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Big Time Brewing Company
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 12:30 am
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 1:30 am
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
It quickly became a destination for those who craved original and handmade items from around the world. Items were sold at cost, plus ten percent -… read more »
141 reviews for Big Time Brewing Company
Review Highlights
"...would highly recommend the Coal Creek Porter and the Atlas..."
(in 8 reviews)
"Baked potatoes are loaded with toppings."
(in 9 reviews)
"The beers are top notch (with very few exceptions."
(in 46 reviews)
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141 reviews in English
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Review from Tara B.
Caspar, CA
2/29/2012
Hell yes to:
- tasty beers
- cheap bar snacks
- french fries on the menu with a variety of interesting ketchups (curry and chipotle? mmmm.)
Loved it. -
Review from Tony G.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've only been here twice but both times have been memorable. Even though I have only had the Big Wooly Barleywine and Whiny the Complainer TIPA, they are both fantastic beers. I love the ambiance of the place and the people who worked there seemed really nice. I need to come here more often!
Zipzap Zubidy Bop! -
Review from Jason G.
Seattle, WA
2/22/2012
I used to love this place...
The Trombipulator is a cool name for a beer that will kick you in the face. The food is yummy and the beers are rad. I also love the tables and the lighting. It's not dark, and even when it's crowded, if you had a table you didn't feel claustrophobic.
I have stopped going...
Why? (You haven't asked)
BECAUSE THEY SOLD THEY M'F'ING SHUFFLEBOARD TABLE!!!
They had the nicest smoothest longest (it gets sexual doesn't it?) shuffleboard table in the state of Washington.
Nothing, nothing, was better then going to Big Time, getting a bunch of pitchers and playing shuffleboard.
Big Time, I give you two stars in the hopes that you read these review and will bring back your table. If you do you'll bring me, my friends, and my alcohol fused bar tabs back as well. -
Review from Jamie O.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Big Time Brewery is a cool little bar/brewery that I was lucky enough to visit last night for a big ole birthday bash. We got there pretty early and snagged some big tables in the back.
We mainly drank large amounts of beer :) Being a carb watcher my choice was Prime Time which was really quite delicious. The food is meh, just ok. The beer is what shines here. I also loved how busy the joint got, and it was loud and exciting, lots of fun!!! For being in the back service did not suffer, so I really have nothing to complain about at all.
Side note, the bathrooms are well kept and clean, which is always important for me ;) -
Review from Dave A.
Seattle, WA
12/22/2011
What's not to love about The Big Time? Good beer, good food and a normally chill crowd make this my absolute must-visit place on the Ave. I say a "normally chill crowd" because a few times I've been here during a particularly busy time of year (last day before mid-winter break at U-Dub for example) and the place gets SLAMMED, but never so much that I can't get served. That's a rarity, most of the time the volume and crowds are even enough that you can actually have a conversation without shouting to be heard.
Many beer snobs don't really give this place the props it deserves but the seasonal beers at Big Time are really some of the best in town, and the stapes are always consistent so from where I stand that keeps them on the beer map for me. The Christmas Ale and the Barleywine were particularly good in 2011 for example.
The food is pub food, but a good version of pub food so I never feel tempted to jump over to a Thai joint on the Ave, but with so much good food in this neighborhood it's hard to say that The Big Time is a destination restaurant. The big news is they now have a fryer, and are serving Pommes Frites that come in a clever paper cone held in place by a metal funnel (classic Belgian style) and they're pretty awesome. Some of the several dipping sauces are not so great (speaking of "Thai" Aioli here) so order carefully.
The Big Time is always a good time! -
Review from Lauren B.
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Got the 8" Sausage Italiano pizza, which was tasty but a HUGE ripoff at $12.95, unless there were gold flakes in that sausage and I just missed it. The guy behind the counter was also curt and unfriendly. Maybe if I had gone there to drink the price of the food would have seemed less outrageous, but definitely not somewhere I would go for dinner again.
Listed in: PIZZA
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Review from Jeanny M.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Baked potato!!!!!!!!!
I've been craving a baked potato for a few weeks now and fondly remembered the days back in the UW Terry Hall Cafe (or T-Cafe, showing my age now) where they had a baked potato bar for a couple bucks.
I have been to Big Time several times in the past, once for their baked potato (the way I fixed it tho, it was definitely more than a couple bucks), for some brew, and for some pub grub. It was alright.
I decided to check out Big Time with my big girl pants on and ordered their "basic baker "potato with cheese, bacon, and broccoli. By default, potatoes come with butter and scallions. Each topping from their board is $0.50. If you wanted their chili as a topping, it was $2.
The potatoes are huge! And arrived pretty darn fast. The potatoes are obviously cooked earlier and kept warm until served, but they were NOT dried out at all, which is great! For about $6, I was very pleased. My dinner partner was happy with her chili potato and noted that their chili (in addition to meat) had a nice serving of vegetables too.
The space did not get all crazy crowded at all during lunch. The patronage appears to be older, staff type people. It's kind of a hidden spot from students, I guess..who would think to have lunch at a pub? They offer other tasty-sounding things like pizza and wraps. I definitely want to come back for a wrap!
tip: If you follow them on twitter/you show them that you are and you get a free drink. I didn't check my email (which told me about the free drink) until AFTER I got back from lunch there. D'oh! -
Review from Bob Z.
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Big Time is a Seattle beer institution. When other brewpubs were just a glint in some guy's eye, Big Time was already a going concern. It looks like it has been there forever and the rest of Seattle just kind of grew up around it, which is almost true.
The beer is great. They had of their own IPAs on tap (one of them on cask) when I last visited. Bhagwan's Best is a perennial favorite but the latest one (I forget the name) was great!
The Ave Rat malt liquor is worth a try when it's on tap and the Old Sol Wheatwine is a treat I don't get to try often enough. I got the pizza the last time I was here. Their Hawaiian pizza with jalapenos added is fabulous.
The place gets kinda packed during "Grumpy Hour" from 2:00 to 5:00, but it clears out considerably when the prices return to normal. -
Review from Daren D.
10/9/2011
Me, JP and some newfound friends were gallivanting the ghost town of Saturday night University Ave (what, no tumbleweeds?).
*we pass by Big Time*
*we stop*
*we turn a 180*
*...then a 90*
No beer for me (yet?). We crashed at the bar before they closed to hang a bit. The bartender was nice enough to point out the water thermos behind me. I enjoyed the background music. -
Review from Kevin C.
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was a little confused when i first got here, because i thought there was going to be a waiter or waitress that ran around, but you have go up to the bar to get your drinks, and/or the kitchen to get your food. 2 separate tabs. and then you go sit down.
The pizza is ok, i found the dough to be a little doughy, but the beer here is good. I rather like the amber ale. -
Review from Lee W.
10/9/2011
Cruised through this place last night after a few pitchers at The Rat and the Raven.
The pumpkin beer tasted absolutely nothing like pumpkin. So while it was a tasty beer, I was expecting some pumpkin taste in that bad boy.
The bartender was a wee bit surly. But perhaps I was a wee bit drunk. The kitchen closes at midnight, so unless you want to drop a Thomas Jefferson on some pretzels or spicy nuts than you better show up early.
Reminder to self: Update review after drinking more of their beers. -
Review from Brad P.
Located on the Ave near the University of Washington, this place is definitely a college bar. If you are looking for any sort of sophistication, you won't find it here - and that isn't a bad thing.
I am a bit of a beer snob, so I will always give higher marks to a place that has their own brews. Prices on the beer were comparable with what you would expect at a place of this type and the Amber was delicious.
The menu is relatively small and given the overall atmosphere and location, you would expect the prices to be cheaper. My sandwich was just ok, but the pizza is really good.
Another plus was that rather than the radio, they were simply playing the entire Mumford and Sons album. -
Review from Suie C.
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is convenient if your on the ave. We stopped in here for a drink to kill a bit of time.
If you like beer, this place if good for you. They only had 3 or 4 wines to choose from and they don't have liquor.
Our bartender was quick with our drinks and the inside is actually fairly spacious. However, it can get a bit noisy, they had loud music playing when we stopped in during the afternoon. -
Review from Leah H.
6/9/2011
Local beer. Convenient location. I want to love this place, I really do. But I end up finding it (and mostly the beer) rather 'eh' time after time.
Pros:
The space is beautiful. Big wood tables to spread out and work at, a gorgeous wood bar, and huge windows to peek at the rare Seattle sun.
Plus I love being able to see inside the brewery itself (cute boys making beer... thank you!).
And they have great "grumpy hour" food specials and a punch card for loyal visitors that gets you $0.50 beer.
Cons:
You cannot pay for or order beer and food from the same area. That means that if you want some snacks after your first pint and you're paying with a card you have to close out your bar tab, order food at a separate area, pay and run your card again, and then return to the bar with your card to open your tab again. Whew!
Mostly why I can't love Big Time though? The beer doesn't hold up to the other great Seattle breweries. All their varieties are on the malty side and lack the hop-forward flavor that makes Northwest beer great.
Insider Tips:
The place has free wi-fi but you have to get the code from the staff.
The atmosphere changes drastically depending on the time of day. In the afternoon find really casual service and some families in the dining room. The nights are PACKED with college and graduate students and service can be slow as a result. -
Review from Seth B.
Seattle, WA
5/17/2011
Big Time has been the go-to bar for my friends and me since college, and we always seem to find ourselves coming back here. It's sort of surprising, considering that it's right in the middle of the Ave, but the crowd is a lot less collegy than you might think. The people here skew a little older, which makes for a much more laid-back atmosphere. It also seems to be busy around dinner time and then clear out as the evening goes on, so it's never difficult to find a table for a large group of people.
I do wish I liked the beer here more, though. As someone who generally likes lighter and/or sour beers, most of their beers are much too dark or hoppy for my tastes. When the so-called "wheat ale" tastes like an IPA, that's a bit of a problem. It's a small price to pay though, since the atmosphere is great, the food is all solid, and they always seem to be playing good music. Definitely worth visiting if you want a place to hang out in the U district that isn't crawling with popped collar frat boy types. -
Review from Rachel P.
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nestled in the heart of U-District, this is the go to bar before, during or after any UW games! It tends to get crowded, but it's worth the wait as the beer here is yummy!
Laid back and casual atmosphere makes this a perfect place to meet friends for a local brew and good times! I've yet to try the food but it always looks yum! I also love the fact that they have growlers to take home some of the home brew! -
Review from Anna P.
Updated - 4/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Big Time is unequivocally, irrefutably, indubitably my favorite bar in Seattle. Sure, I've been a 'regular' at other bars in my day, but Big Time is the only bar that I have consistently frequented for the last five years, no matter which corner of Seattle I resided in at the time. The beer selection is ever-changing but ever-dependable at the same time. There has never and will never be an instance where I can't find something I'll like on tap. And while we all come here to first and foremost indulge in our love of beer, there is also plenty of tasty (and surprisingly non-greasy) food to be eaten along with your favorite brew. It really does not - no hyperbole intended - get any better than that.
As long as I live in Seattle, Big Time is my home bar.Listed in: U District & U Village, Drinking, The Bestest
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/24/2007
Let's put it out there: I'm a girl who loves beer. I won't deny drinking a classy pint can of PBR at… Read more »
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Review from Greg G.
Seattle, WA
11/22/2011
Good: the food and beer are decent, although rather abundantly priced.
Bad: the service is at best indifferent, at worst outright hostile (steel yourself before venturing to the bar). They don't bother to state people's names when putting an order out, resulting in confusion during peak hours and risking people taking the wrong orders.
Overall: can be OK given the U-District's extremely limited bar options. But there are much better places out there. -
Review from Ray E.
Seattle, WA
11/20/2011
Had the Atlas and spicy fried chicken sandwich. Both were very good. Wish they gave me a bigger sandwich and cheaper beer though. I never even knew this place existed, it's kind of tucked in by 41st but the inside was very spacious and had a cool vibe.
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Review from Sara L.
2/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am kind of astonished that I've never written a review for Big Time. Maybe I just took for granted that this is the best bar in the universe, and therefore thought no review was necessary. This bar is my home bar. From the time I turned 21 five years ago, this place has been my bar. Over the years I've gotten to know multiple bartenders, had pretty much every beer they brew, spent hours and hours with friends eating baked potatoes and playing games.
I've recently moved to Olympia, but my relationship with Big Time is still going strong. Every time I'm back, I'm in and saying hi to Rick and playing dominoes at the bar and eating their new addition of Belgian Frites (complete with dipping sauce!). This place is an oasis in the midst of frat-bars, and I hope I'm still visiting twenty, thirty, forty years from now. -
Review from Jannie H.
Jacksonville, NC
6/8/2011
Definitely love the local beers that they have on tap. Went here with some friends on a Thursday night, and it was pretty slow, considering it was before Memorial Day weekend, it was expected. We tried the cider they had on tap, and it was delicious, tasted like sparkling apple cider. Hahaha, we like girly drinks.
We felt that the crowd at Big Time Brewing Company attracted more a graduate crowd, but we liked that it was quiet enough where we could have an intimate conversation with each other. -
Review from Steven C.
Marysville, WA
10/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
IPA Heaven! They are three IPA's that were all wonderful. I did not like the fact that you had to get up and go get your own beer they don't bring it to you. I only like their IPA the others weren't very good. The wait staff didn't seem very friendly or like they cared about anyone but maybe their friends that were there.
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Review from Colin D.
4/24/2011
While Big Time isn't my favorite brew pub in Seattle, it's pretty special given that (1) it's located on the Ave where it's easy to get to for events with friends from campus, (2) they brew their own beer which is pretty damn tasty, (3) they make really good pizza that's reasonably priced and (4) they usually have lots of space to set up with your friends.
When I first came to Seattle, this was just another watering hole with maybe slightly better than average pub grub because they had decent pizza. Since then, I've gotten to know the Seattle beer scene a lot and realized that Big Time is actually a hidden gem with some really good brewing that goes on inside. Their barleywine is some of the best in the country and they do special brews that are delicious. The St Patty's day Irish stout was really worth trekking out for.
The only problem is also one of it's nicest features, which is that it's right on top of UW meaning it's really easy to go out with friends from school and have a nice time, but also it gets overrun with college students on the weekends making it a lot less mellow than you might otherwise like. -
Review from Laura H.
4/12/2011
Good beer. I was here a few days back and fell in love with their Oatmeal Stout. I'm a sucker for a good dark beer - if it tastes like chocolate and coffee and brew in one delicious malty cup, I'm down to clown.
However, I kind of wish I was still in college. I think I'd like this place more if I was. I was here on a Saturday night and the place was awash with frat kids and ROTC groupies and any amount of stereotypical collegiate groupings you can think of.
Now, I'm also not that removed from college and it wasn't as though it made the bar unpleasant or we had any trouble. I just felt a little weirdly out of place and it just really wasn't my scene. Or maybe I've got Stockholm Syndrome for the hipster bars on Cap Hill. At any rate, sitting around with a sea of students wearing Huskies sweatshirts just made me feel a bit odd.
And I got asked for my ID no less than three times. Ugh. Not that I don't understand why they do it, but, still. Ugh. -
Review from Alisa B.
12/31/2010
So here's something funny you probably don't know about me... i love Beer culture, hell I love it so much I work at a brewery (not this one) but I cannot freaking stand beer! lol! yeah seriously what the hell is wrong with me?
Regardless this place still gets the big five star rating from me... the people behind the bar are awesome always sweet but just rough enough around the edges that you want to hear more about them.
The pizza is pretty yummy too... and the atmosphere is that of a place you could just chill with your friends for hours in (believe me i've done it)... yup, I'm all about Big Time : )Listed in: Best of My Best
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Review from Miranda H.
Seattle, WA
8/9/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great IPAs, good happy hour specials, and a stamp card that allows you to obtain a $.50 beer after 10 stamps. You can't go wrong with Big Time.
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Review from randi s.
1/21/2011
I came here on a Monday day last week for a bite after going to Red Light to search for outfits for the Elite Hard Rock event. I have been here before and have always been impressed with the food. There were plenty of open tables since it was the middle of the day, there were students there studying and a few random people mostly reading and relaxing. I like how they serve their own beers and the porter was on special.
However, after living on the Eastside for some time and being used to my "cheers" bars, I have realized that the bartenders on the Ave can have some weird attitudes. I know they have to deal with obnoxious college kids most of the time, but I felt a weird vibe from the bartender in that "you are lucky I am serving you" type of way. We are walking up to the bar in the middle of the day when it's not busy! When you slam down the receipt in front of me, say thank you! Not the other way around! JEesh.. :) Luckily their sandwiches and tasty beer is better than their service, but I tend to frequent places based on the quality of the service, not the food! (Call me a weirdo) -
Review from Joe M.
Seattle, WA
9/29/2011
Big Time deserves 5 stars for their beer alone. I feel lucky to live near them: there aren't many brewpubs with their creativity, much less places that constantly make up delicious new recipes and have great deals. The food is alright. The nachos are the best bang for your buck.
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Review from Gretchen J.
Tucson, AZ
8/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awesome beer and delicious pizza!!!
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Review from Robert S.
10/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
My ASU friends and I came here before and after the last ASU @ UW game, due it's close proximity to Husky Stadium.
We strolled in, got a few boos (as expected), and ordered some drinks. They got some pretty delicious beer here, at least to me. We enjoyed the beer, chatted up some fans on both sides, and headed to the game.
After we came back, we did the same thing, except we ordered food too. The staff immediately recognized us again (not too many ASU fans I suppose), and set us up with a pretty nice big table. It was a good time. If I lived in the area, this would be a place I'd stop by ALL THE TIME, guaranteed.
This place is pretty ballertronix. I definitely want to visit here again whenever I'm in the hood. -
Review from Hailee G.
11/21/2010
I went here with a few of my friends after the football game on Thursday night. We were going to go to Schultzy's (probably should have) but decided to try out a new place.
1) The atmosphere was cool... there were cool things to look at on the walls and I liked the feel of the restaurant - however, they don't have table service at night so you walk up to the bar to get drinks and walk up to the kitchen window to get food. Kind of frustrating when we all have huge coats we don't want to leave at the table and are eager to get food and drinks.
2) My two friends and I were the only girls in the entire place - actually (except for the staff) ... and definitely the only people under 30 -- so not really a college place
3) The beer was good, but not great for the price it was. And they don't give specials after game days (which I don't appreciate)... Mine was $4.50 for a good, but not great pale ale (could have gone to schultzy's and gotten a delicious beer in a way bigger size for 50 cents more)
4. A couple of my friends ordered food... one got the BBQ Chicken pizza and he said is was good but not great on the spectrum of pizzas (especially in the area) and my other friend got the BLTT, and she said it was good. (the sandwich was a pretty good price, but the pizza was definitely not). It looked like they offered some other good options but we didn't try anything else.
5. Overall, I probably wouldn't go here again. I keep comparing it to Schultzy's, mainly because its similarish and right across the street and I would definitely pick schultzy's over Big Time. -
Review from Jessi M.
Seattle, WA
1/19/2011
I've been here a few times now and enjoyed it every time. It's a particularly type of bar-- no table service, quieter atmosphere-- but a type I tend to like.
I'm not actually a big beer drinker, which sometimes puts a damper on going out. What's nice about Big Time is that (at least every time I've gone there), they've had a really nice cider on tap. They've been complex, dry, sweet, whatever, but always interesting and always tasty. It means I can still grab a pint with the rest of them.
I also tend to want to munch on something while drinking. Big Time, as long as you get there early enough, has a little kitchen that makes snack-esque-type food. They do nachos right.
If you're looking for a good drink with a little less college craziness, go here. -
Review from Ryan B.
Redmond, WA
8/3/2009
It had been a whole two years since my last trip to Big Time. And I had my memories of it improved quite a bit by this last visit.
I had some friends from the Bay Area, Ca that wanted to check it out since it's the sister brewery of Triple Rock, one of their local breweries. We came in for lunch, and ordered a pitcher of the English Pale. This beer just plain hit the spot on the 100+ degree day we were there. Crisp, emphasis on the malt, but without being sweet. Unfortunately I didn't end up having anything else on this trip, and it has been 2yrs since I've had any other Big Time beers. But if this beer was any indication, I need to get back over for a refresher course.
Our food was good, though the salad I ordered was pretty heavy on stem material, and not nearly as leafy as I'd like. And when you go, don't expect to be waited on. You have to go up to the bar, or kitchen counter to order. While this wasn't terribly inconvenient when we went, I can imagine it's a nightmare when it's busy.Listed in: The breweries of Washington
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Review from Geoff K.
Seattle, WA
8/24/2007
I love me some Big Time.
When I moved to Seattle a few years ago, I was renting a place near the Ave and walked by Big Time Brewing on my very first day in town, right after driving 2 days straight from the Midwest. I knew very little about beer in the NW at that point, and I wandered in not knowing what to expect. They had 4 of their own IPAs on tap that first trip into this wonderful brewpub. Are you serious? 4 IPAs? For a guy from Chicago, where it's hard to find a brewpub, this blew me away. About 6 pints later, I stumbled out with a huge smile on my face. This is what I moved to Seattle for.
Since then, Big Time has been my greatest love affair as a brewery in Seattle; hands down.
The Beer: I've never had a truly bad beer here. That is hard to say for any brewpub, especially when that includes a malt liquor they made earlier this year(It wasn't great, but hey....it's malt liquor!). Not everything is head over heals amazing, but most range from good to great.
The Head Brewer, Bill Jenkins, is a true hophead and this usually shows up in his beers. One of my favorite beers ever made is their summer specialty, Old Sol Wheatwine. Most brewpubs release a summer beer that is light and good for drinking in hot weather, maybe a Kolsch. But, Bill decided to brew a summer barley wine style ale that packs in lots of citrus hops, lots of sweet malt and a good dose of alcohol.
Their most popular IPA, Bhagwan's Best, is what should be listed in an encyclopedia under "NW IPA". Lots of citrus hops in the aroma and up front, but balanced well enough in the finish with just enough malt to cut the bitterness a little.
I could go on and on about their beer; I'm leaving out about 20 beers that deserve mention. I'm very much looking forward to a beer Bill is brewing for entry in the Great American Beer Festival this year; a version of their Buster's Brown Ale with coffee added to the ingredients list.
The Atmosphere: Relaxed. Perfect place to belly up at the bar by yourself, or come with a group of friends. There are plenty of tables to accomodate most crowds. Music is usually pretty good, and is at the whim of the current bartender's IPOD selection. You'll see students and professors in here with their laptops typing away over a beer. You'll see the beer nerds at the bar sniffing out a sample of something new.
They have a couple of flat screen TVs, which make it nice for a game when the Mariners are on. They also have a frequently used shuffleboard table in the back.
The bartenders are friendly, the regulars are friendly and the beer is good. What else do you need?
The Food: I usually get the pizza when here. It's pretty good, as are the sandwiches. They also do nachos, chili, baked potatoes and soup (I can't vouch for any of these). Nothing fancy here - just a few decent options to help soak up that beer. The steal of the century is on Sunday nights when you can buy a large pizza and get a pitcher of beer for just $1. Now that's a deal and a half.
Overall: The beer and atmosphere at Big Time are tough to beat. It's a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon, or a Friday night. Hop on in for a pint, or you can get beer to go in growlers and a limited selection of bottles. It's worth coming in on a regular basis as the beer lineup changes fairly often.
Keep up the good work, Big Time....you rock. -
Review from Peter A.
3/10/2009
I met up with a couple friends to grab a pint at the Big TIme Brewery and fell in love with the Coal Creek Porter and the Oatmeal Stout- not the "puppy dog butterflies in the belly" kind of love, but the "when can I call my mom and tell her you are perfect" kind of love. Especially the Oatmeal Stout! I love dark beers like Guinness and Black Butte Porter. . . so the Big Time Porter and Oatmeal Stout really hit the spot.
As for the food, I had "the Big Time" sandwich and it was good- not great- and it was a little on the expensive side for what you received. BUT, I was not there for the sandwich. I was there for my stout.
The service was good and the crowd was loud but nowhere near the college-environment that I found at some other places on the Ave. I am definitely looking forward to a second date with the stout. -
Review from Helen W.
Seattle, WA
6/10/2007
Big Time always reminds me of the good ol' school drinking days or worse yet, how long I have been out of school. Charlie and I came here to grab a beer and a pizza before heading off to a SIFF film. We were pleasantly surprised by the Sausage Italiano pizza. The crust was thin, crispy and lightly salted. It was deliciously paired with sausage and roasted red bell peppers. The pizza was still yummy after it had gotten cold.
It was good times at Big Time!! -
Review from Sonya L.
5/4/2009
I thought this place was pretty sweet! Loved the atmosphere and interior, liked the margarita pizza, liked the TV playing my Mariners, and LOVED the shuffleboard in the back (although I hear they are getting rid of it in about a week or so - WHAT A SHAME!).
There were tons of tables available, which was surprising for a Friday night. We were easily able to get a large table to accommodate our 8 person group.
The menu is small, but the food is good and they have a huge variety of beers. Apparently the cider is amazing from what I hear and I will have to give that a try on my next visit.Listed in: Perfect (and not-so-perfect)…
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Review from Robin N.
Seattle, WA
12/31/2007
Big Time, how I love thee...
For Happy Hour
you're the best
My professor, good friends
and all the rest
run to your door
and quickly plea
that you fill our glasses
oh can't you see
you're there for us
when the quarter gets stale
so feed us your pizza
and poor us some ale!
I should write little poems more often for reviews!
Seriously though, this place rocks, especially when you're having a crappy quarter and just need to get drunk with some friends! -
Review from Ken K.
Lansing Charter Township, MI
4/1/2009
The interior is woody, rustic, homey and exactly what I look for in a neighborhood bar. I would think I was in some Midwest blue-collar bar if I didn't know any better. I loved the eclectic decorations and the random table sizes and chairs.
The menu is very limited. You can get pizza, sandwiches, chili and baked potatoes. That's about it. And it's also expensive. A 8-inch personal pan pizza will run you about $9.00. If it were about two bucks cheaper, it'd be perfect. Because even though the pizza and chili is very good, it is still overpriced. Minus points for no dessert but pre-wrapped cookies.
Astoundingly good beer for such a small operation. There were 10 to choose from, and each was impressive. I could go on and on about seven of their beers which I found to be above average, but I'll focus on the coal porter, which was offered on cask. The smooth creamyness, slightly warm beer with a deep, complex taste profile knocked my socks off. If you like beer, this is the place to be. I can't believe a place with this good of homemade beer is on a college campus.
But again, it's overpriced. A sampler of 4, 4-ounce beers ran $5, which is more than a pint. I'd rather smaller samplers of each beer for less per ounce than a pint, which is the way most places run it.
The bartender was on top of her game. Food orders are taken by the customer directly to the food window, which I'm fine with. The order comes out promptly. Not bad. -
Review from Ian S.
Updated - 12/28/2008
Big Time is one of my favorite local brewers, I have discovered through the mysteries of WABL.
The brewmaster here looks like he just got back from a LARP or SCA event, but the man clearly has his game together. I very much appreciate his work.
This place has a lot of personality, which isn't always a good thing, but it is always better to have some than none at all.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2007
Ultra college bar dive. Smells and feels like a keg just exploded.
Greasy cheap pizza.
Bartenders… Read more »
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