Crawford etoufee to die for! Nice place to eat before Iowa Wild game or anything else.

Great customer serve and absolutely delicious food. I moved to Des Moines a little over three years ago - just before the flood - so I never got the opportunity to visit Buzzard Billy's at its old location. Folks would always reminisce about Buzzard Billy's and I was always kinda sad that I never had the opportunity to try it. Well, last night I got that opportunity and it was everything that everyone said it would and more. Talk about delicious cajun food! When I think of cajun food, I think tons of meat, tons of flavor and tons of spice and that is exactly what I got. I ordered The Cajun Combo which comes with blackened catfish, a half order of jambalaya, a cup of seafood gumbo and hushpuppies. Spice? Yes. Meaty? Yes. Flavor? Out of this world. What's more, Buzzard Billy's does not skimp on portions. There was plenty of jambalaya, a huge catfish fillet and a brimming cup of gumbo. I am definitely a Buzzard Billy believer and I will definitely be back for more of this cajun goodness! read more

Really bummed. We ordered chicken dippers. And intentionally didn't order dinner to make sure we had our appetizer in plenty of time so we could enjoy them. We kept telling our server we didn't want to be stacked. She no problem, after about 45 minutes our DINNER showed up and no appetizers yet. We told them to forget the appetizer. The dinner was good. They said we will take it off your bill. Woopie. Then we got our bill and it said they comped us our 9.99, they had the chicken dippers on our Bill. What Kind of comp was that. They didn't even comp a dessert or anything. Not happy with this place today. read more

I grew up going to their Lincoln, NE location and fell in love with Buzzard Billy's. When I moved to the Des Moines area, I was ecstatic to know they have one here. My review: Food- Outstanding. Best Cajun food in the Midwest. Service- Tremendous. Fast service & enjoyable people. Price- Competitive. My wife and I can eat here for $40. It's not an "every week" option for us, but certainly one we can go to anytime we're in the mood to eat a nice meal. Atmosphere- Okay. Perhaps I'm spoiled growing up at their Lincoln location. Lincoln's is right off the University of Nebraska campus, and has a loud, open atmosphere that is just fun and has lots of Deep South charm & decor. Des Moines' location feels like the Applebee's in comparison. I like to buy into the experience as well as the food. (This is why I give it 4 stars instead of 5). No matter the atmosphere, however, there's no better place to get fried alligator. I'll be a customer for as long as they stay in business. read more

Prompt service for breakfast. The ribeye was cooked to perfection. Coffee excellent bean choice got two cups. The hash brown are excellent. In fact the best I have in years. Fresh butter, all ingredients were fresh. Place is cozy and comfortable. The bar are is separated from the dinner area and got a separate room for meetings. Big enough for plenty of persons. Got child menu. read more

I've eaten here dozens of times, but tonight is really disappointing. Sunday night, not busy at all, and the drink order takes 15 minutes to place, let alone receive. Another wait for the food, only to receive the wrong order. Server no where to be found, even after 25 minutes. Okay, now it's 35 minutes and haven't seen the server since she brought the food. There are fewer than six other tables in play. read more

Had the ham, chicken, and sausage jambalaya and it was just ok, probably wouldn't come back here unless I was ordering something else off the menu read more

Overall the food is ok & prices are reasonable, nothing stands out as authentic Cajun, rice & beans were over salted & the Gumbo,didn't have a real kick or flavor to make it a standout the same holds true for the Blacken Chicken nothing about it stood out. For Des Moines it will hit the spot if Cajun is what your looking for. read more

5 stars for the delicious blackened chicken breast and buttery corn. Blackened tilapia and rice were just average. read more

Absolutely the BEST food in Des Moines!! And only seconds from the front doors of Wells Fargo Arena. The menu is awesome and wonderfully designed. The food is out of this world and reasonably priced. I took food home, the portions were that large. The interior is wonderful! And I love the big screens! The beer selection was exactly what we were looking for. Since then I have ordered "to-go" and I have never been disappointed! The food is always hot and to order. They have it ready for me at exactly the time they told me they would. Definitely a gem of Downtown Des Moines! read more

Really good place to come with friends for dinner and have drinks.. menu is a lil big so you will have to come back and try different things.. yes a must come to place. read more

This review is for the Gator Fingers. They were very chewy, had too much breading on them in relation to the gator meat, and I had to get all the seasoning form the sauce that came with it, which just tasted like honey mustard. read more

Great place to grab a beer before a concert. However if you want a table you better be there super early. We arrived about 445 and were told it was approximately a 2 hour wait for a table. Luckily they were hosting a party in the parking lot so we could still grab a few beers before the show read more

Great place next to the Wells Center to grab a bite to eat before an event. Creole style food. Great bar selection. Service was amazing. Be prepared to wait if there is an event going on. This is the popular spot to hit since it's so close and convenient. Great food and good times! read more

I had never went to the original Buzzard Billy's but the new one was pretty awesome. I liked the ambiance and loved the patio option. The menu was huge and I definitely want to go back there to try a few more things. The beer selection was ridiculously good as well. I got the Chicken Tchoupitoulas and it was really good. Check out my blog for a full review and pictures from Buzzard Billy's and other Des Moines eateries. http://fooddmawesome.blogspot.com/2012/07/return-of-buzzard-billys.html read more

Service was really solid, but this food is very below average. The menu describes one thing, and the delivery falls short.

I had the crawfish platter. Very happy with my selection. The spring roll appetizer was good, and I had two pints of Bell's Two Hearted Ale (Best beer in the country). The wife had the muffuletta and armadillo eggs appetizer. She had nothing but good things to say about both. She also ordered one of their specialty margaritas on a whim and loved it. The service can been a bit impersonal when they are busy. I get it, but think that is the one area where they can improve. Everyone must try this place at least once. read more

I love Buzzard Billy's! When I dine in at the restaurant I feel like I'm back in NOLA. It's a great place to dine at before or after an event at Wells Fargo arena too. I would recommend the Hurricane and the armadillo eggs. They have an excellent Cajun menu and choices for everyone! read more

Good food sized and reasonable drinks prices. My co workers and I had the food twice while we were in downtown Des Moines on business.

Great place! Loved the gator po boy. Hush puppies are a must. Wish we would've left room for dessert.

Today was my first time going to this restaurant and I was very very very pleased with everything. For starters the food, was amazing and beautiful. I ordered shrimp Alfredo, and for dessert this beautiful ice cream. Everything tasted and looked amazing. The price was super low for what the food quality was and if it was more expensive (and I paid for it not my girlfriend) I would've paid more for the food it was that good. Now the most important and above all the service. Our waiter, Andrew, was very friendly and attentive. I work at the lakeside buffet in Osceola so I know a thing or two about genuine service and let me tell you this guy had genuine service. It was so organic and natural. The way he spoke and wanted to help and serve was awesome. He made me feel like I've known him for a long time by the way he spoke. He had other tables and it was pretty busy at the time I went but he still attended to us and made us feel at home. If you were to go to this amazing restaurant and you got to choose a server I recommend Andrew. read more

We are in town for Moe & Yonder and needed a place within walking distance of Embassy Suites. Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. I had beer cheese soup with andouille sausage with an Electric Alligator to drink. Both were killer. My husband had a sandwich he said tasted like a giant delicious pizza roll and pear cider both were good but not great. My bro in law had a basic quesadilla and said the chicken wasn't equally distributed so the end pieces were empty. Overall, good experience. Four stars! read more

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

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If you're hungry and desperate this place is a good last resort. The service was ok/good. Everything tasted stale and not of great quality. I would not go there a second time or recommend anyone go there for good food. Try at your own risk. read more

If you are heading to Wells Fargo Arena this is your best option to grab a bite to eat. Also a great spot to get a drink after. Great menu options. Kids get free ice cream with meal. read more

I stopped here with my family on a recent trip to Des Moines and it was a fantastic visit. Despite Covid and the fact that half the area was without power due to a recent storm, the service was amazing (Jacob C. was the best!) and the food was delicious. Would definitely recommend. read more

Got food VERY quick even though there was a lot of people. AMAZING food. Got the grilled chicken with bacon and very impressed

We had the best meal on Sunday! Didn't have the specific dish my husband wanted, but the cook said he could make it, but may be a bit mushy. Was so good! The food was still hot after our 25 minute drive from downtown. Buzzard Billy's never disappoints! read more

What a shit hole! We get told that 75% of our party needs to be here, but it is a work group and we have no idea how many people will show in the end. Plus people will come and go. So we get 7 people not good enough to get a table. 11 people wait maybe...and nope miss communication with our server...so no table. Oh 12 people show and 15 minutes with the group clustered around the bar like a bunch of assholes we are told that we will seat you now. And we get to the seating...two separate tables because you know we could have split the group in half and had 75% a hell of a lot sooner!! Oh and the kicker...their place was not ever busy even after we got seated. So if you like getting treated like a second class citizen go and enjoy! read more

This was our 4th or 5th time here. Each time seems to be equally disappointing. We dinned there Sunday June 7th. We dinned on the patio which was nice minus the shaking every time traffic passed on the nearby street. I started my meal with corn chowder with crab and it was alright. I figured since we've been here before to order on the safe side, so I order chicken Alfredo. You can't mess that up right? WRONG! It was lacking flavor and every piece of chicken I ate was basically all gristle! Our waitress was nice thats why I even gave it 2 stars, however someone should have told her that not all back leggings are none see through. I always enjoy seeing a clear view of my waitresses butt and thong while I eat!! We will not give this place another try even tho my husband did enjoy his meal! read more

Extremely affordable prices for great portions. (Oh, bring Quarters for the meters) I had Cajun sampler consisting blackened fish, jambalaya, cup of Gumbo and hush puppies. All had great taste but was impressed with the blackened fish. I saw a lot of menu items referencing Texas & come to find out owner has location in Waco Tx and elsewhere too. Since I'm from Dallas will for sure travel to Waco to eat at Buzzard Billy. read more

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

Buzzard Billy's won't change your life, but the food doesn't disappoint and you won't leave hungry. The portions are huge! It's family-friendly and ideal for groups catching a show or game at Wells Fargo arena. Service is no-frills. read more

Went here for my birthday, had a total of 7 people in our party. Our waitress was Kayla ( hope I spelt it right ) and she was awesome. Drinks never ran dry and I feel she went above and beyond for the kids's desserts. We definitely be back! read more

Nice atmosphere and friendly waitstaff. Loved the Chicken Czarina! He wasnt so as taken with his oysters but said they were ok. His fries and hush puppies were delicious though. We will definitely be back. read more

Loved the old location downtown on Court, this new atmosphere blows.....my opinion...And maybe it's because of all the little kids running around mixed in with the adults. Feels like I am at Dave and Busters, but they are 10x better. The food here taste average at best, there is nothing that stands out. I don't know if they had a menu change or new cooks, but the old location had great food that made my mouth water when thinking about it. I probably will not be going here again anytime soon. Oh BB, Please, Please don't be cheap and send some of your cooks to southern states and train them to learn to make food like the real Southerners. read more

This place is horrible! I came after my graduation with my family and had to wait forever for a table. As we watched them seat people walking in after we arrived there. They sat us right by the bathroom so we had so much traffic. Out of everyone at the table I was the only one who had to show their ID. When you could clearly tell I was older than everyone else in my party. The food was disgusting. We were charged 20% gratuity without an option of choosing how much we wanted to tip. Service is crappy. I will never go back to this place. I wish I could give zero stars! read more

The food was great. Seafood gumbo was Really good even though there was only a few pieces of seafood. Jambalaya and Red Beans and Rice were very tasty and portions were huge. Hush puppies were perfect. The reason for the 3 stars is the service was lacking. We were one of 4 tables inside and our server, Bruce, couldn't remember our Armadillo Egg appetizer, brought our gumbo out and within 5 minutes our entrée was delivered...and then he would disappear for extended time. For how few people were there, I would expect the server to be a little more visible and our drinks to not sit empty. Overall, kudos to the chef, food was superb. The service is what is lacking here. read more

Buzzard Billy's is one of my favorite places to eat in Des Moines. Some of the best alligator I've ever had. The staff is friendly, as is the atmosphere. Definitely a place you want to visit over and over. read more

My family and I came in saturday for lunch and had candie as our waitress she was super sweet always made sure we had everything we needed. The armadillo eggs are great! Thanks for a good experience. read more

Well I might be one star too many but the waitress got one of my wishes on a dish Chang done. Has not worked in the past but all is well. The gator bites were tender and the sauce made them extra good . Also had the sausages wrapped in bacon topped with a maple glaze all I can say is wow. The portion were huge and the food tasty. My blacken catfish topped with crawfish étouffée my request was very good. A very large helping of rice with the perfect spice very good. I did forget to mention the most amazing beer soup yeah that will make you smile . I could only have wished I had room for desert. Evening with good food good friends, how could it be any better. read more

Was on town on business and looking for a good place to eat. Based on yelp rating I tried this place. I was not disappointed. Only regret is trying to eat the whole meal. You get large portions. Draft beer could have been colder. I will go back. read more