Even though I didn't make it to Big Daddy's, I did make a side trip to Hawgeyes BBQ in Ankeny (about 5 miles north of Des Moines). I had seen them listed in the links section so I decided to check it out. Nice place. Hawgeyes is part of a landscaping service, so they share a building, but they have a great selection of sauces and rubs in the store as well as a large selection of books, tools, accessories, grills and smokers. The gentleman I talked to was very nice. He told me that Big Daddy has actually been gone for over a year.
Hawgeyes has a BBQ trailer outside that is open from April on, so next time, I'm going there for some Q!
While I was there, I bought a copy of Smoke and Spice, some Blues Hog rub and sauce, some Mary's Cherry Rub and a couplle of others. Now I have an excuse to cook this weekend!