<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-05-10</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001113809</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BBW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001601366</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Leavitt Craig</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1954 INNERBELT BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ST. LOUIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>63114</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-05-10</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>11629</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>15108</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Grant to reporting person of 11,629 shares of restricted stock. The shares vest on June 10, 2019.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Price is not applicable to grants of restricted stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">After giving effect to the transaction reported in this Form 4, Mr. Leavitt directly beneficially owns 3,479 shares of common stock and 11,629 shares of restricted stock.  3,479 restricted shares vested on May 11, 2018, a day after the above reported transaction. For purposes of this footnote, we have included these 3,479 shares as common stock instead of restricted, making this footnote accurate as of the date of filing.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Eric Fencl, as Attorney-in-Fact for Craig Leavitt</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-05-14</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
