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

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

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

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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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

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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I would give it 3.5 if I could. If I only ordered the hush puppies and gumbo it might have been 4.5 stars, and if we are in the restaurant it might be 5. We took a half a star away, because we didn't like paying a 20% tip on take out that we picked up. We ordered the Bayou platter, and the rice and beans were pretty good, the chicken was dry, and the gumbo and hush puppies were phenomenal. We added on burnt ends, and they did not remotely compare to any burnt ends we've had (including made at home.) They didn't have any of the sticky smokiness we expect. I'd definitely go back for more gumbo, and would like to try some of the other menu items that sound like winners. read more

Went for lunch today ,Sunday. They had a breakfast menu that was valid until 2 but we all ordered off the main menu. I had the chicken tchoupitoulas. I wasn't overly impressed with the chicken itself, not very seasoned, just blackened and was small for the price. The hash it was served with was very tasty. My husband got the fried catfish and rates it 4 stars. Two HUGE filets, crunchy coating, cooked well. SO often fried fish is greasy but this was perfect. Our daughter and SIL have been here often and always have a good experience. They were satisfied with their sandwiches. We will definitely will go back for more fish and try something else on their extensive menu. read more

Had a shrimp and oyster poboy and it was legit! I spent years in Texas and Louisiana and this place ranks right up there in awesome cajun food! We will be back for sure! This place helps me to fill my need for Cajun food. The best that I have had in Iowa in 7 years away from Cajun country. The waitress was great and it was a little wait for the food but this place was almost full and I didn't care since the food was true. 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

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

This place is almost a 5 star. It was a hard choice. Great staff, and very solid food. The place inside is very clean and good looking. The only downside I've found is some of it lacks just a little flavor. The seafood jambalaya is great, but the tomato sauce is so heavy it over powers it. Maybe cut down on the sauce by 30% and it would be amazing. The mozzarella sticks are the amazing homemade style that are huge. Only down side to them is the breading lacks a little herb flavor. Same for the alligator straw appetizer. Alligator was cooked amazing, but the breading was a little bland. If they were to balance their flavors just a tad, and it's an easy 5 star. Oh the spinach and artichoke dip is incredible. Flavor is perfect. Just ask for extra of the bread chips unless you plan on putting 1/8 of the bowl of dip on each chip. read more

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First, our party had to wait over 15 minutes after being seated to even get some water. A manager did comp us some drinks when he found out no one was waiting on us. Saw 2 other tables that came in after us that already had their food. Not impressed with the food, French toast was very bland, didn't appear it was dipped in egg mixture, and the breakfast sausage was the worst I've ever had. Eggs were warm and tasted old, same with hash browns. They weren't that busy either. Will not be going back. read more

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

Had a great meal, I had the Alligator Gran Chenier which wasn't too spicy. large enough portions that I was too full to even get desert.

We came here after we left an Iowa Wild game on Sunday, it was not busy. We sat outside as it was a nice day. Waitress was kind. We ordered Maple BBQ bone-in wings, parmesan boneless wings, and armadillo eggs. Everything was just okay. not over-the-top, not gross, just ok. The bone-in wings had so much skin on them, I had to peel it off, then was left with very little meat. I only ate 3 of them, boxed the rest up, and had 2 of the armadillo eggs. They weren't very stuffed.. By the time we walked back to our car at Wells Fargo I was feeling nauseous. When I got to my car (a 5 minute minute ride from Wells), I was pale and feeling awful. My boyfriend even noticed and commented. I had to pull over twice on my way home to the south side to vomit. I vomited 3 more times at home within 2 hours. I wasn't sure if it was the food, but it was the only thing I ate that day. I braved trying a wing the next day and got sick within an hour twice. A friend convinced me to return and try it again and I asked to speak with the manager about my experience. He didn't apologize, offer any sort of compensation, and stated that no one else had complained and that they serve so much food that there would have been more complaints if it was their food. He shared with me there is a stomach bug going around then walked away. I thought it was extremely rude and unprofessional. read more

Buzzard Billy's - Maple BBQ Bone-In wings and Garlic Parmesan boneless wings in the back - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Great food, very good service, fun ambiance. The jambalaya was fantastic! Really good margarita too.

A unique restaurant with decent specials (Thursday is crappy beer night and $3 off apps after games at the Well). I've enjoyed menu items like po'boys and shrimp gabrielle; and was disappointed in others like the pulled pork nachos (they had generous toppings but thought the BBQ sauce should be less vinegar and more heat). So, if you end up ordering something you dont love, id encourage you to come back and try something different. read more

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

Ive been in buzzards a few time so i aint knew to this, the food is always okay, not the best not the worst till now. Got the blackened chicken and catfish, both were a new type of blackened to me charred ,burnt and crispy you can't even taste the fish or chicken without that wonderful burnt food seasoning. I'm pretty sure Cajun and creole spices aren't supposed to taste chard, won't even waste my time to order a different meal as I am still trying to get that taste out of my mouth...yuck! read more

Buzzard Billy's - If you have a taste for burnt tastest fish and chicken here you go. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I worked Law enforcement for 28 years before being paralyzed from a fall while working. My daughter her husband and two kids wanted to take me and my wife to see Disney on Ice. Sunday Morning. They would not seat us. The gentalmant was rude when I asked was because you have limited seating for wheel chair. Hesniped no. My chair also raises to high top. After 35 minutes watching bigger parties then 6. Story short I felt worthless I am done. Do not go if your in a wheelchair. Google my name Frank Newberry. You see articles cles. I never visit that place and wonder how many wherlchair had same problems. I have no idea if I can file a complaint with ADA BIT I GO AS FAR AS HIRING A LAWYER read more

Amazing service, amazing staff, amazing food. 10/10, easily the best breakfast, lunch, or dinner in town. Added bonus if you can make it before a show or game at Wells. read more

I absolutely love this place. I go here all the time and the food is always good. The service is always pretty fast as well no matter how busy. I highly recommend! read more

While I've been coming here a couple times a year for a few years I've yet to have a bad meal or experience. Last meal that sticks out is the buffalo chicken sandwich. I asked for a regular roll instead and it was one of the best I've had. I really enjoy the atmosphere here. I went once before a hockey game to eat and I realized I wasn't the only one with that idea. It was packed and the wait was longer then expected. Note to self read more

I've eaten here one other time last summer, I don't remember much other than liking the gator fries and thinking this restaurant was nothing to write home about. I decided to give buzzard Billy's the benefit of the doubt and try them again considering the great reviews. My verdict? Unbelievably average. I ordered the kickin chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries for my boyfriend, and the smoked French dip with regular fries and a side of ranch for me. The best part of this meal was the ranch. I got home to see regular fries and not sweet potato fries. Disappointing considering it was an up-charge for them... The smoked french dip was incredibly dry, and yes I know that's what the "dip" is for, but no matter how much flavorless beef water I dipped the sandwich in it stayed dry somehow. The bite was 80% bread and 20% meat and cheese I only took about three bites before I gave it to my garbage disposal of a boyfriend. I had to run to the bathroom immediately after I ate what I could. I definitely will not be testing out if the third time is the charm. read more

Tried the rajin Cajun burger and fries. It was decent honestly burger was kind of dry and could use more toppings. read more

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

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Good service for a busy weekend night. Food is just "okay". Always think it will be better but just average bar food. Location was convenient to concert we were attending. read more

I love this place. The food is super consistent. Honestly I've never had an issue with food quality even ordering through a delivery service multiple times. I've tried a few things on the menu which is huge. I found my way to the rasta pasta and then never turned back. It's my one of a kind go to item I need to have once in a while. Kind of a unique thing that you're not going to find anywhere. If you like Jamaican flavors and a little kick in your chicken you gotta give it a try. read more

Service was terrible. Walked out after waiting over 2 hours for a party of two. Wanted a table in the section our friend was working. We were told wait of approximately 45 - 60 minutes. App stated slight delay when 50 minutes had passed. I checked at 90 minutes to make sure we hadn't gotten overlooked and that the app was working. After 2 hours still no communication from management. Walked out after waiting 2 hours and 15 minutes. On weekends when there is an event at Wells Fargo, I think management has every right to ask their customers to move to their tables in the lower level so other patrons can order and be served. Very rude for people to stay at their table for hours after they have finished eating without ordering or tipping their server after the initial meal. Is it worth it to have no revenue for those hours and also upset a patron who wanted to spend $$ ? They have lost my business. read more

What a complete surprise. I'd avoided this place for a long time because I know cajun food and in my mind I thought "there is no way that this is going to be good." Wrong. Now I've been almost cajun-free for three years because of my own close-mindedness. First: great service from Todd. He was really good, great personality, appeared just when we needed him. Made some awesome recommendations for our group. I couldn't decide what I wanted so Todd helped me decide on "The Cajun Combo." It came with one blackened catfish fillet, a half order of jambalaya, a cup of seafood gumbo and homemade hushpuppies. I don't normally even eat fish but that was good. Tender and flaky, with a great seasoning. Perfectly blackened. The roux on the jambalaya was perfect, just think enough, with plenty of content! The seafood gumbo was excellent. Hushpuppies: don't mind if I do. I could have eaten at least two more of those babies. I was very full, but... bread pudding. Wow. It was perfect. It was moist and flavorful with a great sauce in perfect proportion. Oh, and they have sweet tea. Mic drop. I'll be back. read more

Never will I ever... not because they can't handle busy (because they can't) but because they were rude...and honestly have no idea how to manage a crowd while running a restaurant/bar. Manager might be way in over his lead. It's to bad as it gives the service industry (which is usually working hard) a bad name. read more

Buzzard Billy's - Yep...empty tables but won't seat anyone??? - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This place is absolutely amazing. If you get lucky enough to have Alex as your waiter, you should be content with life... read more

Buzzard Billy's - Dude, this place is absolutely amazing! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Really great burgers! Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Nice atmosphere as well. read more

The food was great! Restaurant was clean and staff was friendly. Had the quesadilla for an app and the chicken sandwich for a meal! Both delicious! read more

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

At hyvee hall? Got a concert or hockey at Wells Fargo? Hungry? Right here at Buzzards is where it's at. You could throw a rock and hit it from both those places. Prime location as this place is always booked and stocked up with people. Almost always a little to long wait if you are going to an event that night. They have eating at the bar if you don't want to wait. We planned ahead before a hockey game and lucky got a booth. While waiting for the rest of our party the waitress was friendly and helpful. She had her favorites and loved the gator which i have had before. Yum. Thanks to the yelp pictures i picked out my order. Thursday's a crappy beer can special night. Coolers banquet was on that list and my finances jaw nearly hit the floor. Ordered the delicious Armando eggs app. Spicy new Orleans style cooking. Fun and different. Live the blackened options. When our party arrived and ready we each got something different. My anglers trio was amazing. The catfish was great along with shrimp and tailplia. Yum. No complaints! My finance got a specialty burger with coleslaw. This was devoured in moments. Our friends loved their dishes. He got a barbeque burger and she had po boy sandwich. Everyone loved their meals and filled up on drinks as well. We laughed and enjoyed our time till close to ice time. Full and happy we left with a couple drinks under our belts to enjoy our evening. Hit them up early for a fun bar. New Orleans themed good food and drink specials. Update: have come back a couple times since this review and other than a little slower on the service everything was delicious. Keep it up. read more

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Located in the heart of downtown Des Moines, this restaurant serves up some amazing cajun cuisine! If you want the short version, I believe this is place offers the best cajun food with Fat Tuesdays coming in a close second. We went at around 11:30am and it was not crowded at all, there were a good amount of customers, but not lunch-rush crowded. For starters we had a bowl of their Oyster Gumbo. They had a paper menu stating they just had a fresh batch of Oysters come in and that we should try it. The gumbo was incredible, it had oysters, shrimp, crawfish, and sausage; insane flavors! I'm not sure if this is a regular menu item or just with the special menu. The first entree we had was the Mardi Gras pasta, it was amazing! The flavors made it taste like authentic cajun food, I have not had authentic cajun from Louisiana, but I can bet it tastes like this. The pasta comes with toasted bread which was great as well! The other entree we ordered was the catfish poboy, probably one of the best poboys I have ever had! The catfish was not only flavorful, juicy, and tender, but it was HUGE! If you enjoy poboys then you will definitely enjoy this dish! I had the side of fries and they were very good as well. Overall, great experience, the server was friendly, and the atmosphere was inviting. There are still plenty of other menu items I am interested in sampling upon my return to this establishment. read more

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I had heard great things about Buzzard Billy's so I was really excited to try it out. First thing to know is that they will not seat you until you have 75% of your party there. The place is rather open but not nearly as large as I expected. Due to it being a bar and the openess, this place is LOUD! They do have many beers on tap but I cannot enjoy beer so I opted for a Crown and Diet Coke. It was one of the weakest drinks I have had in a while. We ordered a couple of appetizers, the Armadillo Eggs and the Red Bean Dip. The Armadillo Eggs were rather yummy. The Red Bean Dip looked like vomit but tasted just fine. Entree wise, I decided to get the Crawfish Platter as I really enjoy crawfish etoufee and crawfish in general. I was really excited as it had been a few years since I lived in the South and had some great Crawfish Etoufee. When it came out, my excitement turned to disappointment. Did it taste ok, yes but it was not truly Cajun in my opinion. The spice just was not there in the Etoufee. The Crawfish Tails were just bland. So disappointed :( The only reason I can see coming back here is if my husband wants a large beer selection. read more

We have been to Buzzard Billy's twice now and have loved it both times! Huge selection on menu and a decent beer selection as well. Our service was great both times. Recommended dishes include: The Cajun Combo (I replaced gumbo with the corn and crab chowder - SO good), The Bayou Platter, and the Fried Tilapia (sounds boring but their breading is the bomb diggity!) A must try for Cajun lovers! read more

Being that this was my first time here, I really enjoyed it. We all that something different and all 3 plates were good lol... The prices matched the serving size and it was even more food then I thought. This place had a great crowd and good music. Our server was great! read more

Buzzard Billy's - Red beans and rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Visited Buzzard Billy's on a work trip. Ordered the Seafood Gumbo Soup, which was excellent. The dark roux was on point. I also ordered the Jamaican Jerk Salad with the Caribbean Dressing. The chicken was good, and the dressing was delicious. My only disappointment was I was expecting mixed greens, and I got mostly iceberg lettuce. I will definitely visit again. read more