Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Bloomington, Illinois by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Bloomington area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Bloomington were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

Mexa-Maya

1 / 30

#30. Mexa-Maya

- Rating: 3.9/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1113 North Main St. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican, Coffee & Tea, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

Hacienda Leon

2 / 30

#29. Hacienda Leon

- Rating: 4.0/5 (138 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 407 North Hershey Road Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Western Tap

3 / 30

#28. Western Tap

- Rating: 4.0/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1301 North Western Ave. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Baxter's American Grille

4 / 30

#27. Baxter's American Grille

- Rating: 4.0/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3212 East Empire St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

Kicks Bar & Grill

5 / 30

#26. Kicks Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 19578 North 1960 East Road Towanda, Illinois
- Categories: Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano

6 / 30

#25. Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano

- Rating: 4.1/5 (394 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3010 East Empire St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Tony's Tacos

7 / 30

#24. Tony's Tacos

- Rating: 4.1/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 304 North Main St. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

The Original Pancake House

8 / 30

#23. The Original Pancake House

- Rating: 4.2/5 (265 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 115 South Veterans Pkwy Ste A Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Pancakes, Waffles, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp

Times Past Inn

9 / 30

#22. Times Past Inn

- Rating: 4.2/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1216 Towanda Ave. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

Harmony Korean BBQ

10 / 30

#21. Harmony Korean BBQ

- Rating: 4.2/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 7 Currency Drive Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Korean, Barbecue, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works

11 / 30

#20. DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works

- Rating: 4.2/5 (958 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 318 South Towanda Ave. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Brewpubs, American, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Rosie's Pub

12 / 30

#19. Rosie's Pub

- Rating: 4.2/5 (213 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 East Front St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: American, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp

The Spotted Dog

13 / 30

#18. The Spotted Dog

- Rating: 4.2/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1504 Morrissey Drive Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

The Rock Restaurant

14 / 30

#17. The Rock Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (456 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 203 West North St. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, New American
- Read more on Yelp

The Pass Pub & Grill

15 / 30

#16. The Pass Pub & Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 2303 East Washington St. Ste 600H Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp

Anju Above

16 / 30

#15. Anju Above

- Rating: 4.2/5 (444 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 East Front St. Epiphany Farms Restaurant Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Sushi Bars, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Sichuan Chinese Restaurant

17 / 30

#14. Sichuan Chinese Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 122 East Beaufort St. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Chinese, Hot Pot, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Crawford's Corner Pub

18 / 30

#13. Crawford's Corner Pub

- Rating: 4.3/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 610 West Chestnut Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Pubs, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Sushi Primos

19 / 30

#12. Sushi Primos

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 701 South Main St. Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Flingers Pizza Pub

20 / 30

#11. Flingers Pizza Pub

- Rating: 4.3/5 (278 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1503 East Vernon Ave. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Pizza, Pubs, Beer Gardens
- Read more on Yelp

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Papa G's Pizza

21 / 30

#10. Papa G's Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 204 South Seminary Downs, Illinois
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Egg Republic

22 / 30

#9. Egg Republic

- Rating: 4.4/5 (127 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 511 Chancellor Drive Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Waffles, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

The Original Pinsaria

23 / 30

#8. The Original Pinsaria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 211 North Veterans Pkwy Ste 5 Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

Bloom Bawarchi

24 / 30

#7. Bloom Bawarchi

- Rating: 4.4/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 503 North Prospect Road Ste 104 Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Annie's Eats Carry-Out And Catering

25 / 30

#6. Annie's Eats Carry-Out And Catering

- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 606 North Clinton St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Barbecue, American
- Read more on Yelp

Epiphany Farms Restaurant

26 / 30

#5. Epiphany Farms Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (477 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 220 East Front St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Fusion Crunch

27 / 30

#4. Fusion Crunch

- Rating: 4.5/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 616 North Main St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Asian Fusion, Ramen
- Read more on Yelp

Cadillac Jack's

28 / 30

#3. Cadillac Jack's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 1507 South Main St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Pizza Payaa

29 / 30

#2. Pizza Payaa

- Rating: 4.7/5 (119 reviews)
- Address: 107 East Beaufort St. Ste C Normal, Illinois
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

The Mystic Kitchen & Tasting Room

30 / 30

#1. The Mystic Kitchen & Tasting Room

- Rating: 4.7/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 306 North Center St. Bloomington, Illinois
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Wine Tasting Room, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.