Big Society in Oxford

Came here with a group and had a great time. Good food. Good drinks. Nice atmosphere and environment. Would recommend 100%. Were really accommodating- especially when we were running a little bit late.

Bopped in here for a quick drink on a hot afternoon. Staff were welcoming and friendly, and there was a great choice of not too expensive drinks. Didn't try the food - maybe next time.

Bopped in here for a quick drink on a hot afternoon. Staff were welcoming and friendly, and there was a great choice of not too expensive drinks. Didn't try the food - maybe next time.

Very poor food burger looked/tasted like it had been reheated in the deep fat fryer. Chips were soggy and greasy won't be going back.

You have the best cleaners or management going. Do you hoover the astro turf out back? Everything was so clean. Staff are average but even the outside gents were cleaner than the inside ones. The stone jetwashed and staff clearing plates and glasses. Was pleasantly surprised

OMG! Awesome craft ales! Awesome gray! Chilled pint glasses are the greatest inventions! Brilliant service too!

Good American-style bar, buzzing studenty hangout, cool cartoonish decor, ping pong, big beer selection. Pricey drinks, but about the same as you pay at similar Oxford places. The standout thing is the food - burgers and chicken wings and hotdogs, all of which are great, and are unusually inexpensive compared to equivalent places on the Cowley Road. Also, is big and has enough seating that you can usually find a spot even on busy nights. Our go-to second choice place in East Oxford. Update: Bumping up to five stars years later, this pub is one of the best in the area at what it does.

Very tasty food, interesting drinks selection. Nice outside area. However, it is often very quiet or too crowded.

Always like it here, a good atmosphere and well managed. Beer is always served too cold, though.

Nice spacious pub with big outside seating area at the back with heaters as well as nice interior with table tennis, table football and free arcade games. Really nice hangout place with plenty of drink selection and it’s not overcrowded often. Food is really good value and they have good cocktail deals.

I’m sorry but you need to have more consistency in the food and service you deliver. I have gone to Big Society many times and have ordered the same chicken with gravy with no issue (the gravy comes with the chicken at no extra cost). However, I ordered this same chicken on UberEats, where on the app, the picture of the chicken on the menu has gravy included and therefore, having had that same chicken at the restaurant I assumed I didn’t need to order the gravy separately. The order arrives at my house and the gravy wasn’t included so I call the restaurant, the lady on the phone at first said I needed to order the gravy separately. I checked the menu and there is not a way to order the gravy as it isn’t even included in the menu. I called the restaurant again to complain about this then that same lady changed the reasoning for not including the gravy and said that they no longer include the gravy in deliveries - if that’s the case then why tell me first time that I needed to order the gravy separately? In the end they told me to take it up with UberEats to complain but then when I did, UE couldn’t give me any refund. I am so appalled by this service. I spent £20+ for my dinner tonight on Big society and I’m not even enjoying the food, the chicken is only bearable with the gravy! Please remove images of the gravy on your UberEats site if you don’t intend to include the gravy with the chicken! Your inconsistency has made me not enjoy my dinner and has caused me unnecessary stress tonight. I paid £20+ for a crappy experience. NEVER AGAIN!

An absolute rocket of a boozer. Awesome service, epic deals for happy hour pints. Cracking pints, and great seating area. Can't say a better word about this pub. Best in Cowley. (Please return happy hour pint to £3.90)

Great pub good selection of beers and spirits, nice outside area too

Play ping pong there! Table tennis 🎾

Delicious- great value, huge portions. High quality. One of the nicest Reuben sandwiches outside of Katz deli in NYC!

Love it here, it’s my local. The pints on happy hour are good and the staff are always friendly and willing to help. Food can be a bit more on the pricy side but it’s soooo good. Bar staff Mia P is very good, always so friendly

Simple pin with a nice selection of beers. Catering mostly to slightly younger customers. They offer some vegetarian options. Happy hour deals are worth it.

Only complaint is they give you a short measure of baileys!

Great place to go in Oxford. Free arcade games, cheap table football and table tennis. Lots of space. A go-to in Oxford. And I’m a local…

Amazing food. I eat here every time I'm in the area

First time here last night, recommend by a friend. Staff are really friendly, especially the young lady behind the bar who recommend trying the coffee tequila! The food is delicious, like really delicious !! I’m looking forward to coming back soon! Im wondering if you do disco/music later in the evenings, I’f so even better!!! A pool table would be great as we typically go to places to play. However still Really fun and enjoyable place! I would recommend!

Gotta try the Pie, it's amazing.

I am really upset, just left this pub, usually the staff are welcoming and professional but this time 3 staff members made comments about my facial structure and my clothes, the camp guy said "she looks awful" and instigated the entire thing. As I left I said to a different member of staff that this happened they all started cackling and laughing at me. Was a lovely welcoming place but it's now run by a horrible little clique of middle class bullies.

Great service, easy to organise and accommodate group table bookings with them!

Good atmosphere, young vibe, free arcade machines and table tennis.

Great pub/restaurant near Oxford University... Chicken was delicious.

Honestly one of the best burgers and cocktails I've had in oxford. Was a really cute date environment as well. Would recommend booking a table in advance tho coz it gets quite busy

Nice armosphere,ping pong table and 2 terraced gardens to enjoy a beer. A go go place

Good coktails, reasonably priced especially at happy hour

Excellent Burgers and massive sides of fries

Friendly waiters, cold drinks (I don't drink, but I was told that) and a really fun atmosphere! It's really worth visiting The Big Society, especially if you want a fun time with your friends or want to meet a lively crowd and good people. It's so worth it! I didn't rate the food as we didn't order anything to eat.

Happy hour £3.95 a pint for grolsch. Food is great and reasonably priced for Oxford.

Friendly lively pub popular with students. Cheerful cocktail list, evening happy hours. Menus are short and good; burgers and chips are the standard choice. Nice beer selection, including some great low and no alcohol options.

Loved the vibe and food and everything really

I got two sides, the mac n cheese and buffalo fries, as well as an Oreo milkshake. The milkshake and buffalo fries were amazing, although the mac n cheese was not quite to my liking - it tasted a bit oily, but otherwise fine. My companions said that their nachos and chicken burgers were filling and tasty, and their food certainly looked that way too, so there's that. The portions for everything are very generous and at good prices - exactly what I'd hope for pub grub. Great for casual hangouts, especially with good weather - the outdoor garden was a pleasure. My inner child also quite enjoyed the free arcade games and ping pong table. I'd definitely recommend this for a Saturday night out.

Came here with a group of friends, we all enjoyed the beers on offer and had a laugh playing table tennis in the games area, kept things interesting!

Nice pub in the city centre, very crowded on Saturdays . The food was okay and it came pretty fast , the hamburger maybe was just a bit undercooked but overall was good. Nice, modern and cozy atmosphere indoor and outdoor. Clean services but not so much the tables located in the outdoor space.

Table tennis, free arcade machines, large cavernous indoor and outdoor. .

Food was lovely, portion sizes were very decent and the staff were great at accommodating my somewhat awkward food order.

Location a metà tra pub e bar, servizio essenziale, ottima cucina, buoni hamburger e hot dog, pollo fritto superlativo. Interessante anche la scelta di cocktail, barman preparati. Prezzi nella media, da segnalare giochi arcade anni 80 e flipper free play.. vincono a mani basse! E così si guadagna 5 su 5.

Couldn't be happier with my experience at this restaurant! The service was top-notch, with friendly and attentive staff. The food was absolutely delicious, and the presentation was impressive. From starters to desserts, everything was a culinary delight. Moreover, their cocktail selection was fantastic - expertly crafted drinks that perfectly complemented the meal. Highly recommend this place for a memorable dining experience and outstanding drinks

The burgers were not as good as expected; you can definitely find better ones for the price in Oxford. The patties could have used some more seasoning as the burger lacked flavour. Overall, 2.5/5 for the burgers. Giving 3/5 altogether for the fantastic place with homemade lemonades on the menu and arcade machines in the corner.

This restaurant is located in Oxford in UK. It is a restaurant that serves good American Styled Fast Food. It has a nice and simple setup. There is a gaming area with a Ping Pong table, table soccer and other gaming machines. The Today's Special Burger which was served to me on that day was great. The House Cheeseburger is good too. Their Cheesy Fries is a good "finger food". Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available. Service is reasonable. Cleanliness is good. Prices are reasonable. Public washrooms are available within the restaurant.

The best atmosphere any day of the week. Craft beers are available, and the food is quite good. Love this place.

Food was great. It came fast and was very delicious. Highly recommend their Smokey BBQ burger and cheese fries.

Love the Big Soc, the team here are always on point and deliver a great service

Had a great evening here with friends and family. The cocktails are fantastic and the food was really good if you like burgers and fries! The deep fried pickles were a revelation! Friendly staff too.

Tried the fried pickles which were so so good! Will definitely get again! The sauces were so tasty, the buffalo was so good and the sweet chilli was nice and spicy! The gravy was okay quite like kfc gravy, and the chicken was very crispy and super tender but a little too buttery tasting for my liking, still good but you only needed one tender each. Cocktail was nice too. Great beer garden lots of space.

This was a great pub! Arcade games and ping pong. Though I didn't try the food it looked luscious. The beer was a highlight I must admit. But this was a great experience that I would recommend for anyone looking to blow off steam.

Brilliant food and great drinks, all affordably priced with a excellent atmosphere.

Got wrecked. Ate chicken. Played ping pong. 4 stars

Great food especially the fried chicken, good value money and excellent customer service!

Great wings and steak sandwich. Excellent value for money. The only downside is the lack of bar staff who were friendly and accommodating. Waited at the bar several times a little too long.

Decent pub with a decent amount of beers. Love the idea of playing tennis!

Top class food. The best cheeseburger in oxford. The fried chicken is amazing. Raf the chef clearly knows his stuff. Brilliant choice of draught lagers. Superb cocktails. And when you've finally digested the fantastic food you can make your way over for some table tennis or table football. A complete night out under one roof. Well done guys.

Decent pub, food and drinks were alright, but the place is pretty dirty, there was ants crawling all over the table and counters, and the one bathroom was filled with vomit and backed up toilet.

Great cocktails and burgers - can't go wrong.

Ordered the fried halloumi for my vegetarian husband and they sent fried chicken in error. When he rang to sort it out they weren’t even particularly apologetic. Really disappointing

Not for us. Very loud and very limited options to choose from. Too expensive for what we were given. Fun for younger people with retro arcade games etc.

Nice place, good atmos and friendly staff. Had a good night here with places to sit and chat!

I wouldn't waste to much of my life there. You of course may love it

Great beer selection and best place in Oxford to watch Rugby

Big society is a great pub with a wide variety of drinks and food. My favourite thing on the menu is a coke float and a cheeseburger. Would highly recommend for a day out.

Nice atmosphere, good beer, food could be improved.

Fun college bar with arcade games and ping pong!

The fried chicken was crispy by too greasy. The gravy looked and tasted like leftover frying oil. The chips were soggy and the buffalo sauce was weird, too sweet, too heavy, not spicy. My friends’ burgers and ribs also looked sad, tired, and soaked in thick sauces and dressing to cover something no longer fresh. I didn’t come to the pub for healthy food, of course, but I didn’t expect to be food poisoned. Ended up lying in bed with fever and nausea for the night and the whole second day. I even got a call back from NHS. Avoid.

Chicken burger was really good. Got a burger+fries+coke and it was £17 so it is more in the expensive side. Nonetheless staff was very nice, clean toilets, small arcade room and a ping-pong table which was a bonus

Great happy hour and pub quiz on Tuesdays

From the burgers to the chicken wings, this is one of my favourite places on the Cowley Road. Reminds me of America.

Really fun bar, decent selection of beers, and best of all - table tennis fun as well

Really enjoyed the food here. Not badly priced either

Awesome chilli cheese fries and a massive portion..sooo good. Great atmosphere too.

We went here on New year's Day and had a great time! We had two for one cocktails and could mix and match between drinks. The table tennis and arcade games were good fun. We had booked and paid to go to another bar after this but actually ended up leaving there and returning to the Big Society because it was a much nicer atmosphere.

Great service, food and atmosphere with added table tennis and table football.

Not a bad place but it kept rejecting my card and the staff didn't cooperate as much as they should, effectively saying it was my problem when my card worked perfectly fine before and after going to the big society.

Very cosy pub, tennis table and World Cup game inside. They have an outside area which is so cool. Honestly do not just go there for drinks.. you need to try the food!! The burgers are amazing and very big, the hot dog as well! Love going there during the World Cup games, for some drinks and enjoy the lovely food!

Was visiting Oxford and wasn’t sure where to go when I stumbled upon this paradise in the heart of Cowley. This is my oasis. The bartender, Tegan, was SO sweet! And skilled. I would love to come here more regularly. The garden is gorgeous. Sit back and chillax here!

I haven’t been on Google maps to give a review in some time, but tonight was a special occasion. Happy Hour lagers, delicious food at reasonable prices, and the footy. All tied together in a chic 90’s American style diner. Would recommend to a friend, lover, or member of family.

I do like the new chairs and booths and the gaming corner. Love playing table football and having a nice pint!

Relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and great food. It was raining cats and dogs - this was the perfect place to take shelter.

Service was quick and vibe alright but I had the Philly triple Cheesesteak (think it was £12?) and it was gross. It was 90% green peppers, maybe 10% meat, and 0% cheese. Maybe worth £4 at most. (added an extra star because they had lots of heaters outside which was nice)

Superb staff. Great drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) I love the heaters outside, especially at this time of year. The food it pretty good for a pub.

Really enjoy the atmosphere and energy here! Everyone I’ve brought here has loved it to, definitely becoming a regular spot ❤️

Fun place to go with friends and play table tennis 🏓

Amazing staff, especially Patrick andJack, best cocktails of Oxford

Been here a couple of times and always had a good experience until a few of weeks ago when I came in with some friends and ordered some food. After waiting 40 mins we finally asked a member of staff where our food was… no where to be seen because the kitchen hadn’t made it and the food wasn’t sent to the kitchen. Absolutely no compensation other than a refund and at this point we were starving. Good place for drinks but unfortunately not for food

Fun place, ping pong and cocktails...

Great location, and plenty of indoor and outdoor space. One of the best pubs on Cowley Road for its down-to-earth staff, wide range of drinks, and a good range of food being served.

Good food, good beer. What more do you want?

Went for some drinks after food and have to say, the range of cocktails was great! The team were very friendly and welcoming.

Fantastic - great for groups - food amazing and lovely service. We all had different things from the menu and all were delicious. A very generous happy hour also

Amazing food, great cocktails and always a really nice welcoming atmosphere! My favourite place to go with friends.

Place is cool but takes a lot of time to get the food there

My Grandad used to own this place. used to be call The Elm Tree in the 60's. If my grandad was alive today, he would be proud to see its still going the way he wanted. people to come far and wide to get together, for a few drinks and a few laughs.

We visited mid-week early evening before attending a concert at the O2. The menu is limited but we were both pleasantly surprised when the food arrived. Both meals were delicious, the portions were large & good value for money. It was happy hour while we visited which was a bonus as was a table outside the pub in the sunshine & beer served in cooled glasses. When I visited the bathrooms I was gobsmacked, they were pristine & would put some high class establishments to shame. Should we be in the area again we would definitely return.

A lovely place with a great atmosphere and an even better beer garden. The drinks were delicious and I must recommend the frozen margarita and peach frosé. The food was alright, sometimes a little disappointing. The wings were way too salty with little actual flavour and the nachos tasted nice but were soggy. The best of the food we got was the fries.

Relaxed bar with quality beers and amazing chicken wings. Everything reasonably priced and the bar staff are very knowledgeable.

At the heart of Cowley. Amazing slushies

Great pub in Cowley. Possibility to play tennis table or table soccer.

Always like visiting The Big Society, good food, drinks, even table tennis, table football and a retro arcade games machine!!