Rosie’s Pub

Went the other day to this little gem in downtown Bloomington with some friends! The place was packed for a Thursday night and all my friends and I forgot to make a reservation; silly us:/. Well, with them being slammed the bartender told me that if we waited just a few minutes she was pretty sure one of her tables would be getting up soon. We all were like, no problem! I had the bleu cheese burger and soup of the day, it was amazing! Cannot wait to go again, of course this time I’ll be sure to make a reso!

One of my favorite burgers in town. I want to try the rest of their menu but it’s tough to when the burger is that good. I also really like the bar– great selection, service and ambience, good prices. Not too many students, either.

Rosie’s is a great bar and an even better restaurant. Excellent spot for a nice upscale lunch or evening out with that special someone.
The small dining area provides a quiet setting removed from the bar area. It’s a great place for special occasions, especially Valentine’s Day when the candles and small room encourages the kind of intimacy that you can’t find many other places.
But enough about the food. You can get the food in the bar area too and Rosie’s is also a great bar. Excellent, laid-​back servers, good music, and a nice drink selection make this bar the perfect spot in B-​N for those 30+* who are looking for a place to relax with patrons who are looking for the same.
If you live in the area or are staying for more than a few nights, put it on your list.
*Great place for those 50+ and the exceptionally sophisticated twenty-​somethings as well.

Came here for lunch and had a nice experience. Menu was good with sandwich, salad and pizza options along with the typical bar food. Cool atmosphere.

I ordered the shrimp greek. This salad is a dream. The flavors of the shrimp, artichoke, and feta cheese made my lunch a special note in our vacation. I wish I lived in this town. Great work Rosie’s! Anthony is a great bartender. Very welcoming dude.

My favorite place to eat and drink in Bloomington/​Normal!
I have tried several things on the menu and all have been good. What I keep coming back for are the Long Islands! I have tried several around town and Rosie’s has had the best tasting drink and the best price.
The atmosphere is fun and laid back. Great place to go with a few friends at night or have lunch with family.
The fried pickles are a must!

I’ve been here a few times now and have really enjoyed the food. This alone is deserving of four stars.
The service seems to be hit-​or-​miss, however. The first time I went, my table was basically ignored from the time we ordered to the time our food was ready. This would have been okay if the service had been fast, but we waited quite a long time to receive our food. It would have been nice if the waiter had stopped by to check-​in on us once and awhile. We did try to flag him down a few times, but even then, he failed to look at us. We felt like we were deliberately being ignored. The second time I went, my friend ordered a wine, and didn’t get it until twenty minutes later. The waitress, at least, apologized and gave him a more generous cup, but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that she forgot.
I like the food here, but the service needs some work.

Solid pubby place with better than expected pub food. The tap selection is OK, but it is Bloomington so it is probably top shelf for here. I had some seafood pasta that was better than some Italian restaurant fare I have had. Nice enough pub staff, clientele was low key except for the «50-​something sale team outing aging frosty blonde woo-​girl night» that was going on by the bar. That’s not the bar’s fault, though. I’ll be back.

Positives comments first. The food was great. I had a salad and my husband had a burger. The servers and bartenders were also great.
Now for the negatives. They only serve food until 9pm and the place becomes a college hangout at 10.

Love Rosie’s! Our favorite Saturday lunch spot! Love their soups! Twisted Turkey! Yum! Yum! Martini’s tasty!

Rosie’s has an excellent menu, with a wide variety of delicious meals to choose from. The excellent décor and ambiance only heightens the experience. Also, not a bad place to grab a drink.

I think I just died and went to food heaven. The shrimp white sauce angel hair dish was the best dish I have had in ages. Who knew shrimp would be so fresh in Illinois? My hubby had the lamb which he raved about, I had a white wine and tip was $ 62. A perfect place for a date night. It was heavenly!

Killer martinis but their food is just okay. I would dine elsewhere and go for after drinks!

I absolutely love the Gouda burger with grilled leeks! The cheese balls with ranch on the side are phenomenal and served as quite a large portion for $ 6. Ambiance is perfect for a first date!

I’ve lived in Bloomington for over 7 years and I’ve tried most of the Burgers in town and Rosie’s has to be in the top 3 for sure. Their blue cheese burger with bacon and Guiness grilled onions is really great. I have also enjoyed some of their pastas and they absolutely have the best fried cheddar cheese balls in town. The staff has always been friendly to me and their drink prices on friday nights are reasonable ($ 2 bud light drafts last time, if cheap beer is your thing. I stuck with the Lagunitas IPA, my favorite summer beer).

I really want to rate this lower. I’m rating this a three because the food was good enough to overcome a clearly disorganized kitchen. It took 40 minutes from the time we ordered until we got a burger and calamari. Should never have taken that long. I would have rated this 1 star for that service, but the black and blue burger was fantastic and cooked perfectly.
The atmosphere and mood was very good. Decent beer selection too. I’ll go back, though not if I have somewhere to be.

Remember that scene in Dances with Wolves when they celebrate the successful Buffalo hunt? Remember how happy they were? (Except for when John Dunbar ‘Costner’ has to eat the Heart).
Anyways, that is how happy I was after I ate Rosie’s Gumbo today at lunch. I am visiting from out of town and I was surprised when my host asked me if I was in the mood for Gumbo? I didn’t know Bloomington had it in em! The flavor, texture was fantastic. Be sure to ask for the biscuits too.
Thank you, Rosie’s!

Great place for a meal or to meet friends for drinks. Cozy and unpretentious while delivering excellent food.
Rosie’s is divided into two areas. There is a formal dining area in the back, and the bar and informal dining area in the front. If you want a quieter more formal dining experience then making a reservation is recommended. The front area is small and can be quite noisy.
There is free parking in a parking garage directly across the street.
I have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the food. Recommendations include the Asian Steak Salad and the Gouda Burger.

Rosie’s is the kind of place I’d have if I could own my own place. Lots of Irish pub feel, from the bar top to all the woodwork in the place. $ 3.50 Absolut drinks on Friday night? Yes please. This place has pub in the name, but I’m not a kid anymore, and a few Citron Sodas sounded like a refreshing way to get a night of downstate drinking underway.
I didn’t order any food, but friends in my group got fried pickles and a burger. The pickles were interesting, like «bread and butter» pickled chips and the breading and seasoning were sweet. They were served with a horseradish sauce. They weren’t a total win, but were not bad either. My friend Darrell thoroughly enjoyed his burger.
Bartenders were very attentive and tried to make sure our drinks were never more than half-​empty (or less than half-​full, depending on how optimistic you feel).
When I’m back in BloNo, I’m stopping back in for some Pubby goodness.

Went to Rosie’s Saturday night for an early dinner. The dining room was booked that evening, but we were early enough that we were able to sit down immediately. That never happens, so it was cool.
My girlfriend ordered the baked cheese ravioli. It was a huge portion and was pretty good, but I didn’t eat much.
I ordered the black and blue burger. My word. This is probably the best burger I’ve eaten in Bloomington-​Normal. Angus beef, carmelized onions, blue cheese, and loads of bacon. It was excellent. Cooked well, topped appropriately, and served alongside a ton of well-​seasoned french fries.
The bread and salad served before the meal were both excellent and fresh.
But forget that. Go there, get a black and blue burger, eat it.