Illinois State University - Off-Campus Dining

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Quick Stats

Student Favorites		Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar Ming's Wok Panera Bread Potbelly Sandwich Works
24-Hour Dining		Denny's Steak 'n Shake
Best Asian		Great Wall
Best Breakfast		Wild Berries Restaurant Zorbas
Best Coffee		Fusion Brew
Best Dessert		Cold Stone Creamery Emack and Bolio's
Best Healthy		Cosi
Best Late-Night		D.P. Dough Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches Steak 'n Shake
Best Mexican		La Bamba Mexican Restaurant Los Potrillos
Best Pizza		Fazoli's Tobin's Pizza
Best Wings		Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
Best Place to Take a Date		Alexander's Steakhouse Medici in Normal Olive Garden
Best Place to Take Your Parents		Avanti's Italian Restaurant Medici in Normal Olive Garden Pub II
Other Places to Check Out		Applebee's Neighborhood Grill Baskin Robbins Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano Burger King Chipotle Cofeehouse & Deli Coffee Hound Dairy Queen Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works Domino's Pizza Famous Dave's Fiesta Ranchera Mexican Restaurant Flat Top Grill Garden of Paradise Garlic Press Market Café Green Garden Restaurant Gumby's Pizza & Wings IHOP Kobe Japanese Steak House Logan's Roadhouse Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon Mandarin Garden House McAllister Deli Meatheads Burgers & Fries Ming's Restaurant Moe's Southwest Grill Na Na Thai Noodles & Company Orient Gourmet Outback Steakhouse Panera Bread Pizza Hut Prime Time Pizza Red Lobster The Rock Restaurant Rocky Mountain Chocolate Ruby Tuesday Schooner's Skewers Steakhouse Starbucks Subway Taco Bell Uncle Tom's Pancake House

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

There are a lot of restaurant options for students when they do not want to eat on campus. The only downside is that much of Bloomington-Normal is full of chain restaurants, from Chili’s to T.G.I. Friday's to Hooters. Most of these restaurants can be found on Veterans Parkway, the main highway that links Bloomington and Normal. Getting to Veterans Parkway will require a bus trip or cab ride for students living on campus without a car, but many think it’s worth it, especially after eating only dorm food for months. Even though there are mostly chains, some restaurants are individually owned and run by Bloomington-Normal residents. These restaurants can be found in Downtown Bloomington or Uptown Normal. There are a few restaurants in Uptown Normal that are within walking distance from campus, and generally, more students are seen walking around when the weather is nice out.

Some restaurants offer discounted dining with a valid student ID. Always be sure to ask if a restaurant has any other specials, such as half-price appetizers after a certain hour. There are various grocery stores around the Bloomington-Normal area that should fit students' needs. Grocery shopping is the best option for students who want to save a little money and eat healthier. Unfortunately, there is not a grocery store close to campus, so students without a car will need to use public transportation to carry their groceries.

Illinois State Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Off-Campus Dining at Illinois State University

bgo

'15

Social Sciences

B

Off Campus Dining

I've only been to uptown normal but they have numerous restaurants. Food places there are windy city weiners, garlic press, firehouse, dp dough, jimmy johns, coffehound, medici, and la bamba.

Feb 07, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Illinois State University

juniorS

'16

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

A

Bloomington-Normal Food

Bloomington-Normal has tons of good restaurants for its size so there is a wide variety of options. Students can get discount books at the beginning of each semester for several of the Normal restaurants. Avanti's is a traditional campus favorite and is just a couple blocks away.

Feb 07, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at Illinois State University

starsplash

'10

Public Policy, Administration, and Social Work

A+

A LOT of Options.

I lived off-campus and there are a lot of options for dining. Uptown Normal is right across the street from campus, and there are several restaurants to choose from--Firehouse Pizza, Emack and Bolio's (gourmet ice cream shop), Windy City Weiners, Maggie Miley's (Irish Victorian pub with great food), D.P. Dough (calzones, so big that I always got two meals out of them--$7 for two meals is pretty good in my book!), and the Coffee Hound are the ones I can name offhand. Avanti's is across the street from campus in the opposite direction from Uptown, and they have GREAT food. It's an Italian restaurant that is famous for their Gondola sandwich, my personal favorite. It's a lot of food for not much money. Next to Avanti's is Potbelly's and Noodles and Company, and they just built a Meatheads and a Chipotle there too. Fusion Brew is a popular place to study and hang out, especially for tea/coffee drinkers. There are several pizza places near campus, as well. They just put in a diner north of campus, too, and Denny's, Arby's, and Pizza Hut are just up the road. There are Subways on the first floor of two of the dorm buildings, and there's a Burger King, a Pizza Hut Express, and a McAlister's Deli in the Bone Student Center. That doesn't even begin to describe all the restaurants in Bloomington-Normal, especially in College Hills and near Eastland. In short, if there's a type of food you like, Bloomington-Normal probably has it.

Feb 06, 2012

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First

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus restaurants on the following topics

How would you rate the diversity of off-campus dining options?

Facts

Did You Know?

The first Steak 'n Shake was founded in Bloomington-Normal.

Grocery StoresWhat's This?

The Fresh Market
200 N. Greenbriar Dr., Normal
(309) 888-4192
www.thefreshmarket.com
Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Jewel-Osco
901 S. Cottage Ave., Normal
(309) 454-6089
www.jewelosco.com
Daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m.

Kroger
1502 N. Main St., Bloomington
(309) 828-5640
www.kroger.com
Daily 6 a.m.–12 a.m.

Meijer
1900 E. College Ave., Normal
(309) 888-0810
www.meijer.com
Daily 24 hours

Naturally Yours Grocery
1503 E. College Ave., Normal
(309) 452-3456
www.naturallyyoursgrocery.com
Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Schnucks
1750 Bradford Lane, Normal
(309) 451-7100
www.schnucks.com
Daily 6 a.m.–12 a.m.

Wal-Mart Supercenter
300 Greenbriar Dr., Bloomington
(309) 451-1100
www.walmart.com
Daily 24 hours

Restaurant ListingsWhat's This?

Alexander's Steakhouse
Food: American
1503 E. College Ave., Normal
(309) 454-7300
mercedesrestaurants.com/alexanders.html
Price: $10–$25
Cool Features: The steaks are cooked in front of you on a giant grill!

Applebee's
Food: American
502 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington
(309) 663-2134
www.applebees.com
Price: $8–$15

Avanti's Italian Restaurant
Food: Italian
407 S. Main St., Normal
(309) 452-4436
www.avantisnormal.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Cheap bread and a classic Italian dinner.

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
Food: American
3220 E. Empire St., Bloomington
(309) 661-8027
www.buffalowildwings.com
Price: $5–$15
Cool Features: Frequent winner of “Best Wings” around the nation.

Carlos O'Kelly's Mexican Café
Food: Mexican
2105 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington
(309) 662-9747
www.carlosokellys.com
Price: $5–$10

Chili's Grill & Bar
Food: American
2107 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington
(309) 663-8060
www.chilis.com
Price: $8–$15
Cool Features: With “Chili's To Go,” students are able to order ahead and pick their orders up.

Cold Stone Creamery
Food: Ice cream
301 S. Veterans Parkway, Normal
(309) 888-2606
www.coldstonecreamery.com
Price: $3–$8

Cosi
Food: Healthy
138 E. Beaufort St., Normal
(309) 452-1900
www.getcosi.com
Price: $10–$20

D.P. Dough
Food: Calzones
121 E. Beaufort St., Normal
(309) 888-ZONE
www.dpdough.com
Price: $5–$8

Denny's
Food: Breakfast, American
1615 N. Main St., Normal
(309) 452-7446
www.dennys.com
Price: $8–$15

Emack & Bolio's
Food: Ice cream
107 E. Beaufort St., Normal
(309) 454-9375
www.emackandbolios.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Only located in four states

Fazoli's
Food: Italian, fast food
215 Greenbriar Rd., Normal
(309) 452-7700
www.fazolis.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Free breadsticks

Fusion Brew
Food: Espresso, tea
712 Kingsley St., Suite 900, Normal
(309) 454-9300
www.fusionbrew.com
Price: $5–$10

Great Wall
Food: Chinese
1520 E. College Ave., Normal
(309) 454-7218
Price: $5–$8

Hooters
Food: American
409 N. Hershey Rd., Bloomington
(309) 663-4668
www.hooters.com
Price: $10–$15

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
Food: American
207 W. North St., Normal
(309) 452-8200
www.jimmyjohns.com
Price: $3–$8
Cool Features: Choose from 18 different types of subs.

La Bamba Mexican Restaurant
Food: Mexican
129 E. Beaufort St., Normal
(309) 452-2243
www.labambaburritos.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Open after the bars close.

Los Potrillos
Food: Mexican
201 Landmark Dr., Normal
(309) 862-0824
Price: $10–$20

Mandarin Garden House Chinese
Food: Chinese
106 Mall Dr., Normal
(309) 454-1118
Price: $5–$10

Medici in Normal
Food: Casual dining
120 North St., Normal
(309) 452-6334
Price: $10–$15
Cool Features: Their bread comes from their own bakery, and they sell the bread, as well.

Olive Garden
Food: Italian
1701 E. Empire St., Bloomington
(309) 663-7375
www.olivegarden.com
Price: $10–$20

Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Food: American
609 S. Main St., Normal
(309) 862-4850
www.potbelly.com
Price: $3–$8

Pub II
Food: American
102 N. Linden St., Normal
(309) 452-0699
Price: $10–$20

Steak 'n Shake
Food: Fast food
614 W. Raab Road, Normal
(309) 451-3721
www.steaknshake.com
Price: $3–$8

Swingers Grille
Food: American
1304 Cross Creek Dr., Normal
(309) 829-5777
www.swingersgrille.com
Price: $10–$25
Cool Features: Golf range attached, live jazz music on the weekends, OTB on the top floor

T.G.I. Friday's
Food: American
9 Brickyard Drive, Bloomington
(309) 662-2231
www.tgifridays.com
Price: $8–$15

Tobin's Pizza
Food: Greek
1513 N. Main St., Bloomington
(309) 828-0410
tobinspizza.com
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Voted No. 1 pizza in McLean County.

Wild Berries Restaurant
Food: Breakfast
115 S. Veterans Parkway, Normal
(309) 452-1000
Price: $5–$10

Windy City Wieners
Food: American
106 E. Beaufort St.
(309) 452-2900
Price: $5–$10
Cool Features: Located in Uptown Normal, so it's convenient if you want fast Chicago-style hot dogs.

Zorbas
Food: Greek
603 Dale St., Normal
(309) 452-1449
Price: $3–$8
Cool Features: Very cheap for the amount of food.

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