Bobbys Colorado Steak House

Been here twice without knowing of the poor reviews on Unilocal because it’s just down the street from me. Both times the servers were good to great, and my friend and I enjoyed the food enough to come back again tonight. I just happened to see these reviews because I wanted to see how early they opened.
Anyway, if my experience changes I’ll update my review, but I wanted to raise the average rating a little as it wasn’t representative of my experience here. I like their steaks.

This was our third time here in two years
The salad bar is good and is one of only two in town so it’s better than nothing
Services was not so good this time as we called in made a reservation for a booth in the fireplace area and they gave it to someone else so there was no seats available
Cheese sticks were good the cheese broccoli soup was real good.
I can only give 3 stars this time

We had the brunch today (Sunday). The scrambled eggs and smashed potatoes were fantastic. Mimosas and Bloody Marys for 1.99 each? Yup! What a solid brunch!!!

We were there for lunch and got soup and salad bar. The soup was pretty good, but the salad bar was lacklustre. Except, oddly, there was caviar with sour cream and blini. Go figure.

We were on our way to a concert in Bloomington and decided to try Colorado Steak House. It was around 6:00 PM and not very busy. Three of the four of us ordered iced tea and it was sour. They replaced it with fresh tea. The salad bar looked great and when two of us went through we had a nice selection. By the time the others went through it needed to be restocked and they waited for a bit for that to be done. My husband and I ordered prime rib and it was good. My brother ordered the Top SIrloin and his wife the petite sirloin. When they put my brother’s plate on the table there was instantly a terrible smell. We were trying to figure out what it was. It turned out that the smell worsened when he cut into his steak. It was really bad. We called our waiter over (who was wonderful) and he was appalled. My brother asked to just have the prime rib. A floor manager came over much later and my brother informed her of the problems that we had experienced. She said she was going to talk to her general manager in the back.
I think what was most upsetting is that nothing was done to compensate for these problems. I really hesitated writing this because the servers were amazing. I just think if something that bad happens that the customers need to be taken care of. The tea was bad. The smell of the bad steak was awful and our entire table smelled it.
We will not return to Bobby’s Colorado Steak House due to the lack of customer service from the management.

From the outside, Bobby’s looks like a Texas Roadhouse that did some hard time upstate for scamming old people out of social security checks. Once we walked in, it got better, but only if you are the type of person who often confuses the words «better» and «worse». My best attempt to classify the décor of the interior is disco-​era Ruby Tuesdays meets long-​abandoned hunting lodge (oh and there’s a salad bar!). The interior smells like the couch in a retirement home rec room. The restaurant is poorly lit and rundown, making the whole place feel like it’s coated in a thin layer of dust.
When we entered the hostess was nowhere to be found. We waited just long enough to feel uncomfortable because the only other people we could see in the place were the couple that walked in behind us, and a man standing motionless and staring blankly into the salad bar as if he’d somehow forgotten where he was. We could hear the person who turned out to be the hostess talking to someone just beyond our line of sight and when she came over she apologized and said she was checking on some coffee. Honestly I didn’t fault her because it was 6:30 pm and I am assuming that she wasn’t expecting to have one, let alone two tables waiting to be sat. She was pleasant and she smiled but in retrospect she might have just been overflowing with pity for what we were about to experience. She sat us right next to the salad bar, which also happens to share a wall with the kitchen door. Not the most desirable table, but at least it was convenient for the waitstaff.
I went to sit down in the booth, putting my hand down first, and felt the grit of crumbs all over the booth bench. It wasn’t what I should expect, but based on everything else I’d seen so far I wasn’t nearly as surprised or angry as I should have been. The waiter came over quickly and was very nice. My girlfriend ordered the cheese wontons and a filet. I got the ribeye. Both of us ordered our steaks cooked medium rare. Each entrée comes with all you can eat soup and salad from the salad bar. Is there a more beautiful phrase than the combination of the word «salad» with the word «bar»?
So to the salad bar we went. My girlfriend and I had to struggle to find a plate that looked clean. The top two in the stack still had some funk on them from a previous diner. Most of the veggies looked relatively fresh, except there was a problem: the Lettuce. It was sitting in about an inch of water, it was sort of wilted, and some of the leaves were browning. I tried to pick through it to find the most edible looking bits. I sat down with my salad, took one bite, felt a slimy lettuce leaf I had missed during my foraging, and decided to just to cut my losses and wait for the steak. This was a steak house after all. It had to be Bobby’s saving grace, right?
The waiter arrived with our steaks and our fried zucchini. Did I tell you that we ordered fried zucchini? No? That’s because we didn’t. My girlfriend informed him that she had ordered the cheese wa… and he quickly interjected that he’d made a mistake and he’d be right back with what we’d ordered. There’s a good reason why I included the last portion about the waiter cutting my girlfriend off as she tried to speak, and we will get there shortly. Back to the steaks. So, after the mix-​up with the wontons I was expecting to be disappointed once again. However, this time, something went right. We both cut into our steaks. What happen next was so surprising that in tandem we both said «I can’t believe it, but this is cooked perfectly.» It was true, both steaks were a perfect medium-​rare. It would be the highlight of the meal (however, the accidental zucchini turned out to be pretty good). What happened next was a pretty horrible letdown. We both put our bites in our mouths and made odd faces. The steaks were completely unseasoned. My steak was just bland, but my girlfriends tasted like someone had dipped it into last week’s fry oil before slapping it down on her plate. Then the waiter showed up with deep fried cheese sticks, which is a problem because we ordered the wontons. They were also gross and for some reason 3 of them were cheddar which simply meant they were instantly congealed.
Oh, and all this was ours for the affordable price of $ 68 plus tip.
Bobby’s is an unforgettable and life changing experience. Anything you choose to eat, from gas station hot dogs to an M&M you found under your couch will be drastically more enjoyable because of what you’ve experienced. Bobby’s effect on your opinion of other restaurants is akin to what spending a couple of years in a Vietnamese POW camp would do for your opinion of a motel 6. Everyone should go just once. It would breed greater appreciation for restaurant that puts in marginal effort and derives even the smallest amount of pride in putting out a decent meal for their customers. Did I mention there’s a salad bar?

The food/​service here ranges anywhere from mediocre to bad.
We came in for Devour Btown but didn’t end up ordering their devour menu (because it wasn’t much of a value).
To start, the hostess was pretty apathetic about her job. But that’s ok, my fiancé and I were still optimistic.
I think soup and salad bar comes with every meal. There is one soup on the salad bar and two soups in the back. I ordered one of the soups in the back and our waiter forgot so I just got the seafood soup on the bar, which wasn’t bad. But then we each got our New York strips. They were about a quarter of an inch thick and not vey good cuts of meat but still edible. The baked potato it came with was as underwhelming as the rest of the experience, but the fried mushroom skewer was pretty good!
All in all, this just isn’t great food, and it’s certainly not worth the price they are charging. I would suggest avoiding this place for sure.
Side note– I saw a couple reviews that said to request the server that goes by Daily. He was here, but we didn’t get sat in his section, unfortunately. Because we did hear him interacting with other tables, and he seemed very friendly.
Extra side note– it seems that only older people frequent this restaurant. I think we were the only people there under the age of 65 excluding the wait staff.

The service was amazing!!! Daily was our waiter and he really set the bar on how you should be treated at all restaurants!!! The food was also great. The food was full of flavor, our plates were full of food, and our wallets still had change!!! It was a really great night.

BEWARE
Hard to review the food as our experience was the worst in my lifetime. Salad bar was actually pretty good and fresh with decent choices, Soups were mediocre. Chili is passable but not worth the calories. Appetizers were as expected and solid. The steaks had good flavor BUT…
Not inexpensive, so you would assume decent service. While I acknowledge it was busy and they were short-​handed, it was Family Weekend at IU that they knew about far in advance. There were several large parties incl ours BUT we were the only ones with a disastrous experience.
Besides waiting 30 min after being seated to order food (drink orders were prompt), they «forgot» to actually place our order and did not notice til we asked an hr later. When our food finally arrived 2hrs after being seated, ALL of the steak orders were incorrect (half of our party) – not in term of doneness but actually in cuts of meat.
When the entire meal finally arrived as ordered, 2.5 hrs had passed. We lost our appetite after that fiasco and no longer wanted our dinner and thus no longer wanted to pay for it. The initial response from the hostess who actually took our order (since our waitress was SO busy) RE our poor service was «what do you want me to do about it?» Needless to say, we talked to the manager and settled upon paying half of our tab – altho their initial offer was free Sun brunch. Really?!
Like we’d ever return. And that sums it up.

As a few other reviewers have mentioned, you drive by this place about a zillion times always saying «hmm, I wonder if this place is open,» or «we should go there sometime.» Finally, on a Friday night, we decided to try it out.
The parking lot was packed, which was both annoying and a good sign of tasty food to come. Lots of entrances into the building. We ended up going through the back, and walking through the restaurant to the front. It was awkward, because there was an event going on and we had to squeeze through the crowd. Not the restaurant’s fault… But definitely walk around the building and go in the front, unless you just want to sit at the bar in the back.
The interior was very old school Colorado. Like maybe you could be in an old ski resort. Definitely a nice building, but could use just a little updating. Chairs were very comfortable. We weren’t seated at a booth, but they looked okay, too.
Our server was very nice, if a tiny bit overwhelmed with the crowd. He was attentive, though, and kept our drinks filled. He did forget to tell us about the soups that go along with the salad bar (they keep 2 of the 3 offerings in the back. Only one is available on the salad bar), but I overheard another server telling them. The chicken curry was really good! My husband and I both remarked that it tasted like something I’d make myself, and I make really good soup.
So, the bad news: The salad bar really needs some help. The lettuce was really wilted. Some of it was kind of gross. Most of the items are canned (diced beats, olives), but the mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes seemed pretty fresh. There was caviar. Yeah, that seemed weird, and I didn’t try any. I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around a salad bar with wilted lettuce AND caviar. What?! After helping ourselves to the bar, I was a little worried about the rest of the meal.
We ordered the 16 oz ribeye (which is the only size), and it came with one side (choice of baked potato, pasta, or vegetable), as well as the bar. It was $ 25. So, that’s not exactly cheap and I’m a little worried about quality after the bar. BUT! The good news:
The steak was EXCELLENT! It was big, well marbled, and perfectly cooked. Seared on the outside and medium rare, like we like it, on the inside. Seasoned well with a really good flavor. No steak sauce needed, of course. This totally made up for the salad bar. Neither of us could finish ours and the waitstaff boxed it up for us to take home. It was even good as leftovers.
All in all, I’d probably go back for the steak. But I still hope that salad bar gets a little facelift.

Should have known when there weren’t any cars in the lot. Only one in the restaurant on a Saturday night. Do not get the chicken parm. Pasta sauce from ragu. Frozen garlic bread. Waste of money. Only good thing was the salad bar was fresh and full of different choices. Assuming this place will close soon. Sad as this used to be a hot spot for b town

My family and I were looking for an affordable steak dinner while visiting Bloomington and came across Bobby’s Colorado Steakhouse. We discovered they offered a special Prime Rib dinner on Friday’s along with their generous salad bar. Everything we tried tasted great with good customer service.

The hubs and I stopped in here after the Bloomington Craft Beer Fest this past Saturday. It wasn’t crowded (we left before the Beer Fest ended though) and service was very prompt.
The prices are on the high side, but the food was excellent. I love salad bars, especially when they have black and green olives. The potato skins were huge and generously covered with cheese. We both ordered steaks and mine was closer to well than medium well, but the hubs ordered a medium and it was perfect.
We had several different people check on us and the food, which was nice. It really made us feel like they care about the impression each and every customer has.
Being sat at the table with IU tiles didn’t hurt either. I may have squealed and clapped my hands with glee.

Glad Bobby took this place over and opened it again. The $ 14.50 prime rib on Friday night is a great deal. The salad bar is one the best… everything was fresh. And when was the last time you had a salad bar that offered caviar! The soup of the day was a chicken and wild rice sort of thing and it was extremely good. Looking forward to going back and trying other things on the menu.

After having driven past this place hundreds if times, finally decided to try it. So glad we did! Sat in a room with a blazing fireplace and cozy booths. Had the soup and salad bar (featuring the BEST corn beef and cabbage soup I’ve ever had — okay, the only I’ve ever had, but it surprised me how much I liked it), which was quick and affordable. The staff was super friendly. The décor is what the bf says he would expect he dining area of the Ponderosa on Bonanza to look like. We will definitely be back.

This was HORRIBLE! The food was pricey, and the quality substandard. The salad bar had old, brown lettuce, and canned items. I haven’t had food this bad at a restaurant in years!!! Will NOT ever go here again. I just hope I don’t get sick!

Dinner prices are a little high, but so are quantity and quality. We’ve mostly eaten off of the lounge menu. My boyfriend said that the American Kobe burger is the best burger in town. The tempura fried mushrooms are also delicious. Their $ 0.50 tacos on Thursday (lounge only) are decent.
This is the same Bobby’s that used to own the townie bar/​restaurant on College downtown. This place has a relaxing wood cabin feel, but with a little higher quality. There is a lounge/​bar, restaurant, and outdoor seating. They sometimes have a live piano player.