Big Time Brewing Company
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Late Night
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Tue, Wed, Thu
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
46 Reviews for Big Time Brewing Company
Their beer is hit and miss for me. I enjoy their creativity and managed to get a chile beer there once. Surprisingly good. A decently large food selection ranging from sandwiches, to pizza, to soups and chili. Food quality matches the price, not gourmet but decent. They have several vegetarian options, and could probably even assemble a vegan sandwich or chili with no cheese.
Their large front windows can make up for the lack of out door seating during summer and the cozy wood interior still makes you feel sheltered from the winter rains. I'm pretty sure they don't have TVs and can be a welcome break from sports coverage. They've got slightly smaller backroom that makes a good spot to take over for large groups. There's even a shuffle board game to drunkenly loose at!
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You know that brew pub? You know the one. The one they called the Rathskeller when you were in college when colleges had pubs on campus because back then you could drink at 18 so that by the time you got to 21 it was kind of boring and you didn't have to spend your time staring down the bottom of a ratty plastic beer cup? The pub with the pizza that tastes kind of frozen from the box but you still order it because it's cheap? And that long list of sandwiches with fancy names for putting together what is basically cheddar cheese, turkey or ham? Yeah, that pub.
If you've been looking to recreate that experience, then Big Time is there for you with some nice beers and no attitude. I've been to this same pub in every part of the country, always staffed by DUDE guys who can't quite imagine what they'll do when the party stops, and from Missoula to Palo Alto to Seattle - there are no surprises. The pizza isn't all that good, the beer is nice and mellow, the sandwiches are hardy, and its so loud that you have to get up close to hear each other, which is why tables are always yelling.
Which is all to say, if you like it, you like it. This pub, man. I like it.
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I like it here and you will too. Don't go on Friday or Saturday night because you'll run into the drunken frat crowd. Their beers are quite good, of varying alcohol content, and they have a dark brown ale that has a really strong bold coffee aftertaste. Get the sampler and you'll be set. Or just stick to the coffee-tasting beer. It's like they took two of my biggest vices and combined them perfectly. Bastards!
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The Beer: Excellent
The Food: Yuck
The ambiance: Way too effing loud.
that said, I love Big Time. Just don't go if you want to have a conversation with anyone, or eat something good. If you are looking for a tasty beer on the Ave, this is the place.
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Big time is fun!
Good beer and good bar food
Don't expect world class anything, especially from the U district, but you do get good beer and good service.
I had a margherita pizza and a green salad which met expectations for the U district. The beers enjoyed were the belgian tripple(trombipulator) and the amber ale (Atlas). Both were very delicious and left wanting more, but the dog park was calling.
Overall it was a fun and mellow sunday experience and I can imagine how much more fun thursday and friday would be.
Solid 3 stars out of five, but in the U district bar world I can see them being a solid 4.
Enjoy the beer and fill your belly at Big Time.
A friendly little neighborhood pub, not to mention the best brewpub in the University District. Excellent ales all around (my personal favorite is Atlas, a smooth amber ale) that are somehow amazingly brewed in this relatively small place. Ok-but-very-inexpensive food, standard pub fare and excellent pizza, it's a nice place for lunch. I've never been in the evenings, so although I imagine it'd be packed to the gills with students.. I can't quite judge fairly. :)
I'm something of a regular here, but I'm going to keep it short. The other reviews pretty much cover everything.
Except for the Chili Pale Ale. This amazing brew smells like a spicy Five Alarm Burger from Red Robin, and it tastes like hot Dorritos. It is just soooo good. Is it a beer? An extremely delicious food? Who knows?
The thing that makes me cry is that it was only available for the past one week, and is no longer around. I only got to have a pint of it. Ah, a cruel world. The only solace: Big Time's other great brews!
Almost forgot to mention: beer to go, in a cardboard box. Best. Thing. Ever.
It's cool
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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!
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I would normally give this place only two stars, but they brew their own beer so an extra star right there. The bar over all seemed like your usally college town bar (nothing special), and the service matched.
I didn't eat here but they do have a large selection. My main goal that afternoon was the beer. Unfortunately none of the beers were anything that great. I almost couldn't even finish my beer sampler. But I couldn't leave a man behind so I went in for one last try... I am happy to say I was able to walk away with my sampler glasses empty.
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Big Time is Big Time Tasty!
Always good Beers, and Pizza! The only thing I don't like about this brewery is the proximity to the UW campus, which can make it hard to get to sometimes. They make an Extremely good porter here, some fine IPA's too.
There is no place like Seattle for one-of-a-kind micro brews and hoppy times. Big Time is one of the best. The atmosphere is a little student-esque (nothing against the bookworms) but when brewers gather on regular occasion, you know it is the real deal.
Big Time is schizophrenic. Sometimes I'll go here and have a great time; other times it'll suck. It's totally dependent on how crowded it is and how fast the service is. Overall though, I like this bar because it has pretty good beer and decent food.
If you find yourself on the Ave with a big group of people or are in the mood for a good micro brew, I suggest hitting this place up.
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Well it was kind of your average college bar.. that brews its own beer. I went there in the afternoon on a weekday and not on a weekend so I didn't get a complete understanding of what would be its normal evening atmosphere but overall I think it was ok. Nothing great but not horrible. The beer is also just ok. They have an impressive selection of beers that they brew and they have a good amount of hoppy beers - if you like that. I didn't try all their beers but what I did try didn't wow me too much. If I was in the area again, I might give them another try but I wouldn't make a special trip.
Big time pizza is scrumdiddlyumptious. The crust....Mmm. Its one of my favorite pizzas in town. It can be noisy but you can almost always find a table. The beer is local but nothing special. It all seems to have the same aftertaste. They have shuffleboard which I like.
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Never eaten there. I go only for the Porter. My favorite in town. The place is generally quieter in the later evenings.
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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.
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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!!
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A good local micro-brew; I had a few beers here with the Beer Guy a few nights ago and I was quite impressed with their new Imperial Pale Ale that apparently celebrates some sort of 20 year anniversary. The Beer Guy explained it to me but I don't remember because beer makes me forget things. They also had 2 other IPAs on tap and I'm sort of addicted to hoppy beer; the brown ale was very chocolaty and most people like chocolate.
The bar staff is friendly and can describe the beers to you with adjectives that are beyond my beer vocabulary. I wouldn't exactly recommend the food which is largely nachos and pizza. My nachos were basically a bunch of broken chips with congealed cheese. The beer certainly compensates and will make you forget about the bad nachos, literally. For the U-District, the crowd seemed pretty varied in age with a few kinda sleazy looking old guys staring at some not-so-attractive groups of girls. The bar and seating area is very spacious and I want to go back and try out the shuffle board in the back room.
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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 someone's house party once in a while, but I also honestly appreciate the taste of GOOD beer. This is why I was delighted to find out that I happened to live less than two blocks away from a brew pub that serves nothing but its own beer!
I've never delved too deeply into the food (pub grub is a little too rich for me), but the brews are great. There are a few staples, such as the Atlas Amber and Coal Creek Porter. A couple of my friends are big fans of the Buck Mulligan's Dublin Stout, which is basically a porter milk shake. This is definitely the place for someone who enjoys darker beers -- even the Parrot Head Ale isn't as Pale as it claims to be. I happen to be one of these people, fortunately.
Aside from the stand-by beers, Big Time has a great selection of rotating seasonals. My favourite, by far, was the Nectar Hazelnut Ale, which I still miss dearly and the return of which I request every time I'm there. The bartenders have a good sense of humour about it; in fact, they have a great sense of humour about everything and make the place a lot more fun. Just watch someone order a Bud Light :)
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Ultra college bar dive. Smells and feels like a keg just exploded.
Greasy cheap pizza.
Bartenders that tell you to go screw yourself.
(Just ask Charlie when he said that he would like a beer sampler as well. I just had one, he came up and said "hey me too." and the guy told him to get bent.)
Lots of beers I hadn't heard of before. Not surprising since every place in town has 45 unique brews, but still. I love me some variety.
The place is also covered with vintage beer promotional items and old beer bottles and cans. I liked it. Old promotional stuff always make you realize how quick life is. "Back in the 60s when this caricature was enjoying a Shlitz, I'll bet he didn't see today coming. Now he's an old bastard and his kids wont let him drink because he has the 'betis. Damn whippersnappers."
If' you're coming for a dive bar feel, this will be a five star experience. If you're looking for a candlelight love affair, it will be a hellride.
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Great brewpub in the U district, and has food pretty late. The food is pretty decent, but the most important product is their beer.
After tasting 5 of their beers, I found that they offered one that was not only good, but unique to what I found in Seattle.
Powderfinger Rye Ale was by far the most unique brew they had available, and has a flavor I've never tasted before. It was clean, refreshing, sharp, and sweet. The start and finish are definitely hoppy, but there is little bitter.
Their tasting flight was great, and gave us a great place to start. It's not the Bear, but this place is cool. Bonus points are awarded for having their brewing equipment well labeled.
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As soon as I walked into Big Time Brewery I was hit with the smell of freshly made pizza, which is one of my favorite scents. Just for your information I already had sushi and a cupcake(yes I know odd mix) in my belly. But that smell of pizza just made me want a slice, guess I am always hunger like that. In the end I didn't order a slice since I didn't want to look like a pig, but I should have!! Ok the first order of business once we sat down was to order some drinks. We head over to the bar and senor Ian orders first and goes with the $4 sampler. With that sounding like a good idea I "attempted" to order the same thing but for some strange reason the bartender told me "no!!!".
When like this...
Me: can I have a sampler too please?
Bartender: which ones?
Me: you can pick-----I think this is where he misunderstood me
Bartender: you have to pay for them.
Me: of course I do(I had my money in my hand)
Bartender: you can't have a sampler
Me: huh??? Well can I have a beer?
Bartender: here you go
I don't know what the hell happened but I guess the sampler isn't "Charlie approved"...oh well. Over all the back bar was nice but I don't know if I would ever want to go back. So hopefully you don't have the experience I did...good luck.
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Have you ever been to a place enough that you regard as "your place"? Big Time is "my" bar: the bartenders recognize me, I know what I want before I walk in, and I know I'll be there well before I walk through the door.
The beers are unique to Big Time, and all good. The bartenders have always been, in my experience, friendly. It's actually possible to carry on a conversation over the background noise.
All in all, a pretty cool place.
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I've never had the pizza that everyone has raves about on here, but when I say I want "Ice-Tea" I don't mean "Ice-Pee".... and that's what in tasted like. Syke! It tasted like moldy ice-tea.
This place does serve good baked potatoes, with all the fixings, which is what gives it two stars. I was going to give this place three stars, but they have a "String Cheese Incident" night...so goodbye third star.
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The only decent pub I've found in the U-district; not that I spend any time looking. The plague of teenagers that live in this area - and logically so - disgust me with their naive and youthful vigor for life.
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God, it seemed like it had been years since I had been to Big Time. 8 years, to be precise! One thing that's nice and comforting is that things haven't changed a bit. When you're in a University area, it's probably not necessary anyway.
Big Time knows what they're doing with their beers and it shows, even in their specialty brews. I had the fortunate circumstance of trying a porter and a Christmas ale and they were both good. I would put the nod to the porter since the weather's getting cold and crappy.
I like Big Time and always carve out a chunk of time to visit when I'm in Seattle. The thing I dislike(hence the mid rating) is that you have to order your food separately from your beer and pay separately. I wouldn't mind if you could pay for them both and they give you like a ticket to claim your drinks or something. Who knows, maybe they're two different businesses running under one. All I know is it's a bit of an inconvenience. That said, it won't stop me from going there, it only stops me from giving it a premium rating.
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not too shabby my friend, not too shabby. I don't go here enough actually.
Here's what I've eaten thus far:
Good hand tossed pizza, with thick crusts. Nachos are loaded with cheese, more like cheese with a side of nachos, mmmmm cheese. Baked potatoes are loaded with toppings. Good sub sandwiches, but I've have had better. The beer, the beer is damn tasty. The last pitcher I sampled here was the Scarlett Fire IPA, and it was great.
They have an official size shuffleboard in the back room. Wanna play? Ask Alex, I love me some shuffle! They also have free WiFi for all you hard workin college students.
Haven't ventured in on a busy Husky game day yet, and frankly, don't think I will.
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They have decent beer and good atmosphere for hanging out with friends. The food is... Well, I recommend the potatoes and I also enjoy a salad every so often if I am here for other reasons. But, what the hell is that bread they give you? It is completely chewy and disgusting. It also pisses me off that when you order they don't call out anything to let you know your food is ready. How can you know that your sandwich/chili/potato/etc is sitting there waiting for you, about to attract flies, when you are not sitting facing the window. If they aren't going to do table service, they should at least call out a name or number. However, who goes for the food? Get a drink, play a little shuffle board, watch some sports. Good times. I just tend to like better food and maybe a little service when I am drinking.
Big Time has become one of my favorite Seattle brew pubs. The beers are always on the better side of good, with nice seasonal and special choices. If you like IPA's this is a good place for you, because they have three (yes, THREE) fairly regular IPA's, each one with its own discrete profile. Try the "Beam Me Up Scottish," it's delicious.
Decent food: Good vegetarian chili, pizza, sandwiches, salad ... and not terribly pricy.
The crowd here really varies. I've seen studying students, frat-types, professors, and just regular joes like myself in here enjoying the suds. It's been laid-back every time I've been in, but I've never been here on Thursday through Saturday night.
AND they have a punch card, punched for each beer! Wednesday is double punch day, two punches for each beer. And when the card's full (ten beers/five on Wednesday), you get a free one. How many beer bars can boast that?!
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Pizza and Beer! What else do you need?
When I'm in Seattle (UW), I like to stop by here with my friends and have some pizza. Inexpensive and good (and fast). The few times that I've been here, it was with groups of 10 - 15 people. We had a great time, although I'm sure the bartenders didn't think so.
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Pretty much the only brewery/ale house place in the U Dist, which is a shame. That being said it isn't bad. A good selection of beers (especially if you like 'em dark). I'd recommend the Atlas Amber.
The food's nothing special, but it gets the job done. One tip - go on a Sunday night and order a large daily special pizza. You'll then get a pitcher for just a buck.
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Excellent spot for a beer soaked business meeting with good pizza. Large tables, great light, it almost looks like you are working.
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I've been coming here since they opened. The beer is always great, they'll even give you a free yeast starter if you're brewing your own. The food is only average though; and dated at that. I once found a worn in my salad and the punk behind the counter just gave me a "so pick it off man" kind of look.
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Big Time Brewery has a somewhat typical brew-pub atmosphere dominated by wood floors, bar and tables. Big Time is situated in a rather large space which is great when you are trying to find a place that can accommodate many people. Big Time brews a multitude of tasty beers; I enjoyed the award-winning Coal Creek Porter, though it wasn't the best porter I've ever tasted. My visit to Big Time Brewery was a decent experience, but not amazing.
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Really. good. veggie. pizza. Most veggie pizza's I've found in these parts have been very plain, while the stuff on top was pretty ordinary (tomatoes, olives, zucchini) they also threw on spices like garlic and fresh basil. The Atlas beer is fantastic but heavy, so come with an appetite or a friend and split the special for a good deal (On Sunday we split the special pizza and got a pitcher for a buck, which is normally $12). The atmosphere is very relaxed with a mix of self-service and waiters, all very nice but if you need something you'll have to go ask.
PS-Remember to get your receipt if you order a beer you'll need it at the bar!
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Big Time is a great place just to grab a beer and hang out with friends in the U-District. The beers are great and a pint will cost you about $3.50. There's a pretty good amount of people there any day of the week, but never seems crowded. Don't come hungry though...the food is not very good!
The U-District can have limited parking, but I have always found a spot on a side street close to Big Time.
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Lunch for under $5 bucks in the Udistrict? Totally can be done. At Big Time Brewery I can get Pizza and Iced Tea and come back with a bill and change out of a fiver.
The wifi works, unlike some other places on the ave, and this is my choice for places to hang out with a beer after work. Love them!
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The beer is good, but not a fantastic deal - the reason I love Big Time is because of the food. The snack-bar style food counter boasts not just nachos, but good pizza, filling salads, and my favorite - hearty cornbread! Baked potatoes, too! The Big Time is my own little ski lodge right on the ave, no lift ticket necessary.
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This place was mediocre. I liked the food but it was nothign special. I did however like the fact that they make a lot of beer here. They should make the gallon jugs for you to take home. I might have been to wasted to notice if they did. It was loud.
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