OK, really mixed again, I wanted to publisha LOT of reviews for you to mull over but system cut me off--all the reviews omitted were highly favorable ones, by the way
Big Daddys
Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional)
2454 Broadway(between 90th St & 91st St)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
(212) 677-2004
- Nearest Transit Station:
- 86 St. (1, 2)96 St. (1, 2, 3)86 St. (A, B, C)
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu, Sun 8 am - 11 pmFri-Sat 8 am - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Price Range:
- $$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
140 reviews for Big Daddys
Review Highlights What's this?
"And excuse my caps, but - BEST TATER TOTS EVER." In 24 reviews
"it makes you feel like a kid again and happy." In 3 reviews
"...would totally recommend the Barbie milkshake, even for the guys, its..." In 15 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
139 reviews in English
-
Review from Kirsten J.
New York, NYUpdated - 6/24/2013
1 Previous Review: Show all »
- 6/6/2013 A fun diner with http://bomb.com milkshakes (HIGHLY recommend the key lime). It's pricey, but I… Read more »
- 6/6/2013
-
Review from Eric C.
Manhattan, NYI like this place, no the fastest service, not the best burger in the neighborhood but always dependable for great tater tots and the place is great for kids. Decent beers on tap doesnt hurt and the Fried Chicken is delicious.
So, to sum it up, come if you have a big-ish party, they have big tables, come if you want perfectly made tater tots that stay crunchy even 40 mins after delivery, come if you want perfect fried chicken.
If you're looking for the perfect burger, look elsewhere, theyre good, but not amazing. -
Review from Anne J.
New York, NYThis is a good dinner for PANCAKES! only that, the french fries and burgers have nothing special, but the pancakes are amazing! They serve huge portion and taste delicious. You have different kind of pancakes on the menu.
Otherwise, I like a lot the decor, and the service is average.
If you are craving for a big amount of pancakes, that's your place! -
Review from Eileen R.
Manhattan, NYDon't fall for the Fried Chicken Fridays here. It's only a basket, not a bucket, with only a half-chicken. And it wasn't even good; I didn't like the breading. I like a lot of other things here like the breakfast dishes, burgers, sandwiches, boozy brunch. Just have your fried chicken somewhere else. -
Review from Sarah S.
Manhattan, NYBreakfast was fine. Service was horrible - not only slow and unapologetic but also included elements such as bringing coffee in shockingly dirty (i.e., used and unwashed) mugs. This, after 20 minutes of waiting for said coffee and having had to remind the waiter of our existence. In a nearly empty restaurant.
I went in with low expectations. Just not low enough. -
Review from Howie A.
Manhattan, NYI want to like Big Daddy's more than I do. The food is actually pretty good, but they are grossly overpriced for what they are, and the service is disappointing. Could be a serious UWS staple...if they got serious about what they're doing. -
Review from Karen S.
Manhattan, NYEh. Big Daddy's is alright. The best time to come is on Trivia Nite. But since I don't have friends in the area, I'm usually there all by my lonesome.
I had the Dude burger while watching groups of people have all kinds of clean fun. I also had the onion rings and a Creamsicle shake. The shake was meh. The onion rings were... oniony. But the Dude was pretty good and sloppy.
I do like the kitschy decor. Lunch boxes & celebrity photos line the walls. I've never had problems getting seated, because it's just me... by myself... depressingly eating onion rings dipped in ketchup. Crying into my milkshake.
::Goes home and takes meds:: -
Review from Al O.
ASTORIA, NYBig Daddy's needs some help from their Daddy/Owner. The service is borderline terrible and the food isn't that much better. I don't expect much from a diner but this place definitely fails in providing quick and decent food.
Overall a bad experience. -
Review from Gail Anthony T.
Jersey City, NJMy son and I spent the afternoon at the Children's Museum on 83rd St this past weekend. So I thought it would be nice to hit up a spot somewhat close by with a theme that both my son and I would enjoy. I found Big Daddy's - which was 8 short blocks North of the museum, and decided this place would satisfy our hunger needs.
Big Daddy's reminded me of a bigger Johnny Rockets with a bigger menu, an adult beverage selection, and a better Motown playlist. I opted for the turkey burger with tater tots, and my son (as usual) got the mac n cheese. The turkey burger was decent; the burger itself was juicy, but the bun couldn't hold its own with this patty. It would've been nice if they toasted it so it wouldn't fall apart like it did. The tots were BANGIN'. I can't recall the last time I had tots - elementary school perhaps? If I can remember though, those had that nice 'soggy note to them. These on the other hand were cripsy and tasty. They probably were used in the movie 'Napoleon Dynamite', and was the reason why Napoleon stashed the tots in his pocket.
The mac n cheese was good. I liked the nice bread crumb browning on the top of it. My son thought it was OK. I think his mind was preoccupied by the Mister Softee truck he saw on the corner as we were walking to Big Daddy's. He was worried that the truck would leave by the time we finished our lunch. It was a good day overall. I got a satisfying lunch, and he ended up getting his vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles..... 3.5 stars in my book.... -
Review from Joanne L.
Manhattan, NYBig Daddy's is a great place to go if you're nostalgic for an old-fashioned diner--colorful furniture, bright decor, and trivia!!!!!! Walking in will put a smile on your face!!
The service, however, is extremely slow. I came with a party of 5 on a Saturday morning and we were quickly seated (the restaurant was only about 30% full). We waited what seemed like forever for the waitress to deliver our drink orders (5 waters and a Coke). We then waited an additional 35 minutes for our food orders. Does it really take 35 minutes to cook eggs and pancake?? They were also slow with the check and running our credit card later on...
Big Daddy's is a great place to go if you're craving a little of everything. I ordered the Easy Rider (my go-to), which has eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, and fruit. The pancakes were light and fluffy but my over easy eggs were overcooked. My dish was lukewarm too, which was disappointing.
We also ordered a side of tater tots to share. They were delicious! The best thing we had at Big Daddy's. They came out piping hot and were very crisp.
My friends all liked their breakfasts, thought the plates could have been hotter.
Overall, below average for brunch on the UWS. -
Review from Amanda J.
Newport, KYThe store front is what originally drew me to Big Daddy's - I'm a fan of diners, and I was very pleased with this one!
The service was great, and while I originally thought that the prices were too high for what I was ordering, I quickly understood when the food arrived. The portions were huge, the food was delicious, and the decor in the restaurant was fantastic.
It has a very feel-good vibe, good music, fantastic food, and memorable service. -
Review from Lavalle W.
Manhattan, NYNote: This review was written yesterday on my phone and I am just able to post...
I use to love this place, but I am totally over it. I say this to you all as I am still awaiting my food to come and everyone else is eating.
First issue: We are seated and 5 -7 minutes later, another table is seated. After more time has passed, I noticed something odd...Why are they served before us? I mean, I had to get up and go to the front "desk" and tell him that we were not served! He said he would get the waiter. If I am paying, I should not have to chase anyone down for service.
Issue two: Our waiter comes over and takes our order. I asked for the drink special and a small mac and cheese. What comes out?!?! NO DRINKS and a large Mac and Cheese. Ummm, this is NOT what I ordered. Had to send it back: along with my cousin's onion rings, which were luke-warm, and the second order of mac and cheese. Yes, the new order was luke-warm. Shouldn't it be hot? Especially since it was made to order.
By the way, this warranted a trip to the manager to explain all of this: no drink, wrong order, and to top it off, NO UTENSILS!!!
I was able to eat the side of Turkey bacon because, seriously, how bad could you really mess that up.
Long story short, I had to speak to to the manager, who took off my meal, gave a discount on my friend, and gave me a $5 Daddy Card for my next visit. Unfortunately, as nice as the manager was (I think she handled the situation well), we will not be back anytime in the near future. -
Review from Kelly C.
West Chester, PAThe staff was really awesome and nice! The only problem was that the service was pretty slow and it wasn't even that busy and the prices are a little high. But you should expect that in NYC! Either way I've gone back several times. -
Review from Paul C.
Staten Island, NYI have been to two locations of BD and this is the only one to visit. we had burgers the burger was good the sides were OK. Overall it was good. However it is overpriced for what it is.. In a city of what seems to be a million burger joints you can do much better. for two people it was almost $40 for burgers and fries...I am a life long New Yorker and completely understand what it cost to eat in this city but BD is no bargain..
Ciao- -
Review from Charlotte R.
New York, NYCute place, clean, and good service. I had a delicious turkey burger. My chocolate shake was just average. I tasted my friend's fried chicken and it was A+. Main downside is the price. It is ridiculously expensive here, even for UES Manhattan. $14 for a standard burger and fries? Criminal. -
Review from Tiffany M.
Bronx, NYGreat food & Great service. I highly recommend the Barbie Milkshake! -
Review from Amy S.
Manhattan, NYLet me preface this by saying that this is way overdue. My previous review was met with a 25 dollar gift card, and a revisit to the restaurant. I took my parents to Big Daddy's. I got a Cotton Candy Smoothie and a grilled cheese. Frankly, I can't recall what they got, but I know it was delicious. The service was fair but I suppose you don't go to a restaurant like that for excellent service.
The food was good, the atmosphere was fine, if that, and the service was just up to par. I won't be rushing to return but I won't oppose it either.1 Previous Review: Show all »
- 8/26/2012 The service was terrible. The waitress was kind of flaky, and she forgot a lot of things that we had… Read more »
- 8/26/2012
-
Review from La B.
Bronx, NYi've come to Big Daddy's twice already and plan to return. It's a good location near the 1 train on 86th or 96th St stops. It is a *very* kid friendly location so if you are NOT into being around children keep that in mind. This location does not always have someone at the front waiting for you to be seated. You are expected to wait to be seated by the server who will work with you, so keep this in mind if you find yourself waiting a few moments. I discovered this when I was waiting on a fairly slow night and seated myself.
The server working with us was nice and allowed us to be seated in an area where there were no children. On our first visit we ordered the tater tots and chili as an appetizer. It's a nice option, nostalgic of the elementary school lunch days, but not worth $9. As an entree i ordered the standard Big Daddy burger with fries and both were pretty good. Nothing exceptional to report. What my two friends ordered were the pancakes with bacon (batter has bacon bits) and they were overjoyed. Another friend also ordered a burger and a margarita which they enjoyed for the most part.
My second time there I split the banana pancakes (banana in the batter) and we ordered mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. The mozzarella sticks were great. The dipping sauce that accompanied them was fairly standard, but the freshness and cheese was great. Our pancakes were ok. I've had better banana in the batter pancakes, but they were tasty and we enjoyed ourselves.
They offer a ton of different variety milkshakes and my next time back I plan to try one of them for sure! They also offer a frequent meal card where your 10th meal is a free entree.
Screwdrivers were plentiful (& strong), hash browns-whatever-that-potato-thing-was was two thumbs up, and everyone loved their own dishes. No one from my table left unhappy in the slightest. I admit, I was not expecting to be this happily satisfied, but ... DANG.