Reviews

May 11, 2009 Des Moines Register article titled, “Chef George Formaro brings national notice to dining scene in Des Moines”  Local celebrity Chef George Formaro named B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli’s Pork Tenderloin as one of his “Favorite Des Moines Foods”

April 30 – May 9, 2009 Edition of Cityview
By Jim Duncan

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli’s Breaded Pork Tenderloin was highlighted:

“B&B Grocery Meat & Deli in Des Moines serves the most authentic version. They cut it from the actual tenderloin, not tenderized parts of the entire loin.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Juneann Reed wrote an article titled “Three Best Hamburger Joints in Des Moines, Iowa” where she listed B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli as one of the top three.  Here’s what she had to say about B&B:

“B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli is widely regarded as one of Des Moines’ best places to eat. In 2008, the readers of the Des Moines Register voted B&B’s Dad’s Killer Sandwich as the best deli sandwich in town. For phone order dial 515-243-7607

Hamburgers are inexpensive and very, very tasty. They are served on fresh home made buns. B&B is truly a down-home tiny neighborhood store located on the south side of Des Moines. The Italian family that began this place, continues to have a hand in the current operations. Side dishes from their deli are to die for and you will be full when you finish this tasty hamburger and side treat. You can order from a variety of different sizes and choices or place a special order and you will be pleased at this special Des Moines’ hamburger joint.

Indeed, B&B Grocery is a best kept secret on the local Des Moines scene. You will be pleased also with their Italian meat choices, breads and many other deli specialties.”

By Tom Perry
Des Moines Register
January 28, 2009

The beauty of home Super Bowl parties is that they do not come with traditional food rules attached.

Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals (kickoff will be around 5:20 p.m.) in Tampa is the 44th Super Bowl, and after all these years, the presence of at least one working television set would be the only essential common denominator of every Super Bowl party.

Still, some culinary preference patterns have emerged. Chili is the most popular Super Bowl snack, according to a 2008 national study by ask.com, an Internet search engine Web site. Pizza, meatballs, salsa and ribs rounded out the top five in this particular study.

Sandwiches were absent from the list of top 10 foods, but anecdotal evidence suggests they do find their way onto home party tables in and around Des Moines.

“Super Bowl Sunday is the only Sunday during the year that we open,” said John Brooks of B&B Grocery Meat and Deli. “We open for a couple of hours so people can come in and pick up their sandwiches.”

B&B, an old-school-style grocery at 2001 S.E. 6th St. on Des Moines’ south side, is legendary for its fresh hoagie sandwiches. The deli’s Italian-ring sandwich has become especially popular on Super Bowl Sunday. Featuring Italian roast beef, smoked provolone, spicy capicola, hot pepper cheese, hard salami, banana and roasted sweet peppers and Tuscan Italian dressing all on Italian ring bread, the sandwich is cut into 20 pieces and sells for $37.49.

“We hope to sell at least 44 of them in honor of this being Super Bowl 44,” Brooks said.

This was published in the January 21, 2009 edition of the Des Moines Register’s Juice Magazine. “Top 5 Places to Eat on the South Side” B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was #1.

By Joe Lawler
January 21, 2009
Metromix
Des Moines Juice

Anyone could enjoy a meal at these restaurants, but each has a certain quality that makes them perfect for guys. We sought out five of the manliest dining spots in Des Moines. Sure, you could get a salad at most of these places, but what would be the point of that? Indulge on our suggestions instead….

B&B Grocery, 2001 S.E. Sixth St.

What you’re ordering: The Dad’s Killer sandwich (pictured below) consists of roast beef, turkey, ham, corned beef, pepper cheese, swiss cheese, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mustard, Miracle Whip and Italian dressing on a hoagie. Hopefully the name isn’t due to it killing someone’s dad, because that sounds possible. If you’re feeling lucky, punk, take on the Quadzilla, a four-patty burger on a grilled bun for only $6.79.

Why it’s manly: B&B is a butcher shop. This isn’t some showy theme restaurant – guys in bloody aprons were chopping up your food a few hours ago. There’s something infinitely more satisfying about eating meat you know came into the building still a part of a much larger animal.

This list was published in the January 14, 2009 edition of Des Moines Register’s Juice Magazine. Des Moines Best Tenderloins and our Homemade Breaded Pork Tenderloin was #1. OK

www.whitepoison.com listed their “Top 8 Places to Take a Hippie for a Cheeseburger.” B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was listed #4.

Friday was our big day to visit the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, so we left early to hit B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli (2001 SE 6th St., Des Moines) for a quick bite. One look at the menu and we realized that this will be a multi-meal Roadfood research project for a future visit. Though several sandwiches (including their hot Italian sausage, Dad’s Killer sub, and a chorizo tenderloin) threatened to seduce us, we came for B & B’s very popular homemade BPT, and we ordered a small to split…which immediately made the butchers razz us a bit for not ordering more! Talk about making us feel like locals: these guys are the real deal in an old-fashioned grocery. While we were waiting—and after the joking settled down—they gave us a sample to taste: their new Apple Pie bite, like a mini fried pie. The BPT’s breading was smoother as if it were batter-dipped, and the pork was very tender like Suburban’s:

To wash it down, Amy found a bottle of Big Red in the pop cooler. I’d never seen Big Red this far north of Texas, though I have found it in relatively odd locales (Los Angeles, West Virginia, et al.). Many RFers won’t touch the stuff, but it’s my favorite soda of all time:

In 2008, the Des Moines Register had a sandwich contest to determine Des Moines “Best Deli Sandwich”.  We’re proud to the readers of Des Moines Register voted our Dad’s Killer Sandwich as Des Moines “Best Deli Sandwich”!

Erin Crawford, Des Moines Register Report, wrote the article “Sandwich Chompers tag Dad’s Killer No. 1”  Here’s an excerpt of the article.

Dad’s Killer slew them all.

Online poll-takers voted B&B Grocery Meat & Deli’s signature sub the best during a week of serious sandwich sampling in The Des Moines Register’s deli sandwich poll.

The poll closed Thursday with more than 5,000 votes. SEE COMPLETE RESULTS AT www.DesMoinesRegister.com/sandwich

Dad’s Killer, which earned more than 2,700 votes, is a classic American combination of four meats, three cheeses, pickles, lettuce and tomato on a hoagie.

The sandwich originated in 1979 at the Des Moines grocery, 2001 S.E. Sixth St., after customers noticed the store’s owner enjoying sizable sandwiches of fresh deli meats and cheeses behind the counter.

The hungry shoppers wanted sandwiches of their own, so the Brooks family launched a deli counter.

John Brooks Jr., whose family owns the store, said Dad’s Killer has made some new fans since the article was printed last week.

“We work hard every day and pride ourselves on what we put out and that’s what the votes showed,” he said.

One online reader compared B&B to the old TV show “Cheers”: “Where everyone knows your name … only with great food.”