A retro styled diner with really funky-named menu items and super snazzy decorations. Big Daddy’s is a throw back to old school vibes with references to pop culture and American style all day breakfast and fast food.
Our verdict: Fun place to hang out with friends with great service, nice drinks but average food at affordable prices.
The Food
We ordered dishes that gave us somewhat of a variety. The items all have really fun, pun-like titles and we wanted to try quite a few things.
Where the Buffalo Roam [AED 28]: This appetizer was in the tater tots section of the menu and consisted of buffalo chicken tenders, bleu cheese dressing and chives over crispy deep-fried grated potato bites. It was easily the best dish we ordered. However the dressing was very runny and the dish really just had a drizzle over the chicken so it was pretty much lost in the mix. We felt that we could use more and thankfully our server read our minds at the same time and came along offering more dressing. She even suggested that we try a ranch dressing as well and gave us both to try out. We still preferred the bleu cheese option but we were proved right about it being quite liquidy. As a cheese dressing it should have been more of a thick sauce, it would definitely enhance the dish a lot more if it had been the right consistency. Nonetheless we do recommend trying this dish as it was very tasty.
The Easy Rider [AED 29]: All day breakfast! M is a huge fan of menus that provide this (as everyone should be really). This dish comes with eggs which are cooked to your liking, toast (there are options for this too), beef bacon or chicken sausage and three small pancakes. In addition the breakfast also comes with a side! M went with tater tots. Definitely worth the price because it was a decent portion overall. But it wasn’t anything great, pretty standard diner-like brekkie. Just a heads up if you go with the sausage, it isn’t frankfurters or in a casing, it’s what we assumed to be meat taken out of a sausage casing and fried. The only thing M would have preferred is if the pancakes were served in an additional small plate, as being plated all in one, the sausage was layered on top of one of them and hence the flavour passed on to it.
Blazing Saddle [AED 29]: This was a burger type of sandwich with a fried chicken breast in a sweet and spicy chile sauce with spicy mayo, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and cucumber. It was ordered with a side of fries. It was an interesting mix of ingredients and tasted pretty good, although the chicken was more sweet than spicy.
Texas Tommy [AED 24]: A hot dog served with beef bacon and melted cheddar cheese. This was ordered with a side of fries. As soon as it was placed on the table we figured it would be a bit of a let down as it looked really dry. Our friend ordered this and was quite disappointed as it what not what she was expecting.
The Drinks
Big Daddy’s milkshakes are thankfully quite thick and really well presented. It’s clearly a popular choice as we kept seeing them being served to pretty much every other table too. They always come with the top part of the glass frosted in some ingredient that is part of the shake, making for a very attractive looking drink. When looking at the menu, the price looks quite economical (where in Dubai would you get a milkshake for under AED 20 at a diner?!), but it must be noted that the shakes are smaller than most other places.
Chocoloco [AED 19]: This is definitely a chocolate lovers drink which is just the right amount of sweet and our fave from the two we ordered. The top of the glass is coated with crushed maltesers and the shake consists of different forms of chocolate: shavings, fudge, syrup and it’s topped with whipped cream. Thats a lot of chocolate! M may have ordered this but, after trying it, T tried to steal it from her. Definitely worth trying out.
Oreo Overload [AED 19]: This is basically what you would expect, a thick oreo based shake. The top of the glass was coated with powdered oreo cookies. It’s definitely a delicious drink, but might be a bit sweeter than needed.
It is also worth mentioning that the soft drinks are for AED 9 which also include free refills. So if you are not in the mood to have a shake, then this is a really good value for money.
The Dessert
Smores Explosion [AED 22]: The dessert sounded very promising, with ingredients like graham crackers, chocolate chunks and hot fudge sauce. But unfortunately it was the most disappointing thing we ordered. We basically got vanilla ice-cream with whipped cream on top sprinkled with a few marshmallows. There was barely any chocolate sauce and no chocolate chunks at all. We also expected the graham crackers to add a bit of crunch, but again if it was there, we didn’t even notice them.
Service
The service at Big Daddy’s is fantastic. When we arrived it was a bit awkward as the servers were busy catering to a big group that walked in before us. But once they noticed us, we felt at home. Our server was Allody, and gave us great service. Big Daddy’s menu is quite hard to choose from as a lot of the dishes sound great, each dish also has a lot of customization options. But Allody handled the order well. T likes to joke a lot and mess with the waiter, M usually calms him down. But on rare incidents the server joins in and makes the experience that much more fun. It must be said that the servers at Big Daddy’s really know how to make you feel at home.
The Venue
Big Daddy’s decor is full of throwbacks to the 80s. The walls are covered in cute patterned wallpaper and decorated with posters of TV shows, celebrities, records, tin signs and number plates. The interiors are colourful and vibrant with bright shades of red, blue, pink and yellow. They even have 2 arcade style machines at the entrance that you can play on. Big Daddy’s is a retro american diner, there is no way you can mistake it for anything else. They’ve stayed true to that theme, from the decor to the food and even the music. T loves that era and so he was singing along and pointing out posters and references. The tables are well laid out with enough room considering the venue is a relatively smaller space.
To Book or not to Book
There is no need to make a booking at Big Daddy’s. If you are going in a big group its probably best to be prepared before hand as the venue is small.
How to Get there
Big Daddy’s is located inside BurJuman mall in the newly renovated section near Carrefour. There are many ways to get to it and if you live in the nearby areas, you can even walk there in the winter.
By Car: Easiest way to park near Big Daddy’s with guaranteed parking is to head straight down to B1 parking. Head to the extreme end of the mall, the parking right under Carrefour. Parking is very easy to find on this side of the mall. Enter the mall, but do not take the elevator, instead take the stairs on the left up one floor and as you come out Big Daddy’s will be straight ahead.
By Cab: You can take a taxi to BurJuman and ask them to drop you near Carrefour. Some drivers might drop you outside, but if they drop you inside near Carrefour entrance, then Big Daddy’s is on the right side just as you enter the mall from the parking lot. If they drop you outside, then walk the exterior of the mall until you see the line of restaurants, Big Daddy’s is amongst them.
Public Transport: The best way to get to Big Daddy’s is by taking the red or green line to Bur Juman metro station. From there, head into the mall, walk past Carrefour and it will at the end on the left side.
Getting to Big Daddy’s is really easy, we suggest you drive or take the metro. Both methods will get you to the restaurant easily.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/21isUY7rBCJ2
The Entrance
As soon as you come out of the parking area (as mentioned above) you will see Big Daddy’s right ahead. Otherwise its easy to find in the newly renovated part of BurJuman, its near the Carrefour parking entrance on level G. The entrance itself seems really small and there’s a corridor as you enter before you get to the seating area. It’s not a tiny space so don’t be deceived by that. There’s a little podium at the entrance with a big Coca Cola sign on it decorated in line with the theme, where a host will greet you, grab some menus and then escort you inside to your table.
Total Bill
- Where the Buffalo Roam: AED 28
- The Easy Rider: AED 29
- Blazing Saddle: AED 29
- Texas Tommy (One): AED 24
- Chocoloco: AED 19
- Orea Overload: AED 19
- Diet Pepsi: AED 9
- Pepsi: AED 9
- Smores Explosion: AED 22
Total for three: AED 188
Restaurant info
04 2252470
