Big Bear Brewing Company

Big Bear Brewing Company has been pouring beer on North University Drive in Coral Springs since July 1997, which makes it one of the longer running independent breweries in this part of Broward County. The building sits north of Royal Palm Boulevard, in a stretch of University Drive that locals know well for its mix of retail plazas and sit down restaurants, and Big Bear has held its spot there through nearly three decades of changing neighbors.

This is a full service brewery and restaurant, not just a taproom, so the kitchen turns out a real dinner menu alongside the house beer. Expect starters like Bavarian pretzel bread and buffalo chicken tenders, then heartier plates such as cedar plank Scottish salmon, prime rib, and burgers you can upgrade to wagyu beef for a couple extra dollars. The menu leans on the words “housemade” and “locally raised” to describe its ingredients, which fits the general feel of the place, a neighborhood brewpub that takes its food seriously rather than treating it as an afterthought to the beer taps.

Speaking of beer, that is still the draw for a lot of regulars. Big Bear brews on site and keeps a rotating lineup on tap, and the brewery notes beer award recognition on its own site. If you are coming for a casual weekday lunch or an after work pint, the daily happy hour runs from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM, a solid window if you want to try a flight without committing to a full dinner.

Hours are dependable and typical of a sit down restaurant, 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM Monday through Thursday, 11:30 AM to 10:30 PM Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM on Sunday, which makes it a reasonable option for a Sunday afternoon meal when a lot of chain spots nearby are running reduced hours or slammed with brunch crowds. The restaurant also serves Bloody Marys and mimosas, so weekend daytime visits have a bit more going on than just beer.

What makes Big Bear worth knowing about if you live in Coral Springs is mostly its staying power. A brewery that opened in 1997 and is still independently run in the same building has outlasted plenty of newer openings along University Drive. It is not trying to be a trendy taproom with a rotating list of guest ciders and a food truck parked outside, it is a full kitchen and full bar that has built a regular local following over a long stretch of time. For anyone putting together a short list of independently owned Food & Drink spots in Coral Springs that are not part of a national chain, Big Bear belongs on it simply because it has been doing its own thing, in its own building, for this long.