Big Bear Brewing Company
Reviews
Name: Jessica Stein
Occupation: Art Teacher
Lives In: Ft. Lauderdale
Restaurant Pick: Big Bear Brewing Co.
Reviewed Big Bear Brewing Co.: 02/09/11 at 6:30 p.m.
This is one of my favorite South Florida picks and it never disappoints me, and I have tried so many things on the menu. I went with 2 people - one who had never been to Big Bear so I really hyped up this place to her and only hoped it would exceed her expectations. The portions here are never underwhelming, I don’t think you can leave this place still hungry. We began with the spinach artichoke dip for the table and it was hot, delicious and had a lot of spinach, which I enjoyed. The chips were hot and fresh and it came with a side of salsa to add to our dip. Simple but so enjoyable. Next was the beer Muenster cheese soup, a menu favorite not to me missed. This soup comes served in a bread bowl that you will want to devour as well. When you think of cheese soups you think heavy, this soup is not that. It is light, creamy and they use their house made brew in it (Grizzly Red Ale), which gives it a great complex flavor. You can taste the cheese, the beer, the broth - it is just too good to pass up. We not only finished the soup in record time but the whole bread bowl was gone as well. The service is always great and I find the servers know a lot about the menu and the beer; they will gladly pair a beer and food selection for you. You can also try the beer sampler that has 8 samples of their house made brews. For my meal I got one of my favorites on the menu - the pretzel encrusted chicken. They give you not only one but two chicken breasts that are encrusted with delicious pretzel pieces and pan fried. The chicken was juicy and moist and full of flavor. The meal comes with veggies and garlic smashed potatoes and the buerre blanc sauce that is cheesy and so good! I want to cover my whole meal with this stuff. The fresh veggie of the day was broccoli and it was not just a few pieces. It was almost a while head. Cooked perfectly and still crunchy and flavorful, the sauce is great with this too. The potatoes are creamy, garlicky and not to be missed either. One of my guests had the cheddar chipotle burger with Vermont white cheddar, chipotle ketchup (they make in house), balsamic caramelized onions and fresh spinach. I’ve had this burger a few times and it is a party in your mouth. From the sharp flavor of the cheese to sweet flavor of the onions, all the ingredients meld together so well. After all that food, you would not believe but we had dessert and chose the chocolate lava cake. I was expecting it to ooze out with chocolaty goodness but it didn’t happen. It was still a moist hot and deliciously rich chocolate cake that I enjoyed so much. This was a POW wow meal of awesome; another trip to Big Bear that did not disappoint me.
Name: Yoshi Kirsch
Occupation: Car Exporter
Lives In: Ft. Lauderdale
Restaurant Pick: Café Sharaku
Reviewed Big Bear Brewing Co.: 01/30/11 at 8:00 p.m.
The restaurant is in a strip mall on University Drive. Ample self parking is available. There is a nice water fountain in front of the building. The hostess greets you politely. After less than five minutes waiting time we were seated.
Our waiter was attentive and handed us the menu. After hesitating what beer to order he suggested the “beer sampler”: Eight different beers served on a plastic mat which had a description and alcohol content of every beer on it. We then placed our food order: One appetizer to share, two entrees and one dessert to share. The portions are so big, my wife and I were already full after the appetizer.
If we hadn’t been on a “Check Please!” assignment we would have stopped here. However, one does not find meals like Turkey Meatloaf and Pretzel breaded Chicken breast on many menus in this country. Our request for changing the mashed potatoes to healthier sides was granted. We ate a little and took the rest home. Both dishes tasted good. The desserts are all very rich as we could see when brought to tables surrounding ours. We ordered the “Sampler Trio”: Tiramisu Cheese Cake, Nut Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and a homemade Carrot Cake. We shared the ice cream and took the cakes home. I can recommend this place for families and groups of friends. Because of the noise level, I would stay away when going out.
Name: Jerry Friedman
Occupation: Chiropractor
Lives In: Parkland
Restaurant Pick: Tin Muffin Cafe
Reviewed Big Bear Brewing Co.: 02/10/11 at 7:30 p.m.
Big Bear Brewing Co. is in my neighborhood and I have been to this restaurant many times. I have never had a bad experience and enjoy going there for lunch or dinner. The restaurant is situated right on University drive with ample parking either in front of the restaurant or in the lot behind the restaurant. As you walk into the restaurant you notice the large brewing vats that make this restaurant stand out from the similar type restaurants in the area. The quality of the food is most of the time top rate and the preparation of most of the dishes is done very well. The staff of the restaurant does a great job in making you feel comfortable and wanting to come back often. Our waiter for the evening was Shaun, and he was professional, knew his food and restaurant well, and made suggestions that were well received in our dining party. Though there were some dishes that were slightly uneven, the overall dining experience with regard to price, value and quality of the food is above average. I would recommend Big Bear Brewing Co.
Restaurant Information
Location: 1800 N. University Drive, Coral Springs, FL
Parking: yes
Phone: 954-341-5545
Website: www.bigbearbrewingco.com
Restaurant Owners: Marion Wentworth
Executive Chef: Rick Gonzalez and Reginald Sabin
Pastry Chef: Lynda Papouloute
Type of Cuisine: Creative American
Signature Dishes: Pretzel Encrusted Chicken, Beer Cheese Soup, Burgers,Fall Off The Bone Baby Back Ribs, Brie Pillow Appetizer, and 7 grain Pizza’s
Vegetarian Options: House Made Veggie Burgers or Vegetarian Plate
Alcohol Served: yes
Corkage Fee: no
Bottle Limit: no
Restaurant Hours:
Monday – 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Tuesday – 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Wednesday – 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Thursday – 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Friday – 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday – 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday – 11:00 am – 3:00 pm Brunch
11:00 am – 10:00 pm Full Menu
Meals Served: lunch, dinner, and brunch
Prix Fix Menu: no
Take-Out: yes
Delivery: no
Average Dinner Price Range (per person, full meal, tax, 15% gratuity, w/o alcohol): $25
Average Lunch Price Range (per person, full meal, tax, 15% gratuity, w/o alcohol): $13
Payment Options: do you accept credit cards and if so, which ones? Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Dinners Club, and Discover
Accept Reservations: Sunday through Thursday for 10 people or more
Need Reservations: no
How far in advance do you require reservations be made: n/a
Accommodations for Children: yes
Dining Style: casual
Disabled Access: yes
Restaurant Size: 280 people
Accommodate Groups: yes
Private Dining Room: no
Tables with Scenic Views: yes
Outdoor Dining: yes
Entertainment: no