I have heard so many great things ab/ The Flying Mango and based on others recommendations, I've always recommended it to people. I decided to take my own advice and finally had dinner there on Wednesday night for my birthday. Dinner definitely did NOT disappoint. I ordered the Brisket Dinner with cornbread and probably could have eaten my weight in brisket it was that good! My friends all enjoyed their dinners too. Plus, the Mango Margaritas were delicious (and I don't even like margaritas!) The Flying Mango is now my new favorite restaurant in DSM and I will continue to recommend it to people as well as make it my restaurant of choice when going out! read more

Smokin! The Memphis style ribs with the house's BBQ sauce were fantastic. Complimenting corn bread and cole slaw were great too. There were so many things on the menu that sounded worth trying that my only regret is that I live in Cedar Rapids and probably won't make it back for a while. The only reason I'm not giving this place a five is that our waiter didn't re-fill our beverages until the meal was over. read more

A friend and I wanted to try their specialty - smoked meats - but we were both craving seafood so we decided to try it all. We got the 24-hour beef brisket sandwich as an appetizer. The meat melted in our mouths. It also came with some amazing corn bread which was topped with cinnamon butter ... mmmm. My friend ordered the Latin Basa with Chimichurri Sauce and I got the Lime and Garlic Shrimp with Mango Salsa over Black Pepper Fettuccine (with another piece of the delicious corn bread). Then, it was on to dessert ... we split the mojito torte and cinnamon-chocolate torte. It was all incredible and well worth another visit. SOON! To top it all off our waiter was wonderful and the owner came to sit with us twice to chat. It was a great, relaxing evening! read more

Small nice little restaurant. They have a certain amount of reservations per night but then first come first served for tables. Made a reservation for a Friday night. Their reservations are for two hour blocks. At the end of the meal the waiting area was packed. Great restaurant with delicious food. Employees are very friendly with a good attitude. One even helped a friend in our party back her car up when she pulled behind the restaurant. Park across the street if no parking out front. Would definitely return. Everyone in our party was very pleased with their food. read more

Flying Mango - Beef brisket with red beans and rice and sweet potato cake. Brisket was so tender and delicious. No knife needed. - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Flying Mango never disappoints. This small restaurant is a Des Moines treasure. It's hard to classify exactly what genre it falls into. Their take on BBQ is refreshingly different from the more common smokehouse style. I've visited a half dozen times in the last few months and have tried a different dish each time. I really enjoy the chefs palate. read more

One of Des Moines best. Best place to see live music and owner is passionate about good food and good music.

Very smoky flavor but not very juicy. I tried the pick three of ribs, chicken and Brisket. All three were dry and over cooked. This was a Friday night when you would think they would be serving their freshest product. The initial greeting and seating was fast and friendly. Even a little banter about the change in weather. The server appeared quickly. We explained it was our first time there. She explained the menu and then disappeared for a longgggg time. The mango margarita and mango ginger were very disappointing. Silly us. We thought since it was in their name we might have real mango fruit not juice. Just blah. The prices are high but huge portions. All three of us commented that we wish it was better food. The dining room is very cozy and the wood floors are magnificent recovered wood. The open kitchen as you enter is a nice touch. I like smoky but not well done smoky. This was "very well done"and not well done. read more

Hadn't been to the Mango for a while. This summer, friends from Omaha came in to see Carrie Rodriguez perform at the Flying Mango. We had an *amazing* meal, and an even more amazing concert. The space was small, but the service was excellent, the meal was fabulous. They even managed to keep us all cool in the record heat wave that was mid-July, 2011! The artists performing are clearly fond of the owner and his space, and the whole vibe was lovely. When they're doing a show like this, they're closed to other business, which is too bad for them, but understand why they have to in that intimate space. We had our choice of some "small and medium plates" - we tried several of them. The BBQ spareribs were transportative! The desserts were also amazing, esp. the bread pudding. My friends and I are foodies, so we sampled a lot, plus had alcohol, so we dropped a bit more money than we might for a regular meal there, plus the small ticket price for the music. Worth every penny. Great place, great vibe, great food. Highly recommend. read more

Brisket done RIGHT ! Ribs done right with special sauce by Andrew M...Killer flavor. If you haven't tried it...you should ! read more

The best BBQ restaurant in America is Des Moines, IA. Surprised? No more than my wife and I were on Friday night. We drove to Des Moines from Boulder to visit a Victory motorcycle specialist who upgraded the engine and transmission on my bike. Along the way, she looked up highly-reviewed restaurants on Yelp. We decided to try the Flying Mango, where the food is spectacular, service is grand, the portions are generous, the smoker out back is ginormous, the prices are modest and the owner stops by your table to check on things. (He rides a Harley, FYI). I travel almost every week on business and I've visited countless legendary BBQ meccas. Locals have taken me to their prized establishments in Memphis, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, various destinations in Texas, etc. None of them stacks up to the Flying Mango. The brisket is a huge chunk of ultra tender, moist meat; your fork slides right through it and it tastes divine. Their homemade sauce is so good we bought a quart to go. The cornbread comes with a slab of maple butter and we decided it was more like a dense pie than anything else. Sweet, delectable and perfect with the barbecue. My lovely bride raved about her sampler platter with chicken, andouille sausage and ribs. We loved the red beans and rice and she enjoyed a microbrew from their nice selection. Just for fun, we went to see Styx after dinner in a nearby casino hotel ("Hey Altoona, are you ready for a rock 'n roll show?!") and they were a lot better than we expected as well. I may have to schedule more upgrades to my motorcycle so we have a good excuse to go back to Des Moines. Then again, a Flying Mango in Boulder would be nice, too... read more

I was first brought here by my boss, a very demanding food connoisseur, on a business trip. Her had regaled me with tales of how amazing the beef brisket was combined with a voodoo ale. Since that time, I have returned on many occasions, and it has become one of my two go to spots when in Des Moines. The place is cozy, but in a way that doesn't make it feel small. Just the same, make sure to either call on your way or be prepared to wait for a table. Also, parking can sometimes be an issue. As you walk in you are immediately greeted with the smell of smoked meat. Any non-vegetarian's mouth will instantly begin to water. The wait staff is quick and friendly and fairly attentive. Even though it is a small restaurant, it is very well staffed and you never feel like you are waiting too long for service. The food is simply amazing. My personal favorite is definitely the beef brisket, however the chicken and sausage are also very good. They have a selection of sauces to treat any taste in BBQ. They also have a good selection of drinks to pair with your meals. This place is great and is definitely my first choice when going to Des Moines!!! read more

On a business trip got recommendation: Wonderful bbq smell welcomes you in. Simple yet warm ambience. Great service and quick : meat was so tender and flavorful, real pleasure... read more

Flying Mango - Barbeque Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This restaurant has the best BBQ in Des Moines. If you enjoy BBQ and haven't tried them out yet, then you are missing out!

My first taste of midwestern BBQ and it was delicious! The ribs and beef brisket are tender and well seasoned but extra BBQ sauce never hurt anyone! read more

The brisket is super tender and just melts in your mouth. We've been here multiple times and always enjoy the variety when it comes to specials and the grits and potatoes flavors. Their wings have an awesome ginger sauce that I gladly lick my fingers for (bc how else do you get wing sauce off your fingers). Their service is always friendly and the staff always gives off a super nice vibe. Their sangria never disappoints, and the dragonfly is something everyone should try. read more

We weren't impressed with food, the service was fine. I had the special which was chicken breast topped with goat cheese and asparagus with a side of smoked Gouda potatoes. The chicken was weird and spongy and did not look like or have the texture of a natural chicken breast. It was also served cut up. What is this? A nursing home? I can cut my own food. Except for my chicken, the rest my food was cold. It had obviously sat while the other order was cooking. My boyfriend got the brisket sandwich with a side of chicken Creole. While it's nice that they will do chicken Creole as a side my boyfriend said everything was meh. The service was fine but lackluster. We got our drinks, we got our food, we got our bill. That's about it. I doubt we'll be back, especially with all the other BBQ places opening up in DSM. This place seems to be stuck in the past and skating by on a TV appearance rather than putting out good food. read more

I have been here once but it was amazing. It's definitely on the pricier side but it is worth every penny. The staff Is very attentive and the desert menu changes daily ! read more

We happened upon this gem while we were on our way to a different restaurant. I am so glad we decided to stop here instead. My husband had the Niesly (?spelling) iced tea-the smoked lemonade paired with the bourbon was tasty. I had mango iced tea-comes unsweetened, but they do have simple syrup. We shared the you pick three BBQ platter. Our meats were brisket, chicken and andouille. All were delicious with andouille being our favorite. For sides we had cornbread, braised collard greens and chicken creole. The collard greens were my favorite, but my hubby preferred the cornbread. Overall a great meal! read more

There on a Friday 7pm, 2ppl. Had martinis and the Chicken Dinner and Pick 3. Place was cozy, colorful and packed. They were doing a "wine judging" that we all could participate in to select new wines for the bar! Smelled like smokey heaven in there and was FUN to experience. You walk in the door and you are practically IN the kitchen, nuthin' to hide! Love it. Food is outstanding. One time before I was there and had a smoked duck breast with cherry sauce...not a fan....but I ate ALL of it. read more

Absolutely outstanding bbq. A nice restaurant with a warm feel. Really cool art on the walls too. I tried a sampler platter and was also eating off my friend's plates! It's nice when the owner of a restaurant walks the floor to interact with his customers and get feedback. You can't beat this place so go check it out! read more

I'm from KC and have had the best of the best BQ but I have to say that the smoked brisket at the Flying Mango was absolutely the best I have ever had. Flavor was fantastic but the best part it was so tender you could cut it with a spoon!! Collard Greens were fantastic as well as the sweet potato pancake! We also had the smoke mussels which I am not fond of and usually don't eat but they were fantastic! A must try even if you think you don't like mussels. Highly recommend if you are in the Des Moines area that you put the Flying Mango at the top of the list of restaurants to try. Thanks to all at the Flying Mango for a terrific night out and fantastic meal!!!! read more

Do yourself a favor and find this place. First let me say I would come here just to visit the staff and sit with their great and positive energy, everyone was so nice and attentive they could've brought me cardboard to eat and I think I may have enjoyed it. That's where it gets even better though! Amazing brisket in Iowa? I didn't think it was possible until I came to the Flying Mango! Being from Texas I have a high standard for what I call good BBQ and this place was up there with the best of all of them. The brisket was cut in super thick slides but fell apart with a spoon. read more

I've been at Drake for four years, and had only seen Flying Mango in passing. It looked really sweet from the outside, but someone had told me the food was bad. That was freshman year. With that, I had not even contemplated about it. Fast forward, March 2009. A couple of friends and I wanted to try something new around Des Moines. Not our usual standby of El Aguila Real, which don't get me wrong, is legendary. However, interjecting something new once in awhile is necessary. Stepping inside, it was a Friday night, so the place was swarming with twenty and thirty-somethings dressed in their "going out clothes." The restaurant is more intimate than I imagined, which was really enjoyable. The walls were a warm shade of orange and it had a quirky environment. We made reservations, which was really sensible because we had eight people showing up for dinner. I would definitely recommend reserving a table because it seems to be a hot local haunt. The menu had a very sarcastic and funny language. The beer/wine was decent, mostly stuff that would go well with BBQ. i ordered the brisket sandwich with a side of corn bread, and it was good. The sandwich was just a roll with four slices of brisket, so quite meaty. The corn bread was to die for though because of the cinnamon butter. Oh the butter! All the sides were amazing; my friends got other sides and I tested them out. Two friends had the ribs, one had the goat cheese stuffed chicken, and another had a fish dish. All were really great, but being a poor college student, this was a special occasion place. It's not pricey though, seeing dishes go from $8-$30. The more expensive dishes were mainly the big meat dishes like ribs and steak. I would definitely recommend this place. The owner and chef was very obliging as well, coming by our table and talking to us. He kind of hung around my friend too long and made her uncomfortable, but I laughed. read more

Des Moines, IA as a whole, does not deliver on the restaurant front the way that a city of her size should. Just because a meal is expensive does not make it good and I don't care how classy, modern, or trendy your dining room and/or outside seating are... if the food you put in front of me isn't good, then you are wasting my time and money. That being said... The Flying Mango could be considered exotic if you lived in Iowa your whole life. The atmosphere is a kind of Mid-Western take on Caribbean I believe and it is nice, just not authentic. The service was acceptable and the manager, or one of the owners, I don't remember which, was very cordial, nice and enthusiastic. My date and I were celebrating a momentous occasion, so we didn't care about the cost, although, I would never pay as much as we did for two people ($80, 2 entrees, one appetizer, 4 drinks) for what we got. The food was pretty good, islander style bar-b-cue, southern cuisine. I got a seafood dish, with mango in it off course, and I enjoyed it. I guess here I should state that I have been cooking in and out of restaurants since I was a kid, and my opinions of restaurants are VERY critical. I can tell when something was fresh or canned, frozen, etc. I should know better ordering seafood when I am landlocked, but I always trick myself into thinking that maybe this time, maybe this time, it will be good. Whomp whomp wham. The presentation was sightly and enticing, the flavors got a little muddled by each other, but all and all it was a good meal. If you are a foodie and live in Iowa or are passing through, go check it out, but honestly, Kansas City and other parts of the South have WAY better barbecue. They have some good Southern style tea cocktails, but way cheaper to make for yourself at home. read more

Good service. Very good food at a reasonable price. No doubt at all will go back. Had mango tuna and key lime pie....all good

One of our favorite restaurants in the Des Moines metro. Order the brisket if you're undecided. Every time we order something else it is good but the brisket is always great. Very busy on the weekends. Call a few days ahead for a reservation or risk waiting awhile if you try to go at prime dining hours. read more

I hate to give the flying mango only three stars but the food was just not that great to me. Maybe I had hyped it up too much? I ordered the pick 3 bbq platter. I had the Andouille, ribs, and brisket. The andouille had a really nice spiciness to it, but it was very charred on the outside. In an attempt to prevent cancer, I had to peel the entire skin off the sausage because it was just so black and burnt. The brisket, as one yelper had recommended was the best, was just okay. It was dry and really needed sauce to be slathered on it to be somewhat enjoyed. The ribs were the best though. I really enjoyed the ribs. Very tender and came off the bone quite easily. For sides I ordered the potatoes of the day and the sauteed veggies. The veggies consisted of brocolli and string beans. The string beans were very stringy. If they had taken the time to peel the ends off each string bean, this would have made it easier for me to eat. I threw most of the veggies away because I just couldnt swallow all that string. The potatoes were good though. Definitely not worth over $25 worth of food. read more

My wife and I were in Des Moines on a Wed evening shopping and looking at vehicles. We decided to have dinner. We were undecided where to go, but I had heard of the Flying Mango. I started to drive downtown because that's where I assumed it was until navigation told me to head North and West. We drove North to Hickman and West to Holland and there it was . Here is how much we new. The name....I thought Flying Mango I am guessing Mexican or Latin food. Nope. Just awesome BBQ and some creole options. My wife had the Brisket sandwich. The brisket had a great bark, nice fat cap, beautiful smoke ring and was ridiculously tender. I opted for the Pick 3 Platter. I chose brisket, ribs and andouille. All were great. I mentioned the brisket above. The ribs came with a super dark bark, but were very tender. They were moist and flavorful with a cool taste note that I could not put my finger on. The andouille had great smoke flavor and a surprising spicy finish, Awesome choice. The sides we tried were the smoked poblano, cheese mashed potatoes(Killer), the corn bread with honey butter(Awesome) and the chicken creole(Also Awesome.) Our waitress was Stephanie. She did a great job. She was appropriately pleasant and appropriately attentive. She filled our water glasses throughout the evening and made a recommendation on the bread pudding to share. So Good. We shared a bottle of Compass Cab recommended by Stephanie. It was a great compliment to our meal. From a pricing standpoint, if anything they are under priced for most of their fare. The brisket sandwich was $12, but was ample and flavorful. The bottle of wine was $24 and should be more like $32 and the bread pudding was $5 and should be $7.50. I want them to stay in business. We will be back many times in the future. read more

Dined here with a coworker on a recent trip to Des Moines. I'm a big fan of BBQ, and the Flying Mango definitely delivered the goods. When you walk out of a BBQ joint and find dried sauce under your fingernails, it's usually a good sign. I ordered the BBQ trio of brisket, ribs, and chicken. I'm pretty experienced with BBQ since a) I enjoy eating it, and b) I own a smoker and fire it up a half dozen times or so each summer. The 24-hour brisket was phenomenal. The fat cap really kept the meat moist and smoking it for 24 hours created a crazy tenderness in the meat. It created tenderness in me too as I almost wept upon the first bite. Oooohhhh yeah. The ribs were good. The rub had a decent amount of flavor and the meat was neither too tender nor too tough - I'd say they were perfectly cooked. Something about them just didn't jump out at me. The chicken was just so-so. It was a giant smoked chicken leg. Good smoke flavor, but was a bit on the dry end. A fattier piece of dark meat like that shouldn't have been as dry as it was, so perhaps it had been sitting for awhile. But it didn't ruin my meal. I had sides of corn bread with honey butter (are you kidding?) and a sweet potato pancake. Tasty. Our server was very friendly and attentive, and when I had a little too much of the super hot sauce on the table she was quick to bring me a fresh beer. I'll be back the next time I visit Des Moines. This is a great restaurant. read more

Wanted to try something new for dinner. With great reviews, we went to FM. The atmosphere is unexpected from what you see on the outside. We've been to New Orleans and the music transported us back. The shrimp and dirty rice was a bit too spicy for me but luckily my husband shared his "pick 3" plate. Brisket was fantastic. read more

Flying Mango is one of my favorite restaurants in the country. I have been several times over the years and make it a point to visit when ever I am in Des Moines. The food is reliably tasty, the ambiance is fun and cozy, and the members of the staff have been smart and highly competent. I will continue to go back as often as I can. read more

I very much enjoyed this restaurant. My beer was pretty disgusting but that's not the restaurant's fault. My shrimp creole was fantastic, my boyfriend's pick 3 BBQ platter was a generous portion of meats, and his daughter's Cajun shrimp and dirty rice was spectacular. Can't wait to go back and try more items! read more

We were here for the first time last month and the food was delicious!!!! Ordered Cajun catfish and Louisiana platter. Both amazing dishes. Mango margarita was excellent. Met the owner, he was very nice. Waitress could've been nicer and friendlier but we didn't let this ruin the experience. Would recommend and would go back! read more

Redneck surf and turf and shrimp and grits are amazing!!! Service was good as well. An overall great experience!

Super yummy! Our party of 3 had gumbo with the right amount of spice , seared tuna think price nicely prepared, and the 3 meat sampler with the briscut thick cut super tender no knife needed ! Busy place come early, park across the street(has station) read more

I've eaten here so many time it's really hard to write this review. Hell I even saw Ryan Montbleau up close and personal. The appetizers that night were wonderful too. It was my girls favorite place to go for birthdays and anniversary's. I love the pork chops, brisket, any nightly special and up until recently haven't had a bad experience. Because we loved (past tense) the place so much we decide to take my brothers family who were visiting from Indiana there. That one evening was so horrible it has crushed my whole view of this place and may never return. From the moment the waitress came to the table I knew something was way out of the norm. At one point our waitress disappeared and our drinks were empty. In the past the food has always been spot on, but on this night not so much. I'm thinking to myself Guy Fieri does a review on Food Network and the owners are no where to be found, hum they are always here. My brother and his wife asked why we thought this place was so special. My answer was the food was great they must be having an off night. Had this been my first visit they would have received 1 star and me never returning. Since I do have memories of wonderful meals here I gave them 3 stars in hopes that on my next visit they will return to the place I've loved in the past. Maybe, just maybe, ask my brother to return as well. read more

I heard very good things about The Flying Mango, and decided to take my Fiance for a nice dinner when he flew in from NY. Honestly, I was let down; the ambiance and service were good, but the food was just passable. The sides and sauces were their saving grace. The starters seemed too boring to order, so we started our meal off with the entrees. Both our entrees were really disappointing. I had the Cajun Catfish, which completely lacked flavor. I had to add all the sauces on our table (which were really good!) to the fish to make it edible. My entree came with 2 sides included, but I had to pay an extra $2 because I ordered the Chicken Cajun Rice, which was also disappointing. Also, we are pretty certain they passed of plain old Polish Kielbasa as the Andouille Sausage entree (which tastes very different, and is a lot more expensive as well)that my Fiance ordered. We are not gourmets, but definitely know our Kielbasa from Andouille. The hostess (and menu) said that portions were very generous, and could be split in two if desired. I'm glad we didn't go that way, because the portions served were just right for one person. It just seemed silly to me that the restaurants boasted of portion size when they are just about average, wouldn't call them generous even. The owner of the restaurant (?) stopped by to ask us how everything was, and promptly left before we even got a word in. If you don't want feedback on your food, why bother making a show of stopping at your customer's tables and asking them? We ordered the bread pudding to wind up an altogether disappointing meal, and it was ok, nothing spectacular. But when compared to the rest of our meal at the Flying Mango, it was definitely high up there. To sum it up, disappointing, overpriced (for the quality) food at a location that aspires to be something special. I am not sure if this among the best Des Moines has to offer, but if it is, I'm glad I won't be here much longer! read more

Keep passing this place and finally, we made it here last week. We even attempted to place an order for take-out, but I know we need to come here to check out the place. We were greeted by one of the hosts. I made a reservation prior to coming in since my husband told me this place can be packed. It was a Friday and surprisingly there were not many people which were quite alright. When you come in, you'll have the food counter and before coming you can actually smell the food already. Staff are nice and have that homey vibe going on. We sat down and boy those chairs are scary. It's flimsy and was creaking the whole time we were there. My husband can't even sit comfortably. Nothing screams like "you need to lose weight if the chair creaks". Geez, I can't imagine eating way too much with that chair. Anyway, our host took our order and since I'm a sucker for meat I went for the Ten Hour Beef Brisket with a side of cornbread and a sweet potato with Chipotle pepper. My husband went for the Smoked Pork Loin Sandwich and got our daughter a burger. The place is nicely decorated though we didn't paid much attention. For some reason the service was a little slow and it wasn't that busy anyway. The server was nice enough to let us know that might take a while which was nice. I don't mind the wait as long as we know anyway. The only problem is when the food arrive it was room temperature.The only thing that was warm was the sweet potato w/ chipotle peppers.I understand that part where it'll be tricky to have the beef brisket to microwaved. It won't even matter since it was a little dry. I ate half of it. I just don't want to leave it but I felt I overpaid for the thing so might as well bring it home with me. I was a little disappointed and had my husband tried some it too. My husband liked the sandwich he had and said it was good. We took some of my daughter's food as well since she didn't finish the burger too. I think it's a universal thing too when every server will ask you if everything is ok when you have food in your mouth. Twice it happen. Lol! I should just bring a placard every time I eat out or a thumbs up but a sign will be more fun anyway. I was a little disappointed despite the staff being nice. I certainly had experience better BBQ joint or southern cuisine in Des Moines. read more

While visiting my in-laws in Ames for the holidays, they brought us to The Flying Mango in Des Moines for dinner one night and I was very impressed! Great wine list as well as a variety of good beers and tasty cocktails. I had a scallop special and it was very good, and I also recommend sides of the cornbread and apples! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Des Moines. I love barbecue and cajun food - and they happen to specialize in both. The kitchen is open and in the front of the place - so you can see the cooks and how they make the food. The setting itself is very cozy in this hole in the wall Beaverdale joint tucked away in a residential area. If you like BBQ, the brisket and ribs are awesome. They have a trailer smoker out back, which you should check out on your way in - quite impressive. If you are into Cajun their andouille sausage sandwich is a spicy treat and their Chicken Creole is the best I've had in these parts. read more