I was passing Bloomington, IL on the way to Minnesota and found this awesome place on the Internet. It was so worth the drive from I-74 into town to the Brass Pig. The BBQ was outstanding, the sides like fried corn on the cob and the pecan pie was fabulous. The Ribs were fall of the bone tender and super delicious. Couple this with the superb waitress, Peyton, made for a one of a kind awesome experience. read more

How do I rate this BBQ joint that had superb sweet tea for Illinois standards and great good but commits one of the biggest sins a BBQ joint restaurant can commit? Which sin is that you may ask? Being stingy with sauce. I ordered a 3 meat platter and it comes with only 2 2oz cups of sauces. 4 oz of sauce is not going to take care of 3 meats! They have 8 sauces in all but that's only a tease. Are the sauces made of gold because they better be at the $1.00 they charge for another 2 oz cup of sauce. I could live with $0.25 but out of the 321 or so or so BBQ joints I have been to on Yelp, none of them wanted to keep me from their sauce like Brass Pig. By the way, it wasn't mentioned on the menu. I didn't know how much it costs until the bill showed up. My waitress, who was wonderful by the way, I asked her about it. She told me she would get in trouble if she didn't charge me for sauce and she hated it as well! So to answer my question - Brass Pig should receive a 4 because the sweet tea was refreshingly sweet and everything on my plate was delicious. But it gets a 2 because I am never coming back. There are plenty of other BBQ joints that willingly give their sauce for free, make it in-house, and don't charge as high for extra 2 oz of sauce. read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Bourbon Peach, The mustard, Carolina Red, Bob's? Bbq and Cherry Stout - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Had the Notorious P.I.G., which is a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw, and fries. It had good flavor and I really liked the fries. I also order a sweet tea to drink and it was very strong. The table we were at was in the back by the kitchen and the lighting was not good. read more

Absolutely amazing!!! Fantastic service, great food, awesome local beers available, and even dog friendly. We weee just passing through on a road trip and are SO glad we stopped here!! Really cute downtown area - we sat outside and it was the perfect stop. We all agreed that we will try to find a way to come back! read more

Tasty food and friendly staff! We ate outside, because we had dogs with us. The music was a bit loud, but it was nice sitting outdoors. I got a burger and really enjoyed it. Everyone I was with also enjoyed their meals. Corn bread comes with jalapeño butter! read more

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Not worth the visit, in my opinion. My wife and I met some family members for dinner last evening. And while I won't speak to my family members experience, I will share mine. Our server was kind, attentive and courteous. The ambience was warm and inviting. That's where the positive review ends. I was in the mood for smoked brisket and, possibly, some ribs. And fortunately for me, a Combo Plater was on the menu. I ordered it. The meal came with two very thin slices of brisket, coleslaw, tatter tots, a piece of cornbread and something else I cannot describe. The brisket was about 30% fat and dry, the cornbread was delicious, and the ribs were NOT edible. They were so tough, I literally could not eat them. I passed one of my ribs to my son who also struggled! Finally, for an "Ale House", they sure didn't have a handle on their beer offerings. They did not have a beer menu, just a scan code on the main menu. No problem, I'll check. That's when the server informed us that they "didn't have many of the beers on the list". She went on: "tell me what you want and I'll see if we have it". So, trial and error on the Ale front, I see no reason to return. read more

We are local and eat at Brass Pig a few times a month. You can't go wrong with Pick Two- pulled pork and smoked sausage. For sides, the greens and potato salad and french fries are some of our favorites. Jalapeño cornbread is delicious and worth ordering if it doesn't come with your order. Carolina Red and peach sauces are really good too if you like a bbq sauce with a little kick. read more

Great little spot! Food was on point as well as the drinks. Absolutely loved that we could get almost anything in the menu gluten free. The service was great to match the food! Would definitely come back next time we are in town for a Bison game as it was only a short drive to the arena afterwards. read more

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They have improved so much over the years an I'm glad I gave them another try! You cannot go wrong with the meat here - my favorite is the turkey. The turkey club is my top sandwich choice. Their Mac n cheese is delicious, love the baked beans too! Great service and a laid back environment. read more

My first time in town for work My waitress was nice but the food was tasteless not seasonings dry small portion no smoke taste 0 stars the complete my review had to give a star read more

Got here just after 9pm and all they sell at that time is appetizers, but wow are their appetizers amazing. The wings, on special have an amazing smoked flavor and hananero buffalo sauce. The Cuban egg rolls where absolutely amazing. I added some hot sauces to dip them in and it brought out even more amazing flavor. Lastly, the loaded fries where literally the topping on the cake. Just wow!! Usually I am a whiskey guy, and they do have decent selection, especially of WhistlePig whiskeys, but I opted for some of their beers. They have a nice IPA on draft that pairs well with their extremely hot sauces and also got a Blonde in a can from Keg Grove that helped extinguish the heat. Overall, very pleased. My only wish is that I could have tried their combo platter while here. If it tastes as great as the apps, it's a winning combo in my book. read more

Second time coming here - delicious! BBQ was super tasty & corn bread was great! Our server was very tentative and kind. Side note- I would not recommend the tap water for drinking read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Excellent brisket and pulled pork, delicious sweet cornbread, yummy collards and a delightful array of sauces. Milo was a wonderful waitress. The food came quickly even though it was early lunchtime and busy. It is a little loud for the hard of hearing but so worthwhile. Sorry no photos we devoured it before I thought of a picture. read more

Writing this before even receiving the food because we have been sat for over 55 minutes and still have not received our food. The service was terrible and the restaurant was 80°...we were sweating through our clothes just sitting and waiting. Would not recommend and will not be coming back. read more

Brisket may have just been the best I've ever had. Love fresh made fries, and the service was great. One drawback was they were out of about four things we tried to order. However, I personally I have a lot more patience with a place that makes everything fresh (as the Brass Pig does). read more

Another great bar dive for downtown Blono, predictable atmosphere, strong menu, and polite staff that for our Saturday got quickly behind which we probably only noticed since we wanted a quick late lunch before a wedding. The menu really brought me in, top notch minimalist selection of quality burgers, appetizers, soups, and enticing brews that combined right. I enjoyed my tap German ale. The other noshed on brisket burger and chicken rice soup taking it all down much faster than I could handle the cheese lava curds on my fantastic poutine. This place performed as a solid option for Bloomington eats despite the awful drunken food tax here; only slots right below the nearby Reality Bites I happened to get to the next weekend. read more

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Went here for lunch, and it was great service with great wings. The server was doing a great job at everything and made sure everything came out fast and fresh. The kitchen was fast and the Ambiance was refreshing and old but modern style, the crown molding is in great condition for how old it is. read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Brass Pig statue - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Food was solid but service was bottom of the barrel. They moved us once we were seated and then forgot half of our food. They then brought our appetizer out after our mail meal. read more

the brisket burger was delicious and had a smokey flavor. the mac and cheese was creamy and al dente. our server was quick and kind! we went during late lunch so we were seated immediately and it wasn't loud at all. the food took a while to come out even though the restaurant wasn't super busy but it's because everything was cooked fresh and hot. would go again! read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - brisket burger with a side of mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

I have yet to try the Reuben but it sounds good. Things I would recommend are the Brisket Point Burger and the Cuban Egg Rolls. They are delectable. Decent craft rotation as well. read more

Cost me $35. for a shitty double cheeseburger & fries. Bartender was rude ( paying attention to the bimbos in the bar).I stated that if he was going to charge me double? That I won't be back! His response? Okay, that's fine with us! Pos! I order a couple times a week. Never again! read more

So this place has made it through the pandemic and settled into a nice little groove with fantastic food including succulent BBQ, a decent craft beer selection and a friendly helpful staff. A word of warning for fans of man-n-cheese (and really, who isn't?!)...the standard version is deliciously spicy fare, with jalapeños seemingly smoked just long enuf to NOT become full-fledged chipotle. We love the corned beef egg rolls (esp when cooked crisp) and almost always find a craft tap we both enjoy. Keep it up guys! read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Bacon-Blue Burger with mac-n-cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

We've been to Brass Pig a couple of times before and this was a Thursday night dinner, not crowded but a comfortable busy. Food is good and portions are plentiful. I expect any wait staff to check periodically to see if customers need drink refills or anything else. Take note. We like the decor and historical photos on the walls. Parking is usually congested right in front, so suggest parking before you reach the front of the building. I would give them 3.5 stars if we could. read more

This was our first time eating here and will definitely come back. We both had the Notorioud P.I.G. and it was flavorful and the coleslaw added a nice crunch. Next time we will try the brisket burger. read more

This was my first time to eat at this establishment and i can tell you one thing, I WILL be back! The food is amazing and the staff is friendly! Service was so fast even though they were incredibly busy! When you order i recommend the Loaded fries as an appetizer! read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Loaded Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Sooo good! Great service! Great portions! Great food! We ordered way too much because we just couldn't decide! Will be back!

Pretty solid place overall for barbecue. We got the chicken wings as an appetizer. They were incredible--they were smoked before getting cooked, which made them way crispier, and the sauce they came with was nice and spicy. Probably one of the best wings I've ever had, honestly (but I fully acknowledge I have not eaten a ton of wings). For the entree, we shared the pick 3 combo platter with ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Ranking in order of favorites: ribs (fall-off-the-bone tender), chicken wings (crispy!), pulled pork, and brisket. We got the Carolina Red and Bourbon Peach as sauces. The Bourbon Peach is amazing. It really punches you in the mouth with peach flavor. I honestly don't think I've eaten anything *this* peachy. For the sides, we did the collard greens and baked beans, and the platter comes with cornbread with jalapeno butter already included. The collard greens were cooked with bacon, which made them a little salty, but the baked beans were good. The cornbread was also good, although the butter didn't have as much jalapeno flavor as other places I've tried--it wasn't bad though! read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Pick 3 platter; smoked chicken wings - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Came for lunch. I had the Notorious Pig sandwich and fries. DELICIOUS!! I started eating it before I could take a pic. My husband had the Rib tips. He said they were good. We also had the Smoked wings. They tasted like a smoked turkey leg. Not for me at all but the husband liked them. The atmosphere is like bar and grill. Very LOUD. Customer Service was friendly and attentive. The prices were average. We will definitely be coming back for the food!! read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Overrated, Overpriced, Disappointing. Way too loud. Everything started out great with the BBQ Nachos. Amazing quality between the chips, toppings, and especially the Pulled Pork. I had a coke, which was great, and my date had a Mountain Dew, which tasted watered down. Then the entrees came. My pick 2 combo with Brisket and Ribs was a pretty big disappointment. The brisket was extremely fatty, greasy, slimy, and overall had a somewhat watery taste. The ribs were cooked well, but had a burnt (not smoky) flavor. BBQ sauces were pretty decent. Fries were pretty good. Potato Salad could only be described as bland. I will say however, that the Cornbread and Jalapeño butter was probably the best I've ever had. As someone who has had a lot of BBQ, it was without a doubt, some of the nastiest brisket I've ever had. Will not return. read more

Absolutely horrendous experience yesterday. Stopped in for lunch and ordered immediately as I was on a time crunch. Waited 30+ minutes for my meal, which arrived cold as if it had been sitting out for quite some time. Ate a couple fries and two bites of my sandwich and told the waitress that there was a problem with the food. I told her I didn't have time for them to remake it and did not want to take it to go as it was cold to begin with. She talked to her manager who told her to only take 20% off. 20% off for food I didn't even eat. Extremely disappointing that someone attempting to support a local business does not have their time or satisfaction valued. Service staff seemed less than concerned about the entire ordeal as she only came to the table to take the order and drop the food off. read more

The place smells very weird once you walk in. A mix of old cigarettes, weed and alcohol. We debated staying to eat because it was a very odd and not pleasant smell. It reminds me more of a college bar than a smokehouse. Burger and brisket were average. The fries were cold when they arrived and the burgers were charred (no seasoning or flavor). If you're looking more for drinks and end up getting hungry, it's edible. If you're looking for decent BBQ, wouldn't recommend. Server was great and attentive so she's the only reason it's 2 stars instead of 1. read more

I am here for a week in the Normal IL area for work, me and a co worker where really craving some BBQ. We found the Brass pig on Yelp. If you look at the photos, it seems that the Notorious PIG is a big hit so I had to order it. The flavors and the BBQ sause they use were on point. Great mixture, my only complaint is it was inconsistent, some the shredded pork was hella dry and other nights were perfect done! The Bobby's BBQ suase paired perfectly, I could probably baith in this sause it was so good! We split the Cuban egg rolls, these are a must try they are served with a spicy mustard sause. They go perfect together. As for the beer selection, I prefer IPA but they did not have any on tap rotation. But they have a bunch of different local lagers and pilz. Our waiter really couldn't tell us what would of paired well with the food. But BBQ + IPA is my usual go to. I tried a local lager....it was ok. TLDR:Good BBQ, amazing sauses, I must try here in Normal read more

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Food was mostly good, don't get the smoked wings, nasty!!! Plenty of tv to watch but couldn't hear it well. Staff was decent needs to work on it. Décor wasn't bad but a bit dusty. read more

I was really disappointed in the meal on had there yesterday. The glass my water came in was dirty (?), the brisket sandwich was fatty and the fries were overcooked. Not going back. read more

DELICIOUS!!! Pulled Pork Sandwich, Brisket Sandwich, Collard Greens, Cucumber Salad.... Went back twice in the same week!!! read more

Food is solid. They try new things on their menu or put unique spins on established entrees (Italian Beef being Italian smoked beef instead, etc) and their sauce selection is varied and full of spice and flavor! Service is very good. Very cool group of people working here and make it a fun environment to be a part of, at the table or the bar. It's position is around a bunch of college bars, so I've walked past it many times, but I won't make that mistake again when I'm looking for good BBQ in BloNo. read more

You can't get much better than Brass Pig for BBQ in Normal! Where could I begin? The ambiance around the bar and restaurant sells the cozier vibe and I appreciate the open-air seating when the weather agrees with it, and the wood accents contribute a lot to the atmosphere of the place. Great service all around, punctual and polite and easygoing to fit with the overall feel of the place. Now the food! You can expect some high-quality barbecue when you visit Brass Pig, with a variety of meats, side dishes, and a whole spectrum of sauces; and for the health-minded, all of the sauces are gluten-free. You can't go wrong with the classic mixed platter, for my money; their brisket and smoked sausage are especially high-quality. BP's prices are a little lofty, but that's nothing new for BBQ, and they're a worthwhile splurge! Honestly, the only knock on them I can think of is not enjoying their cucumber and onion salad that much, and even then that may be a matter of personal taste. You won't regret your trip to Brass Pig! read more

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Stopped in for a quick drink while waiting for an appointment. Discovered they had Blanton, which is a great bourbon for the price. Great pour. Good people. They also make a great old fashioned! read more

Second time going to the Brass Pig. There where eight of us. The waiter quickly put two tables together for us. Everyone loved what they got. My husband got their Bloody Mary. Came with cheese, pork egg roll, chicken wing,bacon,pickle, olive and lemon.oh and a beer chaser. I got their beer cheese soup. It came with soft pretzel and smoked sausage Both times the serve was excellent read more

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse - Bloody Mary - Barbeque Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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It was ok. I'll try again. They are getting their feet wet still and I have high hopes for improvement. I tried out the brisket sandwich with one side and got the slaw. Right now, they don't offer the sandwich often. And the day I got it MAY have been the first day for it. The flavor of the meat and sauce was DELISH. The pickled onion on it was a little too sharp for me. And I felt the amount of meat was too small for the $12 price tag. The large bun just accentuated the situation. Go big or go home when it comes to the Q! Slaw was good, not too creamy and ordinary - nothing inventive. read more