Claxon’s Smokehouse and Grill

Service was fantastic… However the food was not. I ordered a Half Rack of ribs, they were so tuff and dry that it was like eating jerky. I couldn’t pull the ribs apart with my hands and was having a hard time with just a steak knife. I hope I just got a bad rack… I’ll try them again due to the great reviews and the fact that They did comp the meal. No management apology though!

Came for dinner and Cubs game. I ordered Joe’s Tenderloin with fried corn. Girlfriend ordered Prime Rib Philly with fries. After I ordered heard the bartender tell someone the special was a tenderloin with pulled pork on top with 2 sides for 10.99 which our waitress did not tell us about and I would have gotten had she told me. Instead I got a paper thin, dry, burnt tenderloin, with my fried corn which being from Iowa I assumed was battered fried corn nuggets. It was not, it was kernel corn with onions and bits of meat. My mistake on that but to my defense there was no description on the menu. Girlfriends Philly was good according to her but fries were just frozen out of a bulk bag fries nothing special. Reading the reviews sounds like some of their other menu items are pretty good. Doubt I’ll be back as waitress was not very good and my meal was extremely unsatisfactory.

Great food for the price! Usually stop in for lunch as my office is close.

The primerib is not worth what the price. The mixed drink tasted like sour mix. I don’t recommend

Great meal here last night. Smoked prime rib was excellent and my baked sweet potato was perfectly cooked. Our server was delightful. We received our meals in less than ten minutes. We will go here again.

Worst food ever! Tenderloin was burnt black, burnt ends were all fat, no meat. Potatoes were cold inside. Management was down right rude. Will not go back!

Fast-​food quality at upscale prices. What actually is made fresh there? Cuban sandwiches are typically flavourful but mine was dominated by the bland flavour of bread. I resorted to dipping it in BBQ sauce.

The waitress little Debbie was great, food wasn’t. The BBQ nachos were the worst, tomatoes were pink, bland flavor and instead of meat was a lot of fat.

Great BBQ! The building was updated but still had a traditional bbq shack feel. My only complain is that it was very loud due to the high ceilings. I had the brisket sandwich and it was very good. The couple next to us ordered dessert nachos and made me jealous that I didn’t get a chance to try them!

Stopped by to pick up some BBQ for take~out with my Groupon and the people here are great and extremely helpful. Awesome place with great smells as you enter, beer battered onion rings are a clear aroma haha. Cole and Andy are great about putting everything together for my Hour drive to feed a hungry group, kids absolutely love the stuff like the burnt end wedge and smoked chicken wings with honey BBQ and my favorite is the halepeno corn bread and spare ribs are always super meaty. Sauce it up in an hour thanks to Claxton’s!

I had eaten at Claxons several times before, it was usually good. However the last time I ate there over the weekend, is the last time that I will ever eat there. The food was okay, much better BBQ available in the Des Moines area. The service was rotten. We had a table for nine, two of them children under six. And we were one of three tables in the entire restaurant. There was no reason that multiple times during our meal for all of our drinks to be empty. And even with the lousy service, they added an 18% tip automatically onto our bill, I guess the five-​year-​old and the two-​year-​old count towards the mandatory tip count. Which as the employee said «it’s in the menu didn’t you read the menu?» Next time I want barbecue, I will go a few blocks away and eat it Jethro’s. Never have had a problem there.

Yesterday was my first time to Claxons. The bbq was very «meh». There are several places in the Des Moines metro that have better bbq for lower prices. The service was on the poor side, our waitress couldn’t be bothered to come back and check on us. Overall, it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t very good.

Quality, moist, meats, with just the right amount of smoke and seasoning. Very good service as well.

Great steakhouse up in Altoona. The service was fast and friendly and the ambiance inside is kind of interesting. The pull pork is a different style than I have had before but still decent. The pulled chicken is really good as are the steaks. Claxon’s gives you a lot of food for what you pay for and everything is pretty reasonable. I will definitely be back.

When you arrive you are greeted by a really modern looking building with beautiful signage. The inside is also very pleasing to look at. Due to the design, the acoustics are not great and it seems noisy even when there isn’t a huge crowd.
The menu was a good mix of classic BBQ/​smoked meats with alternatives. The list of sides is long and hard to pick because they all sound good. The staff was exceptionally nice and personable. There was only a tiny wait before our food arrived, which you’d expect from a smoked meats place. The meats were all tender and delicious. The lack of sauce choices was unfortunate and the potato wedges were cooked to hard sticks, but otherwise all of the sides were also good.
Everyone in our party felt quite full and had no room for dessert, though the selections did sound quite good. We all agreed that the friendly staff, great choices and good food would bring us back to Claxon’s.

Went here at 7:00 PM on a Wednesday because I did not feel like cooking. Outside the restaurant, they have free «local flavor off time entertainment» newspapers. I picked up two to amuse myself while waiting for my food.
The server told me that tonight’s special was smoked chicken on flatbread. Huh? What is that? The server explained that smoked chicken was place on top of something like a pita bread, and then sliced like a pizza. Sorry, that did not sound good. So, I ordered pork tenderloin with one side (cole slaw was my choice).
Ok, settling down to read the free local flavor newspaper to pass the time. Got engrossed in an article when, HUH? Food here ALREADY? OH MAN, THAT PORK TENDERLOIN WAS TWO INCHES THICK! And it cut like butter! The server said it was pre-​smoked” so they could just serve it. Cole slaw was good, rival to a famous fried chicken fast food restaurant.
Just the right amount of sauce, had a small kick to it. I normally wolf my food down, but since I was reading the «local flavor free newspapers» I was engrossed in them. The server asked if I wanted a «take home box.» Gee, the place is only 25% full, why is the server trying to make me move on quickly?
Finished my meal. Glad I only got ONE side, couldn’t have done it with two sides.
It looks like they have a drive through window, but it also looks like they don’t use it.
No place to park an RV. I came here on my scooter from Adventureland RV Park.

I lived nearby here for a certain time and drove by it daily and wondered how the food was there. I stopped wondering one day and decided to try it. I went with my then girlfriend and we decided to order the platter which came with a variety of meats. The food was good, flavorful, and plentiful.
When we went to eat during lunch, there was no other customers in the restaurant. The interior is a little bland, but there are tv sets to watch the game. The meats were good, but I would not say they are the best around, I have had much better BBQ, but not in Altoona.
Staff was very friendly. I would try this place again to see how it is on a busy night and try other meats.

I’m not sure what is going on with the place, used to enjoy it but the last couple of visits were memorable for all of the wrong reasons.
Cold and uncomfortable atmosphere with equally dull service. Our ribs seemed to be old, overcooked and far from tender. Potatoes tasted a bit like dirt and somehow, old grease.
Really a shame as I remember it being good in the past.

Catfish was excellent, baked sweet potato was huge & delish. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork were all great!

Claxons is, by far, one of the best BBQ/​smokes houses in yhe Des Moines area. It is clean, the staff is friendly and the food is exceptional. If you like bold, smoky foods and interesting side dishes, Claxon’s is the place to go.
Disclaimer: I do not go to casual restaurants for circuses (aka Texas Roadhouse dancing, etc). I go for good food, customer service and fair prices. If you’re like me, you’ll love Claxons.