So today we dropped by Station 220 American Bistro in Bloomington for lunch. They are billed as a "farm to fork" type establishment that grows their own produce, sources their meats and cheeses from less than 100 miles away, and operates nearby Epiphany Farms where many of the items on the menu come from.
The restaurant is in a very nicely restored old city building that used to be a firehouse. Prices were a bit higher than I expected in Central IL, but with their use of local and organic items, they are not completely out of line. Since they seemed proud of where the different items came from locally I asked about several. Obviously the seafood like the tuna and such weren't coming from nearby, and neither was the beef, yet I was told. I do have pictures that I will have to try to upload soon.
As for the food, the menu was very interesting and varied. We started off with the Bruschetta which was great, the toasted rustic bread held together and the tomatoes were very fresh. I ordered the Kimbal burger which was an organic (1/3 pound I would guess) burger on a brioche bun, topped with smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and gorgonzola cheese. They forgot the bacon on it, so when I asked, they brought me two bacon strips on a plate. The burger itself was very good, and was served with shoestring style fries (also enjoyable). We also ordered the pulled pork tacos, which they should have done much better than serving them on a weak commercial flour tortilla that fell apart (the flavors were good though). The tacos were supposed to be served with a chilled horchata, however it was also forgotten, and given to us later when we asked in a traveling cup. My wife had the falafel, which for the price was very weak, the falafels were underseasoned and not at all crisp. Our table also had the french onion soup (a very very good rendition), and the pork belly loaded baked potato (which was ok, but wouldn't be ordered again).
The restaurant has good potential, but they need to get on their game and not forget items. I think if you know which items are hit or miss, one could really enjoy the place, but there were as many misses as hits, which is unacceptable to me. Great concept, needs more work.
Station 220
220 E. Front St.
Bloomington, IL
309-828-2323
www.station220.comClosed Sundays and Mondays
Tuesday-Sat 11-3 for lunch and 5-9 pm.
They also had a very neat looking loft with a bar that can do special events that is open later.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
