“ This is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. I am looking forward to my third visit soon. I have been too many bbq restaurants but this one is so good it makes me crave bbq food. The Thursday special of burnt ends is my favorite. Don't miss this simple but special and unique restaurants. ”

“ Best bbq in Iowa. Have I eaten at every bbq joint? No. But, it's the best I've had and that's several. Brisket is top notch. The sausages always have the right texture and snap that I'm looking for in the casing. Turkey? Never dry, always moist and flavorful. Desserts? Amazing. They're a MUST get to finish the meal. Make sure you get there early on Saturdays for the beef ribs, best cut on beef outside of the cheek and they do a great job. They also provide a wide variety of sauces that should satisfy everybody's tastes. Now for the negatives, and they are impactful negatives but the fact I'm giving it 5* anyways should tell you how good everything else. Pork ribs are my favorite bbq item, and they don't do good ones. Had them twice now, and both times they were dry and overdone, one time so far gone they felt like charcoal. But everything else was so damn good we went back. Other negative is the sides, they're noting spectacular and you don't go to a bbq place for the sides, but they're all just filler essentially. Again, they aren't bad, but just take away from how good the bbq is. Service is always friendly and top notch, just a really great gem outside of my few gripes. Go and see for yourself the quality. ”

“ FINALLY made it to this amazing BBQ place!!! We went on a Sunday around 1pm and the wait was 40 mins, so we left to run an errand and came back and were seated right away. There are two buildings, the main restaurant and then an addition in the back that is like a massive shop with a bar and a bathroom and TVs. The overall vibe of the restaurant is rustic & fun. All of the employees were super nice. We were waited and greeted on at our table right away. We were starving so we ordered appetizer cheese curds that were crisp and yummy! We chose the three meat combo and ordered the ribs for all three meats and we ordered three sides, the baked beans, the hash brown casserole, and jalapeño cream corn. All 3 were delish! The corn def had a kick. The Texas toast was toasted and buttered perfectly. The ribs were cooked a lil too much and we got some burnt ones, but the flavor was there. We did order dessert and was surprised to see them come in a cellophane bag. I got A brownie with peanut butter frosting, I took it home to eat with vanilla ice cream. My husband got the OCP, oatmeal cream pie. Their homemade version is bigger and better than the store ones. Overall, def will be going back! ”

“ Struggling with our recent brutal string of wickedly cold weather, we decided to try Whatcha Smokin' BBQ & Brew to add something positive. It turned out to be a spectacular visit, and this place is well worth the ride to Luther; it is a GREAT place featuring Texas-style BBQ! Our party of four could get parking quickly with a pair of lots, one in front of the venue and the other across the street to the north. They don't take reservations, and we were seated immediately when our party was present. There's a terrific vibe inside, excellent energy, and customer service. No frills, this place focuses on its food--casual attire, warm on this frigid night. The fun common area features a push-pin customer spot and a community board. Coca-Cola products. The BBQ aroma had me salivating for their food upon entering! They have daily specials, and they look great. On this initial visit, I wanted to sample what they did best, not a daily special. I was greatly rewarded! First, our server, Jenny, was tremendous! She was fun, helpful, knowledgeable, and kind, and she nailed every recommendation. Terrific throughout. We started with Golden Corn Nuggets as an appetizer, tasty sweet corn kernels fried golden brown and served with honey (didn't try) and ranch dressing (loved it). I chose a Quarter Rack of Baby Back Ribs as my entree; they were terrific. Perfectly cooked, delicious, and spectacular. I tried all their five BBQ sauces and liked Liquid Lava, Carolina Gold, and Wildfire the best. I'm usually not a big ribs person, but I decided to get what they are known for after Jenny's recommendation. Honestly, it's genuinely excellent. I added Texas Toast, excellent fries, and Turkey Dumpling soup as sides; each was outstanding. Doing high-end Quality Control, I sampled many items my other dinner party members enjoyed! The cheesy potatoes were excellent. Jalapeno Creamed Corn was amazing. I enjoyed their Twix Cheesecake for dessert, which was so darn good. In all, it was a sensational visit and food experience. This is one of the best places to eat in the Des Moines, Ankeny, and Ames regions. ”

“ I love to stop here when I come to Boone County, which I do often for the fantastic outdoor attractions - High Trestle Trail, Ledges State Park, Iowa Arboretum, Boone Railroad, etc. That's important to my review because I have not been here except in pleasant weather. If you love great BBQ, as it seems many people do, this is the place to be. There always seems to be a wait and then they ask where you would like to sit, with a choice of three options and usually three different wait times. The PATIO area has garage type doors that they open in nice weather and have large screens to keep the bugs out. There are TV's and a small bar. It has a sports bar feel. This is my preference and tends to have the longest wait time. The PICNIC area is just that - picnic tables outside. The wait time is usually the shortest but I believe there is a limited menu. Can be very pleasant, but can also be windy or overly sunny. The CLUBHOUSE is enclosed and has a building converted from some other use feel. There are some TV's and one small bathroom. The wait staff carry your food across the outdoor picnic area to you. It has A/C for when the weather is warm and may possibly be the best place to be in cold weather. It just has an afterthought feel about it, like they grew popular so fast they scrambled to add space. Overall, wonderful food and super spot convenient to many fun Iowa locations. ”

“ First time here and I was blown away by the size of this venue as well as how busy it was post-lunch. We were told it would be a wait to get food even though we could be seated quickly (40ish minutes) and they did not lie. We were bummed to be seated in the club house, which felt like the family zone. Service was ok and food was good but salty. Worked out well that our meals were served in to go containers since we did have leftovers but it does make me wonder about the amount of waste they produce given so much was disposable, including the silverware. ”

“ Well worth the drive from the DSM area, every thing on the menu is well executed and flavorful. ”

“ If you ever go to Ames Iowa, this is a must if you love BBQ. The smoked brisket can be ordered lean or fatty but to get the most flavor, fatty is the choice. So tender, juicy and flavor did not disappoint and even outdid any brisket. Also shared the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich which was amazing as we had options of Sweet BBQ, medium, sweet and sticky, spicy and lava sweet heat bbq sauce to put on the sandwich. Cornbread was fabulous and firm. It was also busy in the full service main dining room with a 45 minute wait so we stood in line outside to order and was given a number to pick up the food when our number was called to bring back to the table. The wait was not bad at all to get the food. Advise to get here early as they run out of certain meals and call it out as they do. This was one of ghetto finest BBQ I've had, and I've been to a lot. So many choices on the menu. Meat can be ordered by the pound or nice sandwiches. Great sides to order with the meal. So if you are ever even NEAR Ames, Iowa, save the time to experience BBQ perfection and great service. A well organized operation and friendly staff. ”