HIDDEN GEM Wow! the smell from the moment you walk in the door speaks for itself. We visited this town today and we're driving around looking for somewhere to eat for 20 minutes and we stumbled upon this place. What a hidden gem! Cool decor and lots of conversation pieces. The service was great, friendly and the options of different meats/dishes was great! They had a lot of cool beers to try and some cute desserts too. Will definitely be coming back, and pointing bbq lovers to this cool spot! read more

The brisket was soggy yet tough. The staff was not friendly and I sat a while before served and the order took too long...considering brisket is already cookedt, which means just slice up some brisket. read more

Absolutely some of the barbecue anywhere. Thender smoked meats loaded with flavor. I highly recommend the raspberry sirach sauce. Service is fast and friendly. The new location is much larger than the old location which was a house. The new space is larger and can serve more people. Absolutely recommend this place. read more

Every thing bland! Burnt ends, sausage, pulled pork, homemade coleslaw, potato salad....everything. Shouldn't even call it barbecue to be honest, very disappointing. read more

Stopped in on Friday.. ordered the BBQ pie. Was looking forward to warm brisket & sauce. Sauce really wasn't spicy. Brisket was cold. Ordered a side of smoked Mac & cheese everyone raves about. Also cold and mediocre at best.. cornbread was decent. Somehow spent $40+ before tip. Someone from the back came storming up shortly after we sat down (around 8pm) to change the sign to closed. Needless to say, our group won't be back for dinner or "hot food" read more

Was really surprised at my first visit here. I usually don't leave bad reviews. My 3 friends and I went to a late lunch there on a Thursday afternoon. It was not busy at all. The waitress had a rude attitude . Couldn't be bothered to remember who ordered what drink or food. She never came and offered to refill drinks etc. Came once to see if we wanted dessert then brought the checks and said " get your forms of payment out" . The food was ok. Nothing to get excited about. only one flavor of BBQ sauce at the tables. read more

Maybe people around there don't know what good BBQ is? Food - brisket was dry. The sides must have been scraped from the sides or bottom, they were also dry and subpar (or below). Service - our gal was ok (4/10). And if it's not your servers table, they won't even look at you. And yes, I tried when I needed a box for my dry leftovers (for my dog) They don't have ranch, don't ask, the answer was a very aggressive "no!" Ambiance - meh, the service isn't welcoming so there's that. No welcome and no "thanks for coming". Moral of this review - if it were the last place to eat on earth, I might eat there but a dandelion salad with no ranch would be better. read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Yaller - the only thing worth going in for. - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

We stopped in for some ciders and they did not disappoint. Probably some of the best cider I've had. I really enjoy the burnt ends. All the meats were yummy. THE CORNBREAD takes the crown. It's moist and delicious. It's just a really well made cornbread. Our server was nice. They just moved buildings and hopefully can become more established! read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Blueberry Cider and Another Cider (don't remember which one) Burnt ends, Beans, Cornbread, Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Had amazing food and service! Pulled pork sandwich was delicious. Our food was out super fast too. read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Pulled pork, potato salad & cornbread - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Stopped by for a late lunch on a Thursday after seeing good Yelp reviews. The location is in an old house and there are several tables both inside and out. Nothing fancy but quaint. No one appeared to be there when we arrived - I eventually called the business's phone number and a woman came running inside from the back yard smoker. I'm not going to fault a small business in a rural area for one person having to do all the jobs. The daily specials, Pulled Pork Sandwich and BBQ Chicken Sandwich were a super deal! I also ordered a beer and some coleslaw. The Hefeweizen was interesting and flavored with some local honey. The coleslaw was alright. The pork sandwich came in chunks (like burnt ends) instead of shredded like most pulled pork I've eaten which made eating it rather messy as the chunks would fall out. The chicken sandwich was prepared the same way. We both LOVED the BBQ sauce! read more

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I ordered a brisket sandwich with a side of potato salad and the baked beans! Everything was on point, well prepared and tasty. The problem was me. I'm not a small lad, was BBQ ready and my sammy was slider-sized. I should have done the meat sampler which claimed it fed 4. Live and learn. Great new location on main street, attentive staff, cold beer and enjoyable meal. Highly recommend! read more

Love this place. They've moved to a new location on main street with new owners. The food is still really good barbecue with good beers. We shared the 2 meat sampler with 2 sides, which was more than adequate for 2 people, we had leftovers. The owner is super friendly and helpful. At the present time they're still getting organized and set up, but looking forward to their beers on tap. They've always been good and I'm sure they will be again. We'll be coming more often! read more

Foods fantastic. Service is good! Atmosphere is even better! 100% recommend trying this BBQ joint if you haven't yet!

My wife and I, parents, and friends have ate at Bigs in their old location and new location in town. Both were an outstanding experience with exceptional service, tasty craft beers, and delicious food. I'd recommend Bigs BBQ to anyone! We are super excited to live in a community with such amazing local businesses we love to support. Thanks so much!! read more

Nah, maybe if you're a local it's different. This place was NOT good!! At all! Dry food and burnt, overdone sides. Service was horrible!

Food is great and the service is always fast. You'll never leave hungry. Great portions.

Great food! Friendly service! Good music! I highly recommend the burnt ends, we couldn't get enough! read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Walked in and there was already a bad vibe, waiter was rude. We felt rushed, and then the waiter threw our card on the table passive aggressively. A younger girl that was in our group had asked if they had cheeseburgers, he then rudely replied "we are a BBQ place, we obviously don't have those.". For the food, I had ordered the Mac and cheese bowl, it was dry, not even warm, and honestly tasted like school Mac and cheese. read more

Tried Big's for the first time, always looking for a great BBQ place. Mission accomplished. Great food, quick service and reasonably priced. Nice selection of brews too. Highlight was the brisket, we'll definitely be back read more

I met up with some friends for drinks at Big's BBQ in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The bartender was very friendly and kind to me when I was explaining my allergies to her. She was so nice that she got the owner on the phone to talk with me about his beer on tap and what the ingredients were. As it turned out, the bartender was the owner's wife. Great service and atmosphere. Seating was good as well. We sat around the bar on stools up high and had a great time tasting beer. Overall, great experience! read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Wow. This was great bbq! We ordered from The Local down the street and the staff delivered the food to us! The service was very quick for a Friday night. I went with the pork coleslaw salad bowl with a side of cornbread. My husband went for the bbq burrito with a side of Mac n cheese. We loved the unique menu and had a difficult time choosing what to eat as it all sounded good! I really liked my pork-coleslaw salad; however I was expecting more pork than coleslaw ... ended up being the other way around. The pork was juicy and flavorful topped with the raspberry siracha sauce. The cornbread was my absolute favorite - moist/rich and delicious!!! My husband also liked his burrito - but said there was also more slaw than meat and it was supposed to have Fritos in it, but he did not see/taste any Fritos. Overall, excellent bbq! read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Pork-slaw salad - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

What a great find! We were in town for Cornell College homecoming and Alumni reunion and decided to search for some BBQ. The service here is fantastic and so many items on the menu are homemade( root beer, dry rub, sausage) and the food was delicious. We were a large group and all plates were empty at the end! Would highly recommend! read more

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Holy Cow! I mean Pig! Best burnt ends, best corn bread, best root beer & beer and best background music ever!

The Aroma There are no words. We are coming back again tomorrow. They had sold out of ribs for the night so I had the special sandwich. A blt second to none! Homemade applesauce was thick and delicious. read more

Stopped by on a whim and a yen for BBQ, will definitely stop back by again. Not at all what I was expecting for a BBQ place - located in a lovely old house down a side street from downtown, it only has about 5 tables in the dining room, along with a small bar in the front parlor with areat quote from Edgar Allen Poe overhead. I had the day's special of chili made with brisket - fiery in a good way, but would have liked a bit more meat (great combination of beans!). It came with cornbread that was just the right amount of sweet and a small cup of fritos for the chili. I ordered a Coke and got the first glass bottle I can remember in a very, very long time (seriously - it tastes so much better in glass!). To be honest, no one else in my family would like this place (one offspring is vegetarian, the other hates BBQ, and the spouse would find it too quirky), but I will be back to try more of this interesting menu! read more

The food was really good. Big portions. really good craft brews. And service was fast and friendly. read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Really good food happy u can sit outside and really cheap really recommend but you should definitely eat outside it's amazing when it's nice out read more

We had Big's Thanksgiving meal - smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy! It was delicious!

Food was great, they were short on staff so we didn't mind the wait. The Mac n Cheese could have been hot, that's the only reason for 4 stars. read more

We came back here two weekends in a row and you might find us here again this weekend because this place is good eats! The building appears to have once been a home and when you step inside, you certainly feel like family. All the staff are incredibly friendly and love what they do. They are fully committed to giving you the best experience possible. Choose from a handful of cozy tables or sit at the bar. The food is wonderful. The root beer is brewed in house along with (I believe) 4 beers. The first time we went the wings were fresh out of the smoker and they were delicious! They're even served with Big's version of Alabama white sauce - my Huntsville-raised fiancé says it's tasty, but not quite authentic or as he would expect it lol. My friend's husband said the burnt ends were the best he'd ever had. I tried the burnt end sliders on our second visit and that may be my new go-to as well. If they're offering pecan pie, get two. Or buy a few of the cupcakes by the door. We've forgotten to take pictures both times because we immediately inhaled everything in front of us. Definitely recommend dropping by if you're in the area...or drive way out of your way like we do :) read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Wings with Alabama white sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Picture the very best combination of homemade barbecue and craft beer. Wherever this is...it is actually right here. Second ownership has only made it better. Creativity on both sides of the menu make this a spectacular spot for any visit and takeout. read more

Awesome BBQ! Pulled pork and burnt end were some of the best I've had. And the beer brewed in house is great. Pre prohibition picnic beer is a gem! Can't wait to come back. read more

We were in town for another reason and decided to stop for BBQ lunch. Fantastic meat, excellent sides (potato salad, mac 'n cheese, and the apple sauce was almost apple pie filling). The owner was very kind to our young boys and even took time to chat with us about cooking ham and chicken. He took it one step further and wrote down his brine recipes for us! Live in Iowa City area, but we will definitely be back! read more

This place is super yum. I am from Northern California, the land of the foodies and I was impressed. had myself a a slider sampler. Everything is made in the house and super delicious. I tried the brisket, the pulled pork, and the burnt ends. I was not disappointed. If anything I would say the raspberry chipotle sauce is missing some specific ingredient... yet to be identified. But the basic barbecue is so delicious. And I'll be back to figure out the missing ingredient. I'll be back again and again. Great service. read more

The burnt ends are the best. The fixings are pretty good too! We recommend this place if you're driving through Mount Vernon!

Stopped in while visiting my son at Cornell. Amazing beer selection and the BBQ was delicious.

SAMPLER PLATTER is THE best! Loaded with smokey, tasty meats! Unbelievable bargain too. You have got to try their homemade sausage - you will never forget it. Amazing tender tasty brisket with all the right naughty bits. Dreamy pulled pork with 2 creative variations - smoked pork salad (raspberry sriracha, another unique unforgettable experience) and a delicious Iowa barbeque pie that I ate without coming up for air! This team has GOT the flavours you crave. Yummy, yummy! Pitmaster Phil is doing something fantastic! Can't wait for the brewmaster to start brewing! read more

Big's BBQ & Brew Pub - Barbeque Near Me - Mt Vernon, Iowa

Great BBQ the meat is very tender I ordered the Burnt end sandwich which was very moist meat and the right amount of fat. The sauce was also really good. The best thing about this place was the Dino-Wings definitely get 1 or more, it comes with this Alabama White Sauce which I had never had before and want everyday for the rest of my life. Nicest people as well!! read more

Very disappointing meal. Ordered the brisket sandwich the meat was EXTREMELY TOUGH absolutely NO FLAVOR very expensive. The sandwich was 11$ with two sides. I won't ever go back. read more

Great bbq and tasty sides! We tried the beans, greens, and Mac and cheese and they were all so good! Burnt ends, wings, and brisket were delicious! The beer was awesome too, loved the Mexican lager and the ISB! Atmosphere and staff were all kind and knowledgeable. We'll be back next time we visit Mount Vernon! Also loved the music selection. read more