Service was great! Shout out to the girl who just turned 18. You were so sweet & very attentive! The place is decorated on theme & they have cute shirts with their logo on them The food was a bit underwhelming unfortunately. The hot bbq sauce was good, the beans were actually the best part! The potato salad was disappointing unfortunately read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - Baby back full rack - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

The bbq here is good but as my previous review for BBQ resturant surpasses this place by far, no comparison to whatcha smokin. There is no wait staff and all our food was served in to go containers or Styrofoam. Just not as comfortable of a place again food was OK to good. Given the choice between the two I've been to given proximity I'll go to my first reviewed BBQ joint over this one any day of week. read more

We visited Boone for 3 nights. Everyone we spoke w while shopping the downtown area suggested this place before mentioning others. Our party of 6 enjoyed the atmosphere. Service was great, the food was even better, with price being the best for the amount of food given! Highly recommend this little gem!!! read more

Wish I had better things to say about this place, and quite frankly I read some of these reviews and wonder if I'm the crazy one here. I've had bbq far and near, east coast west coast north and south and I can say with certainty what I had for lunch this week here was NOT bbq. Was it an acceptable meal that I ate, sure, but bbq it was not. I had the Iowa twister which consists of all the sliced meats. The ham and turkey both tasted like straight up lunch meat, plain and simple. For some reason the turkey came out hot compared to the other meats, but in a boiled meat kinda way instead of smoked. Sliced pork tasted like a pork tenderloin out of an oven, not tender but not dried out at least. Brisket was by far the most disappointing, pretty tough and incredibly bland with a weird artificial smokiness that tasted so off. The sides are a weird bunch too, "mixed vegetables" are nothing more than cold cut veggie tray offerings, beans were uninspired and I think I would've opted for canned Bush's varieties. They had 3 sauces, the sweet and mild both tasted the same but the "hot" one at least could tell apart. I don't want to be mean to a small town family run joint but it's just not very good. The flies buzzing around inside were a nuisance also. On the bright side (I guess) the food is incredibly cheap by today's standards and service was good and friendly. I'm somewhat intrigued by what rib offerings they have as they actually have spare and baby back varieties but I'd have to think long and hard before I could step foot back in here again. In the meantime, Cornbred in Ames is where I'll continue to go for real bbq read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - Iowa twister with beans and mixed vegetables. - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

We get Jimmy's brisket and ribs at least twice a month. It's Always delicious, their coleslaw is too die for read more

My 91 year old mother and women from her church got together for lunch. My mother went on and on about how great the service was. She said the waitress was on the run the whole meal. The only negative thing she mentioned was the pie crust was too thick. But the service was excellent. read more

Oh man, I'm bad at doing these in a timely manner. I'll keep it short and sweet since I probably can't remember all the details at this point. So, I went to Jimmy's Barbecue Pit in Boone on the Friday before Easter (3/29/24? I think?). I've been there a couple times before--it's got a nice, rustic interior that matches the theme of the restaurant--but on this night, I had a mission: to finally try their brisket. In all honesty, I'm not a voracious eater of that particular cut of beef. I mean, I've had it other places--some good, some bad (it's an easy cut to mess up, I hear)--but ribs are more my thing. And it I wasn't as if I'd been avoiding the brisket at Jimmy's or anything, it's just that, in previous visits, I'd always found something else on the menu that had caught my eye, like the aforementioned ribs, or some of their smoked ham, or that mysterious "Lemon Chess" pie. (More on that later) So I ordered the Brisket Dinner, which came with a half lb. of brisket, the usual huge, delightful slab of Texas toast, and two sides, of which I chose potato salad and baked beans. I'll address the sides up front: they were fine. Nothing outstanding, just good, solid offerings. The Texas toast was fantastic, as usual. Okay, then we got the brisket itself. Jimmy's does a good job of smoking all their meats, but, for some reason, when I tried the brisket, I was expecting more salt than I tasted. That's not a slight to Jimmy's or their pit-master. In fact, it's probably some false preconception that snuck into my subconscious in anticipation of the Easter ham I would be enjoying two days hence. But no, instead of salt, I tasted an incredibly delicious amount of smoke in that tender meat. And that was great! The brisket wasn't dripping juice or anything like that, but it was in no way dry. To satisfy my craving, I added a little salt to it, and that, combined with that smoky flavor, made it difficult NOT to devour all the slices on my plate. The last thing I'm going to add is a warning. If you go into Jimmy's, see the Lemon Chess pie in the Sweet Things section of the menu, and think, "Hm, that sounds interesting. I think I'll give it a try", you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Do not misunderstand: I'm not commenting on it's flavor; I have never actually tasted this pie. A LOT of people have never tasted this pie. I've had multiple sources tell me it is NEVER available when they try to order it. Does it even exist? Who can say? It's a mystery, it's an enigma, it's a conundrum that hints at sweet citrus flavor and a flaky crust that's somehow connected to a board game--I don't know! Maybe they just sell out too fast, or perhaps their baker can only do a small number of pies per week...or maybe it's a stroke of marketing genius designed to get the masses clamoring over a lemony confection that might not actually exist. Or might NEVER have existed! Small towns like Boone tend to have secrets. You've been warned. P.S. The staff was very friendly and helpful in their interactions with us that night. This type of welcoming demeanor is what you want in a small town eatery. read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - That absolute boat of Texas toast makes the 1/2 lb. of brisket look insufficient. - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

See all

I used to eat at this place way back when it first opened when I lived in boone in 2004. I loved it then so we wanted to try it again. We ordered take out. I ordered a turkey on wheat bun with both sauces. My sister order the same plus a ham on wheat. For food that is mostly prepared already, we heard a lot of microwave door slamming and it took us 35 minutes to receive our 3 small sandwiches and bags of chips. I was rather perturbed. The whole dining area was blanketed in this thick cloud of burnt something or smog almost. It hurt my eyes since I was there for so long. When you pay they charge you if you use credit cards, just FYI. The sandwiches were still amazing and I will definitely ordere again, just over the phone so I don't have to guess at how long my food will take. read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - the inside of the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

I liked everything but the chicken. Super dry, but that's a challenge anywhere. Server was great paid plenty of attention. It was after lunchtime so not busy at all good came pretty fast. read more

I'm truly shocked this place has as high of a rating as it does. I went there with a group of people and we were all very disappointed to put it nicely. To be honest, I've never had a more flavorless BBQ in my life. You want great BBQ go to Whatcha Smokin BBQ. read more

I asked Jimmy in a moments notice to makes 30 different sandwiches and it was no problem for him at all! at a fraction of the cost as anywhere else!. This man cares about people! read more

When possible we skip the I-35 Des Moines traffic and travel through Boone IA to I-80. Our favorite lunch stop is Jimmy's BBQ. This trip we ordered 1/2 chicken & pork rib dinner with sloppy spud and side salad, Sliced beef brisket dinner with potato salad and side salad. Plenty of good food at a very reasonable price. We always check the daily specials and today was 1/2 price drinks. Thanks Jimmy and see you on our next trip! read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - Lunch at Jimmy's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

Great service and fair food. As a native Texan I was leery about trying this place out. They give a fair amount of food for the price, and they definitely got the baked beans right - but you can tell where they cut corners. read more

See all

Stumbled upon. I'm from out of state but VERY happy. I smoke a lot of meat and it's very good at Jimmy's. Be great for families or adults. Also great to go. If you see this and wonder if to stop....stop wondering and just do it. It's good. read more

See all

Was in Boone and having moved to Iowa from Texas I am always on the search for good bbq. Unfortunately this place wasn't it. Walked in late afternoon and only one customer. Stood there for several minutes before someone finally told me to just have a seat anywhere. Ordered, i think it was called the Texas Twister or something like that. Supposed to be the sliced meats on the menu. Baked beans and potato salad for my sides. The meat was mostly cold and could have gotten better from the deli case at my local supermarket. The brisket was lean and dry, not the way brisket should be. Before I ordered I asked my young waitress if the brisket was 'wet or lean' and she looked at me like i was speaking a foreign language. Asked her what her favorite thing on the menu was and she said, "Well, the brisket sandwich is ok." Not exactly a ringing endorsement. The best part of my meal was the huge piece of Texas toast. Took home much of the meat and will figure out a way to repurpose it. I asked to speak to a manager and was told one wasn't available. I left comments on their Facebook page. The wife of the owner deleted my comments and privately on Facebook messenger shamed me for putting a bad review and that as a minister I should be nicer. I have done years of restaurant work and I for sure know mediocre food and poor service when I see it. She told me I should have asked to speak to a manager and I assured her that I had done so. I might give this place one more visit and see how their ribs and chicken are. But any reference to this place serving Texas style bbq should be taken off the menu. read more

The stars are because the brisket melts in your mouth. The missing stars are because there are NO COVID restrictions in place. Had I known before I was eating my sandwich and Jim came out unmasked, from cooking, we would not have ordered. The customers were all older, and came in wearing masks and sat ourselves with open tables in between. With the staff not showing a courtesy to aging customers irritates me. I will not be back. read more

I was passing through on US30 and spotted a sign a few miles up the road for Jimmy's and a local BBQ place sounded like just the place I wanted to stop for lunch. Had a little bit of trouble spotting it on Story street through town, but finally put it in my GPS and voila! It was just about noon time on a Thursday and there was already a good size crowd of locals chowing down on barbeque; seniors, guys on lunch, and families to boot. Sat at a table and perused the menu, and was glad to see a variety of platters and sandwiches. I opted for the 1/2 pound Beef Brisket sandwich on Texas toast. My only regret is that I did not get one of the better sides, I stuck with the potato chips. The meat was very tender and moist. At first I was disappointed with the Texas toast, but it really wasn't all that bad. There are two sauces on the table, but neither one was marked as to what they were. It seemed as thought the red bottle was a bit spicier than the other. The meat portions come in 3 different sizes, which I thought was very accommodating. The wait staff was very friendly, which I expect in a small town restaurant. The décor was western, but not crazily overboard. I was offered a refill on my ice tea for the road, not many places do that anymore. I would say if you are driving through Boone on US30, it is definitely worth a detour to get some nice fresh barbeque. Very nice place indeed. read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - Beef Brisket on Texas toast - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

See all

I stopped by to get a sandwich to go. It was lunchtime & they were slammed so I had high hopes. But, hands down this is the worst BBQ I've ever had! I asked for a pulled pork sandwich. They don't make one. What? Then I saw they're a Texas style BBQ, so I ordered a sliced brisket sandwich figuring every Texas BBQ joint could make amazing brisket. I couldn't have been more wrong! I got a big hunk of boiled brisket. Boiled! Not smoked! Zero flavor. Not even beef flavor. I got a small container of what tasted like Sweet Baby Rays. Biggest waste of money I can remember. read more

We went for Monday's 1/2 chicken lunch special. Bring a big appetite the food was excellent they were friendly and service was good

I've been going to this place since it opened way back when. Of life happens and I moved away from Jimmy's. Recently I found myself downtown Boone Iowa and I was so excited to smell the BBQ. I was also super excited to see they were still there and the place hasn't changed a bit. The pork sandwich on Texas toast will always be my favorite here. Of course everything good here. I just love the pork. I also love the turkey, it is smoked to perfection. Lots to choose from here. I will always swing into Jimmy's whenever I'm close read more

I love the brisket and lemonade however, the ribs are almost always dry, and if you complain about them being dry, they look at you like they can't even understand why you bothering to tell them. read more

After moving to Boone some locals recommended we try out Jimmy's. It's on Story street in downtown Boone and kinda east to miss if you aren't looking carefully. Decent menu selections and the smoked turkey was fantastic. Doesn't break the bank either! Only gone with my husband, still gonna take the kids sometime! read more

Great Place to grab lunch, nothing fancy just good homestyle BBQ, great tasting Potato Salad, BBQ beans were tasty also. I had a combo plate so I could try a few of their meats. They were very good also. The prices are very reasonable. read more

Overall good food and service. Nice portion size. Nothing stands out as either great or poor. Would go back if I'm in the area. There is a service charge for using a card, however, so bring cash. read more

Jimmy's offers amazing barbecue with 3 sauces on the table. Susan is adorable and you can believe her when she tells you her husband's homemade lemonade is delicious. The sloppy jimmy is perfection on a bun and don't forget to try the Texas toast. I'm glad we stopped in on our way to ride the trains! Jimmy's is fast and friendly, you will be delighted. read more

Favorite barbecue sauce-ever! Can't find anything that even comes close. I go out of my way to have it every time I'm in town.

The flavor of the food we ordered was disappointing at best. We have tried this bbq joint twice now and each time we have regretted it

I got the beef brisket sandwich with a side of mixed vegetables. The brisket was too dry for my liking and needed to be salted. The vegetables where a mix of raw carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and sugar snap peas served with a side of ranch dressing. My low rating is for the brisket. I expect a bbq joint to be able to have good brisket. read more

A little taste of home in Boone IA. I have been searching for almost nine years for Texas style Barbeque. How did I not know about this place until now? Even better than the food was the sweetest little waitress, Savannah! read more

In town for a train ride, bbq sounded good so gave Jimmy's a try. Food was great. Service very friendly. Will definitely return. Worth the trip to Boone. Had the sloppy Saturday which was delicious. read more

If you are looking for mediocre microwaved food, Jimmy's is the place for you. The McRib from McDonald's is better BBQ than the abysmal food Jimmy's serves. The waitress also coughs on your food for extra flavor. I would rather recommend a root canal than eating here. read more

I stopped here on a Friday afternoon, around 2 PM, for a late lunch. Greeted promptly, told to take any seat I wanted. Ordered an ice tea to drink, and a Brisket sandwich with chips and a pickle for my meal. Meal arrived quickly, and the waitress told me that 'clear bottle on the table is the mild sauce, red bottle is the spicy sauce'. Brisket was a little dry, but taste was fine. I went up to the front counter to pay, and this is the main reason that I gave the rating that I gave. Written on my bill was the cost of $9.72. When I presented my card for payment, I was told 'well, since you are paying with a credit card, the cost is $10.11'. I asked why, and was told that there is a '4 % discount' for paying with cash. I was then directed to a small sign that states that. Because I had no cash with me, I had to pay with the card, and therefore, cover their credit card fees. I mentioned that this should be notated on the menu or mentioned when someone orders, instead of having it on a small sign at the front on the counter, catching people off guard. I will not go back to this restaurant, because I feel that their practice of a 'cash discount' is not an ethical way of doing business. Any and all fees associated with a credit card purchase should be looked at as a cost of doing business, and not passed along to the public. And, I am making sure that all of my family and friends are aware of this practice as well. read more

Good place to grab a quick bite for lunch, some of the meats are very tender, and sometimes they come out dry. The staff is very friendly and the prices are very reasonable as well. read more

Food was to my table quick. Service was ok. BBQ sauce is an acquired taste 4/5 stars.

For a small town it's not bad. If compared to a big city it would get two stars. My rule of thumb on Yelp is no less than 4 stars. We found Jimmies a few years ago before I used yelp, and we both agree that it was better then. If you're hungry after doing the train ride then go ahead and eat here. If your picky, then I would drive to Ames for lunch or dinner. The sloppy spud, the Texas toast, beans, baby back ribs, and the spicy sauce are all good. My husband had the sliced pork, he said it was good but was a bit dry. The coffee wasn't bad....if you're a coffee snob then you should probably pass, but I needed a pick me up! read more

The service was a bit lacking given the staffing levels for a fairly slow late lunch crowd. 2 waitresses and 1 host should have had no issue keeping up. The food was ok. I ordered the Pit Bits with a half rack of Baby Backs. Pros: Great smokey flavor, tangy sauce that fits Texas BBQ well. The potato Salad and beans were good. Cons: the meat was a little tough for the time of day. Chicken was a little dry. Rub was lacking. I'm not sure if there's a connection, but it felt like a Hickory Park type of meal. But quality was a bit short in that context. I would go back. It's good for small town offerings. read more

I had the brisket sandwich which was tender, moist and had good smoke on it. Good service, and reasonable prices. Just another reason to see the charming downtown area. read more

I didn't expect anything fancy. Ordered bbq chicken. It was terribly over cooked and very dry. Breast meat was nearly inedible. The baked beans were ok, but the salad marginal. Wife's Iowa sandwich was much better. read more

Awful! Food was very dry, ham looked and tasted like it had set around for a long time and turkey had funny after taste. Texas Toast was hardly toasted. Service was brutal, waitress never stopped after bringing our food to ask how food was or to see if we wanted refills. Owner was not present, but lost a loyal customer because of his help. read more

Jimmy's Barbeque Pit - Barbeque Near Me - Boone, Iowa

Had a WONDERFUL lunch at Jimmy's BBQ Pit, it was quiet, the food was delicious, and the lemonade was great as it always is!