I had heard so much about this place and had to try it, but I sincerely do not know what all the hype is about. The food was ok, but just ok. With all the other options in downtown Champaign I probably will not be visiting this place again. It was not a horrible experience, but I also have no reason to come back again. read more

Although I enjoy coming to the Esquire, I have sat on the side where the bartender Rich works. On more than one occasion this man acts as if we are in his way rather than welcoming us as guests. Last time we were there he was in a particularly bad mood, being nasty to his fellow workers and acting as if the patrons were in his way. I come to a bar to have a relaxed fun evening, Rich has more than once made the evening very uncomfortable. I have been in the bar when Rich wasn't working, and when he is not there the people behind the bar are relaxed, they smile, and seem to have fun, but when Rich is there everyone is on edge and grumpy. God forbid anyone does anything in his "territory", they get a nasty look. This man is more worried about making sure that everything behind the bar is in its place and perfect, than he is about giving good service to his customers, he will walk by an empty glass many times without asking if you need another drink, you have to flag him down. I think he has been there much too long, and has lost the knowledge that the customer comes first. read more

We were looking for a place to eat and grab a beer with little kids after a long drive. We were also looking for something with a "college" feel considering its a college town and we are about 10 years out of college. Nostalgia gets me every time. This place had a much older crowd (on a Monday)...think 45 year old regulars, but what do you expect on a Monday night? The draft beer selection was ok. They have one Bell's, Guiness and Harp on tap, but that's as "crafty" as it gets at the front bar (the back bar was closed and may have had more available). The food was only OK. We got a small personal pizza and a steak sandwich. Neither one was that great. The staff was super friendly and GREAT with the kids. The price was also right. read more

This is where I learned to drink. No seriously, my first regular bar, back in the 20's. Massive, sometimes a bit loud, but it's home. Grad students, old school folks, younger crowds... this spot is a mix socially, and really that's what a bar should be. Except for one old fuck that bartends, the staff is always consistently great. Great selection of booze. Food is good for being "bar food", a big shout out to the BOH there, small space cranking out the food. read more

Not so bad, and definitely not traditional bar food. That said, we opt for better food in the downtown area.

This restaurant has high quality bar food that won't break your bank in downtown Champaign. All of their entrees including pizza are $10 or under but most sandwiches with chips are around $7.50. The appetizers that they have are so huge and can feed a good group and it won't break your wallet. The drinks are relatively cheap and they have free peanuts. The bathrooms are small and there are peanuts all over the ground but that adds to the character of this amazing bar. If you aren't a jerk expect good service; if not you get what you should receive. read more

I had the greatest experience at Esquire. We went for lunch, and had a waiter who was friendly, talkative and helpful, but not overbearing. Our food was delicious, came hot, and was inexpensive. The BEST thing was that we were talking about how we love Strongbow on draft, and our waiter chimed in that he thought Bentley's had it-- and actually CALLED over there to make sure! It was a wonderful experience. read more

My wife and I went there last night Jan 14, 2017. We had never been there and we are glad we made our first visit. We ventured in about 11pm and did not eat there so I can not comment on the food. It was crowded with people consistently coming and going. A fun bar where many new one another but also welcomed first timers. If your looking to sit quietly and sip a martini this is probably not the place to go. But if you are looking to go out, maybe meet some new people, and have some quality drinks than you are at the right place. We are definitely older than many there but that did not matter. People of all ages drinking there. Bartenders were great and worked their tails off. Friendly and made awesome cocktails. Drinks well made and generous as were the pours on the shots. My wife commented as we walked out, "that it was one of the best places to people watch outside of Vegas". I liked it because all were friendly, fun, and it was a great place to get some quality drinks. Stop in for a drink. Definitely worth a visit! read more

The Esquire is an excellent place for delicious bar food, peanuts, and Strongbow. If, for some reason, you do not like Strongbow, they have a decent beer and alcohol selection otherwise. It's not the most sanitary place in the world -- which if you're sober can be kind of off-putting -- but otherwise it's a great place to go any day of the week. read more

Giving all the props because we were at Guidos bar & had terrible service & warm beer. Came here after ,.,Jessica was excellent bartender. Quick, concerned ,,really knows how to make money! Greet guests, talk to them even when you r so busy & suggest items. Let's you drink a little before. killing u with ordering ..at the bar!!!!. She is awesome!! And will be on our 40% tip group. We may be in our 50's but we're in bar biz & know what one should expect. We spend money,..sorry 019 at Guidos,,,you lost out & need to learn the biz read more

A friend of mine told me this place has some fantastic Pizza (she being of the skinny eat nothing calorie-full type), and well, I made a mistake of listening to her! It was a Saturday night, when the bar is super crowded. We were a group of 4, and as always finding parking spots on downtown Champaign can be a such a chore in weekends. Anyway, you order your food to the bartenders. Waiting for the bartender to notice you in a crowded bar could be ok if you want to order a beer or shot, but for food? I don't like the idea. I ordered a Greek Pizza, while the aforementioned friend ordered a garden pizza (I can't remember the name now, but it was their vegetarian pizza) . To be honest, I dodn't like either of them. The Greek one was a disaster. It had clusters of feta cheese spread over a thin crust, and almost nothing else. It was supposed to have sausage, but I couldn't taste any. The vegetarian one, although being the better one, was kind of juicy. A juicy pizza is NOT my favorite. I'm not against non-American-style thin crust pizzas. As a matter of fact, I love Jupiter's pizzas. But these ones, well, you heard me. There should be a reason these were so cheap (I guess around $7), and I now know it. read more

The quality of some of the food has changed a lot. I don't know if management has changed or what.

Just got back from a great party at Esquire. The food was fantastic! Their fried chicken is out of this world and they also had really good Greek salad and potato salad. They have a good bar selection too...I had good German beer. It's just a friendly, fun place to hang out and they have a back room for private gatherings. read more

Whoever the manager is here, should be fired. Or needs some real training in what management is. She is extremely rude. I came in with my parents and we waited at the bar for almost 10 minutes before anyone even looked at us after multiple other people walked up after us and were helped. She asked if we had been helped I said yes finally. She then goes to the other end of the bar and starts mocking me, where I can clearly hear her. After I made a comment about how unnecessary it was she then storms over to me arguing with me asking if there's an issue. I let her know how rude they all were and walked outside with my drink. Moments later she comes out and snatches my drink out of my hand saying we need to leave. She also stole my boyfriends beer directly out of his mouth mid drink and he naturally swats her hand away, she claims she was pushed and is calling the cops on us. Honestly, so unprofessional and I have never experienced someone with worse customer service skills. We will never be returning and I would recommend others to go elsewhere. None of their staff is friendly and clearly needs serious training. read more

The food was awful. Reheated frozen food that made me ill afterwards. I'll be avoiding the cuisine in the future...

There is nothing better than fried food, specifically broccoli, after some (or many) drinks at the Pig. Service is usually good, great considering the fact that they're putting up with a lot of drunken shenanigans. Also, you can get fried food to go and take it back to the Pig or Mike and Molly's. read more

Mostly great venue. Beer selection is good. Easy to get to. Food is ok. Salmon is awesome. Just a few times there was an issue with either too much noise from the TV or jukebox so I couldn't hear the person next to me. read more

Esquire rocks. The place is dirt cheap and the food is simple and good. 1.50 pints of old style and 3 dollar grilled cheese sandwiches make this place my cheap go to in Champaign. They also have free peanuts which are good when you are too cheap to buy the cheap food, like I am sometimes. It's a bit of an old man bar but the cheapness makes up for it in my mind. Also, they have a number of large pool tables. The place can be pretty packed on a Fri or Sat night as well so it makes for a good time. read more

My fiancé and I go here all of the time and love it. It is a great bar for relaxing and enjoying some cheap drinks. The food is typical bar food, but is also priced right. Overall, this is, by far, my favorite bar in Champaign (if not anywhere)! read more

The staff is extremely friendly and attentive. The food is cheap and is great, drunk or sober. I recommend the Asian Dumplings, or a burger. Their Contusions are amazing (Pineapple infused tequila)!! Plus, who can go wrong with free peanuts, pool tables, and a Jukebox? read more

Can't go wrong for the price. Cheap beer, great food. My two favorite items are the portobello sandwich (the size of my head) and the pizzas. Also, the fried broccoli is really good. read more

Great prices on drinks and food. The thin crust pizza is delicious. Good selection of draft beers.

I have been here many times and have never been disappointed in their Bleu Pear Pizza. It is an amazing amalgam of cheese, pear and pine nuts that surprises you from the first bite. Don't come out to the Esquire and not try this pizza! Oh, and if you enjoy smoking cigars, (as I do) they allow smoking out on the patio which is always fun on a warm summer night. The people that sit out on the patio are always so friendly and the staff is quite attentive to your needs as well. This place is situated right in downtown Champaign which is such a nice place to be, and there are dozens of other things to do if you are starting your night here. read more

I wanted Pizza - I wanted Good Pizza - Lady Di posted a picture of her lunch on facebbok - and the picture was PIZZA from Esquire Lounge! It looked DMN Good! So on Saturday I ordered one --- Sausage Cheese and Mushrooms.. I have traveled from Coast to Coast - my dad loved tasking me to a place in chicago and spending upwards of 80.00 on what is known as Chicago's Famous Pizza ... Can't touch Esquire Lounge Pizza --- Too Bad I don't drink... So (5) Star! When I walked in the female bar attendant ingnored me TOTALY - Then a kind gentleman from the back came over drying his hands - all smiles and was California Kind! Sorry I did't tip him... But the female waitress had me SHOCKED! This is 2015 - THIS PLACE WILL SEE ME AS OFTEN AS I WANT A SNACK! LOL! HAPPY ! read more

Came here again with a friend, recently. Can't drink because of doc's orders on some acupuncture I'm doing. So I ended up ordering a cherry coke. Tasted delicious, although the waiter got it wrong when I said I wanted no ice. What can you do? Still, I got around 3 refills for free. You can't beat that. Peanuts are free, delicious, and a fun thing to do on the side of conversation. And they're free too, if you didn't know. So another bonus. Had the BLT which tasted nice. Also fries, which were solid. Finally, polished everything else off with the famous Asian dumplings (they still haven't changed the name, which is to be expected but no less irritating). I'll stop complaining when they start calling the burgers "Euro-American." Anyway, I'll still probably come to this place years after I'm only "visiting" CU. Nostalgia, if nothing else. Friendly service all around, value for money (cheap prices for decent helpings of food), decent ambiance, and a fixture of downtown Champaign. read more

Cool bar to chat/bar talk with ALL arrays of life...from older regulars to young hipsters. I have always had a good time at Esquire!

So me and my husband go here all the time and we gambell if we got it..seldom drink more less eat and run..most the time my husband orders same pizza everytime depending on who takes his order if it comes out right and i flip flop between pizza a hamburgers with fried broccoli..i most the time i have a great experience when everything pans out... read more

The food is decent....if you can get someone to bring it to you! My last experience at the Esquire was very disappointing; we sat down at a table and waited for someone to come up to us....we lost our patience when a waitress looked straight at us and walked away! In the past I've had other "iffy" encounters as well--where servers have forgotten drinks, etc. It's too bad because this bar has a lot of potential but it's like whoever is running it just doesn't care about the experience of their customers. There are plenty of other bars around; I don't see myself ever going back! read more

Went here when I came down to visit earlier this summer for the first time. I must say drink specials did not disappoint if you want cheap pitcher of PBR. Haha can't go wrong with that if you're trying to have a good night. Pizza is super affordable and friendly staff! However, our waitress was the only one taking care of our section so it was kind of hard to get another round of drinks or to even get our bill. We waited over 15 mins to ask for our check until I finally got up and had to ask our waitress. I don't blame her but Esquire should consider hiring more people to help great a better experience. read more

I have noticed all the reviews are bartenders and regulars that are friends and get discounts. Of course they are going to love the place! The peanuts are good, and tossing your used shells on the ground is a plus. The taps are dirty the food is terrible bar food. I've had better on most airplanes. The only decent bar tender is Rich. All the rest are total snobs and noses reek of shit. I'm very dissappointed. this place somehow got good reviews. It's so unfortunate that this is one of the best bars in champaign/urbana. It says nothing for the bar and food scene. Gross read more

You can't go to Champaign and miss stopping by Esquire's. Nice atmosphere, good food.

Came to this place to end the night after celebrating a friend's birthday. Shared fries, fried potstickers, pizza and chicken tenders. The food was decent. Either that or I was starving - probably the latter. The server was a bit pushy and had an attitude. After we ate, we played a few rounds of pool. At this point I probably would've gave this place 3 stars but it's what happened at the end of the night that completely turned my night sour. As we were leaving, a staff member came and started screaming bloody murder at us. I was stunned and asked my friends what was going on. From how she was acting you would've thought someone had gotten killed. Turns out my friend forgot to pay for pool. She was out her damn mind yelling at us like she was crazy! The way this woman acted was completely rude and unprofessional. There are numerous ways she could've dealt with this situation and the way she chose was completely and utterly unacceptable. Honestly don't know how this place is still in business. Wish I could give this place 0 stars. Yeah, it's THAT bad. I will NOT be coming back!! read more

Are you a functioning alcoholic looking for cheap, strong drinks? Are you an elephant looking for a source of all you can eat peanuts? If you answered yes to one of these questions, then Esquire is the place for you. Strong drinks,. free peanuts, powerful outdoor heat lamps. The only downside is the 2am cut off. read more

The pizza is a little subpar but the vibe is good; really comfortable, fun local bar.

Um....Nope! This place is in DESPERATE need of John Taffer. Bar Rescue is needed. (even though they are busy on the weekends- it saddens me that they could be making SOOO much more money. Cleanliness- NONE! I get the peanut shells on the floor, that's one thing- Many places do this just fine and it doesn't come off as gross as it does here. I went on a Saturday night- about 9pm... about half full of people the bar top was full of used napkins, straws, and empty glasses with ice and drink remnants, and everything was wet. oh and fruit flies- (in Winter!) fruit flies, fruit flies!! Strike 1. Bartenders- I sat at the bar for about 12 minutes before anyone came and asked if I wanted anything, offered a menu, or anything. When the sloppy dressed schlub did come over he said- "What do you want?" (there is no uniform for employees- which is confusing for customers. No shirt that says Esquire or anything- just a guy. I ordered a Blue Moon... A freaking TAP beer. as easy as you can get- When he returned with it, he just placed it in front of me on the wet bar- no napkin/coaster, the beer was flat, and contained a FREAKING lemon. Not an orange- a lemon. Boo. (Flat beer usually means dirty pipes or an old keg!) He just asked for money- didn't ask if I wanted a tab, or if I was ordering food, offer a menu...(which was my intention, but was never offered) was never approached again- about 15 minutes, drank my beer- and met friends at a different bar. I was sitting in this place for 27 minutes- and spent under $5- if you had a good bar staff- that would have easily been about $20 with an app. and another beer- and I would have asked my friends to come to Esquire.... and they would have spent money too. Customer service was crap. Strike 2. The Look- is mismatched, ply wood, random cheap bar decorations. That Screams Dive Bar. I don't know how much this bar makes- but they could easily stand to spend 2-3 grand and do a minor upgrades so that at least everything matches. extremely unappealing- so many better options on the same street! Strike 3. Yeah- not going back. Clean your place before someone get's sick! read more

love love love this place. after moving here in september, me and my boy went looking for a bar where we could totally relax, actually hear each other (even at 12 am), have some cheap beer, and possibly even play some pool. welp, we found all of that, and some, at esquire. they have the cheapest (and strongest) drinks in the area, tons of seating (though can get crowded later on on the weekends), a juke box with some great tunes, and awesome service (try to get art as a server and you will be extremely content all night long). oh, and did i mention they have free peanuts? or that you simply spit the peanut shells out on the floor? yeah, it's that type of place....i love it. all of it. and i also love their special pineapple-induced tequila. to die for. basically they put tequila and pineapple in some sort of jar for a week and then serve it out and it is simply delicious...can't get enough of them. this is the perfect place to go at night, or during the day to watch a game and have a few beers/pitchers ($5 red stripe pitchers cannot be beat). the mix of people is also nice to see...everyone from people sitting at the bar flying solo to couples at a table and to groups of 12 sitting around a larger table in the back room. awesome awesome awesome. the only reason i am not giving this place 5 stars is because i haven't tried the food. once i do, i'll be back to recap on that.... read more

Atmosphere is fun and a great place to come out and shoot pool with friends but I can't stand coming here for lunch. I don't know why I bothered trying a second time. So my main complaint about the lunch dining experience is sanitation. I ordered the burger the first time and a hot dog the second. I guess some people don't mind having a communal condiments station but I have a problem with this. The fresh produce like pickles, onions, and lettuce are not refrigerated at all at the communal condiments station. I mean at least puts some cold ice under the box of pickles, lettuce, and onions at least! The ketchup bottle and mustard container all looked like it was ready for the dump. The tips were hardened and crustified and it just looked out of date because no one bothered to keep em clean. Stickyness galore. Wash your hands if you still decide to go. Anyway, minus food but fun joint. Proceed with caution cuz after a few beers you might just make a drunk order of food and realize you got yourself into a bigger mess then you had planned. read more

Blue Cheese Burgers. That's all you need to know.

Inexpensive, decent food, fun. Yeah its messy, and service is spotty, but it's a good hangout spot.

Esquire is one of those bars that definitely grew on me. Ten years into Champaign and I never really visited until last year. I always thought it was where old white men went to watch the Illini lose every game. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This place is a hodgepodge bar: pool for the cool kids, actually alcohol for us AA dropouts, free peanuts and late night eats for the potheads, and respectable cocktails for middle aged women out on the town without their husbands. As a mixture of all of these, I don't show up until 1 or 2am and am always happy to try their awesome fried menu which is cheap (most less than $5) and served until 2am: fried broccoli, crapton of fried dumplings, or steak fries. If you need to watch your health, they also make really good flatbread pizzas. There is always seating because this place is huge including an outdoor patio area. Service is always great and I have honestly never gotten a drink that I disliked. Just for that, I upped my star to four. I believe in you Esquire. Thank you for not letting me down. read more