I tried this place because they claimed to have "southern" cooking. Being a person born and raised in the south, grew up on true southern cooking and cooks many southern dishes I had to give it a try. I was disappointed on every level. I am a foodie that travels to eat so I took great pics of the food but the taste did't match the presentation at all. I picked over my food but did not finish any of it. I still paid for the meal because the service was great but other than that it was a waste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Joshua Nasielski
Very nice upscale restaurant with good prices and tasty food. The waitresses all wear floppy bowties.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nikki Arbona
Our server Talia was great but the hostess Arianna was not.Food was very average (appetizers tasted better than entrees). Entrees had good portions.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Mashed Potatoes
Craig LeDoux
Cool space. We ordered a lavender cocktail that was too lavender forward. Fried chicken? Spot on. Deviled eggs? Over cooked, gummy filling, bacon hard and chewy. Service? Our server was abrupt and borderline rude. A singular encounter for sure but enough that we won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chicken Fried
Craig L.
Fried chicken. Very good as well as the Brussel sprouts. Deviled eggs. Not good. Eggs overcooked. Filling gummy. Bacon over cooked. Hard and chewy. Our server was abrupt and borderline rude and defensive when I shared my thoughts on the eggs. She did comp the appetizer but certainly made us feel guilty about. Happy to pay for it. I ordered it. Poor execution and all.
Gregory G.
I had a wonderful time at Bubba's. I ended up getting the breakfast burrito with a wonderful homemade salsa. Ended up with enough for a snack later on that day. And the prices were so reasonable! Best part, our waitress ensured my date got the last of the French Toast which she said was to die for. Will go again if I ever head back to the capital
jameson Hill
The food is pretty good and the service and atmosphere are great it’s a good place to go out and eat with friends or family there aren’t very many restaurants like this is Des Moines so it’s pretty unique in that sense I would recommend coming here to try it out if you haven’t alreadyKid-friendliness: It’s a good place to bring kids to eat as well as friends and familyWheelchair accessibility: There is wheelchair accessibility
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles with Hot Honey and Homemade Gravy, Bourbon Bananas Foster, Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Waffles
Jade M.
Decided to grab some lunch here today and was glad I did! Came in around 1 pm, not crowded at all and was seated immediately. The first thing I ordered was the devil eggs. The service was fast and the eggs were pretty good. I would give them an 8.7 out of 10. I really enjoyed the custard/ filling in the middle. It was delicious. You get a total of six sliced eggs, which is a pretty good amount. For my entree I got the shrimp and grits. This was my favorite dish of my meal today. It was absolutely delicious. The shrimp was large in size and fresh in taste. Absolutely 100% recommend getting this entree. I would give it a 9.8/10. I also had a side of red beans and rice. I did enjoy it I thought it was very flavorful. However, it was a little too salty for my liking. I think if they ease up on the salt it would be perfect. I'll give it a 7.3/10. Lastly I did order an alcoholic beverage, I think it was called peach tree or something. One of their signature cocktails. It was made with iced tea, aperol, and mint. It wasn't my favorite although it looked very pretty! I'd give it a solid 5/10. Really happy I tried this place out! I had a lovely lunch with excellent service. Definitely a must try if you're in the Des Moines area!
Fran Will
I ate the chicken. Looked very good but it didn't have any flavor. The greens were so salty i couldnt eat them. I also had the Brussel sprouts. But they were so hard. And again all had no
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Linnay George
My husband and I have been to Bubba many times- food and service is always amazing. But tonight was the best experience. We have a 1 year old now, and going out to eat with him can be challenging. Our server, Ashley P, totally made this the best time. She asked for his food order when we ordered our appetizer so it came out first, and she made us feel like we were her only table even with her having a 10 top next to us. Our drinks were always refilled without having to ask, and she had the absolute best attitude. Thank you Ashley!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Green Tomatoes, Crab Cakes, Pimento Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Half-Bird
Nestled in downtown Des Moines, Bubba is a warm, cozy, delightful southern food place with good food and good drinks. The ambience is lovely and the service is top notch. The servings are quite large and my friends and I had to get to-go boxes because we couldn't eat it all. In terms of pricing, we got very good value for our money, and I think thst overall, this restaurant is affordable for everything it offers. Definitely a must-visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ranisha P.
We were in town for the day and were craving some southern food! We stuck to appetizers because we were so indecisive and hungry but everything we ordered was delicious! We had the bread basket which came with a soft biscuit like bread and cornbread muffins. The crab cakes were delicious as well except the only thing we requested was extra sauce on the side because it didn't seem to me enough. I would definitely come back and order an entree next time!
Spencer W.
Great service the waffle was thick and tasted like aDonut. The chicken tasted like it was marinaded and had a thick crust it was seasoned well. Guys Cholula is not hot sauce that has nothing to do with southern food.
Scott C.
Nice place downtown. Had the jambalaya and collard greens. Great flavor and cooked just right. Service was attentive.
Dam R.
Food was ok ? I had burger and fries ? Seemed like it took long time ? I was with a group of people.. they also thought it took long time ? Place was clean, bathrooms were clean... seemed to have short staff. ?
I tried this place because they claimed to have "southern" cooking. Being a person born and raised in the south, grew up on true southern cooking and cooks many southern dishes I had to give it a try. I was disappointed on every level. I am a foodie that travels to eat so I took great pics of the food but the taste did't match the presentation at all. I picked over my food but did not finish any of it. I still paid for the meal because the service was great but other than that it was a waste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Very nice upscale restaurant with good prices and tasty food. The waitresses all wear floppy bowties.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our server Talia was great but the hostess Arianna was not.Food was very average (appetizers tasted better than entrees). Entrees had good portions.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Mashed Potatoes
Cool space. We ordered a lavender cocktail that was too lavender forward. Fried chicken? Spot on. Deviled eggs? Over cooked, gummy filling, bacon hard and chewy. Service? Our server was abrupt and borderline rude. A singular encounter for sure but enough that we won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chicken Fried
Fried chicken. Very good as well as the Brussel sprouts. Deviled eggs. Not good. Eggs overcooked. Filling gummy. Bacon over cooked. Hard and chewy. Our server was abrupt and borderline rude and defensive when I shared my thoughts on the eggs. She did comp the appetizer but certainly made us feel guilty about. Happy to pay for it. I ordered it. Poor execution and all.
I had a wonderful time at Bubba's. I ended up getting the breakfast burrito with a wonderful homemade salsa. Ended up with enough for a snack later on that day. And the prices were so reasonable! Best part, our waitress ensured my date got the last of the French Toast which she said was to die for. Will go again if I ever head back to the capital
The food is pretty good and the service and atmosphere are great it’s a good place to go out and eat with friends or family there aren’t very many restaurants like this is Des Moines so it’s pretty unique in that sense I would recommend coming here to try it out if you haven’t alreadyKid-friendliness: It’s a good place to bring kids to eat as well as friends and familyWheelchair accessibility: There is wheelchair accessibility
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles with Hot Honey and Homemade Gravy, Bourbon Bananas Foster, Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Waffles
Decided to grab some lunch here today and was glad I did! Came in around 1 pm, not crowded at all and was seated immediately. The first thing I ordered was the devil eggs. The service was fast and the eggs were pretty good. I would give them an 8.7 out of 10. I really enjoyed the custard/ filling in the middle. It was delicious. You get a total of six sliced eggs, which is a pretty good amount. For my entree I got the shrimp and grits. This was my favorite dish of my meal today. It was absolutely delicious. The shrimp was large in size and fresh in taste. Absolutely 100% recommend getting this entree. I would give it a 9.8/10. I also had a side of red beans and rice. I did enjoy it I thought it was very flavorful. However, it was a little too salty for my liking. I think if they ease up on the salt it would be perfect. I'll give it a 7.3/10. Lastly I did order an alcoholic beverage, I think it was called peach tree or something. One of their signature cocktails. It was made with iced tea, aperol, and mint. It wasn't my favorite although it looked very pretty! I'd give it a solid 5/10. Really happy I tried this place out! I had a lovely lunch with excellent service. Definitely a must try if you're in the Des Moines area!
I ate the chicken. Looked very good but it didn't have any flavor. The greens were so salty i couldnt eat them. I also had the Brussel sprouts. But they were so hard. And again all had no
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
My husband and I have been to Bubba many times- food and service is always amazing. But tonight was the best experience. We have a 1 year old now, and going out to eat with him can be challenging. Our server, Ashley P, totally made this the best time. She asked for his food order when we ordered our appetizer so it came out first, and she made us feel like we were her only table even with her having a 10 top next to us. Our drinks were always refilled without having to ask, and she had the absolute best attitude. Thank you Ashley!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Green Tomatoes, Crab Cakes, Pimento Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Half-Bird
Restaurantji Recommends
Nestled in downtown Des Moines, Bubba is a warm, cozy, delightful southern food place with good food and good drinks. The ambience is lovely and the service is top notch. The servings are quite large and my friends and I had to get to-go boxes because we couldn't eat it all. In terms of pricing, we got very good value for our money, and I think thst overall, this restaurant is affordable for everything it offers. Definitely a must-visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
We were in town for the day and were craving some southern food! We stuck to appetizers because we were so indecisive and hungry but everything we ordered was delicious! We had the bread basket which came with a soft biscuit like bread and cornbread muffins. The crab cakes were delicious as well except the only thing we requested was extra sauce on the side because it didn't seem to me enough. I would definitely come back and order an entree next time!
Great service the waffle was thick and tasted like aDonut. The chicken tasted like it was marinaded and had a thick crust it was seasoned well. Guys Cholula is not hot sauce that has nothing to do with southern food.
Nice place downtown. Had the jambalaya and collard greens. Great flavor and cooked just right. Service was attentive.
Food was ok ? I had burger and fries ? Seemed like it took long time ? I was with a group of people.. they also thought it took long time ? Place was clean, bathrooms were clean... seemed to have short staff. ?