Big Daddy’s BBQ

I stumbled on this place, and I wasn’t wowed but it was passable.
Sat at the bar since the rest of the place was EMPTY. Mike the bartender was friendly and helpful. I ordered the ½ rack of baby backs with a side of grilled vegetable (now, that’s an oxymoron). Ribs were moist and tender but definitely needed some more sauce. The veggies tasted a bit funky. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that because of the scant crowd, their kitchen wasn’t really cranking them out, hence the so-​so meal. I may try them again, this time when I see more than 3 people in the place.

We were there on a Thursday night, and the lack of customers was a little scary, since the Bamboo Club next door was packed, but the inside/​outside picnic tables were inviting. Despite the large tables, the place doesn’t really lend itself to large parties because the menu is really limited to BBQ — pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, burgers, sliders, sandwiches — so you have to abort if anybody in your party is trying to eat healthy.
That said, the pulled pork was good and the ribs were huge and lean and meaty, but dry. There was only one choice of BBQ sauce to moisten things up so you need to like your BBQ sweet, rather than smoky or spicy. As a sweet potato fry lover, I was disappointed that these were battered with something that detracted from the potato. I was also disappointed to find that I got nothing extra with my $ 22 ribs except one side, not even corn bread.
So, Big Daddy’s satisfied my BBQ craving, but not much more.

Today — Saturday lunch — 2 Meat Combo (pulled pork /​4 ribs) — beans and slaw = $ 18… the food is ok… definately not worth $ 18… Being completely honest I give «Big Daddy’s» on a scale of 5. 2.5 (two and onehalf).
Your better to go to AJ’s get a prepared rack of ribs — and throw them in the oven… much tastier. It will be interesting to see how long they last.

My husband is from North Carolina (there obviously is no comparison to their bbq). BD’s was pretty good, sorta pricy and their menu is a little confusing (written on chalk board). Enough of that… on to the food.
TRY THE MAC AND CHEESE! So good! Also the sweet potato fries, YUMMY! Pulled pork plate is great too!
I ordered the brisket, it was good but had a lot of fat in it… so I ate more of the pulled pork my son was eating. Potato salad is so yummy too. They could work on giving bigger sized corn bread.
I would go back!

Had the Jalapeño burger. Great stuff.
If you have not eaten here yet, I highly recommend it.
I’ve Had their Tri Tip, Beef & Pork Ribs, Pork, Brisket & Burgers along with most of their sides. All were excellent.
Their Drink specials were great as well.

I have been to Big Daddy’s 4 times now. So I guess I am semi-​qualifed to speak to my experiences here. I am always hesitant to review BBQ joints, especially if you have only been there a few times. BBQ to me is such an individual thing. There are so many varieties and styles of BBQ that it’s easy to judge BBQ harshly when in fact it’s just a change in style that you are experiencing. I have been four times now and I have specifically tired to order something different each time. I have had the ribs, chicken, pulled Pork and brisket and everything has been very good. I especially liked the Pulled Pork Sandwich and the ribs were tender and succulent.
I just have a few small issues and they are minor and because again the food was good.
1. It’s fairly expensive. I realize they have a lot of over-​head with a big building and located in Scottsdale, but the combo plates, start at 14.95 for one meat. Also if you get a 3-​meat combo it still only comes with 1 side dish. So portion sizes are an issue for me. I mean if someone is paying 18 bucks for a 3-​meat combo you gotta throw in an extra side dish I would think. So you start adding a few extra sides and the bill can get large quickly. I will say that I have had most of their sides in my four excursions and for the most part they are pretty good. The Bakes beans were bland for my liking but I generally like it spicy.
2. The only offer one choice of sauce. The sauce they have is ok. It is what I would go with if you are only going to offer 1 sauce option. Something down the middle of the road. Not too sweet, not too spicy. But for me the minimum choices for BBQ at a good BBQ restaurant should be three. One sweet, one medium and one hot. Granted they do have a hot sauce at the condiments table for those who want to heat thing up a bit, but again. One variety of hot sauce is all that is displayed.
3. One thing I do like is they have a self serve BBQ sauce in large containers that you can dispense in small plastic cups for those of us who like it with plenty of sauce. But the catsup is in those small, tear-​open package like you find when you buy a hot dog at a connivence store. Come on guys have a catsup dispenser as well. Many, many items on your menu use catsup. I don’t want to have to rip open 12 packages of catsup to get enough.
I will say that do have some pretty good beer specials. They have $ 1 PBR beer in cans. Personally I think that is gross and I would never drink one, but I do think it’s cool that it is offered for those would would be ok with drinking it.
I wished I could give BIg Daddy’s a 3 ½ but since that is not an option I have to go with 3.

I love this place! I get the pulled pork sandwich with Mac and cheese and tater tots every time… The perfect heart attack recipe :)
The pulled pork sandwich is delicious! I crave it. It’s moist with just the right amount of BBQ. One time the meat was fatty and chewy, but they redeemed themselves. The sides are good, nothing special.
It’s good comfort food. If your looking for something healthy and fancy, you won’t find it here. There is service in the bar, otherwise you have to go to the counter to order, pick up your order, and refill your drinks.
I’ve probably gained five pounds from this place.

In high school, we had a friend with the initials K.J. We jokingly used to call her «Kill Joy» cuz sometimes she would, well, kill the joy! That’s what imma call Big Daddy’s — a big fat effin KILL JOY.
Kill Joy #1: Phoned in an order around 8pm on a Monday evening. Showed up about 20 mins later to a huge place that was stark empty. Literally, only 1 table with 2 people in the entire place. I was in Scottsdale for work so I had never been here before and I didn’t know where you’re supposed to stand to pick up to-​go orders. I went up to the front of this empty place, BUT waited 5 whole mins before someone even said hello or offered to help me. Really? Everyone was too busy in an empty restaurant? Hmmmm…
Kill Joy #2: Ordered the 2-​meat combo meal with tri-​tip and pulled pork. The meat. Wow this meat was delish! Didn’t even need a knife to cut it. Tender, full of flavor, and a very decent portion. BUT it came with 4 fatty slabs of RAW onions on the side. Why??? It wasn’t a sandwich. And anyone that knows me knows I hate those things. It doesn’t say on the menu it comes with onions so why would think to request my food without them. The funk entered my meat and the whole room. Ewww.
Kill Joy #3: Got a side of «mixed veggies». BUT, it was some dry ass zucchini and squash strips not even seasoned properly. They literally threw these things in the oven to warm ‘em up and tossed a few handfuls of Lawry’s seasoning salt on em after. Eck! Not my idea of seasoned mixed veggies.
Kill Joy #4: Was feeling like a fatty, so also wanted to try their sweet potato fries. Not too bad! A little sweet, a little salty, good combo. BUT they were cold!!! How do you serve cold food!!! Come on, now!
I won’t be back to Big Daddy’s «KJ» BBQ. Unless I’m in a good mood and for some reason prefer to be in a bad mood.

As far as BBQ goes Big Daddy’s gets 4 starts from me:) I stopped in here for take out yesterday afternoon… I have never been to Big Daddy’s before so wasn’t sure what to expect. Whenever I go to a BBQ place I seem to always get pulled pork… love it! Big Daddy’s didn’t disappoint!
I ordered the pulled pork place with 2 small sides, I chose the tater tots and fried okra. Omg the fried okra is so tasty! I would definitely come back here again.

NOT a place to go every day unless you are taking some pretty serious heart/​cholesterol medication because they feed your soul and your cardiologist will not approve. It’s a place to go for meat. If you’re a veggie head, go someplace else for a salad, there isn’t anything green here that isn’t fried.
Hint, go to the bar and have Michael or Michelle take your order, this will save you from carrying the pager and fetching your own food.

Tonight the @phxtastecasting crew rolled in to @BigDaddysBBQAZ for our #bigdaddystasting.
Right off the bat, I knew this was my kind of place; cast iron bath tubs full of iced-​down beer behind the bar, a big Budweiser Clydesdale mural on the brick wall, a wall-​rack loaded down with mesquite for the smoker.
Oliver was our gracious host for the evening. He attended to us with aplomb, ensuring we were all comfortable, and had drinks, prior to the feast commencing.
I partook of the Big Daddy’s BBQ Honey Ale, which was served ice cold in a frosty mug.
This is a beer to savor. This is a beer that makes the heat dissipate, and settles the nerves. Delicious, subtle, not too heavy.
We began our feeding frenzy with the house smoked wings. They are served with a dipping sauce, but if you appreciate the beauty of smoked meats, you won’t have need of it. Drumettes and wings are served, along with the obligatory celery sticks.
Refreshingly absent was sign of ranch dressing. That alone made me smile.
(Yes, S.L., I thought of you…)
Next we were treated to fried pickles. They were still very hot, but that only made them that more scrumptious! They did have something akin to ranch sauce, but I did not dip, as there was no need.
Then began the cavalcade of smoked meat;
ribs and brisket, smoked for 14 – 16 hours, served on a platter, with the custom house bbq sauce;
pulled pork, smoked for 4 hours, served with the house bbq sauce;
tri-​tip, served with the house bbq sauce
The ribs were un-​frikkin-​believably good. Best ribs I’ve ever had in my adult life, hands down. They use a proprietary rub, that we were informed would soon be available for purchase. I considered lifting some from the kitchen, it was so good.
The brisket was tender and juicy, and oh so good.
Tri-​tip should always aspire to what Big Daddy’s produces. The color was perfect, as was the texture and flavor.
The pulled pork was so good, you could eat it with a fork, right off the platter, and you would never get a weird look from anyone. Mostly because they would also be doing it.
The pork also comes with perfect-​sized, grilled slider buns.
We were also provided with baked beans, that were sweet, but with a slight bite to them that cut the sweetness.
The cornbread was devine; cake-​y, and slightly sweet, but a perfect addition to any bbq meal.
The cole slaw was good, but nothing great. It doesn’t need improvement.
Sweet potato french fries, with cinnamon and sugar, made a nice complement to the meal.
For me, however, the pièce de résistance, the highlight of the evening, was the mac and cheese.
According to Oliver, they cook 50 pounds of raw pasta a day, which equates to 150 pounds of mac, before the cheese.
I could not believe it was only 50 pounds.
Made with several different kinds of cheese, panned, then baked, to crisp the top.
This was one of the three best mac and cheese dishes I’ve ever had in my life.
And I know mac and cheese.
I had to bring some home it was so good.
The décor consists of picnic tables, with umbrellas, and has a general «ranch» kind of feel. Perfect for a redneck like me!
They also have a patio, replete with misters for the Arizona heat. There are also a couple large, garage-​style doors, that are opened in the evening, providing an outdoorsy kind of feel to the entire dining area.
There is shuffleboard available in the bar, and a miniature «General Store» area, with golden oldies such as «Boston Baked Beans» candy.
And last, but surely not least, each meal comes with a casino chip, that you may save for a future visit (yeah right!), or cash in right away, for a dessert treat.
The dessert choices are those you would find on an ice-​cream truck;
Drumstick, ice cream bar, chocolate-​chip cookie ice cream sandwich, bullets, etc.
I will return to Big Daddy’s, and I will bring my children. I’m certain we will all leave very happy, and VERY full.

The décor is interesting… picnic tables and siding on the walls? maybe if you added astro-​turf? FYI — I also noticed a separate bar area when we first walked in — could be a new happy hour opportunity for the area?
While waiting in line we read the menu off the wall, then stepped up the counter to order, waited for our little «buzzy thing» to go off… then headed back to the counter to grab the feast. This place is strictly self serve.
The BBQ is pretty good for a family-​friendly, please-​everyone kind of joint. I really liked my BBQ ½ Chicken, the potato salad was great, mac and cheese were to die for and the corn bread was dessert worthy. Her BBQ beans were more like a chili and I savored every bite! Her brisket sandwich was delicious. The bread and butter pickle chips served on the side (apparently with every meal) were mighty tasty too. The mac and cheese was a little on the cold side, as was the baked potato…
Overall this is a good quality, affordable BBQ joint. Cheers!
*3.5 Stars

Hmmm … where to start. Food was good, flavorful, no complaints; although for the price I did not think the portions were that great — but everything was tasty and everyone enjoyed their meals.
It’s a big open place, with concrete floors and picnic table type environment. Patio with misters and big open doors to the outside. A good atmosphere for BBQ. Someone mentioned the parking being marginal (very true — same as when this was a bar in it’s prior life). I think my biggest downside is how much I had to serve myself — go to the counter to order, pay, get to table, get drinks, get place settings (plastic utensils), for a beer have to go to the separate bar area, order, pay, return for more, etc. (can’t order beer where you order food).
While I enjoyed the food, not sure how often I’ll be back — would not want to be there when it was crowded and have to wait in lines repeatedly.

I was really excited when I saw that Big Daddy’s would be opening up by Shea and 101 ever since Bad to the Bone (at Scottsdale Promenade) closed a couple months ago and Scottsdale was lacking a good BBQ place. We tried this out on Friday and it blew me away. When you’re walking up to the place you can smell the wood fire and deliciousness. The décor makes you feel like you’re down South enjoying some home cooking. The dining room style of picnic tables and the open air seating is very refreshing and even when it’s night and still 80 degrees out, you can feel the fresh night air.
They have a variety of dishes to choose from. Since it was my first time I decided to go with the Slider combo so I could try 3 different kinds of meat. Their sauce is unbelievable and their meat is tasty. Their sweet tea is also delicious. I choose their Mac and cheese as my side and that almost filled me up alone. It was so cheesy and tender and fresh. It reminded me of the Emeril’s four cheese recipe I’ve used at home before. Definitely recommend everyone try it!
My only gripe with the restaurant, and my reason this received 4 stars instead of 5, is because of their lack of cornbread. Out of the 4 people in my dining party, only one of us received cornbread and when I went to the counter to ask for more, all I received was another piece. There was no «side» option to choose for more corn bread or a way for me to purchase a plate. I just figured it wouldn’t kill them to give everyone a piece and provide at least a PLATE of their mouth watering cornbread.
But if that’s my only gripe with the place then I think they’re doing good.

I initially had no interest in this place. Why? because I love BBQ and this is Scottsdale, and what in the HELLO does Scottsdale know about real BBQ. So Friday morning when my coworkers suggested that we go to Big Daddy’s for BBQ I was skeptical and underwhelmed by the prospect.
As others have said, the parking situation is the pits. We wound up parking off to the side of the restaurant behind another segment of the plaza. On a 110 degree day I will not want to walk that far for a sandwich.
The décor is nice and outdoor picnicy (is that a word?) all the tables were picnic tables and benches with scattered umbrella’s indoor as well as the patio. There is a secluded bar area just as you enter the restaurant with a FULLY stocked bar. That got me and a few of my coworkers excited for potential happy hour.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with corn on the cob, sweet potato fries and a beverage. $ 12.92
Pulled pork sandwich was decent, not too saucy but the pork could have been more tender. Corn on the cob was a previously frozen half ear of corn that was gummy and flavorless. Sweet potato fries were plentiful crispy and delicious. If you don’t like them with cinnamon and sugar they will not be for you. What I did not care for its that they only had 1 type of BBQ sauce. I like a variety of sauces, not using hot sauce to spruce up the sauce.
Considering I went in to Big Daddy’s expecting a huge disappointment I was pleasantly surprised and will return for the pork BBQ and to try out the happy hour.
They just need to add some pecan pie or pound cake to the menu for dessert and they will be all set.

Visited the PGA Superstore and noticed a new BBQ place in the Pima Center, so of course, I had to try it. It was in the late afternoon, and kind of quiet, so I sat in the bar portion. The restaurant was quite large — several seating areas and patio areas. I liked the setup, as it gave it the restaurant an open feeling, and an opportunity to sit outside.
Now I’m not a barbecue aficionado — I like all kinds of barbecue and don’t know the difference between rubs and sauces, or the different regions. I just know that I very seldom find anything I dislike. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and a glass of their Honey Ale beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the sandwich — it was quite good, and seemed cooked to perfection. It was served with fresh onions and pickles on the side, which was really nice. The bun seemed to soak up the sauce a little to much, and it became soggy — but since I usually end up with barbecue sauce from one end of me to the other, it didn’t really phase me. And they do have rolls of paper towels at every table for people like me, so I was good. Another plus is that they have hot sauce in case the barbecue sauce isn’t hot enough for your taste — and I used it liberally.
The service was great, with one exception. They had plenty of employees there, which is a great plus. But they give you a buzzer when you place the order, and then you wait for it to buzz, and then go pick up your order. I thought with that many employees, they should have at least been able to bring the meal to you.
The other problem is limited parking. It is in a shopping center and the parking directly around the restaurant is limited, so you will probably have to walk.
I did enjoy it, and will be back. Next time I will try one of their samplers or assorted sliders and some of their sides, and be able to do an updated review.

Bo Bites! First off, let me say a few things to give an image in your mind — White Trash with Class. I dig Big Daddy’s BBQ! What can I say Pulled Pork on Wonder Bread & a glass of PBR hmm…
These’s guys really know how to BBQ Midwest style. They have a hugh smoker in the back kitchen and a large pot waist height just for their beans. They really have it down as an assembly line to push out their meals in a quick and timely manner.
Food is great! I like their Pulled Pork, Tri Tip, and Brisket. Not too yippy bout the Beef Brisket, but not much I can say there. My buddy had the Chicken and he loved it.
I hope this place stays open and become successful. Only thing I see as a downer is the location — Shea & 101 — not much of a happening place. They’re kinda hard to see from Shea and since you can’t have any signs in Scottsdale; it makes it that much tougher.

I was kind of disappointed with this place. The service was good, maybe because I went on opening day, or maybe it really is that good all the time — friendly employees, and the food came out relatively quickly. But I wasn’t impressed with the food.
I ordered the brisket sandwich, with sweet potato fries and their «delicious creamed corn», and really wasn’t impressed with any of it. The brisket was slightly tough, not bad, but not tender and flavorful like I was hoping. The BBQ sauce was decent, but not as rich as I was expecting. The creamed corn, which is apparently their featured side, was about 80% country gravy (or something similar) combined with a few chunks of corn. The sweet potato fries were a little too sugary for my taste, and could have been cooked for a little longer.
All together, the sandwich, two sides, and a cream soda came out to a little over $ 15. If they drop their prices, I may consider going back, after giving them some time to settle in, but as of now, I’m just not impressed.

We’ve been very excited to try out Big Daddy’s BBQ AZ since we saw the banners go up the other week and tonight were able to do that. My family is tired (not sure why since I am doing all the work) of me spending 10 – 20 hours on our smoker cooking up good BBQ meats so when a BBQ place opens around the corner from our house everyone is happy.
The Mastro’s group behind this concept could not have made us happier. I expected the BBQ to be great but not the service since they just officially opened yesterday. Everything exceed my expectations so can’t wait to go back. I started out with a Big Daddy’s BBQ Honey Ale very cold beer which hit the spot perfect hanging out on the sort of outdoor patio. Before I get into the food I have to say the layout of this place is really cool. If you have been to Maloney’s (prior bar here) it was fun to see how much the layout was changed. There is a large indoor dining area but then along the parking lot street is a large patio indoor/​outdoor area. Hard to describe so check it out yourself before it gets too hot here in a few weeks.
Anyway, back to the food since that is the reason we went right? Big Daddy’s features all the classic BBQ items such as baby back ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, and beef ribs. It would have been nice if I had a 2^nd stomach to try it all so when the bartender recommended I try out the 3-​to-​an-​order combo sliders with the option of different meats per slider I was sold. I ordered up the sliced brisket, pulled pork, and pulled beef. I am a huge fan of sweet potato fries so took that for my side. With the beer all that came to about $ 11.
If you are in the Scottsdale area or interested in trying out great smoked BBQ definitely give Big Daddy’s BBQ a try. I know you won’t be disappointed (well my smoker might since it sure was easier eating there).

I dined at Big Daddy’s BBQ this evening. I ordered the half chicken BBQ and diet coke with 2 small sides, which were coleslaw and sweet potato fries for a total of $ 11.84. A great perk is that you can choose legs and thighs only instead of the usual parts of the half chicken. The chicken and coleslaw were very tasty. But the sweet potato fries were outstanding; they were ever so lightly seasoned with sugar and were a perfect complement to the main course.
Big Daddy has a bar and outdoor/​indoor seating. It’s a big an airy restaurant with ginormous tables that are perfect for big/​large families. I just wish there were some foursome type tables outside. This is a great alternative to the plethora of table service restaurants that dominate Shea off of the 101.
I am definitely returning to Big Daddy’s BBQ to sample the rest of the menu.