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    Kue'd Smokehouse

    4.5 (151 reviews)
    ModerateSmokehouse
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:30 pm

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    Brisket, Burnt Ends, Baked Beans & Mac & Cheese
    Eric C.

    There is a lot of decent BBQ in this town, but very few really exceptional places. This is one of those places. I want to start with the Tater Casserole. I think this is my favorite local dish now. It has a bit of spice to it and I could have sworn pimento cheese in there somewhere (The young man working the front said no), whatever cheese it was (he said cheddar) it was magnificent. This took me back to West Virginia, it's like my grandma's cheesey potatoes with a little bit of kick to it. The baked beans are the best in town. Rich and flavorful, with big chunks of meat in there. The Mac & Cheese is thick and tasty. It would be easy for it to be overwhelmed by the rest of the flavors, but it more than holds it's own. We each got the brisket and the burnt ends. What can I say about this. You can cut the brisket with a plastic fork, but it still has substance to it. It's tender without losing substance. It tastes amazing, and then you add one of the four different sauces they have and it lights up. Our favorite was the Sow Money/Little Kick. Just enough heat to make your forehead sweat a little, but no strong lasting burn to it. The burnt ends had the best flavor of the two, but that in no way puts down the brisket. They were also tender and could be cut with a plastic fork (neither of us picked up our knives). They had that deep, hearty flavor that you expect from exceptional burnt ends. A brief mention of the pickles ... wow. Also a bit of heat to them, but tons of flavor. Next time we're bringing a jar home. And the staff ... the two young women working the front were friendly and helpful, and the young man facilitating orders was amazing. Charming, chatty and helpful without being intrusive. He made everyone who came in there feel special. This is an exceptional BBQ joint. Get yourself out to Waukee and give it a try!

    Outside
    Angel S.

    By far, I do believe that this is the best BBQ in Des Moines, the burnt ends and the brisket are the star of the show, heck, everything on the menu is amazing. I love coming here for some excellent food. I highly recommend it.

    Brisket, Ribs, Mac 'N Cheese, and Cheddar Au Gratin Potatoes
    Kendal S.

    This is the best BBQ spot I've had in Iowa yet. (Aside from my man Thyron! shoutout bbq showdown) I went with the standard meats for me to judge a bbq spot. The ribs and beef brisket. Both tender and flavorful! A+. The Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, although it felt heavy after eating both, they were also HITS! Mac and cheese often is a side I see MISSED at a lot of the best bbq spots in the world, I think they focus on the meat and think we don't care about the sides, but that's another story for another day. Halfway through writing this review I just released I'm upping this from 4 to 5 stars . Coming from a guy from St. Louis and now living in Texas. I'm pretty passionate about BBQ, and this stuff I really appreciate. Also service was fast and easy.

    Brisket, Pulled Pork, Kue'd BBQ Beans, Creamy Slaw, Mac 'N Cheese, Beef Shortrib

    Delicious food. Food came out reasonably quick. Odd hours but worth the visit. Food was reasonably priced too. Would go back.

    Brisket and street corn
    Jonathan H.

    Yum, great barbecue, at great prices, great service, and quick food prep time! Our brisket, burnt ends, corn muffins, and street corn were all really good. All 3 BBQ sauces at the table were very good as well. The staff was all friendly, and prices were very reasonable. Definitely check this out if you are looking for great BBQ!

    Corn muffins, honey butter, mac and cheese, brisket, pulled pork, buns and pickles!
    Julie D.

    We have had the brisket, ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, and all of it was fantastic!! Our kids loved it too. We loved it so much that we ordered it for a company lunch. Everyone raved about the food and Angie was great to work with. We will be ordering again!

    Constance M.

    I was at a wedding in Urbandale and the food was catered in by Kue'd. The food was phenomenal. The bbq was delicious but the Mac and cheese stole the show. Best Mac I have ever eaten. I can't wait to dine in the restaurant and have it again.

    4 bbq sauces

    Come for the burnt ends and pulled pork. The Hog sauce is amazing and was tempted at taking a bottle of the stuff, its a sweet vinegar mop style sauce that hits all the spots. Baked beans is a sweet and smokey side to delight in. Mac and cheese is a creamy delight that is sweet, rich and coats the mouth in cheesy goodness. The burnt ends were so juicy it should be illegal. Grab and go would be my suggestion as the food is the focus here and that is a good thing! Overall experience: Food: 4/5 (Fix that street corn!) Service: 2/5 (Dont be afraid to check on customers) Ambiance: 1/5 (Dont sit people between storage shelves and refrigerators) Pros: The price is reasonable for the quality. Mac and cheese are a must get side. Pork is good, toss on the hog sauce and its great. Cons: Street corn side had some grit in it, and the corn tasted uncooked. Seating area is small so you might not get a seat. Table service was non existent once I got my food.

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    16 days ago

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    9 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Good sides, tasty sauce, really good service from start to finish. Turkey a bit drier than I like.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Yummy food! The staff was very nice and welcoming once we walked in. The service was great

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The bbq was amazing so tender and juicy and the sauce it was delightful it had this delicious kick to it overall this is a 5 star restaurant

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Best barbecue in town!! Great service and quality food. give it a try. It won't disappoint.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious fast casual but they produce the most tastiest smoked ribs and brisket ever!

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Kue'd Smokehouse

    Review Highlights - Kue'd Smokehouse

    As each member of my family began to taste the Turkey from Kue'd the room became more, and more silent.

    Mentioned in 28 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Big Al’s BBQ - Menu

    Big Al’s BBQ

    3.6(41 reviews)
    7.7 mi

    We stopped here for dinner as we really enjoyed the Adel location (one of my 5* ratings) and wanted…read moreto try out the new location. In comparison, we were disappointed with the food at this location, but did enjoy the live entertainment as well as the friendly, attentive staff. I ordered the wings (see picture), as we really enjoyed them at Adel, while my wife ordered the medium Pork Tenderloin. The wings weren't as smoky as what we remembered from Adel and I believe they were fried too long (crispy, dry and the meat shrinking / pulling away from the bone). Given the Top 5 rating for his Tenderloins, our expectations were high and we were left disappointed. The portion was small (see picture) and there didn't seem to be a distinct smoky flavor. If you order the Tenderloin, I would recommend trying the large size in hopes that it is a bit more juicy and smoky. The highlight of this visit was the Blueberry Cobbler for dessert (see picture - delicious) and Jesse and the Medicine Men's live entertainment in the bar area (see pictures). Jesse mingled in the crowd during break and was a good enough singer / entertainer that we moved to the bar for another drink and listened through their last song. He did some great classic country music and really seemed to enjoy entertaining us. Todd's FAS: Food: 3 Atmosphere: 4 Service: 4 If you found this review helpful, please click on 'Useful'.

    Get a pulled pork sandwich and you are set. The fries are lame so don't count them…read more The coleslaw is pretty good. This is better then Jethros so go herw.

    Photos
    Big Al’s BBQ - Menu

    Menu

    Big Al’s BBQ - BBQ wings

    BBQ wings

    Big Al’s BBQ - Pulled pork, chips and Macaroni salad

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    Pulled pork, chips and Macaroni salad

    Jethro's BBQ n' Jambalaya - Smoked chicken nachos

    Jethro's BBQ n' Jambalaya

    3.3(212 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    We use to make it a point to stop at Jethro's on our way through Des Moines. Moved here recently…read moreand visited Sunday for lunch. Had Brisket and chicken platter. Sent it back because it was cold. Came back lukewarm. Chicken was so dry it wasn't edible. Service was just ok. Can't imagine we will ever stop again.

    I REPEAT IF YOU ARE A BLACK PERSON DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS AT ALL!!!!…read more I came into the restaurant & everyone was seated at the bar. Not one person came to welcome me into the establishment and I had to find my own seating. I sat at the bar and let the hostess know that I needed to order to go. She then proceeded to have a conversation with the patrons at the bar, who, of course did not look like me, and so I waited a little bit and interrupted and let her know that I was ready to order. **ignored** I had to speak up a little bit, louder to be heard and grasp her attention to request to submit my order. I was not rude! She took my order and walked away. Not only did she slam my food down on the countertop, but did not give me any utensils or napkins. Alao while doing so, she looked at me & rolled her eyes when I asked for those items. She proceeded to walk away, and I told her that she was very rude and that her Customer Service was very rude. I naturally am very giving with a monetary tip but today I did not. I walked out to my car really shocked about how I was treated and was going to leave, but then I decided I needed to speak up and out. I walked back into the restaurant and requested to speak to a manager. Naturally, the young lady had already told her manager about what happened because they must've overheard me telling her that she was very rude. His name was Oscar and he spoke with me about reviewing the footage, and I let him know how it made me feel as a person, not just individually, but being the only person in the restaurant who was black and he told me that my race is not what prompted the bad service. Ok. Hmmm I let him know that I simply interrupted her other conversation to let her know that I was ready to order and I was not rude at all. At the end of the day, we shook hands and he apologized for her being rude and he invited me back and or to visit any of the other locations. Whether he was sincere about it or not, only God knows! But all I know is how I feel leaving the establishment. And yes, when I was talking with him, I did inform him that I was recording a video. It's sad that naturally people have to go live in order to feel safely heard. ‍ What's disappointing is that as I was walking out, several patrons stood up rudely clapping me out the door.

    Photos
    Jethro's BBQ n' Jambalaya - Restaurant front

    Restaurant front

    Jethro's BBQ n' Jambalaya - Cajun Sampler

    Cajun Sampler

    Jethro's BBQ n' Jambalaya - Bubba's Boneless Wings

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    Bubba's Boneless Wings

    Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que

    Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que

    3.2(63 reviews)
    6.8 mi
    $$

    If you really want to try all the options and still have tasty meats left over order the "Feast." I…read moreordered the (Feast) which included a slab of pork ribs that were very tender with cooked in succulent sauce with sides of chopped pork, smoked chicken parts, baked beans a little watery), cold slaw, muffins and steak fries. A few sides need a little more work whereas the ribs, chicken, muffins, and cold slaw were outstanding due to freshness, seasoning and the tenderness in each bite. All in all the entire feast was very savory casting a flavor bomb making you want more of the tender pork ribs. As a whole, the meats were very tender with seasoning you smell and taste. Perhaps my only wish is a little more smoke on the meats and thickness to the baked beans. The ordering online is quick and easy online for pick up. The pick up park lane is in front of the to go pick up and front entrance providing you the safety needed to park in a clean and visible area.

    Wow I was blown away with how delicious everything was! Famous Dave's deserves to be recognized…read moremore for really great BBQ in the West Des Moines area. Asked about dairy free and everything was able to be accommodated. Ordered two racks of ribs- regular St Louis and baby back. All were amazing. Hot and fresh. Pulled pork was wonderful. Kids had a blast sitting out in the patio on a nice day. Service was nice. Quick and polite. Food came out timely. Would definitely highly recommend and will be back!

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    Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que - Take Out Wait Staff

    Take Out Wait Staff

    Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que
    Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que

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    Kue'd Smokehouse - smokehouse - Updated May 2026

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