It’s that time of year again: the start of the spring semester. IU students, old and new, are pulled back into another round of classes, clothes and textbooks. Of course, your parents have come with you to send you off for the semester; naturally, they want to eat with you and see where you live.
You can’t eat at any random chain; you need to show them the best the town has to offer: an original Bloomington restaurant! Luckily, the IDS has got you covered with these five restaurants (in no particular order), which you can have in your back pocket for all your dining emergencies.
Nick’s English Hut
One of Bloomington’s most iconic locations, the bustling crowd is a testament to its popularity. Their multiple rooms — each individually themed — give the pub the appearance of an Old English tavern and quickly fill up on game day.
Their specials include quesadillas, stromboli, pizza and Italian beef – not to mention their famous Sink the Biz fries. Customers over 21 can indulge in a game of the same name, “Sink the Biz.” A large metal bucket is filled with beer and a shot glass, titled the “biz,” floats on top. Players compete to fill the glass without sinking it, each person pouring just a little more alcohol in. Should they sink it, they must down the entire shot of beer. Those not of age can simply enjoy the fries, which come in the same size metal bucket.
Mother Bear’s Pizza
Mother Bear’s is a Bloomington tradition – read the writing on the wall, literally. The walls of Mother Bear’s are littered with signatures, phrases and history dating back generations. College students from years past have left their mark, as will college students still to come, so dig into this tradition, as well as their famous pizza.
Concoctions such as Dante’s Inferno, The Big Cheese and The West Side Story add a little bit of style to the deliciousness of the pizza. (Treasure of Monte Cristo and the Divine Swine are favorites in my family). However, Mother Bear’s welcomes customers who don’t find what they’re looking for to be bold and build their own perfect pizza by experimenting with various flavors.
Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream
Bub’s might look like a hole in the wall; however, it is anything but. From the moment you walk in, you are greeted with pictures of risk takers who have successfully eaten “The Big Ugly,” an entire pound of cow meat cooked and placed on a bun for diners’ enjoyment. Each new customer is offered an opportunity to undertake the challenge and be immortalized on their wall of successful burger daredevils.
Others may find the challenge of an Uno game to be more appealing, waiting at every table for you and your family and friends. You can eat AND play cards! What more could you want? And should you still not be satisfied, luscious shakes are waiting to guide you to dessert heaven.
BuffaLouie’s
If a restaurant doesn’t have a complete mural of IU legends staring at its guests, can it even call itself a Bloomington restaurant? BuffaLouie’s certainly can. Its vast mural displays IU’s proud history through figures as varied as Hoagy Carmichael, Herman B. Wells and famous basketball coaches Branch McCracken and Bob Knight (with his iconic chair, of course), making it clear to sports fans exactly whose team they are on.
Should there be any doubt, BuffaLouie’s vast wall of IU memorabilia and pennants proves its loyalty, daring any other team’s fan to cheer. Not only is BuffaLouie’s a proud IU supporter, but its large variety of wings and sauces is famous for tastiness. So grab a drink, grab some wings – or their especially scrumptious mac and cheese – and cheer as loudly as you can for the cream and crimson of old IU. The ghosts of its past are backing you up.
Runcible Spoon
If IU graduates from 20 years ago are still recommending this place, you know it must be good and the food does not disappoint. Early-morning risers, brunch aficionados, lunch-is-breakfast serial alarm clock rejects and dinner crowds all find their new swear-by dishes at this restaurant built into a house.
Not only does Runcible Spoon provide excellent food, but its atmosphere is not to be beaten. Its eclectic collection of mementos, posters and old books lining every leftover corner allows diners to bask in the homey atmosphere while speculating on each object’s origin story. It is impossible to decipher each object in one visit, inevitably leading to a return.
