Just as good as it was 10 years ago. Monte Cristo was insanely good…read more We had an issue with delivery and the staff handled it perfectly. Thanks to you!

When I first moved to Bloomington years ago I was surprised that the town did not have a Little…read moreCaesar's Pizza. Locals told me that it was because the local pizza places, especially Mother Bear's, are so popular, that college students would go there instead of getting cheap, mid pizza. I have now been to Mother Bear's three or four times and really wish that there was a Little Caesar's Pizza in town. This most recent trip was during lunchtime and I ordered a cheese slice, a small house salad, and a drink. I fortunately got there early enough to get a clean table, though I saw probably fifteen to twenty people come in after me who were not so lucky. Following the sign at the door, instructing them to "Please Seat Yourselves," I heard several people ask out loud how they were supposed to do that if there were no clean tables. Some employees frantically cleaned a few tables and had them sit down. A few minutes after I ordered, the waitress brought the house salad. It looked fresh at first but the more I ate the more I realized that several of the romaine pieces were either clearly out of date or simply bad. In a moment when cyclospora is running rampant through the US, the lack of care in selecting the lettuce was worrying. Several moments later I began wondering if the cheese slice was going to be brought to my table soon. Instead, it was probably twenty minutes between getting the salad and the cheese slice and it was pretty obvious (see the photo) that the slice had been sitting under a heat lamp for around that same amount of time. The crust was dry, the cheese had become stale and too salty, and it was not a very enjoyable experience. Eating around the bad lettuce was, unfortunately, more enjoyable, and it was also better than the pizzas I've had here in the past, where the dough, toppings, and cheese aren't integrated in a way that blends their flavors together very well. The one thing I can say about this time is that the Dr. Pepper was fine, which is not something I can always say about restaurant sodas. I think for me this will probably be my last time going to Mother Bear's. It seems like one of those places that probably was good at some point in the past but now they rely on the fact that undergrads and locals will go to the restaurant no matter what. I'll probably just keep dreaming of eating Little Caesar's instead or, more likely, I'll just go get better pizza at Osteria Rago.

Best pizza in Bloom without a doubt. I got the btown pizza which is bbq, chicken, bacon, ranch and…read morecaramelized onions but I got it without the onions. The service here is always great. The only caveat to this place is they don't take online reservations, only in person waitlist list. Very Italian feeling environment here as well.

I'm able to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong about Da Vinci. And I was wrong without ever…read morestepping foot in the place. I'll be there more often now that I've experienced it in person. Prior to my recent visit for my son's birthday, I had only enjoyed carryout from Da Vinci. Usually a pizza, sometimes the Chicken Parm which is often a go-to Italian dish for me and both were good. But not mind blowing good, especially for the price. We ordered it for some variety, and enjoyed it, but going in person was a completely different experience. We went on a Wednesday night (half-price wine bottle night) and it was crowded. I understand it's always crowded and is only open for evenings during the week. But we were seated immediately as there were only three of us. There were a couple of larger groups waiting for a big table. The restaurant is downtown'ish' and the parking isn't the best, but plenty of side streets around and we were able to get a spot within a block. The only real parking lot is across the street and is owned by the church charging $7 a day for parking. Not sure what the evening rules are and I was neither interested in paying $7 to park in Bloomington nor being towed so we went with a slightly longer walk. Table started with the garlic cheese bread appetizer. It was huge. A full platter of their special bread, cheese and a sauce that may have had some ricotta in it but that didn't deter me from liking it. Normally ricotta is an automatic 'no' but it was delish. I might mention they also provide a carafe full of water so I didn't have to wait for constant refills, which is a great addition. For our mains, son and wife ordered pizzas, and I had the chicken parm. Both enjoyed their pizzas of course and luckily wife didn't eat all of hers so I was able to enjoy a piece as well. The pizzas are individual sized, though on the larger side - maybe 12"? Still a bit pricey at around $18 for a 12" pizza which is probably why I didn't love the delivery option. Plenty of delivered pizzas in Bloomington below that price point. But in the restaurant which was nicely decorated, great service, etc. it seemed appropriate. My chicken parm was amazing. Plenty of pasta on the side, just the right amount of gooey cheese on the chicken and all in all a great dish. Much like the delivery reaction to the pizza, the price and quality in the restaurant for my dish was just better than the delivery option. My only complaint might be that with my pasta/chicken dish a piece or two of bread would have been nice. We were full and didn't have dessert. A great experience, and we will definitely return. For a town that has just about every ethnic food option available it's remarkably under-served in the Italian space. Now that I have this as a sit-down option, the world is a little better. Next time I'm sitting outside on the patio, it looked like fun as well.

Fantastic pizza and huge slices at that. Close to NYC real deal pizza! Glad I stopped in…read more I ate the sausage and bacon. Yumifuckinlicious!

I do not like NY style pizza if it's not done well, but I wanted to give Goodfellas a try, and I…read morewas pretty happy with their take on it. The only disappointment was not the pizza itself but the selection; the only vegetarian slices available were plain cheese and cheese with tomato slices, not even a mixed veggie pizza. It looked like they weren't fully stocked on the meat pizzas and breaksticks either, so I wonder if it's just because I came between peak meal times at 2 pm (but the lunch special runs until 3, so I would have expected them to be better equipped for lunch at this point). I went with the tomato slice, plus a breadstick and cannolo. The slice was tasty: not too greasy, which is the most common pitfall of any pizza, with the perfect amount of cheese. My particular breadstick was kind of hollow inside, but this wasn't a bad thing because it was so big that there was still plenty of bread around the edges, and the cavity was great for scooping up sauce. Both the pizza and the breadstick seemed bigger on my plate than they looked in the display. I would've skipped the cannolo if I had fully understood how big the servings were, but I had already bought the thing and knew it wouldn't travel well so I ate it there even though I was getting full and ended up not really regretting it because it also great. The shell was crispy and the filling had a very pleasant texture. The staff there were friendly, the service was prompt, and the eating area looked clean. I would return, but I'll try to go earlier if I'm looking for lunch to see if the selection is a little better.

Lennie's is such a great spot in Bloomington. Tons of seating--both inside and outside when the…read moreweather cooperates--so it never feels cramped. We had the flatbread and the house salad, and both were excellent. They've got a surprisingly nice wine selection and some solid Bloomington-brewed IPAs. The vibe is a modern diner with a big, varied menu: pasta, soup, salads, pizza, plus a really good lineup of appetizers. The staff is super friendly and really hustles.

Right on Kirkwood. Clean, friendly and prompt service. We picked this restaurant wanting healthier…read morefood options passing through town. Diners seemed more affluent and menu prices on higher side. Our kids unfortunately didn't like the grilled cheese probably because it wasn't highly processed or buttered which is a good thing nor the mandarin oranges it came with. Kids were likely overstimulated from our travels. I did try their foods and could see why they didn't take to it at first. Didn't taste bad by any means. Husband liked his sandwich the Lennie Original that has roast beef, bacon, lettuce, mayo, marinated red onions, tomato, and mozzarella on house bread. I opted for the soup of the day, the Hungarian Mushroom soup, never having something like that before. It was a smidge heavy on the salt for me but again I'm sensitive to salt having cutting it down in my diet. It was a very flavorful soup with dill and other seasonings. The salad didn't really do much for me except help me feel like I was getting fiber into my diet. Overall the vibe and service would bring me back to try more. Their drink menu certainly looked interesting featuring local Bloomington Brewing Company drinks.

Updating my review to say that I have never had a bad pizza here. I've tried many different…read morepizzas, working my way through the gourmet pizza list, different crusts, various sauces, many different combinations of toppings, and all are excellent. On this visit I ordered the Summer Garden pizza on thin crust, and breadsticks. I also ordered a side of ranch for the breadsticks because the ranch dressing here is phenomenal. As always, the pizza was excellent and so wa the service. A true Bloomington legend.

Graduation weekend, you know not to go to Mother Bear's on campus, so we visited the other site…read more Like, who can go to Bloomington and not go to Mother Bear's? There were 10 of us and they did get us seated fairly quickly, which was nice. We had to small ones and they accommodated them nicely. We had family in that had never had Mother Bear's so we went all out on pizza choices. We ordered the standard sauce and pepperoni (amazing), the vodka sauce with pepperoni (YES PLEASE) and the regular sauce with sausage and pepperoni (AGAIN GREAT). Bread sticks and garlic bread are a must. With that said, we went a little deeper with the Monte Cristo and the, wait for it, Broccoli and cheese pizza. I am not joking, my daughter said you won't believe it until you try it. So, I did. My favorite will always be the Vodka sauce (YUM YUM) but I really liked both the Monte Cristo and the Broccoli pizza (I totally forget what it is under on the menu). Pleasantly surprised by the broccoli and cheese. Wrap that on a crust with crispy edges and you have a winner. So, trust me, just try it if it something that you like normally! Who knew, a healthy pizza (probably not, but you can say that). Thanks for accommodating our family this past weekend and thank you for having great service and great pizza. The grandkids were impressed!! PROS: Ease of parking at this site Great options for seating inside Staff friendly GET THE GARLIC BREAD, Just do it!!! CONS: Nothing, just go

Came here during a staycation trip through Bloomington this past week…read more I can totally say the food and service were great. They offer a variety of options and ways to save. For example, most of our family got the X deal, which features a small personal pizza and drink. Really great deal for what we were looking for. Sadly, I could have saved more money if I had realized that Crimson Cards were accepted before paying. Inside the building is pretty small, but enough seating for a smaller family. Funny enough, it reminded me a lot of Hot Box in a way, with the cups and tootsie rolls. One thing I did notice, was not a whole lot of drink options. They were equipped with one soda fountain that had coke products. My nephew is the one off that doesn't like soda or carbonated drinks to begin with, sadly that's all they had. No lemonade or Gatorade for younger kids. Other than that, I can happily say I would visit again!

I thought this was just a cheap late night pizza place, but I will try most things once, and boy…read moredid my Pizza X order exceed expectations. I ordered a custom 10" pizza from them with vegan cheese, Impossible meatballs, and vegetables. The pizza tasted great and wasn't too salty or too greasy, which are the most common takeout pizza crimes. The crust was perfectly cooked. I got to the store a few minutes before my order was supposed to be ready (the estimate was 10-20 minutes for pickup) and it was just about to come out of the oven as I got there, so it was fresh and hot when I got it. The person there who gave me my order was very friendly. I would definitely order Pizza X again! Note that it's takeout only - there's no tables.

After having eaten tasty pizza in the restauranta few times, we were thoroughly disappointed…read moreyesterday with our puzza we picked up to eat at home. It was like eating tasteless cardboard. It was nothing like the pizzas we enjoyed before. What happened? It was worse than the cheapest frozen pizza from the grocery store. This really makes me question if I want to return there.

The food here is AMAZING! We loved it so much that we ate here two days in a row. They have an…read moreamazing selection of pizza toppings and the bruschetta is perfect with the goat cheese.

After being away from Bloomington for 8 years, one of my top priorities when coming back was…read morestopping by Aver's Pizza for their breadsticks and cheese--and they absolutely did not disappoint! Some things just never change, and Aver's is one of them. The food was just as delicious as I remembered, and the service was excellent. It was so nice to come back and enjoy something that brought back so many great memories. If you're in Bloomington, Aver's Pizza is definitely worth a stop. Excellent food, excellent service, and a taste of home!

We tried Aver's tonight and had it delivered. The pizza was excellent and came to the door hot and…read morereally quick. Definitely will be eating from there again. Highly recommend!!

The famous Sample Gates of Indiana University are just right down the street from Nick's English…read moreHut in Bloomington. Next year Nick's will turn 100 years old!!! An amazing success! Greek immigrant Nick Hrisomalos started Nick's. Nick's "Sink the Biz" fries have Nick's spices sprinkled on them along with Romano cheese and a great garlic mayo to dip them in! The Stromboli is incredible! Lots of flavor, great bread, meat, cheese yum!!! Oh, and the bread and butter pickles on the side are delicious too! The inside is really cool! Lots of booths always a plus, I U memorabilia, TV's playing sports, a bar, all in a very warm and inviting down home college hang out. I took home one of their great glass mugs. Took a keychain home also on the at out. Just nice friendly staff in a great college town. Oh, I will say I don't like mushrooms but on the way out we saw a plate of breaded mushrooms and my goodness they were huge and looked good. I might've tried one. Ha

NICK'S ENGLISH HUT IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA IS NOSTALGIC…read more============================== I attended a parent's cocktail party about nine years ago when I visited IU during the student orientation for my son. I had fun, had a beer and collected a Nick's Hut glass jar/glass. Fast forward nine years and my son and daughter-in-law had their "Welcome Party" the evening before their wedding on Friday, June 19, 2026. This was after their wedding rehearsal and dinner elsewhere. We had a great time on the second floor that was totally reserved for our big group. They had more food, beer and other beverages as well. Kind of cool to attend events before my son started college and years later.

Great food, great service, ambience is always calm!!! This is my 2nd time coming in before going…read moreinto the navy and they treated me with respect and kindness I love it!!! Thanks everyone

Great simple Italian-American food. It has the vibe of a local restaurant even though it's part of…read morea chain. Stepping inside is like going back to the 90s or early 00s with the funky art and style of furniture. I've done takeout a few times and dined in once. I made the mistake of ordering takeout once on a game night when they were slammed and a little behind, but the staff was very friendly even though it was a little chaotic in there. Under regular conditions, my order was ready on time, and the service was great when we dined in. The menu has lots of choice under the banners of pasta, pizza and calzones, chicken dinners, sandwiches, and dessert. They also have a pretty decent selection of beer (draft and bottles) and wine. Almost all of the menu can be made without gluten (but gluten is used in their kitchen so they don't guarantee 100% gluten-free), and there's also some pretty good vegan options. It's mostly classic stuff, but there are some slightly adventurous pizzas. I really enjoyed all of the food that I've tried. Their pizza and American-style thin crust which usually isn't my preference, but there's a freshness and subtle sweetness to the dough that I like. The Bama Jam pizza was really good with the sweet-savoury onion jam combined with the distinct taste of the gorgonzola and rosemary, although it was so heavy on the sweet that I kind of felt like I'd eaten both dinner and dessert. I think the Queen of Hearts calzone was my favourite out of everything - the crust was great, the artichokes and olives in the filling were abundant as was the cheese. The spinach ravioli came in a tomato sauce that, while not heavily seasoned, tasted juicy and fresh. Dessert is not to be skipped. I've tried most of the desserts at this point. The tiramisu and carrot cake are my most recommended, but all are good. The carrot cake had lots of nuts and carrot pieces inside and a tangy cream cheese frosting. The cheesecake is very rich and creamy. The optional strawberry sauce was delicious - it was so bright red that at first I thought it was just a flavoured syrup, but it tasted like real fresh strawberry puree. Honestly I liked the sauce more than the cheesecake. All desserts are big enough to share.