Been a number of years since I last ate here and now I remember why. The reason this place is so popular escapes me. The sauce is blah, the salad common, no wine, at prices that should dictate more 'Italiano' I think I would rather eat at Fazoli's.
(2)
Kat K.
When I came here with my friends we got horrible food and service. The bread was disgusting, and it took at least 30mins to get our drink order taken. By far, this is one of the worst restaurants I have ever been too.
(1)
Chris J.
Not the best Italian in Bloomington, but four stars for value when compared to others. Casual, inexpensive italian food. Their Tuesday night 'all you can eat Spaghetti' is hard to beat. One negative - they appear to have high wait staff turn-over, so it is not uncommon to find clueless, inexperienced help = be a little patient. For business travelers (aka Me) - good place to go when you have blown your budget and need an inexpensive day.
(4)
Mishell C.
I was in town for work last month and the manager at the Double Tree ordered me some dinner to be brought in . Ummm yes folks The Double Tree Bloomington takes that good of care of you ! Anyway on to the Samich I had it was called the Primo Pizza Burger . DELISH and that made me very happy after eating TGIF the evening prior . Here I am back in town and I ordered from there again . I can tell you the Bread is HEAVEN . Haters are going to hate ! But Olive Garden is so gross I cant believe people prefer that to this yumminess ! Tonights I am sure will be yummy as well . I ordered a Gondola to have for lunch Wends . thats how convinced I am
(4)
Krista M.
Their bread is fantastic. Prices are very reasonable. We love their pizza. It's not dripping in grease like so many other places these days. Oh, they have awesome French salad dressing too.
(4)
Liz R.
Recommended by the hotel I am staying in near the BMI airport (Holiday Inn - nice)...but, when I told my co-workers I planned to eat here they said the food was great... and they live 45 miles away! Hotel front desk gave me a delivery menu and a 10% off card. The restaurant is only a couple business pads away, but it's cold and, heck, they deliver! I ordered a small Avanti special - thin, crispy (even after delivery!) crust, with ham, pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushroom and green pepper. Wednesday special is buy a pizza get bottles of soda for free (1 bottle for small, 2 bottles for medium, etc). I also ordered their garlic bread with grilled mozzarella cheese. The woman I ordered from said they are known for their bread and no dipping sauce is needed. I concur. I love bread, and this was frickin' awesome. $14 for everything!! And it was delicious. They had my order to me in less than 30 minutes. Can't guarantee that all the time, but I will definitely order from them again next time I am in the area.
(4)
Sara O.
I love the bread, spaghetti, gondolas, and salads here and have for over over 35 years as I'm from the area and went to ISU it's a staple food for students and easily affordable, and the other reviewers are right - it's not Olive Garden or Biagi's, but as previously mentioned it's good food for the money. The bread is the best if you want to just pick that up and make your own sandwiches it's well worth it!
(4)
Kelly H.
Best bread ever!!!! If you've never eaten at Avanti's, do yourself a favor-get in the car and drive to one now. Since my college days, this has been one of my favorite restaurants, and anytime I'm back in town, I stop in for a meal...or to take home a gondola and loaf of bread :)
(5)
Carol S.
We used to love this place, went all the time. I think they've had a manager change recently because it has really gone downhill. The host staff doesn't have a clue, the servers are adequate- sometimes. The food seems to be smaller portions and not so tasty. The bathrooms were disgusting on our last visit. I wish they'd get the old manager back, things were sooo much nicer.
(2)
Michael L.
I went there today for the deluxe sub sandwich. I got two packets of mustard for a huge sub. Its essentially a 6" sub with enough meat and veggies for only that. The deluxe is a subway 6" sub thinned out on a mile long loaf of french bread. I asked myself if I wanted some meat and veggies with my bread? The swiss cheese is bland and the turkey tastes likes it from a plastic supermarket package. The food is comparable to WalMart's subs to go. Avanti patrons do not know italian food and the cooks and servers know no better. The manager asked me when I paid the bill if I enjoyed the meal and I told him it was good, and managed to hold back telling him I could not believe the restaurant was still open with the fierce competition with far superior subs. It filled a void in my stomach, I was hungry and filled it. $30 bucks down the toilet down.
(1)
Veronica M.
When we first moved to this area, Avanti's was often brought up as the best place around. Specifically, the gondola. And, after having had many gondolas, plus other items from their menu; I just don't get it. The gondola is really just a few pieces of lunch meat, a couple of slices of tomatoes, and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. That's it. The bread is sweet, and nice enough, but has a very dense texture and no crust to it at all. I have no idea why it is made such a big deal of. The pasta is not much better, very bland. The one thing I have experienced which is positive is the staff was very helpful and nice when I picked up an order for a fundraiser, which they seem to do quite often. Overall, I would never choose to go to Avanti's on my own, and whenever it is unfortunately selected as a work lunch and I'm asked if I am going, I reply with a very unenthusiastic "I guess".
(2)
Ellen D.
Disgusting. I don't know how this could be considered "italian" The pizza looked like it was bought from the grocery store and my veggie gondola was not edible. You could tell they were pre made, the cheese was slimy and the veggies were brown. Pretty much anything is better than this.
(1)
Swimmer S.
This place totally sucks! The food is all frozen stuff reheated. The soup was 100% sodium, worst than Campbells. The chicken on the pasta was definitely out of a frozen bag. Pasta was way over cooked. The salad looked and tasted like it had been prepared and sitting around for a couple of days. We paid our bill and left. The server was very nice, poor thing.. look for another place!
(1)
Jennifer B.
I love the food here! I miss the old location but still the same great food and friendly service. Whenver I make it out to Bloomington/Normal I definitley go here :)
(5)
David C.
Had an Italian beef sandwich with mozzarella and red sauce today and it was probably the most bland sandwich I've ever eaten in my life. I've eaten at this location twice and both times the food has been subpar in the taste category. Someone needs to learn how to use seasoning, herbs and spices. I can cook a hundred times better than this place.
(1)
Kara Z.
We were nostalgic for Avanti's from college 20 years ago so on our way out of town after a brief visit had to stop and get some bread to take home. We got some pepperoni pizza bread too- wow- it was delicious! Better than we remember. :) An additional tip- they have a gluten free menu now which was impressive to me!
(4)
Tom M.
Not a fan of the meat sauce and my pasta was over cooked. Surprising for an Italian restaurant. Service was good and quick but that alone couldn't improve my meal.
(2)
Julie M.
This used to be one of my favorite small chain restaurant 30 yrs ago. The bread is fabulous....reason for two stars! Grabbed a a quick meal before flying back home. Skip the lasagna and the chili. Both horrible!!! Total waste of calories and money! Lasagna was all sauce...three slices of pasta with one tiny bit of cheese between one layer. Other layers were pasta on pasta. No thanks! Stick with the gondola!!
(2)
Devin F.
Take it for what its worth. You get what you pay for. Its basically fast food italian. Keep your expectations medium and u wont be disappointed. If you expect biaggis or olive garden, its not and not supposed to be.
(4)
J M.
I have no idea how the locals can like this place. They make the most bland meat sauce I have ever had and they put on most of their pasta dishes the sauce taste like it is made from only two ingredients: tomato paste and ground beef The only item they had that was good was their bread.
(1)
Steven P.
Food is good but dont expect customer service. Used to frequent, but no longer. They are headed South
(3)
Chocolate H.
I've been eating at this restaurant all my life. Getting pizza bread or a gondola is my best comfort foot. But If you ever been to a real Italian restaurant this place would be disappoint.
(3)
Eddie C.
I wound up her after BW3's was overcrowded and I was hypoglycemic. The blah exterior had been keeping me away up until then. My instincts were right. The food lacked in flavor. One good thing about the experience...the food came out quick....however, it was likely frozen and microwaved onto our plates. I would have skipped this place and went to McDonalds and enjoyed better food but I had to please a crowd. The smiling Christian was nice but I was upset to hear that they didn't serve any alcohol. Take my advice and just get to BW-3s before the crowd picks up so you're not put in the same desperate situation that we were. Skip Avanti's unless the taste of food doesn't matter to you. I would rather eat my cat's steamy turds than go back for another "Italian" Grinder. I'm going to go puke right now......
(1)
Johnny T.
A local place surrounded by corporate restaurant chains. The clientele is families taking out their college offspring for one last meal together before school. Don't expect the food to be authentic, but just because its not that doesn't mean that its bad. I can see how the bread sticks out as its really soft and has a slight sweet taste. I also heard that their spaghetti is a favorite among locals and is ordered by a lot. Just got a medium pizza with bacon and sausage and it was pretty good. Service was also top notch as Kyle S. was very professional and deserved a large tip. A good place to have if your dorm building is across the street, which some are.
(4)
Bryan S.
Their bread has a lot of sugar so its got a sweet flavor. They use the bread for their gondolas and as a side for spaghetti, ravioli, etc. This is a big draw for them. The service, especially for takeaways, can be mediocre. I went there on Ash Wednesday and asked what they had without meat -- the bimbo at the cash register simply shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't know (actually, she probably didn't). If you're looking for good sandwiches in Bloomington go to Potbelly's -- which has at least two locations, each within a mile of Avanti's. Potbelly's makes the sandwiches right in front of you and is very generous with the toppings and the people are really glad to be serving you (at Avanti's they act like they're doing you a favor).
This is one of those restaurants that I make sure that I go to whenever I come back into town.
(5)
Mike H.
Great family service! Inexpensive good food!
(4)
m m.
I've been eating at Avant's since '98. Since then...I've got to say, the quality has gone downhill. My family and I used to go to the Empire location 2 to 3 times a month. Not anymore. They upcharge for EVERYTHING. Extra tomato, extra sauce, extra anything=extra money. Are you kidding me? We are charged A La Carte now? Sheesh. It's only a step up from hospital food...a step up from cafeteria food. The quality has gone down in the 13 years I've been a patron and not worth the added dollars and cents for the extra sauces to make the food edible.
(2)
Joni P.
Food is simple Italian and is okay. What I loved is the bread! You can get a loaf (or two) to go with ranch dipping sauce and it is amazing. Simple but amazing!
(5)
Chris N.
Not the best Italian food I have had but certainly not the worst. The onion soup however tasted like it was made from lipton just add water soup mix. The Italian beef sandwich was decent and the Alfredo sauce was just ok as well. Great for groups and reasonably priced. I hear the pizza is pretty good.
(3)
Mike J.
I'll post this review for both locations- Avanti's is a staple in Blormal. My family has been coming here for years (I was raised in B-N, since then have lived around the US in Boston, Chicago, San Fran, Vegas and traveled all over the world...and I still love coming home and returning here again and again. 2 of my brothers went to ISU and would go on all you can eat spaghetti night and I think the most one of them ate was like 5 plates lol. The original Avantis is across from my old high school and I remember days when I or a buddy might forger lunch money and we'd bum $3 off each other and head to avantis for a helf gondola or a loaf of bread and sauce.... It's important to note that everything served at Avanti's isn't 5 star - the 5 star items are centered on their amazing bread that is baked fresh daily. I've heard that the original owner came in ridiculously early every morning to bake the bread himself long after he ever needed to work another day in his life. What a guy! When he passed, I heard others in his family took over for him and I applaud their efforts...in my opinion the standards, service and most importantly FOOD at the new location is just as good if not better than the original location. Also the takeout area is open very late which is awesome. The service is always very friendly! I remember coming in once after college and seeing my ex gf's little sister working once.... and i hadn't seen her in like 10 yrs....she looked like my ex did when we were dating in high school! LOL.what a flashback... Stick to these items - gondola's, garlic bread's, sandwiches...and maybe the spaghetti feast night over the items such as soups, ravioli and other pasta, which are more like good fast food italian. To come to Avantis and order soup or salad or ravioli even in my opinion is kind of like going to a steak place and getting a veggie plate then complaining about the quality. Not that those items aren't good, they're 3 star and not bad.. To all the haters - Avanti's isn't Biaggi's or fine italian dining LOL. Go to Avantis with your bros or hos, take your date you want to impress to Biaggis...completely different experiences, price point, everything. A GF of mine owns a few Italian restaurants in Boston in the North End and she appreciated Avantis for what iit s when i took her and she loved it. if you can make better bread let me know, i'll give you $100 for a loaf of it. I've traveled all over the world and never had better :)
(5)
Jana W.
Just a few things: -INCREDIBLE bread. Warm, fresh, and delicious. -Cheap food. -Large portions. -Friendly staff. I ate here one night after work and came to the conclusion that it was pretty good "standard Italian". I wouldn't rave about it being infused with flavors or unique dishes, but it was a good bang for your buck. Large portions and well-cooked, small town Italian food was the theme here. Most servers look like younger students, but are very polite and friendly. I also joined the birthday club online and they gave me a free cake, so that's always nice when you're traveling for work :) Overall, not a bad experience.
(4)
John R.
Love the pizza and the pizza bread - the bread has a sweet flavor to it. I think the Gondola sandwich is a bit over-rated. The pasta is just ok - but nothing to write home about and isn't something I typically order. This particular location is right by the airport in East Bloomington - another location on campus in Normal.
(4)
Allison F.
Let's start with what makes Avanti's a worthwhile spot to stop at: their bread. It's sweet, fluffy, and chewy. If you pair their bread with meat and other fixings you can have a decent sandwich, such as the Screamin' Salami. Outside of that, however, Avanti's is a mediocre American-Italian restaurant. Sadly I don't recommend trying any of their pasta or sauces. It's generic and frozen and not worth my palate's time. Stick with the bread!
(3)
Todd J.
It amazes me how many people in BloNo love this place. I keep giving this place chance after chance to redeem themselves, but the bottom line is the food simply isn't good. Their signature sandwich "the gondola" looks like they're just buying prepackaged sandwiches from Walmart and serving them as their own. The one redeeming quality is their bread. Maybe they should just be a bread store. Italian restaurant, not so much.
(1)
Jamie L.
The food is consistently the same. On the last two visits, we received terrible service. On the most recent visit, our server took the order and never returned. Someone else dropped the food at the table. Our order was wrong, we received no refills or checkup to see if everything was okay. After 20 minutes of being done eating, we came up front to pay without our bill.
(2)
Doug S.
This place sucks. The bread and salad with creamy pesto dressing were the only redeeming qualities the place had. The Italian beef was too salty with unmelted mozzarella. What made it worse was the sandwich was ten times as salty when it was dipped in the au jus. It's just another Italian restaurant that has absolutely lost its way. No ambiance, no romance, no passion. I would recommend this place get new chefs. Absolutely horrible. The service we had was just ok. Probably being a bit unfair, but hey, I'm not the only one on here blasting this place.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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John B.
Been a number of years since I last ate here and now I remember why. The reason this place is so popular escapes me. The sauce is blah, the salad common, no wine, at prices that should dictate more 'Italiano' I think I would rather eat at Fazoli's.
(2)Kat K.
When I came here with my friends we got horrible food and service. The bread was disgusting, and it took at least 30mins to get our drink order taken. By far, this is one of the worst restaurants I have ever been too.
(1)Chris J.
Not the best Italian in Bloomington, but four stars for value when compared to others. Casual, inexpensive italian food. Their Tuesday night 'all you can eat Spaghetti' is hard to beat. One negative - they appear to have high wait staff turn-over, so it is not uncommon to find clueless, inexperienced help = be a little patient. For business travelers (aka Me) - good place to go when you have blown your budget and need an inexpensive day.
(4)Mishell C.
I was in town for work last month and the manager at the Double Tree ordered me some dinner to be brought in . Ummm yes folks The Double Tree Bloomington takes that good of care of you ! Anyway on to the Samich I had it was called the Primo Pizza Burger . DELISH and that made me very happy after eating TGIF the evening prior . Here I am back in town and I ordered from there again . I can tell you the Bread is HEAVEN . Haters are going to hate ! But Olive Garden is so gross I cant believe people prefer that to this yumminess ! Tonights I am sure will be yummy as well . I ordered a Gondola to have for lunch Wends . thats how convinced I am
(4)Krista M.
Their bread is fantastic. Prices are very reasonable. We love their pizza. It's not dripping in grease like so many other places these days. Oh, they have awesome French salad dressing too.
(4)Liz R.
Recommended by the hotel I am staying in near the BMI airport (Holiday Inn - nice)...but, when I told my co-workers I planned to eat here they said the food was great... and they live 45 miles away! Hotel front desk gave me a delivery menu and a 10% off card. The restaurant is only a couple business pads away, but it's cold and, heck, they deliver! I ordered a small Avanti special - thin, crispy (even after delivery!) crust, with ham, pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushroom and green pepper. Wednesday special is buy a pizza get bottles of soda for free (1 bottle for small, 2 bottles for medium, etc). I also ordered their garlic bread with grilled mozzarella cheese. The woman I ordered from said they are known for their bread and no dipping sauce is needed. I concur. I love bread, and this was frickin' awesome. $14 for everything!! And it was delicious. They had my order to me in less than 30 minutes. Can't guarantee that all the time, but I will definitely order from them again next time I am in the area.
(4)Sara O.
I love the bread, spaghetti, gondolas, and salads here and have for over over 35 years as I'm from the area and went to ISU it's a staple food for students and easily affordable, and the other reviewers are right - it's not Olive Garden or Biagi's, but as previously mentioned it's good food for the money. The bread is the best if you want to just pick that up and make your own sandwiches it's well worth it!
(4)Kelly H.
Best bread ever!!!! If you've never eaten at Avanti's, do yourself a favor-get in the car and drive to one now. Since my college days, this has been one of my favorite restaurants, and anytime I'm back in town, I stop in for a meal...or to take home a gondola and loaf of bread :)
(5)Carol S.
We used to love this place, went all the time. I think they've had a manager change recently because it has really gone downhill. The host staff doesn't have a clue, the servers are adequate- sometimes. The food seems to be smaller portions and not so tasty. The bathrooms were disgusting on our last visit. I wish they'd get the old manager back, things were sooo much nicer.
(2)Michael L.
I went there today for the deluxe sub sandwich. I got two packets of mustard for a huge sub. Its essentially a 6" sub with enough meat and veggies for only that. The deluxe is a subway 6" sub thinned out on a mile long loaf of french bread. I asked myself if I wanted some meat and veggies with my bread? The swiss cheese is bland and the turkey tastes likes it from a plastic supermarket package. The food is comparable to WalMart's subs to go. Avanti patrons do not know italian food and the cooks and servers know no better. The manager asked me when I paid the bill if I enjoyed the meal and I told him it was good, and managed to hold back telling him I could not believe the restaurant was still open with the fierce competition with far superior subs. It filled a void in my stomach, I was hungry and filled it. $30 bucks down the toilet down.
(1)Veronica M.
When we first moved to this area, Avanti's was often brought up as the best place around. Specifically, the gondola. And, after having had many gondolas, plus other items from their menu; I just don't get it. The gondola is really just a few pieces of lunch meat, a couple of slices of tomatoes, and a leaf of iceberg lettuce. That's it. The bread is sweet, and nice enough, but has a very dense texture and no crust to it at all. I have no idea why it is made such a big deal of. The pasta is not much better, very bland. The one thing I have experienced which is positive is the staff was very helpful and nice when I picked up an order for a fundraiser, which they seem to do quite often. Overall, I would never choose to go to Avanti's on my own, and whenever it is unfortunately selected as a work lunch and I'm asked if I am going, I reply with a very unenthusiastic "I guess".
(2)Ellen D.
Disgusting. I don't know how this could be considered "italian" The pizza looked like it was bought from the grocery store and my veggie gondola was not edible. You could tell they were pre made, the cheese was slimy and the veggies were brown. Pretty much anything is better than this.
(1)Swimmer S.
This place totally sucks! The food is all frozen stuff reheated. The soup was 100% sodium, worst than Campbells. The chicken on the pasta was definitely out of a frozen bag. Pasta was way over cooked. The salad looked and tasted like it had been prepared and sitting around for a couple of days. We paid our bill and left. The server was very nice, poor thing.. look for another place!
(1)Jennifer B.
I love the food here! I miss the old location but still the same great food and friendly service. Whenver I make it out to Bloomington/Normal I definitley go here :)
(5)David C.
Had an Italian beef sandwich with mozzarella and red sauce today and it was probably the most bland sandwich I've ever eaten in my life. I've eaten at this location twice and both times the food has been subpar in the taste category. Someone needs to learn how to use seasoning, herbs and spices. I can cook a hundred times better than this place.
(1)Kara Z.
We were nostalgic for Avanti's from college 20 years ago so on our way out of town after a brief visit had to stop and get some bread to take home. We got some pepperoni pizza bread too- wow- it was delicious! Better than we remember. :) An additional tip- they have a gluten free menu now which was impressive to me!
(4)Tom M.
Not a fan of the meat sauce and my pasta was over cooked. Surprising for an Italian restaurant. Service was good and quick but that alone couldn't improve my meal.
(2)Julie M.
This used to be one of my favorite small chain restaurant 30 yrs ago. The bread is fabulous....reason for two stars! Grabbed a a quick meal before flying back home. Skip the lasagna and the chili. Both horrible!!! Total waste of calories and money! Lasagna was all sauce...three slices of pasta with one tiny bit of cheese between one layer. Other layers were pasta on pasta. No thanks! Stick with the gondola!!
(2)Devin F.
Take it for what its worth. You get what you pay for. Its basically fast food italian. Keep your expectations medium and u wont be disappointed. If you expect biaggis or olive garden, its not and not supposed to be.
(4)J M.
I have no idea how the locals can like this place. They make the most bland meat sauce I have ever had and they put on most of their pasta dishes the sauce taste like it is made from only two ingredients: tomato paste and ground beef The only item they had that was good was their bread.
(1)Steven P.
Food is good but dont expect customer service. Used to frequent, but no longer. They are headed South
(3)Chocolate H.
I've been eating at this restaurant all my life. Getting pizza bread or a gondola is my best comfort foot. But If you ever been to a real Italian restaurant this place would be disappoint.
(3)Eddie C.
I wound up her after BW3's was overcrowded and I was hypoglycemic. The blah exterior had been keeping me away up until then. My instincts were right. The food lacked in flavor. One good thing about the experience...the food came out quick....however, it was likely frozen and microwaved onto our plates. I would have skipped this place and went to McDonalds and enjoyed better food but I had to please a crowd. The smiling Christian was nice but I was upset to hear that they didn't serve any alcohol. Take my advice and just get to BW-3s before the crowd picks up so you're not put in the same desperate situation that we were. Skip Avanti's unless the taste of food doesn't matter to you. I would rather eat my cat's steamy turds than go back for another "Italian" Grinder. I'm going to go puke right now......
(1)Johnny T.
A local place surrounded by corporate restaurant chains. The clientele is families taking out their college offspring for one last meal together before school. Don't expect the food to be authentic, but just because its not that doesn't mean that its bad. I can see how the bread sticks out as its really soft and has a slight sweet taste. I also heard that their spaghetti is a favorite among locals and is ordered by a lot. Just got a medium pizza with bacon and sausage and it was pretty good. Service was also top notch as Kyle S. was very professional and deserved a large tip. A good place to have if your dorm building is across the street, which some are.
(4)Bryan S.
Their bread has a lot of sugar so its got a sweet flavor. They use the bread for their gondolas and as a side for spaghetti, ravioli, etc. This is a big draw for them. The service, especially for takeaways, can be mediocre. I went there on Ash Wednesday and asked what they had without meat -- the bimbo at the cash register simply shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't know (actually, she probably didn't). If you're looking for good sandwiches in Bloomington go to Potbelly's -- which has at least two locations, each within a mile of Avanti's. Potbelly's makes the sandwiches right in front of you and is very generous with the toppings and the people are really glad to be serving you (at Avanti's they act like they're doing you a favor).
(2)Shawna T.
Good food and ok service I went here with my fiancée and brother in law (both are black ) and our waitress treated them both as if they were stupid. Watch out for this.
(3)Mr. S.
This is one of those restaurants that I make sure that I go to whenever I come back into town.
(5)Mike H.
Great family service! Inexpensive good food!
(4)m m.
I've been eating at Avant's since '98. Since then...I've got to say, the quality has gone downhill. My family and I used to go to the Empire location 2 to 3 times a month. Not anymore. They upcharge for EVERYTHING. Extra tomato, extra sauce, extra anything=extra money. Are you kidding me? We are charged A La Carte now? Sheesh. It's only a step up from hospital food...a step up from cafeteria food. The quality has gone down in the 13 years I've been a patron and not worth the added dollars and cents for the extra sauces to make the food edible.
(2)Joni P.
Food is simple Italian and is okay. What I loved is the bread! You can get a loaf (or two) to go with ranch dipping sauce and it is amazing. Simple but amazing!
(5)Chris N.
Not the best Italian food I have had but certainly not the worst. The onion soup however tasted like it was made from lipton just add water soup mix. The Italian beef sandwich was decent and the Alfredo sauce was just ok as well. Great for groups and reasonably priced. I hear the pizza is pretty good.
(3)Mike J.
I'll post this review for both locations- Avanti's is a staple in Blormal. My family has been coming here for years (I was raised in B-N, since then have lived around the US in Boston, Chicago, San Fran, Vegas and traveled all over the world...and I still love coming home and returning here again and again. 2 of my brothers went to ISU and would go on all you can eat spaghetti night and I think the most one of them ate was like 5 plates lol. The original Avantis is across from my old high school and I remember days when I or a buddy might forger lunch money and we'd bum $3 off each other and head to avantis for a helf gondola or a loaf of bread and sauce.... It's important to note that everything served at Avanti's isn't 5 star - the 5 star items are centered on their amazing bread that is baked fresh daily. I've heard that the original owner came in ridiculously early every morning to bake the bread himself long after he ever needed to work another day in his life. What a guy! When he passed, I heard others in his family took over for him and I applaud their efforts...in my opinion the standards, service and most importantly FOOD at the new location is just as good if not better than the original location. Also the takeout area is open very late which is awesome. The service is always very friendly! I remember coming in once after college and seeing my ex gf's little sister working once.... and i hadn't seen her in like 10 yrs....she looked like my ex did when we were dating in high school! LOL.what a flashback... Stick to these items - gondola's, garlic bread's, sandwiches...and maybe the spaghetti feast night over the items such as soups, ravioli and other pasta, which are more like good fast food italian. To come to Avantis and order soup or salad or ravioli even in my opinion is kind of like going to a steak place and getting a veggie plate then complaining about the quality. Not that those items aren't good, they're 3 star and not bad.. To all the haters - Avanti's isn't Biaggi's or fine italian dining LOL. Go to Avantis with your bros or hos, take your date you want to impress to Biaggis...completely different experiences, price point, everything. A GF of mine owns a few Italian restaurants in Boston in the North End and she appreciated Avantis for what iit s when i took her and she loved it. if you can make better bread let me know, i'll give you $100 for a loaf of it. I've traveled all over the world and never had better :)
(5)Jana W.
Just a few things: -INCREDIBLE bread. Warm, fresh, and delicious. -Cheap food. -Large portions. -Friendly staff. I ate here one night after work and came to the conclusion that it was pretty good "standard Italian". I wouldn't rave about it being infused with flavors or unique dishes, but it was a good bang for your buck. Large portions and well-cooked, small town Italian food was the theme here. Most servers look like younger students, but are very polite and friendly. I also joined the birthday club online and they gave me a free cake, so that's always nice when you're traveling for work :) Overall, not a bad experience.
(4)John R.
Love the pizza and the pizza bread - the bread has a sweet flavor to it. I think the Gondola sandwich is a bit over-rated. The pasta is just ok - but nothing to write home about and isn't something I typically order. This particular location is right by the airport in East Bloomington - another location on campus in Normal.
(4)Allison F.
Let's start with what makes Avanti's a worthwhile spot to stop at: their bread. It's sweet, fluffy, and chewy. If you pair their bread with meat and other fixings you can have a decent sandwich, such as the Screamin' Salami. Outside of that, however, Avanti's is a mediocre American-Italian restaurant. Sadly I don't recommend trying any of their pasta or sauces. It's generic and frozen and not worth my palate's time. Stick with the bread!
(3)Todd J.
It amazes me how many people in BloNo love this place. I keep giving this place chance after chance to redeem themselves, but the bottom line is the food simply isn't good. Their signature sandwich "the gondola" looks like they're just buying prepackaged sandwiches from Walmart and serving them as their own. The one redeeming quality is their bread. Maybe they should just be a bread store. Italian restaurant, not so much.
(1)Jamie L.
The food is consistently the same. On the last two visits, we received terrible service. On the most recent visit, our server took the order and never returned. Someone else dropped the food at the table. Our order was wrong, we received no refills or checkup to see if everything was okay. After 20 minutes of being done eating, we came up front to pay without our bill.
(2)Doug S.
This place sucks. The bread and salad with creamy pesto dressing were the only redeeming qualities the place had. The Italian beef was too salty with unmelted mozzarella. What made it worse was the sandwich was ten times as salty when it was dipped in the au jus. It's just another Italian restaurant that has absolutely lost its way. No ambiance, no romance, no passion. I would recommend this place get new chefs. Absolutely horrible. The service we had was just ok. Probably being a bit unfair, but hey, I'm not the only one on here blasting this place.
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