Smokey D's BBQ
5055 NW 2nd St
Des Moines, IA 50313
smokeydsbbq.com
Mrs. TVWB and I had lunch at Smokey D's BBQ when passing through Des Moines in September 2025 on what just happened to be my birthday!
We wanted to try a little bit of everything, so we sprung for "The Whole Pit" for $81.99--a full slab of spareribs, 1/3 pound of all BBQ meats (sliced brisket, sliced turkey, pulled chicken, chopped pork, burnt ends, sausage, and pit ham), 3 pints of sides, a basket of French fries, 3 slices of garlic bread and 3 cornbread muffins--knowing full well that we'd be taking a lot of leftovers to-go.
Given the reputation of owner Darren Warth as a legit pitmaster who wins at the highest levels of competition barbecue, I had high expectations for this meal. To be honest, we were not very impressed by most of these meats. The sliced brisket was our favorite, it was moist and tender and really good, and I liked the turkey. The others were so-so in flavor and moisture. We tried a couple of the ribs, which tasted fine but not amazing and were almost perfectly tender (just a little over), and gave away the rest to some fellow diners. We took all of the other leftover meats and breads to-go, leaving behind the sides (mac & cheese, baked beans, and jalapeno corn). In hindsight, we would have been better off saving a lot of money and just getting sliced brisket sandwiches with fries.
Here are a few more photos from our visit.
5055 NW 2nd St
Des Moines, IA 50313
Smokey D's BBQ | Des Moines BBQ, Catering, and more
Smokey D’s BBQ was founded in 2006 by Darren and Sherry Warth. Their passion for BBQ and success on the BBQ circuit led them into the restaurant and catering business.
smokeydsbbq.com
Mrs. TVWB and I had lunch at Smokey D's BBQ when passing through Des Moines in September 2025 on what just happened to be my birthday!
We wanted to try a little bit of everything, so we sprung for "The Whole Pit" for $81.99--a full slab of spareribs, 1/3 pound of all BBQ meats (sliced brisket, sliced turkey, pulled chicken, chopped pork, burnt ends, sausage, and pit ham), 3 pints of sides, a basket of French fries, 3 slices of garlic bread and 3 cornbread muffins--knowing full well that we'd be taking a lot of leftovers to-go.
Given the reputation of owner Darren Warth as a legit pitmaster who wins at the highest levels of competition barbecue, I had high expectations for this meal. To be honest, we were not very impressed by most of these meats. The sliced brisket was our favorite, it was moist and tender and really good, and I liked the turkey. The others were so-so in flavor and moisture. We tried a couple of the ribs, which tasted fine but not amazing and were almost perfectly tender (just a little over), and gave away the rest to some fellow diners. We took all of the other leftover meats and breads to-go, leaving behind the sides (mac & cheese, baked beans, and jalapeno corn). In hindsight, we would have been better off saving a lot of money and just getting sliced brisket sandwiches with fries.
Here are a few more photos from our visit.
