Cherry Wood Smoke and Memphis-Style Ribs at The Flying Mango
“It’s the best barbecue in the midwest,” declares the bold claim at The Flying Mango in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa. And after watching chef and owner Mike Wediking work his 20-year-old smoker — one he built himself — it’s easy to see why Guy Fieri came calling.
The smell hits you before you even walk in the door. “The smell starts out in the driveway because you smell the smoker fired up,” Guy observes. That old school, all-wood smoker has been the heart of this operation since Wediking opened in 2003, bringing cooking techniques he learned down south to the folks of Iowa.
The Half Rib Dinner: Memphis Style Meets Midwest
Guy dove into a half slab of ribs served with red beans and rice and a sweet potato pancake — plus a side of mango sour cream that speaks to the restaurant’s playful name. But those ribs are serious business.
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The Memphis-style ribs start with a rub that Wediking builds from scratch: paprika, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, celery salt, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and ancho chili powder. Here’s where it gets interesting — Mike only rubs one side. When Guy asked about flipping and rubbing the backside, Mike’s answer was simple: “Nope.”
The ribs smoke over pure cherry wood for four and a half to five and a half hours, “depends on the wind direction,” Wediking explains. The result earned high praise from Guy: “The rib is tender — it pulls off the bone, doesn’t fall off the bone. Great dry rub, it’s got great bark on it.”
The house barbecue sauce is equally detailed: worcestershire, apple cider, brown sugar, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, crushed red pepper, ancho chili powder, celery salt, ground yellow mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and ketchup — simmered for four to five hours. Guy’s verdict after trying it with the ribs: “Great tang, great acid, a little bit of sweetness, enough heat in there.”
Smoked Catfish Cakes with Collard Greens
But The Flying Mango isn’t just a barbecue joint. “We’re known for our barbecue but it’s an eclectic mix of everything I like to eat,” Wediking says. “I don’t have a fryer and I don’t do salmon and I don’t sell hamburgers.” Guy summed it up perfectly: “So you made a menu about you.”
That personal touch shows in the smoked catfish cakes with organic collard greens. The cakes feature chunky smoked catfish mixed with onion, celery, fresh red pepper, poblano chilis, ground coriander, black pepper, dried basil, ground cumin, salt, creole mustard, mayonnaise, and egg yolks. Mike keeps the texture chunky — “I like the nice chunks,” he tells Guy.
The collard greens get their depth from tarragon vinegar, onion, dark brown sugar, and fat cap from the smoked pork shoulder, cooking for 45 minutes. Guy was blown away: “Delicious greens, tender, they got a nice bite to them, a little bit of that tarragon vinegar coming through.” As for the catfish cakes with their “humongous chunks of catfish” — “It’s delicate, it’s big flavor, you couldn’t make that any better.”
Much like the inventive approach behind African Caribbean Goat Stew in Santa Fe or a Gigantic Meatball Sub in Alaska, The Flying Mango proves that bold personal vision creates the most memorable food.
Tips from Mike’s Kitchen
One-sided rub: Skip rubbing the underside of your ribs — the top side is where the bark and flavor develop.
Build your sauce with time: A proper barbecue sauce needs four to five hours of simmering to develop depth.
Keep texture in your cakes: When making fish cakes, leave nice chunks rather than over-processing for better eating.
Find more spots Guy has visited in our restaurant directory.