Big Rock Urban

The food and service are subpar — there are so many other places to go in the area that have so much more to offer. Food lacks flavor and effort — and service is slow even when its not busy. Won’t be going back.

Went here for Dine Out this year. The pizza entrée was great, however the bento box entrée was fairly small considering the price of the lower level dine out increased from $ 18 to $ 20 this year.
Unfortunately, the appetizer of beer braised meatballs was raw and cold. I brought this to the waitress’s attention, but she informed me that it’s fine because they’re «organic and natural». Raw ground beef is raw ground beef, no matter what the cows were fed. I told her that I would not be eating raw, cold, ground beef, so she caved and brought me another. The dish had steam coming off it, so that was a good sign. But still one of the meatballs were raw…
Beer was subpar. Go to Brassneck Brewery on Main for the drinks, which we in fact did after dinner.

The beer and ambience were great! Live music every Thursday-​Saturday. The food was not good. We were out for the dine event in Vancouver and three people ordered the meatballs, pizza and cheesecake. The meatballs were definitely frozen and weren’t even warm when served. The poutine was okay– goat cheese and lamb, however, the fries also seemed packaged and cheap. I wouldn’t return to eat here again. For the price, the food is better elsewhere. The service was attentive, but the food made for a huge disappointment. I think this place is still in the discovery stage and with some changes to the menu they could improve and be a sweet a hang out spot for a low key night.

Came here last night after trying to decide on something close by that we haven’t tried before. We arrived at 8:15pm and there was only 2 other tables occupied. I guess it was a weekday coupled with a somewhat obscure location that resulted in the low occupancy. Regardless, I wasn’t going to judge until I tried it for myself.
We were given a taster of a caramel berry beer and it was pretty good so we decided to order a small beer each for $ 4. For food, my boyfriend and I shared the prosciutto and pineapple pizza $ 12 and the wasabi tuna tacos $ 13. The pizza was just average and nothing special. The Tacos however I loved. It reminded me of the tuna bao from bao down. Everything on the taco went together so perfectly and the tuna was cooked perfectly. That was a plate that made my tastes buds very happy.
For just over $ 40 for everything we had, I’d say it was pretty decent. They also have an awesome happy hour from 3 – 6 and 9 to close Sunday to Thursday’s so we’ll definitely be back. We looked through their drinks menu and there were some pretty interesting sounding drinks. Will be back to try those during happy hour.

The food is amazing. I’ve been here for all their different meals; brunch, appies, and dinner, and I can’t complain about anything I’ve eaten.
The staff are friendly.
This is my go to place and I suggest other come here too.

Massively disappointed. This establishment will have to do some major damage control in order for me to even think about returning here, including everyone I know. The place is beautiful inside, comfy and alluring. I was there on a Saturday night, we had a group of about 12−14…a goodbye party for some friends. We were a group mostly in our mid 30+, although I should never have specify the type of group we were because we are customers, but I feel that I need to in this case because from the second we arrived we were treated by our server with disrespect as if we were a large group of immature children there specifically to ruin her night. We are all working professionals and the server COULD have received a generous tip however her continued display of «wtf do you want» couldn’t have been more prominently displayed on her face, topped with eye rolling, sighing and ignoring us until she couldn’t any longer, might as well of been tattooed on her face.
My recommendation is that if you love to be treated like a massive inconvenience and like a piece shit for even considering sitting her section, then by all means go here… but I would avoid this place like the plague.
A couple examples of how appalling the server’s behaviour was…
1) When the server asked one of us what she wanted to go with her burger and the reply was «oh what are my options?» The server snootily replied with «*sigh* it’s on the menu» then stood there looking at her with this look of hurry the eff up and answer me already cause even though the restaurant if half empty I have better things to do than take your order.
2) When one member of our group paid their bill after being treated like crap all night, they only tipped 5% (which was beyond generous) the server came up to them and asked why only 5% was there a problem with the service? And they replied, calmly I might add, that yes there was a problem, it was inconsistent throughout the evening. She replied, again snootily, with «Pfft, well I asked» and walked away. Seriously? That person was the first to pay… did you think that he would share that experience with the rest of the table that had not yet paid? Dig your grave even deeper.
I have had poor service before where the server ignores the table and does the bare minimum. But NEVER have I ever been treated with such disrespect. When we first arrived, the establishment was NOT busy, so that is NOT an excuse… and even if she were run off her feet busy, her attitude will never be excused.
If you are too good for your job, then don’t work there. If you had a bad day, then stay home. Otherwise put on your big girl panties, paint a smile on your face and plow through your night like a grown up. Even my 17 year old daughter has better behavior and manners than this server did.
I could go on and on, but I prefer to forget this place even exists. It’s too bad, I am not joking at all when I say, we are a core group of 30 ladies who get together OFTEN… we won’t be back, not as a group, not as individuals. With the craft beer breweries popping up all over the city, no longer are you a hot commodity, you will have to offer more than great beer and a cool vibe. Your establishment is branded by its people and its people are a reflection on clientele you wish to frequent your venue. You failed poorly, unless your goal is to eventually have no clientele.
Gladly sign my name to this review.
Jackelyn
PS. $ 17 for that cobb salad = robbery
PPS. Our server’s name was Jenn.

Not sure what to say about this place. Food was ok nothing special were ordered 7 things to share. Mac a cheese was terrible. Beers cider and wine selection was ok. Service was ok. The place just has a really weird vibe. Not really sure what it is. It kinda feels like your In a mega mall in the states and its one of those weird parking lot restaurants, I guess it feels like a chain restaurant in a strip mall.
Did not stay for the band it was to weird.

I’m a fan of this spot for life. I have nothing but good times every time I come here. Love the drinks, the staff and the live music. The food is okay, but not incredible. Maybe my standards are a bit high for a pub, but the ambiance dictates as such. When the art on the wall is going for $ 500, we’re not in a dinky little pub on the beaten path. I get the feeling that this stylish and cozy brew pub is shooting to go above the others.
Let’s make no mistake, I love this place. The best seats in the house are on the other side of the bar, which has a window to the brewry area. Love that I can hear my friends, listen to live tunes in the background and watch the «minions» do their thing in the brew haus side of things.
Worth the visit and be sure to grab some beer on your way out, great selection.

Call it what you like… great service and a fair value. I’m not a very deep and intricate lunch reviewer — bottom line for me, I want it fast and tasty. Great service and a fun vibe. Me and Mrs popped in to sample some new beers for MMY — nailed it BR.

Updated Oct 17^th.
So, a few of us came back, and I can no longer stand by my initial comment. They seem to have moved away from caring about the food, and it really is confused and not well executed at all. This is a shame, as this set it apart from other breweries.
Original review, summer 2015:
So, a friend and I came here one evening to check it out about 2 weeks ago. They have done a great job with the space. And to boot, they have some easy drinking beers too! However, what I also like about this place, is that for a brewery, their food offering is not an afterthought, and the meal we each are was tasty, and the perfect accompaniment to the beer! And, to top it off, they have live music! We returned the following week, and the place was packed! So, we were able to go to their tasting room, sample some beers, while waiting for our table.
Great service
Great beer
Great atmosphere.
Bravo, Big Rock!

I’ve been here twice now for meals, and both times everything ordered was really good! I’ve had the beer flights and tasted the cider, I like most of what I’ve tried here beer wise. It can be really busy and loud, but I like the atmosphere here. This time we tried the salt and pepper hops wings and they were perfection! Crispy outside, not overly salted, and juicy and tender inside.

OK… LOVE craft beers places and this one has a restaurant attached. To be fair we only sampled beer in the restaurant to give us a better idea what to put in our Growlers. My lady had one appy and liked it. Place was busy with loads of food being serviced. I tried four types of beer and all were outstanding. Nice atmosphere
We will return for more beer and lunch soon…

I will sum this up briefly, that’s not usually my style because I love food.
I have been here twice now and I can’t honestly remember what I had the first time (which says a lot). The music here is actually pretty good but usually way too loud. I had the Citradelic IPA which was yummy. That sums up the pros!
I had the fish and chips. It was way over cooked. The string fries were freezer special. If your going to put out food from the fryer, maybe hire someone who knows how to use it.
The icing is the service. We had to flag down our server multiple times through the 2 hours I was there, and for the bill. When they delivered the bill, they didn’t bring the terminal around and we were left tracking down a way to pay at the bar. Service? You won’t find it at this place.

This is a beautiful new building with a full service kitchen, a large seating area and a small tasting room. This would be great for a large group of people.
We booked the tour first and the guide was very helpful. It was a good informative tour. We sampled a few beers… nice beers though a limited selection.
We had high expectations for dinner but found the food and service lacking. We had to send back my partner’s order as it was so bad.
The beer staff were excellent, the beers ok, and the food and service were under par.
With so many great craft breweries around, we have no plans on returning.

One of the newer craft beer pubs in town. Big Rock has definitely one of the biggest names in town, up there with Granville Island. One look at the brand new building and the financial backing is immediately obvious.
Parking is available on the side streets.
The inside is sparkly clean. The brewing area is viewable through a set of large windows. It looks almost like something out of a movie. So much shiny looking equipment I had to cover my eyes. The seating area is split into a main dining area, and a small lounge area behind the central bar.
Staff were friendly and professional.
I tried a paddle. Beers were mostly decent. Special mention goes to their Rock Creek cider. Usually I’m not a big fan of ciders (usually too sweet), but this one was quite delicious.
Not sure about the food. Guess I’ll be back to try in the future.

2.5 stars.
The place is nice and bright when it’s sunny out. There are a bunch of small and long tables so you can have small groups. The washroom is clean however the swinging doors to get to the washroom area is a hazard. If someone pushes the door from the other side and you’re not paying attention, you may get hit in the face. While I was sitting at my table, I probably saw 3 — 4 times where someone almost got hit in the face.
The selection of beer is decent for a small brewery. They have stout, ipa and lagers. It would be nice if they have a few more selection but still good.
Food wise, it is a bit bland. I had the mussels and salt & pepper wings. The mussels lacked flavor. It was made with ginger, garlic, red ale and leeks however I didn’t taste it. There was a hint of garlic but I’ve had much better mussels elsewhere. The wings also only had hint of salt. My friends and I had to ask for more salt and hot sauce (red hot sauce). They don’t have dipping sauce.
My friends had the mac & cheese side with their BRU burger. The mac & cheese needed more cheese, or at least mixed better. The top layer had cheese but when you go passed the top, it tasted more of broiled macaroni with olive oil. The BRU burger patty needed more seasoning. The asian poutine was good. Had some kick to it with the spice and gravy.
All items are made with ale so that could be a reason it may taste bland, the ale is killing any spices and flavour from other ingredients that are the dishes.
The service was good, quick & friendly. Waitress was always available to take your orders, refill the water jug/​pitchers, get another drink, etc.
It is a good place for live music (evenings), have a drink with some friends and hang out. Food wise, if you don’t mind it being slightly bland, then have some food. :)

Just came back from our first visit to this new establishment and I’m afraid that I must write a mixed review. The beer was good and the flights are well-​priced. We had a pulled chicken sandwich and a chicken pizza and both were par for the course, nothing stellar. The portion sizes were smaller than might be expected.
Now for the reason why the place loses at least one star in my review — the noise. The dining room is large and features entirely hard surfaces so the noise level is out of control. We went on a Tuesday and it was not very busy but even after the live music stopped it was still very loud inside as sound from other diners just reverberates between all the hard surfaces. We appreciated the live music but not the poor sound quality. BRU needs to invest in some acoustic baffles to calm the room down a bit.

I can only review the beers as I have not tried the food.
A little Alberta in BC, located off of Alberta St strangely enough. Flights are $ 8 for 4, 6ounces. A little higher than I’d prefer.
Beer is okay. I’ve had several Big Rock beers in bottles and the only the one I’ve really enjoyed is Chai of Life beer. They didn’t have it on tap sadly.
Rauchbier. Smokey and reminds me of ham. Friends review: «overpowering and bacon. Trying the other beers after makes the other beers better. «
Chocolate malt stout. Honestly, I tasted soap on the initial. So I blame the cup for the soap residue. But the beer itself was ok. Strong Espresso notes but a bit dull at the end. But if you like coffee or stout, its acceptable.
Roggenbier. A strong hoppy and mild floral taste. As a lager, its OK. Perhaps too hoppy for my liking in this case.
The rock creek cider. Probably the best of the 4. Vanilla and spiced. I can see this as a great winter drink. I’d order this one again.
I would come back. However the beer scene in Vancouver is pretty tough. It will be interesting to see what Big Rock can do in the coming years.

Well, super friendly staff and decent beer. But they failed so hard on the nachos that I can’t give more than three stars. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a pub by its nachos.
1) there seemed to be no cheese at first. Turns out there was half a pound spread right through the middle, so 90% of the chips have zero cheese and 10% are way too cheesy.
2) add pulled pork. DO NOT ADD PULLED PORK!!! Seriously, out of the 3 tablespoons of pulled pork, fully 80% was gelatinous fat blobs.
3) condiments: only salsa. No sour cream. No guacamole. Not even the option.
Verdict: $ 19 cost, $ 8.50 payoff. Avoid the shit chips.
To be fair, the waitress offered to take them back to the kitchen right away. But we wanted to see how bad they were on first pass, not the corrected version. And wow we’re those some shitty nachos. k
Afterwards the kitchen manager (I think) came out to apologize for the poor quality. But really nachos need to be layered with cheese on almost every chip. When you make pulled pork, you have to toss that unrendered fat cap. You can hide that blubbery garbage in a sandwich, but not out in the open on nachos.

I grab a Grasshopper wheat ale.
Delish. Fresh. Perfect.
I just stop by for a drink before going back to my playground.
Beautiful place…
Not cafeteria feel at all…
I love the dark wooden furniture.
Bonus: They got free parking for a bunch of vehicles, bike rack and even an EV charging station… Whammy!
YES! I will come back for trying da food.
The kitchen is in the back and seem sparkle and bright.
The staffs is awesome.
This is a GEM located on W 4^th and Alberta st.
Also they will open an another location
on 4^th avenue at Kitsilano soon!
And I love the branding with da roaster, so refreshing!
That’s why I stopped by the 1^st time actually.
I was like what is it…
A roaster? It’s a new place… I must try! Glad I did by now…