Posted July 30, 2013

A Des Moines restaurant chain has announced plans to open a restaurant largely devoted to pork chops.

Ground-breaking ceremonies were held in Johnston yesterday at the future site of Jethro’s BBQ n’ Pork Chop Grill.

“There are 20 million hogs and 6,000 restaurants in Iowa,” said Jethro’s President Bruce Gerleman when asked why he was establishing a new restaurant devoted to pork chops. “This will be a restaurant that becomes a destination point for people who love pork chops and they will come from everywhere.”

The specialty feature will be the thick-cut Iowa Pork Chops, fire grilled over oak and hickory wood, according to a Jethro’s statement. The restaurant plans to offer a wide variety of pork chops, including the thin-cut rib-eye chop that can be ordered by the dozen. Customers will be able to order their chops stuffed, fried, smoked, grilled, breaded and barbecued. Gerleman also plans to menu a Pork Chop on a Stick™.

The new sports bar also will feature all of Jethro’s famous slow smoked meats and made-from-scratch side dishes.

Jethro’s BBQ n’ Porkchop Grill is scheduled to open in December and will be the locally owned and managed restaurant group’s fifth Des Moines metro location.