— TheToothfish

Long Gone BBQ at Daddy D’z

a slab of ribs at Daddy D’z ($26)

It’s a shame I didn’t snap a photo of the outside of Daddy D’z, a barbecue joint in Grant Park. My friend was quite taken aback by the exterior, which looks as if someone threw a bucket of paint over a bullet-hole ridden trailer. It’s a dive with a capital D, maybe a place Guy Fieri would visit but only during the day. The last time I had ribs here was five years ago, and what a memory it was: charred and smoky with a lusciously sweet sauce.

So here I was, five years later hoping to fuel a memory and taste that has stayed with me since. I left disappointed. You can even tell in the picture that the smoke/char factor on these large ribs is largely absent. The meat was dry, chewy at times. Sadness. However, later that night I reheated the ribs in the oven. The smokiness was suddenly loud and clear, and even the mac and cheese was better.

For now, I’ll stick with Community Q down the street. On my to-do list, though, is Sam’s BBQ 1 in Marietta. Sam catered an event I attended in the summer, and I had a small conniption after munching on brisket paired with a port lingonberry sauce.