I've been to this restaurant twice now. The first time it was outstanding. The second visit, a day or so ago, was not quite as good. They seem to have changed the menu slightly. On the first visit, the menu looked very much like that of a high-end steak house. The menu's were simply printouts the second time, and we were told there were in the middle of a menu change. I had the salmon salad this time. The salmon was not over-cooked. It was flaky with a good flavor. The greens were fresh. The combination of apples, goat cheese, and bacon was well-proportioned. The service was pleasant and attentive. I think that despite the recent changes, this place is still one of my favorite in Bloomington-Normal so far.
(4)
Isabelle L.
A bit out of the way, across from the airport but this is well worth the detour. Ended up here for lunch and it was a really nice experience. Items on the lunch menu are mainly in the $9-13 range and are quite typical: pasta, salads, sandwiches. We ordered a seafood pasta: really good and a spinach salad with shrimps. Both dishes were satisfying and well prepared. Service was also courteous and efficient as you would expect. Yes, I'll be back when in the area.
(4)
Amanda J.
Excellent food, great service, and very nice atmosphere! Baxter's has a great menu and is always a safe bet!
(5)
Amie R.
Just a brief review: I enjoy the food and ambiance, service is ok, but above all, very disappointed they are no longer open for lunch!
(3)
Kate K.
I recently held a work celebration at Baxter's for 30 people. Everything was wonderful and more importantly easy! The special event's staff made the planning and logistics very easy and we were able to set the whole event up via email. Additionally once onsite the staff helped me set up and were very gracious in attending to my guests and their special requests. The food was wonderful and I would definitely recommend Baxter's for both dinner for 4 as well as your next party!
(4)
Russ C.
Substitue the any salad for the house salad (field greens, wedge, etc). The crab meat on Filet Oscar was also not fresh, which it normally is. Asparagas is a $1 upcharge on the Filet now. They are trying to hard to stretch the food quality. The new ownership's decision to skimp on the salad, bread, and fresh fish is ruining what was a perfectly restaurant. Otherwise, they have an impressive selection of appetizers, pasta, fish, and steak, all with an upscale and unique twist. I recommend the steak, Mahi Mahi, Carbonara, and pork chops. The steak is the best in town. Dessert is disappointing, lacking any creativity or variety. Decent drink list. Upscale, comfortable decor. Open kitchen. Good service. Other pluses include outdoor seating and the fact that they are the one of three decent restaurant in town open on Monday (the others are Lancasters and Luca Grill) and one of two restaurants in town whose kitchen is open until 10 (the other is Lucca Grill).
(4)
BloNo Foodie F.
I'm even embarrassed to give this one star. Horrible dining experience. I'd give them some room had they been busy - but we were the only couple in the restaurant at the time. . . . I can't give them any room. I asked for the "five onion soup" as they called it - their version of a French Onion soup. It came out - was presented well - but the cheese smelled as if someone had burnt their hair on it. i didn't complain. However, the Caesar salad was quite nice, I must say. Waitress, was almost never seen the entire time. I ordered the Portobello Sirloin entree. This had to be one of the worst cuts of steak I have ever been served in my life. I very rarely complain about my food - but this - I had to voice my disgust. (my wife has only seen me complain once during the almost 6 years we've been together) I had ordered it medium - but what came out was some slab of meat that was more rare than anything. Now, I can handle my steak rare - but when you cut into meat and there's no way you can get a nice cut of steak - but sinewy - tough meat - bad. Let's not even talk about the prices on the menu - it's given a 2 out of four $$$$ on the onset - it put it more at the 3 level. I did complain about the steak and it was taken off my bill - I ate maybe three or four cuts off it - so that's nice but. IMHO - this restaurant has no business being around. Avoid this place at all costs! If I'm going to have a crappy cut of meat from a steakhouse that says they specialize in steaks - I'd rather go to Jim's and have them char-burn a steak (BTW who the hell does that?) and ruin an otherwise good cut of meat.
Probably my favorite restaurant in town. Great variety and modern cuisine combinations. Never had a bad meal. The deco is really nice and modern. It can get pricey quick.
(4)
Thomas H.
Creative menu...new owner, great service, best food in the area!
(5)
Jennifer L.
I dined here with my sister's graduation with my family on an early Saturday night. The food was good, but definitely stick with the steak over the seafood. My sister and I got the filet migon wrapped in applewood smoked bacon. I had mine prepared medium well and it was cooked to perfection and delicious. I had the garlic mashed potatoes, which tasted good as well. My boyfriend and my mom got seafood - salmon for the bf and the cod for my mom. My mom thought the cod tasted "earthy" (due to the rosemary). My boyfriend liked the salmon but found it to be somewhat undercooked in the middle. He asked for spinach but got asparagus which was boiled and therefore not crisp. My brother got the seafood jumbalaya which he enjoyed a lot. He found the spice level to be good. My dad got a pasta dish which he enjoyed. Overall, good experience and good service. Kitchen was a little slow but again probably due to the number of diners on graduation day. I was bummed that we had to skip on the dessert since we were running late already. I would try it again if I am ever in the area.
(4)
D P.
The best steak, pork chops, prime ribs.....well hell just best food in town period!!! You get what you pay for. Love coming here! I know I'm going to leave satisfied every time. The service has never let me down yet. The atmosphere is wonderful and relaxing. Perfect place for adult time away from the kids.
(5)
Cynthia G.
I have always enjoyed this restaurant! Great food! It is pricy but I have always found they give you more than enough for a leftover meal and I am a serious eater. Service is always great and even when super busy they give you hot delicious food in a timely manner. The hot rolls are delicious. My kid, who won't eat in most sit down restaurants will go to Baxter's every chance he gets!
(5)
Lisa R.
Am in Bloomington often for business and Baxters is a must go to for me every time! Very swanky bar area with a varied menu, from steaks to pasta to chicken it has a lot of offer! Very unique martini menu that is reasonably priced and creative! Salads that come with your entre and wonderful!!! Located adjacent to the Holiday Inn Express near the airport, don't miss if it you're in Bloomie!
(4)
Sarah W.
"The atmosphere was beautiful. Jeff and I sat in a dark intimate booth. There was live jazz band playing Sting and Phil Collins and it added such a romantic touch to our night. He got Arroba Cabernet that he was very happy with. Their cocktails looked good I didn't have any though. He had Filet Oscar and I had Filet. We like our steaks rare and probably the first time I got a truly rare cooked steak. Potatoes weren't anything special. We did have gooey butter cake for dessert and it wa big enough to share and it was amazing with malted chocolate ice cream. We will be back!!!
(5)
Loren R.
Okay, if you 're going to be charging 20 percent more than a comparable restaurant, it better be great. That's the problem, it's good, not great. Until it's great, the place will never get where it could be. Clam chowder was really good. My steak seemed old. I know it sounds weird, but the food , as delivered, seemed old. At first I thought it was me , then my wife said,"Does the food look old to you." Once again, I'm not crazy. Yet, it wasn't bad enough to complain. What were they going to do ? It was obviously how the kitchen functions. So, I'd just get the same thing again. Also, I think that part of the problem is that the restaurant does not have a lot of customers, so the food is not moving out of the kitchen. It does make a difference in any restaurant whether its Biaggi's or Benningo's or Aleta Janes (all good places, by the way). The drinks from the bar were very good. So, as a place for just drinks, it's quite good.
(2)
Brian S.
Good food and nice decor. Very popular so reservations recommended if your planning to go at meal times. Service can be a little slow when it gets busy but usually fairly good.
(4)
Jen M.
The food was great! I ordered to-go one night and room service (Holiday Inn) from the restaurant another night. I tried the Steakhouse Burger and the spaghetti plate. I really enjoyed both. Service was great as well!
(5)
Julia S.
I gotta give this place five stars. I think every time we go back it gets better and better. Wednesdays 1/2 apps. Calamari (spicy) is excellent. Pulled pork slides with crispy onion straw and a Stella = happy. Their filets are cooked to perfection and topped with a garlic butter, mashed potatoes could feed everyone sitting at your table. Oh and their Antipasto is AAAAHHHHMMMAZZING. Great wine sections, dirty Baxter's martinis...shall I go on? Two of my favs there ribs or there stuffed chicken that tastes like Thanksgiving! Stuffed with stuffing! Dessert is Butter cake, do not get anything else but the buttttttter cake...by far the best dessert I have ever had and we are chocoholics! Oh ya one more thing French Onion Soup! GET IT!
(5)
David C.
It has been well over a year since I updated this review. I have to say my opinion has changed...dramatically. The bar rocks. Top shelf liquor .good bartenders...nice crowd...and excellent pizza and quesadillas
(4)
Kim M.
The "Good" 1. Finally B-Town has a place where I can get a decent martini. 2. The atmosphere is great, as well as the music. 3. The service was pretty nice. 4. The Prime Rib was pretty damn good. A little fatty, but still great flavor. 5. The BBQ Sauce on their sticky ribs -- best I've EVER had. I would have licked that plate clean, had I been home with it. The "Not so Good" 1. This place was packed and I'm not sure that the kitchen knows how to keep up with it. 2. The mashed potatoes...I am pretty sure those weren't real potatoes. 3. The food presentation on the plate is awful. On one end I had the Prime Rib, on the other -- this little dollop of the "potatoes". The middle of the plate was totally empty like something was missing. I'll be back, but probably just for appetizers and martinis the next go 'round.
(3)
Trista T.
This place is actually connected to a hotel; lucky hotel guests because it had amazing food and a nice wine list. Monday they had half off of their bottles. The martini's sounded amazing too. This place is perfect for a date night, dinner by candlelight, classy music, and big comfy booths set the mood :) We three decided to get something different to share. I order the pretzel burger that was big, juicy, and had lots of flavor especially from the prosciutto...omg perfection. My mashed sweet potatoes on the side had a dash of cinnamon that made them so good. My sister got the french dip that had really thick cuts of meat, yum! The best was my mom's spicy mango chicken that came with grilled veggie skewers. It was beautiful to look at and eat. We are not fans of super spicy food, and this dish had just the right kick to it. The small portion of baked potato soup that came with it was also quite yummy. Our one complaint was that service took a long time. We did a lot of sitting and waiting to order and sitting and waiting for food, and sitting and waiting for the check...and the place was not busy at all. Kind of odd, but our server was very nice.
(4)
Len L.
The interior and exterior of this restaurant was very decorative and had a classy feel and look to it, as I walked in - the first thing that caught my eye was wine bottles (Cakebread, Silver Oaks, Mondavi Opus One, Rodney Strong) ....most of them I drank and some I didn't. From that sign, I knew that this was my kind of place to wine and dine. The waitress handed me a wine list and to my surprise I did not see any of the bottles that I saw when I first walked in. I asked her and she she told me that she will bring the "special' wine list. I've been to many places in Bloomington and so far no one serves aged prime rib, so when I saw it on the menu - I had to order it. They offer two sizes, 12 oz and 16oz. - of course I had to go with the super-size 16oz. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, she made sure that our glass of wine never was empty, she kept pouring and opening another bottle of wine while we ate. The prime rib was not too lean but on the way too fat side. It was very flavorful and not exactly the perfect, melt in your mouth prime rib that I was expecting. Overall, I did enjoy my dinner experiences here and would definitely come back for another slice of prime rib. Four stars for the wine selection and the service. Three stars for the food.
(4)
Derek N.
Slow service, but the food was good. I only walked in due to a co-workers recommendation as it appears to be hotel bar and I was not interested. It turns out to be something more than that. If I could get over the service I had, I'd rate this place 4 stars due to the food.
(3)
Dave R.
Food was good not great. Staff was friendly and very accommodating. They didn't have the bottle of wine I ordered and replaced it with a more expensive wine at the lesser price. Pretty nice gesture.
(3)
John S.
Open on a Monday night! Prior to choosing this place, spent a good deal of time trying to find a (decent) place to eat in Bloomington IL on a Monday evening - that was OPEN. Glad we choose this place! 1/2 price bottles of wine tonght! No brainer - took advantage of this great deal and a great pinot noir. Ordered the shrimp and scallop angel pasta. It was absolutely PERFECT. The best I have ever had. The side caesar was excellent - no disgusting jar sauce - just a really good salad in it's simplicity. The rolls were excellent. The menu is not extensive at all... But you may find it difficult to decide on an entre'.. so many GOOD choices. Others at the party were very happy with there meals. Service excellent. This is a top notch restaurant without the pretentious bs. I will enthusiatically return. I highly recommend.
(4)
Adam H.
See Christopher H.'s review below. I 'dined' at Baxters with Christopher H. for my sister's (his daughter's) graduation celebration. To summarize his review, the soup and salad took over 45 minutes to reach the table, an hour after ordering a member of our party was asked to order something else, and our server diappeared into the night. Please find it and read the details because his comments are incredibly accurate. That being said, the food wasn't very good either. I rarely have just a plain 'bad' experience at restaurants and this was one of those rare times. We waited for too long for mediocre food and paid too much; certainly a bitter taste resonates in my mouth. [I had the braised beef] After Christopher H. reviewed our negative experience and gave his personal opinion, an individual who appears to have an association with Baxters American Grill, named Raphael P., personal messaged my father and insulted him and my family in response to the comments made. I have alerted Yelp in regards to the abuse but I wanted to send a warning out to those who might have negative thoughts about this place, that you may get harassed by a staff member afterward. He went on to mention that our family should not be allowed in restaurants ever again, and I know I'm not supposed to boast my elite status, however I obviously have a clear idea of what a good dining experience should include versus a bad one, and I had a very BAD dining experience here. There are so many other nice restaurants to choose from in the Bloomington-Normal I can't even begin to recommend you find somewhere else. I award no stars, won't ever be back, and hope that the childish name calling for bad reviews has ended.
Atmosphere and service good. Food average at best, but it was parents weekend.
(3)
Luke H.
I love Baxters! Great Food, great service and great atmosphere.... What more could I ask for? Always a great experience either in the bar or dining area.
(5)
Kelly S.
Nothing super but everything solid and in the upper echelon of BloNo restaurants. Bread service was nothing special and consisted only of one type - Sister Schubert's rolls that come frozen at Sam's club. They are REALLY delish though despite my description. I know this because my family begs for them all the time since I bought them once. We both had the 5 onion soup - too much tarragon or something in it for my taste. I had seared ahi tuna with sticky rice and cucumber salad. The dipping sauce was sweet. Bf had mahi mahi with a shrimp sauce and asparagus. Nice presentation. Nice beer selection. Service was good. The bill for the two of us each with one beer, tax and tip was $64.
(4)
Matt W.
I've been here a few times. Food is above average for Bloomington. I like the ribs and BBQ chicken pizza the best. If you're staying at the holiday inn its a great place to grab drinks since it's right next door. Great drink selection too. Probably one the best beer/wine selections in town. I would recommend sitting outside when the weather is nice. They have a great patio.
(4)
Will P.
I have never had a meal here I didn't enjoy. I have never had a server I didn't like. Charlie, Ryan, Taylor...they are all superb. All the servers have their own personalities so they never come off like robots but they are all professional and courteous and fun. The menu changes periodically, which is fun because I always like to try new things. (Last night it was Tuna Tar Tar)
(5)
Kevin M.
Food was overall pretty decent. Service was hit and miss. When we arrived it took about fifteen minutes to finally get attention from the bartender to order a drink. My friends drink was made wrong and it was another five minutes until he got a new one. Got seated at a table and bread came out that were clearly not made in house. Ordered the veal chop and it was cooked to satisfaction. Service at my table was very well.
(3)
Priscilla C.
I have gone to Baxter's twice now and both time were nice! I went back there with my friend because I had a good experience with them! I am aware of their half price appetizers on Wednesdays but did not know about the half price on the bottled wine on Mondays till now when I read the review below. Glad that I read it. Both time I had great experience! The waitress was really nice and professional! Most of the food are somewhat on the expensive side but consider the fact that they are good, I don't mind paying more. We both ordered the 6 oz Filet. My friend's seemed to have a much bigger piece but whatever. They were kind of blend to me but I am used to marinate my meat, so it is probably normal to most people. The decor is nice. We enjoyed the dinner and the night out!
(4)
Tristan B.
As I left for lunch yesterday to get a salad at Baxter's my friend said "I dream about their wedge salad." All of their salads look and taste amazing. I love the BBQ Chicken salad. It has iceberg lettuce, but I can't imagine any other lettuce working for it. I feel like Baxter's appeals to a slightly different lunch crowd than the rest of the restaurants in Blono. Everyone in the restaurant for lunch was either in a suit or business casual. For a short while I imagined I wasn't a public interest lawyer, but a rich lawyer having a power lunch with clients. Then I drank the iced tea and snapped back to reality. The iced tea was not good. The waitress was very nice about replacing it with something else and then wouldn't let my glass stay empty for more than a couple of seconds. I've had dessert there once. It was a Banana Bread Pudding and it was amazing. The beer selection is decent and they served hefewiezen in proper glasses.
(5)
jim k.
Sat at the bar with a very friendly bartender, Christina. Friday night, place is packed, but she kept my glass full and the food was hot when served. Had the Tuna Tartare marinated in cilantro-lime & wasabi, with crisp tortilla- very fresh and wonderful. Nice presentation. Then I ordered the Scallops Three Ways - WOW! 6 big scallops, 2 Blackened, 2 with Blue Cheese stuffing, 2 with a Bearnaise sauce, Asparagus spears on the side. Easily the best scallops I've had in Bloomington.
(4)
Dusty W.
Went on a Saturday night and while it was crowded, the device was very attentive and good. Food was very good and presented well. Overall it was a good meal and we felt the final price was very reasonable.
(4)
Kelly M.
I think Baxter's has turned a corner. Consistently, I have gotten good food here. Pros: decor is nice...kind of darkish, but nice. Clean and lots of booths (nice booths) Service has been good. THe food has been good...tastes like homemade salad dressing, too It's generally not too busy, so a wait is rare Cons: don't like their patio...its right off the bar and just seems weird feeling menu is not huge, which is both good and bad...not a millions choices, but the ones you get are good salads are a bit steep on the price side
(4)
Michael S.
Very nice ambience. Tuna tartare rocks! Ordered the top sirloin. Largest cut on the menu was 12oz, but they were happy to prepare a 16oz for me!! Kudos to the server and the chef! A great night out at a fine restaurant!!
(4)
Lindsey D.
Love the atmosphere here! Every time I have gone there has been a band playing and the corporate crowd hanging out. The best meal I have had here was the miso glazed salmon. Delicious!!
(4)
MaLissa Y.
Great ribs! And love the buttermilk ranch dressing!
(4)
Jamie M.
J Bucks used to be at this location. I had been there a few times. It was ok. We tried Baxter's about a month ago. I had chicken and my husband had ribs. We both had salads and the artichoke dip appetizer. The salads were nice- not homemade dressing, but ok. The appetizer came with a bagillion chips, but it was okay too. The place was pretty empty. There were 4 tables occupied and 2 servers. I would say that the service was good. Our was attentive, but not hovering. My husband liked his ribs, a lot. I did not like my chicken. It was a roasted chicken, so it's obvious that they have to do this ahead of time so guests don't have to sit there for hours. HOWEVER, mine was about as dry as you can get it. Think of National Lampoons Chistmas Vacation turkey dry. The manager offered us a dessert for our troubles, which was nice. 3 stars because the food was just so so. I have to really like my food to want to go back to a place. It's just not a place that I think of to do when I want to go out to eat.
(3)
Josh F.
Food was ok but not great but the service was poor. Staff was too busy talking amongst themselves instead of taking care of the customers. The owner showed up and things quickly improved in terms of service.
(3)
Bud R.
Came here will staying in the adjacent hotel. Normally hotel restaurants are a dive, but this place rocked. Sat at the bar for dinner. Pork ribs were surprisingly tender and literally fell off the bone. They were well marinated and I suspect boiled, but who knows. Specials of the day were a Mako shark steak and a tomato basil pasta dish, which the people next to me ordered and seemed to enjoy immensely. Everything seemed reasonably priced for the high quality.
(4)
Ben H.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of Baxter's. Their Spanish and artichoke dip is the best in town (IMO). Also, their Sunday brunch is pretty decent as well. Pretty reasonable price for good food. However, the food service was quite slow last time I went. That's the only reason I didn't give it a five.
(4)
Dawn H.
I haven't been to the dining room much, but the bar is great. Good selection of wine and beer. Staff is friendly and will remember repeat customers. They have specials a few days a week (half price bottles of wine on Mondays, etc.) They have good live music several times a month (which can make the bar crowded so get there early if you go for the music). Very classy, nice decorations, typically business type clientele. One of my Blm favorites.
(4)
Mike K.
Great food and wine...service was fast and friendly.
(4)
kevin g.
This one was out of the blue thanks to Yelpers. I had made plans to have dinner with my cousin and she said she liked burgers and pizza. But I thought we can do this right. I found Baxters with the help of others in the community and they took online reservations always a good thing. I got there first and ordered a glass of wine and took in the menu. They have american fare , steaks, pastas, etc. And of course burgers and pizza. When my cousin arrived we ordered steak nachos, these were legit they had big strips of steak on them and nice thin cheese sauce that helped not break too many of the chips. They were good, and there was plenty of them. the Cuz went with the flatbread of the day with chicken and some other goodies while I went for the ribeye. The FB looked very good and crisp in the right places. although I did not have any she said it was yummy and packed the leftover for lunch the following day. The steak was cooked to my order, and had some very simple but good mashed potatoes. When Chris (our attentive server) came back by we spoke of dessert and decided to give it a go. I have to say I forgot what the Cuz ordered because my strawberry shortcake napoleon arrived with a steak knife holding it together and everything else in the world stopped. It was basically strawberry cheesecake in between 2 puff pastries, but that makes it sound simple which it was not. It was huge and good and despite everything not overly sweet. I will post a picture as I was floored by the whole presentation. So to sum up, go eat what you want it will be good and save room for dessert they have this strawberry thing...
(5)
Kayla M.
Baxters is a wonderful place. From the ambiance to the staff. To start off my waitress did an excellent job. I ordered the drunken mushrooms and they were superb. I also ordered the steak tartare not realizing it was completely uncooked. The waitress took the item off the bill. I was very pleased with the outcome not expecting that. The water boy kept my water full the entire tome which to me is great service.
(5)
Harry W.
meh. went here on my brothers recommendation. Obviously two very different experiences. Busy Friday evening. First they "lost" our order, After soup/salads were finished, I had to check w our server, learned that the kitchen had lost our entry order... then it took forever to arrive. Three entries... salad plate - wrong salad (she ate it and it was ok, just not what she had ordered) prime rib - flavor ok but the texture was weird and off-putting. tempura fried softshell - arrived cold, was greasy and tasteless. The Mgr comped this entry. Wont be back
RSVP for 6:15 seated on time. Atmosphere good service good- except took a while for initial interaction. stringy prime rib and woody asparagus. Wife's steak was medium vs medium rare. Good drinks music too loud - decent place just don't get pricy entree and expect excellence...
(3)
Dave S.
Why, Yelp, is your software rejecting a review of someone who has been here at least 36 times (monthly for over 3 years and a few more.)? The tuna tartare is always great. The steak nachos have a sauce that would make an old boot taste great. The bar staff is very professional, management is attentive and they are continually improving the menu. I live in Nashville and Baxter's can play there. It's good enough that I worry BN won't know what they have. I don't doubt some of the isolated bad experiences. It happens... But not to me. And trust me. The prices are not out of line.
Last night 10 co-workers and myself went to Baxter's for a company holiday party and we were all happily surprised how fantastic the whole experience was. First, I definitely need to give kudos to our server, Justin M., who did a fantastic job keeping waters filled and most importantly easily splitting the check 11 ways without any attitude. Baxter's has beautiful decor befitting a fine dining restaurant. You can easily take clients and have business dinners here with no problem. Lots of after-work business folks and dressier families were here the night I was. It was packed too, so I recommend a reservation. For dinner I started with the bacon spinach salad which was loaded with bacon parts and a nice warm bacon dressing. Great start to the meal. For my main I had a 12oz ribeye that was cooked perfectly and was marbled really well. Lots of that buttery soft fat that ribeyes are known for. Simply prepared garlic mashed potatoes were great on the side. A few others got the prime rib and said how fantastic it was. I'll think about getting that next time. Priced are reasonable for what you get. My steak was $24 and most entrees are between $17 and $28 or so. They had a couple of craft beers on tap and their drink selection looked pretty diverse as well. For a nice dinner Baxter's should definitely be on your list!
(5)
Katie M.
This place was awesome! It was mine and my boyfriend's first time there and we thought we would try it out since it was one of the better reviews on yelp. Our waiter was polite and always checking in with us, not too much though. The food was really good. We started off with the calamari since it was 1/2 price appetizers then we both got steaks with mashed potatoes and salad. They were amazing! We told our waiter it was our anniversary and he gave us a free dessert! He was an awesome waiter and I would definitely go back again especially for his service.
(5)
Drew D.
This place has excellent food, and great service as well. I was first here when I was in town for a job interview, and I was pleasantly surprised at the ambience of the restaurant. Since then, I'e had many great meals here, and will continue coming here as long as it's around!
(5)
Chris J.
I would give 3 1/2 stars if I could. Consistency can be a problem for Baxter's - especially with seafood. I've had very good meals and pretty bad meals - within a week or two from each other. I'm a serious seafood fan - and they have way undercooked Tilapia, and over cooked scallops and oyster rockefeller. I know! Central Illinois doesn't exactly bring seafood to mind. But still it just shows the kitchen staff's inexperience when it comes to handling seafood. Good plans, variable results. However I have had good meals at Baxter's too. They have several chicken and meat dishes that are very well prepared - and I would recommend choosing those and their pizzas. Their staff has always been friendly and attentive. For business travelers - great location! Adjacent to the Holiday Inn - and across the street from the Bloomington Airport.
(3)
Josh B.
Very nice establishment. I got the vegetarian penne w/o the mushrooms and it was delicious. The waitress was very friendly and picked up conversation with us readily. It's right by the airport so if you're wanting to grab some non-airport food before you leave Bloomington, IL. Hop on over the Baxter's. I'm glad we chose not to go the the Buff Wild Wings next door and ate here instead. The ambience and environment were very classy and sets the mode for a great meal. Nice and quiet and peaceful. It was quite dim/dark in there for the middle of the afternoon, but I think that the dining area gets full facing sunlight around noon so the shades were drawn partially. My coworkers got the french dip on pretzel bun, which they thoroughly enjoyed. If I'm ever in Bloomington again, I'll definitely make a stop.
(5)
Dakota H.
I like Baxters. I can see where everyone else is coming from in their reviews... but I've never had a bad experience like they have. I enjoy the rolls at the beginning of the meal, and I have never been disappointed in their entrees. (p.s. their gooey butter cake is my favorite dessert in town). The only reason why I give them 4 stars instead of 5 is because I've had really mediocre service there before, and because when I had their french onion soup I really couldn't even eat it. It just wasn't good. At all.
(4)
Nancy D.
Great place to meet friends or family for dinner and/or drinks. Very nice atmosphere, big bar area, good patio, and relaxing dining area. I've had steak, pasta, seafood, sangria, wines, and beers here. Always very pleasing!
(4)
Joe H.
Dined here the other night and throughly enjoyed myself. Loved the atmosphere and ambience but was a tad on the dark side for my old eyes. Our sever Megan was outstanding. She did a great job with my wife's dietary restrictions and was very helpful. I had the pork chops with garlic mash potatoes that were delicious. Great wine selection and don't pass up dessert. We will definitely be back!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Joshua B.
I've been to this restaurant twice now. The first time it was outstanding. The second visit, a day or so ago, was not quite as good. They seem to have changed the menu slightly. On the first visit, the menu looked very much like that of a high-end steak house. The menu's were simply printouts the second time, and we were told there were in the middle of a menu change. I had the salmon salad this time. The salmon was not over-cooked. It was flaky with a good flavor. The greens were fresh. The combination of apples, goat cheese, and bacon was well-proportioned. The service was pleasant and attentive. I think that despite the recent changes, this place is still one of my favorite in Bloomington-Normal so far.
(4)Isabelle L.
A bit out of the way, across from the airport but this is well worth the detour. Ended up here for lunch and it was a really nice experience. Items on the lunch menu are mainly in the $9-13 range and are quite typical: pasta, salads, sandwiches. We ordered a seafood pasta: really good and a spinach salad with shrimps. Both dishes were satisfying and well prepared. Service was also courteous and efficient as you would expect. Yes, I'll be back when in the area.
(4)Amanda J.
Excellent food, great service, and very nice atmosphere! Baxter's has a great menu and is always a safe bet!
(5)Amie R.
Just a brief review: I enjoy the food and ambiance, service is ok, but above all, very disappointed they are no longer open for lunch!
(3)Kate K.
I recently held a work celebration at Baxter's for 30 people. Everything was wonderful and more importantly easy! The special event's staff made the planning and logistics very easy and we were able to set the whole event up via email. Additionally once onsite the staff helped me set up and were very gracious in attending to my guests and their special requests. The food was wonderful and I would definitely recommend Baxter's for both dinner for 4 as well as your next party!
(4)Russ C.
Substitue the any salad for the house salad (field greens, wedge, etc). The crab meat on Filet Oscar was also not fresh, which it normally is. Asparagas is a $1 upcharge on the Filet now. They are trying to hard to stretch the food quality. The new ownership's decision to skimp on the salad, bread, and fresh fish is ruining what was a perfectly restaurant. Otherwise, they have an impressive selection of appetizers, pasta, fish, and steak, all with an upscale and unique twist. I recommend the steak, Mahi Mahi, Carbonara, and pork chops. The steak is the best in town. Dessert is disappointing, lacking any creativity or variety. Decent drink list. Upscale, comfortable decor. Open kitchen. Good service. Other pluses include outdoor seating and the fact that they are the one of three decent restaurant in town open on Monday (the others are Lancasters and Luca Grill) and one of two restaurants in town whose kitchen is open until 10 (the other is Lucca Grill).
(4)BloNo Foodie F.
I'm even embarrassed to give this one star. Horrible dining experience. I'd give them some room had they been busy - but we were the only couple in the restaurant at the time. . . . I can't give them any room. I asked for the "five onion soup" as they called it - their version of a French Onion soup. It came out - was presented well - but the cheese smelled as if someone had burnt their hair on it. i didn't complain. However, the Caesar salad was quite nice, I must say. Waitress, was almost never seen the entire time. I ordered the Portobello Sirloin entree. This had to be one of the worst cuts of steak I have ever been served in my life. I very rarely complain about my food - but this - I had to voice my disgust. (my wife has only seen me complain once during the almost 6 years we've been together) I had ordered it medium - but what came out was some slab of meat that was more rare than anything. Now, I can handle my steak rare - but when you cut into meat and there's no way you can get a nice cut of steak - but sinewy - tough meat - bad. Let's not even talk about the prices on the menu - it's given a 2 out of four $$$$ on the onset - it put it more at the 3 level. I did complain about the steak and it was taken off my bill - I ate maybe three or four cuts off it - so that's nice but. IMHO - this restaurant has no business being around. Avoid this place at all costs! If I'm going to have a crappy cut of meat from a steakhouse that says they specialize in steaks - I'd rather go to Jim's and have them char-burn a steak (BTW who the hell does that?) and ruin an otherwise good cut of meat.
(1)K.c. S.
Great steaks, ribs, and bacon wrapped chicken. Add in the sautéed spinach that's perfectly al dente. Good service. Great selection of desserts. Parking lot is crazy so be careful. Nice bathrooms decor.
(4)Josh S.
Probably my favorite restaurant in town. Great variety and modern cuisine combinations. Never had a bad meal. The deco is really nice and modern. It can get pricey quick.
(4)Thomas H.
Creative menu...new owner, great service, best food in the area!
(5)Jennifer L.
I dined here with my sister's graduation with my family on an early Saturday night. The food was good, but definitely stick with the steak over the seafood. My sister and I got the filet migon wrapped in applewood smoked bacon. I had mine prepared medium well and it was cooked to perfection and delicious. I had the garlic mashed potatoes, which tasted good as well. My boyfriend and my mom got seafood - salmon for the bf and the cod for my mom. My mom thought the cod tasted "earthy" (due to the rosemary). My boyfriend liked the salmon but found it to be somewhat undercooked in the middle. He asked for spinach but got asparagus which was boiled and therefore not crisp. My brother got the seafood jumbalaya which he enjoyed a lot. He found the spice level to be good. My dad got a pasta dish which he enjoyed. Overall, good experience and good service. Kitchen was a little slow but again probably due to the number of diners on graduation day. I was bummed that we had to skip on the dessert since we were running late already. I would try it again if I am ever in the area.
(4)D P.
The best steak, pork chops, prime ribs.....well hell just best food in town period!!! You get what you pay for. Love coming here! I know I'm going to leave satisfied every time. The service has never let me down yet. The atmosphere is wonderful and relaxing. Perfect place for adult time away from the kids.
(5)Cynthia G.
I have always enjoyed this restaurant! Great food! It is pricy but I have always found they give you more than enough for a leftover meal and I am a serious eater. Service is always great and even when super busy they give you hot delicious food in a timely manner. The hot rolls are delicious. My kid, who won't eat in most sit down restaurants will go to Baxter's every chance he gets!
(5)Lisa R.
Am in Bloomington often for business and Baxters is a must go to for me every time! Very swanky bar area with a varied menu, from steaks to pasta to chicken it has a lot of offer! Very unique martini menu that is reasonably priced and creative! Salads that come with your entre and wonderful!!! Located adjacent to the Holiday Inn Express near the airport, don't miss if it you're in Bloomie!
(4)Sarah W.
"The atmosphere was beautiful. Jeff and I sat in a dark intimate booth. There was live jazz band playing Sting and Phil Collins and it added such a romantic touch to our night. He got Arroba Cabernet that he was very happy with. Their cocktails looked good I didn't have any though. He had Filet Oscar and I had Filet. We like our steaks rare and probably the first time I got a truly rare cooked steak. Potatoes weren't anything special. We did have gooey butter cake for dessert and it wa big enough to share and it was amazing with malted chocolate ice cream. We will be back!!!
(5)Loren R.
Okay, if you 're going to be charging 20 percent more than a comparable restaurant, it better be great. That's the problem, it's good, not great. Until it's great, the place will never get where it could be. Clam chowder was really good. My steak seemed old. I know it sounds weird, but the food , as delivered, seemed old. At first I thought it was me , then my wife said,"Does the food look old to you." Once again, I'm not crazy. Yet, it wasn't bad enough to complain. What were they going to do ? It was obviously how the kitchen functions. So, I'd just get the same thing again. Also, I think that part of the problem is that the restaurant does not have a lot of customers, so the food is not moving out of the kitchen. It does make a difference in any restaurant whether its Biaggi's or Benningo's or Aleta Janes (all good places, by the way). The drinks from the bar were very good. So, as a place for just drinks, it's quite good.
(2)Brian S.
Good food and nice decor. Very popular so reservations recommended if your planning to go at meal times. Service can be a little slow when it gets busy but usually fairly good.
(4)Jen M.
The food was great! I ordered to-go one night and room service (Holiday Inn) from the restaurant another night. I tried the Steakhouse Burger and the spaghetti plate. I really enjoyed both. Service was great as well!
(5)Julia S.
I gotta give this place five stars. I think every time we go back it gets better and better. Wednesdays 1/2 apps. Calamari (spicy) is excellent. Pulled pork slides with crispy onion straw and a Stella = happy. Their filets are cooked to perfection and topped with a garlic butter, mashed potatoes could feed everyone sitting at your table. Oh and their Antipasto is AAAAHHHHMMMAZZING. Great wine sections, dirty Baxter's martinis...shall I go on? Two of my favs there ribs or there stuffed chicken that tastes like Thanksgiving! Stuffed with stuffing! Dessert is Butter cake, do not get anything else but the buttttttter cake...by far the best dessert I have ever had and we are chocoholics! Oh ya one more thing French Onion Soup! GET IT!
(5)David C.
It has been well over a year since I updated this review. I have to say my opinion has changed...dramatically. The bar rocks. Top shelf liquor .good bartenders...nice crowd...and excellent pizza and quesadillas
(4)Kim M.
The "Good" 1. Finally B-Town has a place where I can get a decent martini. 2. The atmosphere is great, as well as the music. 3. The service was pretty nice. 4. The Prime Rib was pretty damn good. A little fatty, but still great flavor. 5. The BBQ Sauce on their sticky ribs -- best I've EVER had. I would have licked that plate clean, had I been home with it. The "Not so Good" 1. This place was packed and I'm not sure that the kitchen knows how to keep up with it. 2. The mashed potatoes...I am pretty sure those weren't real potatoes. 3. The food presentation on the plate is awful. On one end I had the Prime Rib, on the other -- this little dollop of the "potatoes". The middle of the plate was totally empty like something was missing. I'll be back, but probably just for appetizers and martinis the next go 'round.
(3)Trista T.
This place is actually connected to a hotel; lucky hotel guests because it had amazing food and a nice wine list. Monday they had half off of their bottles. The martini's sounded amazing too. This place is perfect for a date night, dinner by candlelight, classy music, and big comfy booths set the mood :) We three decided to get something different to share. I order the pretzel burger that was big, juicy, and had lots of flavor especially from the prosciutto...omg perfection. My mashed sweet potatoes on the side had a dash of cinnamon that made them so good. My sister got the french dip that had really thick cuts of meat, yum! The best was my mom's spicy mango chicken that came with grilled veggie skewers. It was beautiful to look at and eat. We are not fans of super spicy food, and this dish had just the right kick to it. The small portion of baked potato soup that came with it was also quite yummy. Our one complaint was that service took a long time. We did a lot of sitting and waiting to order and sitting and waiting for food, and sitting and waiting for the check...and the place was not busy at all. Kind of odd, but our server was very nice.
(4)Len L.
The interior and exterior of this restaurant was very decorative and had a classy feel and look to it, as I walked in - the first thing that caught my eye was wine bottles (Cakebread, Silver Oaks, Mondavi Opus One, Rodney Strong) ....most of them I drank and some I didn't. From that sign, I knew that this was my kind of place to wine and dine. The waitress handed me a wine list and to my surprise I did not see any of the bottles that I saw when I first walked in. I asked her and she she told me that she will bring the "special' wine list. I've been to many places in Bloomington and so far no one serves aged prime rib, so when I saw it on the menu - I had to order it. They offer two sizes, 12 oz and 16oz. - of course I had to go with the super-size 16oz. The waitress was very attentive and friendly, she made sure that our glass of wine never was empty, she kept pouring and opening another bottle of wine while we ate. The prime rib was not too lean but on the way too fat side. It was very flavorful and not exactly the perfect, melt in your mouth prime rib that I was expecting. Overall, I did enjoy my dinner experiences here and would definitely come back for another slice of prime rib. Four stars for the wine selection and the service. Three stars for the food.
(4)Derek N.
Slow service, but the food was good. I only walked in due to a co-workers recommendation as it appears to be hotel bar and I was not interested. It turns out to be something more than that. If I could get over the service I had, I'd rate this place 4 stars due to the food.
(3)Dave R.
Food was good not great. Staff was friendly and very accommodating. They didn't have the bottle of wine I ordered and replaced it with a more expensive wine at the lesser price. Pretty nice gesture.
(3)John S.
Open on a Monday night! Prior to choosing this place, spent a good deal of time trying to find a (decent) place to eat in Bloomington IL on a Monday evening - that was OPEN. Glad we choose this place! 1/2 price bottles of wine tonght! No brainer - took advantage of this great deal and a great pinot noir. Ordered the shrimp and scallop angel pasta. It was absolutely PERFECT. The best I have ever had. The side caesar was excellent - no disgusting jar sauce - just a really good salad in it's simplicity. The rolls were excellent. The menu is not extensive at all... But you may find it difficult to decide on an entre'.. so many GOOD choices. Others at the party were very happy with there meals. Service excellent. This is a top notch restaurant without the pretentious bs. I will enthusiatically return. I highly recommend.
(4)Adam H.
See Christopher H.'s review below. I 'dined' at Baxters with Christopher H. for my sister's (his daughter's) graduation celebration. To summarize his review, the soup and salad took over 45 minutes to reach the table, an hour after ordering a member of our party was asked to order something else, and our server diappeared into the night. Please find it and read the details because his comments are incredibly accurate. That being said, the food wasn't very good either. I rarely have just a plain 'bad' experience at restaurants and this was one of those rare times. We waited for too long for mediocre food and paid too much; certainly a bitter taste resonates in my mouth. [I had the braised beef] After Christopher H. reviewed our negative experience and gave his personal opinion, an individual who appears to have an association with Baxters American Grill, named Raphael P., personal messaged my father and insulted him and my family in response to the comments made. I have alerted Yelp in regards to the abuse but I wanted to send a warning out to those who might have negative thoughts about this place, that you may get harassed by a staff member afterward. He went on to mention that our family should not be allowed in restaurants ever again, and I know I'm not supposed to boast my elite status, however I obviously have a clear idea of what a good dining experience should include versus a bad one, and I had a very BAD dining experience here. There are so many other nice restaurants to choose from in the Bloomington-Normal I can't even begin to recommend you find somewhere else. I award no stars, won't ever be back, and hope that the childish name calling for bad reviews has ended.
(1)Katrina R.
My fiancé wanted to take me here for my 21st birthday. First off, our server, Charles, was amazing. He knew all the specials and remembered our order without writing it down. I asked him for his opinion on wine and his knowledge on them was extensive. The food came at a timely manner. My fiancé got the NY strip and the sear was fantastic; it melt in your mouth. I got the coconut crusted red snapper. It was very fresh I was impressed. I would definitely come back here again.
(5)Richard W.
Atmosphere and service good. Food average at best, but it was parents weekend.
(3)Luke H.
I love Baxters! Great Food, great service and great atmosphere.... What more could I ask for? Always a great experience either in the bar or dining area.
(5)Kelly S.
Nothing super but everything solid and in the upper echelon of BloNo restaurants. Bread service was nothing special and consisted only of one type - Sister Schubert's rolls that come frozen at Sam's club. They are REALLY delish though despite my description. I know this because my family begs for them all the time since I bought them once. We both had the 5 onion soup - too much tarragon or something in it for my taste. I had seared ahi tuna with sticky rice and cucumber salad. The dipping sauce was sweet. Bf had mahi mahi with a shrimp sauce and asparagus. Nice presentation. Nice beer selection. Service was good. The bill for the two of us each with one beer, tax and tip was $64.
(4)Matt W.
I've been here a few times. Food is above average for Bloomington. I like the ribs and BBQ chicken pizza the best. If you're staying at the holiday inn its a great place to grab drinks since it's right next door. Great drink selection too. Probably one the best beer/wine selections in town. I would recommend sitting outside when the weather is nice. They have a great patio.
(4)Will P.
I have never had a meal here I didn't enjoy. I have never had a server I didn't like. Charlie, Ryan, Taylor...they are all superb. All the servers have their own personalities so they never come off like robots but they are all professional and courteous and fun. The menu changes periodically, which is fun because I always like to try new things. (Last night it was Tuna Tar Tar)
(5)Kevin M.
Food was overall pretty decent. Service was hit and miss. When we arrived it took about fifteen minutes to finally get attention from the bartender to order a drink. My friends drink was made wrong and it was another five minutes until he got a new one. Got seated at a table and bread came out that were clearly not made in house. Ordered the veal chop and it was cooked to satisfaction. Service at my table was very well.
(3)Priscilla C.
I have gone to Baxter's twice now and both time were nice! I went back there with my friend because I had a good experience with them! I am aware of their half price appetizers on Wednesdays but did not know about the half price on the bottled wine on Mondays till now when I read the review below. Glad that I read it. Both time I had great experience! The waitress was really nice and professional! Most of the food are somewhat on the expensive side but consider the fact that they are good, I don't mind paying more. We both ordered the 6 oz Filet. My friend's seemed to have a much bigger piece but whatever. They were kind of blend to me but I am used to marinate my meat, so it is probably normal to most people. The decor is nice. We enjoyed the dinner and the night out!
(4)Tristan B.
As I left for lunch yesterday to get a salad at Baxter's my friend said "I dream about their wedge salad." All of their salads look and taste amazing. I love the BBQ Chicken salad. It has iceberg lettuce, but I can't imagine any other lettuce working for it. I feel like Baxter's appeals to a slightly different lunch crowd than the rest of the restaurants in Blono. Everyone in the restaurant for lunch was either in a suit or business casual. For a short while I imagined I wasn't a public interest lawyer, but a rich lawyer having a power lunch with clients. Then I drank the iced tea and snapped back to reality. The iced tea was not good. The waitress was very nice about replacing it with something else and then wouldn't let my glass stay empty for more than a couple of seconds. I've had dessert there once. It was a Banana Bread Pudding and it was amazing. The beer selection is decent and they served hefewiezen in proper glasses.
(5)jim k.
Sat at the bar with a very friendly bartender, Christina. Friday night, place is packed, but she kept my glass full and the food was hot when served. Had the Tuna Tartare marinated in cilantro-lime & wasabi, with crisp tortilla- very fresh and wonderful. Nice presentation. Then I ordered the Scallops Three Ways - WOW! 6 big scallops, 2 Blackened, 2 with Blue Cheese stuffing, 2 with a Bearnaise sauce, Asparagus spears on the side. Easily the best scallops I've had in Bloomington.
(4)Dusty W.
Went on a Saturday night and while it was crowded, the device was very attentive and good. Food was very good and presented well. Overall it was a good meal and we felt the final price was very reasonable.
(4)Kelly M.
I think Baxter's has turned a corner. Consistently, I have gotten good food here. Pros: decor is nice...kind of darkish, but nice. Clean and lots of booths (nice booths) Service has been good. THe food has been good...tastes like homemade salad dressing, too It's generally not too busy, so a wait is rare Cons: don't like their patio...its right off the bar and just seems weird feeling menu is not huge, which is both good and bad...not a millions choices, but the ones you get are good salads are a bit steep on the price side
(4)Michael S.
Very nice ambience. Tuna tartare rocks! Ordered the top sirloin. Largest cut on the menu was 12oz, but they were happy to prepare a 16oz for me!! Kudos to the server and the chef! A great night out at a fine restaurant!!
(4)Lindsey D.
Love the atmosphere here! Every time I have gone there has been a band playing and the corporate crowd hanging out. The best meal I have had here was the miso glazed salmon. Delicious!!
(4)MaLissa Y.
Great ribs! And love the buttermilk ranch dressing!
(4)Jamie M.
J Bucks used to be at this location. I had been there a few times. It was ok. We tried Baxter's about a month ago. I had chicken and my husband had ribs. We both had salads and the artichoke dip appetizer. The salads were nice- not homemade dressing, but ok. The appetizer came with a bagillion chips, but it was okay too. The place was pretty empty. There were 4 tables occupied and 2 servers. I would say that the service was good. Our was attentive, but not hovering. My husband liked his ribs, a lot. I did not like my chicken. It was a roasted chicken, so it's obvious that they have to do this ahead of time so guests don't have to sit there for hours. HOWEVER, mine was about as dry as you can get it. Think of National Lampoons Chistmas Vacation turkey dry. The manager offered us a dessert for our troubles, which was nice. 3 stars because the food was just so so. I have to really like my food to want to go back to a place. It's just not a place that I think of to do when I want to go out to eat.
(3)Josh F.
Food was ok but not great but the service was poor. Staff was too busy talking amongst themselves instead of taking care of the customers. The owner showed up and things quickly improved in terms of service.
(3)Bud R.
Came here will staying in the adjacent hotel. Normally hotel restaurants are a dive, but this place rocked. Sat at the bar for dinner. Pork ribs were surprisingly tender and literally fell off the bone. They were well marinated and I suspect boiled, but who knows. Specials of the day were a Mako shark steak and a tomato basil pasta dish, which the people next to me ordered and seemed to enjoy immensely. Everything seemed reasonably priced for the high quality.
(4)Ben H.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of Baxter's. Their Spanish and artichoke dip is the best in town (IMO). Also, their Sunday brunch is pretty decent as well. Pretty reasonable price for good food. However, the food service was quite slow last time I went. That's the only reason I didn't give it a five.
(4)Dawn H.
I haven't been to the dining room much, but the bar is great. Good selection of wine and beer. Staff is friendly and will remember repeat customers. They have specials a few days a week (half price bottles of wine on Mondays, etc.) They have good live music several times a month (which can make the bar crowded so get there early if you go for the music). Very classy, nice decorations, typically business type clientele. One of my Blm favorites.
(4)Mike K.
Great food and wine...service was fast and friendly.
(4)kevin g.
This one was out of the blue thanks to Yelpers. I had made plans to have dinner with my cousin and she said she liked burgers and pizza. But I thought we can do this right. I found Baxters with the help of others in the community and they took online reservations always a good thing. I got there first and ordered a glass of wine and took in the menu. They have american fare , steaks, pastas, etc. And of course burgers and pizza. When my cousin arrived we ordered steak nachos, these were legit they had big strips of steak on them and nice thin cheese sauce that helped not break too many of the chips. They were good, and there was plenty of them. the Cuz went with the flatbread of the day with chicken and some other goodies while I went for the ribeye. The FB looked very good and crisp in the right places. although I did not have any she said it was yummy and packed the leftover for lunch the following day. The steak was cooked to my order, and had some very simple but good mashed potatoes. When Chris (our attentive server) came back by we spoke of dessert and decided to give it a go. I have to say I forgot what the Cuz ordered because my strawberry shortcake napoleon arrived with a steak knife holding it together and everything else in the world stopped. It was basically strawberry cheesecake in between 2 puff pastries, but that makes it sound simple which it was not. It was huge and good and despite everything not overly sweet. I will post a picture as I was floored by the whole presentation. So to sum up, go eat what you want it will be good and save room for dessert they have this strawberry thing...
(5)Kayla M.
Baxters is a wonderful place. From the ambiance to the staff. To start off my waitress did an excellent job. I ordered the drunken mushrooms and they were superb. I also ordered the steak tartare not realizing it was completely uncooked. The waitress took the item off the bill. I was very pleased with the outcome not expecting that. The water boy kept my water full the entire tome which to me is great service.
(5)Harry W.
meh. went here on my brothers recommendation. Obviously two very different experiences. Busy Friday evening. First they "lost" our order, After soup/salads were finished, I had to check w our server, learned that the kitchen had lost our entry order... then it took forever to arrive. Three entries... salad plate - wrong salad (she ate it and it was ok, just not what she had ordered) prime rib - flavor ok but the texture was weird and off-putting. tempura fried softshell - arrived cold, was greasy and tasteless. The Mgr comped this entry. Wont be back
(1)Jim O.
My favorite steakhouse, Stoney's in Dalton City, closed it's doors permanently a few years ago and I've been looking for a new "Stoney's" in Central Illinois ever since. Last night, I gave Baxter's in Bloomington a shot and after my first bite I knew I wasn't going to miss Stoney's so much anymore (I will always miss Stoney's, but you know what I mean). The Good: The dinner rolls served to everyone are incredible. I'm not sure if the term "yeast roll" is the appropriate description for them, but it's what's coming to mind. They're relatively small, flat, soft, delicious, and soak up soft butter very well. Almost worth the trip alone. For an appetizer, we had the pork taquitos, which were absolutely delicious. Have you ever eaten something with a tortilla, and the tortilla itself tasted as good as the filling? Baxter's knows how to do that. The Caesar salad, which is done differently at every restaurant, was perfect. Great taste, dressing coverage (no bites that taste only like lettuce), and the portion was spot on. For an entrée, I ordered an Oscar style, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare and tasted buttery and delicious. No complaints and I will happily pay for it again when we come back (which we will). The Not So Good: My wife order the steak kabobs, which tasted good, but were on the dry side and not served with a sauce or aioli. My filet was wrapped in bacon, which can be problematic, and it was. The bacon was very burnt and tasted really bad. The steak was amazing, so I let it go. Not a bad meal when the worst part was the bacon. How is that even possible!?
(5)Rob H.
RSVP for 6:15 seated on time. Atmosphere good service good- except took a while for initial interaction. stringy prime rib and woody asparagus. Wife's steak was medium vs medium rare. Good drinks music too loud - decent place just don't get pricy entree and expect excellence...
(3)Dave S.
Why, Yelp, is your software rejecting a review of someone who has been here at least 36 times (monthly for over 3 years and a few more.)? The tuna tartare is always great. The steak nachos have a sauce that would make an old boot taste great. The bar staff is very professional, management is attentive and they are continually improving the menu. I live in Nashville and Baxter's can play there. It's good enough that I worry BN won't know what they have. I don't doubt some of the isolated bad experiences. It happens... But not to me. And trust me. The prices are not out of line.
(5)Caitlin R.
I'm sad that I haven't eaten here before this month! My in-laws came in and had heard good things about this place so we all went out to dinner. Our server was helpful in picking a beer selection and my husband and I both tried a pumpkin ale. It was delicious! My father in law ordered the andouille stuffed mushrooms and pork tacos as appetizers for the table. The mushrooms were the best I've ever had! The pork tacos were a bit spicy, but not overwhelming. I ordered the steak cabobs. They were seasoned perfectly and the rice and veggies went well with them. My husband ordered the coconut crusted red snapper. The carrot purée that came with was amazing but there was a bit too much coconut on the fish. My in-laws had to head back home and my only regret is that we didn't have enough time for dessert! We will definitely be going back.
(5)Taylor A.
Last night 10 co-workers and myself went to Baxter's for a company holiday party and we were all happily surprised how fantastic the whole experience was. First, I definitely need to give kudos to our server, Justin M., who did a fantastic job keeping waters filled and most importantly easily splitting the check 11 ways without any attitude. Baxter's has beautiful decor befitting a fine dining restaurant. You can easily take clients and have business dinners here with no problem. Lots of after-work business folks and dressier families were here the night I was. It was packed too, so I recommend a reservation. For dinner I started with the bacon spinach salad which was loaded with bacon parts and a nice warm bacon dressing. Great start to the meal. For my main I had a 12oz ribeye that was cooked perfectly and was marbled really well. Lots of that buttery soft fat that ribeyes are known for. Simply prepared garlic mashed potatoes were great on the side. A few others got the prime rib and said how fantastic it was. I'll think about getting that next time. Priced are reasonable for what you get. My steak was $24 and most entrees are between $17 and $28 or so. They had a couple of craft beers on tap and their drink selection looked pretty diverse as well. For a nice dinner Baxter's should definitely be on your list!
(5)Katie M.
This place was awesome! It was mine and my boyfriend's first time there and we thought we would try it out since it was one of the better reviews on yelp. Our waiter was polite and always checking in with us, not too much though. The food was really good. We started off with the calamari since it was 1/2 price appetizers then we both got steaks with mashed potatoes and salad. They were amazing! We told our waiter it was our anniversary and he gave us a free dessert! He was an awesome waiter and I would definitely go back again especially for his service.
(5)Drew D.
This place has excellent food, and great service as well. I was first here when I was in town for a job interview, and I was pleasantly surprised at the ambience of the restaurant. Since then, I'e had many great meals here, and will continue coming here as long as it's around!
(5)Chris J.
I would give 3 1/2 stars if I could. Consistency can be a problem for Baxter's - especially with seafood. I've had very good meals and pretty bad meals - within a week or two from each other. I'm a serious seafood fan - and they have way undercooked Tilapia, and over cooked scallops and oyster rockefeller. I know! Central Illinois doesn't exactly bring seafood to mind. But still it just shows the kitchen staff's inexperience when it comes to handling seafood. Good plans, variable results. However I have had good meals at Baxter's too. They have several chicken and meat dishes that are very well prepared - and I would recommend choosing those and their pizzas. Their staff has always been friendly and attentive. For business travelers - great location! Adjacent to the Holiday Inn - and across the street from the Bloomington Airport.
(3)Josh B.
Very nice establishment. I got the vegetarian penne w/o the mushrooms and it was delicious. The waitress was very friendly and picked up conversation with us readily. It's right by the airport so if you're wanting to grab some non-airport food before you leave Bloomington, IL. Hop on over the Baxter's. I'm glad we chose not to go the the Buff Wild Wings next door and ate here instead. The ambience and environment were very classy and sets the mode for a great meal. Nice and quiet and peaceful. It was quite dim/dark in there for the middle of the afternoon, but I think that the dining area gets full facing sunlight around noon so the shades were drawn partially. My coworkers got the french dip on pretzel bun, which they thoroughly enjoyed. If I'm ever in Bloomington again, I'll definitely make a stop.
(5)Dakota H.
I like Baxters. I can see where everyone else is coming from in their reviews... but I've never had a bad experience like they have. I enjoy the rolls at the beginning of the meal, and I have never been disappointed in their entrees. (p.s. their gooey butter cake is my favorite dessert in town). The only reason why I give them 4 stars instead of 5 is because I've had really mediocre service there before, and because when I had their french onion soup I really couldn't even eat it. It just wasn't good. At all.
(4)Nancy D.
Great place to meet friends or family for dinner and/or drinks. Very nice atmosphere, big bar area, good patio, and relaxing dining area. I've had steak, pasta, seafood, sangria, wines, and beers here. Always very pleasing!
(4)Joe H.
Dined here the other night and throughly enjoyed myself. Loved the atmosphere and ambience but was a tad on the dark side for my old eyes. Our sever Megan was outstanding. She did a great job with my wife's dietary restrictions and was very helpful. I had the pork chops with garlic mash potatoes that were delicious. Great wine selection and don't pass up dessert. We will definitely be back!
(5)