Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 004 July 2011 | Page 16

Wanna
Wreck
Your
Diet?
S

eafood at it’s
best is not only
a motto for Big
Daddy’s, it’s a way
of life. For 37 years
the y have b een
serving up some
of the best seafood the area has
to offer. “We hear
customers say all
the time that they
have been at the beach all week
but waited to get their seafood
fix when they got back home,”
explains owner Freddie Lancaster.
It all started back in 1963
when Tommy Lancaster, Freddie’s grandfather, opened a small
hangout for the local teens in Kure
Beach. Everyone began to call him
Big Daddy after his resemblance to
Burl Ives who had starred in the
hit movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
a few years before. From there, it
stuck. The hangout grew into a
restaurant appropriately named
Big Daddy’s. The restaurant moved
to the Lake Norman area in 1974
becoming a favorite spot among a
new set of locals. “We have regular
customers that eat with us a least
once a week,” says Lancaster. “We
know about their family, birthdays, businesses; they are just as
much apart of the restaurant as
we are.”
Ask any of these regulars and
they will tell you all about Big

16

Daddy’s. There is a reason they
don’t miss their weekly visit. The
food can explain that. The fried
seafood platters are sure to wreck
your diet. Piled high with a mixture of lightly breaded seafood, a
side of homemade slaw, and your
choice of side, these entrees will
please any taste buds that crave
something from the sea. However,
if you are not aiming to gain a few
extra pounds in one sitting, they
offer an array of healthier choices.
The salad bar could make a meal
out of itself if you choose, offering
countless toppings and dressings.
All of the choice steaks and broiled
platters are popular as well. They
also carry a catch of the day that
varies from grilled Grouper to
Mahi. If you aren’t in for a feast,
the menu provides options for
those with a lighter appetite also.
Smaller portions of select dishes
are available under the children’s
and senior citizen’s section. Don’t
worry though, there’s no age limit.

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