It's a fun bar. Great beer selection. Lots of seating and great for groups. There's usually a nice crowd and the service and bartenders are good. You can reserve the side room or the larger back room for special events and parties. It's a Downtown Bloomington institution now, and should be. During the week it's a good place for non-college students to visit. read more

Hillbilly bar the only bar I've ever been to where they pat you down and then they kick you out for making fun of being pat down

Great atmosphere cool bartender's great drink menu good location close to everything always good time

Stopped in on a Monday night while visiting the area. It wasn't very crowded and had an absolutely amazing bourbon list! I'm from Kentucky and so surprised they offered all the nice bourbon! It may be a college bar on the weekends but don't discount it on the week nights. Plenty of older people there. read more

Fat Jack's - Street view - Beer Bar Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

See all

Great place to get kicked out of by police academy reject security for wearing regular clothes. seriously? You can't wear sweatpants at some smelly run down bar? but people wearing basically no clothes can come in no problem. also get better at patting people down, not really good at it either. read more

Fun place, cheap drink specials, decent bar tenders. I've been here a couple times and I'm always satisfied. The prices are reasonable and it's never too busy since there are 3 bars operating on the weekends. They also have good food, the pretzel bites are my go too highly recommended. The beer cheese sauce is spicy and cheesy, amazing!! Also the stone ground mustard sauce is good too if that's more your thing read more

I hardly ever go to this bar because they have some outrageous dress code. Yes I said it a dress code in a little college town which is completely sexist. A girl can come in wear basically nothing but a guy wear a "out of season" Jersey has to take it off or no entry. I decided to take my jersey off and you would think that would treat it with care. No the guy threw it in a corner down the stairs. I didn't pay 160 dollars for my jersey to be treat like that at a place of business where I was asked to remove it. Also had a pervious experience with joggers. I had to go change to be allowed in. I'll stick to all the other bars but I won't be going back here again! Only good thing about this place is the music. read more

I came to this city due to business. I am from Los Angeles and heard about this place through an acquaintance. A couple of friends and I decided to meet up at this place. I got there after my friends did and when I came up to the door, I was greeted by two grumpy egotistic security guards who were most likely Police rejects. As I walked up, one of them ask for I.D. and as he checked it the other guy was eyeing it too and then told me to spread my legs and raise my hands up in a rude manner. When he was done checking me, he didn't say nothing and I was standing there waiting for his ok to proceed inside then I asked him if I am good; the security guard who checked me then squared up to me in a combative way and told me in a rude manner "I don't know are you!" as if he wanted to fight me. I don't get easily intimated so when he saw I was not cowering, he backed off and let me go. read more

This is the first time at Fat Jacks. the service and food were excell ent. I would recommend this plac. read more

I love this place, drinks are cheap, music is good but the only drawback is creepy dudes

on multiple seperate occasions, I have been denied entry into this bar for absolutely 0 reason even after showing my perfectly valid and legal ID, claiming it was "expired" despite getting the ID renued a month prior to this, and the moment I questioned it, it was met with hostility and one of the bouncers even lying on my name saying I cussed him out being the reason as to why I cant come in. I am still so dumbfounded and confused as to why as a 22 year old male, I can't enter the establishmen, even after showing valid physical proof of age, and its not like they have ever had a problem with me as I stay to myself 100% of the time. Overall horrible buisness, and I wonder how many other people experienced this, or maybe the bouncers just dont like the look of me. I understand they can refuse service to anyone for any reason, but doing it for absolutely zero reasoning behind it is absolutely insane. read more

We used to go to this place, but not great service and the staff is not that great. Security used to be two really cool guys when I used to go to school in normal, but now it's not very welcoming. Drinks are good, but as a alumni we can find better bars for a better time or stay in Normal. read more

In order to have a successful Fat Jack experience you need to know what you're getting into and the equation to achieve your desired results: 1. To avoid "Frat" Jacks: From Sept 1 - April 30th avoid going here on Fri and Sat nights from 10pm and on. 2. To avoid State Farmers: Do not go here during traditional "happy hour" time over the summer while students are gone. The average age and creepy factor increase exponentially. 3. If you want to play darts or pool: Optimal time is post happy hour and pre frat time 4. Follow them on Twitter to see daily drink specials. This is critical to optimize your hard earned dollars. 5. If you like Guinness there is one female bartender who rocks it. She is typically there between happy hour and frat time. 6. Multiple rooms help you pick the experience you prefer... games, relaxing or dancing. 7. Light up dance floors are cool. So are catwalks behind a bar. 8. To avoid pointless cover charges arrive before 9pm and chill on a couch with friends until the fun begins. read more

The floors and bar top need refinishing and a coat of paint and some deep-cleaning couldn't hurt these days but this place is still the best beer snob bar in town, their bar food is different in a good way, the bartenders and waitresses are generally fantastic and there's always a decent, lively crowd before 9 and a loud, raucous crowd after 9. read more

Fat Jack's - Welcome to OctoberFest! - Beer Bar Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

So this is where we ended up when Reality Bites turned us away because we didn't have reservations. Lucky us! The beer selection is fantastic. The ambiance is interesting. The place at first looks like a complete dive, but there are many, many redeeming qualities. They serve food. That's a good thing. We only had chips, chili and cheese, but hey... it was good and it went good with the beer. I can see this place hopping later in the evening. We sat in the bar area, but there are several other rooms. Billiards and darts... all sorts of things to keep folks entertained. I know the menu at Reality Bites is much more inviting, but Fat Jacks is the place to be. I was shocked at how empty it was. I think this is a good thing. If we hadn't had a concert to go to we would have easily spent the evening sampling different brews, enjoying the music and perhaps throwing some darts. If I was a local I believe I would be a regular. read more

We popped into Fat Jack's as we were bar-hopping around town and we had a good time. There really isn't too much to say, actually. It's a college bar, it's pretty damn huge, and the back room is straight club/dancing. We started with drinks, a lot of drinks, at the bar and then moved into the club area. All-in-all we had a good time, from what I remember, and I would certainly return again in the future (at which point I'd write a better review as I'd hopefully be less drunk and remember more haha). read more

While continuing my ISU homecoming '08 experience, I found my way to Fat Jacks. They do serve microbrews and the import draught beers at reasonable prices...I guess since this is a college town everything is cheaper. They have all kinds of cheap specials everyday. I was there on a Saturday for $2.75 Bacardi Hurricanes and $2.75 all flavored Bacardi drinks. I wish I would have gone on a "BOMBER THURSDAY" since all bombs are only $2.75!!! What I didn't know until I ventured over to the other side of the building was this dance club aspect of the bar. It was like walking between worlds. I went from shooting darts, playing Silver Strike bowling and shooting pool to this disco ball slap that @ss on the floor booty bumping atomsphere. All in all this is a place to add your bar hopping shopping list. read more

See all

Fat Jacks offers a wide variety of draft beers, there is bound to be something you like. Deals everyday, that are hard to pass up. The environment is very friendly, and the bartenders know what they are doing. If you want to go in for a fun time with friends, or to meet new people, this is the place to go. What makes Fat Jacks unique in Bloomington, is the fact that this bar has 4 separate rooms, and while 2 are only open during the weekends, the other part of the bar is huge! It is a college bar, so expect it to be crowded at 11pm on Friday's and Saturday's, but before hand, enjoy a nice cold beer in great company. You're bound to leave happy with the service and atmosphere. They do serve some really awesome food as well, and appetizers are half off from 3-6pm M-F. Go experience what this bar has to offer, friendly people. Also here's their specials: Monday is darts tournament day, show your hand at some bullseye's with friends. Rum drinks are $3 as well as imports and domestic bottles. Trivia Tuesday starts at 7pm, $3 draft pints for most beers, and $3 fireball that day. Great way to get some friends together to put your knowledge to the test to win some money! Whiskey Wednesday- $3 whiskey drinks & $2 1/2 draft pints. $2 Thursdays (gets crowded later with college kids) - $2 well drinks, black jack shots, domestic bottles, 1/2 pints, PBR Tall boys. Fat Jack Friday- $3 fat jacks, flavored vodkas, Heineken bottles Signature Saturday- $3 signature cocktails (Tsunami & Hurricane among those... YUM), bud select & bud lt. lime also $3. Super Sunday- ALL WEEKLY SPECIALS APPLY!!! Great way to save money for drinks you like! This is all posted on their chalkboard as well, so take a look at what has been tapped that week for beer, and the specials list is off to the side. read more

See all

drink was water down and they added a tip to my card after I tip them in cash the Security was high and asking for my some of my drink or told me I would have to leave because I in a gang even tho i am not read more

Bouncer wouldn't let my boyfriend in because he was wearing joggers. We thought he was joking because what shitty college bar has a dress code? He was mocking us and told us to read the door. Btw the door is full of stupid rules, you can't even wear a white t-shirt here. Rules sound a bit racist, go somewhere else. read more

Not bad, not great. Just somewhere in the middle. I was served very old juice there once (we're talking chunky) and the waitress argued that I did something to it to make it that way (WTF), but other visits I haven't had any major issues. Prices are reasonable and there's sometimes interesting music. read more

Now serving food. The only veg option was a cheese dip... which was just a jar of Tostitos Salsa con Queso warmed up, served with crumbled chips, and sold to us for double the price that we could get at the convenience store up the street. Eat before you go. read more

Last night I was dancing at this bar, and two of my female friends were dancing on a little stage that they have. They called me up to join them, so I did. Not even 2 minutes later a bouncer came over and told me to get down, I asked why, he responded by yelling "Get down, faggot!" at which point I left the bar because I was so angry. My friend, Kate, asked the bouncer why I was made to get down, and he would not answer, but instead made her leave. If you are ever in Bloomington, Illinois, please please please do not ever patronize a bar called Fat Jacks. The bouncers there are homophobic and they do not deserve your money. read more

I had a good night at Fat Jack's with the future in-laws. The FILs are beer snobs, so they know all the spots to go to for good beer. Fat Jacks had a nice selection of microbrews both on tap and in bottles. I got to try a few brews that I haven't had, which is always a bonus. Service was friendly and the crowd was fun - decidedly not college aged, which seems to not be the case when students are in town? After reading the reviews here, I'd be a bit leery of returning too late while school is in session, but it was a good option for us over a holiday. read more

Every person I tell that I like this place always asks what day and time I go because apparently their later night Thur/Fri/Sat crowd is much different than when I go (Mon/Tue/Wed after dinner). Fat Jacks at that time is great. They have the most unique beers on draft in town and usually have some sort of amazing beer special going on. Early in the week is quieter and the bartenders I've encountered like talking about beer and make great recommendations. I haven't checked out the crazy party atmosphere on the weekends, so you'll have to see the other reviews by ISU students to get a better idea what those nights are like. See you soon! read more

Every time I've been here, I haven't had a problem with the drink specials, so last Saturday I ordered two Tsunami. The server came back and demanded $9 (instead of $6). Turns out they weren't having specials for that day. You're supposed to let me know ahead of time if you're not having specials... It wasn't stated anywhere either. (This is my reason for giving 1 star). I'm not a big fan of the cocktails here either. I've always found them too sweet or found the alcohol to taste bad. If you like really sweet drinks, though, you'll like what they have to offer. The atmosphere is definitely fun, even if a bit crowded at times (I usually go Friday/Saturday nights). The place is huge so there are plenty of areas to hang out. The dance floor is fun but always way too warm for me to stay. Overall, it's a fun place to go with friends that's worth checking out, but make sure you ask for the price of your drinks ahead of time. read more

I like that it is a (for the most part) student-free bar. I also like a lot the fact that they have more than a few beers. I hate the decor almost as much as I hate stomach flu. The effect is similar. I wonder if the decorator wanted to provide a little something for everybody, the owner liked where he was going and demanded 3x more stuff, and then they both dropped acid, smoked meth, and took it to the next level. It doesn't help that more often than not the bar is filled with jagbones who think this place is the hippest shit in B-N. Minus 5 stars for all those reasons. +1 for the beer selection, +1 for the location. -1 to the rest of Bloomington-Normal, because the jagbones are probably right. read more

Likely the best place for beers in Bloomington. They usually have top quality craft brews on rotation on tap, and bring in others regularly. Unfortunately, the douche bell starts ringing after 9pm when the college kids start their roach-like infestation into the downtown area, although it looks like other reviews suggest this might not be the case any longer? There exists a "back" area where the hip go to dance, but the two open rooms are the place where the serious get serious. Fat Jack's is a good bar to go to for craft beers from across the country. Bartenders are solid too. So if you can handle them crazy yutes, you'll be good here. Or just drink until 9-ish and go somewhere else. read more

This was my favorite bar in college. I haven't been in 4 years, but for some reason, I was thinking about how great this place is. We went here for my 21st birthday with the intention of doing a little bar crawl. We never made it to another bar. It was a fantastic night that saw me passed out on the sidewalk in front of La Bamba's, and making out with a statue of Abraham Lincoln. And I don't remember a damned thing. I was sold, and went many, many times after that. Why anyone would go to any of the other bars in downtown Bloomington is beyond me. read more

exactly what you would expect for a dive bar in a college town. Run down and beat up but still a fun place to hang out. The low drink prices were giving me flash backs to college, cant beat the price even if the mixed drinks are what you would expect a 3 dollar drink would taste like. We passed on the food it looked terrible from what we saw other people eating, looked pretty bad for bar food. I think if you don't set the bar too high though you can still have a good time here. read more

I would not go to this bar again, ever!! I went there and it took over 5 minutes to get a drink. And there were only about 5 people in the bar. I was the only waiting to order a drink, there were 2 bartenders who were so busy talking to their friends that they couldn't be bothered to wait on me. Yet, after I finally got my drink, none of the college students who were in there never had to wait more that a few seconds to get a drink. I guess because I am over 30 years old my business isn't important to them. If I could give them a rating of -5 stars I would. But unfortunately, 1 star is the lowest I can go. Don't go to this bar if you are not under 25. You will be ignored for as long as they can get away with it. read more

I will fully admit that I've only been here on Monday and Wednesday nights, so it's not usually all that busy. It's in average shape for a college-town type bar that's been there for many years. The atmosphere on the evenings I've been there is pretty laid back. The servers are usually pretty friendly and cheerful. They probably have about 12-15 tap handles, and rotate some very nice seasonal beers. Along with Medici in Normal, they probably carry some of the best beers on tap in town. They seem to have a pretty good relationship with the local distributors and seem to have "Firkin Fridays" often during the summer. read more

came here after dinner with a friend and enjoyed playing some pool and shooting darts. The staff was cool and I enjoyed conversing with some of the locals. had a good time. read more

Tonight, We ordered a meatball sandwich and Philly cheesesteak. Ordered drinks while waiting. 30 minutes and no food. We ordered a 2nd round of drinks. 15 minutes later, 45 minutes after ordering, still no food. We flagged the waitress and she said kitchen mix up, the are rushing our sandwiches. At the 1 hour mark still no food and we then told the waitress to cancel our order. When she gave us the bill we asked if they were going to comp any of the drinks for our inconvenience. The manager refused. The manager couldn't have cared less about the poor service. read more

Came in on a Saturday night around 6 and sat by the wall covered in Jack Nicholson, VERY cool atmosphere. Drink specials were great, $3 cocktails. We had the Buffalo chicken dip and it was ok. Tasted like the yellow Tostinos dip you warm up in the microwave with cubed pieces of chicken in it. Our waitress seemed very young and unsure, very awkward. Giving three stars because of the drinks, atmosphere and prices. read more

I gave Flapjacks another chance because some friends wanted to go. Once again, not even five minutes after last call the staff began trying to corral everyone out. I asked when they close and the jerk who worked there said whenever he tells us to leave. My friends and I hadn't done anything to deserve that rudeness. There's no reason to go here when other bars actually stay open until 2 and don't punish you for ordering a drink at last call. read more

Normally I would give this place a 2.5 or 3, but after they turned me and my friend away once during winter break on a week day because I was wearing wind pants since I had just been playing basketball, I swore I would never come back. I mean please, this is not some fancy club in San Francisco or Chicago, this is Bloomington IL, there's no need to act like all uppity about it. It's not like there was a special event nor was it packed balls to the walls. Thanks but no thanks, there's plenty of other bars around that aren't run by pretentious d-bags. read more

If I could give zero I would. I get it-some drunk people are obnoxious, but when you're just hanging out with your friends and the bouncer immediately starts ripping through your pockets (because of a pack of cigarettes) it's a little much. The staff is just a nasty group of people and the rules are blatantly racist. Plus- if you're an international student, good luck getting in. They'll make it as difficult as possible and be extremely rude to you. I've seen it happen on multiple occasions. read more

If you are looking for a good craft brew in B/N, this is your spot. The staff is friendly and know what they are serving. They always have a fantastic selection of IPA's and stouts. Thursday's special is $3 pints which most of the beers quality for. Some high octane beers are not on special. The issue is I cannot get my wife, female friends or female family members to go back as barfly Mark creeps all of them out. From ages 21 to 59 he doesn't seem to discriminate. Since he's there pretty much all of the time, they all refuse to go. It's a shame because as much as they all love craft beer, they would rather not feel uncomfortable. One of them said it felt like they were being stalked from the north wall by Jack and Mark. read more

Easily one of my favorite bars in Bloomington! There are 30 tap handles and they usually carry a wide selection of craft and specialty beers. A great bar if you are a beer snob or enjoy trying some new brews. They also have some unique signature cocktails to try if beer is not your drink. The tsunami is very popular among my friends and it's only $3 on Saturdays and Sundays. The kitchen is open until 10pm every day and the menu includes some great sandwiches. I highly recommend the blackened chicken panini - definitely my favorite! After 11pm on the weekends they open up the other two rooms in the bar. Each room has a different atmosphere with separate bars, bartenders and music so there is definitely something that appeals to everyone. The dance room in the back always has a DJ and offers that club-like experience that I can't find anywhere else in town. I would highly suggest checking out this bar, I will be back!! read more