The food is consistently delicious, great selections on menu, warm, friendly service, and the atmosphere couldn't be better.

Went into Rob Dob's to order carry out for the family. LA was working the bar and was great! He made some recommendations on their burgers, and he was spot on. As he took care of other patrons he checked in on me, making sure I didn't need anything else and we had a nice conversation. I had the original burger that was cooked perfectly medium as I asked, while my wife had the burger with egg and she said it was one of the best she's had in awhile! We also order the potato wedges, plain, and they were hand cut and delicious, oh and i almost forgot... the Ropp Cheese curds that were great too. The pricing is a little high, but the quality makes it worth it. I'm hopeful to dine inside the restaurant in the near future. read more

We had Rob Dob's as our first meal outside after COVID-19. I had the country fried chicken breast. The chicken breast was tender and moist with a crispy breading. Homemade mashed potatoes with black pepper gravy. It was amazing. It comes with garlic spinach but I substituted green beans. This meal will bring me back. read more

Me and my wives and triplets were just there for my 83rd birthday. The salad was quite exquisite and the Champaign was just dandy. The service was incredable. 5 stars anyday. YUH YUH keep up the good work! Stay safe read more

Aesthetically, this restaurant is beautiful! I think the owners overspent, but well designed. The service is mediocre. All 3 times I have eaten there, servers seem out of their element, on how service should be at high end restaurant. No bread offered, timing very rushed. We ended up with multiple dishes on our table...apps, salad and entrees stacked up on the table all at once. We even told server we wanted to have a leisurely meal, we were still rushed. Something as simple as a house salad, both kitchen and server forgot dressing. Twice I ordered a rib eye steak, both very disappointing. Rib eyes should be well marbled and full of flavor, the chef should re-evaluate their vendors. Hy-Vee has better product. It is pretty hard to serve drab rib-eye. Today I ordered meatloaf..it arrived well before I had finished salad, and initial impression was, well, can't think of more positive description than mini brown baseball. By the time I was ready to enjoy entree, the meat was cold, and mashed potatoes were solid. I did eat a few sears of asparagus, I dipped them in the horseradish sauce from the onion ring apps, that were never cleared from the table. The best thing I have enjoyed in the past visits was the shrimp cocktail, probably because it was not cooked. Sadly, no longer on the menu. Best advice, get back to basics. Source better product, cook simple with clean flavors...as a steakhouse should. Tighten up service, bad timing ruins experience and dishes. Please re-think the business, I think this place can be good, if management/kitchen are willing to put in the work. For now, no intention to return. Wish this place well. read more

Went for lunch on Sunday with family of 7. I had a reservation, but they were not ready despite the restaurant not being busy. We were celebrating 2 birthdays which was evident on the reservation, but they were unaware. We got 3 menus to share among 7 of us which was awkward, and the food was only average at best. Waffles were hard, steak not even close to medium rare. I was pretty disappointed and probably won't be back. 3 stars was generous. read more

The first time we dined there, it was going through new restaurant issues but food was good. My husbands prime rib came out as ordered but cold. Not good eating but they were new. We went again tonight with our family. My sea bass was flavorless and my daughters salmon was overcooked and too salty My husband got a steak medium rare and it came out medium to medium well. We flagged down the server and told her the issue. She took the plate back to the kitchen and then minutes later proceeded to return with the same plate and told us that the steak he was given was cooked medium rare according to the chef. Are you kidding me? You brought the customers dish back & said this is our medium rare!!! My husband is a skilled griller- we know what medium rare should look like! Although they gave us a discount, we were appalled that the original food was brought back out and the manager never came to speak about it. We were simply speechless by that reaction. There is so much training yet to be done with the entire staff. Due to these various issues, we won't be a hurry to return. There is tremendous potential here though. I hope they figure it out. read more

We had the most spectacular experience. We went for lunch today and had Barbara as our server. Despite some of the reviews that I read, we were greeted and sat immediately. Nice table by the fireplace. Our service and food was top notch. Vet real able lunch prices, especially given portions and presentation of food. We had Brussels sprout app. Sooooooo good!! My dad and I ordered the egg n bacon burger and the salmon sandwich--cooked to perfection and salmon was juicy! Because the food was so good, we definitely indulged in dessert and had the butterscotch bread pudding. I live in the south so I'm a critic of bread pudding and this one was great. Will be back for certain! read more

Friday night, around 7:00pm: It is what it is...and it has nothing to do with being "new" or "working out the kinks" of the first few weeks of being open. Quite simply, this is a restaurant where front to back, they're in over their heads. Bar: It's rectangular and with multiple bartenders; they should be working it in quadrants...they weren't or if they were, they were totally ineffective in doing so. All bartenders were very slow (watched it take 9 minutes to make two simple drinks) in drink preparation and noticing who should be served. I say this with no hyperbole; the slowest moving bartenders I've seen...ever. The young bar back had to help them understand who was at the bar waiting for service. Why would you put a minor behind the bar as a bar back who can't support the bartenders with simple pours? Get a busboy to clean and polish glasses moving in and out of the bar. It's amateur to station a teenager behind the bar let alone ask him to control air traffic at the bar. By the way, with Bob and his GM wandering through the bar during this period, I would have thought adjustments would have been recognized in real time. Dining Room atmosphere/service: Think bright Bennigans when you're looking for a visual. Service was C-. Server hadn't tried most of the menu when asked (no help with suggestions/pairings) and brought out a wine screw for a screw top bottle :). Don't try to take food orders when you haven't even delivered bar drinks yet. Don't ask about dessert when all 8 of us still are working on entrees. This is not fine dining with a tasting menu...dinner shouldn't take 2 plus hours. This is not a new restaurant working out kinks, this is a kitchen that can't keep up with tickets on a busy Friday. Don't rush us to turn over tables because your kitchen can't keep up. Your servers need to taste all dishes to have an understanding of what you're serving and what wine pairs with those dishes. Food: Meh. Clam appetizer was overcooked and rubbery. If you don't know how to cook them, don't put them on the menu. My steak was cooked properly, but it wasn't steak frites...simply seasoned French fries with bland green beans. It was advertised with sauce which never came and clearly was nowhere near a true steak frites preparation. No steak knife was provided either. Scallops were OK but not with a proper top side sear. Sides did not compliment any dish. Server recommended Mac & Cheese as the top dish?! The wine list is heavy on California and full bodied reds. What I will say, is they are pricing wines competitively. Here's the thing...this place won't snag the Outback crowd (too pricey for them) and won't snag the Baxter's crowd (not a good enough dining experience for similar food). Epiphany Group's customers won't bother as Rob Dob's lacks any of their creativity (using the same sauce for multiple dishes for example). I left perplexed with what niche Rob Dob's is trying to fill. read more

Food is good, bit pricy. Wait staff was friendly, ambiance is good. Once a year visit is adequate for us.

Marginal. Especially when hyped to be amazing. It isn't amazing. First, atmosphere: The building is new and nice. The tables are set like a cafeteria. Unimpressive to get bumped multiple times by people walking past you in the mix of seemingly random table layout. Think Shannon's 4 Star dining room without aisles for walkways. Second, service: Mostly all young staff were polite and fairly prompt. Our reservation was early on Sat dinner hour, and table was ready. Recommendations were not offered for pairings, or specials, but appetizer order taken and they arrived shortly after dinner was ordered. One of our party ordered a diet soda. When served, he tasted it and told server that it appears to be a regular coke. The server refuted his comment and said he knew he dispensed diet. It wasn't diet, regardless, the server should have returned with a verified drink after customer expressed dissatisfaction. He didn't. Our friend was a good sport and drank the regular soda. His refill came as a diet. Otherwise, service was decent. Menu/food: Menu items varied from some traditional comfort food items to steaks/seafood, burgers and some fairly common chicken or pork chop items. My steak was cooked properly and tender. Its flavor was modest and green beans were forgettable. Baked potato was good sized with light cheddar and bacon toppings. The review on steak salad order next to me was bland steak cooked to order, but no dressing with the salad. Meh. Not enough inspiration to try dessert, which was highlighted by a bread pudding recommendation. I thought maybe some indulgent chocolate or caramel item might be a good pitch. Maybe Rob likes bread pudding? Summary: nice looking place, poor seating and less than inspirational food didn't meet the built-up expectations. Maybe with some modifications or lower expectations, it will be worth a return trip. But as for now... I'm not loving it. read more

Was excited to go there but very disappointed. NY strip was fatty and average, Lamb chops too rare and no sauce on it, pork chop was burnt and dry. Brussel sprouts were very good read more

Service was good. We had an attentive server that made good wine selections. We ordered calamari to start. There was a sweet balsamic reduction on top that was very overwhelming, as all we could taste was that sauce. Way too sweet for people that really like good calamari. My husband ordered southern fried chicken and I got the halibut. My halibut and asparagus were over cooked, as well as potatoes lacked flavor. My husband's dish was bland and unseasoned. We will be back to sit at the bar and have good wine, as well as listen to the pianist! Having traveled outside of central Illinois, .95 cents at the end of the pricing on the menu suggests not upscale, as the restaurant suggests they are. read more

This restaurant never disappoints!!!! The seafood entrees, the appetizers, the staff, etc. all on point!!! Sea bass or scallops are my favorite entrees. This restaurant is a must!!!! read more

Was super excited to try this new restaurant and the wide variety on the menu. We were able to get reservations and when my date and when we arrived we got seated immediately even though place was very busy. Well we ordered our meal immediately I had meatloaf and my date had the lamb chops. Well it ended up taking over an hour and 15 mins to get our meals and as we were sitting there we saw several other tables leave without getting their food. We also asked another table and they said they had waited 45 mins and food was luke warm. The waitress felt so bad and i was able to get a free moscow mule but when the food came it was not very good. Will wait a couple months before going again read more

Place is awesome. Great outdoor seating and a great staff. So glad this place has opened up. Will do well once COVID is over. Will be back for the wings and burgers! read more

Very new restaurant but wasn't impressed with anything but the bottle of wine :( really had high hopes for this place, as it was hyped up to be amazing. We went on a Monday night. Not busy but also not completely dead. Our server was really really slow and came back to the table to check if what she wrote down was what we wanted, 10 min after writing it down. This happened with everything we ordered (wine,apps,main course, and desserts). All of the food we received was very bland (steaks & seafood). Lots of kinks to work out for a nicer restaurant like this to really do well in central IL. I really hope they get everything worked out quickly. read more

Compared the same meal at Rob Dob's and Biaggi's. SHARED a dinner salad at Biaggi's that was bigger and better than an entire salad at Rob Dob's. Had chicken parmesan at both. At Rob Dob's the chicken breast was very thin and overcooked with burned edges. At Biaggi's, a nice thick breast expertly cooked. At Rob Dob's, the linguini was not not drained resulting in a watery setting for the chicken. At Biaggi's, the chicken was served on a bed of great tube-like pasta with delicious marinara sauce. Overall, the food, service and value are not what you would expect based on the menu prices at Rob Dob's. On the other hand, Biaggi's offers exceptional food, service and value. read more

Lunch on 11/1/19 I was so excited when a group of us wanted to have lunch there today. My first impression was WOW! The restaurant is beautifully designed. We had appetizers, cheese curd and spinach dip they both good. For my main course, wedge salad with grill chicken...not a hard meal to prepared. It was TERRIBLE I mentioned it to the server the chicken was so dried and hard that I couldn't eat it (she can clearly see I did eat any of it). She didn't try to fix it. Very disappointing! It was a $13 salad and what I got was a quarter head of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese. BTW, the rest of the group wasn't impressed with there meals. Hopefully, it will improve. read more

Absolutely horrible experience we Went there the other night with another couple for his birthday You could obviously tell the waitresses and waiters had no training I'm not sure where they picked the people to wait on the tables but it was horrible took Over 30 minutes to get our 1st drink It was an hour in 20 minutes from the time we got there until we got our food it was mediocre Definitely would not recommend going to this place and way overpriced compared to Baxter's which we will be continuing to go back to. read more

Average for the price. Average is probably the best word for the entire experience. Upon entering the decor and finishes are nice. Beautiful tile work and chandeliers all through out. First stop was a drink at the bar. Bartender was friendly, but the 10 pages of loose drink options was unappealing and was missing the cocktail list. Upon asking the bartender she was able to secure a copy of the cocktail list but had to read the cocktail drinks off to us. Tried the old fashion and tequila drink, which were both very good. Next, it was time for dinner. Our group of six got seated at what felt like a wedding reception table. A large round table with a basic table cloth and no more than basic conference room/reception type seats. The room we were in was clearly created to hold private parties, but on a normal night it is somewhat unimpressive. To add we were right near the kitchen door so many times we had wait staff squeezing by to serve food. Food was good, but not once you consider the price. Appetizer of cheese curds, good and identical to what you get at Destihl. All of us had some form of steak, again good but not mind blowing for the price. In a town where we are lucky to have some very good local restaurants with great atmospheres this will probably not be at the top of our list for date night in the future. read more

We dined at Rob Dob's last night. We got right in. The service was great and so was the food. I got the chicken parm and my husband got the catfish strips. It was really good and plenty to eat. We'll definitely be back! read more

Terrible experience. Had a reservation, waited forever to get table went to bar instead and had horrible service. Left and went elsewhere.

Overall people were very friendly, except front desk young lady who did not smile at all. I suggest they put some one at front of house that greets customers with warmth. Wait staff was very kind, but not attentive enough, seemed to disappear for long stretches of time (the restaurant was not busy). Food was good, but very small portions and expensive, overall about ($2-3)dollars more per plate than Biaggis in town and way less food. Atmosphere was very nice. read more

One of the worst restaurant experiences ever. 45 minutes after we sat down we walked to the bar ourselves to get water, then had to go back twice more for refills! Was an hour before drink orders were even taken. When the waiter did eventually come to take our food order he did not ask how we wanted steaks cooked, we had to prompt him, and he did not know what salad dressings were available. All food came at once with no separation for salads. One salad was missing completely. A baked potato was delivered cold, and then delivered cold again after we asked for a replacement. We were laughing amongst ourselves wondering what would go wrong next. The manager did provide some relief on the bill, but a really, really bad experience that will linger for a while...... read more

After all the hype we left very unimpressed and with very empty pockets. We had reservations and was quickly seated upon arrival, the hostess was very nice and professional. After we was seated we both commented on the nice atmosphere. That was about the best of our experience. We had to talk very loudly to each other to be heard. They spent no money on noise control in the place, it was very loud and quickly ruined the experience. It took about 10 minutes after we sat down to before waitress came to take drink order. My wife ordered a drink from the bar and I had tea. It took another 5 minutes before they came back with water for us and even longer for my tea. The bar drink took another 5 minutes as the waitress apologized they bar was backed up. We could see the bar from our table and noticed one bartender joking around with the pretty ladies at the bar and another tow standing behind the bar talking to each other and not making any drinks. I ordered the Pork Chop and when our waitress put in the order she came back and told us they were out of the Pork Chop for the evening. This was at 6:30! I then ordered the New York Strip Potato Fingerlings with Garlic and Parmesan and my Wife ordered the Filet. When I got my meal I had all of 7 little potatoes on my plate. They steak looked great, but as I was eating it I kept coming across gristle and it needed quite a bit of salt. My wife's filet was very tender and she said was cooked just right. She had mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. She said her potatoes were cold and mixed vegetables were too hot to eat and very overcooked. Our waitress was very friendly and did a great job. However as we was sitting there we noticed that some of the other staff did not appear to have much training. One of the busboys in our area walked around all night with his hands in his pockets and would not do anything until one of the wait staff asked him, then he would haphazardly clean off tables, twice i saw the hostess have to come back and wipe downs the tables before seeing new guests. The other busboy in our area was working his butt off and was very friendly and polite to everyone. I am guessing the first busboy was the son of friends of the owner or something. The best part of the night was the butterscotch bread pudding, that was awesome. But for charging Chicago prices for the meal and drinks it was more of a low budget chain restaurant experience. read more

We had high hopes (unrealized) for an outstanding evening. First impressions are everything. My son orders the German wheat beer from the beer menu, only to be told that they're out of said beer. I order a bottle of red Italian wine...nothing special...only to be told that they're out. We've traveled and dined worldwide, and this strikes me as a restaurant that advertises a beer and wine list much more robust than ones that exists. Atmosphere and food is nothing to separate from "general population", which they certainly need to do given the price. Good luck.... read more

This place is an absolute must have any time I visit this town! The team there was more than accommodating to our large team that stopped in for dinner and even managed to meet healthy eating requests from some of the table. Outstanding job and the owners even peeked by to introduce themselves and also explained what they have in place for Covid-19! Thanks again!! read more

Rob Dob's Restaurant & Bar - Steakhouses Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

What an awesome new restaurant in BLOOMINGTON. Great food, atmosphere, staff folks are super friendly...even the ones not serving our table. The bar is well stocked and quite large. Upscale through and through. Seafood at this place is superb. We brought our grandkids and we were pleasantly surprised of the staff friendliness towards them. I'm coming back for lunch next week with friends! read more

My boyfriend and I first time at RD, and it was fantastic. We were seated right away. I didn't like how people in the bar area were just standing all over the place and getting into my personal space. But that quickly changed. We asked for recommends for drinks. And the server was quick to provide what we might like. He was spot on with the drinks. We ordered our food and it came out in a timely manner. Once the love music started they shut off the there music. We had a great time that we will definitely be back. read more

I keep coming back for the same meal. NY strip with loaded mashed potatoes and a wedge salad. Phenomenal. Has become my favorite place to eat at. read more

I went to this place twice when they first opened and fell in Love with their cheese curds. A few months latter, I made valentine's reservations, eagerly awaiting the delicious cheese curds. To my disappointment they changed them. Now they no longer are home made but instead taste like they are made from a frozen bag. There are so many other restaurants that serve similar food that it no longer stands out. I will not be going back unless they go back to the original cheese curds. read more

The food and service were on par with what you would expect from a $100 dinner for two kind of place. A solid selection of wines and whiskeys to choose from too. The wife and I both had steak entrees. The ribeye medium rare came out medium, but no biggie because the flavor was spot on. Rock solid service from the wait staff. Jazz band on a Friday night, not bad, but we were seated too close and could barely hear each other across the table. So be picky if you have a choice. Very nice, wood-paneled atmosphere. I'd recommend getting a reservation on a weekend or you'll be waiting. 8 p.m. reservation but seated at 8:15. A bunch of befuddled ladies struggling with the ipads at the host station. Need some of the younger crowd handling greeting, more at ease with technology maybe. They're clearly playing to the old girls and old boys clubs here but it's borderline alienating to anyone under 50. The place needs a little more time to mature but in a year or so, they'll be challenging Baxter's. Overall, a solid choice if you want to drop some bucks to impress. read more

Worst food in the Bloomington-Normal area! Have tried it twice and each time have been extremely disappointed. Will not be returning.

We have been to Rob Dob's twice for dinner since they've opened, and could not be more impressed. The interior is beautifully decorated with an upscale steakhouse feel, the food has been perfectly cooked, and the bar makes delicious cocktails, even if they aren't on the menu. The staff is very hospitable, taking special care to accommodate any food or drink request. This spot is definitely our new favorite and has been something BN has needed for a long time. read more

Just want to give a shout out for RobDobs. The staff and owner goes above and beyond to make sure your party is perfect! We had a funeral luncheon on a holiday weekend. Betty put together a great buffet that everyone complimented on. I had more than expected and Doris made sure everyone was comfortable. John, Our bartender was excellent. Julie and Bob Dobski certainly have made this restaurant the best in town. Entertainment is always top notch for this atmosphere! But the real stand out is that Bob and Julie walk around and talk to every table of customers. They know how to make everyone feel welcome! read more

I wasn't totally impressed. I was there with my husband when they had been open a day or so. Food was good but they will need to step it up. Presentation was not the best. Waitress was a little nervous. Not a regular and probably won't return. read more

Atmosphere was nice, with a few enhancements it will be similar to a nice place in Chicago. Food was good but took a long time. Our reservation was for 8 on a Friday night and we didn't leave until 10:00. Our server was good and made us aware of the delay. The lights need to be dim on a Friday night, please. Blue cheese dressing on wedge was not blue cheese. Will try again in a few months to see if they have worked out the process. read more

We went to celebrate my husband's birthday, and from the moment we walked in, the staff was not attentive. hostess acted overly bored, not interested in working, wait- staff below marginal. food was not good. The atmosphere was nice, beautiful job at putting it together, but no skill in restaurant management at all. very disappointed to say the least, and will not be going back. read more

Unbelievable food every time. The NY strip with bone marrow is just ridiculous in a good way. They have the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, and the scallops are perfect every time. The quality consistently is spot on. I always ask for steak medium rare, and three times it's been instagram quality. Absolutely nail it every time. Maybe bring an extra set of underwear though, because the spinach artichoke dip may make you accidentally jizz. read more