Countdown: Five best barbecue spots in Des Moines

Countdown: Five best barbecue spots in Des Moines

By W.E. Moranville, Datebook Diner
Special to Metromix

Why is it that whenever I make any kind of error in French or Italian dining, few people will correct me, but if I accidentally make a gaffe while covering barbecue, the whole town weighs in? I once mentioned enjoying some caramely bits of “burnt ends” of a smoked pork shoulder. Oops. Seems only brisket brings burnt ends — and a number of enthusiasts enjoyed enlightening me to that fact.  

Indeed, no other cuisine gets people to roll up their sleeves and draw a line in the sand quite like barbecue. Maybe that’s because this style of cooking is so stripped down: It’s all about meat and smoke, and if neither is done right, there’s nowhere to hide. Fancy sauces and good side dishes cannot assuage your disappointment in a bum piece of inexpertly smoked meat. 

If, as a restaurant reviewer, you can’t pick out the good barbecue from lame also-rans, you’re gonna hear about it.

And so it is with great trepidation that I offer my list of my personal five favorite spots for barbecue in Des Moines. We'll reveal one new spot each day this week, Monday through Friday.  

Keep in mind that I’ve limited my choices to dine-in spots that offer some semblance of a dining experience. Takeaway spots were not in the running. And sorry, Ames, but Hickory Park was not a contender. For this go-around, I stuck to spots within a 15-mile drive.

Even more great barbecue features are on the way for Metromix and Juice: Next week expect fresh reports from a local crew of carnivores that we sent to some of the best barbecue restaurants in the area.

Pictured: Andy McReynolds of Claxon's Smokehouse and Grill in Altoona shows off a slab of loin back ribs in 2006.