We haven't been to Jim's for a long time! Â After tonight we will be coming back very soon. Â I ordered the big momma NY cut steak medium rare with asparagus. Â My steak was cooked perfectly and was huge! Â It was seared perfectly on the outside and juicy in the inside. Â Tons of flavor. Â You can get the asparagus grilled or steamed. Â My other half got filet with twice baked potato and French onion soup. Â He loved everything especially the twice baked potato! Â We finished off with the raspberry cheesecake with a delicious chocolate crust. Â Also had a big glass of cabernet. Â Everything was perfect. Â They turned on the fireplace and even put my fat off my steak in a doggie bag for our Dalmatians. Â Five stars all the way!
Review Source:One of the best steakhouses in town. Dark, Â white tablecloths, and knowledgeable staff who know when to help & when to leave you alone. We had a romantic date night with perfect filet mignon, buttery-soft potatoes, fresh salad, and a favorite wine. Can't say anything bad, other than the fact that I wouldn't want to ruin my memory & dine there in daylight.
Review Source:I travel for a living and have dined all over the world. Â I've been to Jim's a number of times and I think this is an excellent example of a steakhouse. Â The experienced waitstaff is super attentive, very personable.
Simple menu, done extremely well with no pretense. Â Service and quality elevates when the owner is there, but I've never had what I would consider a bad meal. Most recently, Â I had a large salad with the special house (bacon based) dressing- fantastic. Â Followed by a bone in NY strip (on special that night) that I ordered 'Pittsburgh medium rare'. Â Perfectly executed. Â Had the Lyonaise potatoes- excellent. Â Desert was cheesecake (what else would you get at a steakhouse?) that was also excellent.
After dinner, hung out in the piano bar and had a great time. Â Bar service was outstanding, johnny on the spot. Â I have never understood why some bars make you wait for a drink. Â Not at Jim's- i was served instantly.
The owner came over and introduced himself, very nice. Spent a few minutes talking politics, news of the day, etc. Â Try getting that at The Outback, or Ruth's Chris, etc, etc.
Overall an outstanding, personalized experience, well priced- I won't hesitate to go back.
I went here for a business lunch. My blackened chicken salad was good, very big and not too pricy. The things my companions got looked good as well.
Service was GREAT. Very on top of refills, asked how things were but not intrusively or too often.
The place needs a face lift but it wasn't dirty-old, and I've spent more at worse places.
In reading all the negatives reviews on this i have to ask why? We dined here tonight and i could not wait and give this place a great review. I can say that i wanted to avoid this place on the weekend because i know this is a popular place and very busy at night.I ordered a marinated sirloin and had a bowl of there chicken noodle soup and it was delicious. The steak was cooked medium and just how i liked it and it was so good , that i highly recommend getting it. My Honey got nightly special which included a lobster tail & stuffed butterfly shrimp & a big well decorated salad.Her lobster was excellent and really hit the spot. Our service was great as well and our waitress checked on us quite often and we didn't have to ask for refills which is a plus in my book. For the both of us without dessert we spent a lil over $40.00 and i was happy with that.I normally don't give a lot of 5 stars,But i feel this place deserves it.Bloomington does not have a lot of fine dining places so this would be a place in its own category. I mean this place is more of a fine dining type and it was a good experience. I would recommend this local steakhouse and i know i would go again.
Review Source:I so want to have a great steakhouse in b/n. I gladly will pay top dollar for USDA Prime beef, classic side dishes for sharing, caesar salad made tableside, mobster-style cocktails and a wine list longer than the We Are The World music video. I'm talking Ruth's Chris, Mortons, Sullivans, Capital Grille, Lawry's . . . for the love of all things foodie, I really want that in this part of the state. And this town is just snootie enough and just rich enough to support a real steakhouse.
But instead, we have a place with overrated food, unattentive service and inflated prices because they have a corner on the market for white tablecloth steak place. And what's Jim's chief competition? A place where you pay to cook your own steak and a franchise themed after Crocodile friggin' Dundee.
Before I go any further, let me apologize to Outback. They have quality food but at least they stay in their lane. They have good food at reasonable prices. They don't pretend to be an elite steakhouse. They're a family restaraunt that sells a lot of steak and has a fully-stocked bar.
The best steak in b/n is found on the grill in our backyards, boys and girls. Just go to the College Hills Meat Shop or Bloomington Meats, get the exact cut you want, and make it exactly how you like it. Don't pay for elite steakhouse dining when you're getting sub-standard fare.
Beyond that . . . I'll hang with Mick Dundee or be out on the deck enjoying a steak i just grilled, mobster drink in hand and hope that one day, Ruth, Chris and all their friends decide they can turn a profit in our fine suburb without a city attached to it.
I want to be fair to Jim's. Â We have been there a couple of times and my impression was it was just ok. Â A little bit expensive. Â To me, if I am going to spend money on steak it seems to make more sense to go to Alexanders Steak House. Â I don't get the appeal of Jim's. Â Everytime I drive by Jim's it is always packed, so someone likes it!
Review Source:Went to Jim's for the first time the other night. Very impressed by the food, the stuffed portobello with artichoke hearts is to die for! HOWEVER, I was NOT at all impressed with the service! For an upscale steak house such as Jim's they should have way better standards set for their service. Our waitress did not pay attention to our needs, and was not at all educated on the wine list. When ordering a bottle of wine, she looked at me like we were crazy and had no clue what we were talking about. To top off the night, our check was scribbled on top of someone else's check! Idk why a steak house cannot afford to have a check book and print off new checks... Made the restaurant seem very cheap and lazy. Not what you would expect when spending a good amount of money.
Aside for the horrible service and etiquette, the food was fabulous! Unfortunately, though, because the service and the way we were treated was so bad, next time I to dine in a nice restaurant, I will not be thinking of Jims...
After reading all the bad review of Jim's, I have to chime in and get the record straight. Â I grew up in Bloomington so I can tell you that if you have taste buds, Jim's is THE best steak around. Â (this doesn't sound like much of q complement given the horribly long list of chain restaurants in Bton.) whenever we go back to visit my folks, we get our fix for a delicious steak. Â I don't bother to look at the menu, I almost always order the same, petite filet medium, twice baked potato (not on the menu but trust me order one, amazing and yes heart attack on a plate but you're at a steak joint) and salad with the must have Brittany dressing...to continue the heart attack on a pate. Â Sometimes I do order the crab legs which are also unbelievable.
There are several servers who have worked here for over 15 years which is truly a sign of a great restaurant. Â I live in Chicago and have traveled much but I still say THE best aged steak is at Jims in Bloomington. Â Yes the place is dated as hell and the grandparents sing in drunken stupor around the piano bar in the late pm, but come on people, open your taste buds and people watching skills. Â Don't forget the twice baked potato!
I have eaten at Jim's twice. Â Both times were just ok.
My steak, as well as my co-workers, were overcooked and not seasoned well.
The steaks are high priced for what you get.
Augratin potatoes were the highlight of my meal. Â
Next time I am in Bloomington I am going to try a different place for dinner.
Jim's is good.
The salad dressing (bacon something or other) is incredible. I would go there and just eat salads, but it IS a steak house. So of course, I've tried their steak. Very, very flavorful and always cooked to my Medium Rare temperature request. I always get the petite filet butterflied, and it always arrives perfect. The macaroni and cheese was satisfying and we ordered it as an appetizer and everyone was able to grab a forkful. The bacon wrapped scallops were pretty good. I like my scallops a little more well done, but they were still ok. The cheesy potatoes are really, really good. But my favorite side dish has to be their baked potatoes. Just cooked awesomely.
The service is always great. The place gets a bit loud, but I think it's kind of fun like that. Kid friendly.
Jim's is just okay. I went for lunch today and I wasn't over- or underwhelmed. Decent size lunch menu but somewhat slow staff. Â I had the baked french onion soup and tossed salad with vinaigrette. Â The salad dressing was outstanding and the cheese on the soup was salty and stringy (just the way I like it). Â I did go with 9 others. Â They chose to order hot items and when the items arrived most of them were cold. Â I was satisfied with my meal but the others were not so happy.
Review Source:This was the worst steakhouse I've ever been to in my life. Â We started out by ordering a bottle of wine. When the waiter brought it to the table, the bottle was opened, and I had to ask why it was opened. He said they just opened it. I told him to get a new bottle and open in front of me. I've never heard of search bad manners. The scallop appetizer was way over-priced (2 pieces for $12), and the salad came too late. The steak was extremely mediocre and we waited long periods of time between seeing the waiter in a dimly lit restaurant. Perhaps they keep it dark to obscure the look of the food. Dessert was complementary to make up for the bottle opening fiasco, but by then, was too late. I will never go back to Jim's and I still don't understand why the people here think it's so good. Â Our triple digit bill was so not worth it. Never again.
Review Source:Looking for a good burger? They are made from scratch, seasoned well with buttery buns... the mushroom swiss is fantastic. Â Fries are nothing special, and you don't get free refills on drinks. Â The atmosphere/lighting is a little weird too. Â But if you appreciate a good burger this is at the top of the list in central illinois for made from scratch goodness.
Review Source:I have no idea how anyone can have anything bad to say about this place! The decor was tasteful and romantic. Live piano player, great layout, fire places etc... Â And I havent even gotten to the food yet! A real old school steak house. Big portions, large selection of cuts, and they cooked it right. They offered good specials, and our waiter was knowlegable about the menu. So overall a great place! Oh, and they have a really cool american flag on the roof!
Review Source:Tell someone in Bloomington that there are no real steak houses in Bloomington, and Jim's will be at the top of a long list including Texas Roadhouse, Logans Roadhouse, Lone Star, and Outback, to which I respond, I meant a traditional upscale steak house. Â Apparently, no one in Bloomington has every been to New York, Chicago, or any other large city that has actual traditional upscale steakhouses. Â There are much better chains than Jims in other cities (Sullivans, Flemings, Ruth Chris, Mortons, Weber Grill, etc). Â Just to be clear, Jim's is not upscale, nor is it a traditional steakhouse. Â It is simply decent. Â Decent service, decent steak, disappointing desserts, and horribly outdated decor. Â Baxer's is as close as you get to an upscale steakhouse in Bloomington and Swingers in Normal.
Review Source:I've been to Jim's many times. Â From what my parents say, it used to be nice. Â I've never had a good meal here. Â The highlight of my meal is always the salad with brittany dressing, but I'm able to make that at home so it's no big whoop. Â I've had chicken, fish, steak, shrimp and none have been better than what I can get elsewhere for less. Â If I'm paying $30/person, I expect the food to taste better than if we were to make it at home.
This place is usually pretty busy late afternoon/early evening for the older folks. Â You can usually get a seat without a problem around 8:00pm. Â It's a very dated atmosphere and the crowd is always full of grandparents. Â The restaurant smells musty and doesn't look very clean, this could be from the very old decor. Â The restrooms also have a foul order when you pass them on your way to the dining area.
The atmosphere at Jim's is way dated. Â To say it needs a face lift is the understatement of the decade. Â That being said, you will have trouble finding a finer steak in Bloomington-Normal than what is served at Jim's. Â Their appetizer platters are killer.
Here's where I am going to get a little ugly--fasten your seatbelts. Â I have had lunch here once. Â I ordered beef stroganoff. Â I swear the meat in the beef strokin' off was left over cooked meat from a night or three before. Â Oh no you didn't just serve me some left over slop from three nights ago. Â I will NEVER go back to Jim's unless it is for a business function that I cannot miss.
I've eaten at a lot of restaurants in the US and other countries, but I always look forward to going to Jim's for a steak (the ribeye is my choice) because theirs are the best, with great service in a comfortable atmosphere, and they serve till late in the evening.  Jim's has a full menu, nightly specials and a good selection of wines.  It also has a great bar with a piano man singing at night  and the staff and patrons make you feel welcome.  The game of the night will be on too, so you won't miss a play.  They are also open for lunch.  It is a local favorite, so try it and I'm sure you'll be back.
Review Source:Came to Bloomington for business and after one heck of a day, I decided the best way to shake the travel blues was to head out to a good steak. Â Heck, I was in cow-country! :)
Upon the recommendation of a friend who grew up here, decided to check out Jim's Steak House, and I'm sure glad I did. Â When I parked in the private lot, I could clearly already tell it was a slower night, and when I entered the restaurant, that came quite clear. Â Took a seat at the bar when Iris, the bartender, immediately came over to ask my drink order and if I wanted a dinner menu. Â Glass of wine was in front of me within 1 min and I had placed my order within 5. Â
Decided to go with the wedge salad and the New York Strip, after my first choice of Prime Rib was out for the evening. Â Now normally this would lower my rating of a restaurant, but I didn't actually get to the place until 8:45 pm, so it's only my own fault for not heading over there sooner. Â After placing my order, Iris immediately showed up with my own loaf of hot bread which I held off after eating 1 piece, to save my appetite.
Salad was within my grasp a couple mins later and can we say "blue cheese crumbles" together?! Â Awesomeness on a plate and I had to push it away 1/2 way in just to even consider eating the rest of my meal. Â Steak and potato arrived a couple mins later - steak was melt-in-my-mouth tender and the potato was smooth and creamy. Â Or course I only finish about a 1/4 of each but SO yummy.
Overall the restaurant was a great delight - the company, the food, the atmosphere. Â Definitely a treat and I would recommend to any traveler rolling through Bloomington, IL!
In Bloomington on business and this place was close to the hotel. From the outside it looks like your standard old school 1970's steak house and not a lot changes once you get inside. The bar was small and empty, but the main dinning room was packed for a Sunday night. It was very cold outside so the large fireplace was very welcoming. The decor is dark wood/red and a bit run down, but it sort of suites the place. Sort of like that old coat your Grandfather wears.
Service was friendly but a bit green. She checked on us but didn't ask about our needs without coaching. (Ordered the prime rib but she didn't ask if I wanted horseradish.) Also had little knowledge of the wine list. Drinks were small and a little weak.
The food really was the saving grace. Without the food I'd be giving it 2 or 3 stars. This is a steak house and they serve meat. That's what they do. I did order the house special salad which had a cream bacon dressing and more beacon crumbles than I think I've eaten in the last 4 years. Very tasty. The prime rib was done to perfection. The potato side left something to be desired but with the salad and prime rib I didn't really notice.
I couldn't decide between 2 or 3 stars.
I would have given this place 3 stars if I was retired, had 3 hours to kill, and loved dark dining. Â They really need to get some new lights, dust off the ones they have, and turn on the air conditioner. It wasn't that hot of an evening outside (75), but was stifling indoors.
Service: although with a smile, the waitress didn't know the wine (or port) lists, and all our potato options arrived incomplete or missing.
Not a terrible place, but for the money, I'll go elsewhere.
I went twice while I was at ISU and once it was great. Great service and great food. The next time it was awful. The food was bland and unflavorful and the service was poor. Maybe they had an off night the second time or were unusually ontop of their game the first night, I don't now. I know the parking lot was always full when I drove by and so I figured it must have been one off night when I went the second time but I prefer Jumers (although they have an inconsistency problem too).
Review Source:I wish I could say this place is better, but I can't. Â The food is not bad, that would probably get three stars if that was the only thing that mattered. Â Unfortunately, other things matter. Â The place is really rather dirty and I'm not going to comment about all of the very nasty stories I've heard about what goes on behind the scenes. The staff is indifferent, at a place like this they should wow you, but they don't do that all. Â The one nice touch is the musician in the bar. Â More places should have live entertainment like that. Â I would go there for drinks if someone twisted my arm, but NOT to eat.
Review Source:I will admit, I have not been to Jim's in several years, but that is because I saw it go from one of the nicest places I had ever been to run down, dirty, and poor service. Â Last time I was there, we had a large bug (and you know which one I mean) run across our table. Â Needless to say, I decided not to return. Â It's too bad - I loved their bacon dressing, horseshoe sandwiches, and their steaks used to be amazing. Â But the lack of cleanliness turns my stomach. Â I know that all restaurants have issues, and I'm not going to comment on things I've just heard, but what I've personally seen decided it for me.
Review Source:Tender, marinated meat is excellent; lunch sandwiches actually run around $6 and are huge portions, drinks are obviously made by veteran bartenders. Evening musical artists in the bar, expansive seating inside so that you are not quite on top of each other, but you can tell the place is large and well-populated. Dinner will run around $20 per person with drinks and desserts on top of that. I have had seafood, steaks, and sandwiches here without a complaint for any of them. Don't count on getting a seat any night Thursday-Sunday. Expansive wine selection, servers who spoil and pamper you while also understanding the amount of space needed not to stalk customers. Great for dates or taking out parents. Up-scale for just a friendly dinner.
Review Source:
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