Big Nate’s Backyard Grill

As a Texan living in Arizona, there are two beautiful BBQ spots this side of Phoenix and Little Miss BBQ: Caldwell County and Big Nate's!! Big Nate's wins the veto for having both sweet Tea AND damn good TexMex queso!! Delicious smoke pit BBQ 100%.

"When a restaurant has those giant plain white styrofoam cups, you know it's about to hit." ― @simoncholland, Twitter/XFour words: Beef tallow french fries.Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about the third location of the Big Nate's empire. The Location: Located in a building older than Arizona's statehood (the building constructed in 1910), Big Nate's Backyard Grill is their newest concept here in the heart of Downtown Gilbert. Big Nate's shares this historic space with JesterZ Improv Comedy Club and what a happy marriage. They have a walk-up service window that serves the same delicious food as they do in their restaurant but you can dine al fresco. While dining outside, you get a view of the newly constructed park, the historic Gilbert Water Tower, and the Historic Adobe Pump House (formerly Gilbert's first jail).The Food: The food here leans more towards burgers and sandwiches, as opposed to bbq platters like their other two locations, and while their smoker is at the other two locations, you can still get their amazing smoked meats like the 14-hour smoked brisket. I recommend getting your NATE Dawg and the burger topped with brisket even. They still have use their tasty homemade pickles and barbeque sauces. They also have a crookie (croissant + cookie) on the menu that you can get it deep-fried in the beef tallow. Trust me, you'll want it deep-fried in the tallow. They also have a soda bar here so have fun like you're on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives!The Entertainment (JesterZ): With a rotating cast of 15 professional actors, comedians, and stand up comics, you'll sure laugh until your side pinches. Their shows are about 90-minutes and you can order tickets online.They are currently doing their soft opening so hours may vary but come January 2025, they'll be up and running officially. Get some good food by the most welcoming family in the state. I can sing their praises for hours but you don't want that smoke. The smoke you want is on their food. Ba-dum-tss! Wishing this beautiful and welcoming family ALL the success! Fingers crossed for a Big Nate's Wings concept next.*The name NATE in their business name is actually an acronym for the founding pit masters and their beautiful wives: N (Newell Ray), A (Anna), T (Tyra) and E (Eric). Anna and Newell Ray are siblings and thus, they're a family!

Big Nate's is a cozy window service for bbq and burger sandwiches. The meal was okay in my opinion. I ordered the turkey sandwich and the big Nate's bbq sandwich and Mac n cheese. There was a decent amount of meat, I found the peppered crust on the brisket to not be my favorite. My order was brought to me incorrectly (they were not busy at this time) as I took the order to go. But after I walked back it was corrected. It was just okay in my opinion, loved the window service and the convenience. Is it the best bbq? No. But if you are craving a quick bite. This place will

I went back a second time after speaking with the owner (Eric). It was a completely different experience. The brisket was moist, tender and delicious. The bark was a little too salty for my taste. The sweet potato fries were excellent and enough to share. Looking forward to trying the beef ribs on Friday or Saturday.

Great little hideout place in downtown Gilbert. The burgers were very fresh and good. Their custom sodas were delicious. Outdoor seating was nice this time of the year. Staff was quick and friendly.

The food is incredible and the portions are great! Easy for two to share if you don't want leftovers! Price is also fair.

Went in for the grand opening. Burgers are large and tasty. Service was quick, ambiance as expected. We love a place that sells quality beef.

The food was fantastic. I had a single burger with both sweet potato fries and regular fries with a drink. Everything was fresh and delicious. My wife and I will be coming back. Side note: the soda options were fantastic. I loved the creations that you can get there.

Tried Big Nate's today. Got the Brisket sandwich and sweet potato fries. Fries had the right amount of crunch and chew and tasted great. Bun was good. Brisket smelled like good BBQ but was pretty dry and cut a little too thick so that you got too much of that hard dense bark per bite. Tried the two tomato-based BBQ sauces. I normally like the spicy sauces but I found the "Original" to be a better match for the rub on this brisket. Overall I'll go elsewhere to satisfy my brisket cravings. I might come back to try their burgers though.

I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. It took forever to come out, was luke warm when it came out, and the cole slaw on the sandwich was bitter and tasted rancid. Will not come back.