The Rail

The fact that The Rail closed is a travesty. The Rail was by far among the most valuable gems in all of Btown. Incredible cocktail. Incredible food. You will be missed!

Riding the Rail is much better!
We went to Rail perhaps two years ago, because it had become our daughter’s favorite local watering hole. We were underwhelmed but it may have been a «rainy night in Georgia» experience, as much internal as external. We found the food pleasant but tentative, the atmosphere too dark and gloomy, and I could go on.
Something certainly has changed. We understand the chef has changed, but the atmosphere was also much warmer and while it may have been the same lumen level the gloom level was much better. Service was attentive and pleasant but not intrusive to our evening. Staff were clearly happy to be there and enjoying work; a «happy ship.» I enjoyed my cocktails as much as I have ever enjoyed a cocktail. Mine were both fun and tasty. Best of all the food was delicious. Flavors were clear and assertive and our entire evening was a pleasant experience. We went home in a haze of pleasure not caused by the alcohol and were still discussing dinner the next day.
They are doing a brisk business and I had to park up on College Avenue. But if you have not tried Rail recently, you may want to check them out for drinks and some small plates. Go now while students are out of town. I most certainly will not wait a year to go again!

This is my new favorite bar. I love to go, and sit at the bar, and order a drink and watch them make it. Their signature cocktails are outstanding. They make THE best Manhattan I have ever had, bar none. All the staff is very friendly, including the owner. You can tell that he loves his work.

Fancy fancy. Came here on Valentine’s Day and was taken away by the interesting décor. Romantic, mysterious, diverse yet delicious food.
Least to say, the lady was pleased.

Man, it is hard to find a place that has a by the book a craft drink/​mixology bar on-​site. Bartenders were helpful in pointing us to drink we might like, even offering some that were no longer on the menu. For a refreshing Bourbon cocktail ask for the «Kentuckey Maid» by name.
We ordered a few small dish as well, service was fun and helpful. Overall cool place to hang.
Parking and seating is limited, come early if you do not like to wait as they do not take reservations. Also, not child friendly, check out the «rules» on the menu.

You know, there are times when you want rules.
The fact that The Rail has rules and explicitly lays them out for you on their menu is comforting. It lays the groundwork of what is expected of you as a patron and also gives you an idea of what you can expect from the staff. This is good, more establishments should do this.
My partner and I were visiting Bloomington in an attempt to escape the fucking snow of Wisconsin and happened to find The Rail via Google searches that encompassed «anything but bar food, with cocktails and sans-​louts». The Rail delivers on those requirements and so much more.
They have a menu of cocktails. Some, like the «Remember the Maine» are classics, while others such as the «Beast of Bourbon» are in-​house creations. Look at the menu, look at the ingredients, ask your server questions, order, drink, ask more questions, repeat. A fine experience in a great space with fantastic drinks and delicious food.
Final note: our server Katie was instrumental in making our experience great. Totally pro, thanks Katie.

Went for drinks after dinner elsewhere and was pleasantly surprised by the ambience. Cocktails on their are all very complex and tasty, they were even able to accommodate off-​of-​the-​menu requests! Service was fast and took very good care of us. Dark on the inside (in case anyone in your party has vision issues) and bathrooms are a little too close to tables.

Love love the drinks at the Rail. Consistently good work. The creativity behind the flavors in their drinks amazes me. I enjoy a good old fashioned but I especially enjoy a new addition to their menu known as. Carribean old fashioned. It is spicey and is unique twist to my favorite drink. They also have tons of food options such as my favorite dish their in house fresh from the fryer chips. They also have in house made truffles which are often delicious! Their menu changes regularly and I am always pleasantly surprised with the additions. The mixologists/​bartenders are great. They are nice and consistently good at what they do.

I recently changed my diet to low carb. This has made going to my favorite cocktail bar a rare treat… but perhaps not as rare as I feared! On my last visit, I decided check with the owner, Colin, about what I should be drinking. He was very quick to recommend almost anything from the Manhattan or Martini families, and then suggested several variations he felt would fit with what I’ve had before. As usual, his suggestions were spot on!
Despite the low-​carb thing, I couldn’t pass up on the AMAZING egg nog crème brule. YUM!!!
Once again, Colin and his team suspendered bartenders, prove to be the best mixologists I have had the pleasure to know!

The Rail is an unbelievable find in Bloomington. A 5 star cocktail bar that would hold its own in any city in the world matched with a food menu that matches. The best part of all is that the drinks are about half the price you’d pay in Chicago, New York and closer to a third of Toronto or London prices.
The bartenders are knowledgeable about their art and friendly as well. The cocktail menu is short and sweet (and sour and bitter and…) but rotates seasonally.
Even on a Friday night, the ambience is very quiet and made for relaxation. I will do my best to relax here more often from here on out.

Good food but you better like water or alcohol, because that’s all you will get. I was the designated driver for our party and asked for tea. Sorry we don’t have that, ok I asked for a Sprite nope we don’t have soda pop. So I had to drink water all night.
How much does a gallon of tea cost.

OK. I being friends here frequently and they are amazed at how really affordable this place is. In Indiana, one gets spoiled with the amount of cheap bars there are. I know… I frequent a few.
Yet, I like a change of place and to get over to the rail. They are more of your classy establishment. The base price is $ 4 for hard liquor and $ 5 for pints of beer. They have signature cocktails that align in pricing with the top shelf drinks elsewhere.
As far as food goes, this is where I think that room has for improvement. The food is absolutely fabulous tastewise. My problem is that it is tapas style without tapas pricing. I love getting the pickles or cheaos as a $ 3 snack is OK. The small plates range from $ 7 – 15 an they are small plates…
I highly recommend for groups that are looking for class

The atmosphere is excellent. The service is solid. The food and beverages are amazing, inventive, skillfully prepared and very fairly priced.

I’m not a huge cocktail drinker, but I am a fan of The Rail. Dark, small, a little off the beaten path (and literally up a dark corner, at least at night), this place is a nice intimate spot with good drinks and good eats and I think a rare treat in town.
I’m not a huge cocktail drinker, I say, but I do always order at least one of their cocktails (black margarita on my most recent visit). They do also have a beer list
I appreciate the seating room only, dark quiet vibe. That said, I also appreciate that House Bar is down the street. Who says you can’t enjoy places that are the total opposite of each other?
I think the prices are totally reasonable for the sort of place that it is. Cocktails run $ 8 – 11, and to be honest, an $ 8 cocktail is unheard of in my neck of the woods. (Maybe that’s why I’m not a cocktail drinker…). Small plates run about the same range (with even smaller plates — think bread — coming in at 3).
A great place to start the night, if you end up Kilroy’s, no one here has to know.

Everything about the Rail– the food, the drinks, the ambiance, the price– is good. I place it squarely in that category of restaurants that are sufficiently solid that they make me mad that *every* restaurant isn’t at least this good at this price.
The drinks were solid, but not mind-​blowing. This isn’t an inventive cocktail salon along the lines of The Violet Hour in Chicago or the Columbia Room in DC. I asked the waitress for the most interesting cocktail on the menu and got the «Rail McCoy,» an interestingly little number of spiced rum, lime juice, and ginger– it was tasty, but if this is the farthest out they go, the rest of the field is a little hum drum. But they make a darn good Manhattan, which very few places do. If you find yourself in Bloomington thinking «where can I get a decent sazerac in a civilized atmosphere?» this is the place.
The food is even better. The french fries accompanying the lamb sliders are crisp and tasty, the meatball is extraordinary, and the other things are worth trying out, too, though I haven’t found something else that’s up to the standards of the meatball and the lamb.

Best Old Fashioned I’ve ever had. Great atmosphere and a quality staff. Never had a bad experience here. Highly recommended. Pricing is excellent for the high quality drinks your receive and dessert was spot on as well. Great spot for a date and conversation.