Nick’s English Hut

Best Strom on the planet. I have never gotten the biz game but love Nicks.

Perfect tenderloin!!! Love this place, especially Thunder! Bloomington’s best bartender how that Hebe is gone.

This is a huge bar near the Indiana University campus. Two floors, lots of rooms, tons of TVs, and lots of bars, too!
We were there for lunch on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and it was fairly quiet because most of the students were probably gone for the holidays. I can’t imagine what this place looks like when it is packed.
The breadsticks with nacho cheese sauce were hot and delicious. We got the Supreme pizza, and actually it was a bit too much in the 12 inch medium size for two of us to finish after the breadsticks. Lots of cheese on the pizza and plenty of toppings, but they weren’t evenly distributed, so some slices had more veggies while other slices had more pepperoni or sausage.
Cool place to hang out and watch a game or just chill and have some drinks. I really liked how big and bright it looked, and really clean, too.

Good food, and you can’t go with out playing Sink the Biz

I went for lunch at Nick’s with a friend. He was so amazed I have lived in town for 23 years and never been inside that I was positively embarrassed. My loss it turns out.
Besides being a cozy bar, they do decent pub grub. It is not way fancy or widely varied or striving for gourmet, it is just good solid food with regular dishes and some specials, just what you may want with a drink or for lunch.
I had a Stromboli and fries. Stromboli was on very fresh bread and nicely prepared. Fries were especially good. I looked with envy at my friend’s fresh salad and small pizza.
Nice friendly atmosphere at lunch. I am not sure I want to be there with a crowd but different strokes for different folks. If you do not mind a dozen televisions keeping you up to date it was a fun place.

After a long work day it’s such a pleasure to be waited on by Natalie. She is wonderful. Terrence takes the cake as well. Great staff! Top notch bar food (my favorite type). Super amazing drink specials. The gumbo… oh that gumbo! Hasn’t a thing on The Uptown’s. Yummy! I swear there are no better chicken fingers anywhere. Everything is so great. I even adore the bathroom graffiti. A++

I tried this place on a recent Thursday night on the recommendation of the Happy hour assistant at Holiday Inn Express. I read the reviews and was concerned it would be packed with college kids. It wasn’t and that was a good thing. I think it is more for alumni types. I found a seat at bar. Both bartenders were nice and helpful. I tried the biz fries. They were good, not great. Had the Stromboli as well. ½ size is big enough. That was good. Place was clean, bartenders on top of it and food good. Plenty of TVS as well. I recommend this place if you want a relaxed vibe. Plus location right off campus.

I barely ever went to Nick’s when I attended IU and I am forever ashamed of myself to admit that. It is such a great establishment and undergrad me just did not understand it. But alas — I am an alumni now and I give it my upmost attention when I’m back on campus.
I went down for homecoming this year and went not once, but two times. The first night was just for a round of sink the biz and despite an obscenely crowded bar our server was on-​top of our table — always bringing us quick refills and making sure we had plenty of napkins to soak up any split beer.
The second time we went for pizza and biz fries. If you’ve never had the biz fries you are not doing Nick’s right. YOU MUST GET BIZ FRIES.
If you’re ever in Nick’s during a non-​crowded time (good luck) be sure to take in the memorabilia on the walls. Lots of cool people have been in there and lots have left something behind.
Also — they have touch tunes music. Which is a new thing I have discovered and love.

I’m not an IU alum so maybe the supposed charm doesn’t show itself to me, but I had a very mediocre meal last night for inflated prices. 7 inch pizza on a tasteless cardboard crust, sink the biz fries, and wedge salad. Salad was the best part by a mile. Fries were drowning in spice and salt, like more than an inch extra floating at the bottom. The fries were nothing special themselves either for the price. Pizza toppings were skimpy and not a lot of flavor. The place was not busy and service was slow and not very pleasant. My total bill was over $ 15 and no drinks included, I was unimpressed. For an outsider to IU, skip it and find another option.

Can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the new’ish «Hoosier Room». I’m old school and liked Nick’s the way it was before it expanded. I prefer to sit downstairs or in the Hump Room, but that’s just me.
They use Fischer Farms beef for their burgers now and they are definitely good. I think the burgers get overlooked because Nick’s is most famous for their stromboli’s and pizza, but don’t hesitate to get a burger if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
Nick’s is *the* place to watch an IU sporting event. Just make sure to get there early to make sure you get a table.

Had dinner with a few friends before a Wilco show — service was fast, tenderloin and fries were $ 8.95 and it was the perfect campus environment to get situated for a show and a night wandering Bloomington. Great spot, very glad I got to enjoy some time here. Nicks has the vibe nailed.

Franchises are edging their way down Kirkwood. Nick’s is the anti-​franchise. A bit run-​down, quirky, inconsistent, weird beer glasses, really bad strombolis, seedy toilets, and not to be missed when visiting.
Burgers are good, the atmosphere is authentic college pub, beer is fresh and crisp, (clean lines) and your money stays local.
May the legend of Nick’s continue. and don’t patronize franchises unless they are on an interstate.

The classic college bar. IU memories galore. Memorabilia and personal memories, if the walls could talk. Things haven’t changed that much. Except local Bloomington beers are available. The Strombolis are still fantastic. The menu basically the same. All entries are classic. It just is warm and inviting feeling. The booths might be small or maybe I gained some weight. However the tables provides a closeness and intimacies to your dining experience.
Food, Service and good times how could you not give Nick’s Five Stars.

Terrible bar food, everything is super greasy and tastes bad. It’s as if they never change the fryer grease. The interior is dingy and the décor is dirty. I’ve had a better stromboli from a cafeteria. The college age clientele seems to be closer to neandertal than homo sapien. Avoid this place like the plague!

Ben is a huge asset.
He was welcoming, helped me plug in my laptop and get on WiFi.
Then he had the best customer service.
He asked me «come see us again soon».
I will Ben — great job.

Stopped in for lunch with family today. Service was prompt and polite. Ordered a bun-​less mushroom cheese burger. The good points were that they did manage to cook it med. rare per my request and did serve it without a bun. The meat seemed to be of high quality but was overshadowed by the liberal use of steak sauce (AND extra salt?) on the burger. Not sure I’d get a burger here again unless I made sure they didn’t use any sauce while cooking!
I also tasted the chili. It was made with ground beef, tomatoes, onions and large kidney beans. Oh yeah, and a LOT of cumin. It wasn’t bad, just reminded me of Wendy’s chili– pretty generic.
Overall, just OK food for a fairly high price (about $ 12 for my burger with potato chips). I realize I’m a fool for entertaining the idea that a place called English Hut might have English pub fare. They don’t. 3 stars for not messing up my request and for decent service. More like 2.5 for the actual food we had. Average.

plain jane bar food, strombolis, calzones are eh. Taste kinda like something you would get out of the frozen food section at Krogers. For the price it’s definitely not worth it in my mind.
I think everyone here is nostalgic of Nick’s place in regards to the culture of IU and get it mixed up for it’s quality of food. I haven’t had the fries yet so maybe that will push it’s rating up but for now, it’s really just a go if the friends are dying to go.
Oh and from what I hear about Sink the Biz, it sounds so unsanitary and disgusting.

Fun place! Huge!!! You walk in and think it is tiny by the layout of the front where the tables are very crowded and it has the deal of a 50’s diner however once you walk past this area there is a multitude of different directions to go.
You can walk further in the back to a less lit bar area or upstairs. (By the way, going up the stairs is done from nearly inside the kitchen, a bit odd and possibly unsafe)
Once you get upstairs, there is another huge area with 2 different directions to go… one area is a modern sports bar looking area and the other is more like the downstairs less lit bar. When I was there on a Saturday, 2 of the areas were closed down most likely because IU is on break and they don’t need to utilize that much space.
The menu is filled with bar food which is what I expect. The drinks are priced well for beers but awful for cocktails… that being said… you don’t come to Nick’s for cocktails. You come for Sink the Biz, an old school IU game that involves taking turns pouring beer into a glass that floats in a bucket of beer. If you are the one to cause the glass to sink, you drink the beer. A classic IU game that will send your night heading towards black out drunk quickly.
All in all, a very fun place with lots of TVs and is perfect for a group of friends.

Ahhh, Nick’s. A true legend.
Nick’s still has it! After moving away from Bloomington, I always get excited to return to Nick’s. Nick’s truly has some of the best pizza I have ever had. The more pizza I try, I still return to Nick’s as a benchmark. Get the supreme with extra cheese and you will not be disappointed.
It was exciting to see more micro beers on tap. Love the new bar, very tasteful. I was also glad to see the benches and walls were left untouched. This place has true charm.

Nick’s English Hut (or «Nick’s» for short) has been a Bloomington classic since before I was born. Established in 1927, Nick’s has been a local favorite for over 85 years. The restaurant is known for its pub grub, IU memorabilia, and lively atmosphere. It’s one of the best restaurants to watch a sports game, and in particular, an IU basketball game. Just type in «iu kentucky nicks» in a YouTube search, and you’ll get a glimpse of what the atmosphere at Nick’s can be.
I’ve been to Nick’s many times to watch IU basketball games or to grab a drink with friends. Nick’s really does offer a unique experience, but surprisingly, the food does not live up to the restaurant’s reputation. Generally speaking, the food I’ve ordered at Nick’s has been very average and slightly overpriced. The pizza is average, the burgers are average, the stromboli is average, and the fish fillet is average. The sink the biz fries are one of the few items I really enjoy, and in my opinion the wings are really good too. It’s disappointing though, that Nick’s has such a great reputation in one of the nation’s best college towns, yet has such a limited selection of good food.
Another thing Nick’s is well known for is a drinking game called «Sink the biz.» Sink the biz is a popular game on Friday and Saturday nights for both college students and adults. The game is played with a bucket full of beer and a drinking glass floating in the beer. Each person playing the game has a glass of beer that they pour into the floating glass. The person that causes the glass to «sink» in the bucket has to drink the beer in that glass. It’s a very original game and one that adds character to Nick’s. It’s also another reason why Nick’s is so well known in town.
Overall, I am a fan of Nick’s. The restaurant/​bar offers a unique experience and has been a Bloomington classic for years. However, since this is a food blog, I must be honest and critical of the establishment’s food. In my opinion, the food at Nick’s does not live up to the restaurant’s reputation. Nick’s will always be a great place to watch IU basketball (or other sporting events for that matter), but if you’re looking for a great dinner, you should look someplace else. Still, let’s give credit where credit is due. Nick’s is a great bar and a Bloomington classic.