Best Restaurants Open for Newyears Eve this year in Normal – 2024

Not great. Service was quick because I was the only person there but food (even the eggs) was quite oily and made my stomach hurt the rest of the day. I would not come here again.

This cute little breakfast restaurant is run by kind people! I was passing by and they were very accommodating with my one of a kind request for butter to go. Next time i will sit down and have my coffee and food here instead of a local gas station. Thank you kindly!

We went on a Sunday morning and Food was pretty good but the wait was long for a table then waited longer for food. Our server was nice but not very good. Slow service, other tables that came in after us got their food before us, she charged us double for toast that was included with the meal. As for atmosphere, the place could use some paint and updating. Average breakfast for 4 people was $70 plus tip.

Excellent service, excellent food, we’ll be back! Pictured here is brisket jalapeño popper appetizer, beef brisket entree with mashed potatoes and green beans, and the great salmon and risotto entree. All was absolutely delicious! Great service as well!

Our server Tyler was great. We had the pretzel appetizer, and the cheese sauce was amazing. All of our food was delicious, but we were really excited to see creme brulee on the menu, so we had to try it. Not just vanilla but orange and vanilla. We loved it and would recommend it to everyone.

We had lunch reservations but arrived early. We were sat right away and greeted by Andy. He was attentive and helpful. The food was delicious and it was a nice quiet lunch. Thanks!

When we went to Tony’s the guy taking orders were on the phone and took a little while to take our order. The tacos have good size and good amount of meat. The taste of the tacos is not the best Ive taste but they are good. The tortas the have too much bread and not a lot of meat. They have a station with salsas and lemons which is nice. Price wise is average. The bathroom was dirty, it needed some cleaning.

I asked them not to put onion on my steak taco and thats exactly what they did, also forgot the cheese and sour cream i had payed extra for to be on it. Ordered a thing of mozzarella sticks too and they didnt give me any marinara...it was all dry.. and when i called to ask for a discount next time or some kind of sorry they told me they couldnt do anything about it. Im never ordering from there again.

Tonys Tacos! What a great place. I was told it was the place to go, so I went, and it was absolutely delicious. As I walked in, I was warmly greeted by the ladies at the counter. They were helpful with the suggestion of the Asada tacos and the Birria tacos, both of which I ordered along with a side of elotes. When my food came out, I could tell from the looks of it, it was exactly what I wanted it to be. The double corn tortillas generously filled with hot, fresh, perfectly seasoned meat, onions, and cilantro. Prior to my first bite I made a quick trip to the salsa bar to top off my tacos with guacamole salsa and a little lime. After a couple bites of each taco I dug into my elote. The corn seems to be fresh cut from the cob and grilled then a dollop of mayo seasoned with chili powder and fresh lime juice, sprinkled all over with salty Cotija cheese. If you're still reading this review, hit the directions icon and swing in and over eat some great authentic Mexican food.

Food was great. I went there and ordered one of their lunch specials. The special comes with fries, drink, coleslaw etc., but you can pick the main entree from the menu. Their fried catfish pieces are huge, which is awesome. Next time I will try their Butter Chicken and see how it is. The employee was friendly too. I looked at other menu item prices and they seemed reasonable for what you get. I would recommend Baba Restaurant.

Such good food! Very friendly staff! Always enjoy our dinners here with Baba! Authentic ethnic Pakistani food as well as American favorites.

So I came here with my buddy because he and I are always trying to check out new places to eat in Bloomington-Normal and I'm so happy I convinced him to eat here with me. My GOODNESS this is probably the best fried chicken I have had anywhere in the twin cities, hands down. The breading is crispy and each piece of chicken (tried the tenders) was perfectly seasoned. I was amazed at how high quality the chicken they use is, and how meaty even something like fried chicken tenders can be. Full of flavor, not greasy, perfectly breaded, and piping hot so do yourself a favor and wait a minute or a few before eating! They give the same treatment to their crinkle cut fries that enjoyed some of the seasoning that fell down from the tenders. Try the pizza too! It was surprisingly light and not too heavy (in a good way), doesn't leave you feeling sluggish and the quality of ingredients here is consistent with their other offerings. The crust is the highlight, simple and foldable if you like folding your slices to eat them! Will have to try their chicken pizza soon given the wonderful spices they use as well as their chicken. They were extremely kind to me and my friend, and the food was so good I came back with my girlfriend today because I needed her to try this for herself. You can't miss out flavor like this, this place needs the praise they deserve and more people going in so they can have experiences like I've had on the two trips I've been here within the last 24 hours. Wonderful service, wonderful people, food that tastes like you've stumbled upon hidden treasure. Do yourself a favor and make this place more known to you and your friends.

---Disappointed with the Experience I recently visited “imperial” buffet, i would call it SCAM BUFFET and, unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. It’s a cheap place with super rude staff. Firstly, the **food quality** was below par. Many of the dishes seemed to have been sitting out for a long time and were lukewarm at best. The sushi section, in particular, tasted stale and was clearly not fresh. Additionally, the variety of food offered was quite limited compared to other buffets I've visited. Secondly, the **cleanliness** of the restaurant was concerning. Several tables were left dirty for extended periods, and the buffet area itself was messy, with spills and food debris not being cleaned up promptly. This made the dining environment unpleasant and unappetizing. Moreover, the **service** was lacking. The staff seemed indifferent and inattentive. When we asked for assistance or requested that certain dishes be replenished, we were met with slow and unenthusiastic responses. It felt like the staff was overwhelmed or understaffed, which significantly impacted the overall experience. Lastly, the **price** did not reflect the quality of the experience. For the amount we paid, I expected a much higher standard of food and service. Unfortunately, the experience did not justify the cost. I hope that management takes this feedback seriously and makes the necessary improvements. Buffets can offer great value and variety when done right, but this place fell short in many areas during my visit. I wish i’d not have even consider this place. ---

I’m an avid foodie around Chicago, the country, and actually around the world—and this buffet has really wowed me. The produce and seafood are fresh—nothing stinky—and everything is well-fried and well-seasoned. The selection is wide, offering classic American food like brisket, barbecue ribs, and fried chicken, as well as Chinese cuisine that’s usually more rare, like frog legs and dim sum. The melon was really sweet and delicious. Given that the disposable income in Normal, Illinois, is around $30,000 and the median family income is about $90,000, assuming a 10% spending power, the price of this location is very reasonable for the food they offer. I would give this buffet a 4 out of 5 stars based on my personal review. It’s worth coming here and spending time multiple times. With the high quality and great selection, I highly recommend this buffet for anyone traveling in the area who wants to satisfy their hunger.

Since I have been back in town, I enjoy coming to Imperial Buffet. I'm always greeted & shown to a table very quickly. There are many different food options to choose from. Even with a buffet, the food is still fresh and hot. I recommend if you need a buffet place to go. It's all you can eat as well.

Waitstaff is super rude and act like they don't see you. The food is cold and soggy. Their policy doesn't accept completely valid gov photo id if it's vertical. As someone with a basset license, it's super weird, liable, and a dangerously lazy excuse to assume fake IDs can only be vertical. I've seen way more fake horizontial IDs working than vertical, so it makes 0 sense. The staff should actually check IDs instead of using such dangerous logic. Vertical IDs say in big bold red when they are 21, so there's really no excuse. Regardless, I'm never coming back. Such an awful experience in every way, can't believe I wasted so much of my time here. (Don't bother with the copy paste response, I'm not filing out any forms for you. I'm never ever coming back.)

First Impression: I placed a carryout order for 20 wings in four different flavors, along with fries and veggies. I was impressed when I was told my order would be ready in 15 minutes, and the pickup time was spot on. However, I encountered a significant issue: the wings were cold and dry, and it seemed like the seasoning was just sprinkled on instead of being tossed. Fresh wings should be hot and juicy, but what I received was quite the opposite. While ''Wing Stop'' isn't perfect, at least their wings are freshly cooked and grease hot. Would I return to this place? No.

Ordered the chips and dip trio. Apparently they think mixing salsa, queso, and guacamole all together in a single small container is what that means. Absolutely disgusting!!!! $15 for this vomit!!

First time here and I see why this is considered a hidden gem. The food is delicious, and service was great. When we arrived we were the only ones in the restaurant, which I never mind. When it started to get busy, I felt bad for the one waitress they had, but she handled it really well. And the food didn’t take too long to come out. We recommend the Brazilian lemonade, I never had it before until we came here and it is so good and refreshing.

We were passing through Bloomington and decided to check out jack’s and enjoyed our meal. We ordered the hummus plate which was flavorful, had great fresh veggies and the pita was warm and soft. We also ordered the pomegranate & goat cheese salad which was tangy but a bit over dressed (raisins and walnuts and pomegranate and beets). The chicken and lamb skewers were our final dish. Both were good. The meat could have used more seasoning/sauce but the veggies were great. The chicken was very moist. The lamb a bit over cooked. The price for the hummus and salad was a bit high but the quality overall was good. (Menu is clearly labeled gluten free)

My son had the best burger he ever had. It was a special Wagyu Beef Burger that was huge and very delicious. We shared the fried Cheese Curds, those were good, and I had the Chicken Alfredo Flatbread. Lots of chicken, they don't skimp!

The chicken Parm was a disappointment. It came in a small plastic dish with a lid on it, like Lean Cuisine or something. It gave the impression that it went straight from the freezer to the microwave. The flavor wasn't great. It had a very strong smokey taste. I miss the Steak Stroganoff!

Generic food that's consistent across location. Good service Avoid the broccoli. It's moldy.

I liked the food but thought that the "regular" portion was small. By the time I added a few nuggets of meat and a drink it was overpriced, and I was still hungry.

The food was a bit on the dry side. The restaurant was pretty clean. Friendly staff. Lettuce on the sandwich was wilted. You have to walk through the drive through line in order to get into the restaurant.. not everyone respects the cross walk

This location can get super busy, especially in the drive through. But, they are efficient, so you'll get through pretty quich. And they always get my order right. The food is on point and delivers what you would expect from a typical location. Food quality runs from great to perfect. Service is always friendly. Even the youngsters working there are pleasant and engaging. Order with confidence.

I have shopped at chick-fil-A in Normal Illinois for several years now with no complaints, and I would not be writing this review if not for repeated mistakes with our orders. Over the last several months, when we purchase the hash brown scramble bowls, all we get is eggs. We have specifically told our order taker, in the drive thru, exactly what we want in our bowls (eggs, hash browns, cheese, no meat). For some reason we only get eggs. Is there some reason for this? Can the bowl not be made with just eggs, hash browns, and cheese anymore? If this is the case please let us know and we will purchase the hash browns separate. Also, we have had other minor issues, for example missing food items, poor customer service ETC… This is so strange because, in the past the customer service and attention to detail has been outstanding. I hope you can resolve these issues, because we really enjoy the food on your menu. Further, I realize these issues occur at all fast food restaurants, but we always went to Chick-Fil-A because the quality on all levels was always exceptional. Anyway…thank you for the opportunity to vent! Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Nice lunch spot in Uptown. Great street parking and lot behind if needed. Visited at noon on a Sunday and there was no crowd. Very traditional Irish Pub. Fun to see the traditional menu items. We enjoyed the Ruben sandwich. Excellent fries. Leak potatoe soup was savory. Full bar menu was available. Music wasn't too loud so we were able to have a nice lunch conversation. Waitress was polite and helpful. Definitely give it a try.

Although I've visited the bar as a townie, I had never eaten the food. I'm so glad I decided to give it a try! The potato pancakes and cheese sauce was SO GOOD (boxty). We wanted to put the cheese on everything! It went really well with the potato skins. I'm glad my server asked if I wanted bacon and cheese on the Sheppard's Pie because it added a nice flavor to the potatoes. I will absolutely come back and try more dishes but overall was satisfied with everything I tried.

Friendly staff and authentic Irish cuisine. Had the Mick and steamed veggies. Love the continuity of the place with Maggie’s family. 2nd visit- 2 June 2024: Lovely place with great food and great prices plus an amazing staff !

On our way to Indy we stopped by to have lunch. We had visited their Champagne location several years ago and had a great time. The new place in Normal was fabulous. Drinks looked great, food was excellent and beer was The food was way more than just brewpub food and was made with heart. Can't wait to visit again

I ate here with my best friend for the first time and it was very delicious. The atmosphere was great, not too loud and very comfortable booths. The service was wonderful and prompt. I had an old fashioned and it was made very well. Our favorite was the dessert. I would come back just to eat the cake! I would highly recommend the Lemon Cream Cake

Cool spot to hit for a bite to eat or some brews. They have daily foods specials which I could not resist. The entree of the day, pork and veal ragout pappardelle was delightful. The garlic bread on the side was delish and I could have eaten 8 of those. The dish itself was on the lighter side and all the flavors paired well together. I would definitely come back here if I was in the area to try some of the normal menu items.

We tried The Original Pancake House on a whim. Our server Taylor was great. She was prompt and frequently checked to make sure we had everything we needed. The omelets and bacon were cooked perfectly. Pancakes were light and fluffy. Yet, the scrambled eggs with cheese were flavorless. The biscuits and gravy had little to no sausage.

One of the best breakfast places in town. The staff is friendly and quick. The food has always been fresh and hot. I have tried the cinnamon roll pancakes, the Dutch baby and the apple pancake. The Apple pancake was definitely the best! It is huge and can definitely be shared or taken home for later. Their juices are fresh and oh so delicious. I highly recommend the checking the waitlist before you go, they can get busy.

Busy spot due to its popularity. That's always a good sign, though. We waited about 10 minutes to get seated, but it was definitely worth it. The food was delicious . Service was fast, and even though the restaurant was full, the noise level was still fine. This will be my place to go every time I am in Bloomington.

I honestly don't know how this place is rated so high. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just being as honest as I can be. We ordered the Italian beef sandwich and chicken parmigiana; the Italian beef sandwich was gray and not particularly flavorful. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't much more than okay. The chicken parmigiana was better than the sandwich, but not by much; again, not much more than okay. The atmosphere was very empty and sparse feeling, but it was clean. The service was good, the girl at the counter was friendly, although I wish we'd asked if she had recommendations so that maybe we'd had food that was better than okay. The price was generally inexpensive, but not a great value. Our food plus 1 fountain drink (and tap water) was about $30.

Drive 2hrs one way from Chicago to get their legendary Gondola sandwich...

Avanti's does have a high reputation as a good, local Italian restaurant in the Bloomington area. Especially their bread. The bread was tasty. It was nice and sweet. I got the Italian sausage sandwich with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. It was brought out with a sausage patty on one loaf and cheese slices and marinara on the other. The sausage was good, with a little spice to it. The marinara was just ok. A little tart for my taste. And the presentation was, boring. The toasted ravioli was fine, but nothing better than what you could get from the store. Our waitress was very nice and checked on us a couple times. Overall, just an ok experience.

The Challenger and Gyros were very good. The fries are very delicious. Food was quick. Place is a bit pricey, but overall plenty of options for a quick lunch. The portions could have been bigger, so I recommend going for the deluxe size if you're extra hungry.

Extremely friendly service and delicious food! The line was long but the crew was hustling to get everyone taken care of. Even while in the kitchen they were staying attentive to customer needs, checking on customers and efficiently bringing food out to tables. Food was tasty, we had gyros with fries, which come packed with generous portions and great flavor. After we were finished the friendly staff was checking how everything was. Looking forward to returning!

Amazing food and customer service. The atmosphere is welcoming, nice, clean, and relaxing. Thank you for the EXPENDABLES TEAM

Italian beef, dipped, hot and sweet peppers. If you don't want messy fingers then this is not for you! Good food and good service always completes my day! Great job Normal!

What can I say? It's Portillo's! And if you haven't eaten at one, def go! Don't forget the chocolate cake- its the best EVERRRR! Never have had a bad meal at Portillo's! And for faster food, it's amazing! From their salads and soups, fish, chicken, italian beef sandwiches to a burger or hot dog you wont be disappointed! Such a fun atmosphere too! ❤️

After a long day at work, my coworkers and I decided to hit up Portillo's. I had heard a lot about this place, so I was curious to see if it lived up to the buzz. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. I ordered a chili cheese dog and a chocolate cake shake. Let's start with the food. The chili cheese dog was decent—not exactly Instagram-worthy, but it got the job done. The hot dog itself was alright, but nothing to write home about. The chocolate cake shake, on the other hand, was a letdown. It tasted like a sugar overload with a side of clogged arteries. I expected something more balanced, but it was just too much. Now, let’s talk about the service. The staff seemed like they couldn’t care less about the customers. Rude and smug is the best way to describe them. It's one thing to have average food, but when the service is bad, it really ruins the whole experience. Honestly, if you’re craving a quick bite, skip Portillo's and head to McDonald's. Save your money and your time—Portillo's just isn't worth it.