There's a lot of competition in the area for bbq so I ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich. It was pounded flat, huge and cooked to perfection. However it lack flavor until I added the sauce. Perfect combination! The service was excellent and I like the ambiance of the dinning area. Overall, it's a very good spot and check it out if you're in the area. read more

See all

My wife and I stopped in here for dinner after leaving Iowa's blowout win of UNI early. We order the Iowa platter to share (pulled chicken, brisket, pulled pork, jalapeño sausage, bacon, four sides, and cornbread muffins). You can't really beat their price for the shear volume of food you get, but you could definitely beat the quality of the meal. Don't get me wrong - everything is good enough to eat, but it didn't make me feel like I ever had to come back for more or recommend to family or friends. The sides were definitely the star of the show. Particularly, the baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread -- those were excellent! Overall, this isn't a spot I'd put on my list for top restaurants in the Iowa City area, but there are fair worse options (*cough* The Vine *cough*). read more

Jethro's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

See all

We were excited to try this Barbecue Place out while we were in Coralville. So we went on a Thursday about 5 pm, walked in and there was no one there, first Red Flag. My husband wanted a beer, however their selection on tap was only 5 different beers...not a good variety for a sports bar We ordered a Brisket Burger with a side. Brisket was not warm, cold and dry like chewing on leather! Burnt ends were DRY & Hard. Service was nothing special, needless to say we will never be back read more

Maybe this won't be fair because I've lived in Texas and Arizona. I've been in Kansas City and St. Louis. I love barbecue I love brisket But one thing I can tell you about this place they managed to not make me like it so much. At least their version of it. If you've been anywhere where barbecue is good... Save your money read more

Ordered with grub hub. Requested condiments and serving utensils but got none. Fries were limp and soggy. Tenderloin was dry. read more

BBQ should melt in your mouth...not be gray rubber and super dry. Worst BBQ I've ever had. Brisket was soo bad. Chicken was dry. And crunchy green beans? No, no, no. Cisco food truck sides are wack. Only thing that was good was the jalapeño sausage. read more

I have now been here twice, and it has been very good both times. I have had the Jethro and the Bacon Grilled Cheese and would recommend both. The service has been great both times as well. I came with a different group of people this time and everyone enjoyed their meal. There are several television on, so I imagine it would be a great place to watch a game. Can't wait to return here again. read more

Jethro's BBQ - The Jethro. - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

See all

Thanks Jethros! We showed up last night with a group of 14, all of us on separate checks and even though yall only had two servers on the host jumped in and so did the bartender to get us and the other two big parties in the restaurant taken care of just like any other night. Hell, I didn't even get to the food yet!!!! My wife and I split the Iowa plater and we will continue to split it for several more meals (this thing was huge!) it could probably feed a normal family of four. It was also delicious!! Loved the jalapeño creamed corn as a side but I think my favorite thing on the plate was the slice of pork belly. Thanks for having a nice cider on tap too! read more

Jethro's BBQ - The Iowa Platter w/frickles, mashed potatoes and gravy, jalapeno creamed corn, and baked beans for sides. - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

The food is a great price for the amount you get and the quality of food you get. I have yet to try something I don't love on the menu. My partner and I will split a platter and always have leftovers for lunch the next day As for the service, the staff are helpful and friendly and food typically comes out really quickly which is great! It can definitely get busy especially on half price wing night which slows down service, but I've always been impressed by how quickly the food comes. The ambiance is typically bar and grill atmosphere with lots of TVs to watch whatever game is playing. read more

This place reminds me of why I left Iowa. I wouldn't bring my worst enemy here to eat. There was actually nothing edible, bbq my ass, it was straight ass! read more

Be warned, they charge a surcharge no matter how you pay. We paid cash and they kept the surcharge. The food wasn't anything to write home about. Frankly I question all their contest and tv show banners on the wall. I'm a pretty big bbq connoisseur and smoke my own ribs. They've got nothing on mine. Their sauce is thin. I prefer thicker sauces. (I know that's a matter of opinion.) It's overpriced, especially for a college town. We won't return and won't recommend. read more

Jethro's BBQ - Receipt - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

It doesn't matter which Jethro's you go to, you are going to get an amazing meal. Lots of choices of sides, every smoked meat you can think of, and class act service. read more

I live in Des Moines. There's a Jethro's about 2 miles on the Southside. It's hard to believe this restaurant is so poorly attended. The easy Eddie ipa is half price tonite read more

What a great addition to the Coralville Strip! Walking distance to both Carver and Kinnick (a mile or so away) -- this is a perfect hangout pregame. Jethro's BBQ's menu has something for everyone; wings, ribs, sandwiches, platters, burgers, steaks, salads and more. I've popped in here a few times. The first time we came we got an Iowa Platter. It was delish-- the star for me were the fried pickles. The second time we came it was happy hour! It's available at the bar only with half price drinks and half price select appetizers. We ordered the (you guessed it) fried pickles, waffle fry nachos and sliders. The waffle fry nachos was a HUGE portion-- and if I were to order them again I'd ask for the fries unseasoned. The sliders were delicious! The waitstaff is generally knowledgeable. Food comes out in no time. Pricing is pretty standard. Parking is a non-issue. There's also a stellar patio. Overall-- I'd rate this a 3.5/5 but Jethro's BBQ I think is still getting things figured out at this location. The food can be hit or miss depending on when you come in and how busy they are. Additionally, the spices/rub can be a bit overpowering on some dishes IMO. But it's a good addition to the area and you can't beat the Happy Hour! read more

See all

Took friends there for dinner. None of us had been there before and wanted to try it. First, I'm a wine drinker, and their choices were either Sutter Home Merlot or Chardonnay -- not the greatest selection, by any means. Next, I wanted a half rack of ribs, but the only choices to order a half rack were as an appetizer on waffle fries that they don't have. Comes with regular fries only. Any other sides are extra. At $22, I didn't think that was worth the price. The other option is a platter with boneless wings, a choice of Texas toast or corn muffin and 2 sides for $28. I chose that with the expectation of taking some home -- good thing, because the portions were huge. However, the Texas toast was not Texas toast. It was 2 slices of regular toast. The ribs were over cooked and I never saw boneless wings look like the cut up pieces of chicken on my plate. My husband ordered the Brisket, which was unlike any brisket he's ever had. It was more like ground beef. All in all, it was less than a satisfying meal. As for food quality, it doesn't hold a candle to Jimmy Jack's BBQ. read more

Excited for this place to open in Coralville! The food and service was good for a Friday at lunch time. Not busy at all. The only critique is I'm not a huge fan of any of their bbq sauces. I like ones on the sweeter side theirs are all very tangy. read more

Jethro's BBQ - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

The burnt ends were juicy and seasoned right. The ribs were meaty with decent smokiness but were not fall-off-the-bone. The pulled chicken was dry and a bit overseasoned. The pulled pork was also dry but with a good smoke flavor. The beans were okay. I made it taste better with a little of their signature spicy sauce. The jalapenos cream corn was a 10 for balance and flavor. But a 6 for consistency, a bit runny like chowder. (Maybe they should call it that.) The corn muffins were more bready than crumbly. Good balance, not overly sweet. The mashed potatoes were just that, nothing special. The Mac and Cheese was a bit off-tasting. That could have been me; my family liked it. Food 7/10 Atmosphere 8/10 Value 7/10 Service 10/10 Would I return? Yes, for the ribs, burnt ends, muffins, and corn chow .. um .... cream corn read more

Jethro's BBQ - The Family Platter aftermath, still working on those meaty ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Best northern BBQ, I been to a few places and was not as advertised. Again I am from Texas I get what I get but this place is in Iowa and is good ASF!! Have to go if your near, won't disappoint. read more

Jethro's BBQ - Inside of Jethro's - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

New place our family decided to try out. This will be a mixed review from a mom, adult son and adult daughter. First, it is nice and clean. I didn't see a spot of dust, trash or debris ANYWHERE in there! Everything was sparkling clean. The noise level left much to be desired. It was so loud that even my hard-of-hearing mom was getting a headache and overwhelmed with the level. They did take it down a notch when requested, making it more bearable. Soooo many TV's, but it's a sports kind of place. The hostess was nice and friendly, and our waiter Conor was REALLY nice, quick to fill drinks and bring us out our food. Checked on us regularly, but not too much or too intrusive. The shrimp and sweet potato fries were delicious - as well as the bread, I wish I knew what kind it was! The tenderloin was MASSIVE and will make a second meal for my mom! The burger was good for my brother, but the waffle fries were way overcooked and inedible. All in all, pretty nice and enjoyable. read more

Love the bright open design/layout & local high school neon logos! Service was excellent... Karl did all the little things & the manager Heather stopped by several times to check in as well. And if you leave Jethro's hungry... well that's on you. From beers to sides to platters, everything is just a LITTLE bigger than you expected. Sides have the most room for improvement, with onion rings/waffle fries being the best we tried. But OOH... the sliced brisket & cornbread muffins!? Don't miss those. There's also a secret raspberry-habanero sauce you can request that's yummy if you like heat. If you decide to order dessert and HALF is an option... take it. And BONUS - Hawkeye game was on every one of 18 TV's... with sound! We'll be back to try another combination of local BBQ, thanks! read more

Jethro's BBQ - Brisket platter with jalapeño corn, Mac & cheese & cornbread muffin - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Absolutely amazing. 10/10. Everything we got was good. We got the queso with chili as a starter, along with the cheese squares which were equally amazing. The only thing I didn't like was the bacon but my husband said it was good so it must have just not been my thing. Burnt ends and literally everything else was top tier. We will be back asap. read more

Jethro's BBQ - BBQ burnt ends, thick bbq bacon, cheese squares with chipotle ranch, corn muffin and a salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

I had a hamburger that I asked to be cooked medium well. It was so so done. I really believe that it was the driest hamburge r that I have ever had. Thank heavens I had tomato and ketchup on it!! My husband had the tenderloin. He said that it didn't have any flavor. I enjoyed the green beans and the baked beans, as did my husband. Oh and thanks for charging me a surcharge, that our waiter said, was because the price of chicken went upWE DIDN'T HAVE CHICKEN. We ate at Jethro's one time in Des Moines, and it was very good, but that was barbecue ribs, and years ago. I guess things change! I doubt we will be back! read more

Everything at Jethro's BBQ is large and in charge. I ordered a burger and couldn't finish it because it was so big. I came in on a Tuesday which was wing day. Being a person who absolutely loves hot wings, after I ordered my burger, I saw plates of wings go by and wished I had ordered the wings instead. It gives me a reason to come back though! I also want to try the brisket nachos which I wasn't privy to knowing about until after I ordered and then later asked if it could be done. Service was friendly, not rushed and always available when needed. The ambiance was that of a relaxed sports bar. read more

Pretty sure they don't smoke anything on premise. Never once seen smoke or the familiar BBQ smell. Food was barely warm, and the sides were as small as #45s hands. We shared the 1/2 slab and 2 meats - chose the brisket and sausage. Ribs were awful, brisket was cold and zero flavor, sausage was about the size of a Nathan's hot dog split open. Again, no flavor. Server was nice, but once we got the food - never saw her again, till we asked for the check. Would we go back? No... would we recommend the place? No... Sorry Jethro's, all bark and no bite.. read more

Service beyond great. Brisket super tender and all the different sauces was great. Favorite would be hot bbq. Uncle got baked beans and can't stop talking about it. I had Mac N Cheese In all it's creamy goodness. Would go again when back in Coralville read more

We saw Jethro's was open a few nights ago, so we had to try it out. Went early, about 4:30 on Friday, no wait to be seated. When we left at 5:30, there was a significant line. Hallelujah they serve Pepsi products! We each ordered a Diet Pepsi, and took our time with the huge menu. Drinks arrived super fast, tall glasses with lots of ice! So far... perfection! We were torn on what to try. Hubby is a brisket fan, so he got the two meats platter, brisket and pit ham. Ham was moist, not dried out, looks like it was grilled before it was plated, he said it was good. Brisket was REALLY tender, he could cut it w his fork great smoke ring, not dry. He tried the sauces, liked the original with a little hot mixed in. The platter came w two sides, he chose baked beans and Mac and cheese. A tiny corn muffin was included, the other choice was Texas toast. Hubby LOVED the beans, sweet, Smokey, loaded w bacon and onion. Mac and cheese was ok, kinda bland. The tiny muffin was AWESOME! It's a northern cornbread, sweet and moist. We like that kind of cornbread. I decided to try the breaded tenderloin, I'd heard about them from friends in Des Moines. It was outstanding!! Crispy, hot, came with pickle and raw onion rings. Added a little ketchup and Yummy! I got to choose one side, I picked onion rings. Oh so good! Super hot, super crunchy, delicious dipped in ketchup. I could only eat half the pork tenderloin w the bun and two of the mammoth onion rings. We both taste tested the 5 sauces. I wasn't impressed, but I'm a die hard Jim's Rib Haven sauce lover. Sorry Jethro! All in all a great place, we will be back to try the ribs (I'll bring my own JRH sauce!) The redecorating was nice, I was disappointed there were only 4 local school neons on the wall. NO REGINA REGALS!!!! read more

Jethro's BBQ - Breaded pork tenderloin and onion rings - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Jethro's BBQ feels like your chain restaurant BBQ place. We got the family platter to try as many items as possible at a reasonable price. For $40 you get 1/2 rack of ribs, 2 smoked meats, 4 sides and 2 corn muffins. Starting with the meat, the ribs were nothing special. A little dry, they didn't fall off the bone and we're unusually more burnt. I think Chili's has better ribs. The brisket was unusually sad. It was dry, tasteless and bland. There was no fat, no bark just nothing. Skip the brisket, it had to be rescued with BBQ sauce. The pulled pork was the best meat we tried, it wasn't too dry and had some decent smokey flavor but still had to be covered in BBQ sauce. There were no standout sides but I wouldn't revisit here again. I'd recommend going to Pop's in downtown Iowa City. Much better. read more

Jethro's BBQ - Family Platter - 1/2 rack BBQ ribs, brisket, pulled pork, corn muffins, beans, creamed corn, Mac n Cheese, coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Food was plentiful, service was quick. Sports bar atmosphere, it was lunchtime on a Saturday so it was peaceful to eat.

Food, had delivety-brisket & burned ends so dry I couldn't swallow. Plus none of my sauces. Threw out... read more

Jethro's BBQ - Shit - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

I was really looking forward to Jethro's and was sadly disappointed. The best part of our dining experience was our waiter Kyle/Karl (I know his name started with a 'K' but now I can't remember). He was smiling, enthusiastic, attentive, and helped answer our beer questions: a true gem and the best part of our experience. We stopped by Friday, June 2, 2023 around 2:30/3 pm and the restaurant was not busy. We ordered the 1/2 Slab & Two Meat Dinner so we could try multiple things. The meal included: 1/2 slab of baby back ribs and 2 house-smoked meats, 4 sides, and corn muffins or Texas toast for $34.95. We chose pulled chicken and the Carolina pulled pork, mac and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, and onion rings. We ordered local beers priced at $8 each/pint. I enjoyed the half slab of ribs and added the sweet BBQ sauce. Ribs were tender and fell off the bone which I love. Apparently, they are heavily smoked; my digestive system kept reminding me of that throughout the evening and into the next day. That's on me; my digestive system is finicky. The pulled chicken though, was heavily salted and not palatable, so I moved to the pulled pork. Much better. The sides were disappointing. I enjoyed the corn muffins, but the menu indicates all the sides are 'homemade.' Although the huge onion rings looked to be hand battered, they had no flavor or seasoning which was different that the description. There's also no way the cole slaw, mac and cheese, and beans were anything other than what you can buy at any restaurant chain in America. Cole slaw was fine, but the same as everywhere else. Mac and cheese sauce was gritty and flavorless. Beans were tender, but again no seasoning or BBQ flavor. The restaurant has only been open for a couple of weeks. Maybe some of these recipes will change? Service was great with Kyle, but other than him I didn't see many smiling welcoming faces. No paper towels in the women's room and when I kindly reminded the bartender I got a death stare. Again, the restaurant was not busy and I wasn't interrupting her. I'd suggest looking for a local mom-and-pop joint if you're hungry for BBQ. We don't need another overrated, overhyped restaurant; we need good quality homemade food. Happy to pay more for quality. I'd say hard pass on on the Food Network, entertainment news articles for Jethro's. It's why I chose it, but I probably won't be back. read more

Jethro's BBQ - 1/2 Slab & Two Meat Dinner - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Food is great! The servers were very friendly. We had my sons entire baseball team go and the servers were very nice to them. Very nice interior and a very nice experience. Overall a great place to eat. read more

The atmosphere is clean and open. The restaurant is very nice and welcoming. The staff was super friendly and attentive! The food came out hot/fresh and very good!! The manager and waitress came back many times to check on us and to see how we were doing. We were very pleased! We will be returning and I highly recommend!! Super good food!!! read more

Super good, delicious food and very friendly and helpful staff will definitely be back and will tell my friends read more

Jethro's BBQ - Full rack baby back rib with jalapeno cream corn and fried pickles - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

Excellent definitely a come back toBaby Back Ribs House Smoked Meats Pulled Chicken yummy read more

Purchased to go to split with spouse- full rack of ribs, Cole slaw, baked beans, corn bread and jethros BBQ sauce. Ribs were tasty but dry, Cole slaw looked a bit old, corn bread muffin really small. Baked beans were GREAT! Sauce is tasty. Service was polite, quick and responsive. I'll try again but won't order the ribs. I'll go to Texas Roadhouse or jimmy jacks for ribs and jimmy jacks for a BIG piece of honey cornbread. read more

The one thing I've felt Coralville was missing is a good barbecue restaurant, and unfortunately, I still feel that way. The one thing that probably keeps this from being a 1 is the staff was all very good. Our waitress was on the spot despite seemingly being all over the place. We were seated quickly, and the food was out very quick, the problem was it was all cold and dry. All three members of my party got family platters figuring we could try multiple items and have lots of leftovers, we did try lots of items but none of us even bothered to take home the leftovers which is extremely unusual for us. The nacho fries were decent, but it was all downhill from there. We got I believe 7 different sides between us and not one was what I'd consider good. The brisket literally tasted and had texture exactly like the canned beef jerky that was meant to look like chewing tobacco. The food just all tasted reheated over and over. read more

Jethro's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Coralville, Iowa

See all

NEGATIVE STARS!!!! I used to work food service & have never panned a place, but this was hungry kids on a birthday: Called to reserve a table for adults and kids after Tiny Tot Soccer & was told they could fit us in. Arrived and the SAME GUY I SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE would not seat us, then tried to seat us at a high top table (with three little kids - & I told him we had three little kids on the phone). LOADS OF EMPTY TABLES- said he could put us at a low top if we're willing to squish in. This Jethro's DOES NOT have the same great customer service as the locations in Des Moines. The seat-@$$-guy was ridiculous- the hostess apologized & said he didn't write us down when I called. He was in charge. LOADS OF EMPTY TABLES. He just lost business from 4 families. read more

If there was a zero stars, this place would get it. The only thing edible there were the onion rings. They were good, but everything else was horrible. The BBQ (all of it) was dry and crunchie. No flavor, little smoke, and DRY, DRY, DRY. I guess you are supposed to smother it with BBQ sauce, but that is not how I like to eat BBQ. The meat is suppose to stand on its own, not rely on sauce. The side were yuck. Cole slaw had no taste at all. Nothing. The potato salad was OK, but it was runny. The beans were also OK, but they had burnt meat in them that gave them an acidic taste. The Texas toast was cold as ice and two pieces were burnt beyond edible. Even the Diet Pepsi was flat and had no carbonation. I am not sure how this place receives any more than one star. Obviously, these folks have never had really good BBQ. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. read more

We legitimately got scammed by Jethro's in Iowa City. We visited on 6/27 and bill came to $35.38. Paid the bill and tipped in cash so we wrote "$0.00" on the tip line. When the transaction went through the bank it showed we were charged $45.38. read more

This is one of my favorite places to eat. Food no matter what is always great, quick friendly service. When waited on the girls always make you feel like they care about your dining experience. Great Place, Highly Recommend! read more