A new Jethro's BBQ location is headed to downtown Des Moines near Wells Fargo Arena

Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
·3 min read

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.

"I think we’re going to make a real splash down there," he said.

Aside from room for 360 to 370 customers, the downtown location will include a patio with space for another 86.

"This is going to be party central when Elton John shows up," Gerleman said.

More:Want great barbecue? A new survey ranks Des Moines in the top 20 U.S. cities to eat smoked meats

The 54-year-old space expands the footprint of dining options near the largest concert venue in the state. The 17,000-seat Wells Fargo Arena hosts everything from concerts by Journey, Jason Aldean and the Eagles to home games for the NBA G-League’s Iowa Wolves, the AHL’s Iowa Wild and the IFL’s Iowa Barnstormers. That’s in addition to the Iowa High School State Wrestling and Girls and Boys Basketball Tournaments. Next year, the venue hosts the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

Jethro’s perch at 221 Park St. places it less than a block from the concert venue and across the street from Buzzard Billy’s, the Louisiana-leaning comfort food restaurant at 615 Third St.

Jethro's BBQ boasts a hefty tenderloin in the famous The Adam Emmenecker Challenge.
Jethro's BBQ boasts a hefty tenderloin in the famous The Adam Emmenecker Challenge.

Gerleman owns seven Jethro’s locations in the Des Moines metro and Ames.

"Location, location, location. People always say it's about location. This is exactly that," he told the Des Moines Register in a phone interview. "This will be a legacy for eternity, long after I’m gone."

His restaurant Splash Seafood Bar & Grill opened 25 years ago at 303 Locust St. across from the Des Moines Civic Center.

More:Original Jethro's BBQ location, open 13 years, temporarily closes for winter remodel

Last winter, he closed his original Jethro’s BBQ that opened in 2008 in the Drake neighborhood for a remodel of the kitchen. At the time, he planned to reopen that location at 3100 Forest Ave. in time for March Madness. Gerleman said he'd already done quite a bit of remodeling to the 14-year-old space when the downtown Des Moines location hit the market in early February. "I’ve been dreaming about having a downtown Jethro’s," he told the Register.

"This is a better location. Drake is only three miles away. It's just too close," he said, adding that he wouldn't locate two Jethro's so close together.

Now that space is for rent or sale.

"We had a great run over there at Drake," he said. "No one was over there when we went over there."

Now the area around that Jethro's location includes a future spot for Panka Peruvian Chicken and Habanero's.

The Business Record first reported the expansion.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jethro's BBQ plans to open near Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines