Hello,
Big D’s Smokehouse.
We
arrived a bit too early in Eastwood and ended up waiting for 20 minutes outside for the
restaurant to open.
I
was a bit hesitant to dine here as the place didn’t exactly get a lot of good
reviews online. Some said that the ribs were dry while others were disappointed
with every single dish they ordered. But it’s free so… game!
My
uncle wanted to order The Big Feast which includes a plate of nachos,
two servings of onion rings, 2 pasta plates of your choice, 2 orders of chicken fingers,
3 full slabs of ribs, 4 side dishes, 5 cups of
rice and a sizzling plate of pulled pork for PHP2,999. I did the math and if
you choose all the most expensive pasta and sides, you manage to save about PHP200
or have that sizzling pulled pork for free. (I guess it wasn’t that bad if you
do not want to think of what to order anymore.) We also ordered a plate of Hush Puppies (PHP175) as additional
appetizer.
First
served was the platter of nachos and it looks so oily. The tortilla chips were
thin and crisp which I enjoyed. But I would have liked it more if the beef
topping was juicy. The one we got was dry and the cheese wasn’t as creamy or
gooey as I wanted it to be.
Hush
Puppies soon followed and it was a crowd favorite. The combination of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese created a delightful and
crisp cheese ball! It also had the right
level of tart. But what I loved most about this dish is that every bite is
promised with an ooze of the heavenly cheese combination.
The smooth and
creamy melted cheese with the crunchy batter was divine. I also enjoyed it with
the garlic ranch dip.
The chicken fingers (PHP190) looked so…
thin. Taste-wise, it was a bit bland and dry. We had to put a generous amount
of honey mustard for it to be more palatable. At least it was crisp.
When
the plates were served, the first thing that came to mind was that it looked
pale. And true enough, both dishes failed in the plating and taste departments.
Both lacked taste despite the fairly generous amount of sauce. In fact, the pesto pasta was very wet with its sauce. But the sauces did not deliver the flavor it
was meant to give the diners. I was very disappointed with these two.
The
sides’ serving size is very small though reasonable given its price range of
PHP50-60. It was nothing out of the ordinary.
The
mac and cheese was indeed cheesy but it was the watered-down type of sauce
instead of thick and creamy. (I noticed that it’s hard to find a restaurant
that serves good mac and cheese here in Manila.)
The
mashed potato was average too. Mushy and topped with gravy, it’s hard to mess
that one. I
wasn’t able to try the coleslaw but they finished it so I guess it was okay
too. The fries were quite good and reminds me of potato wedges of KFC.
The
full slab ribs are about a foot long and it
was smothered with sweet and mildly spicy ribs sauce. The meat was very tender
and it was effortless to cut the ribs.
It
was a good slab of ribs but the sauce was a bit too overpowering as I was
eating it without rice and just a few spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. I guess it
would have been more delightful with a cup of rice. But it’s the start of 2016
so I still have the “New Year, New Me” mentality which I know I’ll eventually
forget in a couple of days (or hours if I spot an ice cream store).
Last
served was the sizzling pulled pork (PHP175)
and it tasted just like the ribs only it was shredded and placed in a sizzling
plate. Again, the taste was a bit too overwhelming to be eaten alone.
Overall,
it was a good meal. The sides and pasta were forgettable but the ribs were
pretty good and reasonably priced. I’d order it again with rice on the side.
Big D’s Smokehouse is located
at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood, Quezon City. It is
across Caffe Bene and on top of Zark’s Burger.
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