I cannot count the number of times I've driven by Darn Good Soup and wondered to myself if it was worth a stop. Â Finally my culinary partner in crime and I decided to venture into the unknown. Â
As I walked toward the front door I was a bit nervous, as I noticed older booth-style seating, and not much of it. Â The place was packed with people, and as if the universe had known we were coming in, there was one table open. Â
I ordered the Italian wedding soup, which I've had several times in other manifestations, but it had always been made with noodles as opposed to the traditional method of using bread. Â It was very good. Â The broth was light, but full bodied and the meatballs had a nice sear on them which helped to deepen the flavor of the soup. Â I'll have to admit the bread floating around in the soup was far from beautiful, but once I ate that first spoonful it became a non-issue. Â Â
I was also able to sample the mulligatawny, chicken tortilla, and butternut squash soups thanks to my culinary counterpart. Â All three were good and you could tell they were definitely made in-house and not dumped into a warmer from a bag like some of the soup and sandwich chains we all know and love. Â
I would definitely recommend this place to someone looking for a quick bite that doesn't involve a drive-thru. Â I think I recall reading the back of an employee's shirt that said something about it being healthy and quick, which is so very true. Â Their website is updated daily with their soup selections, making it even easier to decide whether to stop by.
How have I never been here before today! Â So close to my house and so good! Â I'm a sampler, so I got 4 different kinds to bring home. Â Chicken tortilla, mulligatawny, Italian Wedding, and Butternut Squash. Â
My favorites were the chicken tortilla and the mulligatawny. Â I hate mushrooms, but in the mulligatawny they weren't even noticeable. Â Great flavors in both.
The Italian Wedding was delicious and light, just wasn't my fave because I was in the mood for a heartier soup.
The butternut squash was two carroty and needed salt. Â I've made this soup a lot at home and I prefer it without carrots at all much less a carroty flavor. Â I wouldn't get this one again.
They have such a great variety and the people that work there are really nice and quick. Â Definitely recommend.
Cool place. Â Stopped by on my way back from campus in the early evening, and the first thing I noticed when I walked in was that the kitchen is about three times bigger than the seating area. Â This isn't a negative thing, as the disparity between the two shows in the quality of their product. Â They have a ridiculous amount of types of soup, and they serve about 8-10 varieties each day. Â I'll definitely be stopping back again.
Review Source:Soup was delicious! Music was darn good, smells were good as hell, the front clerk however was in an awful mood and was completely rude. I may have found her on a bad day, but as a server at a busy restaurant here in Bloomington, sometimes you have to put your silly mood swings aside. Good food. Horrible service.
Review Source:I haven't tried the other soup place in town but I'm really happy with Darn Good Soup. The constantly changing soup menu is great and I love their fixed menu, especially their chicken tortilla soup. The ingredients are pretty quality as well, you can taste it. The owner is really kind, however the other employees don't seem nearly as nice but for a fast-food-y type restaurant I don't expect much in that area, especially in Bloomington.
Review Source:I have to agree with almost all of the other reviews that it took me a long time to finally try this place, but the soup was filling and tasted great! Â I would like if they offered a bit more than just soup because I love to eat my soup with other things, but was very happy with my experience and the meal itself. Â Great job!
Review Source:I was excited to go here to get some awesome soup in a heavy ceramic bowl with a great spoon. Instead what I got was wasteful styrofoam and plastic utensils that I felt weird about eating hot soup off of. I mean I don't want any melting plastic toxins in my soup.
While all the soups I have tried have been good. The styrofoam (literally the worst for the environment. How has Bloomington not risen up against this?!) is off putting and I won't be back. I will make my own soup at home and not pollute the world.
I've not had a soup I dislike there, and thus would be willing to try anything on the menu.
I stick to the vegetarian soups, but luckily the ever-present spinach lentil is DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS. And filling. That's the stigma with just eating soup, right? That you'll be hungry before long. Not so with this selection.
Soup nazi vibe another reviewer mentioned -- a little bit at first glance. But the guy running the place is actually super nice. Just don't ask for a sample, then it's all NO SOUP FOR YOU.
Boo for all the styrofoam and plastic. It's wasteful and detracts from the dining experience (this is probably why I don't get salads anymore -- too hard to pierce/cut raw veggies with plastic utensils). Also, would love to see something on the menu like a flight of soup. Can you imagine? I'd have to eat it from heaven, because I would die. Happy hour promo, perhaps?
I love soup. It's true. But still, what a strange concept to have not one, but two different restaurants in town devoted to it--soup is, to me, a comfort food meant to devour at home or daintily sip upon in small quantities before a restaurant meal. Boy, did Darn Good Soup change my mind about that.
With a name like Darn Good Soup, it's asking to not be taken seriously. It's a very casual place with all the choices in delicious, hearty soup you could ever want. The soup offerings change daily, and you get a choice of bread, crackers, and/or salad to accompany your big steamy bowl of deliciousness. The staff is incredibly friendly and aware of the treasure trove of flavors under their control. They'll happily pass you samples until you've found The One.
I visited Darn Good Soup on a cold, rainy day. I've gotta admit that the weather greatly influenced my opinion of the place as it was exactly what I needed. And no one will judge you here when you're slurping and sniffly over your own personal vat of hot butternut squash soup.
As far as homemade soup is concerned, this place does it pretty darn good. I visited a lot during the fall and tried many different soups including cream of mushroom, asparagus, and clam chowder. They are known for their cream of mushroom and it is very flavorful and has actual mushrooms in it. The asparagus was meh, pretty much a puree of asparagus and no other flavors really. The only thing I remember about the clam chowder was I split a small with my boyfriend (a soup hogging whore), therefore I did not get much of it.
The pros: The soup is good, they have coffee, a soda fountain and Nantucket nectars. The service is always good, and I always have found a seat. A piece of a baguette comes with every soup with a choice of white or multi-grain. Soup is pretty much the menu, with a few packaged salad choices. No chicken fingers, French fries, hamburgers.
The cons: No samples, no ceramic bowls, no silver spoons. I really have a problem eating a soup that is held at 145 degrees with a plastic spoon. I would really enjoy this place a lot more if I could eat out of an actual bowl not Styrofoam and a real spoon. I understand less dishes...but it is kind of hazardous, yum bpa.
I will continue to go here, but dammit only if I can remember my spoon from home. Support the owner though, he is nice and is a hardworking chef with a dream. In addition, his music selection is stuck in the 80s and I always feel like I should be in a pink one-piece on a pastel surfboard.
I usually don't get excited about soup, but WOW. This place is awesome. Try the sausage and pepper. Or anything else, for that matter! It's too bad they don't have more space and seating, but we've not really had a problem getting in at lunch time. Nice portions, reasonable prices, and plenty of options for people with different culinary preferences (vegetarian, gluten free, so on). The salads and bread are ok, but not really my thing. Just go for the soup, you won't be disappointed!
Review Source:I was slow in trying these guys out...I mean, it's soup, right? So what? WELL! I was mistaken! Since diving in, this has become a weekly go to for me and my family. I have had nothing here that wasn't reeaaaalllllyyyy good, but there are a few notables: The Chili is to die for, and the Carrot Ginger is out of this world! There are vegetarian and Vegan options as well, and they have also been excellent! Darn Good Soup INDEED!
Small tweaks to make it even better? Samples! Gluten-Free listed on the menu (though the counter staff is VERY quick to confirm and answer all questions).
While waiting at the counter, pay attention to the music playing overhead, these guys are Tom Waits fans.
I used to be a huge fan of Darn Good Soup- until the last three times I saw their daily soups posted on Facebook, drove across town for a specific soup, and then be told that they are sold out. Â UGH! Â I have traveled across town TWICE for their Lobster Bisque, which they rarely offer, and both times had to settle for something else because they were sold out. Â (and this isn't even a late lunch, I'm talking between the hours of 12 and 1pm!) Â So sad! Â Their chicken tortilla is decent, that's usually my "go to" when they are out of the one that I want. Â Stay away from the Broccoli Cheddar. Â It was awful.
Review Source:Ok. Let's be honest. When you name a soup "the best cream of mushroom, ever", with ever underlined, it better live up to the title. Sadly, theirs didn't. The mushroom soup (as well as the majority of soups I've had at Darn Good) was way too thick. In addition, the guy in charge thinks he's God's gift to Bloomington (as if it's a privilege for you to taste his creations) and some of the staff is downright rude. The soup at Soups On is much better, and the people much friendlier. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place.
Review Source:Ammaaaazing soup. I got the shrimp gumbo chowder and it was inspiring. I savored every bite and lifted the bowl to the mouth to get every last drop down the hatch.
There is very limited menu. Just soup white or wheat bread and salads. But if you come here you're only coming here for one thing only and that's soup. They interchange the menu daily and i'm pretty sure they keep their website updated as to what is special that day so make sure to check that out.
Every time i'm in Btown this will be on the top of my list for lunch joints for sure. Thank you Darn Good Soup.
Soup was pretty good. However, it was not worth the money. Too expensive, and not a huge selection. I was hoping for a selection of sandwiches or at least one. No toppings (no cheese, onions, ouster crackers) for the chili. I paid $9 for 16oz of chili, a drink and a very small piece of bread.
Review Source:Wow. Â
When I saw the name I expected some cutesy, stupid shop that was all about being "darn good" in a Judy Cleaver sort of way. Â
I'm pretty glad how wrong I was. Â
Instead, the atmosphere is a little bit soup nazi, a little bit diner, a little bit cute and a lot of good. Â
There's not much to say, other than the soup is fantastic. Â They've nailed it. Â I had the potato leek and it was one of the best potato soups I've ever tasted. Â My boyfriend got the chili, which was also great, but nothing compared to mine. Â I felt like the soup had that certain umami to it, minus the MSG and bloat. Â
I wish they gave bigger pieces of bread, though :)
Yum! Â Sorry but I gotta go for the obvious line here that their soup is darn good! Â Lots of creative soup options as well as some standbys. Â Vegetarian and vegan options are clearly marked which is a HUGE plus in my book. Â My favorite soup so far is the Potato Poblano, but I don't think you can go wrong. Â I do wish they would give you a little more bread but that's probably just my love of carbs speaking.
Review Source:Delicious!
Darn Good Soup is a great addition to the local eateries in Bloomington. The soup is filling (you don't need a sandwich), the service/seating area are unpretentious, and there are a few additional options if you want a little more than "just soup" (salad, cookies).
I felt like my soup could have been poured out of the styrofoam cup into a nice glass bowl, served at a classy restaurant, and nobody would have known any better. Who needs a fancy bowl, anyway? I'll keep the change and eat my soup. :)
Quite possibly the best bowl of soup I've had!
I had the chicken tortilla - the soup was well-seasoned and didn't have too much broth. With the accompanying whole-wheat baguette, the bowl of soup was enough for a meal by itself.
The menu is almost exclusively soups, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It was fun to eat at a restaurant with such a specific niche, a niche they do incredibly. I'm already planning on making it a point to come back for future trips to Bloomington! Go here!
Soup. Usually five veggie/vegan choices, maybe five more that aren't. You get a slice of baguette, white or whole wheat, free (get the butter at the counter to the side).
It's darn good soup. Thick. The kind that your spoon stands straight up. Well-seasoned, but not overly so. Fresh. Tasty. Stays hot. Served in styrofoam cups, Med and Large. Their cookies are better still, altho expensive. This is my first five-star rating. I'm a paid critic in another industry for a living. I'm harsh, a skeptic, and am highly trained to cut things to ribbons, including very fine hairs. I can say, without equivocation, that it's great soup. Don't expect anything else (except drinks) here. You get soup, and after two dozen samples, it's great soup. Note that my selections have been only of the veggie/vegan type. Omnivores that have sampled with me agree with me, anecdotally.
My boss is a hard man to please, but for the past three weeks he has continually come in to the office and raved about this place, bragging about all the soups he ate. One of my coworkers said "Don't you need a sandwich or something?" and he said "No, you don't understand. These soups are so delicious and hearty you do not need a  sandwich at all."
And, well, I agree with him.
I was feeling under the weather today (thanks, fall, giving me a cold!) and really wanted nothing more than a warm bowl of soup. As I was begrudgingly blowing my nose and attempting to locate what I had to make a soup, I recalled what my boss said. And I thought--you know, it's a straight shot from my apartment to where it's at; I might as well run there, get some soup to take home, and try it.
When I showed up, they were in the process of making a fresh batch of Chicken Tortilla and Mulligitawny -- while I had been hoping to get the chicken tortilla after checking the website, I shrugged and asked if I could taste test the Zucchini Pesto (as I have a passion for anything Zucchini). The guy at the counter grinned--apparently if there's no line, you can try any soup you want, and hey, there was no line! So I tried it and was immediately -delighted-. It was delicious. I got some soup (with a wheat baguette), some salad, Â a drink, and went home.
The place was small and cute -- the price was good, I feel, for how much food I got (Seriously, this is a whole meal--I didn't even need the salad; like my boss said, for a good soup you do not need a sandwich) for under ten dollars. And the soup was fresh, felt like it had been lovingly made. The service was good too - -the guy behind the counter was fantastic, and the chef who talked to me too was really a good guy.
I highly suggest it.
A-OK at what they do! The soups are fantastic, they have vibrant "clean" tastes and the texture/ratios are well done. I've only had the chicken tortilla and butternut squash/coconut but loved both.
The only thing is they need to expand their menu a little bit, my suggestion would to be add maybe 3 or 4 really well done sandwiches or maybe offer some cheesy garlic bread as an option. I don't eat here very often because while the soup is excellent, it keeps you full for about 2 hours at the most...not very cost effective.
This good was better that darn good it was great! Â I had the mulligatawny soup and it was delicious (though apparently it was supposed to have tart green apples and I didn't taste any). Â Still amazing soup and the "Best" Cream of mushroom ever lives up to its name.
Huge chunks of chicken, full slices of mushroom, YUM. This is not like some soups where you are not sure what or where the ingredients came from.
If you are deciding whether to go for great soup that is the end of the post all you need to know is go!
Now my concerns first of all. Â It is really just soup. No sandwiches and limited salads. Â I mean it is almost summer and it is going to be hot. Â The students are gone and I just hope they are prepared to make it till fall. Hopefully they have cold soup and outdoor seating for the summer but they should start advertising that now. Secondly, styrofoam, come on! If I eat in I want a bowl for the satisfying clink of eating and finishing a delicious bowl of soup. To go Styrofoam is alright but I would still rather paper.
To end great soup but I stick by my above issues and really hope they can make it!
The soup is darn good. If you want soup, go here. The selection is large and offers many vegetarian and vegan options. The Squash and Shrimp Bisque was fantastic. The borscht, amazing. The cheddar broccoli was great and I'm usually not a fan of cheddar broccoil. Cream of Mushroom? Duh. Winning! The only one I've had so far that's been a little underwhelming is the Mulligatawny, which is flavorful but contains dry  chicken that looked as if it had been cut from a loaf of pre-cooked chicken rather than simmered in the soup, thus picking up the flavors and staying moist.
Unfortunately, my soup cravings and those of my friends are few and far between and lessen the warmer it gets, so I hope this place is able to survive in the spring/summer months. This is a great carry-out option if you work nearby, but I agree that a sandwich or two on the menu might further entice lunchers.
The service is friendly and the music playing is good, but it's not a terribly comfortable place to stay and have lunch if you happen to be tall or large (or, God forbid, both), as the booths are those hard unmovable wood types that are often too tiny for people of height and/or girth to fit in without kicking their partners repeatedly under the table or without said table digging into their guts. Note to anyone starting new food businesses: Don't alienate the fatties (who are often more likely to want to pay for your food on a regular basis) with uncomfortable unrealistic seating options. ;)
I am a soup slut. A piping hot bowl of goodness can turn any day upside down and shake its change out all over the floor. So when I saw that there was a soup spot opening (reminiscent of Soupbox that I loved so much in Chicago), I was quite excited.
So far I have been to DGS five times and I feel that it is "great success". I have tried four different soups and have yet to be disappointed. There are many vegetarian and some vegan options, and there is always a variety of flavor. The lentil spinach is wonderful. The white bean has sage undertones and is a hearty meal on its own. The chicken vegetable is surprisingly complex and filling, and the chicken tortilla has interesting cumin/garlic stuff coagulating.
When I told a foodie friend that I went to DGS on its opening day, he asked if I could taste the local water in the soup. You most definitely can't even though B-ton's water is quite distinct. Obviously these soups are simmering and developing the right kind of flavor. The lines are getting long and I am sure the word it spreading fast. Go to DGS for a quick, hearty, inexpensive meal.
Btw, the 16 oz containers hold a lot of soup. I can put a fair amount of food away but have yet to tackle that size.
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