The Best Restaurants In Bloomington

Illinois has one of the richest histories in the United States. The beautiful state was the first to abolish slavery and had two other capitals before choosing Springfield: Kaskaskia and Vandalia. The state also witnessed the Chicago fire, where only two buildings survived: the Water Tower and Pumping Station. Aside from a rich history, Illinois offers some great restaurants. When visiting Illinois and stopping at Bloomington, check out this list of the 10 best restaurants to grab a bite in the city.

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Epiphany Farms Restaurant

Epiphany Farms Enterprises, also called Epiphany Farms Restaurant (EFR), is known for its environmentally-friendly policies. To sustain the restaurant, EFR practice permaculture and intensive pasture rotation. The goal of the restaurant and farm is to connect Illinois residents to the sources of the food they eat. They serve great dishes such as their signature Confit Duck Leg.

Taqueria El Porton

Lucca Grill

Lucca Grill is an Italian and American-themed restaurant. The place is decorated in a rustic style, with unique ornate patterns adorning the walls. In 1936, brothers Fred and John Baldini decided to create a place where they could feel as though they were at home in Lucca, Italy. Their apartment sits atop Lucca Grill and is a popular tourist attraction. When tourists aren’t viewing their home, they are enjoying their delicious thin crust pizza, ‘A la Baldini’. A la Baldini was the restaurant’s first pizza and has remained the favorite dish for decades.

Thai House

The mission of Thai House in Bloomington is to bring Thailand’s culinary culture to America without losing its roots. When guests visit the famous restaurant, they’ll feel as though they were visiting the beautiful country. The diner is a perfect place for dates and family gatherings. The most popular dish is the fried banana with ice cream. Many customers rave about the way the dish has a similar taste to banana split.

Bandana’s Bar-B-Q

Bandana’s Bar-B-Q isn’t a regular Southern-styled restaurant. Its mission is to bring family and friends together in a cozy atmosphere. The wood pit smokers are burning 24 hours a day, which allows visitors to smell the smoke from the meat. The meat is hand rubbed before it goes into the smoker and is covered in a dozen herbs and spices. Once the meat leaves the smoker it is hand cut before it’s served. Bandana’s specialties are Southern-styled smoked barbecue pork, beef, chicken, ribs, turkey and sausage.

Shannon’s Five Star

Shannon’s Five Star encompasses history, community, culture, family, food and friends. Visit the beautiful diner and taste the sweetness of the South.

Garden of Paradise

This restaurant values family over everything else and their belief is apparent at all times. Garden of Paradise has blended Greek and American culture to create a beautiful community in Bloomington. The interior is designed in a fashion that represents vintage American restaurant life. Walking into this place makes customers feel as though they have traveled in time.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.