Big John’s Sans Souci

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eaten at Big John’s, either dining in or getting takeaway, over the years. Having previously lived in the Shire, Big John’s at Sans Souci is an easy location to get to and offers big, value-for-money serves. Service can be a bit brusque when busy and the seating is cosy, but the food is tasty and always generous.

Funnily, however, I’ve never tried their pasta possibly because I get sidetracked by other things. Their Caesar Salad, at only $13.90 and large enough to feed 2 people as a main meal, has a creamy, garlicky and not-too-tangy dressing, hard-boiled egg segments and a smattering of bacon bits. Pizzas are generally thicker-based than I’d like but that’s so they can stand up to the all the toppings which make the pizzas a little difficult to eat without the aid of cutlery. A lighter option is their garlic pizza crust (not pictured) but be warned that this is not for the garlic-phobic. Or vampires.

Monsieur Poisson gave their American-style ribs a try on a recent visit. There are pork, lamb or half-half combination varieties and ribs are smothered in a smoky, tangy sauce on a bed of steak-cut chips for “relief”. The pork ribs are fall-apart tender and receive my mother’s stamp of approval. The sauce gets thicker and stickier on the surface of the ribs as they cool, but this makes for a wonderful caramel-y surface when they’re reheated.

And reheat you will, because you are bound to have a container or two of leftovers to take away with you.

Big John’s Sans Souci

502 Rocky Point Rd (between Sandringham St & Russell Ave), Sans Souci NSW

Tel: 9529 8094

happy eating!