Location: Champaign
Top Restaurants in Champaign
Best American food near Champaign, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Discover Restaurants offering the best American food in Champaign, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Champaign (English: /ˌʃæmˈpeɪn/) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The city is 135 miles (217 km) south of Chicago, 124 miles (200 km) west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 mi (286 km) northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The United States Census Bureau estimates the city was home to 84,513 people as of July 1, 2014. Champaign is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois, and the state's fourth-most populous city outside the Chicago metropolitan area. It is included in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.
Things to do in Champaign
10. The Courier Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 336 reviews
Reviewed By Taylor B
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1962, I began my professional journalism career at the Champaign-Urbana Courier. I worked for the late and great sports editor Bert Bertine for four years before moving on to St. Louis, then to Chicago. The Courier closed on March 31, 1979. But the building reopened on November 10, 1980, as the Courier Cafe. Located at 111 North Race Street in Urbana, it has become a community staple for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whenever I return to Champaign-Urbana, I always make it a point to have breakfast at the Courier Cafe and relive old and pleasant memories of a bygone era. The staff is friendly and the food is hot, fresh, delicious and inexpensive. For me breakfast at the Courier Cafe is home-made oatmeal with toast and maple syrup and the Courier Breakfast, two scrambled eggs, sausage links and hash browns. Or corned beef hash sauteed with mushrooms, served with two scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast. My wife always orders traditional French Toast. For omelette lovers, I'm told the Spanish omelette with chorizo sausage, queso and chichuahua cheese, jalapeno peppers and onions is too good to pass up. Sounds too hot for my taste, but...there's something for everyone at the Courier Cafe.
9. Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 606 reviews
Reviewed By Taylor B
My wife and I don't relish the thought of eating barbecue in a restaurant. It's messy enough at home, two or three napkins, sometimes more. But we have heard so many good things about Black Dog Smoke & Ale House that when we had an opportunity to see if it's as good as advertised, we couldn't pass it up. According to most restaurant critics, Black Dog produces the best tasting barbecue in Illinois, maybe the entire country. They opened their first location at 201 North Broadway Avenue in Urbana, Illinois, in 2009. It was so successful that they opened another location, installing a wood-fired smoker in an old train depot at the corner of Chestnut and Main Street in Champaign in 2015. We visited the Urbana location and agreed the barbecue was unlike anything we've ever tasted. We started with smoked chicken wings tossed with Carolina red BBQ sauce and served with celery and smoked bleu cheese dressing. Then we couldn't resist Blackdog cornbread, two cornbread muffins baked with green chiles, pit beans, cheddar cheese and pulled pork. Then we shared a full slab platter of St. Louis style pork spareribs smothered in BBQ sauce with French fries, potato salad and slaw. And we washed it all down with mugs of strawberry lemonade and Goose Island root beer. No wonder everyone in Champaign-Urbana is talking about Black Dog Smoke & Ale House.
8. Big Grove Tavern
Overall Ratings
4 based on 321 reviews
At Big Grove Tavern, we celebrate the true sense of the word tavern. The heart and soul of a community, the tavern is a warm and welcoming place bringing together both visitors and locals. Our mission is to source local and farm fresh ingredients whenever
Reviewed By comfytravel
This choice location is unlucky - never had a decent eatery. We went to Big Grove for a lunch. They have decent choice of draft beer at half price during "happy hour" (3-5), but the food was really bad. Burger was small, way too salty, the bun - typical "wonderbread," fries stale and awfully salty. Do not come close to fast food fries from McDonalds or "Five guys." Risotto with mushrooms was also salty and just below average taste. The good things were service and sitting outside in perfect weather.
7. Miga
Overall Ratings
4 based on 137 reviews
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Miga, a unique restaurant featuring the finest creations in modern cuisine. Specializing in sushi, Asian influenced dishes, wine, and cocktails. Miga is sure to please your appetite while inspiring you with our spectac
Reviewed By LoriC884
The mixture of contemporary American and Asian was perfect. We started with some of the best sushi I have had and then followed it with the chicken breast and scallop dishes. Both were outstanding. Our server Jordan was pleasant, professional and provided flawless service. A must do for a stop in Champaign IL.
6. The Ribeye
Overall Ratings
4 based on 260 reviews
Reviewed By HalibutVA
The Ribeye keeps it simple with a well-executed but rather brief menu and terrific salad bar, Their signature ribeye is served on a sizzling platter and offered in two sizes. There are chicken and shrimp add-on options as well, and a choice of sides. Service was warm and efficient without feeling rushed. The tender, juicy steaks were very accurate in the temperature ordered, even with the added heat from the platter. The salad bar was a meal in itself with a variety of pasta, potato salad and topping offerings in addition to the standard spread of fresh veggies. The place does a brisk business, even during the week, so we choose to eat a bit earlier. These folks know what they are doing and do it really well at reasonable prices.
5. The Original Pancake House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 168 reviews
Reviewed By bigjim_12
Took customer to OHOP for breakfast, always a good meal. Bottomless coffee, breakfast entrees are huge--will cost you $15-$16 w/tip but you will have enough food for another meal later in the week. Expect long wait on weekend during prime time seating. You can't go wrong with anything you choose off of the menu.
4. Farren's Pub & Eatery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 294 reviews
Reviewed By Taylor B
While researching our trip to Champaign-Urbana, home of the University of Illinois, my alma mater, I happened across a survey that declared Farren's Pub & Eatery produced the best burgers in Illinois. So how could my wife and I pass up a chance to sample the merchandise? Once located at 308 North Randolph in Champaign, Farren's moved to a larger location at 117 North Walnut in July. The new site, near the intersection of Neil Street and University Avenue, also has room for a separate bar. Open at 11 am. daily, Farren's is a popular hangout for college students after classes and after late-night studying, the kind of place my fraternity brothers and I used to frequent while cramming for final exams. But what about the burgers? Are they as good as advertised. Farren's offers 10 varieties. I sampled two, the Russell with sauteed mushrooms, bacon, blue cheese sauce and pepperjack cheese and the Spicoli with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions and American cheese. I washed them down with a 32-ounce glass of lemonade. Burgers, like pizza and hot dogs, are a personal preference, what pleases you most. Farren's burgers may not be the best I've ever tasted but they are in the conversation. The survey wasn't lying.
3. Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works
Overall Ratings
4 based on 785 reviews
DESTIHL(R) Restaurant - Champaign is two amazing worlds merged into one: the fusion of craft beer and artisan foods. We are a growing gastrobrewpubTM concept which creatively combines and reinvents craft beer and full-flavored dishes from America's meltin
Reviewed By scottn639
We went to Destihi's for a late dinner for our daughters birthday. The service was great, even had two wait staff. The drinks before the meal were just what was needed along with the bacon wrapped dates and the Crap Rangoon dip. My daughter and I shared one of their special pizzas that included Brie and Blueberries. WOW was it good. Her "birthday cake" not really was their Carrot cake, with a big piece going home with her. Remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving.Thank you for celebrating your daughter's birthday with us! We hope we'll see you again very soon.Cheers!
2. Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 252 reviews
Reviewed By MooseMeds
Sept 18 2019.Come to the C-U to visit a friend. She brought us here and said its the best BBQ shes had in the city. It was hot and i wanted dessert first, so i ordered a virgin strawberry daquiri. The waiter brought something that looked like he added strawberry mix to a lemonade. He could have just said they dont have those instead. So i got ice tea.food came to the table super quick.. but it was the wrong order. it was for another table. Our order came shortly after, but i ordered sweet potato fries, and got a sweet potato. THe BBQ was really good, but a smaller portion than i thought it would be.The (male) waiter got my (female) friend a refill, never offered (male) me one. When the bill came, it was on this tablet and i couldnt see the individual charges, but i knew that $58 for two people was wrong. it was once again something for a different table. When he came back with the correct table, as i was paying $38 still seemed high, so i asked for a printed receipt, to find extra charges. Space cadet waiter must have seen the zero tip, as the manager came over and apologized for everything and comp'd the entire ticket. ( charges actual were reversed on my bank statement, so they got THAT right at least.)It'll be a little while before i go back to Champaign, but i'm 100% sure i'll never set foot in here again.
1. Seven Saints
Overall Ratings
4 based on 376 reviews
Reviewed By Gabriel B
First time here and I will preface this review with, I will be going back. With that said there is one item I won't be getting and not because it wasn't good but because it was removed from a package and deep fried, the onion rings. If you're looking for run of the mill onion rings that taste like onion rings you could buy from "INSERT STORE CHAIN NAME HERE" and make at home, then you're in luck. Otherwise, I would just pass on them and ask the waitress/waiter if any of their appetizers are house made. The southwestern ranch dip that came with them was good however and had a smokey flavor to it which I appreciated. The same can also be said about their waffle fries that came with my wife's slider which may as well of been purchased from a grocery store that day and fried that night. Onto the real reason I have found to return here, the sliders. Holy cow they were good as together we had the following - Bacon & Cheese Slider, Smokey BBQ Slider, Black Jack Slider and the Chicago Style Hot Dog Slider. All were very good and next time I plan on getting all new sliders except for the Smokey BBQ, that I will eat every time. As for drinks my wife ordered the unsweet tea (it tasted like Raspberry tea) so we sent that back and opted for a Diet Pepsi. I drank the Paulaner Octoberfest Marzen on tap which was phenomenal.We didn't wait to be seated but our waitress was very busy and because of that our stay in the establishment lasted for 75 minutes. For a Friday night in downtown Champaign this was to be expected but if you're looking for a quicker place to eat on a busy night, it may not be the best option.
Top 10 Mexican food in Champaign, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
