Press

Des Moines restaurateur Bruce Gerleman is tapping into the bacon craze with plans to open Jethro's BBQ n' Bacon Bacon in the former Hooters restaurant, 1480 22nd St. in West Des Moines. The restaurant, which will feature all things bacon, is expected to open in September.

Jethro's BBQ Bacon Bacon is ready for business and will open up on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at their new West Des Moines location.

The Jethro's BBQ empire expands, this time taking over a 6,800-square-foot space near Wells Fargo Arena and the Iowa Events Center. Owner Bruce Gerleman plans to open his latest restaurant in the former two-story home of the Master Builders of Iowa at 221 Park St. as soon at June 1. Gerleman said the location offers stunning views of the Des Moines River, Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge and State Capitol that he tentatively plans to call Jethro's All Stars Downtown, showcasing the best dishes from his roster of restaurants. That means adding jambalaya, steaks, pork chops, breakfast dishes and bacon to the menu at this spot.

A longtime Drake neighborhood restaurant is planning to pull up its roots and move. The original Jethro’s BBQ on Forest Avenue has been closed for months with owner Bruce Gerleman saying he planned to renovate and re-open. But now, the decision has been made to move to a new location near the Iowa Events Center at the northeast corner of Park Street and 3rd Street. The new location is expected to be open by next spring. Jethro’s six other restaurants in the Des Moines metro and one restaurant in Ames.

A well-known barbecue restaurant is expanding into the heart of downtown Des Moines. Jethro's BBQ is opening a new location at 221 Park St., right next to the Iowa Events Center. 'We've been looking at downtown forever, trying to find the right location,' said owner Bruce Gerleman. 'When this location became available, we jumped on it just like that.' The downtown restaurant will be the eighth Jethro's BBQ in the metro. The chain is best known for its over-the-top entrees, including the Adam Emmenecker sandwich. It gained a substantial following from foodies across the world after being featured on more than a dozen national and international TV shows., including 'Man vs. Food'. The new restaurant will seat about 350 people and feature two floors: one for dining and one for socializing.

Changes are coming for a popular barbecue chain here in the Des Moines area. The owner of Jethro's has announced a new downtown location a block south of Wells Fargo Arena. That also means the Jethro's location near Drake University will not reopen. It has been closed since December. The owner hopes to open the new downtown restaurant before next year's high school basketball tournaments.

Jethro's BBQ is a regular on 'best of' lists, was featured on Man v. Food, and even catered a backyard barbecue for former President Barack Obama. Slow-smoked wings get doused in handmade sauces, from Georgia mustard to garlic parm to buffalo sauce. Regulars will appreciate that Jethro's has a 'sauce of the month,' too.