Those who enjoy experiencing other cultures' cuisine will find great joy and delicious flavors at this local Himalayan restaurant. Located on 4^th Street, Anyetsang's Little Tibet offers a wonderful variety of dumplings, curries, soups, and noodle dishes, perfect for warming up in the midst of winter or enjoying with a Thai iced tea during the summer. Sitting in the garden next to a bubbling fountain and eating momos — Tibetan dumplings — on a balmy summer night in Bloomington is its own kind of bliss. 
 

BuffaLouie's is the local go-to for wings, especially on game days. The eclectic joint has been named one of the best wing destinations in the country by USA Today, and they definitely live up to the accolade. Crispy wings (bone-in, boneless, and vegetarian) and a huge variety of sauces & sides give you the freedom to customize every order. Before you leave, be sure to check out their incredible collection of IU sports memorabilia lining every inch of the restaurant's walls.
 

The iconic Chocolate Moose shack may be gone, but this cold treats hot spot is still popular as ever. The Chocolate Moose has 20+ homemade ice cream flavors (some of them being vegan), plus soft serve, coffee, slushies, Dole Whip, cookies, kombucha, and more. They're even offering a variety of hot sandwiches & burgers these days! It's a one-stop-shop for all things sweet+ in Bloomington. Bonus: the side of their building features a cute mural — the perfect backdrop for your Instagram photos.
 

The Irish Lion is a Bloomington mainstay for authentic Irish comfort food. The pub is located in a remodeled building that's stood in town since the 1800s, and on any given night, you can find families enjoying dinner on The Glen or friends catching up over a Guinness at the bar. Their soda bread is a delight, the Coddle is hearty enough to keep you full for hours, and their famous Blarney Puffballs are an absolute must. Don't get us started on their duck and lamb entrees — simply trust us and head downtown to experience it all for yourself.
 

Hinkle's Hamburgers

Hinkle's Hamburgers is Bloomington's no fuss, no frills burger joint. Serving the community since 1930, Hinkle's is that hole-in-the-wall establishment you want to find in every town you visit. Their burger selection is extremely simple: the Hinkle Burger, the Hinkle Burger with Cheese, the Double Hinkle, and the Double Hinkle with Cheese. King of cheap lunches, the Hinkle Burger rings in at the low price of $2.49, and the Double Hinkle with Cheese comes out to be a whopping $4.89. Be sure to save room for a hand-dipped milkshake for the perfect cherry-on-top of your nostalgic diner meal.
 

Janko's Little Zagreb

Photo by Janko's Little Zagreb

Janko's Little Zagreb is a local-favorite steakhouse, offering daily hand-cut selections grilled to perfection in a casual, IU-themed atmosphere. Aside from their incredible steaks, Janko's is also known for their famous Meatballs Bucharest and robust wine selection. It's always a good idea to make a reservation when you want to dine at the Little Zagreb — the steakhouse is usually booked on the weekends and special occasions, especially when parents of IU students are in town.
 

Lennie's

Photo by Lennie's

Mother Bear's Pizza

Mother Bear's Pizza is a food experience that all visitors should check off their B-Town bucket list. Over the years, they've been named "Best Pizza in Bloomington" by the Indiana Daily Student, "one of America's top nine pizzas" by People Magazine, "Best Pizza in Indiana" by USA Today, and have earned Final Four status at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas twice. Their unique, delicious pies are made with toppings and cheese all the way to the edge of the pizza for maximum flavor in every bite. Order one of their signature pies or create your own — everything that comes out of this B-Town mainstay's pizza oven is pure perfection.
 

Nick's English Hut

Nick's English Hut, simply put, is a Bloomington and Indiana University icon. Every square-inch of the restaurant's interior is adorned with historic IU memorabilia, and the food & drinks are everything you want out of a classic pub meal. For the complete experience (for those of-age), be sure to play a game of Sink the Biz (a drinking game in which an empty, weighted glass — the Biz — is placed in the middle of a metal bucket full of beer, and players must take turns pouring beer from their own glasses into the floating cup. The player who sinks the Biz must recover the glass and drink its contents.) and order a bucket of Biz Fries to share.
 

Osteria Rago

Located in the alley between Village Deli and Tracks, Osteria Rago is one of Bloomington's best hidden gems and most delicious Italian restaurants. The restaurant's owners wanted to mimic the best eateries in Italy, often found off-the-beaten-path in narrow alleys & ancient passageways — which is a large part of the restaurant's charm. Osteria's menu includes options for every budget and every Italian craving: sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, house-made pasta, traditional entrees, and incredible Italian desserts — all of which are positively molto bene. And we'd be remiss not to mention this fun fact: Nick's is Osteria Rago's sister restaurant!
 

Runcible Spoon

Photo by @katerudl on Instagram

Seated near the very top of the list of local-favorite restaurants is the charmingly quirky Runcible Spoon. The Spoon's eclectic, Bohemian-style decor sets the restaurant apart from others in town, and their incredible menu of affordable fare is what keeps people coming back. Breakfast is where The Spoon truly shines, so much so that they serve it all day. You can enjoy classic egg-toast-protein combos, as well as pancakes & French toast, or you can branch out to try one of their signature dishes, such as the Smoked Salmon & Croissant Bennie or the Corned Beef Hash. Coffee fanatics should also be sure to try a cup of Runcible's brew of the day, as the restaurant began as Bloomington's first coffee roastery in 1976.
 

Siam House

Serving incredible Thai fare on 4^th Street, Siam House is loved by locals for their flavorful food and whimsical patio. Their authentic dishes come piled high enough for leftovers or to split between two people, and everything on the menu is priced very affordably considering the amount of food you get with any dish. Siam House's Pad Thai and Orange Chicken are practically famous around these parts, and there's no better way to enjoy them than on their shady patio on a mild spring, summer, or fall day.
 

Taste of India

When it comes to authentic Indian cuisine, Taste of India is a stand-out favorite among Bloomingtonians. Family-owned and operated on 4^th Street (have you caught on to the international restaurant theme of this iconic Bloomington street?), Taste of India's menu features cuisine from both the northern & southern regions of India and is the only Indian restaurant in town to offer Southern Indian fare. The restaurant's robust menu features vegetarian dishes and those of a wide variety of proteins, so there's something for everyone to savor. Their patio is also noted as one of the best in town, so be sure to snag a seat outdoors when the weather allows it.
 

Trojan Horse

Trojan Horse has been a cornerstone of Bloomington since 1978 — a quite literal statement, as the tavern sits on the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Walnut Street. Their gyros and falafel are some of the best in town, and both locals & visitors love peering in the window of their public-view kitchen to see lamb and beef being carved on the spit. Designed to mimic the feel of traditional Greek sandwich shops in Chicago, Trojan Horse does so while maintaining Bloomington's eclectic downtown atmosphere. Stop in for all your Greek & American favorites, and don't skip their house-made baklava — order it a la mode with their baklava ice cream, the only of it's kind in B-Town!
 

Upland Brewing Co.