Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ: Smoked BBQ Ribs FTW!

Even as a big meat eater, I don't crave for ribs as much as I should. I guess I can blame it all to the small portion sizes (versus the price) most restaurants offer, which is inevitably disappointing despite their promise of tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. However, one BBQ place in Quezon City has redeemed them all. Let me introduce to you my new-found BBQ ribs soulmate, Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ.

Located at 17th Avenue in Cubao, Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ is a simple and small neighborhood casual-dining restaurant serving smoked BBQ ribs, Southern-style. And while I don't really live near the area, an hour's drive to this BBQ place is definitely worth it. Actually, even if travel time takes two hours or more, I'd still gladly and enthusiastically visit Big Daddy Jay's as they serve the best BBQ in town, in my opinion.

"Ain't no bones about it, we've got the best 'cue in town.
Hugged by smoke, licked by fire, and kissed by sauce... That’s how Big Daddy Jay does it!"

So what makes Big Daddy Jay's BBQ so great, you ask? To be honest, the concept of their BBQ itself is already good to begin with. Unlike most restaurants serving ribs in the Metro, theirs isn't just grilled. It's smoked first, low and slow for six hours, no shortcuts. This is why Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ is closed on Mondays, to ensure that every rack of pork ribs is smoked to perfection, before hungry diners like us order for it.

✓ Original Smoked Ribs - Full Rack (P790)

Without further ado, I introduce you my new love, the Original Smoked Ribs. By the way, no, that outer layer of the ribs isn't the pork itself charred to death. It's the beautiful and tasty dry rub of secret spices and herbs which adds more character to the already-smoky rack of meat. Served on a wooden chopping board with a savory and tangy sauce on the side, this order spelled nothing short of heavenly with every bite.

And look! Every serving of smoked BBQ ribs at Big Daddy Jay's has a good amount of tender and succulent meat, along with layers of sinful fat. This makes every bite more orgasmic as you get a juicy, fatty, meaty, smoky and savory treat. But if fat is not your thing, feel free to cut it off, you'll still get plenty of meat. However, I'd still recommend to eat even the fatty parts as they're very flavorful and worth the cholesterol! *wink*

With a dish this smoky and tasty, it's best to enjoy every bite with a siding. For the beau and I, we enjoyed our smoked BBQ ribs with a cup each of Buttered Rice (P25). But if you don't feel like having rice, there are also other side dishes -- Mixed Veggies (P25), Herbed Potatoes (P25) and Corn on the Cob (P30).

Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ also offers other items on their menu. The lineup is pretty concise and straight-forward, but I guess it's definitely better to serve fewer but good quality dishes, than offer a vast but mediocre menu.

Tomato Basil Pasta (P140)

For more carbs, we also had the Tomato Basil Pasta -- a plate of al dente-cooked spaghetti, coated with a light and tangy tomato-basil sauce. As much as I loved the Original Smoked Ribs, it was impossible for me to finish the whole thing without having my taste buds overwhelmed with too much flavor. So although I didn't like the idea of carb-loading, I felt like this pasta dish was perfect to cut through all the savory and smoky flavors. Even the beau who don't dig tomato-based pasta sauces, appreciated this item.

Chicken Wings - Buffalo Style and ✓ Honey Mustard (P120)

We also got to try the Chicken Wings available in 2 flavors, Buffalo Style and Honey Mustard. A serving typically comes with 6 pieces of wings, but the owners were kind enough to let us try the best of both worlds with 3 pieces each per variant. I'm not sure if these wings can be ordered this way, but there's no harm in asking. *wink*

The Buffalo Style chicken wings have crispier skin, with a savory, spicy and a bit tangy flavor. It was pretty good, but the beau and I both preferred their Honey Mustard variant which had the wings coated in a sweet, zesty and a little savory sauce.

✓ Aunt Wilma's Key Lime Pie (P95)

A great meal should end sweet, so we had Aunt Wilma's Key Lime Pie. To be honest, I haven't tried any key lime pies yet prior to this visit. But although I don't really have a point of comparison, my taste buds still love this slice of sweet and zesty key lime juice filling and meringue on a bed of buttery pie crust. Even the beau loved this to bits!

Red, White & Blue Cuppies (P70)

We also got to try the Red, White & Blue Cuppies which are the newest sweet offerings at Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ. Each serving comes with 3 mini cupcakes in Red Velvet, Lemon Vanilla and Blue Velvet flavors. The red and blue cuppies had the same chocolate base cake, although the blue one is richer and more chocolatey. But my favorite among the 3 is the lemon vanilla cuppie which had a soft, chiffon-like base cake topped with a sweet and zesty frosting.

Just a friendly reminder, Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ is closed on Mondays since it's their smoking day. Be sure to call or text for reservations too as the place easily gets packed especially for dinner.

By the way, the Original Smoked Ribs are available for take-out, cooked or even frozen (ready to bake or grill). This is perfect for potlucks or even as gift. I think I'll have to order some for birthdays or even for the upcoming Christmas. Ang aga mag-plan eh noh?

Click on the photo to enlarge.

THE VERDICT

The beau and I have finally found a BBQ ribs place we can call our ribs haven, or even heaven. Even just after our first mouthful of Big Daddy Jay's smoked BBQ ribs, we were already talking about coming back and when to bring our family and friends. Seriously, that's how good their ribs are! This might be my first time to ever try smoked BBQ, but Big Daddy Jay's is by far the best ribs of any kind, I've had so far. Kudos to the people behind this gem of a restaurant. We shall definitely return!

Taste - 5/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Service - 3.5/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4.5/5

Big Daddy Jay's All-American BBQ, Cubao
61-B 17th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City
Metro Manila, Philippines
(0917) 300-8435
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