I love this place. Â I have been coming here maybe once or twice a year for the past decade or so and have never been disappointed., Â The food is always good and the beer is better. Â I love the staff and parking is always free and easy.
What can I say? Â This is the right joint for me. Â Great atmosphere, great food and drink. Â I dont need much else...
This is easily the best place in Sparks to drink beer. It's not even a contest. You can't go wrong ordering an Icky, Wild horse, black eye pa, or hop head. My personal favorite is the Oatmeal Stout. I won't talk about all of the beers I've had there that were delicious. If you like beer, I guarantee you Great Basin will have multiple beers that you'll enjoy.
Their food is great too! The jalepeno won tons are incredible, and you won't find anything like them anywhere else. The fish tacos and fish and chips are my favorite menu items there. They lose some points from me because I don't think their burgers are anything more than mediocre, however. If you're a burger snob I'd advise trying something else.
Overall a great place to get a good meal and enjoy some good brews. The staff has always been friendly and attentive, I've never had a bad experience here. You won't be disappointed!
Sunday lunch. Â Don't come here for the atmosphere, although they had some tables outside that might have been a good spot to sit if it had been a bit warmer. Â Come here for the food, which is good. Â I had the daily special, which was a Southwest Burger. Â Green chilies on jack cheese and perfectly cooked. Â The wife and daughter had Caprese sandwiches made with chicken. Â Fries were cooked just right and since it was after church I had a couple of beers. Â A Kolsch style called Nevada Gold and since the wife offered to drive home I had a Kellerworks as well, which is unfiltered. Â A nice way to spend Sunday afternoon.
Review Source:Today I am a little disappointed. My family and I went here to celebrate my birthday, as well as Mother's Day, and I have to tell ya, the service is lacking today. 45 minutes later,no food, I'm on a second beer and I have watched 11 tables go from full to empty. This place normally has great service and great food, but today only the great food has me coming back.
Review Source:I have always been a BIG fan. Gb did not disappoint this time either. The service was prompt and polite. Even though we were loud and obnoxious. The beers were great. Since we went out during cinco de drinko, they had chile beso on tap (chile spiced beer). I can't tell you how happy I was when the bill came - 2.50 for a pint for that heavenly goodness. So I had four :)
I also had the burger with blue cheese. The patty was overdone, nevertheless very tasty. I chose a garden salad for my side and it came with fries instead. The waiter replaced it immediately. The salad was mostly greens, so charging extra dollar for a salad is silly, but not such a big deal. A friend had Thai chicken wings. They were good, but I have definitely had better in Reno. While the flavor was great, the texture of excessive, not at all crispy skin was meh. Ok on food but great on beer. I will be back for sure, although I prefer Reno location (pizza is great, Sparks does not make pizza).
April 29, 2013 Sunday - dinner 6:30 PM
2 adults
Atmosphere - 5 stars
Food - 5 stars
Service - 4 stars
Background - Been a while since I have been to this location. Â On the way home from driving back from Las Vegas and wanted a relaxing sit down restaurant.
Atmosphere - Nothing too exciting for appearance. Â
Food
  Appetizer - none order.
 Main Course - Sonoran-Style Fish Tacos, probably my favorite fish tacos anywhere.  Beer battered fish, so good.  The tacos are over stuffed.  Â
 Dessert - Skipped it today.
Service - Our waitress had our beer order swapped, I got my wife's and she got mine. Â I switched them immediately and she indicated it was her second day. Â Sorry I do not take that as excuse. Â Otherwise she was fine, she also had a little help from one of the other waitress.
Future - Yes I love the Ichy.
We have been here before & will be here again whether its just brews, or food and brews, or floatinis and mead. Â All the food and drinks have always been great!
Sadly though, we haven't always had the best service.....
**Far too long of a wait at the bar on one occasion about a year ago. Â It did not appear busy enough to have to have waited so long.
**Summertime last year, once our order was placed for food, our sever was inattentive, practically nonexistent after that point.
**Lastly and most recently, my food order was altogether not the food I ordered. The server offered an apology, & the correct order was out within 10 minutes.
Good little location & nice brewery atmosphere, prices are reasonable.
Oh my I have heard a lot about this place and finally tried it wow I had the beer cheese soup...it has bratwurst in it need say no more...and I had fish and chips I have had fishand chips other and were good these were over the top and garlic fries were good not greasey like other places...my friend had the mouse trap grilled cheese and it too was awesome...we had beers i am fan of blue moon but had there whoop ass wit itvwas great ok I had 2 lol and my friend had there Chile beer it too was good givin it 2 thumbs up...
Review Source:Visiting Reno for a conference and found myself in The Nugget hotel and casino, across the street from this Great Basin location. Â I came here twice in 3 days. Â Excellent Beer. Â Great Food. Â Nice environment. Â Good service. Â
FOOD: Â I had the Fish and Chips. Â One of the best I've ever had. Â The batter was very good but the fish even better! Â A great combination! Â The garlic fries are amazing too - and their ranch dip was awesome!! Â My dinner friends also had the hummus platter and the chicken lime soup. Â All of which they said was amazing! Â
BEER: Â It's a brewing company people!! Â The Icky IPA was very good!! Â A must try for good beer lovers!! Â
My only complaint - and worth the 1-star reduction - was the terrible excuse of a comedian that was on their stage on Thursday night during my dinner. Â His opening joke was an offensive joke about rape. Â Seriously Not Cool. Â I realize the owners probably don't screen the comedian's jokes before he gets on stage, but starting off the night with a rape joke can never be appropriate. Â We immediately got up and left the restaurant. Â We would have probably stayed and spent $50 more on beer - but the joke was too much. Â We took our beer money next door to the Victorian Saloon.
The owners should stick to their good beer and food reputation, fire the comedian, and replace him with more live music. Â The live music we saw on Saturday night was wonderful and perfect.
Was out here for my buddies wedding and thought... there has got to be a place in Reno that has good food and drink. Â We found this place... and it did not disappoint! Â I had the blue cheese burger and it was tasty! Â The girlfriend had the Sheperds pie... with lamb and it was DEEELISH! Â I love lamb... and they did it just right! Â
Oh... did I mention they had a GREAT selection of beers on tap? Â Their own Milk Stout was delicious! Â
If you are in Reno... like a casual pub style environment... good food and good beer... Do yourself a favor and head to the Great Basin Brewing Co.!
(This is definitely a solid 3.5... but giving it a four star because def better than a 3) Â :)
The short of it: Food/beer: tasty, competent (4 stars), Service: neglectful (2 stars)
Long version:
After meaning to visit for over a year, the family and I made a last-minute trip to GBBC on a friday evening. Â First (as others have noted), the interior is an odd hodge-podge of historic and modern; not very charming, but not horrible.
Not having reservations at 6:30 was a bad idea, but we found some seats, got some beer, and perused the menu. The bartenders were pleasant and attentive, but either the hostess estimated wrong or people were slow to leave because 35 minutes turned to almost 50. But some tasty organic red ale and a dunkelweisen helped pass the time. Â
We were seated but our server took 5 minutes to find us, then after ordering, appeared to forget our meals until she saw me trying to placate a now very hungry kid. Our server completely forgot a request for a little plate for our daughter. By this time she (daughter) was having a fit with a mound of tasty french fries in front of her and no plate to put them on, so I went back to the kitchen to get one and *almost* got further delayed by one of the busser/hostesses before she came to her senses about the urgency of the situation - the plates being only 5 feet from where she was standing.
Anyway, the food (black and blue burger [cooked medium] and seafood cobb salad) were correctly-cooked/assembled pub food with quality dressing/accoutrement. The fries were awesome, but the garlic (on the garlic fries) is a odd flaked variety. Â We didn't see our server again until it was check time (no revisit to refill water, or an apology for forgetting the plate), despite about 1/3 of the tables now being empty.
I came over to Sparks from Reno just to try out this brewery. Â I love trying out local breweries when I'm visiting from out of town. Â Since I couldn't drag hubby away from the blackjack tables, I came alone. Â The block where Great Basin is located is cute, near the old railroad station & surrounded by bars & cafes with cute outdoor tables with umbrellas. Â Too bad a storm was coming in & it was too cold & windy to sit outside. Â
I was seated in the bar area. Â The inside of the restaurant is old & dated. Â It was kind of depressing, actually. Â My server was very nice & when she was busy, other helpful servers stepped in. Â I have no complaints about the service, it was top notch! Â I asked about the beers & had such a hard time deciding (I think there were at least 10 on tap that day) that I went for 4 - 2 oz. tasters. Â I tried the Nevada Gold, Wild Horse Altbier, a Belgian Dubbel, & their Oktoberfest. Â Oktoberfest was definitely my fave. Â I liked the others too but the Dubbel was too strong for me. Â Since I was driving I stuck to the tasters & didn't order a pint.
For my meal I ordered the fish & chips. Â They were just OK. Â The fries were good & I liked that they were served with a side of ranch, but the fish was pretty bland. Â Their salads sounded good so I might order one of those next time.
When I got the bill, I was surprised to see that I was not charged for the 4 beer tasters. Â I told the waitress she made a mistake, but she said, "No, the tasters are free!" Â Very nice!
Next visit to Reno I think I'll check out their other location. Â It looks nice from the outside so maybe the ambiance will be a bit better.
I found a new favorite here! I have been coming to Great Basin for a long time just to get an Icky, which is the best IPA in Reno/Sparks period. They now serve it using nitrogen instead of co2, which changes the flavor completely, it was a lot smoother, but the regular Icky is still my favorite. But on this visit I tried their Munich Style Philly, IT WAS AWESOME! The bread made with Icky and the beer cheese on top was well balanced and overall amazing. Thank you Great Basin for a damn good meal!
Review Source:Wow. Amazing food and great service. I came here on a super busy weekend, and was delighted at how quickly I received my food and how friendly the wait staff was.
We got an order of fried pickles as an appetizer, and they were great. Then, the owner came over and chatted with our table for awhile.
The beer here is awesome. Their signature "Icky" could make anyone a beer lover. Their blueberry lemonade with blueberry vodka was a great touch for a hot summer night as well. Did I mention how fast and polite all the servers were?
The food was just perfection. I ordered the salmon and mango tacos. The flavors of fish and fruit were a perfect blend and the salmon was cooked perfectly.
My boyfriend had the shepherds pie, which at first blush appeared to be more of a stew. But man was it good! And served with home made bread. The party melt was also spectacular. My friend declared it was the best one she'd ever had.
Literally no draw backs to going here. If you like good food, unique beers, and quick, friendly service I highly recommend this place.
I really hate writing a bad review, but I will when it's warranted. Great Basin has been one of my wife's favorite restaurants in Sparks since I can remember. We don't make it out much anymore (we have a toddler in her terrible two's)...however, we came here with our daughter, my father in law and my sister in law about two weeks ago for an early dinner. Our experience was absolutely horrible. Even my wife doesn't ever want to go back! I don't want to write a novel for a review so I'll bullet point a few major issues that led to my 2 star review:
- Our waitress was very disorganized and got my drink order wrong. I ordered a greyhoud (grapefruit juice and vodka), and she got me a grey goose on the rocks. I never send things back since I'm in fear of something happening to my corrected order if I do.
- They were out of about 25% of the beers that were listed on their website. My wife had to get her third choice since they were out of so many. The waitress had no clue what was on tap.
- My salmon fish tacos were way over cooked. Nothing is worse than dry salmon.
I am obsessed with beer. There's a reason the Bavarians call it liquid gold. If you love beer as much as me, you will love Great Basin.
I tried the Truckee River Organic Red on my first trip to Great Basin a few years ago, and it's the beer that's kept me coming back. My new favorite is the Wild Horse Ale, which has a malty flavor and is in the style of an Altbier. You can't go wrong with their Icky IPA (named after Nevada's state fossil, haha). It's not incredibly hopsy for an IPA. Last night I tried the Outlaw Oatmeal Stout, which placed in the sweet stout category at the Great American Beer Festival. It has a smooth finish, and is a great choice if you like sweeter dark beers.
Normal price for beer is $4/pint. They have happy hour M-F 4-6, with pints for $2.50. Growler fills are only $7.40, so if you love their beer and can drink a 1/2 gallon of it within 24 hours, it's a pretty great deal!
In terms of the food, their selection covers typical pub fare. The fish and chips are amazing, especially the garlic fries! I recently had the patty melt, which was smothered in delicious cheese, onions and avocado. My uncle tried their Irish Stew this week, and said it was one of the best he's ever had. Yes the service is a bit slow, but the atmosphere of the Sparks location surpasses the one of Virginia Street.
The food is standard bar fare. Â Everything is fairly bland. Â The only thing that really stands out are the fries, which are pretty good. Â Also, the patio is nice in the summertime.
If you're going to Great Basin, you're not going for the food. Â You're going for the beer. Â And the beer more than makes up for the food. Â The Icky IPA is VERY strong and also pretty tasty. Â I'm more a wheat beer drinker and have enjoyed the different varieties served by Great Basin. Â Do yourself a favor and try the Oatmeal Stout.
I can't really say much for the service.
The food we've had is your basic bar food. Â You can't go wrong with the fried pickles.
But the beer, my friends ... is some of the best brewpub beer I've ever had.
The first time we stopped by, we wandered in off the street on a whim. Â Ever since that day, if we find ourselves passing through Sparks, this is the one necessary stop.
They do a wide range of styles - from a lighter pale ale to IPA to barrel aged barley wines. Â We had a particularly impressive chile beer one time - perfectly balanced and not overpowering. Â We've had Witbier with just the right amount of spice and orange peel flavor. Â A beautiful porter with complex, balanced roasted flavors. Â The IPA is well done, though not overblown. Â It's uncommon to find such a wide range of styles with so few flaws.
There's something for almost everyone - even the guy who walked up to the bar asking for Bud Light. Â They were gentle with him.
Oh Basin. I want to love you but I just can't. The beers are good, although you'd have to be on fire to get one tossed your way. Only eaten here once or twice and it was utterly unremarkable. But then again I'm never really in the mood for a plate of assorted hot dicks...maybe that's the winner? My biggest gripe is the terrible service. Every. Single. Time. You'd think at least once just by accident, or because they got laid that day, the service would be better.
But yeah, the Icky and Nevada Gold are good beers.
All my local brew love belongs to the Peak.
The husband and I came here because Budweiser wasn't an option during the rib cook-off. To be honest, I don't blame him - except I almost gave up when he took me in the opposite direction and we were walking in circles for 15 minutes.
For a restaurant right on the strip of the festival, it wasn't as packed as we had expected it to be. We walked in, chose a table where the air conditioning was near, and ordered a couple of beers. I had the wheat while husband had the Icky - a fine choice. Personally, I like microbrews; they come with their own distinct taste much like wine which is fantastic. Who wants to drink watered down beer? In any case, who would ORDER watered down beer? I drank Bud Light with Lime in a can once because the theme party was White Trash, but that's as far as I'll go for humor on the beer end.
As soon as we received our beers I was cranky and on the verge of hulk-smashing (heat + only one corn = hungry and awful). Then, I took a sip and the clouds opened up - it was probably one of the more delicious brews I have ever had. I'm really not able to describe it very well - it was homey. It made me feel comfortable, at ease with my surroundings - and that's not because of the alcohol. It was, quite simply, utterly relaxing.
I have yet to try their food. I don't know why anyone would order their food during the rib cook-off - there are like, 24 different rib stations with a plethora of sides to try first, GBB is a storefront year-round. Plus, it's a local business! Everyone should come! I definitely am, and ordering another wheat beer (or maybe a sampler this time??).
Jalapeno beer didn't taste as good to me as other reviewers mentioned. Â Imagine a pilsner with a jalapeno that was dropped in it for an hour before serving. Â
Fish and chips were hot, crisp and very good, good tartar sauce. Â Nice sized portion. Â Â
Cheese dip soup was awesome! Â I want the recipe, ask for more bread. Â Ironically they don't serve the soup with enough of the bread and when you ask the server for more, they offer to sell you a loaf of the rie bread for $4-5 bucks. Â
If I were a local I would likely frequent this place.
Probably the best place in Sparks to grab a beer and enjoy some decent food you would expect at a brewery. I was in the area for a competition and I have to say this is the only business I went to in the area that didn't disappoint me. We tried a couple of the brews and all were good even though we all wanted a bit of extra kick to the ipa. I think the shepherd's pie was the most raved about dish at the table even though the bbq burger did get hyped. My favorite dish was the calamari appetizer.
I'm pretty sure this is the best place in the area to go grab a beer and some grub, it was where everyone we ran into told us to hit up.
Great Basin is my de facto go-to place when I'm in Reno or Sparks. Â Why? Â Because they have, in no particular order,
Cute waitresses
Beer
Shepherd's Pie
After a hard day's work, it's nice to be able to just put it on auto-pilot. Â I just roll in, have the cute hostess escort me to my table, lean back and say "Icky and a Shepherd's Pie please". Â That kinda let's 'em know I'm not a newbie. Â On the other hand, it doesn't really matter if they know if I been there before or not. Â Cuz basically all they gotta do is 1. Bring me a beer, and 2. Bring me a shepherd's pie. Â And 3. bring me another beer. Â Oh, and ask if I want dessert. Â And bring the check. Â Most of the time all these things happen.
Last time I was in I checked the specials and asked my server for a recommendation on Shepherd's Pie vs. the Pot Roast special. Â She unhesitatingly said "pot roast", so that's what I had. Â Yummy garlic mashed potatoes and an assortment of vegetables rounded out the triangle of food. Â Well, a round triangle is kinda weird so maybe it was like three things in a row on an oval-ish plate with the pot roast meat being in the center.
Anyway, service is decent to good, and I enjoy both the food and the beer. Â And the cute servers.
This review is for the Sparks location.
We were looking for Fish and Chips on a night neither of us wanted to cook. Jumped on Yelp looking for great reviews, Enter Great Basin.
Since it was a Wednesday night, parking was easy. Â The tables outside were about 1/3 full and inside 5 people at the bar and only one table in the bar area occupied. Â The waitresses while we waited to be seated were remarking about how slow it was (while they ignored us standing there).
We were seated and since i'm a huge IPA fan tried the Icky (Icky is right - Compared to Racer 5 or Lagunitas IPA Maximus just not the IPA I was looking for.) Â Decided to try the Fish and Chips and ordered the lighter side (three tiny pieces of battered cod for $8.95?) and a bunch of fries. Â The dish was okay nothing to entice me to return for the food, service, or beer. Â Bummer the search continues.
I came here with a party of 12 and we all sat together which was nice. What was really surprising was that we only had one server. What's even more surprising is that he did a better job than 2 or 3 people combined as they seem to do at other restaurants. I wish I remembered his name. Appetizers, main courses and most importantly, the beer, were tended to very quickly. He was so fast!
Just about everyone had either a hamburger or fish and chips. No complaints, but plenty of compliments about the cucumber salad. I had mushroom ravioli. Everyone's portions looked adequate except for mine. The ravioli was very good, but I don't recall ordering off the children's menu. If I did, then they forgot my crayons.
The bathrooms were clean, but they had this gross little soap pump next to the sink instead of some sort of dispenser. It has either accumulated a bit of crud on it over the months, or the world's dirtiest hands were washed just prior to me using it.
I've been here before and they've often been out of more than one of their beers, but everything was available during this visit, which was a Saturday.
Worthy of another visit without their brews. A definite stop if you want a good beer.
was in town for a national training and after it was billed as being in Reno, turns out it was in SPARKS! Â Well to my great surprise this little gem was right next door to the hotel we were staying at. Â I was impressed with not only their courteous staff that served us and the outstanding bartender wearing the "GOT BEER" shirt; but the outstanding micro brew as well. Â the IPA and the stout were terrific the food was standard sports bar fair that was not at all bad. Â
So if you ever find yourself in sparks NV make sure you stop in and grab a pint or two or...well you get the idea. Â Ohh yeah and tuesday is their "tightwad tuesday" and the pints are a low $2.50 for the great microbrew. Â I was in heaven...lol.
Went back last Friday,
11:30 ish prior to a movie, about 6 tables were seated.
As soon as I showed up the bartender was on it, got my beer order going for an Icky and tasted some pinenut tinted creation I forgot the name of (I blame the second Icky for that )
He was quickly back to harvest my food order
I ordered a choose your own topping burger. At the behest of my arteries, I ordered bacon and pastrami. I had my usual conversation about getting them to cook to the minimum doneness that policy allows (Here the official minimum is Medium)
After my last experience, I figured the only way to get our relationship back on track was to order another burger, Â kinda like going back to the Llama pen at the zoo after getting spit at last time when you were seven.
In no time he was setting up all the salt pepper, mustard etc. in front of me awaiting the arrival of what I hopped (get it?) would not be another shuttle tile.
In prompt order my food is escorted to my spot at the bar, it looked GREAT. with the garlic frys everything smelled fantastic too.
No sooner then 3 bites into it he swung by to ask if everything was fine?, FANTASTIC!!!! VERY good burger this time, cooked perfectly as it relates to their personal minimums, slightly juicy, exellent.
As I was thinking "This is great and a change from last time" what turn of events could explain this? Then I looked up and saw one of those prep tubs, and it was FULL of lemmons!
I laughed out loud and wondered if that was the secret ? a cracking of the code if you will.
Don't try to get service while they are short on lemmons. Could it be that simple? Yes ! that was it . I mean after all, THEY ARE Lemmons!
The garl-icky (get it?) goodness of the fries made me wish I had a box of Ju Ju Bees and an appointment at the dentist, instead of the movies :-P
Seems a shame to waste the effect, but then the dentist would be Yelping about me, instead of the other way around.....
The ONLY thing that was the least bit out of sorts was when he was attempting to take my order , as soon as I started speaking the (owner?) lady would talk right over me telling him something. I would stop and wait, then as soon as I started again, there she goes telling him something else. 3 times....
It was like a scene from Seinfeld or some other comedy, he caught the same thing, but was powerless to stop her, I don't know what she was all hyped up about but clearly she had lost her sense of awareness for the moment.
I don't recall the comedy but it reminded me of some scene where after cutting the other person off repeatedly as they kept trying to make a point, the guy puts his finger on the girls lips and says "sush,..... it's not you, its me"
(Maybe that cereal commercial ?)
after my second Icky and a GREAT burger, I no longer fear the Llama's...........
I give it four stars merely for the fact they produce great artisan brews. Beers I have consumed: Bourbon Porter, Tripel, Porter, and one Hop beer that I can't remember the name of because it didn't last more than a second. Often they have their special beers for at least 3 weeks. Â
As for the food I would give it a 3 or a 2, this is something I'd like to see them improve. I often just end up getting the chicken nachos or soup because everything else seems "A-ok" for the price you pay. I'm sad about this, because as a manager myself I see potential money loss. Their burger never turns out good. I like a rare-med. burger and every time I have asked it comes out burned. Probably because they are throwing on frozen patties or they just don't have good cooks. Their fish and chips are o.k. and I can't figure out why I don't care for them. Overall, definitely go to try their beers.
Best Microbrewery in town. Â Hands down. Â They have a jalepeno beer that is freakin wonderful. Â Also they have barley wine. Â If you have never had barley wine it is great but very potent.
I have only ate here once and I had the fish and chips. Â Nothing great. Â Just standard pub fish and chips.
Location is right off I-80, with limited parking, and plenty of outdoor seating. Atmosphere is more like a run down old house than a normal building structure, with a warehouse feel to it on parts within.
Seems to have a local alcoholic following. My visit was on a weekday afternoon, with nearly every patron on a first name basis with the bartender (who was otherwise rather rude to be honest).
Most beers are average, with perhaps just the Icky IPA and Saison worth trying. Chili beers and raspberry beers doused with orange wedges just isn't for me.
Prices are high for a place of this quality. They're pretending to be a more upscale place I suppose, especially with some of the menu items, but you feel like you're paying premium for dive bar food, beer, and atmosphere.
The food is right on par for what you'd expect around here. Its not horrible, but not particularly memorable.
All of the food is of the pre-processed frozen variety. Just what you want to buffer the overly hoppy beer that they serve.
The food is a notch above Denny's and the beer is decent.
If you want to get the Great Basin experience at home, snag some takeout from red robin, grab a six pack of fat tire and invite some annoying 20 y.o. co-eds and their moms to your house and throw on your 'favorite' Rev Horton Heat album.
Great Basin is probably one of my favorites in Reno/Sparks. Â They have a great variety of food and great beer! Â My three favorite beers are Icky, Nevada Gold, and Bitchin' Berry.
They tend to get pretty busy when there are events going on in Victorian Square or when there is a live band.
Tuesday is called "Tightwad Tuesday" - all of their beers are $2.50! Â Well, I take that back, not all of them, they say "most", but I don't know which ones those are. Â
There is free wifi through Clearwire here. Â It will initially take you to a screen that looks like it is going to make you register and pay, but really it's just a survey to see how you heard about this location and other demographic-type questions.
I expected great beer and mediocre food. Â I got fabulous food and ok beer.
It was a Friday night and we didn't have to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated.. and our server was very nice and attentive.
I tried their wheat beer and their raspberry beer. The wheat was decent but the raspberry didn't have any body to it at all. It had a nice initial flavor and then.. nothing.
The chips and salsa were awesome, really tasty salsa. The quesadilla was sooo good I could barely contain myself. I mean seriously.... it was not bar food.
I'll go again and try different beers.
I stop here as often as I can help it. I was there the day they opened, and have been a regular customer ever since. I've sampled most all the beers, most all the food, and been served by most of the staff. I can't recall anything really bad about any of it, and some beers, food, and servers have been quite exceptional. Not to mention I know the chef, and I've never had a bad meal from him.
Among the Beers, my Favorite is the Nitro Icky, which is there Ichthyosaur IPA but kegged with Nitrous, rather than CO2. It lends a subtle creaminess. Tied for second are their Cerveza ChileBeso, flavored with jalapenos (perfect accompaniment  to Mexican Food) and the Rail City Raspberry, a crisp, berry beer perfect for summer. The only beer I haven't had there is the Wassail; I never seem to catch it when they feature it, and the small batches sell out fast.
I've seen musicians there, comedians, and have had birthdays there. All were fun, and participants always had a great time. I hope Great Basin is still around long after I'm gone.
When you're in Reno, and desperate for something like a decent meal or beer, this place answers the call. Â It's out in Sparks, along a desolate area that has Western-style buildings out of Frontierland in Disneyland. Â The interior is your basic sports bar, but the food (salads, pasta, burgers) were well prepared and fresh. Â They've got plenty of space for big parties if you're in with a ski weekend group.
The best part: the beers. Â They ain't Magnolia level, but they are good and hoppy. Â Also: they have a sandbox inside the restaurant. Â It's for the kids, but there are no signs disallowing adults -- and scoopers and buckets are gratis.
They have a jalapeno beer. Â Sounds disgusting, but it tasted crisp and refreshing with an interesting bite. Â However, it could have been the elevation affecting my brain.
Sometimes you want to go out without having to deal with the neon and "ding-ding-ding" of the slot machines, and pushing your way through fat tourists and their fanny packs. Â This is why Sparks was invented - Reno's cleaner, wholesomer neighbor, where you mostly can't see the casinos at all, and can easily pretend that you're in a normal, if boring, city. Â Sparks' downtown is called "Victorian Square," and the Great Basin Brewing Company is one of its fixtures.
Parking is kind of lame in downtown Sparks, because it's going for this pedestrian-friendly quasi-olde-tyme look, so there's not much street parking. Â However, there's a fairly big (free) parking lot for the Silver Club across the street from Great Basin, which is probably your best bet in terms of proximity and convenience. Â
The brewery itself is not large, so they often spill out onto the sidewalk in the summer, and set up an outdoor stage for live music. Â Otherwise, bands play wedged in one corner of the brewery, while customers sit at tables just a few feet away. Â As you can imagine, it gets pretty loud in there, and since seating is limited, you might very well have to stand for the whole show if the tables are full.
The brewery gets a random mix of different kinds of music, from bluegrass to rockabilly to rock - mostly local bands, though Feist did perform here once, excitingly. Â Often, especially in summer, Great Basin seems to cater to the older, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing, Jimmy Buffet crowd, so I try to avoid those nights.
Great Basin is best known for its Icky, aka Ichthyosaurus Pale Ale - but they have plenty of other beers on tap. Â If, like me, you are not a microbrew snob, the waitress will cop a bored and condescending attitude toward you and your plebian palate. Â The food is typical bar food (DO NOT get the beer cheese soup, I'm warning you - it may sound like a wacky thing to try, but don't), and the desserts are just okay, relying on vast amounts of chocolate sauce to cover up their deficiencies.
However, a major plus is that there's no gambling whatsoever in here, which means you can fool yourself into believing you're in a normal bar in a normal town. Â All they have here is food, snobby beer, and live music in cramped quarters. Â Oh, and occasionally there's even a Klingon war council assembled at the outside tables - I guess they must come here for the Icky.
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