Williams moved to Joensuu from Tallahassee, Florida in 2006. Like so many expatriates, he has a Finnish spouse. Family issues were also the reason for their move to Finland.
“After my father passed away I couldn’t stay in the States,” Williams said. But soon after arriving, it was evident that there was no going back, he said.
Burgers specialty for Deep South gourmet
Williams says he has always loved barbecue food. After moving to Joensuu, working in a consulting firm and even coaching American football, he rolled up his sleeves. Big D’s BBQ is a barbecue stand at the Joensuu Square.
Finnish barbecue left much to be desired, Williams said.
“Real BBQ can only be found in the Deep South, where it’s made by people who’ve done it their whole lives and grown up in that culture,” he said. “I wanted to bring that experience to the people of Joensuu, so I bought a trailer and built a barbecue grill.”
Williams could perhaps be considered a hamburger purist: he says that only patties of barbecued cow can be called ‘burgers’.
Williams says he appreciates the relaxed Finnish way of life, wherein work seldom follows people home and where the sauna is important.
“In the US, holidays are short and kind of stressful, because you might be called in to work on a day off,” he says.
The establishment’s Facebook pages can be found here and here.
Williams also owns a Finnish grill kiosk in Mutala in addition to his barbecue stand. His favourite things about Finland are the cabins, the saunas – and the Karelian pies.
