The Killer Zone

Steve Karlin, with KCCI News, came by B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli to highlight our Killer Sandwiches on his segment titled “Comfort Food”. We enjoyed having Steve and his crew around. They did a great job telling our story.

Click here to see the Comfort Food Segment on B&B’s Killer Sandwiches.

Roadtips is a Sales Guy’s blog or “Guide” to various food, music and other things in the Midwest and more.  The Roadtips – Best Burger List for 2011 was recently released.  B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was listed #8 on the list.

Don’t let the name of the place fool you. This Des Moines grocery store makes a burger that is moist and juicy, topped with gooey cheese and a bun that is light, but firm enough to hold this messy burger. It’s a five napkin burger, to say the least.

See Roadtips – Best Burger for 2011

Frank Fritz, from American Pickers, visited B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli.  He is a past customer that has become a pretty famous tv star.  We all had fun taking pictures with Frank!

Des Moines CityView, Central Iowa’s independent weekly newspaper, held an “Ultimate Sandwich” contest

Roadtips is a  Sales Guy’s  blog or “Guide” to various food, music and other things in the Midwest and more.  Here’s what he said about our Dad’s Killer Sandwich.

From the first bite I could immediately see why the “Dad’s Killer” sandwich has been voted the best deli sandwich in the Des Moines over the past few years. The bread was light and chewy, the meat was great and the cheese was very fresh. Even with the combination of the Miracle Whip, mustard and the Italian dressing, it was a “killer” sandwich.

Read the complete Roadtips review of B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli.

A lot of our customers have graduated from grilling and have started to barbecue their favorite cut of meat. Barbecuing is an old-fashioned, slow, smoky style of cooking that seem to be dominated by good ol’ boys. We don’t know a single one of our customers that doesn’t enjoy the taste from a great barbecue.

As butchers (and sandwich artists), we’re often asked what wood works best with certain cuts of meat. Knowing what wood to use to barbecue your meat is important. Generally, you only want to use hardwoods. Softwoods like pine or spruce contain too much sap, which can cause your meat to have a foul taste. Wood from fruit and nut trees are very popular, especially with chicken, pork, and fish. Oak and mesquite are also excellent for barbecuing.

Here’s the list of woods that we most commonly recommend:

Apple - We really had a hard time deciding our favorite wood for barbecuing. Usually people prefer to use wood that can be easily found in their neck of the woods. We love applewood. The smoke from applewood is sweet and fruity and is fantastic with any meat. We find that we use apple more for chicken and pork.

Mesquite - This is a sentimental favorite. Our grandfather used mesquite to grill during our family visits to Arizona. The taste really brings back memories of going with grandpa to find mesquite wood. Mesquite wood burns hot so it is great for grilling, but can be difficult to work with if you are barbecuing. The flavor from mesquite wood can turn bitter over extended times.

Hickory - Let’s just say you can’t go wrong with hickory. It’s great with pork, but also provides great flavor to beef and even chicken.

Oak - Oak is probably the most versatile hardwood used for barbecuing. It works well with all cuts of meats and any style of spice.

Cherry - Cherrywood is a great alternative to applewood. It provides a good sweet, fruity smoke that works well with chicken and pork.

Maple - Maplewood provides a mild smoke that is sweet. It is good for pork, ham, and wonderful for smoking vegetables.

Alder - Alder is most commonly used to smoke salmon. Therefore, not many people use alder wood unless they are smoking fish. It has a light smoky flavor.

Now that you know a little more about some of the woods to barbecue, all you need is a great cut of meat. As third generation butchers, we can help you select the best cut of meat for your barbecue. We’ll even cut it for you fresh.

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was listed as a “favorite, and not so obvious, lunch spots in the capital city.” by dienu.com

B&B is one of the oldest and best kept secrets in Des Moines. The tiny market and deli has been locally owned and operated since 1922 and has been a fixture to Des Moines’s Southside for five generations. It is also home to the best deli sandwich in Des Moines, the “Dad’s Killer”. This tasty sandwich is pure deliciousness. It makes the Turkey Tom at Jimmy John’s seem average. I also highly recommend “Zach’s Italian Killer” as its pretty killer as well. Whenever I go to B&B, I feel like I just walked into Cheers or something. The staff is very friendly and they really appreciate your business. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better sandwich place in Des Moines. Places like B&B just don’t exist anymore.

Click here to read the complete blog post “Wanna Grab Lunch?.

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was voted Des Moines “Best Kept Secret on the Local Restaurant Scene” by the readers of CityView.

“This Sevastapol icon represents a way of life gone with the wind — personal service, butchering to order, pork that has not been injected with a double-digit solution of chemical water. The deli service includes things that most people quit eating two generations ago. Where else can you find a choice amongst headcheese? Or pork tenderloin made only from the actual tenderloin?”

Click here to read Cityview’s Best of 2010 article.

B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli was voted Des Moines “Best Mom & Pop” by the readers of CityView.

“B & B Grocery, Meat & Deli is the epitome of a mom and pop store. It has been family owned and operated since Archie and John Brooks opened it in May 1922. Since then, five generations of the Brooks family have been dedicated to serving the Best variety of quality meats and the freshest deli items to the Des Moines Community.”

Click here to read CityView’s Best of 2010 article.