“University cities often have that old town-and-gown dichotomy going on, and Norman OK is no different. It’s like that old Venus-and-Mars thing used to describe the differences between men and women.I found myself in Norman (home of OU) to shoot photos of two old theatres, and naturally worked up a thirst. Beer Is Good (BIG) is located in the traditional downtown part of Norman, more than a mile from campus. And it took me a New York second to quickly realize I was among locals, not the campus community. The brewery (I never once saw a wort kettle or fermenter) looks and feels more like a tavern, which is fine. It works. The place was decked out in a Nightmare Before Christmas motif, and the big screens showed Texas destroying OSU in football. I’m betting everyone in there was rooting for Texas, if only because of the OU/OSU rivalry.I went with a flight, as is my M.O. They had enough IPAs to do four in a row, starting with Road To El Dorado SMASH (6.6%ABV), and continuing with Clockwork Orange Juice (6.8%ABV), Real Fake Limes (8.6%ABV), and Straight Outta Compton (8.3%ABV). They were all approachable IPAs, each with unique flavor profiles. But it was the Compton that piqued my curiosity, its subtle malty finish raising my eyebrows in a delightful way. It is no small feat to brew hop-forward yet malt on the back side; I ordered a pint of it, again my standard procedure. Best-in-flight deserves a pint of its own. I enjoyed my visit. The crowd was much more sedate than what you would expect in a college town. Two thumbs up.“
“I met my Bumble date here and we had a fantastic time. Service was great, food was great, and the atmosphere was so much fun! They did a great job of following the new capacity guidelines with Covid and made sure everything was thoroughly sanitized. I love this place!!!“
“My wife and I have been there several times now. The food is always very good. I've had several of their different types of beers and they were quite good too. The other drink offerings had things to satisfy my wife's picky palette. The brunch offerings are quite tasty, too. And the blueberry streusels are heavenly. The service is outstanding. It's off the main path by a few blocks but worth it in my opinion. Open. Airy and well-lit with natural lighting. The view of the park across the railroad tracks is better than congested and busy downtown streets. Comfortable seating.“