Big Daddy’s Diner: Grease on Steroids Falls Short

April 3, 2008

Nothing like a nice pile of grease for breakfast. That’s what Big Daddy’s Diner presented one morning in the form of their “What About Bob” breakfast sandwich. This self proclaimed “best breakfast sandwich on the planet” falls a little short of that if you’re looking to start your day off right. This would be a great hangover cure if the restaurant wasn’t so cheesey and bright. And speaking of cheese, they make one of the cheesiest grilled cheeses I’ve ever encountered. One of their locations is also 24 hours on weekends. Curious yet?

Will NYC Food Guy return? Read on to find out…

The “What About Bob”-ness of this sandwich refers to the crazy nature of this concoction. In the end, it’s really not that wild. It doesn’t even include tots, they cost a $1 extra, bumping the overall price up to $9.92 for the plate above. Here’s what you’re looking at:

• Eggs scrambled with red pepper and ordinary home fries
• Covered in a healthy offering of slightly spicy Monterey Jack
• Topped with crispy bacon cooked to order
• Housed in a fluffy, slightly tough buttered roll that could have made the sandwich, but instead really did nothing to enhance it.

I’m a sucker for anything this greasy and disgusting but this fell short of my expectations.

• The home fries were predictably undercooked, maybe a big crispy hashbrown held to the eggs with cheese, would be better.
• The red pepper seemed out of place, adding nothing.
• The bread is having an identity crisis. The outer crust was vaguely ciabatta but the meat of it was Kaiser. An upgrade is absolutely necessary.

Onto the “Coffee Shop Grilled Cheese”, $7.96 plus $2 for tots, which is ridiculous to me. Here’s what you’re working with.

• Vermont Cheddar
• American Cheese
• A surprisingly spicy Jalapeno Jack

I love melted cheese, who doesn’t? The marble rye is a solid choice, but it’s just not hearty enough to handle the heft of three kinds of melted, gooey cheese. The cheese poured out all over. I need some thicker bread for a sandwich of this caliber and some bacon wouldn’t hurt either.

If you checked out Big Daddy’s website, it’s a sensory overload. The restaurant is the same. If you’re not ready to be bombarded with color and kitsch and a menu that’s truly diner on steroids then this is not the place for you.

Attention Drinkers: The Gramercy location of Big Daddy’s is open 24 hours on Friday & Saturday. The UES location closes at 12AM on weekends, proving why the UES is no fun.

So will NYC Food Guy return?

Yes and no. Yes I can see myself coming here weekends after a night on the town. Though it’s hard not going to Ziggiz. But no, I will never return here while sober again. It’s just too much to handle for a normal breakfast and for dinner it’s just a glorified Friday’s. There are too many good restaurants out there to waste a real meal on Big Daddy’s Diner.

Big Daddy’s Diner

239 Park Ave South b/t 19th & 20th St.

New York, NY 10003

(212) 477-1500

Open 24 hours Friday & Saturday

Closes at 12AM Sunday – Wednesday and at 2 AM Thursday

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1596 2nd Ave. at 83rd Street

New York, NY 10028

(212) 717-2020

Closes at 12AM Friday & Saturday, 11pm the rest of the week

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