Our Story
Our Story
Meat is meat.
It's the seasoning.
A market table, a little red trailer, two burger joints and a food truck. Seven awards. The same blends the whole way.
Shop the SeasoningsFind the TruckHow we got here
From a tailgate to your kitchen
Big Dad's Grilling Dust n More
It started with the seasoning. A pop-up tent, the back of an SUV, a chalkboard that said "Free BBQ Samples!" and a banner with a slogan we still use today: Flavor Your Meat. People tried it, bought a bottle, and came back the next weekend for three.
Big Dad's Nappy-Q
We opened a food trailer to sell BBQ with our own rubs and sauces. Mild Seas-n-All was born right here as that BBQ rub. Turns out smoking meat for 14 hours on a trailer is a great way to never sleep. Burgers, though? We were good at burgers. The line said so.
Between the Bun opens
A little white house turned thick-burger joint, grilled backyard style. 100+ burger combinations, a lot of classic cars in the parking lot, and the start of a trophy run.
Bigger kitchen, same seasoning
Between the Bun moved into its final home. More seats, more grill space, and not one change to the blends. Eleven years in a building was a good run, and in fall 2023 we closed the doors.
Smash Daddy's hits the road
We traded the building for wheels. Thick burgers became smash burgers. The blends didn't change one grain. Today the same bottles we cook with on the truck are made to order and shipped straight to your kitchen.
The trophy shelf
Don't take our word for it.
Indianapolis already voted.
- WinnerIndy A-List Best Burger in Indy, 2017
- ChampionIndy Burger Battle, 2015
- WinnerIndy A-List Best Hot Dog in Indy, 2014
- Runner-UpIndy A-List Best Burger in Indy, 2014 & 2015
- Runner-UpIndy Burger Battle, 2014
- Runner-UpBull Burger Battle, 2016
Every one of those burgers was seasoned with what's in our bottles.
Mild Seas-n-All
"Fry crack."
Our customers named it. We didn't argue.
It started as a BBQ rub on the Nappy-Q trailer. Then people put it on their fries. Then their eggs, their popcorn, their chicken and everything else. It's been on every burger we've served for 15 years, and it's made with turbinado sugar instead of plain white sugar for a deeper, caramelized flavor.
Get the Fry CrackWhy it tastes different
Us vs. the grocery aisle
| Smash Daddy's | The grocery aisle | |
|---|---|---|
| Made | To order, in small batches | Months before it hits the shelf |
| Sweetened with | Turbinado sugar | Plain white sugar or corn syrup |
| Preservatives | None. Ever. | Usually |
| Tested on | 15 years of real customers at a restaurant and a food truck | A focus group |
From the founder
"I've been mixing these blends since 2010. They've been on every burger I've ever sold, from a market table to a restaurant to a food truck. When you buy a bottle, you're getting exactly what goes on our food. Nothing watered down for retail. Now go make something worth talking about."
Founder, Smash Daddy's