Big Ugly Brewing - Chesapeake

My first time was a great experience.. the staff are like a well oiled machine. Never missed a beat.. beer was great.. food trucks were great.. room for everyone even considering the crowd. Great time.. will be back!

Big ugly is a Chesapeake favorite. They have a lot of award winning beers and the beer selection has something for all beer connoisseurs ie dark/light/sours. The brewery itself is a newly built establishment exclusively for the brewery with a very airy atmosphere. There is on outdoor seating area that is very popular during the summer and they have fire pits for those chilly autumn nights. I love that they often have bands playing inside and an assortment of food trucks that visit. This place is big enough for parties and to hangout with a group of friends. The staff is always on top of the beer delivery. If I have to say anything as a con it would be that it can get a bit loud with the bands inside, but it's not an issue for me.

I have met some very friendly white folks in Hampton Roads Va since moving here in 1998. I attend a white Church Great Bridge Presbyterian. However the experience at the Brewery was not good. I got the feeling that I was not wanted there. Being a retired NYC Firefighter I'm used to being in a room where I'm the only black person and I deal with it well. However the Brewery didn't receive me well and was a very unfriendly experience. I quickly gulped my beer down and made my exit. The place offers quality family time for family and friends but folks were not comfortable with me and did their best to ignore my presence. My server was nice and professional but the customers must have been from Edinburgh and Hickory where diversity is lacking.

This was the fifth and last brewery that I visited while I was in the Va Beach area for family business. I am from Texas and have been brewing for over ten years. I arrived later in the evening and business was hopping. Layout very unique. Kind of a rustic feeling. Big and spacious. Staff was busy and friendly. However, I sat at the bar for a bit before I realized I had to order at the end of the bar and risk giving up my seat. The beer was decent. I had the Rocker. The brewery is kind of far from civilization and one must be willing to travel to get to it. Travel any further, one wold be in North Carolina. But it is worth a small road trip. Cheers, Mike Hutto, Tx

Great live music, only bought tea but the price was decent. Fire pits outside. Plenty of room to sit both inside and out.