What do The Last Frontier State and The Palmetto State have in common? Believe it or not, they both make an excellent mustard-based BBQ sauce to pour over your pulled pork and your brisket. I’m not sure the average Alaskan is into BBQ—Moose Chili seems to be more their thing—but the folks at Big Daddy’s BarB-Q in Fairbanks, Alaska know what they are doing.
Stephen and I recently spent two weeks in Alaska to celebrate 31 years of wedded bliss, and while we were in Fairbanks, we ran across a restaurant on Trip Advisor claiming to be the “Northern Most Southern BBQ.” As experts on eating Southern BBQ, we felt it was our duty to test that claim.
We didn’t have a car, so we had to walk about 15 minutes from our hotel to get there. We walked past the main part of town, the touristy restaurants, the shops and kept right on going until we were certain we were going the wrong way. We trusted the internet—we actually had service in the big towns in Alaska—and found ourselves outside plain, nondescript building that had us doubting the wisdom of our long walk.
After a short debate, we decided to lean into the YOLO (you only live once) adventure, and we were glad we did. The inside looked like every authentic BBQ joint in the South. There was a roll of paper towels on the table and the various sauces and condiments were tidily contained in an old Corona Extra cardboard six pack. There was a banner on the wall reminding everyone the restaurant had been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (The Christmas at the North Pole episode from 2009). The place was hopping.
After consulting the menu and the waitress, Stephen went for the KC Plate with beef brisket, and I got the Carolina Plate (of course!) with pulled pork served on a corn cake. We started with “Moose Nuggets,” aka hush puppies, and moved on to the main course in short order. I got the mac and cheese—because I always get mac and cheese everywhere I go—and baked beans. Stephen got the baked beans and creamed corn. My only regret is we were too stuffed with BBQ to eat any bread pudding (the dessert that is their thing) when all was said and done.
Their sauces were delicious as well. They have a House sauce, KC Sweet, KC Sweet Heat, and Spicy Mustard sauce. I believe in sampling all the sauces at a BBQ joint, and at Big Daddy’s, the Spicy Mustard was my favorite. Our waitress was surprised to learn that mustard-based BBQ sauces are controversial in the South—I have no idea why—but if loving mustard-based BBQ sauce is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
I’m not real clear how Southern BBQ ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives episode highlighted Big Daddy’s founder, Harold Groetsema (aka Big Daddy) and noted he was originally from the Chicago area. A friend in Alaska got him into cooking with a smoker, and after winning Best Brisket at a statewide BBQ competition, he was hooked. A spin through the Google machine seems to show a change in ownership for the restaurant about 10 years ago, so I’m not sure if Groetsema is still associated with the restaurant. Regardless, the BBQ is still authentic Southern style and delicious, and if you are ever in Fairbanks, you must eat there.
We had such a lovely time in Alaska that we can’t wait to take the kids back to visit. I will say I struggled with it never really getting dark there. Without the fading light to signal the body that it’s time to settle down and get ready to sleep, I had a little trouble settling down and getting ready to sleep each night.
I will have more to say about our trip in upcoming newsletters including the recipe for a pie we ate in Anchorage that was firmly on both our lists of Top 5 Desserts We’ve Ever Eaten. Ever.
Until next time,
Karla