Big Daddy’s Dogs and BBQ

8461 Midlothian Tpke.,

Richmond, VA

 

            Driving to Total Wine on Tuesday I passed a new drive thru hot dog and BBQ joint in a tiny little building on Midlothian Turnpike next to the Goodwill store, called Big Daddy’s Dogs and BBQ. Being a self proclaimed BBQ connoisseur, I had to stop and check the place out.  The place is nothing to look at and if it did not have a huge banner outside I would have never even seen it.  Being barely 200 square feet the place operates only as a drive thru.

            The menu is eclectic and different than other hot dog and BBQ places.  It has a wide variety of different types of hog dogs with toppings ranging from fried onions and peppers to BBQ and cole slaw.  The dogs ranged from $3.00 with nothing on it to $4.50 being covered with just about everything on the menu. While not 99 cents, they are not your typical hot dogs and I felt that the prices were reasonable. Big Daddy’s real uniqueness came out with its BBQ sandwiches.  They had your typical BBQ sandwich and of course you could add cole slaw but it also had a BBQ sandwich with cheddar cheese sauce and one covered in fried onions and peppers and cole slaw called the “Mixed Up BBQ sandwich”. That is what I ordered and at$4.50 I felt that it was a fair price.  

            The main issue with Big Daddy’s is its drive thru efficiency or lack thereof.  The service was slow and the staff inside seemed a little confused but very nice. It took me a while to order and even longer to pay, by the time I paid I had five cars lined up behind me. Once I paid I then drove around to the other side to pick up my sandwich, that took no time.  While the drive thru was very slow and the staff were discombobulated I will chalk that up to the place just opening and them trying to figure out a stream lined process; so I forgive them… this time.

            I tore into my BBQ sandwich as soon as I drove out of the parking lot. Just as promised the was loaded with fried onion, bell peppers and cole slaw. None of which were spectacular but it was interesting to have on a BBQ sandwich.  The BBQ itself did not seem like it was recently made but was more like the type that comes premade in a tub with sauce already mixed throughout. I cannot swear that this was the case but it did taste and look much like lloyd’s BBQ or something similar. That being said I was not the best I’ve ever had but it was definitely edible and together with the onions, peppers, and cole slaw it made for a pretty good sandwich.   A picky BBQ person could have picked it apart for a linty of reasons but I’m not a purist and think that if something tastes good than that is all that really matters.  I probably will not get the sandwich again but that only because I want to try some of the other exciting offerings on the menu.

            While the food is not out of this world, it is the creative menu at Big Daddy’s that will keep customers interested and coming back to try something different.  I actually tip my hat to the owners for opening the place in such a dinking building in a kind of no man’s land area of Midlothian Turnpike.  All in all I would never drive out of my way to eat at Big Daddy’s Dogs and BBQ but if you are up that way and in the mood for a dog or some BBQ it is definitely better than some of the other BBQ and hot dog joints on Midlothian turnpike.  I hope that they do and I wish them the best.