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    Buzzard Billy's

    4.0 (426 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    BUZZARD BILLY'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Buzzard Billy's

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    Desserts
    MaryAnn S.

    The catfish are two tasty large fillets and the sweet fries are scrumptious. The catfish is well seasoned with enough left over for an additional meal. I wanted fried oysters but my luck none were available. The wait staffer (Emily C.) was quick and efficient in taking my order and checking back periodically. Your options for a good meal is endless. The overall atmosphere was low key due to lunch serve being over.

    Maury R.

    I always enjoy a stop at buzzard Billy's when I get a chance. I've just never gotten around to review it. While this is not going to come as a surprise to anyone from the Des Moines area, or those who visit for regular events at Casey's Arena, I'll throw it out there anyway. We started off with an order of Gator Fingers, gator tail, cut into slivers, battered, and deep-fried. Absolutely delicious, particularly with a little honey mustard or a dash or two of Frank's Red Hot. My son had the Billy's burger, a half pound beautifully seasoned burger with melted Swiss and American on a great bun with a side of fries. I opted for the Oyster Po' boy, which for me is a can't miss here. Once I pour the side of remoulade on the sandwich, it brings the whole thing together, and it is absolutely awesome. We were early for the lunch rush, so the place was not busy and the service was great. It's got an eclectic mix of southern knickknacks and local sports memorabilia. It's just a great joint for a beer and to scratch your itch for Cajun or creole fare!

    crescent city chicken.
    Maya Q.

    We had a great time. I thought it looked a little expensive but the portion sizes were huge! My crescent city chicken was delicious and 2 meals worth. My friend ordered a salad and it was the biggest salad I have ever seen. The food came out fast and it wasn't too crowded. We had a good time!

    Alligator bites
    Miranda S.

    Definitely enjoy the food here. Always tasty. Service is also great! Our waitress was awesome. I think her name was Jody I'm not sure but she was super friendly & very attentive. The drinks are decent & there's a wide variety of items. The prices aren't terrible either. Spacious as well with ample seating & easy to hear others at the table either you.

    Texas Mac & Cheese
    Mollie G.

    The food was phenomenal. The ranchers potine wasn't really potine more like loaded fries. The Texas mac n cheese was a 10/10. Our waitress was fine just seemed a little mad.

    seafood eggplant pirogue
    Laura P.

    our server was flu f & he was so personable & kind. I couldn't choose between eggplant or the fried chicken (right below on the menu) he suggested the eggplant & I was so satisfied! it was lighter than a fried chicken base would have been. if you sht away from eggplant, you can't taste it. it's just a vessel for the seafood & sauce. it is fried so it added a nice crunch. the sauce seeps into the delicous rice so you don't loose any of that good extra stuff falling out of your "boat" my daughter loved the Mac & cheese. she couldn't finish it at the restaurant. however, we were home for 20 min & she ate more. I also couldn't finish mine but I'm excited for leftovers! a stand out thing that flu said was "your dinner is almost ready...." who says that? it made it feel so much more like a family meal.

    Mozzarella stick!

    The absolute tastiest place I have been in Des Moines, hands down. Had the mozzarella sticks, fried pickles and poutine, and they were all DELICIOUS!! I came with 3 friends, and I had the big fat chicken quesadilla and it was such a generous amount, one got wings, one got the parm sandwich, and one got the brisket mac & cheese, and everything was great!! We had the best server, Libby, I recommend sitting in her section. She is the best!

    Justin T.

    My son recently started attending law school in Des Moine. I had his previous school's city figured out as far as good food goes, but now I had to learn a whole new town. My hotel was in downtown so I looked for something close by to check and Buzzard Billy's came up in all my searches. The name was a little off putting, but the menu did catch my attention. It was easy to find and had plenty of parking in a lot out back as well as street parking. The place is pretty large and has different seating areas. They got plenty of TVs if you want to catch any sports as well. The restaurant seemed to be somewhat busy and we did have to wait a little while to be seated. Customer service was decent. Our young server was a little bit on the slow side, but friendly. What Buzzard Billy's offers is American, Cajun and Southern style food. Little did I know I would find this kind of cuisine in the Midwest. The menu here is quite large and has many options from apps, soups, salads, wings, po'boys, burgers, pastas and all kinds of specialty entrees. When I say this menu is large, I am not kidding. We started off with a Midwest item which was cheese curds. We just don't get it back home like you do up here. I knew they would be good when they arrived at the table. It was a delicious mound of fried, squeaky, cheese. I was overwhelmed with the menu and let my waitress pick my entrée. As a southerner, I had to see what they had to offer as far as Cajun/southern food went. She said a crowd and personal favorite was the Chicken Tchoupitoulas. It was a grilled, Cajun seasoned chicken breast on a hash of fried potatoes, ham, mushroom and green onions. The chicken was a little on the dry side, but still very tasty. It was topped with a béarnaise sauce that elevated it as well. It came with a Cajun crème corn on the side which was more like just a side of corn with bell peppers. Nothing really creamy about it. I also tried bites of the Cajun mac and cheese and the chicken fettucine alfredo which were also tasty. We didn't have room for dessert, but they did have some good looking options. I like to try new things when visiting other cities, but I could see this being a repeat from time to time when visiting Des Moines.

    Cobb Salad
    Jenn R.

    Alright this is one of my favorites in Des Moines so far! I went back a second time in one week!! Service was good, area is clean, great entertainment space to watch games and by far the best menu if you enjoy Cajun cuisine. The chicken and sausage gumbo is spot on!! Salad dressings fantastic!!! Excellent bar selection as well. Try the corn, it's worth the add on!

    Bacon burger
    Jon S.

    I could only give this restaurant one star for the service, our waiter Emily was awesome! But everything else blah, coming from the south and frequenting New Orleans quite a few times I know what creole food should taste like. The gumbo my friends got tasted like floury brown paste, the chicken dish they got was not tender and the white sauce tasted like a cheap base. Cracker Barrel's is better. And the burger I got was good for the first 2 bites because it was a lot of cheese and bacon but once you got into the meat it was bland and tasteless. Wouldn't recommend this spot if you want good food.

    Louisiana Purchase
    Chase W.

    my favorite banana foster in des moines. it's a table side service and just a chill bar ambience!

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    1 month ago

    Food is amazing. Every time I've gotten something different and it's been good each time.

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    4 months ago

    Great food great service I've eating here a few times I'll eat here again love the drinks

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    8 months ago

    Food was good for bar and grill food. Drinks were very good! Even thought he were busy and we had a large group service was quick and good

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    Page 1 of 11

    Buzzard Billy's Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Buzzard Billy's

    Tullpa Restaurant

    Tullpa Restaurant

    4.8
    (37 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    I've been curious about this place for a long time so I finally tried it for dinner tonight with my…read morehusband. Like probably most Americans, I haven't tried a lot of South American cuisine so I didn't know what to expect. I guess I was expecting something like Mexican food. Well, it's definitely a lot different than Mexican food. Peruvian food isn't very spicy and the seasonings are different, yet still tasty. There a big Chinese influence on Peruvian food, too. I got the Lomo Saltado, a popular Peruvian dish with stir-fried beef, onions and tomatoes served with rice and French fries. My husband got the Chaufa al Wok, an oriental Peruvian fried rice with chicken. The fries kind of threw me at first. I wasn't expecting that. The dish was very good and had a nice flavor. My husband loved his dish and thought it was delicious. With both of our dishes it was interesting to see how much of a Chinese influence there is. What my husband absolutely loved the most is their homemade horchata. It tasted different than Mexican horchata so he asked what was in it. Our server said it was made was cacao beans instead of just rice and cinnamon. It had a pale brown color to it, too. I also liked the seasoned corn nuts that came with two different sauces--a sweet one and savory one. We both thought the prices were a little high but not so much that we wouldn't come back. The service was very good. Our server was friendly and helped us decide what to order. She was very knowledgeable about the menu items. At the end of our meal both she and the owner (I think) asked us how we liked everything and if there was anything they could have done to make things more enjoyable. I mentioned that my food came out much earlier than my husband's so I was almost done by the time his came out. The owner apologized for the wait and we really appreciated that. They also serve empanadas, pupusas and tamales. We're going to try these the next time we come back. Someone at the table next to us ordered the pupusas and they looked yummy. We were pleasantly pleased with how tasty the food was despite being a lot different than what we were expecting.

    Every time we pass through Des Moines we have to stop here…read more A small family run restaurant that is excellent. Great food and great service. Don't miss it! The Arroz Con Mariscos is excellent and has a lot of seafood in it. Awesome flavor. My husband loves the Chaufa Al Wok too. The Strawberry pop is a don't miss.

    Photos
    Tullpa Restaurant
    Fried Calamari w yucca
    Fried Calamari w yucca
    Strawberry pop from Ecuador

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    Strawberry pop from Ecuador
    Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster

    Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster

    4.5
    (70 reviews)
    11.3 mi

    4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $40 05/20/2026 The neighbors suggested the Guesthouse for our dinner tonight and given our experiences, we heartily agreed. We started our meals with a glass of beer, then ordered our dinners. Tonight, my wife opted for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with grilled shrimp (see picture) - at our server Chelsea's suggestion (Chelsea was great). While I usually prefer trying different dishes vs. ordering what I've had before, it was Wednesday and I'm a sucker for specials...so again opted for Walleye Wednesday (see picture). While we both enjoyed both dishes after sharing tastes of each, the highlight of the meal was the Campfire Pie (that Chelsea recommended) along with a scoop of ice cream (at our neighbor's suggestion). Check it out in the picture and be sure to give it a try!

    I have dined here twice with friends and both experiences were amazing…read more Do yourself a favor and show up for Happy Hour. My hubby gets the oysters and I get the shrimp cocktail with huge shrimp! The drink selection is great. I've had their Wisconsin style old fashioned and their NA blueberry mojito. Both were delicious. The service is always professional, friendly, and helpful in making selections. We are going to be regulars!

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    Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster
    Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster
    S'mores smoked dessert! 9/10. The only things that would have made it better would be a berry compote on top.

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    S'mores smoked dessert! 9/10. The only things that would have made it better would be a berry compote on top.

    Buzzard Billy's - cajun - Updated June 2026

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