Wow everyone's talking about Bubbies and now we know why. 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. read more

Bubbies BBQ - St Louis ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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After work yesterday I took a drive a little North to Ankeny from West Des Moines through the "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 read more

This might be the barbecue we've ever had. We're from the Story County area and just stumbled across it when we moved our son to Ankeny. We've had a lot of barbecue and hope this restaurant grows! We had ribs, a pulled chicken sandwich and their wings. My husband and son said they were the best wings they've ever had! The space is small and we questioned it a bit when walking in but it's so worth it! read more

Finally made it in! I loved it. Has a total small town feel. Nothing fancy, but great service. The rib deal they had when we went was amazing. All three sides we tried were delicious. We had a ton of food and two beers for $50 with tip. read more

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A chilly evening after 7pm we made a quick stop in to have some BBQ!~ The location is nice and cozy. Enter on the south side of the building and you find a few tables, a bar and a kitchen. The entrance is right next to Filet with plenty of parking. Its the new year, but they are still festive with the holiday decorations. There were a few tables with people eating but easily snagged a table. The waitress came over and took our drink orders. I can share now that we should have planned better and been their earlier in the evening. They were out of ribs. Since we were light eaters we decided to split the Rib & Meat platter but when we learned the ribs were gone the waitress talked us into the pulled chicken with our burnt ends. The sides were the waffle fries and coleslaw. I think we had wanted the Mac and cheese but it was out too. Like I said, we would plan better on the next trip and not show at the end of the day. The meal was enough for us to split for a light meal. We all got to try each thing. The coleslaw was rather good! The waffle fries came out hot a fresh! The burnt ends melted in my mouth and are my personal favorite when it comes to bbq. The pulled chicken was moist and good. The last thing we enjoyed was the corn bread biscuit. They were little and we had ordered enough for us to each have one, but the flavor was good and didn't even need honey. I am ready to go back for ribs. The food came quick and still good even at the very end of the day. read more

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The food was great but the portions were skimpy. The meal for two was very slim. The Mac and cheese was mostly cheese sauce and the cornbread muffins were mini size (they were really good, though!). The first server we had was trying to lust beets on hand without looking at a list and it wasn't helpful. I probably won't actively seek out another trip here but it was a nice visit. read more

I finally got to stop and try this place out. We were a little early as they are closed for a few hours on Sundays, I believe it was 1p-4p. Anyway. All in all it was a great stop. We had good service and food was out pretty quick and boy did it look good. It tasted even better. We had seen the portion sizes maybe a little on the small side but we were able to split a 2-meat meal between my wife and I. The jalapeño cream corn was really good, so I highly recommend that. The ribs were also very tasty, and I would recommend them again to anyone. read more

Loved the baby back ribs. Huge platter deal on Wednesdays was a fun surprise. Sides were quality as well. Good bbq difficult to find in Iowa, we will do this one again. read more

First time at Bubbie's and we'll be back. Server Jamie S. was awesome! Food excellent. Small diner-like atmosphere, order is taken at your table. We had their Sunday $10 wing special. Tried garlic parm and bourbon glaze sauce. Both were good. Husband and son had meat platters with burnt ends, brisket and pulled pork. Meat was tender, flavorful, and moist. Sides were huge. Baked beans, Mac and cheese and jalapeño cream corn were also very good. Cream corn was cheesy , husband said Mac and cheese was a little spicy but he is sensitive to spice. Mini corn bread muffins so moist. We will definitely be back. read more

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The worst bbq ever. The corn bread was cold. Asked for fries to be crispy they were not even cook. The service sucked.I guess if you're gonna be over on the seafood side.Then yeah, you would be perfectly fine.But when you're at the barbecue side , the service sucks , the food sucks never come here again. Ambience is like they throw it together. read more

Walked in bout 5:00pm to order some take out. A variety of meats as it was our first time trying Bubbies. Small, quiet dining room with people at a few tables. Food was ready and I was out in maybe 5 minutes. Over all my boys and I really enjoyed the food. Had pulled pork, shredded chicken, brisket and 1/4 ribs. Also got the jalapeño corn, Mac and cheese and included corn muffins. The meats were very good overall. I think our only complaint was that the chicken was little dry. I loved the jalapeño corn and even my 11 yo ate it which means it's the perfect spice level. We all thought the Mac and cheese was good too, especially as that can get hard while waiting the 20 minutes to actually eat it. We will definitely be back to get more corn, Mac and cheese and hopefully try some brisket. read more

I asked if the brisket was lean, I was told that it was very lean. I get home and open the box and the brisket was very fatty. So fatty, I wouldn't even give it to my dog. We got about half of our order that was edible. Guess I'll go elsewhere if I want brisket. The pulled pork has been good on prior visits. I've also been buying the meat by the 1/4 pound. I really don't care for the sides. I always like mac & cheese, but theirs has some seasoning that ruins it. I've also tried the jalapeño corn, it's just a little bit of corn floating around in too much sticky cheese. read more

Still the best service, quality, quantity and price anywhere around. Lots of BBQ places but nothing compares. This time of year their outdoor patio is a great place to eat alsoby read more

Bubbies BBQ - This is a picture of the lunch rack. Sorry, I couldn't wait to take a picture until after I ate. - Barbeque Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

I searched Google for BBQ, and Bubby's came up. Man, am I glad it did! This is some of the best Que I've ever had. Ribs, sausage and mac and cheese were all incredible, but the jalapeño corn was mind-blowing. Highly recommend this place if you enjoy great quality bbq!! Enjoy! read more

Don't believe those "Karen" posts, clearly they do not appreciate what good BBQ is. The only opinion of a local I'd trust with what church to go to. Having formerly lived in KC and Memphis, Bubbies can compete! We had the rack of ribs which was fall of the bone tender, and a great flavor from the rub. We also tried the jalapeño sausage that was so juicy and delicious. The coleslaw was perfectly dressed and not saturated at all, so you could actually taste the cabbage and get that crunch. The beans had SO much meat in them they were hands down the best BBq beans I've ever had. The service was top notch and we were served by the chef and the waiter checked in on us frequently. We will be coming back and adding this to our rotation! read more

Excellent BBQ and friendly staff. Some of the best Bbq I've had in the area. Oscar and his team are doing a great job! read more

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We had dinner here last night- loved it! Highly recommend the chicken wings & ribs - delicious!!! Also our waiter was so friendly & helpful- a casual place & will definitely be back!!! read more

I did a search for a BBQ place as I wanted to see what new places might have opened since last I'd gone for that and I am so glad I did. I opted for the lunch rib special and not only was the price reasonable for four ribs and two sides, the ribs were awesome. They gave me a small tub of sauce but those ribs did not need any extra sauce. The BBQ beans and Mac & Cheese were also well seasoned were great. If I had any complaints it would be the Styrofoam to go containers kept the sides too hot for me to eat when I got home so I had to open them up and let things cool. I will definitely be going back to Bubbies! read more

Ribs were great! brisket was good, pulled pork was great! mac and cheese was good. the burnt ends were a little dry but good with sauce. great service and inviting staff. They wait on you at this restaurant which was weird for a BBQ place but nice. we will go back when in town. The jalapeno sausage was also great. read more

First time eating at Bubbies at friends recommendation. Excellent food, good service. Love how it is more "home town" than your restaurant chain experience. Highly recommend pulled pork, wings and brisket. Loved the cornbread muffins! Husband loved the baked beans with burnt ends in them. read more

The BBQ here is the best we've had in Iowa. We moved here from Georgia and we missed the southern BBQ. We now have found the best place in Bubbies. We ordered delivery and it was packed well and still warm when it arrived. read more

The food was great. Good portions. We tried the brisket sandwich, ribs Mac and cheese, BBQ beans (the best I've had) and potato salad. The service was also great. We will definitely be back! read more

I ordered a roast beef poboy fully dressed with gravy and onion rings and it was absolutely delicious. I will go back.

Very solid BBQ, glad we took the chance! Heading back to DM this weekend so will def hit this up again. Brisket was crazy moist and ribs had great flavor. read more

Some of the best ribs in town, very full sides and the sauce tasted great. Highly recommended read more

Sort of expensive. Weird that we had to go through the "nice" restaurants to go to the bathroom.

The food was very good. We had pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches. The bbq beans and potato salad sides were large portions. Service was friendly. Prices are reasonable. read more

I was looking for a place to eat, and then I saw Bubbies. The food was fine, and the service was slow and kinda mean. But it was very clean and looked very nice. read more

Outstanding food but only had one woman as the server and bussing for the entire restaurant. Took 30 minutes to get and pay for our checks. If they want return business the owners need to seriously improve on service. read more

I had low expectations for this Resturant but then I went there and dined in. The wait staff was super friendly and very very knowledgeable and helpful. The food was great and I loved how tender the meat was. Worth the drive. read more

Yummy food!! I particularly love their potato salad & my husband loves their mac and cheese! Great bar-b-que sauce!

This place beats people out of their money. We ordered a family meal and was told it would feed 4 people. The amount of food that was provided wouldn't even feed two people. This is unacceptable! This place should be ashamed of this. The taste of the food was not what we expected either. If I had to rate it would be 0 out of 10, but I have to give 1 star. read more

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The worst brisket I've ever had! It was so dry that I had to take a swallow of water with each bite to get it down...gave up on it about 1/4 of the way through. Mac and cheese was spicy...I hate spicy food and wish I'd been warned. Had about 5 bites and could eat no more. Husband's ribs and baked beans were really good...Coleslaw and pulled chix just ok. Service was terrible. No greeting, no staff friendliness. Never got offered a refill of our sodas. No one ever asked how the food was or if we needed anything. Only 7 tables and one server, and he was not able to handle it. Place is dive-ish, small, looks thrown together. Uncomfortable chairs and screeching/screaming rock music in the background that was too loud. We love bbq but will not be back...it was our anniversary and we'd hoped for better. Had a $42 tab (just 2 dinners and sodas) and I walked out hungry after a total of about 10 bites. Guess that's an anniversary we'll remember!!! read more

Went to Bubbies w my wife and son on my birthday! I had the 2 meat platter meats were burnt ends and brisket with baked beans and potato salad as the sides. As the previous owner of Battles bbq inc. in Indianola. Everything was fabulous and I will go back again and again. The regular bbq sauce was my favorite. Both sweet and smoky. The hot sauce was just not hot w to tell the difference. Both wife and son has Burt in with Mac and cheese and japeleno corn. Both thought the burnt ends were a bit fatty. Corn was delicious and the Mac had a certain taco flavor which wasn't bad but different. Waitress was very helpful and refilled our drinks w/o asking. Ambiance was great but I do suggest a music Change to blues or jazz to complement bbq! Overall experience was 6 of 10. I do love the addition of the bar. read more

Wow, hands down, the absolute best brisket sandwich I have every had. It didn't even need bbq sauce. Just the right amount of salt/pepper/smoke. These guys know what they are doing! read more

Food was amazing, the ribs were fall off the bone and the seasoning was very good. Alyssa was our server, she was so friendly. It the perfect little BBQ joint read more

While traveling through the area on vacation, my wife found bubbies as a potential place to have bbq (I'm a sucker for trying to find bbq on vacation). We stopped in and both got a 1 meat plate (brisket for me, pulled chicken for her). The dine in experience was good although I was called "buddy" a few times too many (i.e. more than once). We both got the same sides (beans and coleslaw). The slaw had a very slight amount of anything but cabbage...no real taste of any sweet, vinegar, or other type of flavor. Beans were good, brisket and chicken were good. Service was good. Two sauces on table: bbq and hot bbq. A bit limited as most places would have more types ( carolina, St. Louis, etc.) So overall left feeling it was ok, but not special enough to make a stop on the way when we go through the area again. read more

Excellent food, good service, for an impromptu to go meal. I stopped in on a whim to see if I could pick up a meal and left with brisket, ribs, jalapeno creamed corn, and a corn muffin. I will return. Both meats were excellent and the sides were good. read more

Some of the best BBQ In Ankeny! definitely recommend if you want something fast and fresh everyday l!

This was my first time at BUBBIES First the service was excellent Very attentive, but not intrusive I had the rib dinner w/side of coleslaw and beans Both sides were good and particularly the beans Chased everything w/Blue Moon Although the ribs were delicious a little more barbecue sauce would be good read more