Big Rig Brewery

This place been open a while and I finally got a chance to drop in between meetings. Enjoyed their Brown Ale pint with a classic burger, even if service was quite slow at first. The burger was average, but I hope to re-​visit soon to try out more of their beer selection!

The beer was good but the food was just so so. I had the Shepherds Pie which was cold in the middle. So that tells me it was frozen to begin with which isn’t a great sign. Even after hearing it further it wasn’t very good.
Not a whole lot of attempt by the management or anyone to apologize or talk to me, just a «sorry». Waitress was lovely and you could tell she was embarrassed about how the food came out.

Fabulous brew and really excellent quality food. As a local realtor– it’s on my list of top Nepean places to eat.

First time here so far. I had the wings which were huge and perfectly made. I like bleu cheese with my wings but the dipping sauce they came with was pretty tasty as well. I look forward to a return visit!

I like Big Rig even though I don’t go often. They introduced a decent size gluten free menu which includes these crispy chicken pieces and pizza. The topping and cheese on the pizza were adequate and they didn’t skimp on the cheese which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Service is average. My husband absolutely loves the Big Rig red ale and we also bring a jug home. The restaurant is always clean, bar staff friendly and the (owners/​or managers?) are really nice. Big thumbs up for brining in more gluten free options that are pretty tasty. I will be back!

Great food and great beer but expensive. Definitely recommend, me and the guys go often for a quick meal or a quick beer.

Let me start off by mentioning that I am a pretty much a pizza fanatic on a mission to find the best pizza in Ottawa. I always have to try the pizza in the cities or countries that I visit around the world. I’ve been in Ottawa for 8 years or so and have yet to find one that stands out… until now. Big Rig’s pizza is very very good especially if you like Montréal/​Ottawa style pizza. The cheese is pretty outstanding and actually has a true mozzarella taste. The pepperoni was also particularly good. I preferred the pepperoni pizza over the four meat because I felt like all those meats masked the flavour of the cheese. They don’t cheap out on the toppings either, it’s quite filling and it takes work to finish a small by yourself. I would definitely recommend trying the pizza here and I will be back.

Two word review: Satanic Expensive.
I have been to Big Rig a good number of times and have never been disappointed in the food. Pizza, club sandwich, sweet potato fries, pot pie, fish and chips, etc… I went soon after they first opened and the beer was really nothing to write about then, in fact it tasted like bottled-​too-​soon home brew. Thankfully their beer has matured and is good pretty much across the board. Not outstanding however. Their southwest fish tacos, once a minor miracle we went there specifically for, and still good, but have slid in quality and consistency, and seem to lack a good portion of the julienned toppings that used to be included for that extra crunch, good mouth feel as well a flavors. This could be the turning point for this place. Read on…
All that being said this place is unholy expensive. Todays visit we shared one average priced starter, shared one lower price main (fish and chips), and had one beer each, and the bill came in over $ 70. Incredible! They really gouge you good. At this end of the pricing spectrum if they let the food quality slip more at all they will be in a very difficult spot… Stay tuned…

I ordered their big rig hamburger platter for lunch. Hamburger was amazing. It was juicy and very flavorful and their servings were amazingly huge! Not gonna complain about that. Highly recommend them. Also their pizzas and poutine are phenomenal. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs get their heads checked

I met friends for dinner here (with my toddler in tow) the other night. It was extremely busy — actually a full house– on a weekday evening at 6:30pm. I’m glad I had thought to make a reservation! (Also, finding parking in their lot was a bit of a challenge and I circled around several times, but luckily a spot opened up just as someone was leaving.)
While I didn’t have any drinks, I thought the food was really well done. Everything was quite tasty and presented in huge portions, but along with that I found prices a tad on the expensive side. I ordered the roasted chicken panini that came on really soft yet hearty sunflower bread. The sandwich was stuffed with huge chunks of chicken, and the roasted red peppers and lemon aioli complemented everything perfectly. The accompanying side salad containing feta, candied pecans, and green apples, was delectable. My friends’ dishes (fish tacos, chicken wings, and pizza) all looked fantastic.
My son’s kiddie meal was equally good. The junior hamburger was well-​seasoned and the mashed potatoes had a nice garlicky kick to it. The only unfortunate thing was that they ran out of the fruit salad that came along with it, which my son would have really enjoyed, and did not offer to substitute anything for it. At $ 7.99, and with a glass of milk for $ 3.99, I thought his meal somewhat overpriced especially since dessert was not included.
It’s a great casual space to meet friends but it can get quite noisy in there. As mentioned, I was a bit surprised by the expense: $ 34 (before tip) for my son and I. Nevertheless, I would keep this restaurant in mind for a future get-​together with friends because the food was really good.

A group of us met up for the Unilocal pizza committee, twelve or so of us I think. We sat over in the corner on the bar side, which was nice location for a group.
Rebecca was our server and she was excellent. Everyone had various appetizers and ordered their pizzas at various times but everything went off without a hitch.
I had the deep fried pickles to start and they were pretty good, although after having them at the Atrim T.S. the price is hard to swallow. Fortunately it wasn’t me who did the swallowing, thanks again Andrea! For the pizza I went with the meat one, quarto carne I think it’s called. Regular crust. It was great. Pizza has to be one of the best things on the menu, if not the best. I succumed to peer pressure and demolished the entire small. Though it took some work to get the whole thing down, it’s quite filling. As to the beer, I went with what seems to be becoming my olé faithful, Scotch Ale. It was as good as always.
This group dinner went off splendidly so if you’re looking for a place for a group don’t hesitate to give Big Rig a shot.

While the beer selection is vast, I always come back to the Black IPA and enjoy every drop.
Te last time I was there I really enjoyed the Thai Curry Mussels and although they don’t Pizza Marguerite, the Philly Cheese steak was a nice compromise.
While the restaurant was busy, we didn’t feel rushed leave and the serving staff was super friendly.
All in all a pleasant evening

What a great surprise!
Really tasty food and great craft beers. I really dug the Belgium Brown.
I have been there three times and it was consistently good.

Whenever I go to Brewery, I only have 1 thing in mind… BEER.
Big Red Brewery does have a good selection of different beer styles: 6 beers + 4 beers on rotation/​seasonal.
Taster came in 4, but they they are more than happy to accommodate us so we got a sample of every single beer on tap.
Gold
IPA
Rideau Red
Hefeweizen
Byward Brown
Session IPA
Stud Stout
Double Black IPA
Dortmunder
All brewed to style but nothing really outstanding. Good everyday beers for a neighbourhood brewery. I kind of wish I can find one like that in my hood!
The space here is huge and they take reservations. Good for big group for casual drinks and pub style food.

Big Rig is a nice addition to our options in Ottawa (though it’s a bit of a trek to its location). This is the best place in the city to go with a big group of people for decent food and beer that’s sure to please everyone in your party. They sport a large patio in the summer, and are clearly the best option if you’re looking to dine in the immediate vicinity of Ikea.
Anyway, we got to try a large selection of dishes from the menu at an Elite event in December, and I have to say I was impressed. There are a lot of interesting twists from your average pub food — a favourite of mine was the buffalo chicken dip. There’s also some more mainstream stuff that’s done well, but not exceptional, like the fried pickles or the poutine.
The pizza is surprisingly good. Maybe not surprising to many people, but I’m always iffy about pizza on a menu… sure, it won’t be *bad*, but will it be so good that you don’t end up wishing you’d ordered something else if it’s not a pizza place? Here, you don’t have to worry — the pizzas we’ve tried have been great, and the buffalo chicken pizza is a lot more interesting than you’d think — one of my favourite pizzas we’ve had in Ottawa. (And yes, I may be a bit of a sucker for buffalo chicken, but I think anyone who doesn’t mind some spice will enjoy that pizza).
Oh, and the beer, of course! All of the beers are brewed by Big Rig, and they’re all solid, but not outstanding. I find their Gold (the most popular beer) to be very boring, but it won’t offend anyone who’s not sure about trying fancy beers. The stout is tasty, but the IPA wasn’t quite hoppy enough to earn the label. The star on the beer list last time we visited was the black IPA.
The service we’ve received on our visits has always been, again, good but not outstanding.
Based on the quality of food, beer, and service, if this was a small restaurant I’d give it a very solid three stars. The fact that it offers so many options for this level of drinking and dining and can accommodate big groups pushes it over the top to four. As someone who is a big believer in «making meals count,» I don’t worry about finding something I’ll enjoy when we go to Big Rig.

We’ve been here a number of times — it is, after all conveniently located in the immediate vicinity of IKEA, is just off the highway *and* has great beer. It’s time to do a refresh on my review.
We were there as part of a Unilocal Elite event, and so were lucky enough to get a tour of the attached brewery and a wide sampling of the food. As *always* everything was great. A shout out to our waiter Dwayne who’s charm and humour kept all of us laughing and happy. (I wish every restaurant had a Dwayne.)
From past history I can say their burgers and pizza are worth ordering as is any of their beers. (My personal favorite so far is the Chocolate Stout.) Today we tried a few new things and they’ll be added to my future orders too: Hummus Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Poutine. (How had I avoided their poutine until know — that’s a mystery. It was good!) Also good, but not something I’d typically order was the Edamame. The sauce drizzled on it was great — so if you like Edamame in general (I don’t), this is also a great option.
Would I return: Already do.
Would I recommend: :-) Yes — I already do.

After reading many reviews, I decided to go to Big Rig on Tuesday night with my boyfriend and a friend.
Our service was exceptional, however, our food. Not so much. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t good. It definitely was not worth the prices that we paid.
It was dark and loud inside, I could barely read my menu. I got a classic cheeseburger with a gluten free bun. Like I said, it was okay but not something I would come back for.
My boyfriend got the wings. 2lbs for over $ 20? Jeeeze. Overpriced! He didn’t end up finishing them, he didn’t like them. And he’s an avid wing lover.
Our friend didn’t get anything to eat.
In conclusion, I wouldn’t go back. I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you’re going to catch up with a friend or have a discussion of any form. The one great thing was the service — our server was nice and friendly!

My friend and I decided to visit Big Rig tonight for dinner. This was my second time visiting the restaurant and it was the first time for my friend. This time we sat in the nice comfy booths. Our waiter was very nice and took our drink orders within 5 min of us sitting down.
I decided to try the Gouda chicken sandwich this time. It was amazing! The chicken is crusted with Parmesan and topped with Gouda. The sandwich also has avocado (which I love), lettuce, tomato and really yummy chipotle mayo. I was worried the chipotle mayo would be overpowering in the sandwich but it was nicely balanced. It was served on a lightly toasted flat bread. It was delicious and quite a generous helping! I had to bring half of it home, but I definitely won’t mind the leftovers tomorrow!
My friend had the smoked meat sandwich. She really enjoyed her meal and it looked yummy!
We also had an order of fried pickles, which are always a good choice! Pickles are the best!

11 of us took two of our co-​workers for lunch here. They were part of an unfortunate layoff from work and their last day is tomorrow.
Anyway, I’ve been buying beer here in growlers since they opened but have never eaten here so I was really looking forward to it.
We arrived at lunch hour, with reservations, and the place was packed. Our server was friendly and attentive. One of my co-​workers ordered a plate or pulled pork nachos to share. It was huge and delicious.
I thought the menu items were a little pricey in comparison to some major restaurant chains, but rest assured there’s a reason.
I ordered the jalapeño cream cheese (angus beef!) burger. It was pretty good. But what impressed me most was the portion size. It’s almost as if they filled the remaining space on my plate with the side order. I had fries. Glancing at some of my co-​workers’ plates, they received the same generous portions.
I love Big Rig’s beer so I had I try their new black IPA. Again, no disappointment.
We were there for maybe an hour and a half total, during a busy lunch time crowd, and at no time did it feel like we were waiting for anything so I’d have to say the overall service was pretty quick all things considered.
My meal and two black IPAs came to around $ 32 before tip.
I stopped at their «store» on the way out and picked up a couple of growlers of the black IPA and Belgian Blonde for enjoyment at home.
Is definitely to back. I wish they had an east end location though since that’s where I live.

Having read other reviews I was a bit apprehensive about going to Big Rig. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good brewpub but the comments about the food and service left a lot to be desired. Regardless my girlfriend and I decided to trek out here on a Saturday night for some beer and pub fare and we were not disappointed.
We arrived around 7:00 and the place was full, fortunately the wait wasn’t long, and the bar is right next to the Maitre D stand (and within earshot) so we could pitch up at the bar and order beers while we waited. After about 15 minutes we got our table. We first ordered an appetizer of thai chili mussels which were most excellent while for main course I got an excellent Jambalaya. It had shrimp, lobster, and sausage in it with vegetables on a bed of rice. The sauce was really excellent and it had the right amount of spice. My girlfriend had a shrimp bowl, which was essentially a stir fry with shrimp and veggies that she really liked.
The beer of is also excellent, I had a really good English Style Brown Ale called Byward Brown. It’s quite smooth and malty with strong nutty and coffee flavours. My second was a HefeWeiss, for the uninitiated that is a German style wheat beer that had vanilla and banana notes, also a very tasty brew. My girlfriend had the Big Rig Gold, their flagship lager. That one wasn’t nearly as good, I found it a bit bland and watery but it isn’t a bad beer by any means, I would just recommend their other beers over it.
The service was also good, although I found that it could be a bit sporadic at times. The best I can say is that they did their job professionally and courteously, but I wasn’t super blown away by any means. This average service, along with the prices (which were kinda steep) costs Big Rig a 5 star rating, but I would definitely go back and would recommend it to others.