Big T

The only reason for the one star is because I feel sorry for our waitress Mary for having to work at this place. We had a very large group (35 ish people) that decided to go for a drink after a big basketball game. The hostess, which turned out to be the manager was extremely rude to several in the group. They had a full empty room that we asked to sit in and she refused to allow our group to be together. She became very demanding and quite frankly a bitch and refused to even seat many of the group. Most of the group decided to walk next door to Decoy Ducks, which I wish I would have but felt bad for the waitress. This must be the reason for the place to be very slow on a Friday night. I can guarantee that nobody from our group will ever be back. This loosely worded title of «manager» cost this business a shitload of money tonight and future business. If anyone can offer Mary a job in the area, please get her out of here…
No joke, just got food and our wings still have a feather… WTF!!!

Another local institution, I’ve been coming here since I was a small child in the early 80s. It’s expanded many times over the years, now occupying 5 former storefronts and covering half of the main block on the west side of Lawton’s tiny downtown. They boast one of the largest beer menus in the midwest with a few hundred brews, though most of the locals (for whom this is practically a second home) are still probably drinking Bud Light.
The service is decent, though they are often crowded and can be very busy. The food is typical American bar-​restaurant food, lots of fried stuff, meat and fish, «mexican,» etc – a lot of it comes frozen on a truck, this isn’t a gourmet restaurant. Since I’m vegan I can’t comment on the quality of most of the menu, we usually order either the Wild Rice with Broccoli and Portabella dish or the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich and some fried appetizer. Pizzas are ok but unremarkable, not really their specialty. They have many kinds of fries, though in the last few years the portions in the baskets seem to have shrunk by nearly half.
Even though my father was among the first 5 to finish when their Beer Drinking Club started, I don’t drink alcohol. They’re often out of Sarsaparilla and I have to order iced tea or Mug fountain root beer, which is kind of disappointing given all the attention shown to the beer menu.
I’m pretty sure the owner also owns the Breakfast Place across the street, giving them a near-​monopoly on the local restaurant scene, so I found it in poor taste when he attended a village council meeting to complain about the food truck that the new micro-​brewery (Barn Brewers) was using when they first opened (a food truck which was probably lucky to have half a dozen customers per hour).
If anything Big T should be welcoming ANY new business to our seen-​better-​days downtown, because a vibrant main street beer/​restaurant scene attracts more out-​of-​towners, benefits the whole community and will barely scratch the surface of Big T’s ample business /​profits. Speaking of tacky, customers are bombarded with LOTTERY crap all over this restaurant, on countless TV sets, in the middle of every table, etc. Those (and the numerous TVs in general) really detract from the otherwise-​cozy and inviting atmosphere. Love all the old beer signs and labels in the décor and the various different rooms which each have their own character.

For the past 30 years we’ve been going to Hemlock Lake Campground in the summer, and this nearby restaurant is a family favorite. Great food, reasonable prices, a varied menu, and an extensive selection of beers. One of the best salad bars around. In the winter it is also a favored destination for snowmobiles as the restaurant is close to the trails. It’s not unusual to see 30 sleds parked behind the place. We love their wet burrito.

This should be a five star review… good menu, comfortable atmosphere, easy winning Keno, but… management is from the dark ages with its bitter and nasty treatment of the employees. We saw the manager (possibly owner?) bark at waitstaff, spend a busy Saturday sitting in a booth eating cake, while staff rushed around, (she kept popping up to check the host stand, so she wasn’t «on break» for an hour), literally snap her fingers to hustle, as an employee was getting a band aid on her cut arm, and just striking fear in the people who worked there. My friend asked our waitress for a special order and the waitress said, «I’ll ask the cook, but I might get in trouble.» Through the dinner we engaged her to hear the other horror stories. Small town without a lot of job opptys for these people… ugh. We responded with big tips but hard to feel great about eating somewhere that does this. If you eat here, tip big and pull the manager aside and compliment your server (if deserved).

My wife and I had about twenty minutes to stop for a drink. Sat at the bar for 15 minutes before the bartender actually saw us and said, «sorry I’m so busy.» Then instead of taking our order she served beers to her three friends across the bar. So needless to say I don’t know if the food or drinks are good or not since I never got the chance.

Dirty tap line! Don’t drink the beer!!!
I was excited to go to Big T’s for the first time. I live in the area and have heard good things about it. I went out with some coworkers and got a pint of draft beer. The next thing I knew, I was in the bathroom throwing up the rest of the night.
I am no lightweight and one beer has never pushed me over the edge. I talked with the rest in my group and everyone else who had beer was sick as well. The only conclusion we came to was that it must be a dirty tap line. Disgusting!

Been going here for years and always enjoyed it. Love all the recent renovations. Now for the reason for 2 stars. Terrible service. Our server Mandy just didn’t care. Seemed annoyed by the world and especially by people taking up her time. Same experience with the bartender. Couldn’t care how long I stood there. Had people she cared about and I wasn’t one. Might not go back because why would I waste my time with mean people.

I just wanted lunch and a reasonable price. The fact that the «boiled chicken and garlic broccoli» is the best meal I’ve had in months is an utter shock and delight. Give it a try, you don’t regret it!

This is my childhood restaurant. They have good food and a wide variety of it on their menu. There is plenty of seating. Staff is very friendly. A great atmosphere to go for dinner.

Lawton Michigan… population 1900. So why in the hell is there this beer heaven is this tiny town? Beer is the star at this place. Not only do they have an impressive 40+ draft beer list that is an array of US microbrews, they have 150 bottled beers from every country. You will never run out of choices.
Staff is hit or miss. I went one time and our waitress was not friendly, appeared scattered and could not manage the 5 tables she was attending to. Just seemed annoyed. But the food came out quick and was good. I have a spicy jalapeño burger that was great. My husband had a Tijuana Philly which tasted so unhealthy but damn was it good.
The second time I went back my waitress was amazing. Attentive but not overbearing. Very friendly. My ribs were good, not great. My sweet potato tasted old. My husbands fried chicken was good. Salad bar was good. Items were fresh.

Big T’s is a bar and you shouldn’t expect gourmet food, it’s above average bar food at really reasonable prices. They have strake, seafood, burgers, sandwiches and a lot of it is deep fried and delicious. They probably have the largest beer selection in the state of Michigan and its a cool group of buildings all combined in to one.

The Big T is the greatest, I drive 30 miles from Northern Kalamazoo County, to have good food in Lawton. The Big T has it right. Good Food, great staff, and fair prices. Their Menu is large, Bluegill to Burgers, and a fresh Salad Bar. It’s all here.

Big T’s is a place we frequent almost every time we head to our place on Big Fish Lake. The food selections are many, the variety is great, but the food is just so-​so. You can really order anything — burritos, steak, fish, sandwiches, pasta, burgers. The kids menu is typical — kraft mac n cheese, grilled cheese, etc. Not really healthy but they do offer applesauce.
Why we keep going back is the small town feel and the service. The people there are great. The beer selection is amazing, you must join the Beer Club and for $ 1 why not? We love marking beers off our list. It’s also cheap.
Since they rehabbed the place, it looks much better but there is still that musky «Grandma’s House» smell upstairs. I’d prefer to dine downstairs.

This place is sooooooo yummy! Great to bring kids and food is really good… no matter what you get! They even have a salad bar… keepin it old school. Definitely THE place to eat in this town. Lots of snowmobile dudes hangin out… awesome beer choices!

This is the best restaurant in Lawton. Normally we go toward the Kalamazoo side of things. Their pub food and sandwiches are good. The menu is awkwardly large so I’d stick to the American items.

My favorite restaurant in the world! Hundreds of beers from around the globe. The staff is great and the salad bar has some of the best bleu cheese dressing!

I have hung out in SW MI for a considerable period of time and have been to many bars in the area. Big T’s is the runaway winner for best beer bar, along with its sister property Zeke’s in Dowagiac. They are under the same ownership and look similar, but the I prefer Big T’s. The atmosphere seems a little more dank and accomodating to drinking. Seems like there are more kids at Zeke’s too, although I may be wrong. However, Zeke’s is just down the block from Woodfire, which may be the best restaurant in SW MI (that’s a short list too). Anyway, the bar area in Big T’s is fairly compact: 3 sides of a square, with the multiple beer coolers making up the 4^th side. As far as the food, it’s probably comparable to any average greek restaurant in the Chicago area. Only go here for the beer.