Food is always amazing. The staff is top notch! Their smoked meat is the best in Des Moines.

4.2* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 4* Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 4* (Probably) Total check/person: $61 10/23/2026 My brother-in-law was staying with us, is a meat lover and the new owner had reached out to me about being listed on my other web site (www.happyhourdesmoines), so seemed like a great opportunity to get back to the Flying Mango. Followers will know that my wife and I like to enjoy a cocktail while we unwind and wait for our orders and tonight was no different. We ordered the Mango Margarita (see picture) and Pumpkin Patch Margarita (see picture)...followed later in the meal by a Spicy Margarita (see picture) and a Backyard Bonfire Old Fashioned. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from the Pumpkin Patch Margarita. While the first taste didn't put it high on my likes list - by the end, I was actually enjoying it, as it wasn't super sweet and the pumpkin flavoring wasn't overpowering. Since there were 3 of us and we all enjoy trying things, we decided to sample three different appetizers - Muscle Beach Mussels, Tacos of the Day and Quesadilla of the Day (see pictures of each). We really liked all 3, with my personal favorite being the Tacos of the Day (I love street tacos with corn shells). I also really liked the buttery, tangy lime flavor of the broth that came on the mussels, so saved the extra to add to my Lime & Garlic Chicken (more on that later...). For our main courses, my brother-in-law ordered the Redneck Surf-n-Turf (see picture), my wife ordered the Shrimp & Grits (see picture) as this has been a favorite of hers on previous visits and I opted for the Lime & Garlic Chicken (see picture). While my wife and I love this place and want to see it succeed, I have to admit that all of our main courses were a bit of a disappointment relative to previous visits and how we had built it up for our guest. While the chicken itself was tender and moist in the Lime & Garlic Chicken, the dish was quite bland to my tastes and I wasn't a fan of the chicken noodle soup-like broth served with it. This was my own fault though. I ordered it thinking it would be lighter than some of the other options following several appetizers, then when writing this review saw that I stated that I would not order that dish again in my 2023 review. Lesson Learned - read my own reviews when I go back to a restaurant - and for the record, I would not recommend the Lime & Garlic Chicken (and will try to remember not to order it again myself...)! As to the other main dishes, my wife is a huge butter fan and while her comment from our 2024 visit was that it was quite rich (which she likes) - this time she commented that it was not very rich and seemingly had a lot of the butter removed. My brother-in-law shared some of the catfish from his plate and we all thought it tasted great. The ribs were a bit overdone and dry to his taste and upon reading my 2023 review, see that we had made the same comment then. read more

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Great food and drinks...came here for the brisket! We've visited before and received great food and service. Got the brisket AND the Memphis style ribs. Great flavor. Memphis flavor is medium level spicy. Cowboy beans, cornbread, and coleslaw were our sides. All were flavored very well and Smokey. Ordered the Mango margarita and the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Beer. Margarita was a nice light flavor. Service was excellent and very accommodating to dairy intolerance. Our server did everything she could to keep us happy. We would def go back read more

Flying Mango - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Food was amazing. Not a fan of cheese dip but they had one with brisket in it WOW it was great

I can't believe we've missed out on this place for 22 years. 22 years today actually. It's their anniversary. We are huge DDD fans and had to try this place out. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. It was amazing. We got there right at 5:00 and were the first ones in. The owner was right there to greet us and we had a fantastic conversation with him. Super nice dude. Great stories. He checked on us several times to see how things were. He was super attentive to all tables. Impressive. Great atmosphere. My teenage son can eat a ton and loves his food. Impressing him can be tough. This place did it. We both loved it all. Service was fantastic. Food was so good. Drinks very good. Easy 5 stars. I worried about this place no living up to the hype. It surpassed expectation. Guy found a gold mine and I'll be back. Get there early as it fills up quickly. read more

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Awesome service, and very friendly people. It appears to be a staple in this part of Des Moine and very popular with locals. I'm reviewing a little tougher it for being very average food. My daughter had the like chicken and it was very over limed. My wife had brisket and it was virtually unseasoned, tasting more like a very decent roast beef. I had smoked chicken and it was great! The desert was very respectable, a white chocolate bread pudding. read more

Great service!! Incredible food! Fun atmosphere. Will be bringing many people back when they are in town.

We were in the mood for something new and exciting, as usual. After a quick search, one of the first spots that caught our eye was The Flying Mango. The name immediately grabbed my attention--it's unique and intriguing. A quirky name like that usually promises some equally unique food, right? The place itself is a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that could maybe fit 50 people at most. When you first walk in, you pass by the kitchen and a small bar, with the dining area located on the opposite side. When we visited, it was pretty quiet--just us and one other group--so the vibe was laid-back and relaxed. Our server got us seated quickly and was incredibly attentive to everything we needed. She was, without a doubt, the highlight of our visit. Her exceptional service was the main reason for the high rating I gave this place, because if it were solely based on the food, it wouldn't have scored nearly as well. One of my friends ordered a couple of adult drinks, but they ended up sending them back because they just weren't good. Now, let's talk about the food, which is probably why you're reading this. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with garlic mashed potatoes--or at least that's what they called them. The pulled pork sandwich was fantastic. They definitely know what they're doing with their BBQ. The pork was sweet, tangy, and spicy all at once, and the bread was perfectly baked with just the right amount of warmth. However, the mashed potatoes? They can keep those and take them back to wherever they got them. They weren't good at all. In fact, none of the sides really impressed anyone in our group. My so-called "garlic" mashed potatoes didn't have any garlic flavor whatsoever, and honestly, it seemed like they only had butter in them. They definitely need to rethink that recipe. Overall, I wouldn't come back for the food, but I would return for the customer service and relaxed atmosphere. The team there really knows how to make you feel welcome, and that goes a long way. If they ever bring their food up to the level of their service, this place could be something special. Keep up the great work, and hopefully one day the food will match the fantastic vibe you've already got going on. read more

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The food and atmosphere were great! The owner Mike was very kind to each table and gave us a great recommendation on a house special: Shrimp Pontchartrain "Mike's way". We also ordered the redneck surf n turf which was a great mix of Iowa meat and Cajun cuisine. read more

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So, I have always heard great things about the Flying Mango, so I wanted to finally try it. The service was great, once you enter, they have a little waiting area where you can review the menu and/or get a drink. The actual dining area was very crowded and loud due to the open and limited space. For my entrée I tried the Shrimp Pontchartrain, and it had the potential to be good, but I think the gravy was overcooked, so it had an intense burnt flavor. However, they provided great service by offering me the opportunity to try another dish. My server was also very apologetic. I tried the Cajun Catfish which came with cornbread and two sides. I chose grits and mashed potatoes. The catfish had good flavor, the mashed potatoes were ok and the butter on the cornbread was delicious and enhanced the taste. The grits had a unique taste almost like rice. The parking is not the best, there is limited parking at the actual location and then there is a parking lot across the street with limited parking as well. It's clear from my experience that the Flying Mango is dedicated to providing exceptional service. read more

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Was super excited to try this place since I love southern food. They are not open until 5pm, which worked out for us. Got seated right away. Super friendly staff, and knowledgeable. Told us the specials for the day. Went with the Cajun catfish and shrimp pontchartrain in crawfish sauce replaced the rice for the sweet potato noodles per suggested. Shrimp were cooked perfectly. And good size. Wished they would have removed the tails. The sauce was tasty but crawfish was over done, which made them a little chewy. Glad we stuck with the noodles because the rice on my red beans and rice was crunchy! The red beans and rice overall were horrible: it was as if they just pour the beans over the rice instead of all being cooked together. Bland. The goat cheese grits were bland to say the least. None of the goat cheese flavor came through other than the smell. The mashed potatoes were as unappealing to the taste as to the eyes. Looked like they have been sitting under a heat lamp and were brownish. Overall, disappointed since I had seen a lot of great reviews. read more

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I had not been here in many years. We walked in and were greeted right away. They asked if we had called ahead, we had not. The hostess said it would be about 20 min but offered us a table to wait at and order drinks while we waited. Before we could order a drink we were led to a table. Our waitress was named Sara. She was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. She told us about the specials and took our drink order. We ended up splitting the pick two special. 3 ribs and decent size portion of brisket. The ribs had a little kick on the backside of the flavor. We both thought the ribs were great. Per Sarah's suggestion we ordered the goat cheese grits. We both enjoyed those. My dinning partner liked the red beans and rice the best (I'm not a red bean/rice fan in general) we also tried the catfish cakes. My dining partner got the mago margarita and I got the berry margarita. Both were good, however my berry one was the better of the two. It had a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. A gentleman came by as we were getting ready to leave to check and see how our dinner. read more

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We tried Flying Mango for a girls night out with friends. It is interesting that when you enter the restaurant you enter through the kitchen first when arriving- we had a big group and they wouldn't seat us till we were all present. Upon being seated we were taken to the back dining area that was less hot than standing in the kitchen area. Service was good. I ordered the jerk spice pulled pork sandwich with a side of veggies that we were told was Brussels sprouts and asparagus. No asparagus in it at all, the veggies were over cooked and mushy. Not my liking at all. The pulled pork was delish and had a great flavor! read more

Flying Mango - Jerk Jerk - Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwich with veggies side - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We were driving across country and found this gem under "restaurants for foodies" when trying to figure out where to stop for dinner in Des Moines. In short. Wow! The food was great. The service was attentive. And the owner made it a point to stop over and check in on us. We were a little spoiled because the restaurant was a little quiet because the state fair is going on right now. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. read more

So good-wtf And they refilled my water bottle for Me. #Hydro Homies. #Morewordstogettoyelps85characterlimit read more

Food was excellent . The service was wonderful and Scott, the manager, along with Michelle and Riley, were very polite. The other thing I didn't know is that I would be selling my children's book there. read more

Flying Mango is a small intimate locally ran restaurant in the heart of northern DSM. First time here, as a family, ordered up various offerings. All the food was amazing and very delicious. My only forewarning is the Creole was Spicy hot, but the once again amazing flavor! Definitely a must go location, I'll go back and try something more calm.... read more

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For over 6 years whenever I come to Des Moines I always make sure I get here. I travel across the country and think their smoked brisket "The Jenny" is the best in the country. It's a Cosy little restaurant that is consistently good. The staff is warm and friendly and even the owner stops by your table to see if everything is right. This is the way a restaurant should operate. That and being that I love to support small businesses. read more

Flying Mango - The Jenny, smoked brisket on a bed of greens, apples,and onions with a side of cornbread. - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Not sure what I like better, the food or the friendliness of their staff. I think the latter makes the food better.

We visited on a Friday evening and called ahead when we were about 20 minutes out! The hostess greeted us and was so pleasant to talk to and we were seated immediately. The dining room was full and it was a cozy room with lots of conversation and delicious smelling food. After a few minutes with the menu, we ordered drinks. I ordered the bloody mary and my partner had the Mango iced tea. Both drinks were fantastic and the bloody mary had a piece of sausage and grilled shrimp. For our meals, we ordered the brisket platter with asparagus (veggie of the day) and the coleslaw. I ordered the Louisiana Platter that came with sausage, creole chicken, red beans and rice and cornbread. We shared our plates so we could have a taste of ALL THE THINGS! It was all incredible. We love creole cuisine and savored every bite. The brisket was flavorful and so tender. The andouille sausage was spicy and delicious paired with the red beans and rice. Don't walk, RUN to Flying Mango! read more

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OMG, the BBQ brisket is so good. A combination of dry and wet slices of smoky heaven. The ribs were also good but it's all about the brisket. Our sides of cowboy beans, red mashed potatoes, cornbread and cole slaw were all great. Our waitress was very friendly and made us feel at home. The owner Mike also sat with us and gave us a touching back story on his DDD experiences. Prices are very reasonable and portions large. All in all a great dining experience. We hope to visit one more time while we are here for the National Senior Olympics. Thank you Mike! read more

There is simply no downside to Flying Mango. The dining room is comfortable and intimate. Mike Wedeking (one of the owners) provides a personal touch as he greets guests who either already are, or instantly become, friends. The food is really OUTSTANDING, but the service is even better. It is an excellent value for the price. I have actually told people that G-d created cows so that Mike could smoke their briskets! Flying Mango is a star which shines brightly in the constellation of restaurants in the Des Moines metropolitan area. read more

This place was nice enough to take a table of 8 people at 8:45 when they close at 9! Upon entering we were all greeted with a smile. The server was attentive and super sweet she came and took orders as well as recommended a few options. Water glasses were filled often, like my water glass never went to the half line. I ordered the chicken dinner my husband ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich and our friends all ordered different things. Our bill was around $42 for two entrees and 1 coke and dessert. The chicken was to bland for my taste but the sandwich was phenomenal. Please get the white bread pudding (pretty sure I'm missing a word in there) you will not be disappointed. They have parking right in the front. They didn't rush us out. Wonderful service. Sent us out with a smile. Kind of a hidden location but a very good experience. read more

Flying Mango - Chicken Dinner Potato of the Day (mashed red with goat cheese) Corn Bread with Cinnamon Honey Butter - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Flying Mango is a BBQ establishment focused of fine dining and by the way, they do a great job of it. I have eaten at Flying Mango at least 5-10 times and not once have I left disappointed. The owner is generally in the dining room to make sure all patrons are happy with their food and service and he does not hesitate to jump in and help his servers when needed. Absolutely positively try Flying Mango; you will be glad that you did! read more

Omg! I do hate giving three stars. I know that it involves blood, sweat and tears to build a business. But this is my experience and I am a storyteller and I'm here to do that. Driving to Chicago from Denver we stopped twice. The first one I wasn't expecting beyond just a cooked anything. On our last couple of hours I was so famished that I whipped out my phone and searched for a spot. I was so excited to have found this BBQ place with 340 reviews at 4.5 stars. Wouldn't you be? I don't read reviews before dining at a new place. So I don't get influenced by others. But I do, watch for the amount of stars. First impressions: legit spot. Warm ambience and ample parking space. Our mood started shifting to an incredible happy to an awful one. The full rack came out cut cut in half and plated separately because we shared. We both agreed that it was a nice service. The meat: Holy molly! This meat is tasteless And incredibly dry! Chew, water, repeat. It's fall off the bones as the one last last remainder redeeming quality. The service was great but with one fault in a very bad almost con-like quality. Remember we shared that full-rack? Well, our server omitted to tell us that if we share the full rack she would have to charge us an extra $10! But to appease our expected reaction to being conned into a situation we got an extra side in addition to the two sides that came with the order. It's not the extra $10. It's when someone that doesn't give you an option in life that leaves a really bitter taste in my mouth. That and a tasteless dry full rack leaves me very unhappy with the situation. And they talk about Guy Fieri having graced their spot. The sides carry no weight in this review. Nothing special. At. All. It was sauteed veggies, two corn bread (one was an extra for paying that $10 fee for plating our shared full rack. So that was a very expensive $10 corn bread) So; off day? read more

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What can I say, this is the spot! Unfortunately I cannot eat the brisket (health issue) but my partner claims this is the best in town! She'd be eating here every day if we could afford it. Recently, when they were very low on brisket (because people love this place) staff gave my partner a little plate of brisket just to get some and she was so happy to have gotten it even though a main course wasn't available. That really made her day, and by default made mine, haha. I was so happy she got her Flying Mango brisket fix, haha. Everything I've ever ordered has been very delicious, as well. Usually it's seafood for me. I lived in Louisiana and the south generally for a bit when I was in AmeriCorps, and when I want to experience anything close to food experiences I had in the south -- it's Flying Mango for me. It takes me back. The owner, Mike, is just about the greatest guy, haha. He will be walking around talking to people and getting to know customers. He's honestly the coolest. And the staff are always friendly and awesome. Never had a rude or careless server here. Often dinner comes with some good conversation with staff and fun stories. The layout and ambiance is nice too. It can be packed sometimes and it's hard for me to hear in that case but we've been lucky to get some tucked away spots usually. And, even when it's packed, it's comfortable... you're not shoulder to shoulder or anything. And, I enjoy the artwork around the restaurant. Flying Mango is really top notch! Ten stars for one of our favorite places! read more

We really enjoyed Flying Mango for their excellent barbecue selections. The slow cooked brisket is beyond compare, the cornbread is more like a desert and so very yummy and I also enjoyed the chicken. The staff is just wonderful and very friendly and helpful. read more

I have to admit that this was my first time coming here, despite living in area over 30 years. It did not disappoint the food was amazing. I did cheat and went on the website and checked it out. That convinced me to try it. To have great results you need passion and it here. Service was great as well. We were greeted coming in the door! Warm and cozy atmosphere. Coming back! read more

Had an amazing time at Flying Mango while visiting the city. Quality/flavor & service were exceptional! Chitchatted with the owner who was simply phenomenal! If I lived in the city, I'd visit every Wednesday for their ribeye! Yum! read more

Walked in and smelt amazing. First time coming and will definitely be back! Sandwich and sides were delicious read more

Flying Mango - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I stopped in this triple D spot on my way through the state of Iowa. Ordering was problematic because they do not have a cash register. Everything must be ordered online which I was unaware of upon arrival. However, with their help I was at a pay for it with a credit card online. I got the rib plate with the slaw and beans. The coleslaw was your basic creamy style which I've had dozens of times before. The mixed beans were unique in a tangy sauce. The ribs were the star of the show which were coated with a delicious spicy Cajun rub. They had been smoked for quite some time, but they still had some moisture left in them. At this time they do not allow dining in, but you can sit out side at one of their patio tables or just get it to go like most people. read more

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We were in Des Moines for a wedding. My wife, daughter, son-in-law, and I stopped here. We were not aware it had been featured on the TV show, Diner, Drive Ins, and Dives until we were seated. When we walked in the door, the smell was spectacular. I thought to myself "If the food is half as good as this place smells, we are in for a treat!" The menu is amazing, the service spectacular - it appears that all the staff enjoy working there and have fun doing so. The ambiance is that of a top notch BBQ place. The red beans and rice, the catfish cake, the collard greens, catfish, ribs, chicken, everything we had was seriously great! Almost worth moving to Des Moines. I wish this place was in the West Virginia Eastern Panhandle. If it was I'd eat here, regularly! Thanks for a great meal!!! read more

I've heard many people rave about this restaurant. I was on a flight couple months ago and the guy next to me told me his favorite place to eat in Des Moines was the Flying Mango. So, I asked one of my foodie friends if she wanted to try this place out with me, and we did. The staff was awesome. So friendly, funny, welcoming. The owner welcomed us upon arrival and he even came to our table a couple times to make sure we liked the food. There are a lot of positives about this restaurant. However, the food... not my favorite. We started with a chicken dip that came in the form of a huge scoop in the middle of some blue chips. The dip just didn't have a lot of flavor, the chips were good though. We then ordered ribs and brisket, with corn bread and collard greens, again a little disappointed. The meat was a little tough and I wasn't a fan of the flavor. I think the best part of our meal was the butter on the cornbread... which was delicious!!! I'm going to give this place another try this summer so I'll check back here to let you know if the second experience was better. read more

There are so many reviews, who knows if this will see the light of day, but here goes. We walked in (party of 2). And waited as to be expected for a table. One of the cooks chatted and provided recommendations while we waited. Oh, and we were able to order a drink when we added our name to the list, so a plus there. We ordered cajun shrimp and rice - yum! About 8 really big, perfectly cooked shrimp and right amount of seasoning in the rice. The pick 3 (andouille, ribs, brisket) was our other dish. Andouille was good, i liked the ribs (not so much from my plus 1) and we both agreed the brisket was on par with granny's roast beef (the amount of fat we got might have insulted it from the smoke). Service was spot on and overall good and worth read more

Flying Mango - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I travel for work so I've had BBQ in NC, GA, Memphis and Texas this year. Tonight my travels took me to Des Moines. Flying Mango was the best out of all those places. Everything was excellent. Collard Greens were exceptional. The meat had such a good flavor that you didn't need any BBQ sauce, but the sauce was great. Very friendly, too. I had to go back a second time and I got the catfish cake. Normally, catfish isn't something that would appeal to me. I have to say this ended up being my favorite thing that I ate and I loved everything. Get the catfish cake. read more

Great BBQ. Cool atmosphere. We have been here many times. Only had one weird experience with a handsy manager/owner, but it was very odd. read more

Ambiance was nice, you can really smell the food being made. Service was great very helpful. Where they really shine is the food! The Ribs were perfect falling off the bone with some great bark I liked how the cornbread was pie shaped and very moist. We also got to try some brisket from the table next to us the portion size was unbelievable and the flavor was amazing. read more

Flying Mango - The full rack of ribs with cornbread and chicken creole. - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Never disappointed, always great service and always amazing food. One place I recommend to anyone looking for a new place to dine, whether date night or just out with friends. read more

Our first visit in a few years, the place still rocks the Cajun! Had the catfish cake, very good. Wifey had smoked pork loin, good flavor. Goat cheese grits a bit dry for her taste. I had the bbq shrimp and grits. Excellent. A tad spicy for me... still great. Finished with bread pudding which was excellent. We lived in Louisiana 7 yrs, this place would do well there, it's the real deal. The owner spoke to us 4-5 times, where else does that happen? Nowhere. Service was excellent! Better get y'all some... read more

After living in Beaverdale my whole life I love having this local favorite so close. The cooks are delightful and the menus delicious.