$73 to eat tuna that's still frozen and a hamburger cooked a few days ago. I think it's also dangerous to serve certain things; you risk poisoning people. Fortunately, there are many restaurants in Bloomington with people who know how to cook. I'm speechless.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Shawn Gusciora
Lovely outdoor seating and delightful cocktails await you at Reality Bites. We enjoyed the Seared Tuna and Pork Potstickers appetizers. The Harvest Salad from the seasonal menu was also very tasty. The chicken on the El Bandido salad was tough- won’t order that again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
257demitric
Really unfriendly bartender, no greeting, not friendly at all, ordered a burger medium rare, came char-broiled well, dry, no lettuce and tomato, had to ask for it, sent it back, without side of fries, had to wait for them. Change of shift drag, new bartender friendly, but too late. I had an awful experience. Second time visiting there, won't go again.
Denise Amundson
Food and service were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica McGaughy
The cocktail/mocktail menu is wonderful and well-stocked with seasonal offerings. I had a buffalo chicken sandwich on this visit (w/o bun) and it was OK - chicken was a bit overdone but the flavor was good. My conpanion had a burger and said it was very well seasoned and dressed. We enjoyed the seared tuna and goat cheese balls as appetizers - both were quite good! Service is always excellent and we will return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Draconis _Margot
Wonderful place! This was my first time here, and the food was amazing. I had the Ex Boyfriend (the drink in the picture) it's a perfect light drink if you like drinks on the sweeter side. The party I was with shared many of the menu appetizers, and all were a HIT! Especially the spinach and artichoke dip, along with the bacon wrapped dates.
Excellent food and great service. Got three apps to share - flatbread with bbq chicken & elite, spring rolls, bacon wrapped dates. All good. And we all liked our entrees (tacos, scallops, salad). 7/17/2025 - above was written 3 years ago. This noon we had small plates - burnt ends flatbread, goat cheese balls, and bacon-wrapped dates. All tasty, flatbread was amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Koets
Great locally owned business that is pet friendly. Owner saw me outside with my dog and brought her a treat. Dog bowls available on the sidewalk. I bring a collapsible set for my girl, but other people might want public bowls.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rich Paeth
Yummy, a bit pricey, great 414 Burger, just wish the egg wasn't fully cooked
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carrie Holliday
Mid level food for a premium price. This town has much better options, go somewhere else for a nice lunch or dinner
Nice little place in downtown Bloomington. I was traveling by myself and needed a place to stop for a light dinner. The drinks were great, and the food I had was fantastic. The food I had were small plates, so perfect for one. The bartender was friendly and the service was perfect. I know I will be back next time I am through town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Tuna
Stephen Farrell
Not a tapas place as described. Food was very bland. None of the 4 people I was with were impressed. Cocktails seemed half-hearted and the service was disinterested. Curious to have a deposit for reservations when we got there at peak time on a Saturday the place was half empty…guess that tells you a lot.
Yaya Badu
My husband and I graduated from ISU in 2013, and haven’t been back in YEARS. We decided to roam downtown for a quick bite after a hockey game in town. Someone commented on Reality Bites being good, so we decided to walk in and give it a shot. It was 9PM and their kitchen would be closing soon but the waitress (Jade) sat us down and gave us the absolute best service.
Vibe: Super nice and very sophisticated. Think… Sex and The City (tv show) vibes. Super chic, yet still cool.
Food: Everything you’d want on a date night. Appetizers, wraps, salads and burgers. I had the chicken wrap with sweet potato fries, my husband and FIL got the 414 Burger and my MIL got an apricot salad. All delicious. Bang bang shrimp was so good (little spicy, per the name lol), and the bacon wrapped dates are my new favorite thing ever.
Service: Jade was the absolute best. She made the whole experience. She was prompt, sweet, and so thoughtful. She made us feel like we were VIPs despite me feeling underdressed for the establishment’s vibe. That right there is A1 service!
All in all, I can’t wait to visit Blono again just to visit Reality Bites. I think it’s the perfect place for a girls night out, a date night, or a late night bite with your family. 🩵
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Bang Bang Shrimp, Sweet Potato Fries
Jake Hieser
Had a really good time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bill Peradotti
Made a reservation for the family on Valentines Day. We showed up and they placed us at a high top seating 4. We asked for a high chair for our toddler and it did not reach the high top. We asked if we could get swapped with a different table and they said no (even though there were other 4 seater tables that weren’t high top open at the time). We had to leave. Likely won’t be coming back. Not family friendly and we’re not willing to make a very reasonable accommodation.
$73 to eat tuna that's still frozen and a hamburger cooked a few days ago. I think it's also dangerous to serve certain things; you risk poisoning people. Fortunately, there are many restaurants in Bloomington with people who know how to cook. I'm speechless.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Lovely outdoor seating and delightful cocktails await you at Reality Bites. We enjoyed the Seared Tuna and Pork Potstickers appetizers. The Harvest Salad from the seasonal menu was also very tasty. The chicken on the El Bandido salad was tough- won’t order that again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Really unfriendly bartender, no greeting, not friendly at all, ordered a burger medium rare, came char-broiled well, dry, no lettuce and tomato, had to ask for it, sent it back, without side of fries, had to wait for them. Change of shift drag, new bartender friendly, but too late. I had an awful experience. Second time visiting there, won't go again.
Food and service were great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The cocktail/mocktail menu is wonderful and well-stocked with seasonal offerings. I had a buffalo chicken sandwich on this visit (w/o bun) and it was OK - chicken was a bit overdone but the flavor was good. My conpanion had a burger and said it was very well seasoned and dressed. We enjoyed the seared tuna and goat cheese balls as appetizers - both were quite good! Service is always excellent and we will return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Wonderful place! This was my first time here, and the food was amazing. I had the Ex Boyfriend (the drink in the picture) it's a perfect light drink if you like drinks on the sweeter side. The party I was with shared many of the menu appetizers, and all were a HIT! Especially the spinach and artichoke dip, along with the bacon wrapped dates.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Mashed Potatoes, Goat Cheese Balls with Berry Sauce, Teriyaki Chicken
Excellent food and great service. Got three apps to share - flatbread with bbq chicken & elite, spring rolls, bacon wrapped dates. All good. And we all liked our entrees (tacos, scallops, salad).
7/17/2025 - above was written 3 years ago. This noon we had small plates - burnt ends flatbread, goat cheese balls, and bacon-wrapped dates. All tasty, flatbread was amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great locally owned business that is pet friendly. Owner saw me outside with my dog and brought her a treat. Dog bowls available on the sidewalk. I bring a collapsible set for my girl, but other people might want public bowls.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yummy, a bit pricey, great 414 Burger, just wish the egg wasn't fully cooked
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mid level food for a premium price. This town has much better options, go somewhere else for a nice lunch or dinner
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice little place in downtown Bloomington. I was traveling by myself and needed a place to stop for a light dinner. The drinks were great, and the food I had was fantastic. The food I had were small plates, so perfect for one. The bartender was friendly and the service was perfect. I know I will be back next time I am through town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Tuna
Not a tapas place as described. Food was very bland. None of the 4 people I was with were impressed. Cocktails seemed half-hearted and the service was disinterested. Curious to have a deposit for reservations when we got there at peak time on a Saturday the place was half empty…guess that tells you a lot.
My husband and I graduated from ISU in 2013, and haven’t been back in YEARS. We decided to roam downtown for a quick bite after a hockey game in town. Someone commented on Reality Bites being good, so we decided to walk in and give it a shot. It was 9PM and their kitchen would be closing soon but the waitress (Jade) sat us down and gave us the absolute best service.
Vibe: Super nice and very sophisticated. Think… Sex and The City (tv show) vibes. Super chic, yet still cool.
Food: Everything you’d want on a date night. Appetizers, wraps, salads and burgers. I had the chicken wrap with sweet potato fries, my husband and FIL got the 414 Burger and my MIL got an apricot salad. All delicious. Bang bang shrimp was so good (little spicy, per the name lol), and the bacon wrapped dates are my new favorite thing ever.
Service: Jade was the absolute best. She made the whole experience. She was prompt, sweet, and so thoughtful. She made us feel like we were VIPs despite me feeling underdressed for the establishment’s vibe. That right there is A1 service!
All in all, I can’t wait to visit Blono again just to visit Reality Bites. I think it’s the perfect place for a girls night out, a date night, or a late night bite with your family. 🩵
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bacon Wrapped Dates, Bang Bang Shrimp, Sweet Potato Fries
Had a really good time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Made a reservation for the family on Valentines Day. We showed up and they placed us at a high top seating 4. We asked for a high chair for our toddler and it did not reach the high top. We asked if we could get swapped with a different table and they said no (even though there were other 4 seater tables that weren’t high top open at the time). We had to leave. Likely won’t be coming back. Not family friendly and we’re not willing to make a very reasonable accommodation.
Service: 1
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