Food was great service was on point with with attentive staff. The devote is typical bar with VLT's, Once you get thru the smokers right by the door that measure 5 meters with the same standard they tell women what 6 inch's is it is pleasant and friendly. Prices are good and daily specials. read more

Staff is rude and judgemental and the food is greasy and be careful, safety standards are extremely low. If you wamy a stomach ache and food poisoning and poor staff this is your place to go. white trash dump! read more

Despite it being located in Forest Lawn (a part of the city which I think has an unfair reputation of being a bad part of town; undesirables can be found in every part of the city these days), I actually had a good time here (get it? ;-) ). The place is very clean, well kept, and the staff are friendly and helpful. The patrons represent all types, but like the namesake, they only really show up for a good time as well. In fact, when a patron from the neighboring table accidentally bumped into me, he was very apologetic. What really got to me here was the food; it's so delicious! I had the the Chicken Club Burger and fries, and the bacon was crisp, the chicken succulent, and they used real cheddar cheese. The fries were flavorful, crisp, and clean (i.e. not greasy at all). And the best part: the prices are very reasonable. I think the burger, fries, and a cola cost me about $11. When I went, they had a live band playing, as well as a dance floor. Good times for sure. The place has its own charm for sure, but if you can get over the stereotypes and prejudices of the location and neighborhood, I'm sure you'll find yourself having a good time here too. read more

Big Al's Bar & Grill - The Chicken Burger with Fries - Pizza Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Big Al's, you are certainly not what I expected. Mind you, I didn't really know what to expect before I walked in. I knew I was headed into Forest Lawn and I had already seen some of the characters outside your doors. I expected you to be much scuzzier on the inside. In fact, your decor was the opposite! Though some of your clientele is not what I'm used to finding in the hangouts I typically frequent, your atmosphere had a certain je ne sais quoi... obviously newer seating, tables in good order. I half expected things to be a bit more rough. Though the line of VLTs at the back of the bar obviously had their regular visitors, the front looked like an ok spot to hang out if a band I liked was playing. The big surprise, though, was your food. I didn't expect it to be that delicious! The food in and of itself is four stars. I inhaled my cheddar bacon chicken burger and crunched happily on my fries. I hear the pizza isn't a bad mouthful either. I may not return on a weekend evening, but I will certainly be back to try a few more of your menu items. read more

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Went there in wheelchair the manager said not enough room for wheelchair refused entry. I had called ahead of time was told no problem. When I'm back on feet I would never go here again not that I'd be there for a while. The manager said no offense but I'm not letting you in. You ever notice assholes start off by saying no offense but read more

Great food and Awesome service from the owner itself. Thank you kindly Al. Highly recommended.

Forest Lawns hidden gem . Ive been here plenty, food is always consistently good and the service is consistently stellar . Obviously the cooks care what they serve and shows. Everytime im in the lawn and hungry, big als is only spot to go eat . You can't go wrong here . Ive pretty much over the years eaten everything on the menu and its always been decent and tasty . Dont pass by and not try it , you'd be missing out read more

I had never been to Big Al's, let alone hear of it, but I was invited out by a friend after I watched the UFC fights on Saturday. When I got there, they were well into the drinking and there was a live band on stage. It was what I expected it to be so that was good - it was what you would expect from a bar in forest lawn - interesting looking patrons, 2 randoms making out like 8th graders at the bar and lots of drinks for everyone. If you're looking for a chill spot with a good atmosphere and good music, definitely check BIg Al's out! read more

So Thursday is wing night at Big Al's. We went early to avoid the evening rush, (ok, I was trying to be politically correct here, the "evening rush" aka scary evening clientele that OCCASIONALLY shows up here) and found out the wing special starts at 2pm. Bar was spacious and clean with large, comfortable booths that invite you and 4 others (maybe more?) to have a comfortable sItting. Waitress was very attentive. We shared three plates of wings between two of us, Hot, Sweet Hot and Honey garlic. These are non-breaded wings that are a fair size for 25 cents each. They were perhaps somewhat overcooked, and not as juicy as I would like, but I would go back again to fill my "wing itch" for sure. Seriously this is a down to earth pub, clean, good service with plenty of room to relax with a friend, and cold beer on tap. What else could you want in a wing place? read more

I will admit that I'm a SW kind of girl so I don't often check out the cool places that can be found elsewhere in the city. This, I need to rectify. So, when I got the opportunity to hang out at Big Al's, I thought, heck, why not? The interior of the pub was good - clean, lots of seating, fairly uncluttered. The staff was friendly & came back to our table often. The food was awesome - I had a veggie pizza that was a good size & full of fresh veggies. They put basil in the tomato sauce, which was unexpected but added a nice flavour. And the best part was that it was on special! Prices were definitely decent. Fellow patrons were a wide mix - some families, some groups of friends. Obviously a lot of locals. Everyone was very friendly. That said, honestly, unless I were in the area, not sure I'd make a special trip to visit :) read more

Have been going to Big Al's for a few years. Love wing night but...was in these two Thursdays ago with a friend. We ordered 3 types of wings and two drinks. Were told we had to order a third drink to get 3 plates of wings. Told our server we had never had to do that before. Advised it has always been their policy. Told of our experiences in the past so she asked if I wanted to speak with the manager. I did. Was told this has been their policy for a very long time. Mentioned we would never get a better deal on wings elsewhere. No argument there. He was really very flippant about the whole thing which really ticked me off. Correct to handle this situation... give us the 3 plates of wings and reiterate the policy for future times. Sorry Juan but will never spend money in Big Al's again. Oh and I have told all my friends. You think they would try to retain customers at this time when the bar business is really not thriving. read more

This review has been a long time in the making, and this will be a scathing review. Please read with caution. First I would like to state that I've been what I consider a "casual regular" of this bar for over 3 years. Why I've spent my hard earned dollars and time here for this long, god only knows. Sometimes I come in with friends, sometimes I just come in for a beer. But the mantra of this place has remained unchanged for three years. First off, the food isn't bad, it's bar food obviously but what do you expect? Personally I don't expect food poisoning, which I've had twice from this place but that's not the reason I'm writing this review tonight, but it doesn't help. The reason I decided to write this review tonight is due to the staff. As I've stated I've been coming into this place for a few years, and I went tonight because they had a good live band. Moving along we sat down in the back of the bar, first set of drinks no problem. Then the staff change happened. I don't completely understand what's wrong with the evening staff in this place but wow. Just wow. The bar was reasonably busy for a Saturday but after our first round we sat there. And sat there, and continued to sit there waiting for someone to come and ask us if we wanted another drink (Which we really did, the band was great). Finally after 45 minutes of being completely ignored, which sadly I find very typical of this place I was doomed to go to the bar and get the drinks myself. And that's a whole different experience on it's own. The heavy set woman who works the bar generally does one of three things in my experience. 1. Ignores you 2. Ignores you more 3. Gives you the most evil look you've ever seen as she serves her regulars at the bar before finally realizing you're still standing there and is forced to serve you. Note:This might be after she restocks a cooler, or counts the till while hoping you'll leave before she has to deal with you. Finally with a scowl on her face I did manage once again to order drinks. I don't know what the issue is here, and I'm a pretty good tipper for the record, but over three years and countless tips including once tipping $10 for a single beer I have never once seen this woman smile. I have to assume she is the saddest bartender ever. Or she simply hates people. To end this review off, I assume the staff and the owner will not give one F*** about this review, nothing will change and tomorrow will be business as usual. Myself, I will not be going back to this bar, ever. Ever again. To sum it up, if you have a choice. Choose somewhere else. read more

Will not come here anymore. Big Al's used to be my go to watering hole.. the service used to be great and the food was quite good... man has this place went downhill, the last 2 times I've attempted to go I was unable to get any service waiting 20 minutes with waitresses walking right past.. the old staff is mostly gone and the staff these days is terrible! After not being waited on 2 separate occasions I refuse to try again. Bonasera is down the street and has better food and better staff read more

We liked this place a lot. We go there every 1-2 weeks to eat some wings on special and listen live music. Personal is very nice to us. and food is really good. Highly recommending this place. read more

Though it is a tough part of town and decor outdated, the staff are friendly and excellent home cooked food with a great price. Drinks are cheap as well and I understand they have a live bank on weekends. read more

I love it. The only thing I would Chang is make it a little bit more rock but no matter what I will be back. It's a great place. Good food good service. read more

I like Big Als for wings on Saturdays and when certain bands are playing. The only issue is there is a bartender who can get rude when they are busy. Food is good though and it's always a good time. read more

I just love this place. The waitresses are friendly and the pizzas are outstanding. On Sundays the pizza is half price. Yum The food is excellent and the cooks do a fabulous job providing food to happy patrons. They have live entertainment and a very friendly atmosphere. read more