Big's BBQ & Brew Pub — Restaurant in Mount Vernon

This business owner needs a reality check. Portions are way too small, prices are way too high, and the food is not good.

When I got there and sat down, the first thing I noticed was the tables were all full and there was one waiter, who was also the bartender. Needless to say, the service was very slow. Later on after considering everything I came to think he just doesn't want to pay another person. Anyway, when he finally did come to take my drink order, I asked for a Diet Coke. The waiter, whom I think is also the business owner, brought out a 20 oz bottle and glass of ice. Normally, you get a refillable fountain drink. The waiter said if you saw the inside of a fountain, you would not drink from one again. Well, clean it more often, I thought. And again, after considering everything, I call BS on that. He doesn't have one, because he can make more money this way. And the 20 oz bottle was way over-priced as well.

I ordered the Smoked Chicken Sandwich for $12.50, which I thought was high but was willing to try it. The waiter asked if I wanted sauce and slaw on it. Sure, I said. He didn't bother to tell me that it was an extra $1.50. I ordered coleslaw and cornbread for my sides.

When the food came out, the chicken "sandwich" was on a dinner roll. The cornbread was half a slice, and the small amount of cole slaw in a little dish was dry and bland. The chicken was disgusting; if it hadn't had the little amount of slaw and sauce - that was worth pennies, not $1.50 - on it, it would have been inedible.

I've never been there before, and I'll never go back. I tipped well, because unlike the business owner, I'm not a greedy cheapskate. It ended up costing me $22 for the little amount of gross food for lunch. And after we paid the checks, my friend also mentioned that the prices on the check were different from what he saw on the menu.

My friend and I meet for lunch every Saturday. We try out a different restaurant each time. We have done this for years. This is the second time that I have come across this situation. I cannot stand business owners who are cheap and greedy. You're in Mt Vernon, IA. The cost of living cannot justify the higher prices. And BTW, since Cornell College is close by, maybe you should take a couple of classes: 1) a cooking class, and 2) how to run a business. For starters, be up front and honest with people; it goes a long way. Secondly, quit trying to cut every corner; you're just ripping off the people in your...

We went to Bigs around 7 pm on a Weds evening. We got the Texas poppers to start. We got the 2 meat platter with brisket and burnt ends and sides of beans, cornbread, and coleslaw. We added on their special which was jumbo wings. We ordered water and a beer we hadn't tried before. So, to start, the experience was very hit and miss. I would not readily recommend this place if there are other options available. The Texas poppers are regular poppers with a piece of brisket on top wrapped in bacon. They were good, however, they were not freshly made. They appeared to have been sitting around for a bit. This was a theme for the entire meal. Nothing appeared to be freshly made. The brisket and the burnt ends were decent. Nothing special but ok. The coleslaw was terrible, to the point we couldn't eat it. It was dry with no moisture whatsoever. The beans were ok, but appeared to be canned that had been beefed up just a bit. The cornbread was probably the best of the 3 sides. It had a good flavor but was almost too dry but not quite. The jumbo wings were not very good with very little flavor and they had been overcooked. The ranch they brought with the wings was mixed with a vinegar which was a bit off-putting. The beer, hacked up lemon Haze was good. They allowed us to sample before we got a pint. The service was really good and the ladies were very friendly. They made sure we were taken care of and would recommend their hospitality. Overall, it was a mediocre experience with the food and we would probably not go back since we have better options closer to us. It is an ok place with decent options. This has been my experience the last few times I have been to this place. Their bbq pie was really good from one of my...

This is my second time around: Still wonderful. I got the 3 meat sampler this time and I got my own burnt ends, pulled pork and brisket. Potato salad and corn bread.

1st time in original location: Wow. This was wonderful. My friend had the burnt ends. They were excellent (he didn't let me sample so you'll have to trust me that my friend has good taste).

I had Texas Twinkies for appetizer. Ooooh. Bacon wrapped around cheese. Mmm.

I had the brisket sandwich with the house made potato salad and the house made coleslaw. The slaw was creamy but not drippy. Little bit of pepper. Very tasty. It made the meal healthy ;) Potato salad was also wonderful.

Now to the brisket... smaller sandwich but the brisket was crisscrossed layered on. That was really good. Can't wait to try the burnt ends my friend had.

Beers. We had flights Munich Heller, Yaller, Emo GRRL, Irish Stout. I liked the Munich and Irish best. Our host and owner Jimmy is very knowledgeable about beers and origins of them. He brews their beers and his wife does the smoking. He takes older beer recipes and revives them. Very interesting to talk to about this. Very cool he's there to chat with people. Makes it very friendly. The restaurant is an old home in Mount Vernon so that gives it an extra cool "flavor". Next time I'll have to...