Big Lick Brewing Company is on Salem Avenue in downtown, in a brick warehouse with a long open taproom and a large covered patio. The brewery takes its name from Roanoke's original 19th-century name (a salt lick that drew animals from the surrounding mountains) and has been one of the city's signature breweries since it opened in 2014.
The beer list is solid across styles, with a strong rotation of IPAs, stouts and seasonal lagers. The taproom has board games, regular live music on weekends, and food truck pop-ups most evenings. It tends to be the busiest of the downtown breweries, especially around hockey nights at the nearby Berglund Center.