Big Head Brewing Co.

Some of the best beer you will get in Wisconsin! I’m serious, the triple Belgian is amazing. The bestie had and I am a big fan of the firefly iPa!
The place is like your buddies garage. They have popcorn and pizza to eat. But if you’re going here be ready for some great beers.
Keep it up guys!

Good beer and a fun spot with free popcorn, corn hole, water pong, darts, and live music. For me, it’s a winner when you get to be a bit more interactive with your friends/​family AND have a good drink.

I care about beer. Like REALLY care about it. I especially care about good pale ales, IPAs, porters, and stouts. That said, Big Head didn’t really wow me on any level when it came to their beer.
I really wanted to like this place because a) it’s in my beloved Wisconsin, b) it’s a tiny operation and I respect that, c) it’s got a good «hanging out in someone’s garage/​yard» relaxed vibe, d) there’s a cute old man playing polka on the piano on Saturdays, and e) if you’re not from WI you can sit and watch the locals play Stump or Nails or whatever that crazy tree stump/​nail game is called all night. But the beer just didn’t do it for me.
I will say this: if you’re in Wauwatosa and you want a relaxed fun place to hang out, this is a decent joint to do so. It’s cheap, it’s fun, it’s lively, etc. but just don’t hang your hopes on the beer or service blowing your mind.

I came here last week with my knitting group. We like the ample lighting and big tables :-) SUPER casual, laid back vibe, creative décor, yummy beer. Bags were being played all over the place. Loud fun music. We’re going back next week!

We were here for a pop-​up gallery so I’m not sure I have the most accurate representation of this place. There were plenty of tables and snacks. There was a shuffleboard game. They had live music and it was actually a good venue for that.
Three people were working the bar which was great because it was hopping and yet the wait times were not that long.
The beer was good, not great, but good. And it was happy hour so it was 3 $ a pint which was a nice treat.

I grew up about a mile away in Tosa but haven’t lived in the area for 30 years. Nice surprise, great beers and passionate beer makers. My only suggestion is to add some food even if it’s just apps or small plates. You drink the beer and you need to sober up on some food. I suspect that is on the minds of the owners. I’d return again!

Great bier. Have styles for the hop-​heads and the regular folk. And every now and then this fabulous jazz orchestra shows up.

This place is a pretty well kept secret in Tosa. There’s plenty of games including my favorite, shuffleboard!
The beer was great, good, and flavorful.
They have an eclectic range of brews good prices and friendly staff. A must visit!
The brewmasters/​owners are passionate and you must visit.
Happy hour until 6 get in there!

Went there with my parents, and we were not impressed. It is fine that they only have a limited number of beers, but the bartender did not seem to know anything about them. He seemed annoyed when we asked about the beers, and he just seemed to not want us there. Once we died get our beers they were just mediocre. Disappointing ambience and overall décor.

Unilocal said they were open… Reality-​WINTER HOURS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. Glad we made a special trip to a closed brewery!

Surprise, Surprise! Tosa has a brewery too. They have a good variety to choose from. I’ve actually driven by this place many times this summer and never actually knew there was a tasting room here, so after meeting the owner at the Milwaukee brewfest they invited me to stop in. It’s a nice spacious area that has various areas ranging from. Two TV viewing areas with picnic tables and the back area where they have two pinball machines, bag toss game and a dartboard. The old fashioned ironing boards are used for mini tables and a good place to rest your glass. A couch back here would be a nice place to rest your… Back.
The beers are usually $ 4 $ 1 less during happy hour. They are now open for the football games. On Sunday. It’s a big step over drinking in my own garage with better choices and stuff to do. The set up has 2 brew kettles and 2 fermentation tanks. 2 coolers. That ensures a constant supply of freshly brewed product to meet the needs.
¹⁰⁵⁄₂₀₁₄

I am really glad I gave these guys a second chance. I visited Big Head in the summer of 2013. I got a sampler and didn’t enjoy the beers. Most of them had a strange smoky flavor and other off flavors. (Full disclosure: I am a Certified Beer Judge so I knew those styles of beer were not supposed to taste that way).
I wasn’t going to go back, but then a couple of my non-​Yelp friends suggested a stop there. So I made a return to the brewery. Apparently they have a new head brewer as of late summer/​early fall. The beer has changed dramatically. The IPA was one of the better ones I’ve had locally and I’m a big IPA fan. They also have a Spokesman Trippel and Bella Donna Dubbel named after the male and female road bike clubs in Wauwatosa. Bikes + beer = awesome.
The space is cool with plenty of seating, shuffleboard, pinball, Jenga and bags. The brewing area is adjacent to the hang out area so you can tell how small their operation is. I have heard that a man comes in on Saturday nights to play the piano (not paid — just because he wants to).
When businesses say they don’t like Unilocal because our users are unfair to them, I cringe. Most of that sentiment is misunderstanding of our community and how it operates. I didn’t go back to Big Head because I didn’t want to write a bad review. I’m glad I saved this one for when their business had developed into something better than it was. Breweries come and go and I’m glad this one is sticking around for a while longer.

The beer is strange. It isn’t what you’d expect in taste or color. It’s not bad, but I probably wouldn’t have it outside of this place. The place itself is very cool. Picnic tables, TVs, Games, etc. It’s a very fun place to hangout. The staff seems very knowledgable and friendly as well. I’d probably come here again to hangout, but like I said I wouldn’t go out of my way to get their beer when I’m not there.

I made my first trip to Big Head this weekend — they’ve been around a little less than a year. FYI — they don’t bottle and they aren’t on tap at any bar so the only place to check them out is at the tasting room which is tucked away on 62^nd and State. You can have some drinks there and take a growler to go if something really appeals to you.
I’m not overly picky about beer (Miller Lite is fine with me for most things) but I can certainly appreciate a higher quality brew. I tried the Blonde & Red Light and liked both. I’d probably go back for the Red Light due to the lower alcohol content. That said, they generally try to have 6 – 7 beers on tap at any given time plus a cider (not brewed there). They’re currently working on replenishing their IPA as well as a chocolate raspberry stout.
The real draw here is the atmosphere — it reminds me just a little of Brenner Brewing but operated by your college buddy in his dad’s warehouse. There’s free bags and free pinball plus a dartboard, shuffleboard and free popcorn. Hungry? They’ll make you a frozen pizza ’cause they got pizza ovens. A bunch of folks were bringing in crockpots as we were heading out, so they’re party-​friendly too.
Free pinball. Beer. Popcorn. Good times.

Big Head Brewery
Another cool micro brewery located in Wauwatosa. Great selection of beer. Plenty of seating. Family friendly. I enjoyed their Smash and the Red Ale light (only 2% alcohol but very flavorful). Great place for a group to meet, get a few pitchers or flights.

Descriptive phrase: your neighbor’s home-​brewery.
Milwaukee has no shortage of beer drinkers, and Big Head Brewing Company has officially kicked off the arms-​race for nano-​brews in the ‘burbs.
Four of us came by early Friday night to see what all the fuss was about. Look for the sandwich-​board off of State when you’re driving through Tosa, and park on the street. Head through the unassuming door in the unassuming warehouse under the unassuming sign.
It’s a fairly large place, with some bench/​table seating in the first room (with the bar), a giant open space with a partitioned dining-​table seating area in the second room, and a final alcove with some games. It literally looks like your neighbor just set up some tables in his garage. But hey, free popcorn and board games!
It was before 6 so we got happy-​hour pricing of $ 3/​glass. I tried out the Brown Ale and Super Smash Ale. Both were delicious, which came as a teeny surprise based just on the set-​up of their operation. The Brown was a little nutty but smooth, and the Super Smash was like a lighter-​color amber with some unique tinge I couldn’t place.
The beer-​pourer was so friendly, and the place just oozed local. I’ll be back for sure.

Went here with friends this weekend and was really impressed. The quality of the beer is great– not to mention they’ve only been open since September. Loved the stout, amber and blonde ales.
It’s a no frills atmosphere, mismatched tables and chairs. Loved the games in the back (darts, shuffleboard, bags, pinball). They have popcorn for free but we also brought our own snacks and playing cards. Will definitely be back!

Let’s start with the good things: The server was extremely friendly and helpful. The space is very comfortable with games as mentioned.
Now the reason I was unhappy: The beer is not good. In addition to smoked/​peat flavor that all of the beers seemed to have they also had an almost astringent after taste. I tried the Pale Ale, Smash, Brown Ale and Amber Ale and found all undrinkable.
I will come back in a few months to try their next endeavors because this is a great location and a nice microbrewery would be a huge asset to the neighborhood.

I have to admit, when I heard last year that Big Head Brewing was going to be opening off State Street in 2013, I was stoked. I was looking forward to having a friendly, local brewery open that was relatively close to my house. A nice place that has good beer, and a friendly ambiance.
Big Head Brewing has all that. They are nice. They are friendly. The space is open and inviting — come hang out with one friend, or several friends. Watch the game or just play some card games at the enormous picnic tables. Play some free pinball on the weird machine that dates back to the year I was born. Darts, beanbags (aka «Cornhole» — a name I have come to hate) and shuffleboard is also available. Enjoy some tasty beers. My favorite was the Hefe, but heck — try a flight of beers for $ 5.00 and find your own favorite. They also have two (I believe? Although I think that can change as well) revolving taps. Last time they also offered Woodchuck Cider. Delicious! At $ 4.00 a pint, of stuff they brew on site, I find it reasonable. I am willing to pay more for the good stuff though.
I really like this place and I will probably ask at some point if I can move in. This might just become my new ‘Thursday meet up with pals’ place.
We will be back for sure. Welcome to Tosa, Big Head Brewing!

New nano-​brewery opened up across the street from me. WhooHoo! Cute little place with very friendly people manning the taps. It’s reminiscent of a warehouse/​home garage… and I have my gang over to drink it up. They make 5 different brews… Hefe, Smash, Amber, Brown Ale, and an IPA… all $ 4. My favorite was the Smash which was more like an amber than their actual amber. The amber was pretty hoppy as well as the brown ale and IPA (of course). Overall, nice staff and they have several bar games (pinball/​shuffleboard/​cornhole/​darts/​etc) to entertain yourself. I only liked one of their brews but I’ll be back especially since it’s walking distance from my place!