Reviews
We Review Big Eats at BigShots Golf
Come for the driving range and stay for the tasty eats at BigShots Golf.
By Katie Pollock Estes
Oct 2021
Photo by Brandon AlmsThe Big Pig Pizza is layered with cured meats and stringy mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. The crust is a hand-tossed dough that is thick, chewy and crispy—all the best pizza crust attributes.
Purchase Photo
Most likely, when you think of BigShots Golf (1930 E. Kearney St., Springfield, 417-427-3040), you think of the upscale driving range experience with its climate-controlled tee boxes, or maybe you think of the little mini golf course located right outside the first floor. But the spot also has a full dining and drinks menu to keep you fueled up while you play, and my family visited one recent weekend specifically to try out the food.
It was a Sunday night with unseasonably cool weather, and this place was hopping. We sat down to check out the menu and watch the line of eager golfers slowly dwindle as they all got their turn at the tee boxes.
We started with an app for the whole family and a couple of cocktails for the grownups. The Par 3 Dip Trio was a fun shareable, with little bowls of edamame-jalapeno hummus, kale artichoke dip and pimento cheese dip with grilled pita and raw carrots, celery and cucumbers for dipping. My son, husband, Eli, and I loved the pimento cheese dip the most (so indulgent) with the edamame hummus topped with crumbled feta coming in at a close second. The kale dip needed a bit more seasoning though.
For my cocktail, I tried the Lightning Bug, a refreshing combo of sweet tea vodka, soda, honey, mint and lemon. Eli’s Lily Collins was even lighter with gin, soda, mint and hibiscus.
While the kids dug into their kids meals (cheese pizza for one and grilled cheese for the other), I had a grain bowl with herb-grilled steak. The steak was cooked to about medium and was pretty tender, but the salad itself would have been just as good without it. The herbs and kale were so fresh, and the pickled red onions and peppadew peppers added a nice zip along with the mustard vinaigrette. Pepitas added crunch, and there was a hint of chewy sweetness from dried blueberries. I would call this a salad more than a grain bowl, though. The grain mixture was really just a topping and there wasn’t a lot of it. I enjoyed the dish all the same, though, and would order it again.
My favorite thing we ate, however, was Eli’s Big Pig Pizza. The cheese was a delight—all fresh mozzarella and thick ribbons of Parmesan cheese. And my god was this pizza meaty. So much soppressata, black pepper bacon and pepperoni in every single bite! The base was almost focaccia-ish thanks to handmade crust topped with just a teeny bit of sauce. I loved the light sauce, but Eli wished there were more of it. If you’re a sauce lover like he is, this pizza might not hit the spot for you.
By the time we got about halfway through our entrees, we were all happily stuffed. That meant we didn’t get a chance to order the massive dessert we had been looking forward to: BigShots’ signature B.F.D. Chocolate Cake. It’s a tall layer cake with both red velvet and classic chocolate cake topped with a white chocolate buttercream. On our next visit, we’ll be all about the golf and the chocolate cake.
