To have a great beer garden you need just three things : beer, wings, and nice place to sit. Yet not every bar or restaurant offers these options, because it is an art to do it well.

In no particular order, here are my top 5 favorite Beer Gardens in the Bloomington/Normal Illinois area.

Click on the photos or location names to connect with their webpage or Facebook address.

 Gill Street Sports Bar and Restaurant
3002 Gill Street, Bloomington.
Every Friday and Saturday night during the summer they offer up live music on their outdoor covered patio. Ice cold beverages, big menu with affordable prices. Sand volleyball leagues available Sunday, through Thursday evenings during the summer. KIDS EAT FREE on TUESDAYS, and go with you into the beer garden!

Schooners
810 East Groove street, Bloomington.
Home of Gebby’s beer battered chicken, the king tenderloin, and the best wings in town? I say yes, and most definitely the best onion rings. Open sinsce 1983. Live music, excellent service,open Monday through Sunday. A townie tradition.

PUB II  (that’s pronounced “Pub two” if you are new)
102 north linden street, Normal.

Established in 1974, Pub II has been an unofficial part of ISU, welcoming students and residents alike for good food, beers, and more. 19 televisions in the beer garden! In 1998, Pub II was voted one of the top 100 college bars in the U.S. in an online survey by Playboy Magazine. Cheese balls are a MUST HAVE at the Pub.

P.S.  If you stop by and hear someone raise a toast “T-Bone” (see above photo), you are raising your glass to Terry Stralow, a beloved co-owner who died tragically in a plane crash with 6 other Redbird super-fans and staff in April of this 2015.

Windjammers Lounge
2303 Stern Dr, Bloomington, IL

Live music, sand volleyball, great LUNCH and dinner plates, on top of a lot of BEER! Plus other drinks too. You can’t live in this area long without having at least one “Night at the Windjammer” story. They also get points for having one of the largest beer gardens around, so it’s easy to find a spot to sit!

And without further ado, I’m revealing my favorite secret hiding/drinking spot, that not everybody knows about, but should visit at least once.

WESTERN TAP
1301 North Western Avenue, Bloomington.

A GREAT burger and large drink selection await you in this smallish and unexpected place. Located in a residential neighborhood, they have amazing live music on many weekends, never a cover charge that I’ve seen and always a daily drink special. The huge outdoor patio area is awesome in the summer and fall. Shhhh, don’t tell anybody about this gem, as we might not all fit inside if we all go at once!

Thanks to everybody who has ever served me at these fine establishments, your place is top notch in my opinion, and I hope to see you again there really soon.

8-27-15