This is a great place to go when you tire of the seemingly endless parade of chain restaurants in B-N. A fairly eclectic menu that is moderately priced. This is more of a meet and socialize place due to the noise and small size. As mentioned several times previously, it gets very crowded Thursday-Saturday so definitely make a reservation. The drinks were well priced and the martinis were excellent. read more

These guys try hard. And they get it right 90% of the time. Good solid B-. I applaud their effort in giving Bloomingon-Normal an alternative to Applebees. There regular menu shines. When there are problems, its with the specials. Don't try too hard guys! Good wine list too. read more

Love it, great warm and cold bites. Five people $125.00 including desert and a bottle of wine. Especially liked the salmon deviled eggs.

Food was OK but the service was HORRIBLE. Just plain awful. Won't be back...ever. read more

Service was great. The food was better than expected and we were expecting at least a good quality. The ambience was very nice and the wine list above average. All in all a great choice! read more

Had dinner Friday night. Excellent time. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. Can't miss with the bacon wrapped dates or the hummus, they're both excellent. also had the fish tacos that are really fresh. Add in some excellent beverages and everyone had a great time. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants in Bloomington. The small plates are good as well as their entrees. They have a great drink menu and a rotating beer selection. I would recommend this for a nice night out for dinner and a few drinks. read more

By far the best service out of the downtown Bloomington bars. Staff is extremely welcoming and speedy. Not much of a college bar, so if you're looking to party, avoid this place. Good place to sit down and have some drinks. Never tried the food, but it looks and smells pretty good. read more

Reality Bites is under new ownership and Thank God! I have been going there for a couple years and the food has always been great. But nearing the end of the last owners reign there was an obvious lack of care and consideration given to the restaurant. The last couple times I went prior to the ownership change they were out of bread, certain appetizers, alcohols, etc. The shelves were bare. Since being under new ownership I have eaten dinner at Reality Bites 4 times, lunch once, and went in for drinks/appetizers/desserts once. All of my experiences have been 5 stars. The presentation of the food has increased drastically, the shelves are fully stocked with a multitude of wines, tequilas, liquors, etc. and the food/service has been amazing. For anyone that has never been to Reality BItes I would describe it as a truly unique dining experience for Bloomington/Normal. There is a cozy and upscale atmosphere coupled with a lively upbeat feel. Something you just don't find here. Reality BItes has surpassed my expectations in every way for the area. You would have to travel to Chicago to rival the experience. It will be difficult for me to ever decide to go out for a nice dinner in Blm/Normal and not go to Reality Bites. Now I just wish that it would be summertime already so I could take advantage of the outdoor patio! read more

A friend has been telling me to try this place for months now, but since I moved out of town I never had an opportunity. Last Saturday, an opportunity finally arrived. Two friends and I were visiting Bloomington and I suggested we try Reality Bites. I was quite impressed by the interior, modern menu design, and the wine selection. Our server was very accommodating but never overwhelming. I had the pork tacos, which were some of the best tacos I've ever eaten. Very nice restaurant and pretty affordable. read more

Nice downtown location. Good service and menu is unique. Appetizers are always good and easy to share with a group. One of the best options in downtown Bloomington. read more

We go here all the time. Very good food and awesome martinis of all flavors. Good prices with perfect portions. Should make reservations during the weekend if you're going after 5pm. The ceviche is amazing. read more

The thing I like least about this place is that it is inconsistent. a few dishes are really good but there are also many that fall flat. I also believe it is overpriced for what it is. The tapas have eclectic choices that don't always pay off. I think this place is overrated. read more

Website says they are open til 1am on weeknights. We went at 9:30, ordered before 10pm because we asked and were told the kitchen closed at 10pm. Waitress and bartender started blowing out candles, noisily setting the empty tables near us, plopping down heavy rugs on the floor a couple tables away. Could NOT have been more obvious that they wanted us to leave, which we did, at around 10:45 - 11. They turned the lights out the second we left! The appetizers, wine, and dinner we ordered were all pretty good, but I've been to tapas bars and this is NOT a tapas bar. They call their appetizers "tapas," but they're just appetizers. My feeling is, if they didn't want to serve us, they should have said they were closing early, and given us the option of going elsewhere. read more

Reality Bites used to be one of my fav place in town, but they changed the menu and now it is a huge disappointment. It is no longer a tapas place but just one of the many regular restaurants. How sad! Won't be returning there unless they change the menu back to what it used to be. read more

I have been here several times and the food is always excellent. The service varies widely though, and I have had less than desirable service more than once. I had a waitress with zero bar knowledge and each time I asked a basic question about whether or not they had a specific alcohol she had to go ask the bartender. While they are technically a "tapas" restaurant, they do not serve their food like traditional tapas. They expect people to order like a traditional restaurant, and they don't really handle the tapas atmosphere properly. My friend and I ordered several tapas items and they were all brought out at once, instead of as they were prepared. This made for a very crowded table. read more

Reality and service both bite here. We were shocked that it took them 45 minutes (and tracking someone down) to get 3 small plates of cold appetizers. Hummus, caprese skewers and cold chicken "sliders." The food was tasty, but by the time it finally came, we were in no mood to enjoy it. Also, if you sit outside - avoid the corner table near the street, or you may be joined by a surly guy reaching across your table to get at his mailbox on the wall, and standing there reading his mail while you try to eat. read more

This is one of my fav. places to grab appetizers or a light dinner before going out for some drinks. It's location isn't the best , but not too many people know about it which kind of makes it cool. The atmosphere is very low key, and although they have limited seating, they always remember you when you come back and are very adept at keeping reservations. Check this place out, and try the Chicken Bruschetta. It is amazing. read more

I had never been here before and there were a few things I could complain about, but in no way does it compare to all the great things that I experienced on my visit there. First It's such a nice change from how corporate Bloomington seems to be. Second the service was beyond great. So personable, very friendly very knowledgeable! They were out of a few things, but he was able to recommend things that we ended up loving, his menu and drink descriptions were spot on, and he had such a positive attitude about everything. I had a blast dining there.I believe his Name Started with a J. Jeremyah or Jeremy I think. Definitely coming back to see him again. Great atmosphere and it seems like the Staff really gets along well. Gotta Agree with Everyone else and say that the staff is very attractive, and clean. Glad my friends told me about this place, I know it will be one of my favorite places to dine in Bloomington. read more

Decent take on small plates. Not authentic tapas but a fun place for food and cocktails. The pork tacos are really good.

Pricey, but really good food. Nice to see something different besides fast food or a pizza place. Customer service is good and there is a quaint space for outdoor dining. read more

Would never recommend this place!! Lost customers for life! We went here only because we were given a gift card so we thought we woudl try it out...knowing that it pricy for lunch. Food was ok, nothing to write home about but service was pretty good, although there was only 2 other people in there besides us. Paid for the food with our gift card and some guy came over and said they are not honoring gift cards anymore. So basically we were screwed out of our food and gift card. Never going back and will tell everyone I know that this business is dishonest. read more

Came in over the weekend with a few friends. We opted for this place because it had outdoor seating, we were hungry, and we had a 4-legged furry friend with us. However, it has a VERY limited menu- not particularly vegetarian friendly, so I'm probably not heading back any time soon. I had the pretzel sticks.. Not sure how on earth they are cooking them, but they were not very pretzel-ly. For $10 for a pretzel and cheese, it ought to have been a more pretzel-like pretzel, or more flavorful cheese.. It was just plain 'ol cheese. Not that it was bad, because it wasn't, but this was not something I was so impressed by that I feel the need to tell someone to go there and order that. That being said, the server was AWESOME. He was friendly, super on-it with drink refills, etc and even made sure to grab a bowl of water for our furry friend. I hate when I love a restaurant for its serving staff, but dislike it for the food.. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in town! Great atmosphere and great food. The bacon wrapped dates and fish tacos are my favorite!

Having recently went to reality bites, I have to knock it down to one star. Boy has this place changed. On the bright side, our waiter was friendly. Other than that, it was horrific. No bread like before. Took SO many items off the menu it was shocking! The food that we did order was horrible and tasteless. Couldn't believe how bad it was and they took so many of the good items off the menu! I've been going to reality bites occasionally since it opened, but I'm really questioning ever coming back. read more

The burger was fantastic and the spinach and artichoke dip is delicious. The waiter was very attentive and accommodating. (We had a lot of questions having a toddler with us with a dairy allergy). Everyone was very happy with their meals. read more

I don't know if I had too high of hopes or what, but I will never put myself or anyone else through that again. All seemed fine until we were seated and then the time clicked away...no water, no waiter...no nothing. FINALLY we got water and the waiter introduced himself, then again he was gone for at least 15 minutes...FINALLY order has been taken...food was horribly overpriced for what you get. It took another 20 minutes for the food to arrive, the food arrived in shifts. Sure the seared tuna was alright, but don't charge me ten bucks for that, are you serious? I can get that cheaper at Hyashi and get more on the plate. The chipolte shrimp was very disappointing, it seemed like something out of a lean cuisine box. Overall a highly disappointing experience where twice we almost got up and left, but the waiter 'caught' us just in time. Service was awful, food is overpriced. It really has the environment to be something great, but they are not executing correctly..something is obviously wrong there. read more

Last night my girlfriend and I were looking for some late night grub and after some quick yelping discovered Reality Bites. We had been out at an a Capella performance at the nearby university which went a bit longer than expected so with its description of being open till 2 AM and handful of good reviews we ventured to the restaurant. Upon entering the place I was immediately looking forward to ordering because it had that small bar vibe that promised a great dining experience and we were not disappointed. We arrived around 11:40 only to find out from the man who appeared to be the owner that the kitchen was in fact closed. He greeted us with open arms and proceeded to grab the guy sitting next to him at the bar and inform us that he was one of his chefs and that they would do whatever they could to get us food. Wow! So even with a closed kitchen we were welcomed into the environment and continue on with our night amazed at how hospitable the service was. It only improved from there once we ordered the goat cheese balls, spinach and artichoke dip which the girlfriend said was yummy except for a little too much garlic and my delicious pork tacos. Overall, the service by Matt, willingness to help fill our bellies from the other Matt and friendly nature of the restaurant captured our hearts and our stomachs. We will be back again whenever we are in the area. I can promise you that. read more

Reality Bites continues to be a favorite. The Salmon Mojo is my go-to plate since the salmon is always cooked to perfection and the sautéed asparagus is yummy!!! Other favorites include bacon wrapped dates, goat cheese balls, and hummus. We're always very pleased with the service as well. I highly recommend giving RB a try! read more

Gave it 3 tries over a 2 year period before reviewing. Everything is SO BLAND. This trip especially made it evident that they just make everything spicy to cover the bland taste. read more

In my brief time in Central Illinois, I have to give Reality Bites a lot of credit. They have an interesting, flavorful menu; food prepared well; decent service; and quality ingredients. They have a nice bar with a great selection of drinks. In most other towns, they'd get a three star rating for being a solid, interesting, workmanlike dining choice, but in Bloomington-Normal they deserve four stars for doing most things well, with creativity and flavor. read more

The only thing I can say positive of Reality Bites is the atmosphere. It's very laid back, swanky and right on, but it's not enough to make up for the sub par food and snobbery that oozes from the waitstaff when they do decide to stop by and check in. The moment I sat down I was apprehensive. Fast forward 20 mins later when when the waiter made his first appearance and actually acknowledged us with promises of water, that didn't didn't arrive for another 10 mins. The words "Sweetheart" and "Honey" were used every time he made an appearance at our table, which I don't have a problem with, but he didn't mean it and there was nothing genuine about this apology for making us wait so long, almost 30 mins for bread alone. I would be able to forgive all prior misdoings if the food was worth it. Big surprise, it wasn't. Anyone who knows they're way around a kitchen or has seen 5 mins of the food network would know what they're pushing is mediocre 3rd rate gourmet food with a complete lack of imagination. With the exception of the brie plate (which really, how could anyone screw brie up?) everything was completely bland or completely over seasoned to the point of ridiculousness. The "golden" chipole shrimp is nothing more then a handful of deep fried salad shrimp served in a tacky martini glass. The shrimp aren't even DE-VEINED!! What?! Supposedly an "upscale" innovative restaurant would know better. Save your money for a restaurant that isn't trying so hard to be a swanky metro hot spot, but fails horribly when the cooking chops come up short. You couldn't pay me to eat there again. read more

Whenever my daughter's home from college she has to go over here. They have an interesting menu good food and are always very welcoming !

pork tacos? yes please. fish tacos? yes please. bacon-wrapped dates? yes please. Good bar and wine list. I look forward to going there more often. read more

Hippest place in Bloomington so far. Great service, good cocktails, and tasty food. The menu is fairly unassuming but is great compared to most pub food. I recommend stopping in. read more

Stay away if you have gluten sensitivities! Despite their on line gluten free menu which is why we went, something is not being handled right in the kitchen. Or they don't understand where gluten can be hidden in products (like salad dressings). Ate there Friday night, we ordered 3 items off the gluten free menu. It is now Monday and I am still sick. Totally ruined our weekend trip to Bloomington. read more

Loved this little tapas bar to go for a more upscale atmosphere and food and drink at a reasonable price. Service has always been good here but had one horrible experience yesterday that makes me not ever want to come back. Myself and my best friend who I dined with are vegan and vegetarian, ordered the Asian Spring Rolls that used to be vegan and we asked 3 different times to 2 different people to ensure that they were vegetarian/vegan friendly. We got them, suspected there was meat in them, asked the server AGAIN to verify there was no meat, a few minutes later the chef comes out to tell us we had eaten a full order of PORK SPRING ROLLS. We were both so deeply upset by this to not be able to trust the food placed in front of us or the people/establishment serving it. It is an absolute disgrace that the waitstaff was ignorant to this fact and in fact I had another friend dine there the same night and had the same experience of being misinformed as to whether or not there was meat in the food. Management was incredibly apologetic and handled the situation well, offering us free drinks and dessert and assuring there would be action taken. Doesn't make up for the fact I was lied to about what I put in my body after choosing to trust this place. read more

I really like the non-chain experience. This spot has taken an old building in downtown Bloomington and brought out its best features. The food is quite good. Tapas style. Make a meal of something ... or order this and that to share. Pork Tacos are great. Tiger Shrimp Risotto is special. I've heard several raves about the Drunken Chicken. read more

Came here today for the first time......3 tables were seated two wait staff ......have been here for almost an hour and can barely get waited on......very appealing menu however food was bland.....the most disappointing part was the service......employees that were working were eating at the bar and then waiting on people.....cleaning solution stored next to appetizer plates.....dirty plates left on table......really pathetic service .....won't return read more

This used to be my favorite restaurant in BloNo. Unfortunately it has declined in every category. Service lacks,food quality is poor and I'm dissatisfied. This will be my last trip until they make major changes. read more