Big Grove Brewery & Taproom — Restaurant in Iowa City

Rating a 5 star on all even though there were small details that could be been better, it didn't warrant lowering a 4 star rating for me.

We've only been here a couple times (several years ago.) It's an out of sight out of mind place for us but we had a gift card to use so we came back. It was a Friday night at 5:10 pm and holy cow....parking lot was full!! We figured we'd have a heck of a wait but somehow we didn't. They have added a ton of outdoor seating with umbrellas for shade so even though the parking lot was full we still got an indoor seat. It was just my husband and I and we ended up with huge booth that seats 6-8 people. Can't complain about elbow room. The only issue with the booth is that because it is made of wood for a rustic look, it is hard to tell if it is completely clean and it did have some sticky spots so we just shuffled ourselves further toward the inside of the booth.

We ordered the fondue fries and taphouse burger to share. Our beverage of choice, and yes we know it's a brewery, was water with lemon. We did have to ask for straws. Refills are brought in new glasses sans lemon.

We ordered straight away when we ordered drinks and the fries were delivered just right after our drinks, which was almost immediate. The burger wasn't long after. Both of those were brought by runners and so it was a bit before the waitress was back to see how it was going and get straws.

The fondue fries were very tasty. we probably could have skipped them but we are glad we tried them. We would order those again.

The burger was good too AND it was cooked 99% to our well done specifications. Many times, beef is never cooked to our liking, as the chefs always seem to have an agenda as to how THEY want to serve it. This had one minor pink area but it was fine. If a burger is good it can be cooked 100% and still be good, it doesn't need to be medium or whatever to be tender and delicious. We did get the sauce on the side and were glad we did as it is a very strong mustard flavor. We had some ketchup for the sweet potatoes fries (not needed...delicious without it) and we put that and some of the sauce on it. The bread and butter pickles were good but (for me...and it's a personal preference) they were too warm. I would do again but get it on the side to put on last minute before eating.

Ambience? Music was a little bit too loud for us so an outdoor seat might be better for us. Not sure about people level outside. I would say a majority of the people at our 5:30 pm Friday night timeline was having a beverage more than eating so they were chattier. Personal preference.

All in all we were there 35-40 minutes start to finish. Time of day for a meal may be a factor for that. I wouldn't expect that every time a visit is made.

Bring cash if you don't want to pay a card convenience fee although since we used their gift card I was surprised (and didn't catch it until later when we got the receipt printed -- as all we saw was the total, ready for tip amount when the payment device was presented) that we were charged to use their Big Grove Brewery gift card. The waitress hovered a bit since they use an electronic system and it was awkward to try and talk tip amount to my husband while she was standing there.

P.S. The door to go in is on the west side (which is what I would consider...

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...

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. The Chicken Bao buns are really tasty too.

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...