Big Daddy's Right On The Dam Highway - Vian, Oklahoma

Travis R.

We had a big family outing at the lake and we stopped by here one day for lunch on a weekend with 10 of us. From older adults to newborns.

From the outside, the facility has a very unique look to it, and certainly looks like it probably would be more fun on a cool night and going out for drinks as there is a really nice enclosed seating area that would be great for nights.

Our waitress was one of those older ladies that had been doing this for a while and was wheeling and dealing and called you "hun". You know, the type that is amazing at her job.

The menu was pretty straight forward, more so your typical American diner menu. My meal which was the country fried steak & eggs was very satisfactory. The prices were entirely reasonable and affordable given the tourist location it is at.

It sounds great, and is great, but needs some refinement for a truly great experience. I work in architecture so I know these areas are must upgrade:

A) Entrances, where is the main entrance? There is no signage or architectural element that indicates where the main entrance is.
Although the restaurant has a fun eclectic look that is appealing. You'd still expect some sort of guidance. Our family kind of slowly walked along the two main sides of the restaurant till one of us tried open the patio door and we kinda just shuffled in assuming we were going the right direction.

B) Restrooms are undersized, not conditioned, not ventilated, dirty, and toilets are raised on a platform. I am pretty tall, so my feet were on the floor as I sat up higher 8" or so inches and I could barely move the room was so narrow. When I was done in the toilet, I was dripping in sweat and smelly. Nor was there a changing table, or counter top for us to change our baby's diapers. If you plan on going here... go to the restroom before hand and save yourself a scare.

C) It looks like at various times there have been upgrades and residential fixtures were used, which are deteriorating since they weren't made for commercial use. Those probably should be swapped out.

Shaun B.

We came down for the weekend for the first time and stopped in Big Daddy's. The girl that is working the front had 7/4 tops and two 8 tops there's not a waiter in the world that can provide good service do that many people at once. We waited and waited and waited for coffee to get her order in while there were six people in the back hardly doing anything not helping this poor girl. I like the atmosphere the food was decent for where you're at, but I can't believe they put that poor girl in that position.

Kerry J.

Service was very unorganized and slow. Onion rings are very good and so is the grilled chicken. Pulled pork and hamburger were ok. The fries were so salty we couldn’t eat them. Gravy was cold on the mashed potatoes. This used to be one of the better places to eat around the lake.

Amanda B.

Quiet. Came in early on a Saturday 3Pm.
Drove from Tulsa to try the calf fries, was not disappointed. Traci was our waitress, she was attentive and polite. The calf fries were cooked to perfection. None burnt, not too much bread. The wife had the grilled shrimp po boy, shrimp is fresh!

Definitely worth the drive where ever you're coming from 🙂

The cooks today were: Richard and Kaylee!! Thanks for a great dinner!!

Collin O.

Yummy! Everything was really good! We would definitely come here aging! We both ordered the pulled pork meal. The meat could have been warned up a bit more, still tasted great! The chili cheese fries were hot and fresh! The baked beans were more like pork and beans with onions and peppers, lots of good flavors. Our waitress was supper friendly and took good care of us! The boss lady was out of town and the crew was still doing fantastic! Good job Big Daddy’s!

Escapees B. C. R.

Hubs and I shared a chicken fried steak “dinner” for lunch…great flavor, one of the best we’ve had. Fries and homemade coleslaw were good too, flavorful sauce on the slaw not runny. Took a blackberry cobbler home for later that was delish! Not too sweet with chunks of blackberries. Would definitely eat here again. Friendly staff, quick service on a Sunday in late April.

Brandon C.

Visited while camping here back in the spring. Was impressed walking in with the atmosphere. Felt like we had walked into an old roadhouse.

Wait staff were very friendly and attentive but the food was not very exciting. The pulled pork was ok and my child enjoyed her chicken strips.

Will give it a shot again the next time I am through here, maybe it was just an off day!

Isaac B.

Great people. It’s like they pulled up a festive beachfront restaurant and dropped it right here on Lake Tenkiller. Love the creative work that has gone into the place. Big Momma (April), a former art teacher at Vian still has painted murals all over the walls and loves serving their customers on Lake Tenkiller, while her husband works the grill. Both of them have been my teachers and they are some great folks. Have a creative youngster in your crew? Decorate a plate and decorate the ceiling.