Bill decided he wanted to go out for lunch today, so off we went to the brand new Big Hops Gastropub. Prior to opening the Gastropub, Big Hops was known as a “growler station”. You could go there and fill up on exotic craft beers. Bill heard about them opening a restaurant and decided we needed to check it out.
First impressions… We seated ourselves at a table and I immediately noticed the great music. They were playing classic rock, which goes great with American craft beers. Everything here in is on draft and from the USA. But don’t come here looking for Lone Star or Shiner Bock. These beers come from smaller breweries.
Bill checks out the computer monitor for beer choices. There are two of them on the walls. Some say they are hard to read, but we didn’t have any trouble.
The menu.
A shot of the beer menu on the wall.
My first beer. This was a Schwarzbier from Live Oak Brewery. Quite nice! I like the little beer keg glass, too.
Caedmon’s Ale from BS Brewing for Bill…
The waitress talked us into these insanely delicious Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Curds. They were $10, served with house made ranch dressing. Sinful and addictive as hell. We did bring about a third of them home.
Bill’s Korean BBQ served on a steam bun. It had cucumbers and pickled cabbage. He liked it.
My Tinga… Basically chicken in a spicy sauce with onions, cheese, tostadas, and a side of sour cream. I couldn’t eat all of this. It was very spicy and I had filled up on the curds.
Bill’s Odell 90 Schilling Scotch Ale. He wasn’t that impressed with this…
Prairie Ale’s Vanilla Noir… $10, served in a snifter, and 12.5% ABV. Positively awesome! I am loving Oklahoma’s Prairie Ales.
Someone got cute in the ladies room… Not me.
My third beer… a Deschutes Black Butte Porter. This was a nice way to cap off our first trip to Big Hops.
We left with two 32 ounce growlers.
Enjoying the Stone right now… We spent about $100, including the two 32 ounce growlers, lunch, and lots o’ beer.
All in all, we really enjoyed visiting Big Hops. We had a good server who knew the menu and the beers very well. She was laid back and not stressed and I was impressed that she knew about Prairie Ale’s Bomb, which is fucking fantastic. The atmosphere was not all that exciting, but I did like the beers on offer and the music– nice mix of heavy metal and classic rock with a few TVs showing sports. The food is good, but be warned that there’s not anything on the menu that is vegan friendly. Vegetarians might also be challenged. Big Hops doesn’t take American Express and is discontinuing a couple of items on the menu. Still, I think in time, this is going to be a very happening place in San Antonio. I bet we’ll be back.
It sounds great.Stephanie March, Bobby Flay's wife and one of the ADAs on L&O SVU, is from Texas. She said once on some Food Network program that the state of Texas doesn't do a whole lot to cater to vegetarians, and if someone doesn't like it, the shouldn't visit Texas. But then I learned from RFM that if you have trouble finding nutritious vegetarian fare when you're traveling, you should find a Seventh-Day Adventist hospital and go to the cafeteria. Personally, I'd rather pick up a Boca Burger at the grocery store and heat in in a microwave.
I am not a vegetarian. I admire them for not eating meat, but it's not a lifestyle I would enjoy.
I have trouble finding enough things I want to eat without the constraints of vegetarianism. I'd probably starve to death if I tried to be a vegetarian.
Well, there are some types of meat I won't eat for ethical reasons, like veal. Truth be told, I probably shouldn't eat meat… but like you, I'd find it hard not to.