The Big Stick

This place is awesome for lunch. Quiet and they have great music. The service is outstanding and to my surprise I received the very best wedge salad I’ve ever had! Add chicken to it for a meal that’ll make you want to skip dinner. With great seating and plenty of awesome Windows I’ll be back for happy hour. David is a fantastic bartender and he whole thing is well worth the trip.

A friend and I stopped here to kill time before dinner — I wish I had known beforehand about their Shot Ski because I’ve been wanting to drink from a shot ski for quite some time. It doesn’t seem like much fun when you only have two people.
Anyway, I think we had about three hours to kill before dinner, so we headed over to The Big Stick. Since most folks were still at work, the dining room/​bar had only a few people there. We had a couple of beers and tried their house cut wedges with chili, cheese, onions and jalapenos. There was a good amount of chili, but the chili flavors weren’t anything special. The chili didn’t taste like it was made in house. We also tried the corn dog nuggets — nothing stood out.
The service was good and everyone seemed nice and helpful. If I’m back in the area and need to kill more time, I’m either bringing 3 more people or grabbing 3 random people to partake in their shot ski!

We watched 12 plus people walk out because the service was so bad. We came for Sunday football which you would assume at a sports bar is a big day. We had to go to the bar to get our first two pitchers, when we finally got waited on it took a bit of time to get our food orders. We had two friends join us later in the afternoon and they screwed up their check when we went to close out. When we got our check, they charged our cards more than the total bill. When we went back to the owner who ended up waiting on us he didn’t seem to understand the problem. We ended up putting it on one friends card and paypaling her. This is unacceptable at a restaurant especially at a bar who claims they are good for football Sunday’s. Would not recommend

Katie and Kevin were AWESOME!!! You cannot beat the service at The Big Stick. The only thing lacking is the beer and wine selection. I attempted to order 3 different beers and all of them were out of stock. –1 star for that. Also, the lighting in the bathroom sucks. Can’t tell if you have food on your face when you can’t see your face in the mirror! Other than that, the food is killer and the service rocks. LOVE The Big Stick!

I guess I come here for the happy hour.
Their hot dogs are *okay*. Not particularly big, not particularly tasty. The thing is, if you’re going to be «the Big Stick» and charge just under $ 10 for a hot dog, it should be a really good hot dog and it’s not. The burgers and sandwiches are not quite as disappointing but they’re still mostly mediocre for the price. The option to get pickle chips on the side is a nice touch.
The beer selection and happy hour specials are the real reasons to come here. They have a small but well-​curated selection of craft beers. Service is friendly enough, particularly at the bar.
I really want this place to be better. I like it. But they need to focus on the food first and foremost.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Big Stick. The space is open and has a great vibe excellent for meeting up with friends. The appetizers (french onion soup and pretzels with cheese) were absolute home runs. Burgers are slightly above average. And the service last night was really on point. I will come back here again.

Went here for lunch with my coworkers and it was a great experience but I just don’t think an oversized fancy sausage on a bun should cost more than $ 10. I’d come here to drink but definitely not for eating.

I have been here twice… both times, I left out not overwhelmed or underwhelmed… just «whelmed»…(I know that’s not a word). Nothing was good enough to make me truly WANT to make a third trip. I have had the turkey melt… which was «meh»…and their wings which were as spicy as the dickens, DESPITE the bartender (who claimed he doesn’t like spicy food) tell me that the wings weren’t spicy!!! I think I went thru a glass of water PER wing… and I normally have a good spice tolerance. I also have had their cheese curds, which despite being fried, were a little too «chewy» for my liking. No crunch to it.
The service was okay… nothing to rave about…
The only reason I will return to The Big Stick is if a large group wants to go check it out… otherwise…I will pass. This is more a less a more upscale dive bar in my opinion…

I came in on a quiet night for food and drink and football and reading by myself. I managed to get all of those things done but I don’t think I’ll be back any time soon despite the proximity to home. Mainly, the food is way too expensive for how much you get and how good it is. Take pains to avoid the fried pickles as they are few in number, have too much breading, and seem to have all their pickle-​y goodness leeched out of them. Presumably during baseball games this works for them but as a local it’s not going to draw me in when I have plenty of other options.

First things first, I’m a new resident of the Navy Yard area. I decided to try out this establishment based on the suggestion of my building concierge.
Upon entering the premises, I couldn’t help but notice the light pine décor at the bar accompanied by an Alpine ski lodge flair. I was immediately greeted by a bubbly bartender named Morgan. She presented me with a drink and food menu. Although, I was only interested in libations I did peruse the food offerings. While I did not order any food I observed that there were a bevy of options. I decided to request a Blueberry Shandy off of the Hoptails listed on the drink menu. After my initial tasting, I asked Morgan if she would add a small amount of simple syrup to my beverage. Morgan happily obliged my request and I must say it gave the drink my desired flavor.
I have to also say that there was an amiable server named Brittany working with Morgan as well. She was more than willing to provide me recommendations on what previous patrons enjoyed off both menus.
All in all, the Big Stick is truly a gem that I recommend to anybody in the Navy Yard area.

The Big Stick has a cool inside with plenty of room inside. It’s close to my work so I was happy to stumble across it since SW only has a few spots for happy hour. I wouldn’t rush back to it again.
Service was pitiful. The bartender was nice but he either didn’t care at all about us or was completely distracted the entire time we were there. We sat at a table across from the bar but there were plenty of seats still left there. In other words, it wasn’t slammed. Ordered two beers and two appetizers. Got the beers and one of the appetizers. Asked twice about the other appetizer but no luck. Our glasses were totally empty so we tried to get his attention several times. I asked about the saison but said I’d prefer the porter instead. Took a bit to get the 2^nd round and, when it came, I got the saison. There really shouldn’t have been any misunderstanding because I was polite while he explained the saison and said it sounded good but wasn’t what I was looking to have. I mentioned to the bartender that we still had not gotten our second appetizer. The food finally came.
Perhaps we should have stopped there… but we ended up deciding to order one last drink. My beer took a while longer to come out. When the bartender asked how we had liked the other beers, I told him I assumed I had been given the saison by mistake because I had ordered the porter and specifically had said I didn’t want the saison. The bartender was nice, apologized, and said he’d go get me the porter. I said I didn’t want it anymore because I had switched back to the first beer. He insisted he could go get it and it’d be on him. I said not to worry about it because I had a beer I liked and he said, «Are you sure? I can get you another one» To me, that should have been the point that a good bartender would have realized I wasn’t trying to get drunk and he should have just mentioned he would cover the last beer I had anyway. In the end, he did take off a beer but didn’t mention it (the bill reflected it).
Appetizers were okay — a little above average. We tried the sausage croquettes, corn dogs, and fried pickels. The first two foods looked identical (round fried balls) but were definitely the right orders. The croquettes came with a tasty cheese sauce. I’d get them again if I was looking to have a beer and an app.
I am torn about going back. It’s close but there are plenty of other places in DC. Service wasn’t rude, it was just non-​existent. Maybe they should hire a waiter to attend to people who aren’t sitting directly at the bar. The bartender seemed nice but was very distracted and overextended.

I believe they rely on location and ride their laurels — great spot next to the ball park, SO they don’t have to try too hard… or hard at all… service was GREAT (Samantha /​Brittany)…tried two dishes on two occasions — both fell FAR short — Nachos one night, chili the next (Pictures uploaded — Denny’s at best) — the neighborhood is up and coming so Adam Smith and the invisible hand will eventually correct this problem unless they do something first…
Break: I am not going to review Justin’s — equally or even more-​so a disappointing — but I understand same owner — SO same review for that place… I have visited both twice… and a third visit would be ‘shame on me’.

This is a great spot to grab a beer and some food before a nats game. The prices are very reasonable and quality of the food is solid. For appetizers, try the cheese curds and sausage croquets. Both were out of this world. For the main course, I would advise against the Half Street Smoke because it’s pretty messy. Mine basically fell apart after 2 bites so i had to switch to a fork and knife. But some friends got the Ann Dewey and were raving about it all night.
Overall, I would definitely return. The atmosphere is great and location can’t be beat if you’re in the area for a baseball game.

There’s so much potential here, I’m curious to come back and see if it improves.
The inside has a «new wood» smell, and looks like a cool place to be. I came here for lunch on a Saturday and it was really empty.
Our waiter let us know that there was a brunch special– $ 15 for bottomless mimosas. A brunch special with no brunch menu? Okay whatever, let’s go with it. We get the mimosas in a half filled glass. Did I say mimosas? Sorry, I meant orange juice with a splash of champagne. After asking to make them a bit stronger, it became orange juice with two splashes of champagne. Tip: don’t do the bottomless mimosas unless you have a cold and need a heavy dose of vitamin c.
They don’t have a brunch menu, but apparently have random items off the menu. A stuffed french toast with bacon on the side (note it is not bacon stuffed french toast like we first heard) and an egg sandwich.
We then ordered the half smoke and the turkey and Jack sandwich. Both okay but nothing special. The homemade chips however, and the beer cheese… yum.

Close, but no cigar.
I was so excited to test out The Big Stick due to it’s proximity to Nats Park I was rooting for a knockout place, but that’s not the case everything about this place was just almost there, but didn’t quite make it.
Apparently they serve brunch, but it is not worth your dollars head on down to any other establishment in the area. They offer two food specials, keep in mind these aren’t on the menu but your server will tell you about them. With $ 15 bottomless mimosas it sounds like a novel idea, but you will really just load up on a ridiculously large amount of orange juice. Even asking our waiter to bump up the champagne to orange juice raito there wasn’t a difference. *thumbs down*
My friend and I couldn’t decide what to order so we split the Half-​Smoke Big Stick and the Turkey Club. Apparently the Turkey Club is one of their bestsellers, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The potato chips come with Old Bay which is delightful and the potato salad was the best thing that The Big Stick has to offer.
Seeing how this place is rather «new», I will cut them some slack and try back in six months to see how they are doing. I really want to like this place, but the impression it left was just «meh».

We’ve visited on several occasions. Most food items deserve 4 or 5 stars but the service is subpar making the overall experience just OK.
The good — great sausages, salads, cheese curds, and corn dog nuggets. The side dishes and were ok, and the fried pickles were a little bland. The beer selection is great. And outdoor seating near Nats Stadium!
The bad — yay for outdoor seating but shade is lacking (only 3 umbrellas on our last visit) so be careful when sitting in the black metal chairs that have been heating up in the sun. The service was so so on previous visits but on our last was pretty much nonexistent. It took a long time to place our order and then when the food finally did come out, it was only half of it. The rest came after a complaint about 10 mins later. To the restaurant’s credit, they reduced the bill but I’d rather pay full price and have good service.
Go to The Big Stick for the food, but be cautious if you are in a hurry or expect excellent service.

I went to the Big Stick for a late lunch with intent of putting something meaty in my belly. It was mostly dead there, so I took a seat at the bar.
The beer selection there was very interesting, but I stuck to water in order to let my liver recover from the previous Sunday Funday. The waiter was very attentive and made sure that my water glass was never empty.
I ended up ordering the pork belly burger with potato wedges. The potato wedges were freshly cut, much to my surprise and seasoned with a little salt. I wish that the potato wedges had been fried longer so that they would have been less flaccid. The burger lacked salt, but was served on a delicious onion bun with peppercorn, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and a small sliver of crispy pork belly.
Overall, the food was okay. I’d definitely go back to try out the beer and hot dogs.

This place has the perfect location for gourmet hot dogs and sausages… a block from National Stadium.
I’m impressed with the dog choices — and from artisan butchers around the area. The sides are also tasty — this place isn’t just relying on standard hot dogs because it’s near the park. Also, a good selection of beers. The layout is weird and a bit on the spartan side. I don’t get the ski lift wire hanging thru the place either. The server tried to explain it, but I still was confused.
They have definitely outfitted the place for the speedy visitors. Not real comfortable chairs or bar stools. Still, a great hot dog… and messy enough to need a fork. They get messy, but I still love shoving them in my mouth. (Ok, yeah I realize that just sounded weird.)

I went to this sports bar at the Navy Yard on a Saturday afternoon. There were only a few people there, but it still had a pleasant vibe. The waitress who sat us was welcoming and friendly.
I ordered the Winter Classique and the Game sticks with potato wedges and vegetables. I wanted to try a few different things! If you like the sweet and savory mix, the Duck (the Game) is for you with its mango fig flavored sauce, but I preferred the Winter Classique between the two. It had apples and pecans and paired with the sweetly sauteed brussle sprouts, carrots and cauliflower, was delish. The Cool Woods Pinot Noir certainly was a welcome addition as well.
My alma mater’s game was on, Go GW Colonials #raisehigh, and overall the food, service, ambiance and price was well worth the visit on a cold winter day. I will definitely be making the trip again. Although service was excellent, there weren’t many people there. I’d like to return and experience it during happy hour and am hoping to try other dishes, but repeat everything else that was great about the visit!

This place is fine if you need somewhere to go. The food was okay, nothing special but fine. A bunch of us got burgers and a few got chili. The plates for the burgers were too small though. Random I know but it made it kind of hard to eat.
The beers are a good deal! 20oz for $ 8 of good beer makes visiting worth it! Also there is a «first come, first serve» lounge which worked out perfectly for us.
They also kept our checks separate without us even having to ask which was awesome. Makes paying the tab WAY easier.