Barbeque continues to gain popularity in this area and not just through chain restaurants. Now the Bayshore Town Center has a BBQ place to claim as its own. Big Daddy’s Brew & Que occupies the former Ovation restaurant in the iPic entertainment complex. You enter from the balcony located at the mall’s main entrance. The setting is countrified, with rustic woodwork and even a few patches of chicken wire. Country pop music is played at high volume. It’s quite a change from the former Ovation.
The menu is a sheet of paper on a clipboard. Don’t expect a napkin, but every table has a roll of paper towels. A good starter is the “big ass onion rings” ($8.95), sliced ultra-thick in a cornmeal batter with a slightly amped-up ranch dressing. Fried green and red tomatoes ($7.95) are also battered in cornmeal. Red tomatoes would seem to be a poor choice for frying as the best results come from very firm tomatoes, but these work quite well since they are a bit under-ripe. The cooking process coaxes the flavor. The slices arrive with a very mild Creole sauce. The smokehouse chili ($2.95-$5.95) is quite good and is loaded with pork, some sausage and a few beans and onions. Meat is the idea here and the flavors are warm and hearty.
The real action is in the barbeque. Many of the hickory-smoked meats arrive dry, but every table has three sauces to choose from. The House sauce is all about sweetness, the KC Spicy is true to its title and the Carolina has the tang of yellow mustard. The meats are beef brisket and tenderloin, pulled pork, St. Louis or baby back ribs, pulled chicken and hot links that are made in-house. There are sampler platters offering two-to-three meats ($16.95-$18.95), but the ultimate combo, Daddy’s Pig Trough ($79.95), includes all the meats and four side dishes. It will feed at least five people. The meat on the baby back ribs properly sticks a bit to the bones and is slathered in a tangy sauce. A bottle of hot sauce should be requested for those who prefer a bit more spice. The beef brisket arrives dry and has the flavor of wood smoke. Sandwiches include one side item and the entrées include two. Sweet potato fries are thin and crisp, and lemon pepper-charred green beans are another good pick.
The selection of brews, though modest by local standards, would be appreciated in Texas. Try Central Waters Ouisconsing Red Ale and Tyranena Rocky’s Revenge Bourbon Brown on tap. Big Daddy’s is already becoming popular. It has the winning combination of decent barbeque and fair prices.
Big Daddy’s Brew & Que
5800 N. Bayshore Drive, Glendale
414-203-0404
$$
Handicapped access: yes
