We had been to the restaurant when it was in Merle Hay Mall, but hadn't managed to get to the new location until today. That was just darn silly of us, taking all this time. I ordered their Italian Beef. They asked me all the right questions. What kind of giardiniera did I want, mild or spicy? Wet or dry? I went with mild and wet. This was the best beef I have had outside of Chicago ... no contest. The gravy is wonderful. The beef is cooked perfectly, and has obviously been living in that gravy all day. The giardiniera added that nice bit of texture. I may try a bit of the spicy next time. The bun it was served on kept it's structural integrity even after being soaked in the gravy. The fries have that chewiness that good fries should have. I forgot to ask if they blanched them first, but it seems to me that is likely. If you want a great Chicago style Italian Beef, and I am not talking that chain restaurant style, a beef that you expect to get in a little walkup place actually in Chicago, this is the place to go. It was marvelous. I am going to go with my wife's comments on her meal. I will say that I had a taste of the Oxtail and it was luscious! ------------------ The oxtail. in one word: decadent. If you're from the south, you understand that you have to start with good bones. Oh they did. And then they seasoned things just enough to let the bones SING. And they do. A chorus of umami, tendernism, and soul warming goodness. This was a religious experience. A joy for all the senses. The sweet potatoes were lovely. Not too sweet, spiced just right. The Mac and cheese was delicious. And the service was impeccable. You can tell the owner loves people. ------------------ Both of us loved this place. It's wonderful read more

Joppa Experience - Oxtail, Sweet Potatoes, and Mac & Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Oh my word! The food here is delicious. It reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. There's a lot of love put into the food and you can taste it. The vibe of the location is very comfortable and the music selection is incredible. Every time I am there, I'm taken to a place in time that was wonderful. I got the catfish sandwich with fries and then got a six piece wings to-go. Both were perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, crisp on the outside-while tender and juicy on the inside. The fries were also seasoned well. They were incredibly filling and plentiful. The service is great. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and they all work really hard to turn out a consistently high-level of food and ambiance. I am thankful for this. Against my waistline goals, I will be coming here for several times a month. LOL! Miss Christie, you are amazing! read more

I've been there two or three times.. Food has been very good, and the owner manning the order desk inside is friendly. I've gone on Fridays when they offer additional menu choices. read more

It's an interesting restaurant with Chicago style and a Soul Food vibe. Christine Johnson is the owner. It's also about expectations, everyone is under staffed, so I always appreciate the service staff who are working. The parking is easy and plentiful because it's at the mall. The mall has done a good job on the concept of hiring locally-owned businesses businesses like Jopa into its food court in the food court there are some other choices there like Italian, Vietnamese, barbecue, Mexican, and a Maid Rite. All are local owners and so if you in a group there's lots of good choices. On the jopa menu they have a hamburger and a shoe a Chicago style beef, and a Chicago Polish style dog sandwich and Hand breaded catfish sandwich they offer Jamaican style jerk on Thursdays and Fridays with soul food sides. I had the Chicago style beef and they just lightly wetted for me with some peppers it was a good sandwich with a righteous amount of beef. Their fries are handmade and they offer Pepsi products which I enjoy. All my friends have enjoyed all the dishes they've gotten there it's definitely worth a visit. read more

Hidden gem! Ever see your catfish breaded right in front of you? Every eaten a fresh fried catfish sandwich that was so good you kept eating smaller and smaller bites to make it last? Well, get yourself into Joppa Experience and have one. There's plenty of free parking right outside the door to the food court (back side by Younkers), and no waiting at the counter. They were out of half their menu (my fault for Friday night? Theirs for planning?) but boy was that a good sandwich read more

Joppa Experience - Fresh fried catfish sandwich - Soul Food Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I recently tried this local, black-owned business in Merle Hay Mall for the first time. I ordered the Chicago style roast beef, and I was surprised at how tasty it was. The many chopped peppers and little bit of melted cheese were excellent. I was wary about the fries because small places like this often make them soggy with too much salt, but they were crispy and only a little salt, which is the way I like them. She added something like a very light powdered parmesan cheese to them, which made them even better. I will definitely go back to try downright else. read more

Great food. Felt nice to have something comforting since moving to Clive from Florida. The food was great and flavorful. I'll return for more Chicago style food. read more

I love this place me and my two daughters we eat there maybe two sometimes three times a week we love their soul food their customer service is a 1It's Family oriented their oxtails are fabulous my daughters love their Italian beefs dipped for sure and we also love their jerk rib tips read more

This place is a hidden gem. A mall food court? Who thinks of a soul food restaurant in a mall food court? this is the best oxtail I've had since my great aunt was still alive. The sweet potatoes are pie minus crust. DECADENT. The Chicago polish is authentic, the fries are perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Also, the ketchup tastes like they make it in-house. It's vinegar heavy and a perfect complement to the fries. Cannot recommend highly enough. They are located right outside the Kohl's entrance to the mall. read more

We had a great meal at Joppa. The food was made fresh to order. Huge double patty burger and supper crispy wings with fries. Everything and delicious and the staff was very friendly and professional. Merle Hay food court is the best, keep them in business people! read more