Posted in Iowa March 02, 2021 by Ben Jones

Home Of The 4-Pound Sandwich, Jethro’s BBQ In Iowa Shouldn’t Be Passed Up

When he wasn’t racking up points for the Drake Bulldogs, point guard Adam Emmenecker loved to eat. He enjoyed a lot of tasty things: pork tenderloin, cheeseburgers, smoked bacon, Texas brisket and fried cheese. All of Emmenecker’s favorite foods have been combined by Jethro’s BBQ into a single sandwich that could feed a family, a monster of a meal called the Adam Emmenecker.

This sandwich weighs in at a plate-sagging four pounds (not including waffle fries). A good idea? Taste this sandwich and be the judge – either way, you won’t be hungry for a week! So what does this sandwich look like and why do people order it? Read on.

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The restaurant is a Des Moines institution. It opened in 2008 and immediately drew a big following for its delicious smoked BBQ. In fact, it was named one of the 100 best BBQ restaurants in America.

The restaurant was even asked by President Obama to cater a presidential backyard BBQ. The restaurant serves slow-cooked baby back pork ribs, slow-smoked sliced brisket and amazing slow-smoked wings.

But the menu item that gets the most attention is the Adam Emmenecker sandwich. If you include the waffle fries that surround the sandwich, the whole meal weighs five pounds!

Professional eaters travel from far away to see if they can complete the challenge: finish this sandwich in less than 15 minutes. Many have failed, including Adam Richmond from the show Man vs. Food, although some have proved it's possible.

Before you take this meal on, read the ingredient list. It's long! It includes a spicy pickle, a bun, a pork tenderloin, buffalo chicken tenders, white cheddar sauce, fried cheese cubes, Texas brisket, applewood smoked bacon, a cheeseburger and a pound of waffle fries.

If you can finish this sandwich in less than 2 minutes, 55 seconds, the “world record,” you could win a $5,000 prize. Good luck! Looking for more interesting Iowa restaurants? Here are 14 that belong on your bucket list.

Address: 3100 Forest Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311, USA