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Good stuff. Great bar(s). The pizza is one of the best in Bloomington.
They have enough televisions so you can keep an eye on whatever sports you want.
Downside. Tiny bathroom, you're practically washing your hands in the urinal. Other than that, the island bar upstairs is so large it's practically a continent.
Those two things are trivial and shouldn't prevent anyone from going and trying Sink the Biz. And by trying Sink the Biz, that could be be either trying not to sink it or sink it depending on your objectives for the night.
This was my first time in the Midwest. I learned a couple of things about it thanks to a night at Nick's:
a) If you start pouring beer into a little cup floating around in a bucket of the same type beer, and manage to prevent said cup from sinking, you've just been successful at "Sink the Biz".
b) If it does sink, then that's bad news bears.
c) Asking the bartender what time the Yankees game starts is not the best way to make a first impression in Indiana.
d) Normally a salad is not the best type of drunky munchy food, but when you combine it with Midwest ranch, it becomes the best food ever after sharing a pitcher.
e) Your girlfriend will *insist* on stopping in Nick's earlier in the day in order to buy a kit for the aforementioned Sink the Biz game.
f) The "bar tab" at the end of the evening after two pitchers, a bucket of fries, a medium pizza, and a salad will be a very painful reminder that you are no longer in New York...and it leads to a moment of 0.2 seconds where you wish you lived here instead. But then you walk outside and see the corn fields and sober right back up.
Classis college town bar. Earn your mug...
Lots' of TVs and good looking female bartenders. In a great area of town with many other cool shops around. Walking distance from the town square
I've never had food here. I'll update this when I do.
Been going here since my IU days in the early '70's and on my regular visits since then and love the atmosphere (1st floor), booths, exuberance and the good bar style food. Recommended - Steak dinner special, $13.95 for a tasty cut of beef, potato and salad.
Oh, Nick's. The times we've had.
Sink the Biz (of which I mastered the art of playing two games at once) is one my favorite memories of IU.
The pizza here is fantastic. The people are awesome. The tradition is amazing.
Go IU.
There are only three reasons to go to Nick's.
Sink.
The.
Biz.
If I could get all the time and money back that I've spent at Nick's over the years, I would have a couple extra diplomas from Indiana University.
Nick's is a Bloomington tradition; it's true. I have an infinite number of great and mostly fuzzy memories from this bar. On the other hand, the quality has really started to slide over the past few years. My last three Nick's Burgers have been total crap.
Damn! I sound old.
First of all, I am not an IU alum... I'm actually an alum of a rival B10 school. Still, I love this place and would catch B10 games there all the time. Even when my team came into Assembly Hall (and my ticket connection fell through) and beat IU on a last second, three-point bank shot and everyone was so angry that I was afraid to cheer, I was still happy with my decision to watch the game at Nick's. The IU decor and other crap nailed on every inch of the walls makes me nostalgic/want to vomit.
The service is always good.
The variety on the menu is great and they do much of it really well.
Best pizza in Bloomington... easily.
However, Sink the Biz is the worst drinking game associated with a university ever. Maybe I'm spoiled from the boot game at the Essen House in Madison.
Oh Nick's, you are great. The first bar I went to while I was in town for a job interview. The first place I went (ok, besides Target) when I got into town when moving here. The first choice of mine whenever friends want to go out and drink. And my first choice for election night - and boy, you were great.
So I have yet to Sink the Biz in all my times there (I know, I know), but I know some friends who know this guy who did it (ok, every single person I know has done it).
Come for lunch, come for happy hour, come every Friday and Saturday night. You'll love it.
I thought Chicago buildings had insane architecture. I'm not sure if there are two front doors, but I entered in on the right. The first thing I see is a giant, mounted buffalo head staring at me and a wall full of keys (I'm assuming those lost by losers of Sink the Biz, which I'll get to later). I walk past a group of tables, make a left and see the kitchen which smells amazing but looks hectic to the right are stairs that lead up. Upstairs in the attic we take a seat, but I take a look around to find another giant room upstairs that houses a bar and a separate party room as well. How does this place stay supported?
The food is very good. I had the traditional stromboli, which is pretty much a baked sub filled with cheese, shredded sausage, and pizza sauce. I also tried their cheese sticks (meh) and their pizza (awesome). I was then introduced to Sink the Biz. The game involves a bucket, beer, a small glass, a regular glass, and more beer. I would attempt to explain it, but I suggest you go visit and see for yourself. After just a couple of rounds I was setting Hoosier alumni up to sink, I feel like I'm now a pro.
Like Mother Bear's, a quintessential part of the IU experience. The grub is shockingly good - and the staff are always great. Environment is classic - where else can you celebrate finishing off that big exam by hanging out with alums from '56? :-D
Awwww...how I love to sink the biz, drench my hand in nasty warm beer, pull out the glass and chug the cup as fast as possible so we can get our game moving.
Who doesn't love this game? If you are from IU, you definitely do and for a rowdy night out and a fun, unique place to hang your hat for the evening, this joint definitely works it out. If you have never been to IU, never played this original test of beer pour, you must try it out. Everyone is a winner!
Tons of space, great food, good drinks (if you aren't splashing around in your own bucket of beer), and great staff - I'm an IU girl and all I can say is that IU girls are hot and they know how to work it out at Nick's.
All you frat boys out there or for those of you considering IU your college of choice, definitely consider this bar as a PLUS!
Oh....Nick, how I've missed you...it's about time for a visit to B-town. Anyone up for a game?
Pros: BLT, nice staff, cheap prices
Cons: Can't think of any
Can't say much for this place cause I only had lunch here once, but my lunch here was pretty enjoyable. I had a BLT. Unfortunately, this was during the tomato salmonella scare so no tomatoes. Regardless, the bacon was perfect. It wasn't oily, but it was still nice and crispy. Delicious.
Anyway, I heard they have something cool called "sink the biz". It was a drinking game and it sounded pretty fun. Too bad I was on a business trip :)
Probably the best bar to drink at in Bloomington, gets pretty crowded during the school year and on game days. The food is decent, the stroms are solid-and the fries are great! It is a must when in Bloomington..go sink the bizz!
Checked this place out on a Monday with 10 co-workers after doing a stop at IU. We went based on the recommendation of the strombolis and 'sink the biz.' Neither of which disappointed! Also, we split a bucket of the 'intense fries' and man were they INTENSE.
Overall, the service sucked, but we were visiting a college bar on a Monday night so we had very little expectations. The atmosphere seems like it would be the local college drinking hole, but it was a Monday so it was rather dead.
If I find myself in Bloomington I will stop by for a beer and a stromboli.
What is up with these people saying the food is terrible? I tried the Sink the Biz fries and had the Hoosier steak sandwich. Delicious. They have a pretty large menu. But yeah, it's a pub! Not St. Elmo's Steakhouse. Also, really cool environment.
Update 7/22: I went to Nick's a couple weekends ago, and to my disappointment, they remodeled the upstairs bar and took out all the pool tables. Bad call, Nick's. But I still love you.
_______________________
I love Nick's English Hut! By far the best bar in all of Indiana--let alone Bloomington. It's full of tradition, great pool players, and people looking for a good time.
I went to Indiana University and waited to get into Nick's until I actually turned 21--which I certainly can't say for all the other bars. But that's one of the best things about Nick's--there are virtually no underagers in the bar, and it really makes a difference.
Great pool room, great drinking game: Sink the Biz, great people, great strombolis, great drink specials (M-W, $1.50 well drinks), great drinks, and a great place to hang out with all your best buds.
My all time favorite bar. I grew up in Bloomington and this is where my parents hung out on Friday evenings. They used to joke that I was the only kid in Bloomington who loved Nick's pizza as they used to bring it home for me on Fridays. It was a right of passage in my family to have your 21st birthday here with our Dad and the first legal frosted mug of beer.
I also attended IU and have many fond memories of sink the biz, pool with cute boys, singing Australian drinking songs with my best friend, and the other right of passage... picking up the tab with Dad's credit card! Best bar ever!
Authentic Big Ten College Town experience. School spirit - check! Lots of beer - check! Pizza - check! Proprietary drinking game - check! Fun place to feel like you're an undergrad again!!
Nothing to say that hasn't been said before. Nick's is a must-go for anyone visiting Bloomington. It looks tiny, but once inside it is absolutely huge. You can sit downstairs in a booth in old, wooden seats, or head upstairs for the Hoosier room, which looks like a giant box of Hoosier memorabilia exploded. I especially dig the bicycles in the rafters.
Surprisingly, to me at least, this college bar has great food. Big salads are tasty, anything fried is good, and their red sauce makes their stromboli's and pizza sub one of the best in town.
Oh, and sink the biz is one of the greatest drinking games I've ever come across. Whoever thought of it is a genius.
Great place to watch a game... and play sink the biz.
This is a great hang out spot to go to with a bunch of friends. I don't know if the food is great because I've usually had quite a few before I get here, but I'll tell ya it is great after a few (if that makes sense). This is the only spot to play the drinking game "sink the biz" which is loads of fun unless your buddy decides to choose guiness for the beer (yes that was us). Finding a seat can be rough late at night because it's always packed, but it's one of the best bars in Bloomington.
After spending six years as an IU student (4 for the bachelors and 2 for the masters), I can safely say that I know the bars in Btown pretty well. There really isn't another bar in town where you see college students getting drunk with their parents or alumni celebrating their 40th college reunion playing a game of Sink the Biz. I spent many a memorable night at Nick's with some great friends.
Nick's will forever be a part of the IU college experience.
Nick's is my favorite bar in the world.
I know that is a bold statement, but how can you beat a bar that serves really good pizza and lets you fill up BUCKETS of beer in beautiful Bloomington, IN? Yes, it is a bit fratty, but so are most of the IU bars. The only downside is navigating the huge staircase after playing too many games of Sink the Biz. I agree with other reviewers, Nick's is legendary at IU.
I was only here for one Monday nite during the summer, but it blew my mind with a wasabi blue cheese that was so amazingly delicious, I could eat it plain.
Um, but get real - Sink the Biz = best drinking game ever. It never fails to get everyone severely tanked.
Classic establishment or not, the food is shit. It's dirty, disgusting, and sticky. Sink the bizz with shitty beer, whatever.
Honestly, is there a bad thing anyone can say about Nick's? This is one of the best bars I have ever been to. Sink-the-Biz, hot college girls, pizza and alcohol make this one of the best destinations in the world. Also drinks are super cheap.
Known at IU for being the hardest bar to get into if you're underage, you often won't find too many 18-20 yr olds here, so check out Sports or Kilroy's if you are into that.
Here is how you should plan your night in B-town:
Start at Kilroy's then hit up Upstairs (get a few AMF's) and then stumble your way into Nicks (play Sink-the-Biz) for a few hours. Then walk to Rocket's get 2 slices of Pizza, get on the "drunk bus," pick up a few girls from the bus and go home. You will wake up thinking that was the best night of your life. Then do it all again the following night.
So I graduated and left Boominton in 99, but I'm sure nothing has changed here, since it hadn't in a bazillion years before I ever hit town. Feeling confident in that, order some of those GIGANTIC beer battered mushrooms, order a beer and watch a game....you will enjoy. Unless you don't enjoy fungus and if you don't enjoy fungus, how sad....enjoy your joyless life.
The food sucks hardcore. For being such a talked about place I was thoroughly disappointed. I would much rather eat a million other places in town. Also, meathead frat guys & sorority biatches are not my bar scene by any means, but whatever floats your boat.
OK, it's really 3 stars but all the history behind the place merits another star. These days, I come more for nostalgia than anything on the menu or behind the bar. It gets grossly crowded which can be a real drag. But if you're lucky enough to get a big table for your group, it's one hell of a fun night on the town.
The best bar in Bloomington, hands down, (which doesn't say alot but besides the point). Sink the biz is a fantastic reason why I like the place.
One of Bloomington's best. IU and Nick's go hand-in-hand. The nightlife is great. The strombolis are better.
Nick's is a classic IU establishment. Who cares about the pizza!? Order Mad Mushroom or Pizza Express when you leave the bar, if you want good pizza! In all my four years there, I never even thought to go to Nick's for food. You go to Nick's to play Sink the Biz! GO IU!
And, if you really want to impress your friends that didn't go to the best school on earth, buy a Nick's bucket and take it to a party to play Sink the Biz.
Tradition because it's great. 3 distinct cool areas, downstairs old wooden booths and hanging buckets above the bar, upstairs cramped place near the bar to play 'Sink the Biz' with said buckets, and a more open pool playing area and bar. Decent pizza. Look for the booth in the restaurant where Vonnegut sat. If you ever meet an IU alum, they will mention Nick's within three shakes of a lamb's tail.
Nick's is a historic bar establishment in Bloomington, IN. Just walking into the place you can feel the IU tradition all over the place. Good bar food and great place to get drunk with friends and parents. As you can see from my picture profile, I LOVE SINK THE BIZ!!! If you are ever in Bloomington, IN this is a must place to stop by!
One of my favorite bars in Bloomington. Nick's is historic and legendary in Bloomington, so many memories at this place. In addition to being a bar, they also have a restaurant section that serves great bar food (pizza, sandwiches, etc.). It is also a great bar for the upperclassman that are above 21, it is the hardest bar for underage kids to get into; so it isn't filled with a bunch of underage drunk kids... it's just filled with upperclassman and alumni that are drunk. Best thing, ever, ever, about Nick's - Sink the Biz. Such a wonderful game to get drunk to and bond with your friends and parents... it is also one of the only bars you can find college kids getting drunk with their parents, this bar is very parent friendly. Nick's the fabric of the IU experience.
Nicks is great. You would never believe that there is so much space inside a building that seems to small on the exterior. Nicks is undoubtedly a Hoosier tradition, with the craziest crowds during basketball season. A definite stop for anyone passing through Bloomington, looking to take in the unrivaled IU culture.
Great atmosphere and history! Very good mushroom swiss burgers as well. Barack Obama just stopped by this restaurant last week.
great place. a bit fratty some nights. but the BEST bar food ever. everything is made fresh daily with lots of ingredients local. love the lasagna and the desserts are out of this world.
for lunch, dinner or some sink the biz. a great place.
The other reviews sum this place up. One of the best in Bloomington.
Bloomington, IN
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Bloomington, IN
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Bloomington, IN
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