Restaurants in Normal

“We went here yesterday after the sports card convention at ISU with no idea what to expect, we just all agreed that we wanted a good, local pizza that we could not get back home. All of us on the trip agreed that this place was OFF THE CHARTS EXCELLENT FOOD. The atmosphere of the restaurant was kind, friendly, prompt, well-cleaned, and cosy. While I may get this wrong, the pizza to me was like a premium quality, perhaps modified blend of an artisinal with ultra fresh, ultra high-quality ingredients with everything someone would love about a Detroit style. I am a "pizza guy" and I am talking like top 5 lifetime pizza places for me. Definitely my favorite new pie that I have tried out over the last several years!😀 I will have to find a convenient excuse to get back to the area from 3 hours away soon just so I can visit again! Thanks for a great meal and outstanding service!”

“Meal, service, and atmosphere are all great!”

“The food and drinks were delicious! Friendly staff with great recommendations! My husband got a perfectly cooked steak, I had the jambalaya and our son had the fish & chips! The berry cake (pictured) was amazing!”

“Absolutely a wonderful find !! We just loved the place, bartender was the best”

“All around great family experience. We stopped by for the live music and a bite to eat. The Sweet Nothings band was exceptional, brought the talent and energy. Distihl brought the cold drinks, flavorful food and prompt service even with a massive crowd. We met great people(and their dogs), from the area and some visiting from Peoria. Destihl adds a lot to our town and is reason to make a trip to Bloomington/ Normal!”

“The best experience for our family! Helped us celebrate my parent’s 40th anniversary! Thank you for everything! ❤️”

“Love love love this place! My wife and I were finally able to have a date night together! The owner is amazing and Conner and Olivia were phenomenal staff members! #FiveStars”

“Food and drink were delicious. Excellent selection for kids.”

“Generous portions—excellent fajitas and frozen margaritas. Outdoor dining is very pleasant but indoor atmosphere is equally good. Highly recommend!”

“The cookies were ordered as a gift. It was less than ten minutes between ordering and the time they were delivered. Thank you.”

“First time being there, it was excellent.”

“Firehouse is one of my favorite bars /restaurants ever and one of my favorite workers there is Eden, an amazing bartender her drinks are always on point and she always picks out the best music to jam too and yeah, the place is a 10 out of 10. It’s a cute local bar.”

“My first shopping visit to Sams was mostly great. I found a lot of great products and will definitely be back. My only issue is some of the people giving out samples were rude, other than that it’s been a great experience.”

“I used to get fish cakes wherever I went. Now I only get them at Emma's. Entire menu is well done!”

“The absolute best smoothie spot in the Blono area! I highly recommend that you try my favorite, the kiwi strawberry, add blueberries with a kick of fat burner. You won't be disappointed! Have you ever tried their breakfast menu items?!? I also highly recommend their Cali breakfast flatbread!! Great, friendly customer service with a smile everytime we come here! We love TSC and their staff are amazing!”

“I live strawberries. I got the strawberries pretzel pie cookie. Totally awesome - reminded me of the dessert I had as a child with the strawberry jello! Thank you for the memory!”

“Had a great Father’s Day breakfast at the bar! Great drinks, food & staff. 👍🏻”

“Went to Baba with some friends for dinner tonight. Got the #3 family combo! Absolutely fantastic! Great fries, great breading on the chicken/catfish, and great customer service. Will definitely be coming back”

“Today was our first time here. The food was delicious. The Brioche french toast has the best flavor. Coffee was hot and the waitress didn't flinch when I mentioned I liked a lot of cream for my coffee. Best little secret in the BloNo area! Thanks Bloomin' Cafe!! We will be back!”

“Great staff and wonderful bourbon selection.”

“best fish sandwich ever,,, good service”

“I was super impressed by their level of customer service! The manager was incredibly friendly and extremely hospitable!”

“Have been there a couple times. Amazing taste and friendly staff. Would recommend it to everyone to try.”

“This is our Sunday morning breakfast almost every weekend! The staff are always friendly and the food is great. I recommend checking the online waiting list ahead of time!”

“LOVE their rotation of flavors and these new (ish) refreshers. The lavender one is AMAZING, i get it every time i come in. Definitely my favorite ice cream in town ♥️”

“Went there today for lunch had very good service and bacon double cheeseburger was delicious. Definitely will go back.”

“I decided to try Dave’s for the first time ever on the night 03/29/26 and the lady that took care of me at the drive through, she had such good customer service it was amazing, Irish her name was. I just wanna give her a real loud shout out for such great work. That alone made me enjoy my food more”

“Love their chi tea-hot or iced!”

“Ribeye steak and eggs and all food was amazing I love that place”

“delicious chicken. i like to stop at the drive through when I'm in Bloomington. still fresh and hot when I get home.”

“The young man (Nate)at the register was extremely helpful. We’re not from here and he was very kind and explained the menu and items and gave suggestions. Very polite, friendly and articulate. Thanks a bunch!”

“As a college student, having access to a great sushi spot that has an abundance of healthy menu options and affordable prices makes me so happy. The portion sizes are perfect, I'm always left so full and satisfied. I've been out of town the past few weeks and soon as I get back to BloNo, I'm headed straight to SP to get my 3 Philly rolls!”

“We love BloNo! My boys ask to go on a regular basis. It’s worth the hour drive up for us.”

“The Pizza was ready when I ordered it. It tasted very good. The toppings were evenly distributed. All 5 of the employees said hi to me when I walked in and were very friendly”

“10/10 would come again! :)”

“They were very nice and helpful with my order. If and when I’m in the area in the future I would come again.”

“Art friendly! And a great place to meet friends for a cup a.”

“Great food and drinks! Great service, our go to for Mexican food!”

“Best food in town, a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and a healthy dose of culture all in one place — that’s what keeps us coming back to The Rock Restaurant. Every visit feels special, whether it’s the delicious dishes or the vibrant ambiance. We absolutely love it!”

“absolutely delish! was excited to finally come back! its the only place we ate while visiting town. yum yum yum!”

“The food here never disappoints! Everything is delicious! And where else can you get a pupusa in BloNo?”

“Great food and great guys”

“OM Goodness, I love the Spinner Zone Calzone!!! This is so very amazing and made with the freshest ingredients!!!”

“Tony's Tacos are the best tacos around! We live out of town and love going to Tony's Tacos when we are in town. No matter what you get it is always tasty and fresh.”

“I can’t not say enough good things about Sichuan, by far the best Chinese restaurant in BloNo. The food never disappoints and service is always so friendly.”

“Always a good time at Lunkers, fantastic service and great atmosphere”

“Place is amazing! My chili cheese fries order is so huge I’ll be eating it again later!”

“Best pizza ever! I used to eat there in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s in East Peoria. Now I have them shipped to me in Texas. Still good as ever!”

“Great stay here coming into town for a little work get together with my boyfriend! Loved the decor inside and how they have everything set up. Very lovely atmosphere. Greeted at the front desk promptly by Adrianna, who was super sweet and friendly. She helped to check us in, and even humored our request to upgrade our two Queen beds to a single King, as well as a room with a balcony! Which was absolutely amazing! Made our stay 10x better. Event went great, we were back at the hotel for a wonderful stay, and in the morning we had an even better experience! We woke up early to indulge in the variety of breakfast and drink choices, and the welcoming company of Barb, Margo and Sandra! These ladies are all wonderful at what they do. Barb went the extra mile to make sure we had everything we needed and connected with us on a meaningful level that left us feeling incredibly blessed! We are so glad to have met her and had a beautiful stay. The chef(s) and wait staff did excellent! The only minor inconveniences we had were that the lids were not properly fitting the coffee cups, and for the life of us we could not find the invisible vending machine, so I guess it’s doing its job. :P Thank you! Can’t wait to come back for a little out of town stay sometime!”

“Review written 11/24/2025. Interesting selection of items. Tasty bagel and cream cheese with good price ($2.16 I think)
This is located inside an OSF location in Normal. Friendly employee”

“A great selection of traditional Chinese and American buffet items. Unlike many buffets, this one works hard to have choices for everyone including a wonderful selection of sañads and fruits and desserts! Highly recommended”

“I went to ISU in the 1970's, and Avanti's was always a favorite part of our years on campus. Fifty+ years later, it's always a treat to visit this restaurant and consume their delicious food. Walking into Avanti's is like going back in time to my college days with my friends! Love this place!”

“I've had five guys a few times, but never in this area. The three gentleman who were working were truly enjoying their job. They were kind and considerate and when I asked for extra pickles for my son they gave him extra pickles, like a mountain of pickles which is exactly what he loves. The food was hot it was fresh it was fantastic, but what stuck with me was there personalities and their demeanor while working. They were awesome! Ask for them to put a few fries in a bag for my daughter so that the kids didn't have to pass a bag back and forth and they said it was no problem. Just absolutely wonderful service and we will absolutely be going back.”

“The quality of this food is top tier. The chicken fajita tacos on naan bread is my favorite meal.”

“awesome service. pizza was very good. not serving alcohol right now so had to have a soda instead of beer with my pizza but that was okay. would go again if in the normal, IL area.”

“Starbucks is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Manager Jade is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Awesome medicine ball tea and crossaint. Must come back. 10/10.”

“Timbers is an exquisite restaurant that serves good food to students. Their milkshakes, especially the seasonal ones like caramel apple are great. The BBQ burger and chicken tenders are the best!”

“This place always smacks . Workers, great vibe. Music is great. Me and my friends roll in here and get a good sandwich. One thing though… why are the cookies always hard. Can we freshen these up? Other than that awesome experiences. 4 stars.”

“I prefer this location as it is closer to my home. The staff are always on point. Very friendly, fast and efficient considering it's in the heart of ISU. Parking is a challenge so I need to time my visits to avoid the lunch hour rush. Other than that, it's a great place!!”

“one of the best international coffe !”

“This place is absolutely amazing! Delicious food, huge servings and friendly staff. The only negative thing was that the restaurant was freezing inside. We were shivering while we ate.”

“Great place that seems to never change, which is one of the great things about it. The family that runs it are great folks and all the wait staff are friendly. Cheese balls are the best! Love you guys🫡”

“I would give ALL five stars but the inside of the restaurant is always cold in there and it’s always new workers in the kitchen. The pizza is very good though if you like stone oven baked!”

“Burritos as big as your head:)”

“Wow, my first time going to Cold Stone Creamery and it was Fantastic! I had a Turtle Sunday with a little bit of brownie in it and it was awesome. If you have never been, I highly Recommend it!”

“China Star in Normal, IL continues to outdo themselves. We recently ordered nine lunch specials for pickup for our team at Childers Door, and everything was outstanding.

The food was fast, VERY hot, fresh, and absolutely delicious. The serving sizes were generous, making it a great value for both office lunches and meals at home. Even with a larger order, everything was prepared accurately and ready on time.

Thank you to the entire lunch team for consistently providing excellent service and quality food. We truly appreciate you!”

“worst pizza I have ever eaten!! dry crust. no seasoning. sauce was aweful. stopped because joes station house in pontiac and streator are staples. what a huge mistake!! server was pleasant. however, strange to see a swap of delivery pizza boxes with another pizza joint. 0 out of 10 oh and the BBQ chicken pizza came odd shaped like it had been dropped 😳”

“Fast service at drive up. Very nice staff. Yummy strawberry tea.”

“amazing chicken! fast service and very reasonably priced.”