PERFECT PLACE TO GO FOR IU GRADUATION LUNCH =========================================== I called the restaurant a couple months before graduation in May '21 to put my name down for reservations. I think the amount of graduates and their guests exceed restaurants in town, so the early bird gets the worm. Our party of four was happy with lunch and cocktails. A couple of us had salads and those are great. I cannot remember what my husband and son ordered. They have lots of great craft cocktails and we were all happy with those. Trust me when I say make a reservation for lunch here. It's close to Kirkwood Street and there's plenty of street parking. read more

Malibu Grill - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

A group of friends got together for an IU football game. We had dinner at the Malibu Grill. The food was great and the owners took such good care of us. I highly recommend this place! read more

22nd birthday dinner was great! Had a great meal and the creme brûlée. All of the staff was very friendly. Good dinner before going out for drinks. read more

Malibu Grill - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

$21 plus tip for a very small portion of pasta. Left still hungry, and I'm a small woman. A bit disappointed it didn't come with bread or anything. It's way overpriced. read more

Monday was about my 6th time eating at Malibu and they are always so consistent! The staff is knowledgable and friendly. The menu being rather big (in my opinion), but flavor does NOT get overlooked in any dish. My go to meal here is the Steak Chimichurri - I first had this my sophomore year of college and I have been obsessed ever since. The steak is always juicy, cooked to temp and the sauce is great! This past time that I went, I ordered the Seared Rare Tuna for my entree and it was amazing! I did go for the 8 oz and I am glad I did because I ate every single bite! Matt got scallops and for being the middle of Indiana - they were some REALLY great scallops and cooked great!!! Overall this is a great place to eat with awesome staff and consistency that will blow your mind! Be sure to check it out! read more

See all

Visiting my daughter at IU for my birthday and this place was perfect for the occasion. First of all it is right by the square and the setting is fabulous with outdoor seating available. I think they had a bunch of new employees so the service was a little slow but still great. Got a margarita, of course, and it was a really nice mix with plenty of "punch". Cocktail shrimp for the appetizer. Cocktail sauce was spicy!! So good. Shrimp were big and tasty! Wedge salad. Also perfect. I got the penne alla vodka with spicy sausage and it was delicious. Daughter got the filet medallions and they were perfection. Husband had the mahi-mahi with linguini. Overall great experience. I wish they had bread for the table but other than that it was perfect. read more

See all

We went here last Friday and oh my gosh!!! Very good. We had Jenna as our server, she was knowledgeable of the menu and the market prices on all of the entrees. We enjoyed the music and the atmosphere, it seemed a little small for the dining room, but not an issue, just an observation. I highly recommend reserving, because we could never walk in on a weekend they're usually busy. We got the New York strip topped with chimichurri, and the spicy sausage penne pasta. Absolutely superb! They say you get what you pay for, and boy did we pay good money for a great dinner. We will be back Malibu! read more

We typically stick to our go to, locally owned spots, but thought we'd try something new. $210 for two filets, a seared tuna appetizer, and two poorly made cocktails (It's hard to mess up bourbon but you won that award). Our steaks were over cooked (ordered rare and got medium) & had an odd citrus after taste. There was zero "grill" flavor (it's in your name?). It honestly tasted like it was made on a George Foreman grill. The side of roasted veggies were actually raw & very crunchy. This place is WAY over priced for the quality of food they're serving. If Gordan Ramsey would've rounded the corner with a Kitchen Nightmares film crew, I wouldn't have been surprised. We're foodies who travel all over the world and don't mind higher prices for delicious food but this place isn't it! Bloomington has so many better options for 1/2 of the price. We'll happily bypass Malibu's flavorless steak for Janko's or endless flavors at Samira. Highly DO NOT recommend! read more

Stopped in for a quick drink and had the most pleasant time. Casey was my bartender and she was very kind and knowledgeable about the menu. Recommended me a great cocktail! Will be coming back soon! read more

Stopped at the Malibu Grill on the way home from a trip and had the best Cajun chicken pasta ever! The atmosphere was great and the service was very friendly! Will definitely stop here again next time I'm in town! Also the warm 5 but brownie with ice cream was great! read more

The atmosphere and music was great, people were awesome and kind!! Filet sliders were pretty good as well. Cooper, the server, got us right.

My mom and I love to come here when she visits me! The crab avocado chop is probably my favorite, it's always a good go too and their other salads are really good too. I always love to sit outside but the inside is also nice too! Service is always good and they are very consistent. I know a few people who work here too and say they love it. Definitely a good choice if your in Bloomington for a visit! read more

We came by for dinner and although it seemed good on Yelp, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. We started with the pan-seared tuna as the appetizer. For dinner, I ordered the pork chop which came with garlic mashed potatoes and wood-fired vegetables. I opted to substitute the wood-fired veggies with asparagus instead. My buddy ordered the wedge salad with the filet. The pan-seared tuna was delicious. It came with a side of seaweed salad, wasabi, a little sriracha, and a way too much dipping sauce. This appetizer was pretty good! However, neither of us were mind blown by our entrées. The glaze that my pork chop was marinated in, was also used to drizzle over my garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Which essentially made everything taste like my pork chop. I honestly couldn't taste anything else except the glaze. I wasn't a huge fan. In addition to that; my pork chop was on the dry side. I finished my plate-o-glaze because I needed something in my stomach before meeting our friends for drinks. I asked my buddy about how his meal was and he just shrugged. Side note: I like to try the key lime pie at new places if they've got it, and since Malibu Grill had it on their menu, we ordered a slice. It was okay. Not bad, but again, not mind blown. Still much better than our entrées. The server, Natalie, was sweet and very attentive. She was so nice, each time she would ask how my food was, I didn't have the heart to disappoint her. So I just tried to force a smirk. I think she caught on. Overall, it's a nice place with excellent service. The food just didn't hit the mark for me. I may give them another shot when I'm back in town, but there's still other spots I've got to try out before coming back here. 3 stars: For Natalie and the pan-seared tuna. read more

See all

The overall atmosphere and vibe was a good one, with dim lighting. The service was good, but the food below average for the price.

Service was decent, not great, not bad. Our server was pretty MIA the entire meal. The restaurant as a whole was cute and dim inside. The hostess was drawing things on the board as we walked in and the chalk drawings were really cute. The food was terrible though. We didn't say anything and this was a suggestion from a local. We were really disappointed. The chicken salad was okay but everything else was not great. The focaccia was terrible and dry with little flavor. The red sauce for dipping was delicious and robust with flavor which made little sense why the bread was so bad. The arugula BLT wasn't bad with flavor, the sauce however leaked all over the bottom of my sandwich making it very, very messy when picking it up. Tried eating it open face but it's not a great sandwich todo so. The crab bisque was flavorless and very watered down. I had maybe three small morsels of crab. I bet they're pasta is amazing since the red sauce was so good. All in all I would not come back. There was nothing that made me wanna try another thing here. Honestly it's American food I'd just skip the entire thing. read more

Malibu Grill - Chicken Salad Sandwich and Crab Bisque - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Food was excellent I had the sea bass special with noodles. Being the first time having sea bass I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wife had the alpine chicken which she thought was excellent both kids had wood fired pizza and both ate all of it and said it was good. read more

See all

My wife worked here 25 years ago so she's always telling us about her serving glory days. We finally went for a late lunch on a Sunday while in town. It was good. I got the half chicken and mashed potatoes and loved it. Daughter got the linguine, other daughter got the wedge salad and wife got the chinoy salad. Everyone liked their meals and we sat outside which is a good spot if nobody else is out there. Definitely get the bread. read more

Went for dinner on my visit to Bloomington during winter break. Most restaurants were closed but Malibu was open for business! I wanted something lighter and the Teriyaki Chicken and a Bells Two Hearted Ale perfectly fit the bill for a nice quality dish at a great price. The restaurant was busy and well staffed, and had a very nice server who did a great job. I misplaced the photo but will post it if I can locate it! Lots of street parking on the square and had no issue finding a space. Recommended read more

It's been years since I've visited Malibu Grill and I still think about the steak I had there....THATS saying ALOT! Literally I sat down and the server said the cow was slaughtered down the street that very day and I had to try it. He was not wrong. It was amazing, I didn't know a steak could taste that good. They use very fresh ingredients which is what sets them a part. Run, don't walk, to Malibu Grill. read more

Hit Bloomington on way to French Lick. I loved my salad & hot tomato soup! My husband raved about his grilled chicken sandwich. Service a bit slow given it was a Mon afternoon but they were friendly. read more

I don't eat at Malibu Grill often. With the kids, even though it's kid friendly, I'm not sure we are welcomed by many of the other diners. But food wise, I'm always reminded when I do eat there just how good it is. A buddy and I had dinner there, sitting on the front patio. It was a nice night, fun to people watch, and not too crowded. My meal was fantastic. Great wine list, and overindulged on their wonderful bread as I determined what to order. I may have eaten enough bread for six people, but the server didn't even give me the nasty eye when he continually refilled my bread basket. That gets double tip right off the bat! For my meal, I enjoyed the NY Strip, ordered medium. I'd say it was closer to medium-well or maybe even a bit more but it didn't impact flavor or texture in the least. It was a great steak. Typical mashed potatoes and vegetable for my sides, and all were great. I even splurged on dessert and ordered the brownie/ice cream thing - it was the last thing I needed given how much bread I enjoyed, but it sure was good! I need to return to Malibu more often. read more

Delicious assortment on the menu. I have only one criticism, two of our party enjoy wine with dinner and even though the wine list was fine, we both agreed that the prices were too high for the bottles offered. Not to worry, they have a full bar. Four of us dined and we chose four different items from the menu. I had a Thai influenced curry with shrimp as the protein. Personally I enjoyed the meal even though I would like more broth and coconut milk. It would also be nice if they offered Thai iced tea. I'm not complaining because I had a couple of their signature "Beast of Bourbon" cocktails. Our youngest guest, an undergraduate at IU had the tenderloin steak and enjoyed it. I don't have details because he needed to leave to work on a business project that he had been assigned. My niece ordered the Mahi Mahi. It was well prepared and presented well on the plate. She enjoyed it with a well made Paloma. Our last diner was my sister who often enjoys small plates or appetizers. This evening she tried the Focaccia bread with marinara with her favorite Patron margarita. Our server was very busy as she was assigned the entire outdoor patio. We found her friendly and very efficient and she handled all our requests. This being the evening after the Great North American Eclipse the street view was even more interesting than usual. The Malibu Grill will take reservations. I suggest that you try it when in Bloomington Indiana. I think you will enjoy yourself. read more

This was our first time here and we were NOT disappointed! We started with the Focaccia appetizer - I liked it best with the oil and vinegar. My wife had the Lime Fettuccine and I had the Alpine Chicken. Both dishes were flavorful but well balanced. The chicken in both was moist and tasty. We will definitely be back to try other dishes! It was a beautiful evening so we sat out front. We had a great view of the setting sun and the weather was perfect. Kylee made our evening perfect read more

My aunt, uncle, wife and I went here before the Indiana vs St. Francis game. Food: Top Notch! I had the Thai chicken pasta and it was excellent. The other three in our party had steaks. All of which were cooked to perfection. The sides were really good and the appetizers were of the same caliber. Came away very impressed with the food. Service: Our waitress did a fantastic job. She made sure we had everything we needed and got us out of there in time to catch the game. Ambience: It was a cross between an upscale restaurant and an up scale bar. read more

I have been eating at the Malibu for years, sometimes every day of the week. The food and cocktails are excellent, and the staff are above and beyond friendly and helpful. Great job y'all!! read more

Marginal food for the price. Do yourself a favor and go to uptown for a real meal and a properly cooked steak.

Clubby atmosphere, great food and service. Haven't had a bad meal on many visits. Thanks

A lovely feel to the restaurant in terms of lighting and decor. In terms of the service, it was good not great. Our food was brought out with no silverware, staff was sitting around watching the football games, and while our main server was attentive he could've been smilier. The food was subpar. I got the New York Strip and ordered it medium rare. It came out close to that, maybe slightly overcooked. However, the meat was not very tender and took awhile to chew, and the flavor was very bland. The steak did look good, with a solid sear and nice grill marks. It could've used more butter and seasoning, along with other methods to make the meat more tender. As someone who cooks Target steaks relatively often, I would choose mine 100% of the time. read more

After finding parking on the square, my boyfriend and I chose to go to Malibu's over the other options on the square. From the outside, it looked like a run of the mill college town bar & grill. Once inside, we could see it was a little more hoity-toity. First impression wasn't good. It took an easy 10 minutes after we were seated, and a couple of annoyed glances from two servers, before a girl approached our table and asked if we had been helped yet. When we told her we hadn't, she said that she guessed she would be helping us. She took our drink order, then returned shortly to take our food order. We ordered the fish tacos for a starter, and we both wanted the Cajun Ribeye. The fish tacos were mahi-mahi. They were made with cabbage - CORRECT - and lime slices to squeeze if you wished. There was something on the plate that looked like ketchup, but I believe was an attempt at salsa. Since our steaks came then, we set the tacos aside to bring home. Being from Arizona, I brought the sauce home to try, but I have real salsa to try just in case! We ordered our steaks medium rare. They were delivered with garlic mashed potatoes and a choice of veggie. Upon gazing at my plate, I realized she had not asked us what we wanted, so we had a squash, carrot and mushroom veggie mix. These steaks were the best I have had in a very long time. Every bite was tender and cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were a chunky texture, creamy and absolutely fabulous. The veggies were very flavorful and excellently prepared. We finished off our meal with crème brûlée that was creamy, subtly sweet, and the sugar wasn't so hard that it couldn't be cracked with each glorious bite. We asked if they take reservations and have decided an hours drive is worth dinner here on a date night. We WILL be back! read more

I went in on $6 Wednesday (10/9) where Casey was bartending and I am incredibly disappointed. I have never had slower bar service in my entire life. I understand the restaurant may be busy, but taking time to chit chat with every single table instead of making drinks is unacceptable. That is no way to prioritize responsibilities when you are alone behind the bar. When I did finally receive my cosmo it was AWFUL, it was as if it was her first time making that drink. This girl either shouldn't be a bartender or shouldn't work at this restaurant if she can't handle the responsibilities you have behind the bar. I hope action is taken in the future as her incompetence and laziness is unacceptable and embarrassing for the restaurant. read more

This is absolutely one of my favorites when going to Bloomington. I always get something different and it never fails. The drinks are great too. Also the service is fast and the staff is friendly. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

The atmosphere in Malibu is upbeat and welcoming. I ordered the Steak w Chimichurri, medium rare and it was good not great. The meat was well cooked, juicy, fatty, but very greasy which is the reasoning for the 4/5. The fries and Mac n cheese were subpar. I would go back in the future read more

Malibu Grill - Steak w Chimichurri , Fries and Mac n Cheese - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Truly excellent. If you want to have a more up-scale dining experience in Bloomington, Malibu should be the top of your list. The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is delicious, it's priced well, the service is outstanding, and I have never had a bad experience in the more than 25 years I've been dining there. It's a long-standing goal of mine to get my picture on the wall (hint hint) and as long as I'm close to Bloomington I'll be frequenting this fantastic establishment. I highly recommend the pizzas in particular which are fantastic; as well as the Mahi Mahi. Its my favorite date spot, and I find that I compare all new restaurants I go to by the Malibu standard. None have overcome it yet! read more

Staff was friendly and very courteous. Food wasn't bad, but not the best. Sweet potato fries were covered with salt.

Good food, ambience and service. The menu had a nice variety and the restaurant was crowded although it was new student week. We'll definitely go back. read more

Had a great lunch here with my IU sophomore. EASILY one of the busiest eateries in Bloomington. We opted no reservations and got there early for a table. Little wait, good food, great drink and best ever memories! read more

I'm surprised the reviews for this place aren't higher. We had a great experience. We arrived around 6:30 on a Thursday night. The place was very busy, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table for two people. Service was very good. I asked a lot of questions about the menu and our server was patient and helpful. He came back often (but not too often) to check on us. Our entrees were delicious. The Caesar salad is presented in a way that makes it look really small, but it was quite filling. Also, they have optional white anchovies for the salad and they were so good! The white ones are hard to find and are less salty and more fishy, if you've never had them. The ahi tuna appetizer makes for a great low carb dinner and comes in a small and large size. The restaurant is loud and they can accommodate several large parties. The one thing I wish they wouldn't do is walk through the lobby to deliver food. I hate my food going past everyone. read more

Alum visit. Can't overstate how impressed I was. Other favs disappointed so I had reserved expectations. 93 degree day yet the hostess happily sat my Golden and I outside. Emma was exceptional. She recommended the filet and the green beans. Both exceeded all expectations. She loved on my Golden. Brought ice and recommended the best Pinot Noir for me rather than the most expensive. The bartender came out to pour it and make sure I liked it. The food was outstanding and multiple staff braved the heat to visit with my pup. The Mgr, Daniel pulled up a chair to chat. We dine out a lot. This was easily a top 10 experience from across the eastern US. A very pleasantly unusual post Covid fine dining experience. Cannot recommend enough. Going back tomorrow before we have to leave town! Ask for Emma although I'm sure all staff are similar. An outstanding display of management from a brilliant business school town read more

This is a lovely lovely restaurant with delicious food. Fantastic service on top of it however, all those television screens get a little tiring that's all I'm gonna say here. Like I said, the food is delicious give it a go read more

I am more than impressed at how amazing the food and service is at this establishment. We were just passing through Bloomington and decided to give this restaurant a try. The service is impeccable and the food is absolutely wonderful. I would drive 4 hours again from Chicago just to eat at this restaurant. Until next time, keep up the good work Malibu Grill! read more

Malibu Grill - Ribeye, mashed potatoes, sautéed vegetables - New American Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana