Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
This burger chain was started in Charlotte, North Carolina back in 2007, and in 2019 Huntsville was chosen to be their first location in the state of Alabama. People in town seem to really be enjoying their award-winning burgers, so I thought I’d go check it out with some friends. You can find Bad Daddy’s in Times Plaza, site of the former Huntsville Times building. This location has lots of windows, a nice patio, and a fun mix of rock & roll and sports posters designed to bring out their strong bar vibe. There is a nice mix of booths and tables, and none of those uncomfortable metal chairs to be seen (one of my pet peeves).
I was very happy to notice milkshakes on the menu and very surprised at the non-burger options such as salads, chicken, and even salmon. We started by ordering the deviled egg appetizer, called Not Your Mama’s Deviled Eggs. These five lightly fried deviled eggs were very unique, and their spicy filling had a nice kick. The creamy inside was a great contrast to the crunchy outside, and everyone at our table had only good things to say about the flavor. For entrees, our group ordered the Bistro Burger with onion rings, the Magic Mushroom burger with truffle fries, the Kim’s Honey Chicken Sandwich with tater tots, and the Black Bean Burger.
The Bistro Burger was a bacon cheeseburger amped up by the addition of grilled onions, gouda, arugula, and an avocado chipotle crema. The onion rings were enormous and super crunchy! The chipotle ranch dipping sauce that came on the side was a good sidekick and being an Italian girl, I was pleasantly surprised the rings were coated in parmesan. The Magic Mushroom Burger was overflowing with sautéed wild mushrooms and melted swiss cheese. The tasty truffle aioli and arugula worked well with the mushroom flavors in this burger. The truffle fries were covered in fresh herbs, parmesan, truffle salt and green onions. When your BFF is hesitant to share fries with you, you get the feeling that they’re pretty darn good!
Kim’s Honey Chicken Sandwich had a large, crunchy piece of buttermilk-fried chicken on it and was covered in a spicy honey sauce. It was topped with pickles and a jalapeno ranch spread. The chicken had a substantial crunch and was not greasy. The sauce was not overly sweet, and both the cool pickles and the ranch in the spread helped to cut the spice just a bit. The tots had the famous Bad Daddy’s sauce for dipping, and a nice spice mix in the crunchy coating.
The Cantina Black Bean Burger was a great choice for the lone vegetarian in our group. She ordered it grilled (crispy is also an option), and the patty was covered in Monterey Jack cheese, avocado, green chilies, and a chipotle ranch sauce. We all know how some veggie burgers tend to fall apart easily and be light on flavor, but this patty held together well and was quite savory.
Even though we were pretty full, how could we not try out their dessert menu?! From their 8 menu choices, we decided on the Chocolate Elvis milkshake, the Bad Daddy’s Snickered milkshake and the Banana Pudding. If something has peanut butter in it, you can be sure I’ll be ordering it! The Chocolate Elvis had peanut butter, Ghirardelli chocolate, banana and walnuts. I didn’t mind at all that it was too thick for the straw, so I used my spoon instead. I’ve been eating bananas with peanut butter on them since childhood, and this tasted just like that. And also somewhat like a Reese’s cup, which I used to sneak out of my kids’ Halloween bags when they were little. The Snickered shake is aptly named since it tastes like a Snickers bar in ice cream form. Both shakes were delicious, and as they melted more we sipped on them during the drive home. The banana pudding was quite a large serving and perfect for splitting with someone else at the table. I grew up in New England, so banana pudding was not something on my radar until I moved south. This version was creamy with chunks of bananas and on top some wafer cookies and whipped cream. I think some wafer pieces in the pudding would have been nice but as I’ve learned from living here quite a while, each place has their own special banana pudding recipe.
There’s something for everyone at Bad Daddy’s. If you haven’t stopped by there yet for a meal, give it a shot next time you’re craving a juicy burger!