Big Daddy's = BIG LOVE
It seems that once I mention that I write a burger blog, everyone has that "great burger joint" in mind. Needless to say I am never really at a loss for places to go because of this reason. It's a real blessing at times, as in my crazy life it can be hard to find time to explore new places. I am sure E feels the same way. Sometimes finding new places happens by accident, and this was one of those beautiful cases. A couple of weeks ago I ran into my good friend Steve who suggested we grab a bite to eat, and he had a neat place in mind. Big Daddy's has two locations, and the one we ate at was in the dark and inaccessible nether regions of Manhattan, otherwise known as the upper east side. oh the horror!
Anyway, after some pushing he got me to come up, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. Not to be experiencing this little piece of burger joy alone, i thought it would be a great opportunity to slot this joint into our next big burger eat fest.
I contacted E a couple of weeks later and we made plans to go. Unbeknownst to me at the time there was also a Big Daddy's DOWNTOWN. I can't express the level of joy that I felt upon knowing this. Now, besides the fact that I lived in the upper west side for a few years I have , and always will be a downtown guy. In my 10 plus years in good ole' NYC town, I think I can count on one hand how many times i have been to the upper EAST side. The place just has too many ties. I bet if you put the ties in the upper east side end to end they would stretch to the moon. Its true I heard it. So the fact that I was willing to take another trip so soon speaks loudly of my meat enjoyment. I tried to get more info on this place via their website but to no avail. Apparently to be an "insider" I need to register. Whatever. The joint was founded in 2004, and as far as i can tell the burger was good.
WAIVER - my pix suck. i was using my phone.
First and foremost you walk into this place and it is completely tricked out, floor to ceiling, with TV, pop culture, music, and food iconography, going back at least 20 or so years. You name it, if it had something to do with music, tv, games, food etc.. it was painted on the wall or hanging from a shelf. It immediately gave me a feeling of homie' ness as fond childhood memories came rushing back to me through the overload of imagery and an endless assortment of chotchke's. I felt like I walked into every commercial that i ever saw as a kid. It is a fair bet to say that most of the items could have easily dated anyone between the ages of 35 and 60 who walked through the door. To top it off, the server was pleasant and accommodating.
Now for the Burger -
I ordered the Bad boy burger with curly fires, and E and I went in on a side order of tater tots smothered in chili and cheese. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and I can only say that the Bad boy was anything but! The thick strips of smokey bacon, and the tangy zip of the cheddar cheese added a nice balance to the juicy, succulent burger patty, which came cooked to order just how I like my meat - medium rare. Already sitting in a pool of juicy yum, the roll threatened to disintegrate once I touched it, but I underestimated the thickness of this fat boy and it only served to soak up the juice and double my eating enjoyment!
The curly fries, mildly spiced, further enhanced the experience and in the end I left feeling full and completely happy. I am not sure how the animals were treated, but in my mind i imagined the farmers quietly singing the cows to sleep every night, gently caressing their furry little brows as they dozed off...
Complaints :
The price was slightly higher than I would of liked to have paid. Maybe its the cheap naive bastard in me, but I just have a hard time paying 13 bucks for a burger. But as opposed to Dumont Burger where we paid almost as much without any extra toppings and still felt hungry,we left Big Daddy's feeling all warm and cozy..
So in the end Big Daddy's though obviously a franchise, makes a decent burger. I would for sure suggest to anyone who is in the mood for a filling , mom sized meal (the menu is FILLED with home style food) and an atmosphere that will bring you back to those good ole days of Atari, Papa Smurf,and tater tots, to check it out..(yes i know i just dated myself....)
*** Big Daddy's gets a 3 1/2 burger rating***
Big Daddy's
239 Park Ave. South
(Btwn 19th and 20th street)
Big Daddy's
1596 Second Ave.
(Corner of 83rd)
www.bigdaddysnyc.com
- Burger Eater T
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