The Grand Cafe
615 N Main St, Bloomington, IL, 61701
The Grand Cafe Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Bloomington for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
615 N Main St
Bloomington, IL, 61701 - Phone (309) 828-0324
- Website https://www.grandcafebloomington.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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C C.
Such a dissapointment. I was lured in by the, "best in Bloomington" marketing sign on their facade. After eating there, I have no idea what they're "best" at. But whatever they're best at, like Wolverine, it ain't very nice. The food here was bland, Midwestern Chinese. Over-fried, overly crunchy, and generally flavorless food dominates the menu. We sampled about 6 different dishes, and absolutely none of them stood out. While not bad food, it's absolutely nothing you could get a slightly subpar chinese buffet. If you think of mongolian barbecue and fine dining, this place may be 3 stars. But such boastful claims as "best in Bloomington" certainly aren't substantiated. There are at least five other places within 5 miles certainly worth the drive, often at a lower price point.
(1)Andre B.
Great food for a B/N staple! Best egg rolls in central Illinois. Good memories of when I lived in Bloomington. Can't go wrong at this place. Really good Chinese food.
(4)BloNo Foodie F.
I have seen this restaurant been nominated for the best Chinese food in town. I can't agree with that at all. I will say, they have some of the best egg rolls in town. My wife craves this place just for them - the entrees - leave something to be desired. The only dish that they do well, IMHO, is Mongolian Beef - but that's easy - some beef - onions - maybe some oyster sauce. . . hot and sour soup - OK - everything my kids and wife has gotten there has been so - so. I will say that one of the kids refused to eat her entree as it was sub par to some of the other faster take out Chinese joints. . . . All I will say is - don't buy into the hype that it's been voted the best Chinese restaurant in B/N - it's not warranted. I'm giving it a 3 of 5 only based on the egg rolls.
(3)Kyle B.
I've ordered delivery from The Grand Cafe several times now and I am never disappointed. Being from the NYC metropolitan area I tend to be a bit picky with Chinese food, but I was honestly shocked at how good the egg rolls are....might be the best egg rolls I've ever eaten. Every time I've ordered the staff has been polite and deliveries are always quick to arrive. I love how generous they are with the portions, and gotta give extra marks for the friendly way their delivery people greet me at the door... What more can I say: quality food, excellent service and decent prices - The Grand Cafe excels on all three levels....
(4)Kevin R.
I came with managed expectations given the mixed reviews on Yelp. The egg rolls live up to the hype. I got the vegetarian kind and they were great. Spicy mustard is spicy and good. My veggie Szechuan entree was fine. I askwd for spicy chili oil which helped. The ambience is classic old school, which I'm always a fan of. Wood paneling? I'm in. Service was friendly and helpful.
(3)Peggy B.
Grand Cafe may have been a fine establishment, back in the day. That is not the case in 2014. From the atmosphere, or lack thereof, to the unprofessional (diners do not need to know their server has been a surrogate mother, twice!) yet nice enough, staff to the way sub-par food, the experience was a total waste of time, money and calories. For some reason they no longer have a bar. This place is a dive. There is absolutely not one reason to dine at this restaurant. Go to Mandarin Garden, or ANYWHERE else for dinner!
(1)Stephanie Z.
I'm sad about this place. The only positive thing I can say is that the egg rolls were crispy, the insides were bland. I love food, I cook good food and I appreciate good food and because of this I will not be returning to Grand Cafe. The szechuan beef was bland, there was no bite, no flavor, no heat. I didn't see garlic or any remnants of chiles. The garlic chicken was bland, no flavor and there certainly wasn't any "Bite" you would expect from garlic. The crab rangoon had no crab or sweetness. It tastes like straight cream cheese. Overall a big disappointment. Even the house fried rice was just so-so and semi-flavorful. If you give this "staple" more than 3 stars at most, I have to wonder what you eat on a regular basis that would lead you to believe this is of quality or considered quasi-delicious?!
(1)Twylla S.
A Bloomington-Normal staple! I suggest ordering like 19 egg rolls. And maybe some crab rangoons. Or just one of everything... If the servers aren't super nice when you're there then you must be at the wrong place!
(4)Amy R.
This place has a lot of potential. We ordered here several times for delivery. It has always had a low wait time, and is super hot upon delivery. Flavors are good, eggroles are great. Main thing I have a problem with is the portions. I ordered the chicken and broccoli today. More than half the container is stalks of broccali. Not the dark green part, just hard rubbery stalk. Barley any chicken. The little bit we did get was delicious but I can't help but assume you are super cheap when your giving me scraps. That's what kills it. If they would give more quality work into their food, I think business would be better. But hey who am I ? Just someone giving you my money lol. Management should take note, don't fill the dishes of the least tasty part of the veg so you can fill the container . Take your time and put some quality veggies and more meat. Trust me, I will order it faithfully if you do. But until then I will not order anything but the shrimpfried rice which is good .
(3)Janeth B.
Amazing egg rolls and the price of their lunch specials. This isn't the best Chinese food in town but it's also not the worst. I enjoy the feel of traveling back in time when you sit in the restaurant to the decor to the plates you are served. Overall a good place for lunch for under $10 dollars with drink. Oh and free tea ;)
(3)Brandy B.
This place is the best! We get good food and great service! The staff knows our family now because we are regulars. They know what we order. They just walk over and confirm we aren't doing anything different and get to it. The decor in here is the same as its been for a long time. I will say they have changed little in here. That's fine by me. The dim lighting and old lantern lights are part of the atmosphere. Its something that is distinct to them. *LITTLE KNOWN FACT: If you bring a carafe in when you pick up your carry out, they will fill it with their yummy tea! They also sell the tea bags there. Also the hot tea is free when you eat in as well! Be sure to go to the website for updated pricing and a look at the current specials! They have phenomenal weekly specials on most days M-F!!! There is a T.V. in the bar. They usually are watching the news. I also feel it is important to mention that they no longer serve alcoholic drinks.
(5)Tj M.
The egg rolls our so delicious i could just order them and get full.A lot of locals claim that they have the best egg rolls(2 for $2.70),and i would have to agree.This place has been around in bloomington it seems like forever.I was going to order the general chicken,but the waiter let me know its not the same as most Chinese takeout places.I asked for a recommendation for a good,hot & spicy dish.He told me to try the Sichuan Beef(8.50).I'm glad i got it,it was excellent.It was also a lot of food.I got 2 meals out it,enough for lunch the next day.My gf enjoyed her meal as well. Looking at the menu all there dishes look pretty good,and I'll look forward to trying something different next time.
(4)Michelle F.
One of our favorite Chinese places!! The Sichuan chicken is wonderful and the garlic pepper beef is great! The house fried rice is good but the special fried rice is even better.
(5)Sung P.
I just love the lunch-style beef lomein! Kind of like beef and noodles but better than the normal American kind.
(4)Jamie L.
Of all the chinese restaurants I've gone to, this place has the best egg rolls and crab rangoon. I don't usually get a regular chinese dinner because the portions are large and I get tired of the same flavor and don't like chinese leftovers. I do enjoy their sweet and sour chicken/shrimp, the sauce is super tasty! The beef they serve is a little tough, I've noticed. One big positive with the meat is that I've never questioned whether I was eating rat or chicken. With chinese buffets, the meat is often questionable. The restaurant is pretty dated as well, but it doesn't impact my meal. We've always received excellent service anytime we dined in. Ordering carry-out is also nice and convenient. The prices are great, too! I usually get an order of 6 crab rangoons (4.25) and wonton soup (1.75) as my meal so I always get a cheap dinner when I eat here, plus I have enough rangoons to share. They don't have a kids menu, but that wasn't a problem for my 3 year old. He loves shrimp so I got him an order of fried shrimp (4.75) and there were at least 10 on the plate. Each time we've gone there with our son, they've brought over a huge bowl of candy to let him choose one. He loves it. They're very friendly even when he was crying and grumpy one late evening, two workers came over and played with him to cheer him up.
(4)Dan S.
Pros: Excellent Value - Got a ridiculous amount of food for a very low price Cozy atmosphere - Dim, but very friendly Service - We had one of the nicest servers ever!! Cons: Tasted like cheap Chinese food
(4)Rebecca H.
I headed to Grand Cafe a couple of weeks ago with a friend. We both love Asian food and thought it was cool that this place has been there for 90 years. Well... they haven't updated their menu or ingredients in at least 50 years, so if you like truly old-school Americanized Chinese food, this is the place for you (trying to be positive here). We did not like anything we got (sesame chicken, General Tso's shrimp, and egg rolls), with everything being really salty, oily, and flavorless. The staff was really nice, however (not a Chinese person in the place, though). There are better options in town (Imperial Buffet, Great Wall, Thai House).
(2)Dale C.
Prime location. Interior is in desparate need of a makeover. Potential "Restaurant: Impossible" candidate. Service is very friendly. GET THE EGGROLLS! The Vegetable Subgum lunch special was recommended to me and was very good. I noticed lots of people doing take out. Hot tea and ice water brought immediately - a plus!
(3)Pallavi P.
I'm in Bloomington for three weeks. Decided to have dinner with hubby n his friend at Grand Cafe. I'm from San Francisco Bay Area so Chinese food is like everyday food to me. Service was outstanding but the food didn't match up to the service and the ambience. We ordered Chinese buffalo wings for appetizer and green pepper chicken, chicken fried rice and Sichuan chicken for main course. Wings were real good, may be one of the best I've ever had. Chicken friend rice stood pretty close to the wings, taste wise. Only issue with the fried rice was that the chicken was so fine ly diced, neither of us could figure out if it was processed chicken ( yucks) or finely diced tofu. Green pepper chicken and Sichuan chicken were just disastrous. We were able to shove the Sichuan chicken down our throat but green pepper chicken... No words to describe how bad it was. I don't think I'm gonna try this food ever again... As one yelper mentioned, food at grand cafe could be a hit or a miss. May be we ordered the wrong items. Somehow I found the menu very unattractive. They have a huge bar area that doesn't serve any alcohol ;-) . So be prepared for that part.
(2)Colleen B.
I just got back from my first time eating at The Grand Cafe and I have mixed feelings about my experience. I'm new to the area (from Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) and was entertaining friends in town for the weekend, so for dinner we decided to give The Grand Cafe a try after reading the reviews here. I didn't mind the dated decor or the fact that the food is Americanized rather than authentic. We went in to the experience looking for Americanized Chinese food, and based on other reviews here I was mentally prepared for the decor, so those aren't the issues. The food was just literally hit or miss dish by dish. Since I was with a large party, I had the opportunity to try lots of different dishes all at once, so here's my take on how it played out: Seafood Wontons = Gross. They were greasy with unidentifiable "seafood" inside yet oddly they were completely flavorless and didn't taste like anything but greasy, deep fried wonton skins. Dipping them in sauces didn't even help these sad things out. I would not bother with these again. Vegetarian Egg Rolls = Bad. REALLY BAD. They were mushy, pasty and, again, flavorless. I was really disappointed in these since so many people raved about them on here. Maybe they didn't have the vegetable version? I don't know, I just wouldn't recommend them and I wouldn't ever order them again either. Pineapple Chicken = Excellent! This dish, although it needed a little doctoring with some soy sauce, was really good. There were big pieces of pineapple in with the chicken which wasn't too greasy (and you could tell the chicken was actually chicken too), and it was all tossed in a zippy, zingy, citrus flavored sauce. I would actually order this one again. Vegetable Fried Rice = Great! There were large pieces of broccoli, celery, onion and water chestnut, the rice was full of flavor, and I would definitely order this again too! Vegetable Egg Foo Young = Egg Fu****g Yuck. The sauce was pasty like there was too much flour in it, it was bright yellow brown like the color of baby poo, and, again, it was completely flavorless as was the patty. I thought the patty had potential since it was full of crunchy, identifiable vegies, and it held together well also, it just didn't taste like anything. So, not a winner and I would not order this again. Vegetable Cow Mein = Decent but needs doctoring. The vegies were crunchy, not mushy or overcooked, and overall this dish was not too greasy either. But it needed some flavor assistance as the sauce was really mild tasting. I'm glad it wasn't the heavy, gummy sauce used by so many Chinese restaurants - it actually has a great consistency - It was just really plain tasting. Since no one else in my party liked it, I took the leftovers home and I'll see what I can do to doctor it up with some spices, etc. when I reheat it tomorrow. Regardless of what happens I don't think I'd order this again though - for the work it takes to doctor it up I could just stir-fry vegies myself I guess... And that's my take blow-by-blow. I think I would go back to the restaurant if I was specifically craving something like the pineapple chicken with fried rice, but considering that 4 out of the 6 things I tried were disappointing, I don't know if I'd be willing to venture out of that box much. I can't explain the flavorlessness of some of the dishes either. Maybe they don't use MSG as a flavor agent? I've had other Chinese food that was toxic MSG free though and it still tasted great, so I don't know what the deal is here. I'm at a loss. Anyways, the two stars are for the pineapple chicken and the fried rice -- the service we had was great too, but Yelp doesn't let you give half stars, so that's just going to go unrated because I'm not willing to go up a full star just for that. In the world of Chinese food I'd say The Grand Cafe is definitely a step up from places like Leann Chin and Panda Express, but it's quite a ways from being spectacular!
(2)Tristan B.
I'd heard a lot of good things about The Grand Cafe before I finally went. I was pretty disappointed both the times I've gone. As others have mentioned the service is efficient. I don't think my water glass ever got much more than half empty before someone came along to refill it. Also the tea that seems to come with every meal is delicious. Prices are pretty reasonable and you can easily get in and out during your lunch break. And that's it for the positives. The door near the parking lot opens into the bar area. At least when I went during lunch that area was empty and not very clean. You kind of wander through and will find the main door which opens onto Main St. The décor is tacky at best, the tables are small and the noise is fairly loud. I looked at their lunch specials my first visit and found a dish that was described as being made with beef and tomatoes. When I inquired about this dish I was informed the main ingredient in the dish was ketchup. Ugh. I passed and had the Sweet and Sour pork instead. The sauce was more gelatinous than one hopes for in a food other than jello and not particularly flavorful. My second trip I was informed that I must have an egg roll. I had an egg roll along with a different lunch special. The lunch special was bland and uninspiring, as it consisted almost entirely of noodles. The egg roll was decent. It was certainly the best food I had at The Grand Café, but it isn't good enough to make up for the rest of the menu.
(2)Royce S.
Dear god, this place is disgusting. The worst possible food I've ever had. Not just the worst Chinese food or the worst sort of chinese food but THE WORST THING I'VE EVERY ATE kind of food. I refused to eat any of it after one bite. Please help me start a petition to close this place down forever.
(1)Austin A.
great service, great atmosphere, great eggrolls, and reasonably priced.
(4)Jennie K.
I love Grand Cafe. I nearly always get the same item -- PC tray. I'm never disappointed, and it's really enough for two meals. The tea you get when you eat inside is excellent. I always get good service, but maybe it's because I come in all the time? Nah, I don't think that's it. I guess I just always get good servers. :-) The only negatives: soda is not free refills (this is a note from a friend -- I never order soda with Chinese food, yuck!), and if you want tea for carry-out, you need to bring your own travel mug. Then again, if you order carry-out and DO bring a travel mug, the tea is free, so you really can't compain! Decor? Eh. But I don't go for the decor so, again, not factored into rating.
(5)Sarah J.
What's better than a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place?! Yes, it hasn't been redecorated in 30 years, and yes, it's "Americanized," but the food is great, and so is the service. Discovered this place several years ago, and keep going back. We've rarely been disappointed.
(5)Adam V.
Excellent food. Best hot and sour soup ever!
(5)Peter M.
I thought the food was mediocre. I had the PC tray lunch special which includes pieces of steak over fried rice and an egg roll. The fried rice was very greasy and the egg roll was mushy. I was told the egg roll has peanut butter in it but the flavor and texture didn't work for me. I'd much rather eat at Ming's Buffet or Nana Thai if I'm looking for Asian food.
(2)Dodd V.
Yes it is Americanized Chinese, but it is consistent and very good. I have been going here my whole life....so long that I remember their previous 2 locations before they moved to this address many many years ago. Very good food, and very good service. As almost everyone seems to be pointing out, they have the best egg rolls in town. The fried rice is excellent, as is the Egg Foo Young and Sweet and Sour Chicken. Just about everything here is good. If I ever had a complaint, it would be that I am not a big fan of their Lo Mein noodles. I am not sure there is any place in B/N to get good authentic Chinese, so why not go to the best Americanized place? :) Good stuff!
(4)Roland S.
I hadn't been to the Grand Cafe in a while but decided to stop in before a show at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts next door. I have to say I was deeply disappointed. The decor is tired, the service is subpar compared to most other restaurants in town and the food not only didn't make up for those other faults but really may have been the worst aspect of the visit. I think there was a time when this was one of the better options (maybe the best option) for Asian food in Bloomington-Normal -- then only referred to as "Chinese" food. However, since then many more choices have popped up across the spectrum of Asian food. And based on this recent visit I can pretty confidently say that the Grand Cafe is in the running for the least attractive choice for Chinese or any other Asian food in town.
(1)Jessica S.
This is not chinese food. It has been so american-ized its a crime. The sauces are too much and over the top. If you're looking for authentic then you're at the wrong place.
(1)Rachel D.
This is my go-to place for Chinese food. The fried goods can be slightly on the greasy side, but definitely tasty. They have the best egg rolls I've ever tried, but that might just be because I grew up loving them. The crab rangoon here is also quite yummy, although not the best in town (for that you'll have to go to Bangkok Thai). I've ordered a variety of dishes here, but I keep going back to the beef chop suey. It reheats well, I like the taste, and it may not be the most authentic thing on the menu but I sure love it. Most dishes come with a side of rice or noodles. The portions are large, and if you're a light eater you'll either want to split with someone or be prepared to bring home leftovers. The staff is friendly and quick. The decor is a little cheesy and I doubt the place has been remodeled in the last 20-30 years, but it's sort of charming for that. They have take out, but you'll want to call ahead as it usually takes them 15-20 minutes to have it ready. All take out meal items are double boxed, except for eggrolls/rangoons. No messes here! It isn't the most healthy Chinese food I've had, but I still love it, and every meal ends with a fortune cookie.
(4)Frank E.
While some people have some things to say about the majority of the fare, I've had nothing from this place that I've disliked. The one thing it has going for it that no one in the greater central IL region seems to have though is GREAT egg rolls. This place has the best egg rolls in the region. What has happened with all these chinese restaurants serving deep fried crappy cabbage rolls? Not here. If you appreciate a good egg roll, you'll want to eat here for that alone.
(5)Kelly S.
My favorite lunch here is the Thursday PC Tray. Consists of chunks of marinated steak, egg roll, rice and tea. Food always is super hot and they have the best egg rolls.
(4)Eric G.
I am tottaly addicted to the PC Tray. This is the Tuesday and Thursday lunch special with pork fried rice, fried won tons, a few pieces of steak, and the best egg-roll I've ever had. Definitely in my top ten meals of all time. I love this place.
(5)Craig L.
The Grand Cafe is hit and miss, but when it's been a "hit" it still hasn't been that great, in my opinion. The restaurant is old, and inside it looks like Chinese restaurants used to look 30 years ago. Personally, I kind of like that for the nostalgia aspect. I'm not complaining about that at all. The service is usually above average, which is certainly nice. However, the food is typically "eh." Their egg rolls are usually very good and much better than the egg rolls you get in most Chinese restaurants. However, they can be very salty at times, and when that happens, it kind of ruins the rest of the meal since this place is known for their egg rolls. As for the entrees, they are usually so-so. They too are sometimes too salty. Yes; Chinese food often uses a good amount of salt, but even it can be too salty. Their sauces can be good and bad as well. I've only had their Mongolian beef once, and the sauce was more of a gravy than a sauce. That just didn't seem right. I'm willing to go back here; it has never been bad enough to keep me away, but there are other places in town that are consistently better.
(3)Sean H.
Hands down the best Chinese I've ever had. I know, it's a very subjective thing, but I was raised on it, and I've never come close to having it's equal in the EGGROLL category and everything else has a uniqueness all it's own. Seriously good.
(5)tessa c.
I was not impressed with this place at all. Food was bad, but I like decent Chinese food. Maybe I'm just spoiled because I'm from Chicago and lived in Champaign for three years. If you like greasy Americanized Chinese then this is your go to place. I give it two stars because the waitress did her job well and wasnice.
(2)Kristi R.
Grand Cafe may be "americanized" chinese food, but it's very GOOD americanized food! As everyone says, they have the best egg rolls in town - homemade, hot, and delicious. I also like their wonton soup and wish I could take a quart of the broth home. We often get the meal for two as it's very economical and gives us more food than we can eat. It includes soup, egg roll, a couple of wontons, pork, an entree each, and dessert. We especially like the beef chop suey and the pineapple chicken. Their fried rice is delicious! Everyone is very nice. Now I'm hungry for chinese so I think I'd better go pick some up!
(4)Chris J.
While the place looks a little dated inside, they do have good food options. I wasn't quite happy with my main course. I had: - Egg drop soup was good - Egg Rolls are good like everyone says - Seafood Plate, the ingredients were good but the sauce was not so good The staff was very attentive and friendly. I will try again and see if I just chose the wrong dish for me.
(3)Sunny D.
This is some god-awful chinese food. Chinese food at the mall is probably better. Very low quality ingredients throughout every dish. I would give this place 1 star but the egg rolls are absolutely top notch and could compete with any places egg roll. If you plan on just having some egg rolls and tea but nothing else for lunch come here
(2)Michelle E.
I have been eating here since I was a little babe in my mom's tummy. Considering this, I might be a little biased. They will always be my favorite!! Whenever I order from The Grand I ALWAYS make sure to get an order of egg rolls. Unlike other Chinese restaurants that give you 1 piddly looking roll, you get 2 huge egg rolls at The Grand! I have always loved this about them! Another amazing trademark is their homemade sweet and sour sauce. It's to die for!!!! Definitely worth checking out if you are in town. The only thing I would change is the deco. And by change I would say "update" vs actually changing. The lamps, plants, pictures etc. are all the same as they were 30 years ago.
(5)Trevor R.
So good!! Not the most attractive inside but the most tasty affordable food for Chinese in town and priced like fast food but definitely worth every penny and then some! DELICIOUS!!
(5)Scott K.
PC Tray in Tuesday's and Thursday's. Only thing I order. Don't know about anything else on the menu.
(4)Levi H.
I will say as far as most Chinese places go, not that great. Being a sucker for wonton soup though I had to give grand cafe 4 stars. I mean damn, delicate puffs of pork floating in a light, translucent and for lack of a better word; silky wonton wrapper. Most everything else is over salted or pretty substandard.
(4)Al M.
Probably the best South Indian cuisine in Illinois. The owner does a fantastic job with his demeanor and the food is just fantastic, fresh and authentic. The biryani is a don't miss also. Have not had better since my honeymoon in Bangalore.
(5)William W.
I've lived in town for over half my life, but have only been to Grand Cafe a few times. I really need to correct that, because it's almost certainly the best Chinese place in town. You can tell the difference in quality composed to something like Great Wall almost immediately. The egg rolls are large and delicious. The food looks like real food, too, which is unexpected for Chinese in Bloomington/Normal. I ordered the Sichuan Chicken. It had a very tasty (though not really that spicy) brown sauce, along with some chicken that looked like it was actual chicken meat at one time. I'm not a fan of broccoli, but the carrots, celery, and green peppers were all great. And that's one thing I noticed, which took me a while ... The carrots, celery, and peppers all seemed fresh and tasted like carrots, celery, and peppers, respectively. Usually with Chinese food in town, they all pretty much taste like mush. My wife got the Sesame Chicken; the fried chicken meat was a lot bigger and - again - real-looking than we're used to. The only downside was a lack of kids' menus. We did alright though doing what we normally do with Chinese food - ordering Sweet & Sour Chicken and letting them share. That worked really well - the chicken, as I mentioned, is a lot more substantial than is the norm around here. I personally wasn't too impressed - it was kinda starchy for my taste - but they loved it, so it's all good. Anyway, yeah, we need to come here more often.
(4)Jesse W.
I must admit as preface that I tend not to go for Chinese too often - in my experience it's great when it's good, but I'd much rather eat mediocre Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, or Korean than mediocre Chinese. For my taste, the Grand Cafe is just that: mediocre. Not terrible or gross, but not good either. Mediocre. I shared the meatless egg rolls, a kung pao dish, and a cashew dish. The egg rolls really were pretty good. The kung pao dish was a bit disappointing, though. Done well, it's one of my favorites. It wasn't terrible, but the sauce was a bit bland and didn't really taste like kung pao. Perhaps this was a function of the fact that I believe this was the only kung pao I've ever gotten anywhere that didn't have any chilis in it. Again, not terrible, but nothing that will have me excited to come back. The cashew dish was worse. I think it might have been much better with a brown sauce of some kind, but they went with a Cantonese light colored sauce that seemed to be mostly corn starch. So it was thick (gelatinous when it cooled) and had absolutely no flavor. The cashews themselves were delicious (as cashews are) but pretty soon my fiance and I started picking them out and leaving the rest. Both dishes were a bit celery-happy for my taste, but that's just a personal preference. At least the food wasn't over-the-top, make-you-sick greasy as some truly bad Chinese can be. The service was perfectly pleasant. If someday a friend or colleague really wants to come back here, I will. However, I doubt I'll find myself craving a repeat anytime soon.
(2)Kelly M.
Things to know about Grand Cafe: 1- the decor is dim and old...it isn't fancy and it isnt new. If you know this before you go in, it won't be a surprise. 2- the food isn't gourmet...it's just good. 3- the waitresses are very efficient here...you won't get a lot of "oh, how are you...so nice to see you", but you will get good service. All of this being said, they have good food. It's generally busy on the weekends, and in my opinion, Chinese food seems to be better when a place is busy. I really like their hot mustard when you dine in...there is just something about it. My mom really likes it, as does my husband. The parking lot is SMALL, so I would suggest find a spot in the downtown and walk (working up a little appetite getting there and walking it off afterwards). It is RIGHT next to the BCPA, so it's a perfect spot to go when shows are playing, but it gets SUPER busy on those nights, so budget your time.
(4)Nancy C.
We have been to many restaurants in the the area in search of good egg rolls and Fried Rice. Being new we tried em all and have not found a place with the same service or flavor as we found at the Grand Cafe! Their house fried rice is addicting...the egg rolls are flavorful and not too big...and the service??? wonderful!! When you dine in, they provide a yummy hot tea and the we have found we go back because of how great they are not to us but the kiddos! We have one picky eater who got a special plate of sweet and sour chicken (served to her as special chicken nuggets) with a few fries and a little bowl of rice -- she ate it all up! The sweet and sour sauce has big chunks of pineapple and goes really well on the fried rice! OH and they have fried chicken -- it takes like 30 minutes but its pretty tasty all things considered....They have really reasonable prices, when you dine in they have super generous portions and did i mention they deliver??? Been around for a long time, not far from us and definitely on the top of our list of places to eat!! Give a try...go on!
(5)