Bloomington Brewing Company

The chicken and waffles were awesome! I really wanted some chicken and waffles and this was the first place we found that had it on the menu. It wasn't too busy there. When I read it on the menu, it only said "chicken breast" so I thought I was only going to get one piece of chicken. When the food came out, there were two pieces of chicken, which made it feel like a huge meal. So worth it. It came with butter and syrup. I don't usually use butter on any of my foods. It could've used a little bit more syrup. It both came in little condiment cups (see picture).

I was confused when I arrived here, so to help anyone else who is like me, just know that Lennie's Restaurant and Blooming Brewing Company are run out of the same space. You can get the beer and food on each side of the business all on the same check. The restaurant side is on the left (west) and the brewery/bar side on the right (east). Each has its own entrance, but there are several openings in the interior to pass from one to another.Having selected the brewery side, we seated ourselves and were greeted and brought menus for both the beer and food options. I decided I wanted to go with a flight of beer as my beverage. The flight includes five 4-oz selections for $6! Great deal!I decided to go with a wide band of flavors and selected Kirkwood Cream Ale (4.9%, 22 IBU) as my starter. Great flavor which even my non-beer drinking wife enjoyed sipping. Definitely a gateway option into the world of craft beers for someone who has only tried commercial brands.I also tried the Persimmon Ale (6.2% 9) which had a nice aroma, but not quite as flavorful fruitiness as I anticipated. I moved onto the 10-Speed Hoppy Wheat (5.2% 27) which reminded me of grapefruit juice in the level of tart/bitterness. The Rooftop IPA (7.4% 80) had a lot of hoppiness and is second in rank on bitterness, but was overall a pleasant option, especially when paired with the food I also ordered.My only disappointment was the Swashbuckler Oatmeal Stout (6.8% 37) which seemed a little one dimensional with mostly a cold coffee taste. I thought it might really pair well with my bistro beef, but the flavors didn't work well together.Overall, a great bunch of flavors and a really great price. The waitress was friendly and helpful too. Note that the restrooms are located on the restaurant side of the business. Seating was also a little bit tight as we sat at a 2-top table with one chair and the other side a bench seat.Review #2206

Four stars for service and beer; three and a half for food (although we only had apps, but they were out of many items ... even French fries!?!?! Still trying to figure that one out). I was too busy gabbing with my fellow travelers to remember to take pictures, but I did remember to taste each of their beers! Yum!! The IPAs were perfectly hoppy and full of flavor. I ordered the Kolch with no regrets. Perfect wheat body and very smooth. For food we ordered fried pickles, a crab dip, and an artichoke and spinach cheese spread. Over all, it was just okay for me. I would have preferred less pretentious bar food, honestly. My groups biggest disappointments: 1. Only beer and wine, not a full bar2. The fried pickles were cut in slices not rounds and were too thin to have much taste beyond the breading.Very convenient to the IU Bloomington campus, but I'd probably experience somewhere else if I were to return.

Unfortunately with the Covid-19, the kitchen was closed. (Lennie's) We also had beers outside on the closed street. But hey, the beer was very, very good. (My wife an IPA and me an amber). The service was just as good. Kara our waitress was phenomenal. In lieu of the kitchen not being available she offered us a very nice cheese & cracker plate. It was so good, we went through it pretty quickly and she brought out a 2nd one. The GM came by (I believe his name was Matt) and chatted with us for awhile discussing the pandemic situation for them. Very nice guy. Very nice place (even though outside) and very nice beer!!!

Pretty decent food. The lunch combo is a good deal. Wish the sandwiches were a little bigger for the price. Lovely service! The man working is always so kind and happy.

The beer is locally crafted on the property and is consistently made with high standards. Set beside Lennies.. you can feast on the food while sitting in the bar. The wait staff is efficient. The area is tight and the tables are tiny, but quality and quantity is top notch. If you love a wide variety of local food and crafted beers... this is your place. They serve nitro, hoppy, stout, barrel aged, cream ale, persimmon, October fest. At times, They match the release of the beer with a special menu. It is specifically pair the beer with the menu. On weekdays flatbreads are $4 from 4-6. On Sunday's they $7.50 growler fills. Wine is also available. The ambience is perfect for a couple, or a small group. Parking can be an issue, but something usually opens up if your patient.

Great little brewery! They have some of the best and consistent beers out there plus the staff knows their stuff, Kylie explained what was what and why it was- leading me to kick azz beer choices. I'm not from here but it looks like this is a locals bar even though it's essentially on campus (I was hear from 5-7 on a Wednesday). I did not eat so I'm only posting about the beer/bar area. My only recommendation would be to have a bigger bar but that's a small concern.PS- be sure to get a Java Porter

I'm going to start with...If didn't live 50 miles away, I'd live here. Being a lover of all styles of beer, this place tickled my prostate more than most. Beers tried: 10 speed hoppy wheat, two small batch variations of this (including licorice, and another), the IPA, bacon stout, and stout. Holy Moses, if building an arc would get me here faster if be purchasing the wood right now. I don't even think I can call the gentleman who took care of us a bartender. It felt like he was our personal tour guide, concierge, friend and informative savior. I greatly appreciate his love for the craft. I will be back here soon. Though a drive... I now have a growler that will be mad at me if it isn't filled frequently, and pint glasses that look just a little bit better with their own home brew filling them up. Ok, yeah, I wouldn't be heartbroken to drink straight out of the growler. Sometimes that's what it takes.

Bloomington Brewing Company, tucked away in an unassuming little strip mall on 10th street, and adjacent to Lennie's Pizza-The Pizza place Lennies has been there since my days at IU,a million years ago when I was in school there. As far as BBC, It has no signage visable from the street except for The Lennies' sign, so blink and you will miss it. It is the door to the right of Lennie's, and is a super small industrial/rustic pub with a very small bar and limited seating. Their beers are some of the best in the Hoosier State in my opinion. Some favorites of mine are The Ruby Bloom Amber, and Quarrymen Pale Ale. Also not to be missed are the Seasonal beers such as Vision Weiss and their Specialty Beers such as 10 Speed Hoppy Wheat. But of course these are on rotation and subject to availability. When we were there we sat at the bar and there were a few other people, including a couple that was clearly having their very first experience ever with craft beer. The bartender graciously answered every single question without an ounce of condescending attitude or rudeness. I mean these people were genuinely curious and got what I would consider a craft beer 101 lesson from this bartender which I suspect probably also does much of the brewing. The attitude of the bartender towards these people was quite refreshing, especially when sometimes craft beer can be intimidating for those with limited knowledge. We didn't eat there but basically the highlight for me is the beer anyway. Not to be missed if you are ever in B-Town.

They offered around 8 beers, some with nitro options. I grabbed a flight of 5 and tasted a few that I hadn't had before. Ruby Bloom Amber on nitro was incredible thus making it my pint choice. The service was friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere here needs a HUGE overhaul, it had a very "Perkins" feel to it... Also a crooked sconce on the wall.... WHAT?! I'll come back and give the food a shot at some point.