Bill W.
Yelp
My wife had heard good things for years about Big Bear. Finally made the 45 minute trek to try them out today. I'm sorry to say we were disappointed. The ambiance was more like a steakhouse than a brewery, so the first adjustment was to settle into a restaurant rather than a brewery atmosphere.
Then there was the realization that between $15-$20 appetizers and most meals being well over $25, this lunch at a brewery was going to end up being over $75 for two, and we each only had one beer.
The server took our order almost too quickly, rushing a decision. That's where the attentiveness ended. We initially ordered two beers and two waters. The server knew nothing about the beer, and when I asked if they brewed a particular style called a Gose, she somewhat aggressively punched her finger at the menu, having apparently misunderstood me to have ordered a commercial beer, to inform us that this is a brewery and they brew their own beer. The beers came, but we had to ask again for the water. And when the beer did arrive it had already been sitting so long that the glasses were warm and the head had all vanished. My beer, a red ale had an off taste to it.
I had the French dip... and although it looked great and had plenty of rare prime rib, it was the most flavorless prime rib I can remember... really no flavor at all. And, the French dip was mostly just salty and had a thick layer of oil on top. The bread was indistinct.
My wife had a pretty good beet and goat cheese salad, but it included incredibly sweet candied walnuts that were a bit much. The dressing was nice though, and it was dressed sparingly.
We were never offered a water refill or another beer order... as my wife and I were looking at upcoming travel plans on an iPhone in the center of the table the server actually shoved the tray carrying the bill right into the phone and marched away without a word. When she took my card and returned, there wasn't even a pen left to sign the receipt.
All-in-all a forgettable experience, and we are left with no reason to make the drive to visit again.