All About the Kielbasa: Big Daddyz BBQ, Folsom, PA

It's all good but keep your eyes on that sausage in the upper left corner
Photo Credit: TH

While Philadelphia and its surrounding suburban areas aren't exactly known for barbecue, it's not like places that serve good 'cue are hard to find. No one is ever going to mistake any style of slow-smoked meats and homespun sides as uniquely Philadelphian. The folks here are surly, insular, and prideful, but they're certainly not self-important like the magazine editors who proclaimed "Brooklyn BBQ" to be a thing instead of just gentrified Memphis, Texas, or Kansas City styles served in smaller portions for jacked-up prices. Barbecue isn't as plentiful here as it would be in those locales, and the width and breadth of BBQ joints pale in comparison to how many different places you can get a good cheesesteak. That being said, whether it be Sweet Lucy's or Fette Sau, you can find good 'cue in the area.

Moving out of the city limits and into Delaware County, you can find a few gems, like Big Daddyz BBQ in Folsom on MacDade Boulevard. Big Daddyz is a small joint that's closed Monday and Tuesday. When they run out of food for the day, they close. If you think that's a bit arcane in this day and age, I should mention that they started further down the road next to a tire joint and were only open on the weekends. As with anyplace worth its weight in meat rub, when people find out about how good your food is, you tend to move on up in the world. Like many barbecue joints, Big Daddyz has a lot of the standards: ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken. However, what makes the joint unique over other 'cue places are the fried chicken but more importantly, the kielbasa and pierogi.

It's rare to see such ethnic items on a barbecue menu. However, Philly's sizable Polish-heritage population has given rise to a local affinity for that country's take on meat and potatoes. Unfortunately, I haven't tried the pierogi yet, which is absolutely a situation I need to rectify. I've been eating pierogi since I was knee-high to a grasshopper thanks to my childhood in the Port Richmond neighborhood of the city and the proximity to Swiacki's Butcher Shop, which is still open and which still sells the best pierogi I've tasted for my money anywhere in all different varieties too, not just potato. Anyway, this post isn't about Swiacki's (which deserves a whole entry in this blog by itself), but Big Daddyz.

The kielbasa in question is excellent. When you think "smoked sausage," images of beef hot links come to mind first. Honestly, smoking kielbasa is actually not uncommon, but few restaurants I've seen serving up low-and-slow ever serve it. Big Daddyz take on the Polish sausage produces an unctuous bite with a mild smoke that allows the native kielbasa flavor take center stage. You're not eating the wood flavor, which is key, because kielbasa is one of the most uniquely flavorful sausages you can buy. When I go to a BBQ joint, the first thing on my mind is usually the brisket, but at Big Daddyz, the kielbasa is the main event. You have to try it.

The other fare on the menu shines as well. I'm not a rib-eater, but my wife loves them. Their brisket is worth the order as well. It's served sliced, so it doesn't have the fall-apart texture of a chopped brisket. That being said, the hickory smoke dances elegantly with the natural beef flavor, capped off with the decadence of marbled-in fat and the tangy, slightly spicy sauce. As a side dish, I would also recommend the cabbage, which comes sauteed in bacon fat and is served with chunks of that bacon. Even without the pork, the cabbage is tender with a satisfying combination of flavors that complement any of the meats on the menu.

Photo Credit: TH

One more thing to remember is that Big Daddyz often has specials that they list on their Facebook page. Check in before you decide eating there, and you might find a gem you wouldn't find on the main menu. One such special was a chicken-fried steak sandwich that had andouille sausage gravy, fried onions, bacon, and American cheese. It was the kind of sandwich that would attract a wild Guy Fieri into their building, both in ideation and flavor. Again, it's not a sandwich they have all the time, which is all the more reason to keep checking in on social media with them.

Barbecue is one of those things where the floor is pretty standard, so you have to try and find something to help you stand out. When you can find something as simple as a Polish infusion to your menu and not have to rely on gimmicks and gonzo flash and flair, you've hit a good vein. Big Daddyz is a worthy addition to the local barbecue scene, and if you haven't tried them already, they're worth the trip into Delco.

What: Big Daddyz BBQ
Where: 606 MacDade Boulevard, Folsom, PA
Website and Facebook
Price Range: Family Night Out
TH Recommends: Kielbasa, Brisket, Fried Cabbage