Last night my girlfriend and I were looking for some late night grub and after some quick yelping discovered Reality Bites. We had been out at an a Capella performance at the nearby university which went a bit longer than expected so with its description of being open till 2 AM and handful of good reviews we ventured to the restaurant. Upon entering the place I was immediately looking forward to ordering because it had that small bar vibe that promised a great dining experience and we were not disappointed. We arrived around 11:40 only to find out from the man who appeared to be the owner that the kitchen was in fact closed. He greeted us with open arms and proceeded to grab the guy sitting next to him at the bar and inform us that he was one of his chefs and that they would do whatever they could to get us food. Wow! So even with a closed kitchen we were welcomed into the environment and continue on with our night amazed at how hospitable the service was. It only improved from there once we ordered the goat cheese balls, spinach and artichoke dip which the girlfriend said was yummy except for a little too much garlic and my delicious pork tacos. Overall, the service by Matt, willingness to help fill our bellies from the other Matt and friendly nature of the restaurant captured our hearts and our stomachs. We will be back again whenever we are in the area. I can promise you that.
Review Source:I have to give another 5 star review. Â Reality Bites was very accommodating considering I made reservations via email. Â We had to exchange emails twice to get a seating time of 6:15PM on Saturday night for two. Â However, we were going to be well more than an hour late but I was able to once again send them an email prior to our seating to let them know to release our reservations. Â Thankfully they replied to let them know when we were on the way and they'd fit us in. Â That's exceptional service in my book.
With about 20 minutes notice I emailed them again telling them we were on our way. Â When we walked in the Manager / Door Man asked, "are you the email guy" :-). Â I smiled and apologized for the tardiness, etc. Â The manager was able to seat us at a table in the window without a wait. Â The place was pretty busy at 8:30PM but I really loved the atmosphere.
We actually stopped by Eleven just before for some tapas and cocktails, then had to try Reality Bites. Â I've been meaning to come here for several years. Â We ordered tacos but the server was able to give us one of each: One Pork,m One Fish, and One Salmon. Â They were very good and filling. Â My wife had Pomegranate based martini. Â She loved it. Â I had another craft beer from Chicago. Â It was okay but I'm not a big fan of wheat beers (like BlueMoon which is what this one tasted like).
We very much enjoyed Reality Bites and I plan to go again.
Beautiful place, but there are some things to work out here. Â One Friday night on a whim [my husband and I] decided to check out the place under its new management.
The host did not acknowledge us immediately, in favor of his cell phone. Â (Ooh, this grinds my gears.)
When we were seated, we were given a table right next to the entrance (I was very cold all through the meal) despite at least seven other tables that were completely vacant for all of the time we were there.
The specialty drink served in a martini glass (not to be confused with a martini) was fine.
While I was happy to see a small menu, I decided to order the chicken special. Â Chicken was overcooked, and the crispy potatoes were served standing up in the sauce, which almost completely negated the crispy preparation.
Husband's risotto was overcooked. Â He suspects it was also made with something other than arborio rice.
Service, outside of the host, was nice, but I don't think we'll go back anytime soon.
Really miss the chocolate braised short ribs they did for Tour de Chocolat once, under the old management. Â Also can't recall if those excellent fish tacos were still on the menu.
Seems like a great place for a "girls night out". Â Noticed a lot of bigger groups having a blast. Â It was pretty loud, so I would recommend it for an intimate date night.
Food was pretty good. Â The salmon tacos were something different and I really enjoyed them. Â They were out of half of their desserts, which was a bit frustrating.
Came here with a friend for dinner. We're both from out of town and thought this place looked like one of the better choices in town. The atmosphere is quite nice with a huge exposed brick wall to add warmth on a chilly night. Our waiter was especially friendly and attentive. He came by at all the right times to take our orders, check on our dishes and getting refills and drinks.
The baked brie wasn't anything to write home about. I normally don't get pork chops because they are always dry. For some reason we both decided to give it a try since it was the special for the night. Our dishes didn't come with one but TWO thick pork chops. Presentation looked pretty good. As soon as I cut into the meat I was shocked at how juicy and tender it was. I was truly impressed (and that's a rare event worthy of its own celebration). I'd certain come back to the restaurant again to try a few other things.
New owners seem to have improved a lot of the problems I complained of last time. They weren't out of anything and the service was fantastic. The beer selection had also improved.
The menu has changed a bit (for the better). Mostly it seems like they have made it smaller. This may explain why they hadn't run out of anything. Prices remain a little steep, but outrageous. Portions sizes for the entrees are good, but the appetizers are a little small.
Previously they called themselves a tapas place. That seems to be completely gone now. A fairly eclectic selection of food, from tacos to roasted chicken. The pork tacos haven't changed much in two years and are still excellent. The bacon wrapped dates remain a favorite.
The mixed drinks are excellent and the dessert looked amazing. I wish I'd saved room.
I have been trying different restaurants in Blo/No since moving here 2 1/2 mos. ago. Â So far this is the best we have found. Â The service was good, no problems. We went on a Friday night and made a reservation in advance. Â The atmosphere is nice, bricks and wood, small space hence the need for reservations. Â The food was unique and very flavorful, a quality meal. Â They have a regular menu and then a few specials. Â Portions are more than adequate. Â Mixed drinks were good. Â Price is average for a nice dinner. Â We will definitely go back!
Review Source:Great food, great drinks, and wait staff. But...
A bit pricey on the food and way pricey on wine/bar drinks. Beer selection is thin with 4 or 5 beers on tap (cant remember) and wine is overpriced for the quality. Our server guy was great and checked in as he should and hopefully liked his big tip :-). Host was gracious and very pleasant, bar tender was soso on the friendly side. I think the new owners have had a talk with wait staff to be more friendly because previous visits last year were not as nice. I love going here when its not over crowded. Bacon wrapped dates and pork tacos are the bomb! I give it a 4.
Great wine list and awesome atmosphere. Â Just a cozy place that you can have some drinks with friends or an intimate dinner with that special someone. Â Thurs/Fri/Saturdays make sure you make reservations! Â There goat cheese balls used to be better. Â They used to be a bit bigger...ha ha bigger balls and they had more honey...who doesn't like more honey drizzled over there goat cheese balls. Â Okay enough ball talk. Â Bacon wrapped dates are a must! Â Chicken kabobs are super yummy as well! Â Spinach artichoke is okay...kind of looked/tasted like shaker parm and not fresh. Â Oh ya and throw some veggies on the hummus for dipping! Â Enough with just pita bread, add carrot and celery sticks and more olives, red onion, cucumbers and tomatoes...if you do this I will bump this baby up to five stars.
Review Source:I was thrilled when someone suggested we go here before a concert. Upon further inspection, yes it is tapas, and it does have some traditional dishes, like bacon-wrapped dates and goat cheese balls (Tradicional pintxo dishes from northern Spain). They also have some Mexican-focused tapas, like tacos.
Remember people! Tapas are meant to be shared, so don't be selfish!
We shared the baked goat cheese (Big bowl with the baked goat cheese surrounded by marinara sauce, eaten with crostini), chicken skewers (Three skewers of teriyaki chicken, onions and green peppers atop mashed potatoes) and bacon-wrapped dates (Eight of them plus a little field greens salad) which ended up being a lot of food. I lived in Spain, know a thing or two about tapas, so the portion size was excellent compared to other tapas places in Chicagoland. All of it was delicious but I would have been satisfied with one less dish.
I paired the dishes with the house Chardonnay which was surprisingly good. I was itching to try one of the flights (They have beer, martini, wine and reds) but I'll save that for another time. We had excellent service so I'm confused when I read some of the other reviews. The server was very sweet and attentive. Small place, romantic with candles on the table. Four beers on tap. Wooden decor, which, if you read my Medici review, you'd know I absolutely love!
Overall a nice place in BloNo and I hope to be back!
I should probably not be reviewing this, but as an almost customer who was really looking forward to having a drink and a few small plates at Reality Bites, I feel I have to.
This will be short. We drove in from Cincinnati to see Rickie Lee Jones. As usual, I looked on line to find places to eat / drink / hang before the concert. Reality Bites really caught my attention. Their food and drink menus get three stars.
We arrived at @ 5:30. We were out of luck. They did not have an opening until 8:00. I suppose locals know better, but being from out of town I never dreamt we would need a reservation and there is nothing on the website that alludes to or suggests reservations. Not giving us a head's up equals minus one star.
If this really is the place to be on the weekends and one needs a reservation to get in at dinner time, please consider mentioning this fact on the website. I would gladly have made reservations.
Perhaps another concert will bring us to Bloomington, Il. If so, I will make reservations in advance. I definitely want to give this place a fair shake.
These guys try hard. Â And they get it right 90% of the time. Â Good solid B-. Â I applaud their effort in giving Bloomingon-Normal an alternative to Applebees. Â There regular menu shines. Â When there are problems, its with the specials. Â Don't try too hard guys! Â Good wine list too.
Review Source:We visited as invitees to someone else's party. Â We were a group of 8 or so, and were seated in the elevated section to the rear.
To start with the positive, the atmosphere is dark and woody. Â I thought it looked great.
Now, let the criticism begin...
1) After making a single margarita, our waiter told us that the bar couldn't make any more because they were out of something or other ... at 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday. Â They were also out of lamb chops. Â Really? Â Supply chain, much?
2) The drinks were gratuitously overpriced. Â This is not Chicago, thanks.
3) The food prices wouldn't have been so bad had the food not been remarkably mediocre. Â The spinach artichoke dip was dry and chalky. Â The nachos looked like something you'd make at home with a bag of Tostitos and a few slices of cheese. Â To be fair, whoever got the crab-stuffed salmon said it was good.
4) We were there on an August evening and the temperature inside was unforgivably hot. Â I'm not one of those guys who's oversensitive to heat ... this place was just plain hot inside. Â My wife had to get up and walk downstairs (where it was a few degrees cooler) to make it through the meal. Â Fully half of our party complained about the heat. Â I realize that the elevated section is situated directly above the downstairs kitchen, ... but you need to account for that when you're air-conditioning the place.
In the end, we ate, paid, and left to go somewhere else with a tolerable climate and drinks that were almost half as much.
Give it a shot if you like, but we probably won't be back.
Very confused by some of the reviews. I have NEVER had bad or slow service here. I've tried several things on the menu & have never had a bad, or bland, meal. The pork & fish tacos are amazing, the mussels & lamb chops are fantastic and extremely well priced. In fact, for the quality of the good, I feel the entire menu is well priced. And this is a laid back place, so the European style pace of the kitchen is highly welcomed. If you want a chain style quick meal head to one of the over abundant chains in town where the like to coral you in and out.
Review Source:By far the best service out of the downtown Bloomington bars. Â Staff is extremely welcoming and speedy. Â Not much of a college bar, so if you're looking to party, avoid this place. Â Good place to sit down and have some drinks. Â Never tried the food, but it looks and smells pretty good.
Review Source:I have been to Reality Bites twice now and each time my experience has just been okay. Â I am fan of having a restaurant that offers something different than the typical bar food that you find in most of the establishments in downtown, but I wish it did more to impress me.
On my most recent visit I ordered the Baja Fish Tacos, which were very good. Â The rest of my group ordered the pork tacos, a pasta dish, and the crab cakes. Â The pork tacos seemed to be a hit with the person who ordered them, but the pasta and crab cakes were not quite as successful. Â When the crab cakes came out I couldn't believe what you got for the price. Â Four cakes smaller around than a quarter and very thin. Â The dish was overpriced for what you received and they were not even that good.
The restaurant is located in downtown Bloomington, which is a plus if you plan on going out for a few drinks after dinner. Â The service could have been better. Â The waiter seemed friendly, but was hardly ever around.
Just an FYI - if you are going on a Friday or Saturday night, I would recommend call ahead for reservations unless you don't have a problem with waiting. Â It got busy as we finished our meal and a couple of groups that came in were not able to get seated because they did not have reservations.
I tried to like Reality Bites. It gets two stars for convenient location and the table bread being quite tasty.
What bit? I ordered a Southern Manhattan. I was told the bar was out of both sweet vermouth and bitters. How can that happen in a bar, really? A Manhattan is really not that unusual of a drink, so I am not very forgiving.
The food? I ordered The Bites Salad, thinking it was a signature item. I got a poorly dressed heap of lettuce without half the ingredients listed on the menu. Maybe the salad guy was off that day.
I can't see myself heading back in for a second shot, there are just too many other places in the area.
Reality Bites is fun and fabulous! They have great wines and the food never never misses!! We were glad to see the short ribs aka "shorties" back on the menu recently and I cannot tell you how incredible the pork and fish tacos both are!! They make a great hummus too! So excited that warm weather is just around the corner so we can sit outside and chill!! Love the owners and all the staff are great! Don't miss Reality next time you are in downtown Bloomington!
Review Source:i like that reality bites is trying to break away from the "bloomington-normal, world capital for chain restaurants" scene. Â
i've been here for a birthday party with a large group - we had the top floor area reserved. Â service was a little spotty, but the group was big and the server made up for it by splitting checks.
the menu is very diverse, almost confusing. Â i had the chicken enchiladas and loved them. Â the beer flight is fun and makes for a fun way to start a meal.
i'd go back to check out the rest of the menu and enjoy the atmosphere.
I've only been here once, but it was a mostly positive experience. For a late lunch on a weekday with mostly senior citizens present, their musical taste was rather loud and offensive. And their vegetarian options are limited, but in B-N that's to be expected.
I had the risotto and it was delicious. Friends enjoyed the Caesar salad. Great environment with a unique menu for the area.
Bloomington is a culinary disaster for the most part. Â There are a few good Asian restaurants, a couple steak houses and a decent italian place or two, other than that it is all chain restaurants. Â Reality Bites tries to bust out of tradition with a very interesting menu. Â The menu is, if nothing else, fun to read. Â We got a couple appetizers, a dip of some sort and hummus. Â I really liked the hummus, it came garnished with veggies too, not just pita bread, kudos for that. Â I got fish tacos for my entree, and they were great. Â Grilled fish lightly seasoned on a tortilla with some spiced guac, and of course I had a Rogue dead guy ale, always nice seeing Rogue on a beer menu.
So no complaints about the food, family and friends were all happy too, except the mashed potatoes were a little bland, I was told. Â We sat upstairs, and although a neat atmosphere, it was hotter than the blazes of hell up there. Â And I would know, I've been to Yuma.
Fix the AC and start serving martinis in more spill resistant receptacles, and we'd have a 4 star'r.
As a student at IWU I am at Reality Bites A LOT. Bloomington/Normal is filled with chains and so I gravitated toward Reality Bites from the start. I'll just organize this from when you walk in to when you leave...
Don't show up there on a Sunday or Monday! Not open.
Hostess- she could be smarter/more inviting
Being seated- make a reservation if you plan to go on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
The restaurant is small, and frankly a little bit cramped. There's one semi-private table available on the main level, but aside from that the tables seem really close together.
Overall a cute place, decorated to enhance the natural brick wall...I don't know if the multi-colored icicle lights add to the ambiance or not...but they're there, nonetheless :P
Everyone in the restaurant is good-looking, which I do appreciate...although some let their good looks get in the way of the fact that they're working in a restaurant and not walking a runway. The service could be A LOT better, but I've had decent service there as well. It depends on where you sit and who is working that section.
Apparently IWU marketing students did a re-vamp of the restaurant concept maybe 3 years ago and I think that ultimately helped. I heard the owner was hesitant to suggestions and ideas from college students but hey, it's not like he has a restaurant in the middle of a town heavily populated by college students....or wait....
But, the menu is well diversified offering tapas-inspired choices created to be shared among the entire table. That way if everyone orders one or two dishes, they can easily be shared and you can try several dishes during one night.
By far, the best dish on the menu is the "drunken chicken." I substitute the green beans with sauteed spinach, I think it's better for the dish...but just a suggestion. Make sure however, all of the alcohol has been cooked out of the dish as once it wasn't...I'm all for rum but not mixed with mashed potatoes.
Apparently the restaurant always sells out of the braised short ribs, which I did have once but was less than impressed. Spinach and artichoke dip is always an order staple, and the fried calamari is probably the best I've had in Central Illinois. Some other favorites are the baked brie with fruit preserves as well as their caprese salad.
If I am ever entertaining a guest in Bloomington the first place I will try to bring them to is Reality Bites. Luckily my first few impressions of the restaurant have been good ones and although service isn't always the best, it's probably the most consistent restaurant I have been to in the area that is not a chain.
My friend and I had a very good experience here tonight. We stopped in around 8 and they were able to seat us right away and were very friendly and professional. Our server was very attentive and he stopped by multiple times to check in on how we were liking the food and to suggest other items. Nicely done!
Atmosphere: The place is dark and cool and a great night out! I am from out of town and was impressed.
Food: We had the apricot salad, hummus, calamari and crab cakes. Everything was fresh and tasty. In particular we really enjoyed the apricot salad for its surprising and sweet dressing..delish...and the crisp and awesome crabcakes. Great drinks too...we had wine and a martini.
Everyone has a different measure on expensive and we found the price to be reasonable for the high quality of the food. Try it!
Upscale local bar and grill.  Nice atmosphere and decor.  Good martini and beer list.  Service is friendly but a bit slow when busy.  The food is excellent  and not your average fare.  Two plates per person should fill everyone up and are $8 each so not sure why some reviews say it's expensive.  I recommend the Bites salad, Tuna Tartare, Ribeye Nachos and Apricot Salad.  The filet medallions are amazing when they have it on special.  The filet would be a welcome addition to the regular menu along with the recently added Ribeye nachos and Ribeye. On the down side, they aren't open on Sunday and Monday, which is odd since they are packed every night even on a Tuesday.  Also, the kitchen is only open to 9, which is a pain for a hopping bar and grill that you would expect to be open later.
Review Source:Heads up if you plan to go on a Saturday!
We have tried two recent Saturdays to go for dinner, but were told no tables were available and needed a reservation. Â This despite it looking PRETTY empty inside (although I do know it is a smaller space and they may have needed to save those tables for a later crowd). Â
Still, it's surprising. Â And worth knowing if you plan to just swing by on a weekend night!
The Dos Gringos Enchiladas were dee-lish, and just the right portion size, too. The service, though, was . . . I'm gonna go value-neutral and say "inattentive," especially when I was ready to leave and settle up my check. Dining outside was nice, but it doesn't make it OK for the waitstaff to forget about you.
Review Source:Reality Bites....I really really REALLY want to like you, but you make it so hard sometimes. Â Your food is good but overpriced for what you get, your service can be hit or miss (and food can take forever to get out....don't go if you have to be somewhere within an hour), and you're not open for brunch on Sundays....for those of us absolutely dying for a good brunch downtown (aka NOT Michael's!). Â
Now to the positives. Â Reality Bites is an absolutely beautiful space owned by young entrepeneurs who I think originally hailed from the Chicago area. Â It's NOT a chain...plus in my book. Â The staff is absolute eye candy but I think a lot of the time Reality Bites serves as more of hangout for their pretty friends than an actual restaurant. Â I definitely enjoy Reality Bites as more of a light night hangout or a mid afternoon appetizer place than the full dinner experience. Â I don't think anyone will be truly disappointed by Reality Bites, but I don't know many who leave saying WOW! either. Â It's a great space that is an oasis in the middle of chain restaurant hell (Bloomington-Normal.....why are you so in love with Chili's?) and I encourage you to visit to form your own opinion.
Despite living here, this was our first time going there. Â We had dinner with a couple of friends who had been there before. Â Thanks to other reviews and checking out their website in advance, I had prepared myself, as it is a bit pricey. Â The bar and the decor was nice and they kept it fairly dark and intimate.
We had the goat cheese and the tiger shrimp appetizers. Â The goat cheese was pretty good and the tiger shrimp was excellent. Â As for the main meal, I had the fish tacos and my wife had the steak sanny. Â My meal came with 3 fish tacos which were pretty good and of OK size. Â My said the steak sanny was good as well.
We didn't see the waitress very much, but we didn't mind this night because we were chatting with our friends.
All in all it was a nice atmosphere with pretty good food. Â As others have stated, just be prepared to pay a bit more than other places in town.
I'm afraid my two visits there do not warrant another return trip. Â While the food I had was ok to pretty good, it's horribly overpriced, and the drinks are weak. Â My family has had some terrible experiences with it taking over an hour to get the food. Â Once when they took so long that we had to leave for a theater event, we sent back a plate they brought out an hour and a half after we ordered. Â They actually had the nerve to argue with us and try to charge us. Â We refused. Â Then we saw them try to serve that same plate to another customer. Â
Tapas should not cost $7 or $8, and drinks that cost $7 should taste like the actually have alcohol in them. Â The concept is great, but execution and customer service are poor.
On the way to the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, we decided to stop in Normal-Bloomington to get a look at ISU. Reality Bites is a bar in downtown Bloomington with good--though un-cheap-- food. David's tuna melt and fries were on special, but my apricot salad and a bowl of lentil soup ran us $12. We also shared hummus and pita. All in all, the food was good, but the total was around $28 without tip. The bar has a chic atmosphere (French posters on the wall even, one with my favorite French word, "parapluie"). If you visit, I suggest checking out the Mexican deli and grocery directly across the street. They have cookies.
Review Source:A taste of urban dinning in a central Illinois town, YES! Â Reality Bites was an excellent surprise on my visit to Bloomington. Â I shared the Tiger Shrimp Risotto with a friend and indulged in the flight of draft beers. Â The risotto was delicious, the risotto was not mushy and the shrimp were plump. Â The flight of drafts were excellent, it was four beers almost a full pint of each Anchor Steam, 312, Smithwicks Irish Ale, and Octoberfest. Â
Reality Bites is going to become a regular stop for me each time I am back in Bloomington.
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