Egg Republic — Restaurant in Bloomington

Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois:

In the vibrant heart of Illinois lays a restaurant located in Bloomington, where rustic Midwest charm collides with global flair—Egg Republic Brunch and Bubbles is no mere stop on the local food circuit—it’s a jubilant detour into flavor, friendship, and fizz. With GM Shpat Pinjolli and Jon and Miri Pinjolli at the helm, weaving their proud Albanian heritage through every bite, you can expect more than a brunch: you’re in for an adventure. Our culinary journey was expertly guided by Grace Rolfs, a server with intuition as refined as her palate, who steered us toward house specialties that danced off the menu.

The Adventure Unfolds: Appetizers

We began by diving fork-first into the Chicken Fried Bacon with Sausage Gravy, a decadent collision of crispy, smoky, and creamy—a shareable masterpiece that demands extra napkins and a hearty appetite. Opposite end of the table came the Fried Green Tomatoes Caprese, where the Southern Midwest meets Mediterranean gardens: ripe, tart tomatoes, kissed with golden crunch and layered with creamy mozzarella, sweet basil, and a drizzle of tangy balsamic. These appetizers didn’t just tease the taste buds, they threw down a gauntlet, flinging tradition out the window.

Setting the Scene: Sips with a Twist

Egg Republic’s cocktail game is nothing short of legendary. The Whiskey By The Fire arrived tableside—a swirling elixir topped with a melting marshmallow, sending campfire nostalgia straight to the heart. For something bright and sprightly, the Strawberry Lime Smash brought the summer straight to our lips; tart, juicy, and undeniably joyful, it was an ode to backyard porch swings and sunshine.

The Main Event: Brunch Royalty

Grace’s expert advice led us bravely to the Benedicts Republic Traditional Beni, a plate where perfectly poached eggs, draped in silken hollandaise, perch atop pillowy English muffins and ham, all singing in savory harmony. But perhaps the most daring dish—a sure sign of the Pinjolli’s Albana wizardry—was the Fig Tree Omelet (better known as the Charcuterie Omelet). Imagine: delicate eggs cradling sweet figs, smoky meats, briny olives, and creamy cheeses—a brunch board reimagined, each bite a revelation.

Sweet Endings: Desserts

Just when we thought the adventure was winding down, it leaped back to life with a show-stopping finale: the Crème Brulee Pancakes with Strawberries and Blueberries. Pillowy pancakes arrived layered with a crisp, caramelized sugar crust that shattered under the fork, revealing a custardy richness beneath. Generous crowns of fresh strawberries and blueberries added bright, juicy bursts—every bite was a celebration, and every morsel begged for one more taste.

Final Bite

With a team that delivers warmth and whimsy in every plate, Egg Republic Brunch and Bubbles redefines brunch in Bloomington. You don’t just leave full—you leave feisty, plotting your return. Raise a glass (of bubbles, naturally!), and toast to a meal as bold and adventurous as Central...

It's a shame, really. I've been to Egg Republic a few times and have always had both a fine meal matched with a nice atmosphere. The food is not the issue here.

The issue takes place elsewhere at another local restaurant/bar. I'll leave out the location, but to provide some insight, they have volleyball courts and leagues that run most days of the week. If you want to watch volleyball, you eat outside. Don't want to? Great. Eat inside.

I decided I wanted to head over and watch some volleyball. The BEGINNER rec league was playing on the far court next to the pavilion in the back. At the same time, a get together was being setup under the awning. This awning is maybe about 20ft, maybe further, from the volleyball courts.

Now, wouldn't you think that if you're sitting outside and relatively close to the court that, while unlikely, there's a chance that a stray ball would come by?

The, again, BEGINNER league hit a spike and it unfortunately went over to where the staff was hanging out and I believe the ball knocked over a drink or two, maybe some food. Unlucky, but again, you're pretty close to the court.

This is where the first interaction happened. It was polite enough. A simple "hey try not to hit it over here". Alright, sounds good. Well two or three hits later, the ball unfortunately made its way over again, likely knocking over some more stuff.

Maybe they thought it was intentional, but I can almost guarantee it wasn't. That's when a member of the Egg Republic staff decided to act like he owned the entire patio, took the ball that belonged to the bar, and chucked it over the fence into the parking lot. Some players confronted him, there was a back and forth with the kitchen staff rep who refused to apologize for his actions.

Listen, it stinks that a ball came over twice and interrupted the get together. I get it. But you're also hosting an event so close to the court where there's a VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE GAME happening. Like everyone else at the bar, they are a PAYING customer. You have the option of moving inside if you don't want to risk a volleyball flying over, but they don't have the option of playing inside. If you don't want to move inside, you're accepting the risk.

Come to find out later that this was a get together for the kitchen staff at Egg Republic. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. You would think in a town like this we would support one another, but instead we want to be superior and act childish because you decided to sit next to the volleyball court while there's league volleyball going on?

And then throughout the night to continuously confront other volleyball players! Are you kidding me?!

So unfortunately, whenever someone brings up Egg Republic, it'll forever be the spot that I can't visit because of how someone decided to represent...

WARNING Thorough review (this will be long):

The food: Unfortunately, we don’t have any photos because IT WAS SO DARN GOOD we forgot. We got the Pacos and the pick two eggs. The Pacos were unlike anything we have ever had. They were the perfect balance of sweet and savory. It’s a pancake taco with fluffy eggs and spicy chorizo. We were blown away with the flavors. The pick two was a very good price for amount of food you could get. $12 for two eggs, hash browns, bacon and two good sized pancakes. The hasbrowns were perfectly crisp, the pancakes were delightfully fluffy with a great buttermilk flavor, the bacon was cooked to your liking as well as the eggs.

The service: The service was great. The server was attentive and always there at the right time. The food came out after about 15 minutes which was great timing. It felt like not too long but not so quick that we couldn’t start to enjoy our coffee. The bussers were very quick to flip the table and it was sat again very quickly. We actually timed it: from the time the previous guests left the table to it being sat again, it took 2 minutes and 13 seconds. It was FAST! Which is why the wait time isn’t nearly as long as they say it is. They have fantastic service!

The atmosphere: WOW, just wow! It is beautiful. It’s modern, whimsical in some spaces, bright and airy in others. It’s very Pinterest worthy. We both agreed it looked like a hit breakfast place that you would see in Chicago. The pictures really don’t do it justice. It’s just beautiful. You have to see it for yourself!

Some ideas: The Pacos were so good they had us thinking about other options. A “make your own” paco would be cool. You pick your toppings, sweet or savory, and it’s the same 3 Paco flight presentation. The Pacos are a signature, star dish that everyone will be excited to see. Everyone kept asking us what they were. They were amazing and egg republic could really take them to another level with personalization.

Overall, we had a wonderful first time experience. We will absolutely be recommending it to everyone we know. Thank you Egg Republic for coming to Bloomington and adding a great breakfast spot. If you have been to Fort Jesse, you would also like this place. They are definitely up there in the running for best breakfast spots in town. Egg Republic, you are doing an AMAZING job. I can imagine you guys will be around for a while! (This is also the only place where it’s acceptable to drink 3...