Texas brisket, bacon, fried cheese, Buffalo chicken tenders and cheese sauce — to fill the sandwich, which became famous when Adam Richman of “Man vs. Food” tried to finish it.

Other accoutrements include white cheddar sauce, fried cheese cubes, and a pound of waffle fries

Typically, competitors have 15 minutes to finish the $35.95 sandwich. The current champ, Molly Schulyler of Bellevue, Nebraska, holds the record of three minutes and one second to complete the challenge. That's about a pound of the challenge eaten every 36.2 seconds.

Where to find Jethro’s BBQ All Stars

Location: 721 Third St., Des Moines

Contact: 515-279-3300 or jethrosdesmoines.com

Hours: Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 to 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jethro's BBQ All Stars opens in downtown Des Moines with fan favorites