Here I am, a Californian in Fairbanks in the dead of winter. Thanks to the gear from Alaska Elements, I wasn’t cold at all, which meant I could focus on the important question: where do we eat? We asked every local we met, and Big Daddy’s BBQ came up more than anywhere else. They put a roll of paper towels on your table, which tells you what kind of meal you’re in for.
Smoked chicken quesadilla. Smoked chicken, jalapeños, barbecue sauce, and cheddar, with salsa and sour cream on the side. It’s basically a smoked chicken sandwich with a tortilla instead of a bun, and it was really good.
BBQ bacon burger. Thick and surprisingly juicy for a well-done patty. A solid bacon burger that won’t let you down, though the bun is nothing to write home about.
Sliders: brisket, smoked chicken, pulled pork. The meat is the star. The brisket has plenty of smoke, and the pulled pork was tender and juicy. I’d even say the smoked chicken beats rotisserie chicken. It’s less juicy, but the smoke adds a flavor rotisserie can’t match. The buns, though, are soft and forgettable, and none of the sliders come with sauce, so add your own from the bottles on the table.
Burnt ends. The best thing on the table. Tangy barbecue sauce, a nice juicy fat cap, and meat so tender it melts in your mouth. They’re hot enough to wait on, but worth it.
Rib tips. We got a pound. They’re tender and juicy, but fairly bland, with only a little smoke and some cartilage to work around. I’d skip them and order more burnt ends.
Sausage. Smoky, with a little char, and it comes with a honey mustard style sauce that goes really well with it.
Sides. The potato salad is heavy on mustard and pickle relish, and I wasn’t a fan. The coleslaw is standard KFC-style coleslaw.
My advice: go for the meats, skip the buns and sandwiches, and add sides you like. Texas toast is a great option. If you’re in Fairbanks and want barbecue, that’s how to do Big Daddy’s right.
