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    The Owlery Restaurant

    4.3 (375 reviews)

    The Owlery Restaurant Photos

    THE OWLERY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

    Recommended Reviews - The Owlery Restaurant

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    Sandwiches: BLT, Mushroom, Chicken.
    Lynn N.

    We were recommended the nachos and it did not disappoint. It came with corn chips, vegan or cheddar cheese, cashew queso, black beans, pico de gallo, shredded romaine lettuce, pickled red onions, creamy cayenne-lime sauce. The cashew queso was the best part, with great flavor. The fries (regular and sweet potato) were also favorites at the table. The sandwiches were underwhelming. The BLT tofu bacon sandwich was dry. The server was friendly and attentive. They got pretty busy during Saturday lunch hours. There wasn't a dedicated parking lot so we found street parking nearby.

    Coconut macadamia tofu
    Krysha M.

    Traveling from Indy to Evansville for a wedding, I remembered that The Owlery is mentioned frequently in veg*an groups as being a great place to go if you're in/near Bloomington...and I must say the advice was NOT wrong! We loved the Owlery so much on our first visit that we returned again at the end of the weekend for brunch on our way home! First off, our server Sydny was absolutely delightful - and we were so happy that they got to serve us on both trips! They were so patient and kind - and humored me when I wanted to try ALL of the things on the menu and all of the sweets in the case. On our first visit (Friday afternoon lunch), we opted for the coconut macadamia tofu as an app - and my omni husband freaked all the way out at how good it was. Seriously good. Our sandwiches (the Chick'n sandwich and the BLT add avocado) were also delish - and we ended up swapping plates mid way through to share them. They have a lot of fun, local drafts and ciders, too - and fancy coffee, etc. if that is more your jam. We were told that Sunday brunch was even BETTER, so of course we had to come back through again on our way home. OMG the BnG and banana pancakes and Vegan Benny... I cannot tell you how worth it they are! Again, my husband seeks out meat any chance he can - and even HE loved all of these dishes!! He admitted that this was one of his most memorable and delicious brunches in recent memory. We also picked a selection of sweet treats to go - a chocolate topped rice krispie, some cupcakes, and all sorts of things - and they were also super tasty! We cannot wait to get back to The Owlery any chance we can! Indy DEFINITELY needs this in our lives up here, too!

    The menu
    Mark W.

    Awesome vegetarian food on the square in Bloomington. This was my 2nd time experiencing tofu and Seitan in unique ways. We were 4 today and everyone really enjoyed the meals. Don't get in a hurry here, especially at a busy time because this food only gets made great by a small kitchen crew. The vibe is nice and they have a nice selection of beverages from beer to tea. 2 tables outside but it was raining so we ate at the big table in the middle of the room. I had a Reuben with real Swiss and a tasty sauerkraut along with the fried Seitan! Loved it.

    BBQ sub with sweet potato fries
    Leslie W.

    The Owlery has been in my Yelp Collection and on my to try list for some time now. I finally had a chance to drop in for lunch recently on a midweek getaway to Bloomington. My friend and I arrived around 2 pm after a morning of travel and a brewery stop. And we were definitely ready for some food. The restaurant is fairly small (narrow but long) bit we had plenty of space between us and the other few late diners. I went with the BBQ sub and sweet potato fries. Travel pal had the red onion jam sandwich (with local dairy cheese) and poutine w/cheese curds. I enjoyed my food although the sub roll was a bit dense. The poutine was a highlight for my friend. The Owlery has an amazing counter dollar of desserts to have there or take home. I couldn't resist a huge peanut butter rice crispy topped with chocolate to take for later. Pro-tip - don't refrigerate. It was 10x better at room temp (& much easier to eat). I'd like to try out their brunch which has great buzz about it. Maybe on my next trip to IU!

    Inside the restaurant
    Sophie P.

    I was skeptical because I am FAR from vegetarian. But my boyfriend knows I'm picky these days about restaurants and ingredient lists, so we thought we'd give The Owlery a try. I loved the inside of the restaurant! It was very small, but clean and well-maintained. Didn't care for the indie music, but that's purely personal taste, and I'm not the target demographic anyway. I had the Mushroom Banh Mi sandwich, and WOW. It was probably on my top 10 list of best sandwiches I've ever had. It so spicy that it was literally painful, but I didn't stop because the flavor was SO good. I took the jalapeños off the second half, and that turned the spice down a lot. $16 sounds crazy for a sandwich without meat, but it was so good, I actually think it was worth it. 5/5 stars, will be returning with friends and family.

    John B.

    As someone who uses the owl as a totemic animal and is drowning in owl memorabilia, and as a lifelong vegetarian, this restaurant appears to have been created just for me. I was surprised to find this place in Bloomington Indiana packed for brunch; I didn't realize there were so many local owl fans who also happen to be vegetarians. But I waited out the crowd and secured a table. They had a menu of fairly classic American brunch veganized, and though they were out of a couple of items towards the end of the day, they had what I wanted: a bowl of mostly whole food ingredients. My lentil hash with various greens and peppers over potatoes had the option of eggs or tofu as a side. My tofu was delicious, and the bowl was an impressive meal. I wish I could have ordered a side or something, but I don't think I had room for it. I was offered a choice of hot sauces, which failed to materialize, but despite not ideal service, the food itself required no additional flavor, with the rich and hearty mix leaving me with no thoughts of what else I might have ordered. Having said that, their dinner menu looked impressive.

    Owlery Nachos - plenty to share!
    Kristine H.

    We always enjoy our dining experiences at The Owlery as it's our go-to spot to dine with our adult daughters who all follow a vegan lifestyle. We've tried many of the menu offerings -- too many to name them all -- but on our last visit, we enjoyed the: Coconut Macadamia Tofu, Owlery Nachos, Jerk Tofu Tacos with sweet potato fries (so yummy) and the Red Onion Jam sandwich with side of Impossible chili. As always, everything was fresh and delicious! We also treated ourselves to several of their baked goods to go home with which were all tasty!

    cute space, limited outdoor seating
    Sydney P.

    grilled cheese and nachos. Great service. Good flavor. Personally, I' m more of a carmelized onion on gc girl versus arugula but still good.

    Ellie G.

    Great spot for vegans and vegetarians. Very filling. Nice staff. Indoor and outdoor seating.

    Poutine
    KD T.

    I had a half serving of poutine with sweet potato fries and real cheese curds, and a vegan brownie for dessert. Everything was delicious. The server was the friendliest person ever and they gave me great tips on how much to order in relation to my appetite. My only complaint was that they don't serve decaf, which would have been great with the brownie.

    Loaded Nachos from around Covid times.

    Fair warning, I am a chef with a background in vegan cooking. I have to say that over the course of the 3 years that I've lived in Bloomington I believe the Owlerys food hasn't really become impressive to me with the exception of perhaps the loaded nachos. I've went on multiple occasions with friends and family, and I'm a big foodie when it comes to vegan friendly places, so I am sharing bites from other plates of what people order. The food is simply not worth the price tag in my opinion. The plating is beautiful, Instagram worthy, and the vibe of the place is perfect for the downtown. But I can't help feel the food is simply lacking spices- and not spices in the in-your-face way, but tiny amounts to build nuances, something I find almost necessity when it comes to vegan cooking. I digress. I really want to love this place, and maybe it meets the standards for most people. For me, most of the menu comes off as bland or lack of creativity. Attached: Old pictures from Covid times of the Nachos.

    Vegan Mac and cheese
    Jennifer R.

    The drive was worth it! We went to Nashville for an overnight trip but they had no vegan foo to offer! So yo Bloomington we went! The vegan chicken tender wrap was our FAV! Fried tofu and the best vegan ranch ever! The fries were amazing also! The nachos were awesome! Vegan queso and beans! So good! Definitely 5 stars!

    Chicken Ranch Club with Poutine and a Ginger Ale
    Jeremiah C.

    Don't let vegan throw you off, this place is doing it right and bringing something unique to Bloomington. This is a must try if you are looking for something light or heavy. I showed up hungry, so I went with heavy. Many local beers to choose from along with coffee, tea, and soda. Low key atmosphere with a wonderful staff. Chicken Ranch Club is fantastic! The tofo tastes like, if not better than, chicken itself. Wrap was very filling and fresh. The poutine is a must if you are in the mood for something savory and filling.

    Pesto Portabella Sandwich

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    3 years ago

    Great vegan restaurant with lots of options. I always make sure to stop here when I'm in Bloomington!

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    2 years ago

    Very good vegetarian/vegan restaurant that even my vegetable hating, mid-western eating parents enjoyed.

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - The Owlery Restaurant

    The Tap

    The Tap

    4.0
    (432 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    I've been to the tap many a time - but this particular visit I was focused on the fries. See - I…read morewas on a quest to find the best fry in Bloomington. So here's how the tap came out: It was a busy Saturday night. Easy to grab a high top, but being over 30 - it's not fun sitting on a bar stool. That's fine. The service - like I said, they were busy. But one of my friends never even got his drink, and he ended up telling the waitress to cancel it because we were already eating our fries. The fries - - 4 dipping sauces equals 5 stars! Love the ability to try different flavors and find your fav. My fav is the pesto aioli because its unique! I give the seasoning 4 stars, and it was a little heavy handed, and kind of overpowered the sauces. Texture was good, some were a lil soggy, overall they were good! I've had the other food at the tap, and always enjoyed myself. Definitely worth a visit - but be prepared if they're super slammed!

    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!

    Photos
    The Tap
    Tex Mex Steak Wrap
    Tex Mex Steak Wrap
    Brewberry Crunch Beer

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    Brewberry Crunch Beer
    Farm Bloomington

    Farm Bloomington

    3.4
    (860 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    GREAT RESTAURANT FOR A WEDDING REHEARSAL DINNER IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA…read more================================================== My son and his wife reserved the back room at Farm Bloomington on Friday, June 19, 2026 and it was very nice. Our group of about forty filled the room. My daughter-in-law put some things on the tables which was a nice touch. We had a set menu with appetizers and main course options along with two drink coupons each. The room was very nice, the food was good and the service was great. I would highly recommend booking this room for a large group.

    $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 :(

    Photos
    Farm Bloomington
    Scallop ceviche
    Scallop ceviche
    Broiled cheese on toast

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    Broiled cheese on toast
    Nick's English Hut

    Nick's English Hut

    3.8
    (411 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Nick's English Hut
    Biz fries
    Biz fries
    Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating
    Malibu Grill

    Malibu Grill

    3.7
    (353 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Malibu Grill is one of those places that feels stitched into the identity of Bloomington. It's not…read morejust a restaurant, it's a downtown staple with a lively, slightly upscale energy that works just as well for date nights as it does for celebrations. The food never misses. The ahi tuna is absolutely fantastic--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully done every time. And the filet sliders are a must: tender, rich, and perfectly indulgent. What really sets Malibu apart, though, is the people. Owner JB (John Bailey) has created something special here, and it shows in every detail. The staff is consistently excellent, and Tyler at the bar is one of our favorites--always welcoming and on point. Great food, great atmosphere, and genuinely great people. This is one of those iconic Bloomington spots that keeps you coming back.

    Disappointing! We had a reservation for Valentine's Day. We showed up on time, checked in, and were…read moretold it would be "just a few minutes." Turns out "a few minutes" meant an hour. Other guests were frustrated with the poor planning and left, but we stuck it out because the weather was bad and, well, we figured a reservation should actually mean something. Then came the food wait. We ordered quickly and still waited another hour and a half. The cherry on top was that the takeout containers wouldn't even close properly. The food was okay. Dry. I would rather go somewhere else. We won't be back.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Pan Seared Filet Medallions with mashed potatoes and asparagus!
    Pan Seared Filet Medallions with mashed potatoes and asparagus!
    Bar area

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    Bar area

    The Owlery Restaurant - vegan - Updated August 2026

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