Big River Restaurant & Bar
| Address: | 101 NW Jackson Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA |
| Phone: | +1 541-757-0694 |
| Site: | bigriverrest.com |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 4–10:30PM 4–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
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Scott Jackson
What an amazing meal. We had reservations and arrived a few minutes early. We were seated as soon as we arrived. The bread that was brought to our table before the rest of our meal was very flavorful. I skipped the olive oil dip they brought. The bread was moist and did not need anything on it. My daughter rarely enjoys a salad, but chose to have one with her meal. The blue cheese vinaigrette was a hit! I had the seafood chowder. It made me think of the chowder my grandmother in Maine used to make. For entrees, the daughter had the gnocchi. She says that no other gnocchi will ever be able to compare. The portion was perfect and the flavors throughout we distinct, yet complimentary. Wife had the Brussels sprouts, which were very good. I had a Fusilli with Dungeness crab. Never before have I had a plate of food where I needed to wipe the plate clean with a piece of bread so that I was able to enjoy all the flavors. We finished with deserts. I dont think any of the desert choices would have been wrong. The prices seem a bit high when you look at the menu, but the portions and flavors made the prices seem reasonable at the end of the evening.
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Mish Pope
Maybe it was just a bad night, but honestly it was a bad night. The cocktail I ordered was undrinkable and I had to send it back. It wasnt anything like what was on the menu. Bread/Olive oil was good. We has a starter which as fine as well. Chowder was good. Then the waiter spilled cider, because he wasnt paying attention to what he was doing...all in my purse. My husband ordered the calzone. It was awful. First, the calzone was split open so by the time it reacher out table, the contents were luke warm. It was DROWNING in pasta sauce, there was hardly any filling and the dough was soggy. It was just not nice at all. He had to scrap the sauce off, because ti took away from the flavour of the dish. I ordered the steak and peace salad. For 24.00 I got 4 pieces of steak (which was good), 4 small pieces of peach and lettuce. The blue cheese dressing...Im not 100% where is was. Onion ring things were cold and rubbery. It was such a huge disappointment.
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A Private User
The food and beer that we had was great. The atmosphere seemed excellent for a brew pub. My review is skewed by the WORSE bartender I have EVER experienced. After sitting at the bar we were ignored for no less than 10 minutes, hassled about our IDs despite being 30 (I know bartenders must check IDs, but this guy claimed my liscence was expired...he forgot to look at the year), waited another 10 minutes for our beers, and had to actively get this guys attention to place a food order. If my girlfriend and I hadnt been hanging out with some fokls we hadnt seen in a while we would have left. It was that bad. Eventually our original bartender stopped waiting on us and someone else helped us. They did a better job. People have bad days, but this was insane.
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Amy F
review from 2011: Best fresh pasta ever. Vegetarian options slim, but everything they make is stellar. And amazing dessert! update 8/20/15: the preparation has changed in the pasta. the last few times I have gotten pasta here, the wine wasnt cooked out of the sauce and had a strongly alcoholic and bitter taste and the pasta was so underdone it was a shame. If it was a fluke, it was three times in a row, and it discouraged me from going back. GF vegan options nil and the salmon salad has gotten my husband sick twice.
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A Private User
With everything on the menu being local and seasonal, its hard to go wrong. The chefs at Big River do magic with their food; everything is cooked perfectly. Its such a gem, having farm-fresh ingredients put together perfectly by obviously skilled chefs! Ive never had a disappointing meal here. And the desserts.... well as soon as you walk in the door youll see them and know theyre to die for. If you go in this season, I suggest the pan-seared halibut! Sooo good!
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A Private User
I thought their food was delicious, well prepared with a nice display... But Ive been there twice and have tried 4 different drinks, each one was worse than the previous. The margarita had no flavor, just tasted like ice, then when I asked them if they could add some flavoring all I could taste was tequila. I would say, if youre hungry and want a nice meal, go to Big River, if you want some drinks hit up the bar next door.
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Steven Downes
Good food with good service...Nuf said. The review above is now old, but still true. Food is still good, but A/C wasnt working well and we had to eat outside in 90+ degrees. The biggest issue is the Big River of cash...the entrees are around $30 and the desserts over $11. It is just too expensive now... its going to drive customers away. They are blaming the increased minimum wage!
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Harald Stokke
My wife and I were looking for a place down town for our first stay in Corvallis on a Friday night. The Big River was listed on our Airbnb info package and looked interesting from the street so we stopped in. Glad we did! The place was busy but not over crowded and had a good vibe. Our server was knowledgable and friendly and the food was very good. Definitely worth a repeat.
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Andrew Fuhriman
We went here for an anniversary dinner and the food was awful. I ordered the lamb and not only was it not very good, but there wasnt much on the plate. My wife ordered a pasta dish, which I tried, and it was full of raw garlic. I left with an empty stomach, empty wallet, and a bad taste in my mouth (there were seriously probably five cloves of raw garlic in that dish).
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A Private User
The food wasnt bad, but it wasnt amazing either. I expected more, given the price ($30ish a person). Two things stood out to me that knocked Big River down from 4 stars from 3. The bread was pretty good, but cold, not "hot out of the oven". And my slice of cake was dry, like it had been sitting in the fridge too long (I dont think the desserts are made fresh).
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Kristina Deignan
Went here late at night for New Years. The beans with the steak were way undercooked - crunchy in the center and inedible. Mashed Potatoes came out rather cold, and the timing was not what Id expect from a pricier place. Id excuse a bit for it being a holiday, and busy (three other tables with three waitstaff that I could see.) I wont be going here again.
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Heath Hadsall
Friendly staff, but didnt even question why I was picking the burnt bottom off my $19 calzone. Even the fillings had the burnt taste. Not to mention switching plates because it was swimming in oil. I did give it a fair chance and ordered a desert. The raspberry on top was my favorite part of my meal. I dont see myself returning.
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Sam Lee
I would say that they really do care about the quality and the flavor of the food. They create meals that you are happy to purchase and consume. You go inside and you forget that youre in small town corvegas. I also have to admit that I am a huge fan of their bread. Im not a big bread fan but they do good with their breads.
