The staff made my dining experience wonderful! They were very attentive & helpful. Their smiles…read moreseemed genuine. Apparently they like working there. The food was amazing! I loved the macNcheese bites & pulled pork. The ambiance was quite comfortable, clean, & inviting. The paper straws & recyclable take-home containers were so appreciated.

Ambiance: Interior has a nice vibe to it. Pretty stereotypical for bbq restaurants when it comes to…read morethe theme and decorations. There is also an outdoor section. During the colder months the outdoor seating also has heaters. Service: The servers are respectful and quick. Food: The burnt ends is extremely juicy and would recommend getting over regular brisket. The rib tips are also great if you enjoy eating cartilage. The Mac n cheese is good but I'd say it's standard. The potato casserole however really stands out to me. It has a very rich flavor and is one of my favorite things there. Sometimes certain meats are unavailable during the end of the day so it's important to keep that in mind and maybe call ahead if there's something specific you're looking for.

The food was good. After our order was taken and drinks served, the food came quickly. But, while…read moreour server passed us several times, she never asked how our food was or if we needed anything. She did not talk to us until she brought our bill. It was disappointing.

This is one of the easiest 5 stars i've ever dished out. I live in Los Angeles now but I still have…read morenot had anything that is better than this hometown secret. Literally everything on the menu is delicious and they usually run out of things because of quality control. Any time i'm home I make reservations here for my whole family. The ribs have that perfect amber color on them with a deep smokey flavor and innumerable delicious house made sauces to put on them. The french fries, cole slaw, and my favorite the potato casserole are unbelievable. I would wager this place against almost any place in the entire country. If you are here in Champaign it is a must to try. It is usually very crowded due to how awesome it is so I would highly suggest making a reservation and booking one at an earlier rather than a later time just in case they start running out of rib tips or any other delicious options on their menu. My mother is also their Veterinarian and the owners literally have black dogs so I love that as well. The ambiance is also nothing to scoff at. There is bar seating, indoor seating, and outdoor seating with soft lighting and appropriate, cozy, interior design/furniture/decorations. There is really nothing more to say about this place like I promise if you go there you will not be let down and if you are you can hold me responsible. I have traveled all over this country and to myriad other countries but somehow this hometown delicacy still remains a deep favorite of mine.

Always my favorite place to go and take friends, especially anyone visiting from out of town. Food…read moreis awesome with a variety of choices. Service is always good. Love the atmosphere as well.

Their sweet potato fries are FUCKING spectacular. Their sandwhich / sliders assortment is also…read moresomething that is super cool - they have, like, 14 different sandwhiches / burgers on their menu, all with different items? I don't even LIKE sliders, but this put me on! You can have many different smaller burgers for the same stomach space as a regular burger... its genius The ambiance of the bar is something that I love as well - whether you go here for a date or just to chit chat with your homies, the dim lighting makes this feel like a speakeasy, but the server's (who clearly work very hard, so props!) move around with such delicate urgency it makes you feel as though this place is the spot everyone wants to be at. Loved the food and the environment.

Always great food. I only ever get the hot chicken, but others I go with like to try new things…read moreand are never disappointed. Decent beer selection, but could use a couple more taps. Servers are friendly with the right level of attentiveness. It can be loud and sometimes you wait a while for a table if you didn't think to make a reservation.

i am not sure what happened to this place, but ever since they expanded to more locations, this one…read morehas suffered immensely. I am here for Ebertfest and it has now taken over an hour to get drinks, food, and dessert. I am trying to flag down my server because I was worried about the amount of time it was taking. She apologized and took off the dessert, but she seemed to be the only one working. I was near the back so I got to see all the other servers "yucking" it up and just standing around while this poor lady was doing laps. I am from the service industry and only 40 so I'm not being a Karen. This server deserves a huge raise and probably a better job. Pair that with them cutting down the menu, this place went to a "must see" in Champaign to a maybe. What I ate was tasty, but the rest of Champaign has caught up and starting to leave them behind.

Love the nachos from their menu, we regularly order a turkey at Thanksgiving as well that is so…read moregood.

Good menu and drink options. Casual albeit a bit loud. Been aware they do not have a full menu…read moreall day so if you want BBQ, call first.

Very good service, solid menu, good drink choices and a great Sunday brunch. Typically crowded, but…read moretables typically move pretty quickly.

Food was bland. Will have to go back and see if it was an off night for the kitchen. Service was…read moregreat.

Wow wow wow! My bartender recommended the wings and they are to die for! First smoked, then fried…read morethen sauced with Asian buffalo sauce. I'm not sure what the sauce was, but I couldn't stop eating it! Then went with the Asian tacos with brisket. Very interesting combination of sauces and brisket. I added the vinegar based bbq sauce for even more yum! Ended with the key lime pie. Definitely different than I was expecting, but very solid none the less. I highly recommend this place! Go get you some!!

Eating here has made us decide we will never eat BBQ again!!…read more This was hands down the worst BBQ we have ever had and in the running for the worst food! The wings were burnt chunks on a plate. There was more burnt, dry skin and meat than edible meat! The ribs were pretty much the same. Drowning them in the sauce did nothing to make them better!! Served with lukewarm fries and below average other sides, there was nothing redeeming about our plates. The cornbread muffin was good...but it's just two bites.

This was a top notch place back in the day! But past owner from the 1980's, Allen Strong, has…read moreretired and the new owners don't seem to add much. A glass display case sits empty at the hostess station displaying nothing but lots of smudgy fingerprints. A fitting analogy to the current Courier unfortunately. Patrons come in for lunch and wait several minutes for somebody to seat them. The service suffers from understaffing. I ordered a Veggie Dagwood sandwich. Remember Dagwood Bumstead and his multi layer skyscraper sandwiches?? Not here! This was more of a very dry bread sandwich. Where are the layers of veggies? The layers of cheese? The alfalfa sprouts? The sauce? My sandwich was served with a stale pickle. I asked if I could order a side like potato salad. They had coleslaw - $4 up charge. The place needs to be cleaned up! Put a little pride into the menu.

Revisited the Courier Cafe today and I need to drop it a star. After trying a few items across the…read moremenu, I now believe the food warrants two stars although the ambience and service remain very good. I won't belabor the point but the items we ordered lacked thoughtful preparation. The scrambled tofu was just tofu with curry powder. The veggie Dagwood consisted primarily of plain toast with little in the way of "veggie." An extra tomato and another dollop of special sauce (sweet mayo) would go a long way here.

This is the food I've had in central Illinois, hands down. Staff was lovely, vibes were excellent.read more

Delicious buffet options and wonderful friendly service. I was unsure if I wanted menu or buffet…read moreand kept asking questions, the staff was so niand answered everything. The music playing was nice and the vibe was overall amazing.

i liked it :) that's…read morepretty much all i have to say, second time coming and everything was great and i will be back again

Food was amazing…read more Service very good Ambiance very nice. Stopped in while on the job , had a salmon salad and it was perfection Thanks guys Look forward to our next visit