This place is awesome. Great outdoor seating options and a great kids menu. Despite the fact that they are a brewery they also have a distillery which means their cocktail menu is fantastic. And the FOOD! I had a house side salad with the Ginger vinagrette and a Homestead pizza. It was amazing! The homestead is a chicken and veggies pizza with a pesto cream sauce. Delicious. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Homestead pizza and One in a Melon Cocktail - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Great spot to go grab a quick bite. They don't take same day reservations but walking in is easy to get a table in no more than 15 mins. They have a big outdoor seating area with heaters which makes it comfortable even in colder months. The bbq pork nachos are an awesome appetizer to split! QTFO! read more

My son calls to make a reservation for 8 earlier this week, the girl on the phone was rude and says they don't take reservations over the weekend. My wife and I showed up to get a table early, only to be told, yes, they take reservations the day before. What is the truth?? Not sure if I want to try your restaurant next time I'm visiting my son read more

I had lunch here on a Sunday, and at around 1PM there was a short wait, about 10 minutes, for a table. Right after we arrived, a few more groups came in and we heard the wait at that point was 30 minutes. I felt bad for the servers who had to navigate through the waiting crowd to bring food to the customers in the outdoor seating area! We tried our best to stay out of the way. We were seated in just about 10 minutes as promised, and despite the fact that our server seemed to be covering a very large area, she took our beverage orders quickly, and returned for our food orders after we had just the right amount of time to look at the menu. I had the smoked wings dinner which comes with 9 wings, pub fries and cole slaw. Our server said that for some reason, the dinner version of wings can only come with one three barbecue sauces, not any of the hot sauces...and the sauce can only come on the side. Clearly other customers must find this odd too as she offered this information before I asked. Seriously...these are the exact same wings they have on the appetizer menu, but with fries and cole slaw added on for $3 more...why have extra rules for these wings? Anyway, they were quite good; I'd never had smoked wings before which is why I wanted to try them. They were meaty and flavorful with a nice smoky flavor. I opted for the cherry barbecue sauce as our server said it had a bit of a kick to it. It was good, did have some spice, and the cherry wasn't too sweet or overpowering. The fries were great; crisp on the outside and tender on the inside topped with flake salt and not too greasy. The cole slaw was good and had a tiny bit of spice to it which was nice! For dessert we shared a bag of donuts with turtle sauce. The donuts did indeed come in a paper bag that we dumped out onto the plate. They were fresh and tasty. The turtle sauce was mostly chocolate, but did have hints of caramel, but no pecans that we could see. This was a tasty, but messy dessert to eat since you dunk the donuts in the chocolate which is somewhat thin and drips everywhere. I'd recommend asking for extra plates and some forks if you'd like hands and clothing to remain chocolate free ! The atmosphere was quite nice, and not noisy despite being completely full. Everyone was friendly and helpful despite being very busy. Our drinks were refilled regularly and our server checked on us just enough. We didn't sample the beers or cocktails on this visit, but the choices looked excellent. I'll definitely need to try one at a future visit. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Smoked wings dinner - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Came here on President's Day, so it wasn't super crowded - but only one server.. they were out of the grains they use for their grain bowl (which ultimately makes it vegan) so my mom opted for fried rice. I asked for the Salmon BLT, but they were out of salmon. So I got the spicy bacon ranch sandwich - wasn't bad, but left much to be desired. Their fries are pretty tasty, fried perfectly. I ordered a pineapple IPA which was pretty good and refreshing. My stepdad got a porter and then the peanut butter beer, which tasted more like caramel in my opinion. We did wait quite a bit for another drink...but with one server, that is to be expected... Not a horrible experience, food was okay. Might give it a second chance next time I'm in the area. read more

The parking is a nightmare. The drinks are insanely overpriced. They constantly run out of every day items. Oh and seating and service are slower than walking home through big woods. read more

I have heard a lot of mixed opinions about Big Woods but I personally love it. I've gone a handful of times and the staff is usually pretty on top of things. The wood them throughout the restaurant is cozy and makes me excited for fall. It can get busy during the lunch and dinner rushes, but you can always sit at the bar too! One night we sat at the bar and had a great time with the bartender Nolan, he basically made the experience. I recently had one visit that was honestly just horrible but I know that a lot of businesses are struggling with short staffing and they comped my meal for all of the things that went wrong that night - so they at least fix their mistakes! I would recommend the house salad with steak added, the Strawberry Blonde vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for it. I only gave 4 stars just do to the inconsistency in service/experience, but normally it isn't bad! This is one of the few places left on Kirkwood that isn't fast food or junk food so I definitely recommend. read more

Really disappointed this business does not allow dogs despite the face they have abundant patio and parking lot space with tables and great shade. read more

Food is poor and has gone downhill fast. Quality of food is bad and absolutely not worth the price. It used to have great food. I believe they are cutting corners an acting more like a corporation than a true family business that cares about the quality of their food. Recommend eating at different places in Bloomington for more value and better-quality food. Hamburgers and pizza used to be great, now you can go to Sams Club for better food. read more

Had an issue with the pulled pork this time. Management was extremely responsive and made it right for us. The replacement pork was excellent as expected! read more

Truffle fries were really crisp and tasty. I'm not a fan of potatoes but I would order these again. Chicken sandwich with asparagus was also awesome and the portion was generous. The waitstaff was friendly and engaging but may have been over burdened because our dinner stretched to 90 minutes mostly because she wasn't there. You lose a star due to the limited options for diet beverages. read more

Lovely atmosphere, friendly & knowledgeable bartenders & WONDERFUL dishes. The in house brews are tasty and full of variety. I would recommend the steak salad with their blonde vinaigrette. 10 stars! read more

Utterly disappointed. Raw onions, soggy chips, under a layer of plastic cheese. No sauces included at all. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I usually keep notes on the bill I get at an establishment so I can write it up later...and on this bill as usual I made comments separately for each entrée and always seemed to add a BUT...this was very good BUT, this was very tasty BUT...etc. I guess that is why it gets 3 stars, even thought the beer selection was top notch. One of our three had the asparagus risotto...which had a wonderful taste but had sat under the heat lamp for a bit drying it out; another diner had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich which was tender and smooth but had a very slight off taste - not overpowering but it must have been a different seasoning of some sort; our third in the party had the Hoosier tenderloin which was a simple pounded pork tenderloin with a nice coating fried in duck fat...great taste, but just a bit overdone in blackening some of the breading. So as you can see all pretty nice with BUTs. The dessert of cookies and crème doesn't get a BUT...it was just plain good. The beer was excellent...many offerings by the bottle and even more on draft. They had 24 taps - serving 8 of their own beer creations and 16 other craft beers from around the country...nice selection of drafts. We had a nice pale ale to start off (sorry I forgot the name) and finished with a Strawberry Blond ale which was very nice and smooth...you could smell the strawberries when it was placed on the table. There are Big Woods restaurants in Nashville, Indianapolis, and Bloomington Indiana. They brew their beer under the Quaff On label and make it in Nashville and Martinsville Indiana. For the Big Woods Bloomington location we will give the food another chance since the menu is extensive with flat bread pizzas, hamburgers, and other items. The beer here is 4+ star stuff and the food may catch up to it. read more

Big woods has one of the best red ales I've ever had - Hoosier Red! Their bar food is pretty decent too. I've had their signature pulled pork nachos, pork tenderloin duet, pulled pork Sandwich and fish tacos. Their portions are super generous. A full order of nachos is enough for two. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Hoosier Red - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Had some of the best nachos of my life here!!! Generous helping of pulled pork, cheese, and veggies evenly spread over the nacho chips. They also make really great fried fish sandwiches. I think what really won me over about this place is the exterior. We came on a summer Friday evening, there was live music and the outdoor seating was packed. read more

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Tori was amazing! Ribs were great too. Beer was also good. Beer cheese was good too....

I took two of my colleagues to lunch today. We sat outside and our server, Debra, was just perfect! She was kind, gentle, funny, efficient, and very attentive to all our needs. I had the portobello melt which was simply phenomenal. Highly recommend Big Woods! read more

I'm thinking about heading over to Wal Mart and buying some camping shit. You know. So I can sleep in the alley and be there when they open. Every day. Well. At least until I start to resemble the Unibomber and smelling. But until then. I'd be able to get their amazing food and drinks. Nolan, the bar tender should be in The Rolling Stones. Or Running the CIA. read more

big no, bad staff, bad food, big pass. There are way better restaurants in Bloomington. I suggest you go somewhere else, too overpriced for what it is. read more

My family and I drove an hour and a half down to Bloomington to visit family a few days ago. Around 5:30 we all start to get hungry and looked up pet friendly restaurants that are open because we had our border collie with us. According to Yelp, Google, and their website, the Big Woods Bloomington location stated it is still pet friendly at this time. However, I've noticed that some places, such as Oliver Winery, have made notices online stating no pets allowed at this time. Big Woods has no such notice posted. So we arrived at the restaurant and it was completely empty outside, except for one couple seated at a table. A hostess and/or server came out to greet us and told me how cute my dog was, but that "right now they are not allowing any dogs unless they are service animals" and offered no explanation as to why. We have been to their Nashville and Speedway locations many times and love their food and beer, so we thought this would be a great place to stop for dinner. After the customer service/lack of updates keeping customers in the know I don't think we'll be returning again. read more

Absolutely delicious! I ordered the Quinoa Patty and my husband ordered the Signature Pulled Pork Nachos. The Quinoa Patty was delicious and filled with just the right flavors. The only part of the patty that was in need of changing was it was crumbling while I was eating it. The patty was delicious but, it was hard to keep it on the bun. It was one of the best vegetarian options I have had in a long time. It would have been nice if there were other options than a spicy slaw and french fries. I don't like spicy food and therefore only had the option of fries because the slaw was spicy. My husband's Signature Pulled Pork Nachos was delicious as well. My husband loved the fact that the jalapenos were not pickled and that everything was crisp and fresh. He did think there could have been more ranch. When we ordered more ranch we were actually charged for it which we thought was a bit petty. The waiter and hostess were very nice and provided a tomato and lettuce for the Quinoa Patty without any question. The waiter was quick to fill drinks and provide helpful and polite service. The prices are comparable to other local restaurants and the atmosphere is a lot nicer than some of the surrounding restaurants. read more

Incredible food in the heart of downtown Bloomington. Only a few blocks from the sample gates, so whether you're an alum visiting (like me) or a potential student trying to get a feel for IU this is a great spot to sit down and enjoy some local brews and food. The smoked wings were to die for, so good you don't even need the sauce, but if you do those are equally as good. I'm a ranch person but the house made blue cheese blew me away. Pretzel was a 10-10 and the nachos are incredible. I will definitely be coming back next time we're in Bloomington! read more

For those who have been around prior to the name change, this place was also known as Quaff On! before they decided to join their fellow restaurant brethrens and take on the Big Woods name. Great place, awesome beer selection, and really good food! I will say that the food prices are a little bit more pricey, but I can't say I've had anything there that wasn't good. Okay, maybe I lied, this one time I got their Poutine Fries and was really disappointed with the outcome. Lets be real though, we aren't in Canada, so don't know what I was expecting. That one anomaly aside though, I think they bring a level of local flair and uniqueness that keeps me coming back. Their food usually feels like it's made to order, and I highly suggest you try the Triple B Burger. You will not regret it. The environment is chill, even though their seating is limited considering the size of the restaurant overall. So I would probably expect a wait if you're going during prime meal or drinking times. They have an outdoor covered patio which is the perfect place for outdoor beverages when the weather is nice. The people who frequent here I would say run the gamete between young professional or grad student to families and older. So if you're looking for a place to grab a beverage that is a level up to "adulting" then this is definitely a place to check out. read more

Birthday lunch at the bar! Erica was simply exceptional: charming, interesting, and interested! She made our day and our lunch a blast!! The food and service were above and beyond' read more

Underwhelming first experience, but they are new and still working out the kinks. I'll try again in a few months. Beer-Nice selection, although they were out of several things and the menus had not been updated to reflect this. Most of our groups picks were not available, but our server had some expert recommendations for other things we may like based on our original picks and he was right on. They will also give you free samples which is great. Overall great service. Food- Pulled pork nachos were good, but not cheap if ordered as an appetizer at $10.95. Portion size is appropriate for one person as a small entree, two as an appetizer. Got a carry out salad which was $11.50 for a small portion and the lettuce was brown. Listed on the menu under "Fresh Greens" section, these greens were sadly not so fresh. Overall, ambiance is great, they have a nice outdoor area. Prices are pretty steep ( if you think Scotty's is overpriced, then this is not the place for you), and they are still getting the kinks worked out. Curious to come back in a few months to check it out again. read more

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I was looking for a place to have lunch while in Bloomington on business and ran into Quaff On! I thought to myself, why does this name sound so dang familiar and then I noticed their beer chalk board and it all made sense. They are a brewery and I've had their beer at multiple beer fests around Indy. Since I was working, I did not have a beer, but I've had it many times before to know it was good. Instead, I had some food. The server told me the wings were a huge hit, so I decided to order a half order (6) of them for $5.99. I also ordered the Pork Bahn Mi for $13.99. I do love me some Bahn Mi! While waiting, I looked around and found the ambiance to be very quaint. Nice wood finish on everything, small cozy bar and small restaurant sections that were their own rooms almost. I imagine this was once a house that converted into a restaurant. I waited an obnoxiously long time unfortunately for the food, given that I was 1 of 3 tables seated at the restaurant. I also did not receive my wing until the sandwich showed up. The wings were hearty in size and worth the $1 each price point i'd say. I asked for sauce on the side with them as the waiter explained they were smoked and I wanted to taste that. Boy...they sure were. I can't tell if they cook them, then add smoke to flavor or if they smoke them from start to end but they were very good. I'd recommend to them they give a dry rub flavor option for those who maybe want to experience a pure smoked wing. I tried some of their sauces and they were just OK. The sandwich was next. This is where Quaff On went from 4 stars to 3 stars for me. What a disappointment. Calling this a Bahn Mi was a disgrace to Bahn Mis everywhere. This should just have been called a Pulled Pork sandwich, and a mediocre one at that. Mayo covered the bread, and there were some jalapenos and a bit of stale carrots. I can see what they were trying to do with this, but boy did they fail. In the end, with the price point being so high ($14 for a mediocre sandwich?) I doubt I'll come back when there are so many delicious options in Bloomington. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Pork Bhan Mi with truffle parmesan potato chips - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I had heard countless great things about Quaff On! Bloomington, but hadn't had the opportunity to go myself until this weekend. I'm sure glad I made the time. My first impression of the outside of the restaurant was that it had a very homey feel and it was located in an actual home right off of Kirkwood in Bloomington. When we walked in we really loved the decor-- a lot of nature, tastefully done! Although it took a little bit of time for our waiter to get to our table, it wasn't an unreasonable amount of time due to how busy they were! Our waiter was very attentive and made sure to keep our glasses full and continued to check back and make sure everything was okay. Everyone was really friendly and overall it was great customer service! We ordered the beer cheese and pretzels as an appetizer because this place is known for their beer and brewing company in Nashville, IN. If you like the taste of beer, the beer cheese is definitely for you, it doesn't lack on beer flavor! For my entree I ordered the 6ft Blonde Macaroni and Cheese. I consider myself a macaroni and cheese enthusiast and THIS was absolutely delicious. It was a good sized portion and also came with a salad. Their house made ranch was wonderful as well! My friend got the French onion grilled cheese which was also delicious. Because of their "tapas" like food portioning, we had some room to try dessert. We ordered the German Chocolate Pie and I only have one word: Wow! This was quite the experience and I am really looking forward to going back to try more of their eclectic menu! read more

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We recently visited my sister down at IU and decided to give this new brewery, Quaff On, a try for dinner. To sum up the experience in one word: "Meh". I'll start off by saying that the two beers I tried were very good. Their Red Ale was rich and full of flavor while their IPA had the perfect amount of hops, was refreshing, and smooth to drink. If I could give a review based on just the beer (not to mention the extensive selection of other microbrews they had on tap) it would be worth five stars. Quaff On is also in a great location - a cute little building that's nice and close to everything. But unfortunately those pros don't outweigh the cons. The food here is expensive. Like, $15 for a hamburger expensive. I saw a few coming out of the kitchen that other groups had ordered and it didn't look much like a $15 burger to me. And it would be one thing if the food were a little pricey but really good... but that wasn't the case. I ordered the pulled pork nachos and was disappointed. The pork was dry and didn't have a lot of flavor. In fact, the only flavor I got was from the BBQ sauce and ranch dressing slathered on the top of the whole thing. The service was a letdown too. I felt like our waitress just wanted to get rid of us the whole time. We weren't graced with her presence at our table at all from the time we ordered food until we were done eating and she asked if we wanted dessert before bringing the check. I would have ordered another beer or two if she would have stopped by in that time! It probably isn't great for your business (a brewery, mind you) if your waitstaff's practices don't encourage ordering beer... I wanted to like this place. It's a cute restaurant, conveniently located, that serves good beer. But unless the service, food quality, and prices improve I don't see myself making an effort to visit here again. Stop by for drinks? Sure. Eat dinner here? Don't think so. read more

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Why are the breadsticks and pizza dough different. It used to be so good and crispy and amazing and now it's trash and I'm so sad.

We've enjoyed many meals a la take out from big woods during the pandemic but tonight we had the opportunity to eat on their porch and we brought my parents and brother because we knew they'd enjoy it too. 3 burgers, fish and chips and a portobello melt were enjoyed at the table - everyone thought their meal was fantastic and service (I believe Jason waited our table) was fantastic. read more

Bragging a giant beer list that include Quaff and Big Woods, this is a great place for a craft beer guy or gal. An old renovated home, Quaff came in a couple years ago and completely gutted the place and it looks awesome. Very log cabin/ski resort like and homey feel. It is a small space and on a weeknight you WILL wait to be seated. More seating during nice weather on the patio, which is perfect. This place has a changing menu and some standard favorites. We love their street tacos (esp tuna tartare), cookie skillet, monster pulled pork nachos and delish kettle chips. I actually can't recall anyone ever not loving their food with on exception, the JB burger. How this won the James Beard Foundation National Blended Burger contest is bizarre. The other burgers are great! My fiance adores the wings. Occasionally the have entertainment and it is hit or miss. Great place to have a casual dinner with good friends or a beer and snack. Not a great place for a first date in my opinion. Quaff on! (which apparently means to drink heartily and with gusto) read more

As a vegetarian there aren't many options, but the things they have are great. I went with a group of friends and everyone enjoyed what they ordered. The service was great. Our waitress was very attentive and offered us samples of the beer before we ordered. We all wanted to try the gander mill nitro fluff, but they were out of it. She offered something similar, but I really hope they get that cider back on draft! read more

this place is my absolute favorite. my waitress was the most amazing person, she treated us with such kindness and respect. I've never felt more at home, her name was taylor. next time you come ask for her as your server. you will get nothing better then the best experience possible. on top of my phenomenal waitress the food was delicious. I really recommend the fish and chips! read more

This place is simply amazing. All connected to Hard Truth, their distillery you have pretty much all you need! Heck they even have walking trails (should you need to walk off your "spirit flight" which consists of 12 spirits)! We stopped in because we enjoy Big Woods wings (ah-mazing) and also their beer. We could have stayed all day. Their staff in the flight tastings are so knowledgeable and helpful! It's a one stop shop for food and fun! read more

I always feel welcome when I go to Big Woods Bloomington. The staff is friendly and always seems to genuinely care about my experience there being positive and satisfying. I enjoy sitting at the bar area because the bartenders, and often the other patrons there too, are usually engaging and fun to chat with. My personal favorites food-wise are the pulled pork nachos, cauliflower crust pizza with a variety of topping combinations, and maple bourbon chicken sandwich. It's always worth asking about the soup of the day too, as I've had countless tasty, creative varieties of awesome soup at Big Woods. read more

This was my first visit to Quaff On! Bloomington and its an instant homerun. The atmosphere is fun and inviting. On a Wednesday evening they had live music that made the meal even better. Oh yeah, my meal consisted of wasabi pea dusted ahi tuna, which was pan seared rare and served with pickled veggies and stir fried rice with a hint of sriracha crema. This is the best $20 meal you will com across. If your a fan of tuna this is a must. My wife was impressed with the pulled pork tacos and couldn't say enough good things about her dinner. We paired the food with Upland blonde wheat beer on tap. I wasn't sure what to expect since some breweries aren't known for food but Quaff is levels above any of the other brew houses that I've been to. Also, the service was outstanding. We're instant fans. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Great time. Thanks mark. Brew burgers were delicious and the pretzel was outstanding. 10/10!! 5*

Both the beer and food are great. First, beer: I tried their IPA and their Black IPA. The Black IPA was definitely my favorite. It has a strong malty flavor with coffee notes, but it still has the IPA hops. The Regular IPA was good; it's a pretty standard IPA. They have a pretty large selection of beers on tap, and I was surprised to see that only a couple were Quaff On! beers since they're a brewery. They're pretty new, so I'm assuming they just don't have a large enough selection of their own yet, so they have other beers as well. Still, I'd recommend ordering a Quaff On! beer. They make good stuff, and you're at a Quaff On restaurant so you might as well order their beer! We had about an hour wait on a Saturday night. It's a small place inside a house, so don't expect to just walk in and get a table. Once we got seated, our server was very attentive. We ordered pretzels and beer cheese as an appetizer, and tacos for our entrees (I got the Grilled Steak, my girlfriend got the Pork Carnitas). The pretzels/cheese was good, but be aware: you only get 3 pretzel sticks, but you can get extra pretzels for $1 each. The cheese has some serious spice to it, definitely spicier than expected. It's also served with some sort of horseradish sauce, which I find strange. If there's two options to dip (cheese and the sauce) one shouldn't be super spicy (i.e. the cheese should be very mild since there's a spicy sauce for people who want spicy). Regardless, the pretzels and beer cheese were good. My steak tacos were great. Good flavor, and a tad bit of kick. (side note: 3 tacos for around $10 is a good deal for this quality of taco). The pork tacos were also good, but again beware that they are extremely spicy. There's some sort of horseradish in the slaw on them, and it has a pretty big kick. My girlfriend doesn't like horseradish or super spicy food, so we traded a taco (I liked the pork), but it was just a bit upsetting that the menu doesn't say anything about horseradish--it just says something like "kicked-up slaw", which nobody will actually know what that's supposed to mean. Overall, I had a great experience at Quaff On! Bloomington. Just know that pretty much anything you order will be at least a little spicy, so if you don't like spicy food then ask your server before ordering. read more

Big Woods Bloomington - Grilled Steak Tacos - Breweries Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Delicious, high-quality food; a fabulous beer selection; creative spirits; and THE BEST service staff you'll ever find. Just a quick walk from the IU campus, and they're open every day of the week. Love this place! read more