Blake Zeitman and his beach-themed food truck.: Paul Galvani photo
“I’m a fat kid that likes fat-kid food, so my menu is everything I like to eat.”

That’s how Blake Zeitman describes the menu for his Big Daddy Z’s food truck.

“My mom told me once that during my life I had probably consumed $100,000 worth of food,” Zeitman said. “I’ve always loved to cook and would like to own my own place one day. This truck is one step along that way.”

A quick look at Daddy Z’s menu and you know Zeitman had some fun naming his dishes.

The foundation of the Fozzy Bear is slow-cooked pork butt. It’s topped with Monterey Jack cheese and Zeitman’s “Texas toothpicks” (thinly sliced jalapeños and onions — batter-dipped and fried). The latter adds an unexpected crunch to the wonderfully soft meat. On top of all this, Zeitman places a few slices of sweet-and-spicy pickle and a drizzle of Big Daddy Z’s secret sauce.


The Angry Mac is a grilled Spam, cheese and fried egg sandwich.: Paul Galvani photo
For the Angry Mac, Zeitman grills a couple of thick slices of Spam and tops it with Monterey Jack, a fried egg and sweet-and-spicy chili sauce. The sandwich is served on a sweet Hawaiian roll. It’s an exhilarating combination of salty, slightly sweet and spicy.

Zeitman makes a dessert he calls BTS bites. “It’s short for ‘better than sex,’ ” he explained.

Rolo candies and mini pretzels are dipped in funnel-cake batter and fried. When the pieces come out of the fryer, he hits them with Himalayan sea salt and a fabulous caramel sauce. The combination of sweet and salty flavors makes this treat addictive.

Despite the lack of any formal training as a chef, Zeitman has a knack for designing creative dishes that work. Maybe he really is just making what he likes to eat. Luckily, what he likes tastes really good.

Find the Big Daddy Z’s next stop at bigdaddyzs.com.


Paul Galvani is the author of the upcoming guide Houston's Top 100 Food Trucks.