Patrick is awesome! What a cool dude! So chill, we had no idea he owned the place until well after our first interaction. So kind, caring, interested. For sure wanted to make his customers smile. He succeeded!! We will definitely be back each time we travel from the middle of Michigan to the middle of Kansas and back! #happythreeyears #happytwentyyears #happyfiftyyears #letsmeetinireland2026 read more

Excellent food and service! Delicious appetizers including duck wonton and cheese fries. read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Excellent cocktails and service made these delicious appetizers even more delicious! #DuckWonton #CheeseFries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]We are big fans of Pat and Steve and have long been fans of the space with the chic decor and beautifully restored mahogany bar front and center on the main floor and a nice more cozy room and small performance space upstairs.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We also feel like with a nice craft beer selection (8-12 diverse choices), a fantastic and inventive cocktail list, an expanding selection of light-to-medium food choices including both the familiar (burgers, wings and sammies) and the unique (a flight of bruschetta or perhaps garlic soup?), it seems to be an up and coming, but sometimes overlooked downtown option. We recently stopped for some craft beers and some light noshing and left quite happy splitting and adult grilled cheese and some soup. We then amped up the date-night vibe by each selecting a different craft cocktail for dessert and were not disappointed. We will definitely be stopping here more often before hockey games, concerts and the like. read more

Food was amazing! The garlic curds are fantastic. The burgers were also delicious with the homemade chips. The owner is very sweet and friendly. Very fast service. Would absolutely go back. read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Cocktails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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We stopped in late after a show because we heard their kitchen was still open. It was. The staff were super friendly - and the late night menu had delicious Luchador Fries! They were amazing, especially with a cold beverage. Will be back again to see the full menu. read more

I prefer chicken thighs over breasts and this place made an amazing sandwich (pesto chicken). The servers were quick and friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My wife and I really enjoyed the old pub feel of this place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We will return. read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Adult grilled cheese and pesto chicken sandwich - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice bartenders, great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Central to Downtown Bloomington and Nightlife. Fun Tuesday and Thursday nights! read more

Stopped by for a late lunch. Wife & I split a Ronin burger and the duck appetizer. Both very good! Appreciate their selection of bourbons. Very nice! If you haven't eaten here, I'd give it a try. Great local business!! read more

Back again after a summer away and the staff is still awesome! Bethany, and Stephen take great care of the patrons. The drinks are the best, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere and vibe is cool, the music is great but not toooo loud!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I highly recommend this place! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Eclectic, pretty crowd and crew!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Don't miss. read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Friendliest staff around!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

So I didn't get a chance to write a review last night when we went to this amazing restaurant that a local bartender informed me of the day before. I have to say that this was truly an experience not to be missed Shake It Up cocktail lounge as a unique concept on signature drinks cocktails and burgers in bruchett they had a wide variety of Burger stater just out of this world We even got there and they had to create your own cocktail a list of different libations and mixers that you can do to create your own cocktail to your own personal preference I have to say this was one of the most unique dining experience I've had in a long time. I had the Roman it was a 1/3 pound wagu steak Burger with teriyaki relish and bacon jam it was amazing they had so many other wonderful things on the menu that you definitely have to go out and give them a shot and try. So if you're from the Bloomington area or visiting the Bloomington area make sure that you go out and give us Shake It Up cocktail lounge a try you won't be disappointed read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Trying something new - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Great drinks great food and good service and great people! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is beautiful![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Need more places like this!

Very good food and drinks. Had the luchador burger, super juicy chorizo patty with bacon and fried egg, and a couple unique cocktails. Service was very friendly, and it's a good looking place. Ambiance solid, classic nu-Bloomington restaurant in an old building. Clean. I def inhaled that burger and the Beertail Beach drink (beer, vodka, Aperol, super fresh) read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Fantastic karaoke - Tuesday and Sunday nights.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Excellent staff. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Friendly patrons.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great food and drinks. read more

Stopped into this new little gem over the past wkd. The service was great, the drinks were flowing, and the music was spot on! Every person that walked in seemed like they are frequent visitors and the owners greeted them as such! The specialty cocktails were AMAZING!!! We saw several people enjoying their bites, and we definitely plan on eating the next time we drop in bc they looked divine! Can't wait to come back! read more

Stopped by looking for something different in Bloomington. WOW!! Just found out that the most flavorful burger in Bloomington is served at shake it up! highly recommend this establishment!!! read more

The menu wasn't extensive but the food was really good! The literal only reason it didn't get 5 stars for me is because the meal didn't seem quite complete, I feel like a shake or something like that would close this thing out perfectly. The service was good our waiter was attentive and it seemed that the reason the food took as long as it did was because it was fresh! I got the Ronin (I love the backstory for the names of the burgers btw) and it was pretty good, the flavors were different but good, I'd rate that a 3.5-4/5 as well. All in all I'll definitely be back to try more things on their menu it's a place worth checking out. read more

You have to find this place! It is right next door to Jazz Up Front. I wanted a cocktail. I had NO idea I was going to have an amazing meal. Duck wontons, Bruchetta, hot Italian Grinder, strawberry jelly role... and cocktails. All delicious and the co trails were creative and so full of flavor. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice spat, kind and thoughtful service, a great place to hang out for an evening.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All the stars! read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Auntie Emm and Gumball draft - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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Amazing Ronin burger! Delightful downtown mix of strong cocktail selection and enticing menu but high prices that are not helped by the silly 12% food tax here courtesy of that dumb stadium I hear manipulated taxpayer money to assist its building. Alas Illinois how far you have fallen! But this place is a redeeming quality, my Jungle Bird and my friends This is the Hemingway cocktails were fantastic, helped make up for the lousy and below average picante old fashioned I started with. It was very lifeless and dull, not much to taste or enjoy neither quality of liquor or balanced ingredients. After mixing the Purple Veil a bit, must have settled during the bartender mixing, it turned into a real treat. It was nice to have outdoor seating in a quiet city spot. Unlike most other places in this area, everything is crowded, noisy and very difficult to enjoy quality time. Nice to know there's a downtown option for good conversation, might almost say this could work as a romantic venture for some as well. The menu is not huge but offers a nice variety. Our waitress was slow throughout the night which worked out for a bit since we were not sure what to get. As I already said, my Ronin burger was incredible! Well made ingredients and savory combination of Asian goods, sadly my buddy's Swiss burger wasn't so tasty. We had tried three appetizers as well, all very small but tasty, that usual frustration of paying a lot for getting a little. Such is the life of the downtown diner! Not sure I would try again on my own dime since our ticket went over $120 for us both. read more

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Had duck wontons, italian grinder sandwich and amazing craft cocktails. We came in for trivia on Wednesday night 7pm in the upstairs bar. Can't wait to come back for more amazing service and maybe next time it will be for weekend brunch! read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - Duck Wontons - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The owner was amazing! He was bartending the night we were there! We were very undecided on food and drink and he asked what type of food and drinks we like and then made great recommendations! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere as well![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

My wife and I had a great time at Shake It Up last night. The place had a nice friendly neighborhood vibe, and we felt comfortable sitting at the bar. The bartender was friendly and helpful, providing guidance on our cocktail and food selections. They had a fun drink menu, and a great selection of bourbons. The food menu had enough interesting options without being overwhelming. Pricing was reasonable and the service was great. We will be back. read more

Great staff and awesome shrimp appetizer!!! The mango salsa that came with it was to die for!

I think this place can have a lot of potential but I didn't enjoy my experience tonight. Appetizer was 10/10 and I'm sure all of them are! The drink I had (something with I think gin, raspberry syrup, and egg whites) was very yummy, fresh, and unique. But in my opinion not worth spending 11-14 on what seemed to be a shots worth of liquor. I got the Adobo Chicken sandwich which was about MAYBE 6oz of tiny cut up chicken with some very tasty spicy flavor. I wish I had tried their bruschetta. Everyone else's sandwiches and burgers looked and tasted great from what they had relayed. Get their house made chips! Don't pay to upgrade to a very small portion of steak fries.... The last person in our party of 8 to get his food waited 12 minutes after the 2nd to last meal was served, and there were only 5 or 6 other patrons there. It was awesome when I realized 2 of those patrons sitting on the other side of the bar were the owners, hanging out at the bar drinking, and talking to employees. If they would have acknowledged our existence beyond thanking us for coming as we got up to leave, or even help (what I think) the one gentleman working the kitchen, our experience could have been a lot better. I really hope they do better and show their true potential. read more

Had a great dinner here with friends. Drinks were fresh with housemade syrups. Fantastic Burgers, Delicious Portbello Panini and Italian Grinder. The Bruschettas however seemed small and underwhelming considering the price. Service was very good even though it was mainly only one very nice guy. Will be back for sure. read more

Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge - The Mistyque: Gin, Lemon Juice, Butterfly Pea Flower, Egg White and Soda Water. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Great drinks!!! Great atmosphere!!! Don't pass this place up!! Great owners!! Our friends all went here after an event at the arena

Wow! This was an AWESOME place to eat & drink! The food is not your average greasy bar food,but actually,"good for you",fresh,healthy offerings. And the best part? It's all surprisingly affordable.This place has a professional chef in the kitchen & it really shows! Everything our group ordered was "out of this world good!* On top of the great menu,the drinks are cold, generous & delicious too. The bartenders,wait staff & manager all made us feel very welcomed,even though the place was busy. The owner & his wife stopped by our table too ,to check on us. Very impressed by that! Great job! * Walk away from the chain places & visit a place that really knows how to put a smile on your face. You will be so glad you did! read more

Love coming here for a unique draft, the garlic cheese curds and the bacon-onion jam that comes on the Ranger. Bartenders make great mix drinks as well and a comfortable feel amongst the patrons. Forgot to take a picture because I was too excited to eat it again. Go see for yourself read more

This place is awesome. Pretty cool atmosphere. Get the duck wontons and the ronin burger and you won't be disappointed. The fries are super good too. Quick service and friendly owner. 5 stars read more

Great new restaurant and bar in downtown. Great location in the center of everything. Good option for both lunch, dinner, or a just a drink!

Great service! The fries are DELICIOUS!!! Try them with the wasabi mayo! I also love that the have a late night menu where you can get a snack after the show at Jazz Up Front next door! read more

The food is amazing!! You have to try the duck wontons. The drinks were so creative and delicious! Definitely try this place out!

amazing food! great selection of drinks. staff is so accommodating. I would recommend to everyone!