Rolling Smoke Barbeque

Staff is great! You order at the counter, but they still come and check on you a couple times. Offered boxes before we needed to ask, offered more BBQ sauce to go with it. And the FOOD! Oh man was it good! Burnt ends were slightly different than most places-really soft melt in your mouth. The Mac and cheese dish was soooo good! So much flavor. And the corn bread! - different and a little sweeter - very moist. This owner knows what they're doing!! Super pleased and great it's a local place. We will definitely be back!

OH LORDY! This food is amazing!
I had the burnt ends, spicy coleslaw ( very fresh and creamy not too spicy) , sweet potato fries with salt, blackberry habanero bbq sauce ( which is AMAZING!!), cornbread moist and just a little smoky cinnamon sweetness on the top) and a toasted bun if you wish to make a sandwich.
The portions are large! I was just at Smokey's BBQ and their portions are small, good food but small serving of the burnt ends there.
This Rolling Smoke BBQ has huge portions! AND it's delicious! So if you like BBQ this place is just down the road from the Iowa State Fairgrounds. I will definitely be back and make sure to tell people where to get awesome BBQ!!

Excellent burnt ends, beans, slaw, and lots of sauce options. The waitress was amazing. We went there for our daughters 9th birthday because she wanted bbq beans. The beans were awesome for me but a little spicy for my daughter. The waitress noticed she wasn’t eating them and brought another option without us even mentioning anything. Happy 9 year old and happy family!

One of the best BBQ places in Des Moines area. Family owned and local. Great service and the food is spectacular. I ordered the Half Rack of Ribs with a side of BBQ Beans and cornbread.
The ribs were phenomenal, hot, meaty and flavorful. The beans are a bit spicy but are delicious.
I have eaten here a few times and will continue to go back, never have had a bad meal.
Highly recommend!

How Jethro's is so popular when this place exists blows my mind. It's the best BBQ in DSM (likely in all of Iowa, but we are close to KC)

The brisket and burnt ends are insanely good. The smoked beans are my favorite, and if you catch them at the right time (or call a few days ahead for catering) you can get literally the best jalapeño smoked corn you will ever have ever. Food portions are perfect and won't bleed your wallet. The BBQ sauce collection is truly a thing of beauty too. Try them all.

Wish I didn't move to the west side so I could enjoy this more often. Go here. Enjoy. It's worth every penny.

We visited on a Sunday morning and were surprised to learn that they offer their lunch menu on weekends as well! 5.95 for pulled pork and fries is a great deal!

We tried several other items including the brisket, spicy slaw, and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was the star here, order it! Didn’t care much for the potato salad which was pretty dry and didn’t have much flavor. Overall a great addition to the area. We will certainly be back!

I had smoked Korean bbq wings. The party I was with said they had the best ribs in Des Moines. They had a side of parm fries which were great. Another party said his burnt ends sandwich was more like steak tips. The meats were tender, ginormous portions, reasonably priced, great quick service reviews said better than jethros (I agree)

Having lived in Kansas City for about 4 years, I can honestly say that this BBQ is the only BBQ place I have found in Des Moines that is on pair with KC. Most other places cook thier food so it's hot and dry, Rolling Smoke smokes it the right way :) . I would highly recommend the spicy slaw and the garlic parmesan fries for your sides. And the Rolling Ace as the main dish. Was absolutely amazing!

Coming from Texas I have to say BBQ here in Iowa is average at best, usually dry. I've been to 6 different places, most rank one notch above fast food.

Unless you've had really good food you don't have a comparison to gauge. Like someone in Minnesota telling someone in New Orleans that Minnesota has great seafood.

This place had good portion sizes, brisket and ribs were good. Just a side note, most meals come with one side dish, which is more than enough. They portion was almost twice the size of normal. Mac and cheese were great.

Great service and very clean I side.

We drove out to Pleasant Hill tonight to try out Rolling Smoke Barbecue since we saw so many good reviews previously. I just want to say to those folks: “Thank you!”. We will definitely be back!

Pictured:
We both got the 2 Meat and 1 side platter

Platter 1: Brisket and Burnt Ends with Garlic Parmesan Fries

Platter 2: Pulled Pork and Burnt Ends with Garlic Parmesan Fries

Sauces tried: Classic BBQ and Blackberry Habanero BBQ

“Pros”:
- Huge servings
- Friendly hosts/servers
- Clean seating area
- “Best pulled pork I’ve had outside our backyard!” (A direct quote from my husband)
- Tasty brisket
- Good cornbread. (My husband went back up and ordered seconds.)
- Several sauce selections to try out, but honestly the meat really didn’t need it. It had great flavor on its own.

“Cons”:
- It’s a bit pricey, but again it’s a lot of food.
- It was not super obvious in its location, and we were looking for it. They could benefit from better signage.
- The Burnt Ends were fine. I don’t think I’d get them again over the pulled pork or brisket.
- The Garlic Parmesan Fries were tasty for the first few minutes but as they cooled they solidified into soft, greasy pile that was hard to eat. Pro-tip: Eat them quickly and with friends cause there is a lot!
- Don’t go in ACTUALLY expecting cornbread. It’s really more like yellow cake with a buttery/cinnamon sugar frosting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s f-ing delicious... but not really cornbread.

Good flavor and appropriate servings for the price. You won’t go away hungry and your tastebuds will be happy

Got the burnt ends and brisket with beans and mac n cheese. Both meats were very good, moist and flavorful. The beans were so good with just the right kick of heat! The mac was ok. Clean drink station and tables. Food came out quickly. Great customer service! I will be back for sure!

A friend and I stopped on Tuesday for lunch. We both got the 2 meat platter. Ribs & burnt ends. The ribs were outstanding. Tender & juicy. The burnt ends had great smoke flavor, but were a little dry.
I think we got most of the sides to spilt & try. Mashed potatoes w/brisket gravy, delicious! Also yummy was garlic/parmesan fries. The smoked beans were good. The mac & cheese wasn't cheesy & saucy enough for me.
The corn bread should change its name to corn cake because its so light and delicious. And comes with melted butter to dip your bread.

Just tried Rolling Smoke for the first time. Had the brisket and burnt ends with baked beans and parmesan fries. All around excellant food
Will definitely try more of the menu.

I've been eating BBQ all over the US my whole life, from the most acclaimed joints in the nation to backyard aficionado's fare, and what the folks at Rolling Smoke have put together here is a real BBQ fan's restaurant. Attention has been paid to every detail, and it's definitely a cut above most anywhere around. The sauces are all delicious, balanced in flavor like everything here, but these meats don't need sauce. It's all still juicy, smoked to perfection, the brisket well marbled to melt in your mouth, the pulled pork peppered just enough. Even the buns are fresh and wonderfully light, not just an afterthought. And the cornbread is scrummy, with a just sweet cinnamon glaze. So do yourself a favor and stop by for some amazing smoked meats and sides!

This barbecue is delicious and affordable. From the meat to the sauce to the side you choose you just can't go wrong!

We ordered from Grubhub. I got to say, that was the most tender and flavorful burnt butt , I’ve had in a very long time. The mac and cheese was absolutely delicious. The cornbread… if you’re a cornbread lover, OMG, you got to have a generous, sweet, and moist succulent slice of cornbread. Yummy. Highly recommend. I loved our meal. Delicious.

Arrived at 5:45, best the crowd. Had the Hot Pig sandwich. Very large portion of pork. Very tender and tasty. Has a smidge of slaw on it, a southern thing, but adds an excellent crunch texture. Excellent choice to step out from the norm, yet not venture too far. Friendly service, food served fast!

Have only been here a handful of times, but this lil hidden gem is a worthy find. The quality of their food is a step up from the better known chain BBQ joints in areas such as Altoona and Ankeny. It's more like a smaller version of a "longstanding" place in Ames Ia {except without the ice cream menu}....Ya like cake, Ya like cornbread, then you might Love Rolling Smokes version of cornbread! Their sauces are great too. I take the Blackberry Habanero & the Chipotle Pineapple home to be used when making bacon... 3~Thumbs up {and I only have two hands} If you like quality tastes and a friendly atmosphere, its a Must Stop!

We branched out and tried Rolling Smoke BBQ. We're admittedly a bit snobby about food outside of our own cooking.. cause if we're gonna pay good money, it best be damn good food! RS-BBQ did not disappoint, in fact... they more than met the level we seek; they surpassed it! Absolutely delicious! Fast service, good servings, fair prices, incredible food. We got the Brisket Cheese Fries, The Rolling Ace & the Hot Pig. If I had room, I'd go back in and get another Hot Pig.. effin impeccable! We have a new favorite BBQ spot!