Any Violations At Fongs Garden Wpb?

The original Jethro's BBQ in the Drake neighborhood is getting a new look for the first time in 13 years.

The barbeque joint at 3100 Forest Ave. closes after service on Dec. 5 and is expected to reopen in the spring.

Owner Bruce Gerleman said that it was time to freshen up the look of the longstanding restaurant, with updates coming to the technology systems and kitchen as well.

"We are hoping to reopen in time for March Madness next spring," Gerleman said.

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Jethro's BBQ opened on April 20, 2008, ahead of the 99th Drake Relays. Gerleman designed the restaurant to feel like eating inside a barn, albeit a barn oufitted with plenty of big-screen televisions for optimal sports viewing.

In 2010, Adam Richman, host of the Travel Channel's "Man Vs. Food," attempted and failed to eat a five-pound sandwich loaded with smoked meats in 15 minutes. The sandwich, dubbed the Adam Emmenecker, earned its name as a way to honor the former star basketball player at Drake University. Emmenecker played point guard as a walk on and went on to help Drake go 28-5 during the regular season and win the Missouri Valley Conference in the 2007-2008 season. Jethro's continues to offer the sandwich — loaded with a pork tenderloin, buffalo chicken tenders, brisket, bacon, a cheeseburger, white cheddar sauce and a pound of waffle fries — and only 13 customers have completed the meal since its launch.

Molly Schuyler eats the five pound Adam Emenecker sandwich and fries in under five minutes on Feb. 2, 2014. She beat her previous time of 7 minutes, 8 seconds. Wes Borsch, manager of the Drake area Jethro's, took the challenge with her but did not finish his plate.

Gerleman said the 35 current employees at the Forest Avenue location will temporarily transfer to one of the other seven Jethro's locations around the metro and will retain their seniority and benefits during the remodel.

The temporary closure follows the announcement of the permanent closure in November of Fong's Pizza on Forest Avenue next to Jethro's BBQ.

More: Fong's Pizza location in the Drake neighborhood closes after two and a half years in business

Correction: A previous version of this story that ran in the Dec. 3 print edition misstated how many wins Drake University had in the 2007-2008 season. The Bulldogs finished 28-5.

Elle Wignall covers dining for the Register. Reach her at ewignall@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ElleWignallDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jethro's BBQ in Des Moines' Drake neighborhood closing for remodel