Big Al’s Good Times Bar

Though it is a tough part of town and décor outdated, the staff are friendly and excellent home cooked food with a great price. Drinks are cheap as well and I understand they have a live bank on weekends.

I like Big Als for wings on Saturdays and when certain bands are playing. The only issue is there is a bartender who can get rude when they are busy. Food is good though and it’s always a good time.

So Thursday is wing night at Big Al’s.
We went early to avoid the evening rush, (ok, I was trying to be politically correct here, the «evening rush» aka scary evening clientele that OCCASIONALLY shows up here) and found out the wing special starts at 2pm.
Bar was spacious and clean with large, comfortable booths that invite you and 4 others (maybe more?) to have a comfortable sItting. Waitress was very attentive.
We shared three plates of wings between two of us,
Hot, Sweet Hot and Honey garlic.
These are non-​breaded wings that are a fair size for 25 cents each. They were perhaps somewhat overcooked, and not as juicy as I would like, but I would go back again to fill my «wing itch» for sure.
Seriously this is a down to earth pub, clean, good service with plenty of room to relax with a friend, and cold beer on tap. What else could you want in a wing place?

I had never been to Big Al’s, let alone hear of it, but I was invited out by a friend after I watched the UFC fights on Saturday. When I got there, they were well into the drinking and there was a live band on stage. It was what I expected it to be so that was good — it was what you would expect from a bar in forest lawn — interesting looking patrons, 2 randoms making out like 8^th graders at the bar and lots of drinks for everyone.
If you’re looking for a chill spot with a good atmosphere and good music, definitely check BIg Al’s out!

I will admit that I’m a SW kind of girl so I don’t often check out the cool places that can be found elsewhere in the city. This, I need to rectify.
So, when I got the opportunity to hang out at Big Al’s, I thought, heck, why not?
The interior of the pub was good — clean, lots of seating, fairly uncluttered. The staff was friendly & came back to our table often.
The food was awesome — I had a veggie pizza that was a good size & full of fresh veggies. They put basil in the tomato sauce, which was unexpected but added a nice flavour. And the best part was that it was on special! Prices were definitely decent.
Fellow patrons were a wide mix — some families, some groups of friends. Obviously a lot of locals. Everyone was very friendly.
That said, honestly, unless I were in the area, not sure I’d make a special trip to visit :)

Big Al’s, you are certainly not what I expected. Mind you, I didn’t really know what to expect before I walked in. I knew I was headed into Forest Lawn and I had already seen some of the characters outside your doors. I expected you to be much scuzzier on the inside.
In fact, your décor was the opposite! Though some of your clientele is not what I’m used to finding in the hangouts I typically frequent, your atmosphere had a certain je né sais quoi… obviously newer seating, tables in good order. I half expected things to be a bit more rough.
Though the line of VLTs at the back of the bar obviously had their regular visitors, the front looked like an ok spot to hang out if a band I liked was playing.
The big surprise, though, was your food. I didn’t expect it to be that delicious! The food in and of itself is four stars. I inhaled my cheddar bacon chicken burger and crunched happily on my fries. I hear the pizza isn’t a bad mouthful either.
I may not return on a weekend evening, but I will certainly be back to try a few more of your menu items.

Despite it being located in Forest Lawn (a part of the city which I think has an unfair reputation of being a bad part of town; undesirables can be found in every part of the city these days), I actually had a good time here (get it? ;-)).
The place is very clean, well kept, and the staff are friendly and helpful. The patrons represent all types, but like the namesake, they only really show up for a good time as well. In fact, when a patron from the neighboring table accidentally bumped into me, he was very apologetic.
What really got to me here was the food; it’s so delicious! I had the the Chicken Club Burger and fries, and the bacon was crisp, the chicken succulent, and they used real cheddar cheese. The fries were flavorful, crisp, and clean (i.e. not greasy at all). And the best part: the prices are very reasonable. I think the burger, fries, and a cola cost me about $ 11.
When I went, they had a live band playing, as well as a dance floor. Good times for sure.
The place has its own charm for sure, but if you can get over the stereotypes and prejudices of the location and neighborhood, I’m sure you’ll find yourself having a good time here too.