TV Restaurants

Is Jethro's BBQ Still Open? Food Paradise Update (Des Moines, IA)

Food Paradise, Season 3 Des Moines, Iowa

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Jethro's BBQ is open — confirmed via Yelp, August 2026.

What the source shows: A Yelp listing updated August 2026 and the restaurant's own current locations page both show the Southside restaurant operating. How we decide a status →

What happened after Food Paradise? 2 episodes

Food Paradise, Season 3, Episode 1

Food Paradise: Manliest Restaurants featured Jethro's BBQ, a Des Moines, Iowa barbecue restaurant. Google Places data for the business points to an active website (jethrosdesmoines.com/locations/jethros-bbq-southside) for its Southside location, though a 2026-09-08 site check returned an HTTP 403 error and no page content could be independently verified for this appearance.

Man v. Food, Season 3, Episode 18 Aired

Man v. Food visited Jethro's BBQ during its Season 3 stop in Des Moines, Iowa (S3E18, aired 2010-10-06), sampling smoked barbecue plates from the local chain. Jethro's BBQ describes itself on its website as a locally owned barbecue restaurant serving slow-smoked meats, wings, and ribs with house-made sides and sauces. The Southside location sits at 4337 Park Ave, Des Moines, with a patio and fire pit along the Great Western Trail. According to a Yelp listing updated 2026-08, Jethro's BBQ Southside remains open, and Google Places listed the location as operational when checked 2026-09-08. The restaurant's own site, jethrosdesmoines.com, continues to list the Southside address among its current locations as of the same check. Yelp reviewers cited in the August 2026 update also highlighted the smoked wing specials that anchor its weekday menu.

The episodes Food Paradise

Episode 1
Air date not confirmed
Title: Food Paradise: Manliest Restaurants · What was featured: Iowa-style barbecue plates at a Des Moines restaurant
Man v. Food, Season 3, Episode 18
Aired
What was featured: Smoked barbecue plates at a Des Moines barbecue restaurant
How Food Paradise restaurants have fared: 27% closed →

Also in Season 3 Food Paradise

Season 3: 17 of 22 still open

All 4 Season 3 episodes →

Nearest restaurants By distance from 4337 Park Ave

  • Eatery A

    Des Moines, IA 2.3 mi away

    Best Thing I Ever Ate

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  • Smitty's Tender Loin Shop

    Des Moines, IA 3.0 mi away

    Man v. Food

    Open

  • High Life Lounge

    Des Moines, IA 3.6 mi away

    Man v. Food

    Open

  • Fong's Pizza

    Des Moines, IA 4.0 mi away

    Best Thing I Ever Ate · Food Paradise · Man v. Food

    Relocated

  • Zombie Burger

    Des Moines, IA 4.1 mi away

    Food Paradise

    Open

  • Flying Mango

    Des Moines, IA 4.1 mi away

    Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

    Open
All 21 TV restaurants in Iowa →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 2 references

  1. jethrosdesmoines.com https://www.jethrosdesmoines.com/locations/jethros-bbq-southside
  2. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/jethros-bbq-southside-des-moines-2
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Record mvf-194 · checked by Cal Marchetti.