the History
of
a humble beginning
If you Google “barbecue in Des Moines”, you find there is no shortage of places to get a respectable rack of ribs in the city, but back in the 80's, 90's
and early 2000's, there was one name that stood
out among the pack: Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Q.
The restaurant had its humble beginnings on the
first floor of a two-story house on Forest Avenue in the Drake University neighborhood in 1983. From there they operated briefly out of a strip mall until finally settling in at a small red and white building
on East 14th street across from East high.
Patrons traveled far and wide to stop in and enjoy
a chicken dinner, pulled pork sandwich or Mrs. Seymour’s famous baked beans, but it was the distinctive taste of their sweet, smokey barbecue sauces that really made the food sing. Due to customer demand, the family began selling their sauces in local grocery stores in the early 90's.
Big Daddy had a penchant for creating flavorful
super-hot sauces with catchy names that he
packaged and sold in small jelly jars. He could often be found around town offering unsuspecting
barbecue enthusiasts a taste of his latest creation
that was so fiery, a dab on the end of a toothpick
was all it took.
Fast forward to 2025, and Big Daddy’s BBQ Sauce is proudly woman-owned and veteran-made right here in the USA, keeping the tradition alive with a little extra fire. Made local with a whole lotta love and hustle, we’ve more than doubled our flavors in just a year—from sweet and smoky to bold and spicy, we’ve got something for every kind of BBQ lover. You’ll catch Big Daddy’s at universities, charity events, farmers markets, state fairs, and everywhere in between, bringing folks together one bite at a time. Our sauces have even picked up awards and turned heads at BBQ competitions all over the U.S., so yeah—we know a thing or two about flavor.
And here’s the best part: Big Daddy’s is dye-free, gluten-friendly, has no fillers, no microplastics, and is low-calorie per serving—so you can feel good about what’s going on your plate. Whether you’re all about the heat, got a thing for sweet, or land somewhere in the middle, there’s a bottle of Big Daddy’s just waiting for you.