Big Grove Brewery & Taproom

Good food but expensive and the portions didn’t meet price criteria

The food was great but extremely expensive, I got the tuna poke bowl which is reasonably priced at 18 dollars and my gf got the stir fried noodles which was 13. Our waitress asked her if she would like any proteins because it would just be the noodles other wise and she said she wanted the steak thinking it was included, the part she forgot to tell us was that it wasn’t included in the meal but the four pieces of steak we got was 12 dollars almost as much as the meal. I left a generous 25% tip thinking she did a good job. Until I was adding it up in my head in the car, we paid 60 dollars for 2 entrees. We didn’t have an appetizer or dessert and just waters. Our bill should have been 31 dollars without the tip. We drove back to check and make sure we didn’t pay for someone else’s food and tried to see if there was a way to maybe reduce the price but she pointed to the menu and said maybe you should have looked before you bought it. Incredibly disappointing and unprofessional.

Seriously where to begin… absolutely fantastic lunch and afternoon there with friends! Our waitress was top notch, probably one of the best, if not the best we’ve had anywhere. Anyone who can juggle our table of 6 adults and 4 kids (under 10) so flawlessly deserves a shoutout. HANNAH is a 10/10! We were able to have a tour of the brewery with Doug and Chad. They answered all our random questions about not just beer, but the culinary side of things as well, and made us feel like we’ve been friends for a long time. If the day wasn’t already great, add in the stellar beers/drinks and wonderful food too. We all live farther away (over an hour) but are already talking about when we can meet up at Big Grove again.

We have been by several times since opening. Each time has been great but tonight we waited for a table and had no issues waiting. When we’re notified a table was ready and told that we had 1 hour and had to be out or we could wait for another table. We asked how long if we waited for another table. Told us they didn’t know.

Great beer and atmosphere, overpriced food that varies in quality - and get this, if you get poorly prepared food and ask them to make it right, they charge you for it. Disgusting practice.

Follow-up: Talked with Andrew about our experience and he went above and beyond to set things right. I'm not sure if anything was discovered as to why things went the way they did. Hopefully the practice of charging patrons to fix bad food has stopped.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 4

Big Grove Brewery hosted our fall trivia night to support the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank in their party room and everything was AMAZING! The team did a great job, our trivia teams had a blast, and the party room was a great location for our event. Thank you so much for your support!

The events team were great to work with and provided us with the atmosphere we wanted for a fun night of trivia and fundraising. We are excited to hold another event there!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fun place to hang inside or outside! Food is so good- try the meatballs!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Good meal. It was a little expensive but worth it. The outside seating makes it worth it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fun environment!
A shining star for Cedar Rapids.
Indoor /outdoor seating with fire pits.
Excellent beer selection!
Good food and service.
Perfect for a date night or to watch a game.

Vegetarian options: I love the protein bowls and heart healthy options. You could offer entirely plant based with optional salmon, shrimp or chicken.
Excellent place!
Keep up the great work.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Taphouse Burger, Tuna Poke Bowl, Sweet Potato Fries

Service was great, waiter came and took our orders after we sat outdoors in Adirondack chairs without having to ask. Delicious seasonal beer. Burger was good, fries were tasty though could have been crispier. Only sat outside, which was nice atmosphere but more TVs are needed outside during Iowa football games. Could do without the bags game among the seating.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Taphouse Burger

You advertise yourself as a brewery, yet when we came just to have a beer we were treated terribly. Told hostess we just wanted to get a beer and sit outside. Was told the only place we could do that was if we sat at fire pit. It was three o’clock in afternoon. Not that busy, so we took small table by fire pit. Waitress came over told her we were just getting beer from bar. She was very nice and said sit here as long as you want. We had a couple beers which we went to bar to get, that was not a problem. When we were leaving waitress came over and I tried to tip her and she didn’t want to accept it as she said she didn’t do anything. Told her she was the only one to make us feel welcome. And she deserved a tip. Maybe you should change your name to restaurant instead of brewery.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

Had my husband's 50th surprise party here, and I'm so thankful I chose to have it here. Kayleigh made sure everything ran smooth, that food was filled, and continually checked in to make sure that both us and our guests had everything we needed. Kayleigh and the bartending staff were fun, friendly, and energetic. The chefs prepared a fabulous buffet. Even options made for my vegetarian and gluten free family/friends. All of our guests even verbalized how great the food and staff were. Atmosphere was perfect for this party. All around amazing and highly recommend this place for an event!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Hannah might be the best server I've ever had. The atmosphere is upbeat but comfortable, the food and drink were top tier. Highly recommend. 10/10, no notes.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese

Big Grove is my new favorite spot in town. From girls nights, date night and having an area close by for kids to play while we can chill. Their food is super consistent and menu has something for everyone.

When friends visit it's our favorite place to show them downtown. The firepits are cozy and great vibe. Love the new parking nearby as well!

Parking: 100s of spots across the street from Pickle Palace and Big Grove in a free lot

Kid-friendliness: Slides and climbing area in grassy area nearby, stage and area to run around. Always kids here and very family friendly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Giant Pretzel

Great food and amazing service! Serenity was our server and was so fun and checked in on us all the time. A great experience and all the food was excellent

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5