Out to Lunch: Jethro's BBQ

A pulled smoked chicken philly sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries from Jethro's BBQ. (Credit: Justin Hayworth/The Des Moines Register)

Scene:Jethro's BBQ was the place for Chicago Cubs fans watching a game on a recent Thursday evening. Cheers and groans from fans mingled with the music being played over the sound system. The wall-to-wall flat-screen TVs, open rafters, light wood floors, neon liquor signs and two stacked beer kegs that serve as a host station give the place a masculine feel conducive to digging into some barbecue and getting dirty.

Food: Jethro's has a big menu. Alongside barbecue sandwiches and dinners were items with a Southern twist like the Texas dip and pulled smoked chicken philly.

But what really caught our eye (and churned my stomach) was "The Adam Emmenecker," a sandwich named after the Drake University basketball player and Missouri Valley Conference Most Valuable Player of 2008. The $20 monstrosity includes Emmenecker's favorite foods: pork tenderloin, Angus steak burger, Texas brisket, apple wood bacon and buffalo chicken tenders, drowned in melted cheddar and white cheddar sauce.

I decided on the pulled pork melt, which came on perfectly crisp Texas toast with just enough Swiss and American cheese. The pork was extraordinarily tender, and by far the best barbecue I have had in Des Moines. I can't stop raving about it. I chose the jalapeno cream corn for my side, which had a smoky, tangy flavor and a heat that stuck with me throughout the entire meal. My dining buddy chose the pulled smoked chicken philly, experimenting with some of the five different sauces available at the restaurant. I stuck with the "Jethro's Secret" sauce: a nice, thick, but not too sweet complement to my sandwich.

On the clock: It took us about an hour to lick our plates clean.

Price: Our gut-busting meals were about $9 each, and most of the other menu items were about $9 to $12. This is ridiculously good barbecue in a no-frills kind of place.