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    Malibu Grill

    3.7 (351 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

    Malibu Grill Photos

    MALIBU GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Malibu Grill

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    Penne Zappa Vodka with spicy sausage $21.00
    MaryCarol K.

    Now Ordering: Rare Tuna! And you should too! It was a complete a crowd pleaser and we ended up getting both the appetizer and one for the main course! Saturday Nights Are Packed! This seems to be a Bloomington favorite and with good reason - so go ahead and make the reservation!

    Bar area
    Tracy W.

    Had an opportunity to stop at Malibu Grill last month. The oak reviews were pretty good so I had to give it a try. It did not disappoint. I sat up at the bar and had very good service. The bartenders were very attentive. It was pretty busy for a Tuesday evening, but the food came out fairly quickly. They have great dinner options along with adult beverage selections. I had their fillet bites, which were very tender. I would get them again. The restaurant had a nice decor and very cozy. I would definitely come back if I'm in the area

    Mac C.

    I'm going to start with the food was decent but with a waitress like Casey we had a BAD taste in our mouths. We arrived and the restaurant was fairly empty at 2:30 on Mother's Day. We were seated promptly and our drink orders were taken by a waitress. About 5 - 7 minutes Casey comes by to take them again. They were out of ingredients for a bloody Mary, Jim beam and another drink's liquor my dad ordered so he just gave up and went with crown and coke. We were going to order the Focaccia bread appetizer and they were out of the bread too. Ummm what?!!? It's Mother's Day and you'd think they'd be stocked for people coming in to celebrate . We went with the spinach and artichoke dip. We waited and waited then 10 minutes in Casey came by to take our entree orders and when asked if our dip would be out soon I was told it'd be a few minutes because they were still cooking it. That was fine with us it was just that it got more and more annoying as time slipped by. A few more minutes later we started getting the feeling the dip would come out with our meals. I finally saw Casey coming out of the back and flagged her down again and said it's been almost 20 minutes at that point. She said MA'AM I TOLD YOU ITS COMING OUT SOON with the most snotty attitude . I about lost it but reminded myself it was Mother's Day. It's not busy so should we just cancel it?!!? I was assured with a crabby face she'd check on it. LOW AND BEHOLD it came out immediately. I can only assume it sat there while she did whatever she was doing in the back. It's not like she was coming out to help a bunch to the 2 tables she had (with us being one of them). Still at this point they are not busy and the restaurant is still maybe 1/4 full. Our appetizer wasn't steaming hot but just enough it didn't need blown on to cool off . Anyways our food comes out about 10 more minutes later. My mom's steak was well done but ordered medium well, my chicken on my salad was dry and my husband's prime rib wasn't med rare it was more medium. My parents ordered more drinks before our meal and our 22 minute appetizer which were finally served as they were eating entrees already. Casey had ONE table of 6 sat after us. During this time she'd on it js. We had to ask for water when our appetizer came too. It didn't go unnoticed there was (for some reason) an empty 6 top table beside us that had fresh plates and silverware and water in each glass with a pitcher like it was a reservation that never came ugh!!!! Overall the place was pretty inside but the service, food timing AND cooking needs serious work. I should have made reservations elsewhere!!!! I did call the manager the next day. I filled him in on everything that happened. I told him I couldn't just do a review without giving a tone to Casey's voice and pathetic attempt at being hospitable to the guests. Had it not been Mother's Day this situation would of ended up with us immediately going elsewhere. So much for trying something new in a different town!

    French dip. Cold
    Rick H.

    Wow, seated at 251 pm food arrived at 412pm. Food was not hot and it was not that great. I had French dip, wife had blackened chicken salad. She said it was not worth the wait. Disappointed

    Spinach and artichoke dip - SOOO GOOD AND PIPING HOT!

    Stopped in for a quick snack and beer and was blown away by what a lovely establishment this is! Our bar tender was fantastic and very attentive without hovering, the music playlist was fantastic, and the owner popped by to say hello and completely made our day! Love that this is a true small business, now owned by someone that has been with the company since the beginning. The care and attention to every detail here is not lost. Everything was spotless, including the bathroom (they clean the walls of the stall!!). We tried the spinach artichoke dip and it was SO GOOD and blazing hot (so as a food safety nerd, this made me so happy!). In addition to being delicious, the food prices are fair and well worth it for what you get. Do not sleep on this place - it's amazing and we can't wait to come back and come back often!!!

    Ahi Tuna

    Met college friends in Bloomington and had to go to Malibu Grill. (It had been a while). Service was fantastic and the menu has something that will satisfy any appetite. I had the ahi tuna and it was delicious. Great atmosphere, too. We'll definitely be back!

    Oscar salmón
    Elena M.

    Took a wee trip down to Bloomington, IN this weekend and we had dinner at Malibu Grill. Despite being an Illini, I must say Bloomington has a much cuter downtown with a lot more options to go out and eat than Champaign . The portions were huge. The tuna had a melt in your mouth texture. The hollandaise sauce on the salmon kinda made me feel uncomfortable, but was still very good despite the pale yellow color. The focaccia bread looks like it was store brought bread with a side of Rao's (which don't get me wrong, I love Rao's) but put that $6 bucks towards a different app. The service very nice and a great location to start hitting the bars after for a nightcap.

    Burger and sweet potato fries

    Probably the best burger and fries I've ever had. Burger tasted of beef and steak and very juicy. Sweet potato fries were very crisp and tasty without being overly greasy. I listened to the manager interview some guy who was looking to be the bartender. They sounded very annoying but the food made up for that.

    Charred black forged in fire pork chops.
    Stephen F.

    I'm not sure why I am even giving them two stars. Shocking how bad Malibu Grill has become. Sad also, because this was my wife and daughter's favorite Bloomington restaurant. Nine of us went there this evening. Over one hour passed before we even got bread. ( used to be free dread and it was brought out as soon as you sat down. Now they charge you if you order it and it might take an hour to get it) An hour from ordering food, we finally got our food. One steak was nearly raw. Ordered medium. One steak was charred so bad it was not edible, ordered medium . Pork chops were charred black from being on fire a long time. See photo. You might think, maybe they were really busy. Nope, not busy. You might think they gave us a discount after waiting a total of 90 minutes for food. Nope. Maybe they offered a discount on the steaks or chops, nope. They were out of several menu items. We should have left before we ordered when we found out they were out of things, and it was taking so long to place our order. No, we toughed it out. All of us would've had much better food and a much better experience had we just went to Steak 'n Shake and we would've saved over $300. We saw that other tables were having similar issues, wait times, undercooked, or overcooked food . It was a disappointing night for us all mostly because we will not have the pleasure visiting Malibu Grill again and having the experience that we used to have. I had to call the manager over and just give them a courtesy discussion about our experience. He said he didn't know what was going on, but it wasn't typical. He was very apologetic but offered no solution or discount for the terrible food. . I think that was the final deal killer for us.

    Negroni
    Leslie M.

    The service was a little slow but they were super busy! Our food and drinks were absolutely phenomenal and were most definitely worth the little wait. Such a fun and relaxing atmosphere!

    Pineapple daiquiri

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    11 days ago

    Whole front staff and servers went outside to hold snakes that someone had on the street. Came back in to handle our food. Gross.

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    3 months ago

    Very good food. Definitely will be returning. Enjoyed the filet sliders, focaccia bread and salad.

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    6 months ago

    best restaurant experience in a long time!! Riah was fantastic! Definitely will be going back.

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    6 months ago

    Amazing food, ambiance, and service and the owner is a g. Love this Bloomington gem. Love this place

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    Malibu Grill Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Malibu Grill

    Is this restaurant on any online reservation sites?

    No-they have take out but do not use any online reservation sites.

    I see a lunch menu and a weekend menu. Any sandwich options for Saturdays?? I didn't see any.

    They always have burgers, I strongly recommend that you try the black bean burgers...made in house and delicious!

    Is this a good place to take your same sex partner of 3 years for his birthday?

    Absolutely

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Farm Bloomington

    Farm Bloomington

    (856 reviews)

    $$

    I've been to farm a few times and I think there are some highlights that do deserve 5 stars:…read more 1. Their garlic fries - hands down some of the best fries I have EVER had. They're incredibly unique and their appetizer portion is HUGE and great for a group of people. 2. Their drinks - also unique, and really good. If you're looking for a good cocktail this is a great option. 3. Vibes - the space is cute, the vibes are fun - great for a dinner with friends or a date night. (Or a girlie brunch!) I give 4 stars because sometimes their menu feels boring - not much changes and it's a pretty small menu. I have to be in a very specific mood if I'm going here, and there's usually only 2 things I'll order. Id love more seasonal menus or just more options. Their service can also be hit or miss. I've been and had wonderful service, and I've been and felt like they forgot I existed. No one wants to be waiting around to order a drink, or to get the check. Overall - I'd definitely go. Make a reservation because they do get busy.

    $60-70 Let me tell you what I experienced on 2/13/26…read more We had an OpenTable reservation, and our group traveled to Bloomington (from Carmel) for a play. We tried calling several times throughout the day to notify FARM that we needed to change the reservation because two of our guests were ill and would not be able to join. The restaurant's phone just kept forwarding to voicemail. We arrived at our reservation time and were told that we would be charged via OpenTable for the guests who did not join. When I mentioned the phone issue, the hostess said that it did not matter if we had called today, because the cancellation policy is 24 hours in advance. I did not know they would be ill 24 hours prior to the reservation - but whatever. I was not happy, but did not argue the issue. We were seated, only to find that there was a prefix "Valentine's Day Menu". We thought that was interesting because we had researched the website & menu before the evening, and there was no mention of this menu being the only option for Friday (2/13) night. Even the menu PDF says "Valentine's Day" - there were signs throughout the restaurant noting "Valentine's Day Menu". The server also mentioned that many other patrons were upset. The items on the menu were also priced far higher than the regular menu. So, we were excited to try FARM, arrived to a very sassy attitude (from the host) about the party size, noting that I was going to be charged. Getting to the table to see a modified menu, whose prices were jacked up. The (very sweet) server validated our feelings and confirmed that other patrons were upset, too. We finally just decided to leave. On the way out, the "sassy" host was snarky and mentioned that we would likely be charged again for the remaining guests leaving and not eating. I have pictures of the signs, and screenshots of the website - and I dare FARM to charge me for their false advertising. At least note the website, signage, and OpenTable if you are following modified menus or processes, and train your team better!! We were thrilled to try FARM, and left saying that we would NEVER go back. So disappointed :(

    Cardinal Spirits - Tomato soup and grilled cheese

    Cardinal Spirits

    (246 reviews)

    $$

    Pretty impressed! Decided to come here for Saturday lunch with my family and made a reservation…read moreonline at the last minute, but we would have been able to get in without. Without the patio open though, I can see it filling up easily. The atmosphere is fun (board games!) and bright but somewhat industrial with the distillery next door. The staff was friendly and very enthusiastic but just a little overbearing for me. The samples they brought around of two of their spirits (a gin and amaro) were very good and much appreciated. As appealing as the cocktails sounded, I didn't feel like drinking, so I got the Last Call mocktail. I couldn't pick up much 5 spice, but it was still a pleasant and refreshing light drink. I had a sip of my parents' old fashioned and Smokin' in the Girls' Room, and those were both really good - I was really into the lapsang souchong tea-infused rum in the Smokin' in the Girls' Room and would've ordered it for myself if I'd been drinking. To eat, I had a mushroom melt (the veganized version with vegan cheese) with the OMG fries. I really liked the sandwich; I loved the giardiniera and the jus, and you usually can't get that sort of thing in a vegetarian or vegan sandwich, so I was really happy to have it here and thought it was done well. The OMG fries were also really good. I don't like fries if they're plain, but these were heavily seasoned with a delicious spice blend. The vegan version of the fries omits the truffle aioli that they normally come with, but they were plenty flavorful with just ketchup. We shared a Thai tea creme brulee for dessert. I am crazy about Thai tea so I expected to like this, and it was everything I hoped for. The tea flavour was nice and strong, and the tapioca pearls were a nice little enhancement. They do an auto-gratuity of 20% no matter the party size, which I'm not completely opposed to, but I think if you're doing that you at least need to have a note on the menu rather than have the waiter tell you as they're giving you the bill, or better (in my opinion) to just raise the prices by 20% and sell yourself as a no-tipping restaurant. But it wasn't a huge deal in this situation; our waitress was good and we would've left a good tip anyway.

    I absolutely loved this place! I went with my best friend and we got the meatballs, deviled eggs,…read moreOMG fries, crème brûlée, steak sandwich and chicken piccata. We had such a great time and the staff was amazing. It was really cute inside and we had an absolute blast. They even offer mocktails for people who don't drink, aka: us!!

    The Tap - Beer Cheese Burger

    The Tap

    (429 reviews)

    $$

    I have been going there for years and always liked it. Service is good. The beer selection is…read moreexcellent, of course and they now have seltzers and liquor which is great. The food is pretty good. Fries are always great and their sliders are the best in town. But here is the bad: for the last year or so, the place stinks! I can only describe it as a burnt, rancid grease smell. It permeates the entire restaurant and sticks to clothes and hair. Don't plan on going anywhere afterward because you will stink. Please do something about the ventilation in the kitchen!

    Really cool place - they have a ton of beer to try! Their beer menu (which was fully printed and…read moreavailable at our table - no scanning a QR code or squinting to read a board at the bar) had a whole page of beers by The Tap Brewery, followed by two pages of guest craft beer representing every major type of beer and with some unique options, all on tap. For drinks, cocktails (and a few mocktails) and a smaller selection of wine are also available. I wanted to get beer but I was kind of tempted by the cocktails. My first choice was a flight that included a mix of The Tap beers and guest beers, but the waiter came back after taking the order and told me that they could only do flights with their beers but could let me sample the beers I wanted to try, so I did that, and the samples were probably around 2 oz each so I basically got half a flight. After that, I ended up ordering a real flight of their beer. The Tap beers I tried were: Kill the Lights stout (regular and barrel-aged), Tapenator dark lager, Frost Bite winter ale, Nefarious Nectar blonde. Guest beers: Jacob Leinenkugel white mocha stout, Weihanstephaner Hefeweissbier, BrewDog Winter Staycation. Not going to waste space reviewing all of these, but they were all fantastic. I was really grateful that they let me sample so many! And they also have food. The menu isn't huge but does have some variety, and it's not just basic pub food. I had the ahi tuna crunch bowl and it was pretty good! It kind of had the vibe of stuff thrown together in a poke bowl, but it worked and I thought the fish was done really well. Our waiter was wonderful! He was really friendly and just the right amount of attentive. My friend and I stayed for a while talking after we had paid and he didn't rush us out at all. Granted, it was a pretty quiet night. We both really liked the vibe of the place. I would love to be back soon!

    Malibu Grill - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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