Food
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar Bringing Back The ‘Wow Factor’
Nexton Of Summerville Eatery Encourages Diners To Bring A Hearty Appetite
By: Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer
First opened in 2007, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar was established out of Charlotte until Colorado-based Good Times acquired them back in 2015. As of October 2019 the group now operates 38 Bad Daddy’s, mostly in the southeast, including their latest burger bar in Nexton of Summerville.
One of the fastest growing areas in greater Charleston relative to business and population, Nexton is quickly becoming a food and beverage hub. Located less than one mile off I-26 (exit 199-B), Nexton is home to Hall’s Chop House and Taco Boy, with Vicious Biscuit and Page’s Okra Grill under construction. What sets the food and drink community apart in Nexton is the eclectic mix, with Bad Daddy’s fitting right in.
The overall mantra at Bad Daddy’s is pure and simple, ‘bringing the wow factor back to an iconic American staple’. Let’s face it, burgers have become one of our go to foods, and have been a part of Americana for nearly a century. With all that, you might think it’s hard to re-invent the wheel, but Bad Daddy’s has put their own spin on an everyday comfort food.
The Bacon Cheeseburger on Steroids is a spicy all beef delight, that will easily excite your taste buds. A seven ounce handcrafted burger, layered with six, you got that right a full half dozen thick slices of bacon (three apple smoked & three jalapeno infused), topped with your favorite garden veggies, Monterey jack cheese, on a fresh bun slathered with house-made bacon mayo. Jalapeno saturated in the bacon provides just enough kick without setting your mouth on fire. The petite hand-cut French fries are an ideal complement to this ‘beefed up’ taste sensation.
The Smokehouse Burger is a carnivore lover’s delight. A juicy angus patty covered in pulled pork, onion straws, veggies, slathered in house-made apple-bacon BBQ sauce, all oozing under pepper jack cheese and surrounded by a fresh bun. If you’re a calorie counter than maybe skip a meal before tackling this powerhouse.
Coming in at a full 1650 calories, the Bad Ass Burger is appropriately named. A full 10 ounce hand crafted beef patty, layered with buttermilk fried bacon and a thick slice of house-made American cheese, along with veggies and horseradish mayo. A colossal burger for a hearty appetite. If you can down two of these burgers in a single setting than your stomach is a bottomless pit, and you might be in line for a ‘I Love Beef Award’.
All in all there are 12 (count ’em), a smooth dozen signature burgers that will fully tempt and satisfy the palate, including the ever popular ‘Sam i AM’, a brunch style burger blanketed in American cheese, an over easy egg, topped with rosemary ham and pesto. Think of it as an omelet meets the classic cheeseburger.
If there traditional burger listings don’t get your juices running, than you can create your own beginning with the basic starting at $10.50. Choose a 7 or 10 ounce patty to go along with six different bread options including a gluten-free bun, to be smothered in any of 13 cheese varieties, premium bacon slices, and a plethora of toppings that will make your head spin. Not a beef lover, than Bad Daddy’s offers up black bean, tuna, turkey, and chicken breasts as signature sandwiches or build your own.
Not a meat eater at all, they still have you covered. Three Giant Chopped Salads you can get with or without grilled chicken, or just create your own designer salad from select greens, fruits, veggies, nuts, and cheeses, glistening under eight varieties of salad dressings. While beef lovers are royalty at Bad Daddy’s, health conscious diners have many options.
When you pop in most fast food burger joints, you get what you have come to expect. Something with beef flavoring, maybe thinner than cardboard patties, where the bun is most of the sandwich. To get a real stick to your ribs burger you have to drop in a joint that salutes the American icon, and Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is such a place. And Bad Daddy’s does it with flair and uniqueness.
If you’re the dining type that prefers to begin your meal with a finger foods, Bad Daddy’s serves up 10 starters including low country must haves, notably fried pickles, nachos, wings, and a twist on your grandmother’s favorite ‘Not Your Mama’s deviled eggs’. Don’t overlook their sweet potato fries as one of their half dozen sides. They have become all the rage, and make a nice companion to a burger or chicken sandwich.
Bad Daddy’s make their own American Cheese, season many of their smoked bacon slices, and concoct several of their house-made sauces. They could you tell you what’s in them, but obtaining the food and beverage clearance required would send you over the edge. It’s easier just to accept the fact that their burger scientists in the lab (aka kitchen) know what the hell they are doing, and everything they create in the kitchen is kick ass delicious.
With that said keep in mind, while adding condiments is all well and fine, I suggest forgoing ketchup and mustard to fully experience how freakin’ awesome Bad Daddy’s burgers really are. Come in with a healthy appetite and a good grip, because Bad Daddy’s burgers are satisfying and ample, unless you opt for sliders.
Enough about their killer handheld edibles, on the flip side Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is a laid back, bad ass pub doubling as a sports bar. With more than enough big screens surrounding the dining room and the adjacent bar, Bad Daddy’s serves up draft and craft beers (including Holy City), alongside signature cocktails, wine, bad ass margaritas, and alcohol permeated milkshakes. If you’re 21 and older, really what goes better with a formidable burger, than a cold brew or a liqueur laced ice cream beverage. Live a little!
That leaves us with the overall décor’, which is modern industrial with a hint of yesteryear diner. The covered patio reflects an open air container car look, with the dining room and bar adorned with rock n’ roll album covers, vintage photos, rustic signs, and sports memorabilia. Bad Daddy’s has a very welcoming environment.
Let’s break it down. Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar operates under three pillars. They are a bad ass sports bar offering radical hospitality, serving up artfully crafted chef driven food. They’re not high brow and don’t care to be. Providing diners with killer burgers and a killer experience is all they strive for. All their menu items are under $15, most around $12 with appetizers under $10. Beer and mixed drinks are appropriately priced regarding neighboring food and drink establishments.
If you love an awesome burger with a lot of wow factor I recommend dropping by Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar at 200 Front Street in the Nexton community, basically right on 17A (North Main St.) in Summerville. They will quickly become a neighborhood food and drink joint for those living in Nexton and Sangaree, and a after work watering hole. Open 11-10pm Sun-Thurs, and 11-11pm Fri-Sat. Hungry for more, check out their site @ https://baddaddysburgerbar.com/store/sc/nexton-summerville-sc
Paul
January 22, 2020 at 10:22 am
My favorite restaurant until I found a tooth in my burger.