Local Connections – Big Rock Cafe and Grocery

We brew all our own beer here at Boundary Bay Brewery.  You probably already knew that.  But did you know that we bottle it and distribute it ourselves too?  We deliver to accounts all over Whatcom, Skagit and King county every day and we get to meet all kinds of great folks who choose to put our beer on tap in their establishment.  We figured a good way for you to get to know these amazing people too was to show you just how cool t

Casey & Cody - the men behind Big Rock

hey are in these Local Connections videos.  Our latest Local Connections episode was filmed at Big Rock Cafe and Grocery on the corner of the turnabout at College Way and Hwy 9 in Mount Vernon.

Big Rock is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  They’ll also sell you groceries, fill your tank up with gas and pull you a pint while you’re there!  Yep, you read that right…Big Rock is a cafe, a grocery store and a gas station all rolled into one.  The place has been around since the 1920′s and over the years, has come to feel a whole lot like home to lots of people.

Brothers Cody and Casey run Big Rock, after buying it from their father who owned the place for 23 years.  They stopped long enough to chat with us last Friday about their unique business and why they like having Boundary Bay Brewery beer be a part of it:

Blues and Brews Block Party

The eigth annual Porterhouse Brewfest is set for Saturday, August 14 in downtown Mount Vernon, and features three of Washington State’s hottest blues bands, a motherlode of premium microbreweries and gourmet food from local eateries.  The fun begins at 2:00 pm and should last until around 7:30 pm.

Gates Street between 1st & Main will be closed for the annual “Blues & Brews Block Party” so definitely plan to come hang out at the best party happening in Mt. Vernon this summer. The event kicks off at 2PM with musical guests the Bill Mattocks Band, then Tim Halpin and the Better Half at 4:00 and the Red Hot Blues Sisters at 6:30.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $24 at the gate – tickets are available to purchase online.

Get sweet, sweet craft beer from these participating breweries:

Flyers Brewery (Oak Harbor), Hale’s Ales (Seattle), Skagit River Brewing Co. (Mount Vernon), Boundary Bay Brewery (Bellingham), Rockfish Grill / Anacortes Brewery (Anacortes), Two Beers Brewery (Seattle), Birdsview Brewing Co., Birdsview (Concrete), Full Sail Brewing Company (Hood River, OR), Snoqualmie Brewery (Snoqualmie), Deschutes Brewery (Bend/Portland, OR), New Belgium Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO), Lazy Boy Brewing (Everett), Alaska Brewing Co. (Juneau, AK), Ninkasi Brewing Co. (Eugene, OR), Bridgeport Brewing (Portland, OR), Elysian Brewing Co. (Seattle), Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA), Pike Brewing Co. (Seattle), 192 Brewing Company (Kenmore), and Odin Brewing Company (Seattle).

We know it’s not like you need another reason to attend this awesome brewfest, but we wanted you to know that this is all for a good cause too!  The festivities are a benefit for the Lincoln Theatre which is a restored 1926 historic vaudeville & silent movie house in downtown Mount Vernon.  The theater presents a year-round schedule of concerts, current and classic films, and community events; as well as working with local school districts, hosting school performances and workshops by performing artists on tour, and annual concerts by secondary school bands. The Lincoln Theatre hosts concerts by the local youth symphony, presents community-sponsored children’s theatre productions, as well as serving as a venue for fund-raising events by local service organizations. The Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation, founded in 1987, is a registered non-profit organization supported by over 2000 members from Skagit and adjoining counties.

Get Boundary at Big Rock!

Boundary Bay Brewery is a locally owned, independent brewery and bistro.  Part of what we love about being a small business is getting to work with other cool small businesses.  Big Rock Cafe and Grocery in Mt. Vernon is a PERFECT example of just such a business!  Randy Audette has been operating this ever-changing establishment for over 22 years. This store has been a tavern, a tire repair shop, a host to many beaver feeds and a gasoline station… today – they are a meeting ground for all who enter.  As they say at Big Rock: “We are a family-operated business. We know groceries are cheaper at Wal-Mart, tobacco is cheaper at Indian Reservations, and gas is cheaper at Costco. Please know that we appreciate your support and business more than you will ever know.”

At Big Rock, you can score Boundary Bay Brewery beer on tap AND in bottles!  And once you’re there, you can treat yourself to breakfast or lunch from their menu featuring all kinds of down home favorites.  From 5am to Noon you can fill up on classics like biscuits and gravy, french toast, omelettes and oatmeal.  Or if you’re more of a late riser, you can grab lunch from 11 -4 and grab a pint of Boundary Bay brew to wash down anything from burgers and deli sandwiches  to philly cheese steaks, clam chowder and BLT’s.  There’s something on this menu sure to please most everyone and if you don’t see what you’re looking for just remember the motto of Big Rock Cafe & Grocery: “If it’s not on the menu – YOU DON’T NEED IT!”  Cheers!