Great food! Had the Brisket and my wife had the Tenderloin. The brisket was plentiful and just right. My wife's tenderloin was HUGE! I ended up finishing half of it. It is it's own unique sandwich. The sides were good, the beans are tops in Des Moines and the fries look and taste like hand cuts.
It is classic road side BBQ, hot fresh and good. They don't waste their time on the atmosphere but concentrate on the food! ,Excellent food at a reasonable price.
I'm heading back tonight
Great little BBQ place.
I tried the Big Pig (Pulled Pork) meal a few weeks back from Cactus Bobs. I think the most surprising thing about this meal was what stood out the most. It wasn't the meat, which should not be shortchanged as it was great, but the bun. I've never in my years had a fresher bun from any restaurant and I'm a firm believer that a bun can make/break a sandwich. In this case, kudos to bob!
The meat had mounds of flavor. Big hints of smoked flavor and very moist. The sauce only multiplied this.
My two choices in sides were cole slaw and a cornbread muffin. The coleslaw is not your run of mill slaw and has a strong vinegar taste, not bad though just different. The cornbread muffin was the only part of the meal to leave something to be desired. Other than the top it was very dry, not cornbread dry, I'm talkin' dry dry. Given the quality of everything else, and the little importance of cornbread, I would say this is one of the best BBQ joints around the DMI area.
I’ll be going back for sure.
We ordered several items for carry out.
2 - big pig basket (pork sandwiches w/ sides)
sides corn relish (hubby loved it)
bbq kettle chips, corn muffin, and fries.
3 - smoked turkey breast sandwiches (2 we're for our spoiled dogs, meat only) 1 for Hubby's next day lunch
ONE OF THOSE MOUTH WATERING BIG fudge-marshmallow- brownies.
Portion sizes are over the top!
Best thing about this great place is EVERYTHING IS HOMEMADE.
from the great Smokey flavored meats to the homemade kettle chips. Don't forget the prickly pickle too.
by far best BBQ around...go there at least 1x a week.. the people that had bad food are talking about a different place...have yet to have a bad meal here.
My wife and I have been coming here since it opened. We love all the sides especially the homemade FF!! My favorite is RIBS..smoked clear through..and the sweet and smokey sauce is to die for. My wife's favorite was the smoked chicken, but now it is the new broasted chicken!! This chicken is big and juicey, and cooked to order. takes alittle longer, but worth the wait. When we travel, we are on the outlook for BBQ, but so far none compare to good old Cactus Bob's.
Worth a try!!
Easily the best bbq place in the Des Moines area. Everything is homemade and fresh. It is very inexpensive too. I have tried most everything on the menu and it is all good. My favorites are the ribs. The ribs are as good as any you will find anywhere across the country. Be sure to try the homemade french fries too. You can't go wrong no matter what you try here. I am a regular now and try to get there at least every week. This is a family run place where they treat everyone special. Go to their website at www. cactusbobs.com to look at the menu.
When you find a place that is gracious and truly appreciative of the people who keep them in business, You tend to give them more than a chance or two. Anyone can be off at any particular moment. You got the fatty brisket when the guy at work got the primo the day before. The ribs were tough, But last time you had them they were to die for. I have a commercial smoker myself. I don't always get the best cut of meat. Although I try, I am still at the mercy of the vendor at times. These guys are aces. I found them at the downtown farmers market prior to opening their joint. The Texas Toothpicks. Oh, The Texas Toothpicks! Granny's apples? Oh yes, Granny's apples. Oh, Did I forget to mention the BEST smoked turkey? Claxons was there once. Move over. There's a new smoke player on the block!
I have had BBQ in Memphis, Dallas and Kansas City and can honestly say that I have never had better BBQ anywhere as I have had at Cactus Bob’s!
The service was prompt and friendly and the food was awesome! I had the baby back ribs and they were meaty, tender and delicious! The homemade onion rings and fried mushrooms were so good that I couldn't stop myself from eating them. I had the baked apples and corn bread muffin as my side dishes and both were so good that eventhough I was full, I took them home for dessert.
My husband had one of the combo platters and let me sample a bite of his smoked chicken. It was moist and flavorful! His combo also had brisket on it. The brisket had a great smoke-ring on it and my husband reported that it was fantastic. I didn’t get to have a bite of it though because he wanted to keep it all for himself!
I sampled all of the sauces and liked the Sweet-N-Smokey the best. My husband liked some of their hotter sauces which are offered on a hot sauce bar (very cool, but too hot for me!).
The prices were great and both of our meals even came with Cactus Bob's signature homemade Prickly Pickle, which was an excellent accompanyment to the BBQ.
Cactus Bob's is a great place for lunch or dinner and is well worth the drive from anywhere in central Iowa!! If you haven't had it yet you don't know what you're missing!
I often rave about the baked beans at Cactus Bob's. I once took a co-worker out to lunch and during the drive over I started raving about the beans again. After going on about the beans I said "You probably thinks I'm nuts, for spending so much time talking about the beans when there's much great items on the menu. A normal person stresses the entrees, not a side, but these beans are something else." Towards the end of lunch, he said "You know, I did think there was something wrong when you kept talking about the beans. . . . (takes in another spoonful) these are incredible, I now see why you love them."
The sauces are great as well. I have a lot of difficulty enjoying other bbq places and often think, "This is good, but would be great with some Cactus Bob's Sweet N' Smoky sauce." I no long venture out to Ames or Altoona 1-2x per month or for my bbq fix. Instead I head to Johnston, 1-3x per week. Now if they'd make a sit down restaurant in Ankeny, I'd be in real trouble.
The smoked meats at Cactus Bob's make for terrific BBQ! All of the sides are fantastic too. I generally don't care for BBQ potato chips, but tried them here and loved them -- they're homemade. This is by far a better BBQ restaurant than any of the chains.
Best BBQ in Des Moines that I've had. Tons of sauces to pick from. Great sides. Great sandwich combos for lunch and the price is right!
Fantastic barbecue and excellent service. The decor is primitive but it's perfect for a quick lunch spot. Not only is the barbecue delicious (I enjoy the ribs and the pork sandwich) but the sides are superb: cinnamon apples are thick, sweet, and succulent; slaw is tangy but not overbearing; pickles are spicy yet sublime; fries and chips are abundant, hot, and tasty. I agree with the reviewer who said this place puts chain restaurants to shame. I'd give higher honors but haven't had most of the things on the menu yet.
My wife and I both deciced on baby back ribs after the order taker told me the meat falls off the bone. Any thing but fall off the bone, the ribs were dry and tough I also broke a tooth on one of the ribs. worst excuse for ribs I have ever tasted. We each got six ribs with very little meat and two sides all for $30.00. Needless to say we will not be back
What an excellent value!! Large portions of tasty smoked and BBQ meats at fair prices. This is going to be a successful resturant, just based on its food alone. I have yet to meet Cactus Bob!
Whenever I am not eating lunch at La Hacienda I am eating at Cactus Bob's. They have a great assortment of sauces, even hotter ones on request. Make sure you try everything on the menu. The beef brisket is to die for. They even toast your buns so your sandwich doesn't get soggy. This place blows those chain BBQ restaurants out of the water.
Why would smoked food be dripping with grease? I smoke at home often and this is not a sign of smoked food. In fact I commented to my wife that it tasted boiled - by that meaning it had no taste. The ambiance was ok for lunch but too bright and plain for a Friday evening. The ribs were fatty and had no meat to them and the sausage I swear might be Johnsonville injected with a little spice - nasty, fatty, and I took two bites. Too expensive for what we got and I must have passed 4 superior places on the drive up there.
Overpriced and overcooked!
First Off I loved the appetizers, but I really thought that the rest of meal left a lot to be desired. The meat was fresh from the microwave, and for my money I got 3 ribs, nasty tasting sausage, a corn muffin which was alright, and some chopped pork that I couldn't even stand to eat. all for about $15. I love Barbeque, and really wanted to give this place a good shot, but I'm afriad I would not return unless it was for the mushrooms, and spicy sticks!
Some of the best BBQ in town!
