Big Daddy's BBQ in Des Moines, IA

Big Daddy's BBQ in Des Moines, IA has the best BBQ I've ever tasted, with a small twist. His sauces range from mild to incredibly hot. So hot, that he'll pay you $10,000 if you can eat a sandwich with his hottest sauce on it. (I think one person has ever done it and they went to the hospital) If you lose your money goes to the Food Bank of Iowa. He raises donations for many local charities and schools. He's been on Dateline and Good Morning America with these sauces and some of them are downright insane. But for a good sauce his mild or basic hot can't be beat.

He sells beef, pork, and ham sandwiches and the best ribs in the world. He also has all the staple sides and some of the greatest seasonal food. Gumbo, coconut cream pie, cobbler, etc. Big Daddy will keep bringing out food for you to try until you can't eat anymore.

Big Daddys BBQ
1000 East 14th Street
Des Moines, IA 50316
(515)262-0352
www.bigdaddysbbq.net

Oops, I guess I wasn't logged in.

Mike Mann
Pleasant Hill, IA

Unfortunately Big Daddy passed away a few months ago and the restaurant is closed, but the sauces are AFAIK still available. Good stuff and well worth trying.

Brad Olson
Stoughton, WI

The restaurant reopened last fall and serves from 11am to 3pm on Fridays and Saturdays. I'm traveling to Des Moines this weekend and hope to have the chance to stop in; I know for sure I'm going to come back with a couple bottles of sauce...

Brad

It's true; the restaurant is open! The wife and I stopped in for lunch this past Saturday and it was very good. The menu consists of back ribs, chicken, pulled pork, shredded beef, and a pork&beef combo sandwich. Sides are cornbread, red beans and rice, baked beans, and 1 or 2 other items I can't recall. I'm not a dessert eater so I didn't really check that part of the menu but my wife got a slice of sweet potato pie to go. I had a pork sandwich with the "mild hot" sauce and she had a beef sandwich with mild sauce, and my only regret is that I wasn't hungrier when we got there. Both sandwiches had plenty of meat on a plain white bun and were messy enough to make her eat hers with a knife and fork. I on the other hand was a total slob and ended up with sauce all over my hands and face. I don't know how the meats themselves are cooked but the end result justifies the means in my book.

I brought back some sauce and have 2 extra bottles of "mild hot" if anyone near Madison WI is interested. Drop me a PM or an email...

Brad

That sounds great, I'll have to swing down and give it a try!

Arrrggghhh! I was just in Des Moines this past weekend for a swim meet. I could have had BBQ there?! This stinks! The only other time I go through Des Moines, it seems, is on my way to Kansas City. Of course I get a good BBQ fix in KC, but I 'll have to rearrange some schedule plans to try this out. Of course, the wife may not be too thrilled that I'm taking the kids out of school early just so we can hit a BBQ place