For a small local chain that has locations in Bloomington and Peoria. You can't go wrong with this local bar. The onion rings are delicious. The price point is good. They're known for their big pork tenderloins if you so want to try to eat it all read more

I like the food in Peoria but the Schooners in Bloomington knocks it out of the park! I had the largest, thickest, perfectly cooked tenderloin I have ever had in my life and I am 72. The onion rings, 1/2 order were crispy, so good I took what was left home! I ate leftovers for four days by putting in an aluminum pan in the oven. I am in love and will be back soon! read more

I really enjoyed my visit to Schooner's Friday night. Set up in a house with outdoor seating in the back yard, with lots of greenery and ivied trees to enjoy. A beautiful wood bar greets you when you walk in, with some booth seating off to the side. We sat outside for dinner and enjoyed the space. Waitress was attentive with our beers and our dinners were great. We had to order the pork tenderloin, which was incredible. Moist pork within a beautiful fried coating. This kitchen knows how to fry their food. My chicken was a deep golden brown with a moist chicken breast within. YUM! I will definitely stop back in when in Bloomington. Thanks Schooners! read more

Schooners - A delicious Pork Tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

If you like (and can eat breaded (and fried) foods, then this is the place for you! That King sandwich (breaded steak, I believe) is ginormous and looked AMAZING! It was HUGE! As a celiac, my options were limited to the Grilled Chicken Salad and the Chicken Wings. I went with the healthier option and enjoyed my salad! Service was friendly and informative and everything you expect from small-ish town in the Midwest! I also am not able to enjoy beer any longer, so I was grateful that they offered some cider options. Delish! Would I go back? This place would be a dream if I did not have a restricted diet. So yes, if this is where my group wanted to go, I would... and I would try the wings and get another salad. Gluten-free rating: **TWO STARS** Overall rating: ****FOUR STARS**** read more

Schooners - Famous King Tenderloin ALA CARTE! (1/2 serving size)!! - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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The fried chicken was excellent; based on the amount of patrons, so is everything else. Portions were large and reasonable priced! read more

Schooners - Awesome Sunday Fried Chicken - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The BEST Tenderloin sandwich in the Midwest! Order it with Schooner's signature basket of batter-fried onion rings - also the BEST! Portions are AWESOME, the atmosphere is friendly and smile-filled, and there's always something you'll need a take-home carton for! chef's kiss read more

11/17/24 We brought our son here for his bday dinner. He got the fish sandwich & fries, Stephanie got the Cheeseburger & onion rings, I had been looking forward to the King Tenderloin. The fish sandwich was very good as was the cheeseburger, my tenderloin a 3 out of 5 it was ok, over cooked had to cut it with a knife. Breading could probably be a fish batter. The atmosphere and service 10 out of 10. We will certainly return. I would just order something else, I was so looking forward to a good tenderloin. read more

Schooners - Breaded pork tenderloin 11-27-2024 - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

When the waitress asked for how many buns I wanted for my King Tenderloin, I should have known what was in for. It was absolutely delicious. Our waitress was amazing. My brother and I walked in 30 minutes before closing and she was in the weeds but she persevered with an incredible attitude and energy. read more

Schooners - Mini Tenderloin - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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The best fried chicken in McLean County! The batter is not too thick, is crunchy and the chicken is always hot. read more

The wings and rings are the best!! Love the rueben and the Gebby burger. Always order the cheeseburger chowder when it's available!

Amazing service!! We called last minute and they fit in a large group. We brought baseball boys and she was super friendly and very on top of our food and drinks!!! read more

The food was okay, but the service was phenomenal. I took my daughter for a lunch date since she wanted mini corn dogs. I knew they had them so off we went. Even though she's 3.5 they were great with my kiddo and we will definitely be back simply because of that. read more

I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I'm rounding up to four based on the politeness of the wait staff. Sitting behind us was, what we heard to be a very difficult customer with endless complaining, but the waitress and rest of staff were very kind and always handled the situation with class. Now, onto the food. I'm originally from Buffalo, NY, living in IL now, so I have a deep rooted passion for wings! The good is - the bbq sauce was good AND they served blue cheese as a side (my little WNY heart was happy). Other than that, I didnt think the wings were anything special. I think these could be very very good if they were charred a little on the grill after being sauced! This was my personal first time trying a tenderloin and it was something else for sure! It really is an experience anyone visiting the midwest should have. The tenderloin was a little too crispy and maybe a little too much batter but the taste was phenomenal. Our leftovers will make a great midnight snack! All in all, I would go again, eventually. read more

Schooners - BBQ Wings (with blue cheese) - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Came here for a late lunch with my boyfriend because I wanted wings and this place was rated better than others in the area. He had the fried tenderloin sandwich which was definitely huge, but was probably the best tenderloin sandwich I've had. I got their wings, which were big and juicy. I got half buffalo and half garlic sauce on them; the buffalo was good, I was expecting a garlic parm for the other but it was actually just like a butter/oil and garlic sauce, VERY garlic powder forward. They could ward off a vampire. Idk, the menu did say 'garlic' not 'garlic parm' so I should have taken that literally, but it could've been better if they dusted some grated parm on them? Honestly wing itself would have been better without the garlic sauce, if they perfected their sauces the wings could be phenomenal. We also got pepper jack cheese balls, which were run of the mill. Service was fine, but we were one of two tables there at the time. It's a bar also, tables/restrooms/spaces were clean. read more

Our waitstaff was lacking even moderate attention I understand that not all time issues in a restaurant fall upon the server but she should will keep her customers aware of the kitchen debacles (if there were such). A burger (the Geddy) and a Ham & Cheese sandwich ...even with onion rings (very good) should not take 40+ minutes from order. Before getting to the table - without anything from the service staff explaining what's up. So summary. Food tasty. read more

Schooners - The Geddy - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The wings were amazing! Perfectly cooked and sauced just right! Beer was cold and the crown hit the spot. Definitely Doyz approved. 10/10 recommendation. The bartender Elyse was attentive and joyful. read more

Schooners - a basket of fried fish and chips on a bar - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

My favorite locally owned place in town. Great service and food! Buffalo wings are the best in town and great soups. Never disappoints!

Haven't eaten there for 5 or 6 years but wife wanted a tenderloin so might as well get it from a place famous for them. For 2 orders of onion rings and two King tenderloins it was over $58 for carry out. everything was over done. Tenderloins would have made better frisbees. Onion rings had the onion cook out of them for the most part. One and a half tenderloins and onion rings went into the trash. I get everyone has a bad day, or a new cook way too busy to keep up but this was a expensive mistake. Tried to charge us for someone else order. Only one star on this experience. read more

Came here because Apple Maps suggested it. Great place. Good food and very friendly atmosphere. Got the special hamburger with blue cheese crumbles, but gotta come back sometime and try that tenderloin! read more

Ordered wings for carry out. Would not order again. Threw them away. Waited at least 10 minutes after time order was promised. The wings were not good. Disappointing. read more

Based on the reviews I was hoping for better. We were driving on the interstate and wanted some lunch, so I opened Yelp and started looking for places coming up. The location isn't exactly conveniently located for folks passing through, but I knew that before entering the address into gps. Food prices were decent, but one thing that I didn't pay close enough attention to was what was an up charge or not. Would have been nice if the waitress had pointed them out, instead she smoothly phrased her questions such that there was no such impression. Case in point was tomato, which was an up charge. One kid got the hamburger, and waitress smoothly asked what kind of cheese she wanted and if she wanted lettuce, tomato and onions. Since those added a cost, it just feels dishonest to phrase it that way. To add insult to injury, the kid wound up taking all of these items off the burger! When asked how she liked the burger, "it was okay". Second kid got the broiled chicken sandwich and fries. She said it was okay, but when I tasted it I thought differently. There was absolutely no seasoning to the chicken at all. Wife got the mound of beef sandwich with fries. Same story here. She said it was okay. I tried some of it too and the only really decent aspect was the au jus. The rest of it was bland and not enjoyable. By far what I ordered was the worst. I got the large order of Buffalo shrimp with wild sauce. The sauce was decent, but I should've gotten the hotter sauce. The shrimp came out with so much breading that it felt like there wasn't any meat to them and was all breading. Had to drown each shrimp in sauce to make it palatable and even that wasn't a big help. Unless you are a fan of LOTS of breading I would avoid it. Overall I wouldn't recommend this place. Not sure what the other choices are, but wish that I had made a different pick. read more

This place came in my Yelp search so we thought we would try it. Great decision!! The food was AMAZING and the service was top notch. The deep fried pork chop and fries were delicious. If I lived in this town I'd be a regular. Yummy!! read more

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We had a pound of battered wings with buffalo and bbq sauce on the side. They were big meaty super crispy wings and the sauces were tasty. The burgers were huge and very tasty as well. Good service and a great experience. read more

We love their corn fritters and cheese bites. Food is always fresh. Service has also been great!

Disappointed! The pork tenderloin is more like a pork fritter. Ground pork made into a huge patty Service was fair read more

We were looking for a place to eat after we moved our kid into her dorm at IWU. We didn't want a chain and stumbled upon Schooners. I am so happy we did! The food was amazing and the service was just as great. It looks like a typical restaurant with a bar, but don't let that fool you. We had the fried chicken special and it was hands down the best fried chicken we've ever had. My husband feel in love with the mashed potatoes and gravy, the quality was awesome. If we weren't in public he probably would have licked the plate. Don't pass up this place. read more

This is a nice bar with a dining room side and a bar side. Several TVs with sports playing on the bar side. There are a few video poker games as well. Menu I has many options. I had a grilled ham & cheese with onion rings. Service was average or slightly below average. Food took a while in the kitchen, but it was good and great prices. read more

Schooners - Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Onion Rings - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The food is always fresh. The staff is always efficient and accommodating. It feels good to be valued as a customer!

Good food for the money! Service is good too! It's definitely a little town diner feel!

Order came fast and as we requested corn fritters were very good, great burger and that tenderloin was no joke huge and bangin was a tad slow to get our check but for good reason she was taking orders at a mile a min... Glad I found this place if I ever come back I will go again read more

Schooners - Corn Frittters - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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I first looked on their website saw the price for the 4 piece chicken special then I called to place an order. I then asked for a total and was told a price that was 50% higher than the price that it said on their own website? I canceled the order, and the woman on the phone tried to tell me that I must have misread the price on their website? Yea that's a great policy when customer catches you trying to rip them off call them stupid read more

Close to the best wings in town! I wish the fire was a bit hotter as I didn't find a noticible differance between the mild and wild. The wings are meaty and cooked well. We got the corn fritters not knowing what they were...Amazing. gotta have them for a special treat. I've only done carry out here but always a good experience. read more

Stopped for a tenderloin and onion rings. Their beer batter was very good. Different take on the tenderloin than im used to. Enjoyed everything. Staff very freindly read more

Schooners - Tenderloin, extra bun. Half order onion rings. - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Schooner's is a must try if you are in the BloNo area. Whether you're local or just passing through, this restaurant offers some of the best bar food in the Central IL area. I love to support local business, and this restaurant has some of the best onion rings, wings, and tenderloins around. Schooner's makes their own beer batter for the onion rings, and I think they are probably the best rings I've ever had. And specifically try the famous King Tenderloin, because it'll be the biggest tenderloin you've ever eaten. The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty straight forward: plenty of seating and no frills. But what may lack aesthetically is easily made up for by the food. Stop by and support a local family business! read more

Schooners - SCHOONERS - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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I try and get down to this location a few times a year. It is a wonderful place for some great bar food. Love the staff, love the food, love the ONION RINGS!!! read more

Great local tap room withers excellent food, and for us late eaters, they serve late! Friendly vibe. Clean and well maintained. Plenty of TV's to catch a game. Beer served in schooners, hence the name. Ice cold and very good. Fried chicken is off the charts. Pork tenderloin is famous due to the Food Network. Steak sandwich is more like a great steak with garlic bread and side. Creamy and light cole slaw. Nice onion rings. Really great stop. Highly recommend in a town that does not have a lot open past 9PM. So if you get here later, stop by the Schooner! Oh, and great prices for the quality and quantity. Saw one review complaining about the tenderloin price - seriously - it could feed a few people and breaks down to like $3-$4 a person. C'mon! And I found, as usual, if you are respectful all the locals and staff are very friendly... read more

Schooners - Beautiful old wood, nicely maintained. Cool place! - American Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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My family has been a big fan of Schooner's for the past 30 years with regular visits and carry out of wings and onion rings. Last night was extremely disappointing. The onion rings were all batter and over cooked and the wings were not cooked long enough and were slimey. Not the same good food as we have experienced prior. read more

Came here to get some wings & watch the Packers game! Got a double order of bbq wings only ate about half of them, drove off & left my to go box. Called 5 min later & apparently my to go grew legs & walked off. Not surprised at all! Didn't feel very welcomed from the start! Service was below average! Basically, if you're not a conservative white male you'd be wise not to visit this plantation. read more

The service was pretty good. The first thing that I didn't like was that they fry everything in the same grease. Shrimp, chicken, fries, pork chops, and everything else that needs to be fried. I have a shellfish allergy and the only side I was able to eat was the salad. They had the audacity to charge me for the salad when I really wanted the fries but couldn't have them due to allergies. The waitress took the charge off. My wife's chicken was dry and burnt. The only flavor she was able to taste was fish. YES YOU HEARD CORRECTLY FISH! And she ordered the chicken. The turkey burger was ok but nothing to rave about. Overall my wife's food was horrible! The best part of the experience was the pretty good customer service. read more

Been around forever, and I have been there many times over the years. It can be hit or miss. Typical bar/pub fried food. Nothing to get overly excited about. The onion rings and ranch blue cheese dressing are good if that's your thing. On our last visit, we had a party of 11 or 12. Food took almost an hour to come out. I would suggest going in smaller groups, as large parties always take a long time. Cute beer garden in the back, but wish they would have the full menu out there. Also, it can be smoky if you sit under the covered area. read more