Big Grove Brewery & Taproom

Scott Solyntjes

2024-04

Our family group picked this place for lunch after the little ones had some fun at the Children's museum. From the moment we walked in the door, all of the staff was cheery and friendly.They have a great outdoor area, but it was a little windy, so we ate inside. The menu selection was great from you normal 'brew pub' food. Our order ran from beet salad, lamb meatballs, chicken bacon rolls, to a Poke bowl. The littlest one wanted apple sauce (which we didn't see on the menu) and they were happy to accommodate.The atmosphere inside and out was great as was all of the food. Definitely a place to try if you want to sit outside and enjoy the weather or inside of the weather conditions aren't great. Go check it out!

Craig Brophy

2024-02

A wonderful place to stop.in for a quick bite to eat or have a few adult beverages with your friends. They offer many different beers that they brew on site. A large dining room and bar area. In the warmer months there is also plenty of seating outside. They also have cement calverts for the kids to play on as you enjoy talking and having fun with your friends.

Caleb Heiar

2024-03

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Mary Williams

2024-03

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Sarah Davelaar

2024-03

I've been a regular here since the month this place opened. The beer is delicious. The food options are solid. The atmosphere is perfectly chill and accommodating for any size of group. When it's warm, this place is a hot spot because the outdoor space is huge and comfortable. Within walking distance of a park and some play structures too. Dog friendly.If you want a delicious craft brew, come here. Seriously, they are THE brewery of Iowa. Lots of good options too—it's not like only one or two are good.- People really like all of the Eddys. My favorite is West Eddy, and my husband also likes Royal Eddy.-The IPA or Arms Race were my other go to pours before they expanded the Eddy collection.-Summer Jam is the best sour, maybe that I've ever had ? It's seasonal but highly drinkable.-Citrus Surfer is a new option—it's crisp and fresh, light and tasty.Really you can't go wrong but if you aren't sure, just ask. the bartenders and servers are friendly and know their stuff.Food! The food rotates regularly and is often sources locally which is cool. I've eaten around the menu quite a bit and it's all very good. My only complaint is that oftentimes it's a bit too spicy for me (I'm low on the spicy side of things); however that is really only relevant for the rotating food items.When in doubt, we always get the burger. It's amazing. You will love it. Seriously sometimes we both get the exact same thing because it's that good. The queso is also a regular item for us, and I think the wings or cauliflower is a good appetizer option.My kids LOVE the Mac and cheese. They are preschool age so we usually get the appetizer size and split it rather than two kids meals.The merch is cool. I always want to buy it all.Plenty of clean bathrooms. I hate that the changing table is so close to the hand dryer. But I LOVE that there is a step stool. Why don't more places have these?Lastly, the last time we were here we chatted quite a bit with Adam, who is a manager but happened to be serving (12/26). He picks the best music for playlists and gave me super honest recommendations. Bravo! Give that guy some recognition for being awesome!Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly atmosphere! Plus space to run around or climb outside

Grace Pfeifle

2024-04

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Olivia Williams

2024-04

My boyfriend and I came in on a Sunday night and we were seated right away and server was very attentive. However, our food was extremely disappointing. My boyfriend ordered the pork carnitas and it looked and tasted burnt. I ordered the chicken Philly cheese steak and it also looked and tasted burnt. It was almost to the point where it was inedible. I pulled off a piece to show. The food is always hit or miss here and I would say the only good things are the wings, Mac and cheese, drinks, and the fries. Otherwise don’t waste your time.

Stortz Wellness Intentional Living

2023-05

Great service and wonderful food. We are here once in the summer and so nice to sit outside. This time was with our family and I forgot to take pics of the yummy appetizers! Everything we had was great and they change out their menu on occasion as well. Definitely a great place to have a drink or catch a game.

Brady Williams

2024-02

I visited in January on a Tuesday so there wasn't much going on but the place is chock full of atmosphere and the service was friendly.Tacos and Margs were the special and the Margs were tasty. The taco was not a taco. It was a crispy pita type shell with some refried beans and fixings on it. Tasty, but not a taco and I had to spend a little time letting my brain get over the fact that I wanted a taco and ordered a taco but got some sort of boujie tostada. Still tasty but kind of a disappointment at the same time..This place must be awesome in the summer when you can use all the awesome outdoor space at night.

Eric Mazzeo

2024-03

I love Big Grove. It’s one of the best, if not the best brewery in Iowa. Easy Eddie IPA is such a great beer. The outdoor seating area here is huge and really cool. The have multiple fire pits, an area for kids to play and a spot for dogs to roam. With the nice weather coming up this is going to be a great place to hang and do some day drinking. Parking was a little limited but other than that is an awesome experience all around.

Heather Lewis

2023-06

Service was slow and unattentitive. The sausage and pretzel were good. The Fondue fries were lacking cheese. The mushroom melt was overwhelmed by the goat cheese and lacking other favors. They were out of Pastrami and the daily special before 6pm which was disappointing as that was why we picked this location to dine. The outdoor seating is abundant and comfortable. Super dog friendly, if you want to dine with your four-legged friend.

dagr8n8

2023-07

I would absolutely love to give this place a 5; beer was on point, couldn't beat the atmosphere, half the food I got was AMAZING but my main dish was mehhh.Highly recommend the Spring rolls, cold brew kolsh, and Eddy IPA. Don't recommend the Banh Mi.That said, I would come back here any day. All the beers I had were great and the spring rolls where phenomenal!

jennifer p

2023-06

I am so glad I visited this place. The vibes? Immaculate. Service? Awesome (Hi Jake!). My waiter was Jake and he was super sweet and nice to chat with. I ordered the giant pretzel and a burger. The burger was decent and fries were very good. The special sauce was interesting - it tasted like mustard with a bit of a pickle taste and maybe a little mayo? The star of the meal was definitely the pretzel. It tasted so fresh (and it was.. I was told they’re made fresh in the morning) and the beer cheese was delicious. It was such a relaxing environment and beautiful night. I picked up a couple tees and stickers plus a glass mug. Sadly I live far-ish away in Los Angeles so I cannot be a regular but I would absolutely come back if I visit Iowa again.

Kathi F

2023-05

Wow! Stopped here for lunch and it was delish! Pleasant atmosphere with lots of room to sit. Will, our server (hi, Will!) was very gracious in spite of being a WHITE SOX FAN! (ha ha) The chicken noodle soup was more chicken than noodle and was delicious! The other items were great, too. The double chocolate cookies were to die for and the beer was m-m-good!

Krishna B Kidambi

2023-05

A great brewery in Iowa City. The place is huge and have a lot of outdoor seating. They also have a kids playing area. They have beer selection based on season, which was great. The food kept up with the beers. The crispy cauliflower was very good. The fries were crunchy and good. So this a perfect place with a combo of good food and beer.

Dana Sadler

2022-05

This lunch hour+ exceeded any of our expectations and was INCREDIBLE! The selection of beverages on tap was great, and included more than just Big Grove brews. The amount and variety of food choices on the menu was just right. When there are too many offerings, we get nervous as it has been our experience that a restaurant can't offer everything and have it all be good! We shared the fondue fries as an appetizer and each had a burger, all of which were very good. The best part of our experience, however, was the service. Our waiter, Alex, was friendly, attentive, and helpful. As new, interested customers, we were offered a tour of the brewery and even the lab after our meal. Chad went above and beyond to show and tell us all about their brewing as we toured the facility, answered any and all of our questions, and made sure to point out any obstacles for me as I have a physical disability which affects my mobility. I cannot say enough about Big Grove Iowa City, except that we WILL be back!!Features: INCREDIBLE patio with heaters available at all times for outdoor seating.

H. Zimmer

2024-03

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Christian Maxson

2024-02

I’ve always gone to big grove for their delicious sours, I purchased a pack of double black berry sour last night and accidentally left my card at the bar. When I finally figured out where I had left it I gave them a quick call and they identified the card immediately. Going in tonight to pick it up, the hostess, i believe her name was Carly kindly brought it out to me. This employee went above and beyond for me and I greatly appreciated it.

Adam C.

2023-05

Love the vibe at Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Iowa City, IA. This place is great! Huge outdoor seating area with plenty of space to hang out. Inside has multiple large screens to watch the Hawkeyes play. The beer selection is outstanding and the food is great as well. The Easy Eddy Hazy IPA is my “go-to” and the Classic Bone-in Buffalo Wings still hold up! Big Grove is definitely a must on game day.

Joe Hoium

2021-05

My family and I were in town for the weekend and attempted to stop here on a Saturday night however, we couldn't find a parking spot for several blocks so decided to come back for lunch the following day. We were SO glad we did! We arrived around 12:30 and the place was already fairly busy. We were seated right away and greeted by our server, Alex. It is a fairly open concept that's warm and inviting with a large beer garden with fire pits throughout. We enjoyed a couple beers each during our visit, from IPA's to Sours and didn't find one we didn't like! Our kids got cheeseburger and fries while my wife and I shared our dishes, the Falafel on Flatbread and the Korean brisket fried rice (I can't remember the exact name, but it was on their brunch menu). The food was absolutely delicious and packed with flavor! We will 100% stop here again when in the area. Very family friendly environment!  Our server Alex gave us great service and you could tell by his attitude he was just a genuinely good person which made our visit that much more pleasurable! 10/10 stars!

John Cermak

2022-05

It's a cool location and they do a great job running it. The beers were great with a nice range in variety. I particularly liked their sours and IPAs. Our service was quick, knowledgeable, and friendly - even with it being a very busy day. All of our food was tasty, the cheesy fries appetizer was well worth it as well. I'd definitely come again!

Jen Howe

2024-02

Excellent food and service! Paige was great, and she was funny, too. What a great place. It was too cold to enjoy the outside, but there was plenty of fun inside. There were dogs and kids, and the Hawkeye game was playing. There were fire pits lit outdoors! It was so much fun, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it! Great atmosphere, I'm telling you what, even if you don't think you like brussel sprouts, you have to try them!!! They are delicious! I am a new Burch the bear fan!Kid-friendliness: VERY kid friendly

Joe Simpkins

2023-10

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joseph causey

2023-05

Not much parking on busy night. Large selection of craft beers. Service was a little lacking, they were busy. Got the pulled pork was ok & fries (salty wow). Cheese steak was uniptesive & banh mi (really good)sandwiches. & tried 2 brews, polotnaby leak (warm smooth sweet hoppy) & fungible token.( amber, wheat, long fi nish)Vegetarian options: Lots of vegan & vegetarian options.Parking: Not good if busy park in back.Kid-friendliness: Small play area. Fenced in.

Anthony Do

2022-05

I am visiting town and decided to come here for happy hour on a Thursday evening. I was just looking to grab a couple drinks and maybe some food, but left pleasantly surprised!Parking: They have plenty of parking in their lot and an overflow lot immediately adjacent to theirs. I can imagine parking would be difficult to find during peak hours. We were lucky enough to get a spot right as someone was leaving.Ambiance: I was not expecting much in terms of ambiance, but it turned out to be a really nice setting! There was plenty of outdoor seating, lots of greenery and plants, and it is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset. In fact, I happened to go on a day where the sun looked a brilliant red as it was setting. It is also dog friendly with plenty of people bringing along their furry friend. Inside there was also plenty of seating - tables, booths, and bar as well.Food and drinks: I came mainly for the drinks, but left more into their food. For drinks, I first asked for recommendations for something like a Hefeweizen or wheat, and the bartender recommended the West Main Wheat. It was a solid beer, very light on the wheat flavor. For my second beer, I tried a seasonal beer called Moon Rabbit - a Japanese rice lager. Again, solid beer, nothing special. For the last beer, I got the Que Sera, a sour Berliner Weisse. Solid beer, very subtle hint of tart/sour. At least for the three beers I tried, they were solid beers, but could have been a bit more bold in terms of their described flavors. They have plenty of other options that I did not try, so I admittedly cannot speak to their whole selection. Still good beer nonetheless, though! For food, I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich in their Korean BBQ sauce. Honestly, I did not expect to find this good of a chicken sandwich here! For me, it is probably tied with the best chicken sandwich I have ever had, so that is saying a lot! The sauce was not what I had in mind for Korean BBQ, but let me tell you that the sandwich was delicious! I was pleasantly surprised! I was not in the mood for bar food when I came in, but I am glad I picked this item! The piece of chicken was huge (see photo), the sauce was delicious (not spicy if anyone is wondering), and there were some toppings like cucumbers that added nice texture. My friend ordered the Tuna Poke Bowl, which I also thought was really well done. I was surprised that a bar of all places made poke this good. The only downside in my opinion is that the portion for the poke was pretty small considering it was $14. Overall, super impressed with the food!Service: I read some reviews about how the service was slow, the place was not well kept, etc., so I kept an eye out for these things. I did not experience any of these things. I was checked in on frequently, my drinks came quick, and I felt my food came out in an appropriate time considering how busy they were. Then again, I always time when to order my food when a place looks busy (I ordered with my second beer and my food came when I was ready to order the third beer). Overall, I thought the service was great!A hundred percent would come back! If the weather is nice, this place has a great outdoor venue if you are looking to be outside for a bit! Great food and solid beer. Keep up the good work!

Emmalyn Ferguson

2024-04

first of all when we got there the hosts where not communicative on where we where being sat we only got sitting at the bar as an optionthen when we asked to sit in a booth the other host yelled across the the restaurant which was rude and unprofessional.when our waitir came to our table we had questions about food and the menu had changed and taken off a vegan option. then when we decided to just make do with salmon with salad he said that there was a maple vinegar but there wasn’t so ended up having to have olive oil and we also order forcacia that came out same time as the food and was burnt black and when i asked for another he tried to say “that’s just how they make it” “why don’t you just try it first” and since i am a woman he was taking to me like i was dumb and i didn’t know. by the time we got the replacement bread we where waiting for the check the service was just overall slow he did not check on uswe spilt water and he just brought us a rag and said “let me know if you need another”incredibly unprofessionalthis is the best part - after we paid the check )in cash) with a 22% tip he chased us outside and accused us of dine and dash and didn’t care to look at the table just automatically assumed we where stealingi can confirm i will never be eating here again

C Gengler

2023-05

Coming in from a different state and my wife and I enjoyed some time at this brewery. It was packed due to it being after an Iowa Football game on a Saturday and they were tapped out on "Boomtown" that I was looking to try. My wife and I went through several of the 7oz draft options and aside from one overpowering Sour, everything was fantastic. The scene is great and inviting at night with all the fire pits going and neat lights above the bar. We purchased some merchandise from their side store but had to wait quite a while for someone to man that register for us.

Petey Ramirez Varela

2023-05

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DiLy Fly

2020-05

Nice bar that has plenty to do. The NFL play offs were on and they have great big screens to watch them on. The game room is for me! I LOVE SHUFFLEBOARD. They have ping pong and a connect game. We came in on Sunday afternoon and games were unoccupied. The outdoor patio called to us for when warmer weather arrives with plenty of seating and wonderful fire pits. They have a stage for live music.Food was ok and they kept it so cold inside. It’s a large area by the tv screen so even with the sound turned way down it’s hard to hear others talk because every one around has to speak loudly.Next to the register they posted their daily specials.We had the guacamole had too much citrus that some places add to prevent browning but it really is hard to find a place that does it well. The Ruben, tacos, Leek soup and Korean bowl.

greta fiorillo

2024-01

Had late lunch on a cold Saturday. Place was not busy. I ordered a hamburger and asked it to be cooked a little longer than their standard medium. Plus I didn’t want pickles and asked for lettuce and tomato. I repeated that multiple times to the server. Long story short, they got my order wrong. All I said to the server didn’t happen. So, I sent it back and he said he will have it redo it. I stopped him few minutes after he took the wrong hamburger to remind him I wanted it cooked well. He started to say that it was not possible because they only make it medium. How hard is to keep an hamburger 2 more minutes on the griddle at a slow 2pm lunch?🙈Overpriced and they don’t have any lettuce and tomato to give with the hamburger.