Made a reservation for my wife's birthday, and once again it was awesome! We absolutely love this…read moreplace. The drinks are on point, and the atmosphere is great. Highly recommend!

I went to this place with a couple of friends one night and it definitely exceeded my expectations!…read moreThere are not a ton of places that you can get a good craft cocktail in Bloomington but this is definitely one of them. You do have to make sure you get a reservation, which can be tricky but if you do it's worth it. There is a time limit on the reservation, but there's plenty of time for you to enjoy a couple drinks and take in the atmosphere. It's a really small spot, but the vibes are strong. They give you popcorn to munch on while you sip your drinks and the noise of the upstairs is completely drowned out. I highly recommend checking this place out.

Creative and delicious cocktail menu and wonderful food. Service is always great and the vibe is…read morelively.

We have enjoyed time at Cardinal Spirits twice recently. The first visit was fantastic (and…read moreprompted us to make reservations for Mother's Day for the second visit). The second visit was okay. First, the best parts: the cocktails were delicious and I loved trying a few of the different spirits when our server brought us samples to try. Also, the patio atmosphere was lovely as the weather was perfect for both visits. The bingo was also a lot of fun! Overall, the food was good, but on our second visit the service was incredibly slow. Our server told us that the kitchen was running behind, but our friends were at the table next to us (with a different server) and they ordered when we did and had finished eating before our food even arrived - and I had to go find someone to inquire about it as our server never returned after dropping off drinks. She did apologize and take an item off the bill and hand us a few drink coupons which was appreciated, but the experience had put a damper on our enthusiasm (especially after we told the rest of our party how awesome the place was). Will I go back? Yes, but maybe with tempered expectations.

Sleepers is definitely a sleeper favorite in Bloomington. The bar has a nice chill, relaxed vibe,…read morewhich can be hard to find in a college town. The prices were also very reasonable for both food and drinks. You can get the typical no-frills bar food, but if you're just looking for a space to relax before an IU game I'm not sure there's a better spot in Bloomington. We had great service and our whole group kept talking about how it was such a great find. It's attached to a motel and can be easily overlooked when driving into town.

Perfect Nitro Guinness plus great wings. Very chill atmosphere. Bartender reminded me of years…read morespent in beach bars near the Gulf of Mexico.

Wonderful waitstaff, pleasant outside dining area in close proximity to the plaza's fountain fish…read moreentrees as good or better than Florida Restaurants. Very good cocktails made by a great bar staff.

Everything was amazing here! Nicest restaurant I've been to in a while. I made a reservation with…read moremy parents for Friday evening which I would recommend doing because it was very busy. We loved the atmosphere though - the building is kind of interesting and the decoration was very classy. Maybe the main area was a little loud, but we ended up seated in a semi-private room with one other table, so we had relative quiet. It was dim but not in a bad way. All of the staff was very friendly. Our waiter was attentive and enthusiastic but didn't come across as trying to upsell us. Drinks were excellent. I usually just go for beer, but the cocktail menu looked really interesting, so I got a cocktail was very glad I did. I got the rye-based "boss fight", which was very strong with unique, complex flavours. I also had many sips of my dad's earl grey cocktail - also very interesting and delicious - and my mom's "problem child" with non-alcoholic gin. They have a really nice non-alcoholic drink menu with different NA spirits too. Food was equally excellent. We got the muhammara appetizer, I had the butternut agnolotti for my entreee, and we shared a chocolate and a vanilla-cranberry bread pudding for dessert. My dad said the muhammara was one of the best dips he's ever had. The middle eastern flavour was a little different from stuff you usually get at American restaurants, and it was presented very nicely with different garnishes. The blue cheese cream sauce on the agnolotti was also a little different and really complimented the flavour of the squash. The bread pudding may have been the best bread pudding I've had in a restaurant - it was very moist but wasn't too sweet or too rich. The chocolate cake was kind of like an oreo cake with the thick vanilla frosting and cookie crumbs - not your generic chocolate cake with white frosting, but conventional enough that I think it would make anyone happy. Maybe the portions of the entrees alone are a little small, but I think they were the right size to enjoy along with a shared appetizer and dessert. Considering that, the prices are okay for upscale dining.

If I lived around here this would easily be one of my go-to bars. They have a full bar plus 10 or…read moreso craft beers on tap and a PBR tap inside an old Chevy on the other side of the bar. Cozy, chill vibes, great low lighting, clean, unique decor...idk about the deer, but there's a lil something for everyone.  While we were there, the music made me feel like I was at The Bronze. They also have shuffleboard, ski ball, and foosball tables. Note: They do card everyone and ask for proof of vaccination. This is a great place to hang out with friends. All love.

Pretentious bar. No go. Lame. Friends from out of town wanted a nice bar. They accused us of being…read morea bar crawl. We were not. In fact rather aggressive. Bloomington deserves better.

I am a millennial and probably too old to be here on a Saturday night, but there we were! DJ Bongo…read morewas lighting it up. It almost feels like a speak easy with the not-super-obvious entrance. I like that there are smaller, more intimate spaces for conversations in the Cellar in addition to a small dance floor. I loved the twinkly lights and the vibes. Also, coming from Indy my jaw was on the floor at drink prices -- amazing. What took the cake? A SLUSHIE machine that actually still had slushie drinks in it.

One of my favorite bars in town! Whenever we go out we always make a stop at the root cellar for…read morethe cheap drinks and lively atmosphere. I always suggest going on a dance party night or a themed night because it is always more fun that way. The bartenders are a little rude but that is to be expected from a packed bar on a Saturday night where you aren't trying to get good service just a quick cheap drink

This was my Monday night spot. Half priced martinis? Yes, please. Be careful not to have too many…read morebecause their drinks are pretty strong and their stairs are pretty steep. Deadly combination, but well worth the risk. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because one night, I went there and they had salsa music playing. I'm always down for a good salsa, but not at a martini bar. Didn't quite flow with the atmosphere. Would have preferred jazz or swing. Anything but salsa.

Average martini bar. Bartender was nice but seemed very high and just out of it while making our…read moredrinks. The place was empty from 9:00 to 10:00 and the dj was just vibing by himself. I could see is being more fun later in the evening.

The orbit room is always wonderful! They have wonderful music acts come in, both local and touring,…read moreand the YUMMIEST brown butter popcorn I have ever had.

This review is strictly for food--I'm glad this place exists presenting the weird music that they…read moreare. That said, the hot dogs are...not great for a place specializing in hot dogs. They're a bit too squishy, probably due to being steamed rather than charred, and I found the bun to be soggy and untoasted, the vegan "chili" to really just be black beans, and the "horseradish aioli" to just be ordinary mayo. I'm sure I'll be back for music, but I'll probably just order a drink next time.

This is the new sour house built by Upland. It's right next to the Upland brewpub so you can't…read moremiss it. This is definitely a good place to try a specific style of beer (sours of course). They have several on tap and available for carryout. Start with the Basis which is their plain Jane sour. Then move onto all the flavors to see which you like best.

Another stop on one of our YelpLouINvasions!…read more After hearing about and subsequently missing an Upland takeover at Westport Whiskey and Wine, I was newly aware of a new-to-me provider of sour beers that was within visiting distance in Bloomington! So while we were in town to drink cocktails at Cardinal Spirits and have some wine at Oliver Winery, we also decided to stop at Upland for some beer. Cover all our alcohol bases, you know? :-P Anywho, the Wood Shop is the tap room and brewing facility right next door to Upland Brewing Co. We got there just a liiiiittle too late for a tour. But it is never too late for a flight! I love sours. LOVE them. So the menu excited me! Our server, Adam I believe, was friendly and patient with us (most of us being a tidbit tipsy since this was our fourth stop of the day!) I really enjoyed all the beers I tried. I honestly couldn't tell you a favorite! We were also able to call in an order for food from next door, pick it up and eat it at the Wood Shop. The space is big and it is fun to drink among the barrels, it is clean and looks brand-spanking new. I only wish Bloomington was closer to Louisville, so I could visit more often.

The pizza is the best I've ever had and the staff are wonderful. We will definitely be back.read more

Lennie's is such a great spot in Bloomington. Tons of seating--both inside and outside when the…read moreweather cooperates--so it never feels cramped. We had the flatbread and the house salad, and both were excellent. They've got a surprisingly nice wine selection and some solid Bloomington-brewed IPAs. The vibe is a modern diner with a big, varied menu: pasta, soup, salads, pizza, plus a really good lineup of appetizers. The staff is super friendly and really hustles.