Flying Mango

Reviews

• LW

  Lisa Whelpley

  Apr 3, 2026
  5.0
  Fantastic food! We visited here a couple of years ago and we had sandwiches and thought the food was fine. We are in Des Moines for the weekend and decided to eat here again. This time, we ordered other items and so glad we did! The Louisiana platter was the perfect portion and tasty! Creole chicken that was spicy delicious, andouille sausage that was roasted and so flavorful! And red beans and rice that were flavorful and not dry. The cornbread was okay but not the highlight. The rack of ribs was really good. The catfish was made perfectly. Creamy coleslaw is good too! Professional and kind server.
• DA

  duffy altermatt

  Mar 30, 2026
  4.0
  This place is small, inviting, warm, quaint and had a great vibe. This is a BBQ establishment and my dumba.. had fish. I know, that was dumb. so i take some blame for the 2 stars for food. This fish had zero flavor, not salty, not peppery, not fishy, not anything it literally tasted like nothing. The veggies were good. I also had their brisket queso, thou good the chips they offered with it were so salty I had to eat the queso with a spoon and left the chips. If I ever get to this establishment again believe me i will not make the mistake of ordering the wrong thing.
• DT

  Dennis Taylor

  Mar 26, 2026
  5.0
  I don't care what the "Best of Des Moines" says, this is the best BBQ in all of Des Moines. Food is always consistent. I just wish they were closer to me and open more.
• N

  N A É

  Mar 13, 2026
  2.0
  Travel nurse here and new to Iowa until June! Tonight I passed by this cute restaurant and decided to stop by to try something new. I really really wanted to like this place SO BADDD but the food didn't have any flavor. Portion sizes were great and everyone was so sweet and welcoming, but I wish the smoked chicken plate I ordered had more flavor.
• BS

  Brian Stark

  Mar 10, 2026
  5.0
  We were in town for our daughters' cheer competition last weekend and bunch of us decided on Flying Mango for a Dad's supper. Best decision ever! When we walked in, our hostess was very welcoming and said they'd been waiting for us. Our server, Heather, was amazing...super friendly and engaging. Food was outstanding...smoked brisket queso dip and smoked chicken dip for apps...three of us had the 24 hour brisket, another had the brisket/rib combo, one had the ribs, and the other had their special of the night...smoked pork belly burnt ends. Everyone had a variety of sides, from the cowboy beans, to the coleslaw, collard greens, chicken creole, and mashed potatoes, then topped it off with their bread pudding for dessert. Everyone was amazed with the quality and portions of our food...absolutely delicious. Scott, the new owner, stopped by our table several times to visit...what a great guy! After our meal, he invited our group to come back through the kitchen to show us their smoker and gave us a bit of a run down on everything Flying Mango and their future plans. It was just icing on the cake to an already incredible experience. If you're ever in Des Moines, don't pass this place up! One tip I can provide, is that they do take advanced reservations, but there has to be at least six in your party....I'd highly recommend doing that, as the place was packed within a half hour of us sitting down and we got there right when they opened at 5:00 on a Saturday.