ADVERTISEMENT

Dinner suggestions for Bloomington

ruhoopscrazy

Redshirt
Nov 30, 2006
189
0
16
Driving in for the game tomorrow. Took a disappointing detour to Winchester for Mrs. Wick's Sugar Cream Pie. Looking for a good local place for my wife and I to have dinner. Thanks for suggestions. Hoping for a great game tomorrow.
 
Driving in for the game tomorrow. Took a disappointing detour to Winchester for Mrs. Wick's Sugar Cream Pie. Looking for a good local place for my wife and I to have dinner. Thanks for suggestions. Hoping for a great game tomorrow.

Likes? Dislikes? There are a lot of good places and variety is a strong point.

P.s. I like Michael's Uptown Café on Kirkwood.

Go-IU-Win
 
Looking for something kind of unique to the area.
FARM Bloomington, which is located on Kirkwood Avenue just east of the downtown square, would fit that description. The chef is from southern Indiana but learned his trade in France before he came to Bloomington in about 2007 and opened his restaurant. The menu is always interesting, with an emphasis on regional ingredients. The only knock on the place is that when it is full it is a bit noisy. Reservations recommended. Other than that, if you can get into Scholar's Inn you will find very good food. Although it doesn't have a true local flavor, Sweet Grass a bit southwest of downtown has very good "low country Carolina" cooking. By the way, although you didn't mention Sunday breakfast, Village Deli on Kirkwood does a very good job for traditional food but if you want something a bit different try The Runcible Spoon on Sixth Street. They have made one or two "Top Fifty" breakfast places and have a varied menu. They make their own corned beef, which is served for lunch and dinner and then incorporated into my all time favorite corned beef hash at breakfast. Bon appetit!
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the suggestions, will definitely try one. Was also told the Irish Lion, any feedback on there
 
Thanks for the suggestions, will definitely try one. Was also told the Irish Lion, any feedback on there

There are dozens of really good restaurants here. It's hard to recommend just one. Irish Lion is a great choice and you can get a yard of Guinness with your dinner. They also have an awesome scotch selection if you like whisky. When I have friends in town, I take them there. The service at FARM is terrible.If you like good food but being ignored by your server, you might try it. Most any other place you see downtown, you'll be happy with.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, will definitely try one. Was also told the Irish Lion, any feedback on there
I know the Irish Lion well. Had lunch there yesterday. Good quality, good service, emphasis on Irish food such as pasties, stews, corned beef, and the best fish & chips in Bloomington.
 
There are dozens of really good restaurants here. It's hard to recommend just one. Irish Lion is a great choice and you can get a yard of Guinness with your dinner. They also have an awesome scotch selection if you like whisky. When I have friends in town, I take them there. The service at FARM is terrible.If you like good food but being ignored by your server, you might try it. Most any other place you see downtown, you'll be happy with.
I agree with DD's comments about Irish Lion, but I have never had that experience with service at FARM in over 6 years of going there. Perhaps it was a bad day or something.
 
Last edited:
Btown is full of great places. Try to get to the music clubs as well try Bluebird
 
No recs for Grazie? Tsk tsk.

Also, someone above recommended the Scholars Inn, but I thought that was primarily a breakfast-cooffe-scone type of place. It's my favorite place to get coffee when I'm in Bloomington, and I didn't realize they do dinners. Anyone remember the Copper Cup? Was bummed when it closed down about five years ago, as it was a very cool place to hang and get work done.
 
I agree with DD's comments about Irish Lion, but I have never had that experience with service at FARM in over 6 years of going there. Perhaps it was a bad day or something.

I've been there a half dozen or so times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's always the same and everyone I know says the same thing. Good food, bad service.
 
No recs for Grazie? Tsk tsk.

Also, someone above recommended the Scholars Inn, but I thought that was primarily a breakfast-cooffe-scone type of place. It's my favorite place to get coffee when I'm in Bloomington, and I didn't realize they do dinners. Anyone remember the Copper Cup? Was bummed when it closed down about five years ago, as it was a very cool place to hang and get work done.

Grazie is good but decent Italian restaurants are dime a dozen. Scholar's is up for sale so it may not be the best choice until they get that sorted out.
 
Thanks for the recommendations. Went to FARM. I had the catfish fry special and my wife the pizza. Both were very good and service not to bad. I could tell server brought me the wrong beer but she said she didn't. In the end she took the beer off so I guess she figured it was the wrong one. Told her not to worry about it since I drank it anyway. Not going to waste a beer. Restaurant was a little loud since it's fairly large and open but honestly every restaurant in NJ is this loud. Basically because we are. But great reccommendation.
 
Thanks for the recommendations. Went to FARM. I had the catfish fry special and my wife the pizza. Both were very good and service not to bad. I could tell server brought me the wrong beer but she said she didn't. In the end she took the beer off so I guess she figured it was the wrong one. Told her not to worry about it since I drank it anyway. Not going to waste a beer. Restaurant was a little loud since it's fairly large and open but honestly every restaurant in NJ is this loud. Basically because we are. But great reccommendation.

Glad you had a good experience. Make sure to head down the street to Nick's before you leave town.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MyTeamIsOnTheFloor
. . . . but if you want something a bit different try The Runcible Spoon on Sixth Street. They have made one or two "Top Fifty" breakfast places and have a varied menu. They make their own corned beef, which is served for lunch and dinner and then incorporated into my all time favorite corned beef hash at breakfast. Bon appetit!

The Runcible Spoon is still there?

Good lord, I remember when that place opened in '76. . . .
 
The Runcible Spoon is still there?

Good lord, I remember when that place opened in '76. . . .
Yup. It's on 6th just west of Dunn, sort of across from the Poplars parking garage. I ate there a couple of weeks ago.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT