This is more or less the same review that I posted for the original Flying Machine with a few changes for the new location. EDIT: I initially wrote that Flying Machine is hands down the best place in town for coffee. With all of the new coffee joints popping up that I haven't tried, I don't think I can comfortably say that any more, but I definitely will say that I still love their coffee and it is still 5/5 an awesome place! Let me break it down for you. Atmosphere (5/5) This place has the whole modern look that is so popular these days, without any claims to pretentiousness. Barebones decor that draws you in because of its simplicity. There's a counter where you order, tables where you sit, and that's about all. EDIT: Even in the new location, the aesthetic is largely unchanged and the minimalist style translates to the new location quite nicely. Service (5/5) All the staff there are friendly and all of them love coffee. If you don't know what you're feeling like ordering on any particular day, feel free to ask for recommendations, because they will never steer you wrong. They are always polite, always friendly, and always timely. Value (5/5) Some people might debate me on this point because some people dislike having to pay 3-5 dollars for a cup of coffee. Some people are crazy, because every dollar that I have ever spent here was completely worth it (and having filled up quite a few of those Flying Machine punch cards up, I have spent a pretty penny). Value, being a subjective quality, may differ from person to person, but I am always more than satisfied with the money I spend here. Food (and Coffee) (5/5) You can get a regular cup o' joe for 2 dollars for a 12 oz. and 3 dollars for a 20 oz. Their normal brewed coffee like any brewed coffee, is not bad, but definitely not what you should be focusing on here. The real gems come from the espresso drinks and the handcrafted coffees. The espresso drinks range from 2-5 dollars and all the ones I have tried were delicious. However, espresso drinks are not my particular cup of tea, so I am not the best suited to comment. but from my personal preference at least, I have not had better here in town. My personal favorites are the handcrafted coffees. They serve both regular pour overs and Chemex pour overs for the same prices: 2.5 for 8 oz. 3 for 12 oz. and 4 for 20 oz. If you are unfamiliar with these processes, what they essentially do is specifically measure and grind fresh beans, and brew a cup of coffee fresh for you by hand. It might take a little longer than your conventional coffee shop, but the wait is well worth it. The handcrafted coffees here are the best brewed cup of coffee you can get in town. The actual pouring process combined with the quality of the beans they use make for one hell of a cup of coffee. I have spent a good amount of time attempting to perfect a Chemex pour over myself, I have learned that it takes a good deal more skill than it appears. I can safely say, every one of the employees here are extremely proficient. Now that they've moved, they no longer are housed with Pizza M, but to my understanding they have added their own menu of in house food items. I have yet to try them, but they look delicious! Overall: Atmosphere: 5/5 - The decor may be personal preference, but hipsters love this place for a reason. Service: 5/5 - Can't beat the friendliness and proficiency of the staff here. Value: 5/5 - For me, good coffee is always worth it. Food: 10/10 - I can't comment on the food yet, but I'm not going to take away points until I do. If they do food as well as they do coffee, then I have no doubt it will be good! Overall: 25/25 - If you can't take the words of a stranger on the internet at face value, I understand. But try this place because everything about it speaks for itself. read more

I absolutely love Avionics, and I was also a loyal fan from way before (since their Urbana location)! Not only is their coffee the best in town, it's also some of the best coffee I've ever had compared to the most hipster and fancy coffee shops in Chicago, Nashville, and Seattle! Their mocha is my go-to and it's always perfect, no matter who makes it (which speaks to the excellent training from Josh and the talent of the baristas). I've probably had over a hundred of their lattes, so it's a pretty big sample size! I've had their OTD bagel (so convenient and yummy), avocado stack (nutritious and delicious), and cheese sandwich (filling and flavorful). I'm definitely looking forward to trying even more from their food menu because there are always new yummy things to try! Honestly, there's just nothing they do wrong here- keep it up, flying machine team! read more

Big-city feel in decor, spaciousness, and menu. Small menu, but fresh, filling, healthy components. I did the harvest moon coffee and the Avocado stack. I couldn't get the sweetness of the saffron and maple syrup, but the coffe was well made. The stack components were spot-on: mustard-polenta-quinoa, soft cranberries, copious amounts of avocado, arugula, pickled-something, and a soft-boiled egg. He got the sweet heat latte (just like him, he insists I say) which he loved because of the light notes of pepper rounding off the robust flavor of the coffee. He also got the lox plate- as expected, but wish there was a little more lox to fill the four pieces of bread. Would definitely come back, books, headphones, and laptop in tow. read more

Flying Machine Avionics - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Erin and Josh have done a killer job with this place! The atmosphere is comfortable, cozy but still clean and refined. My iced coffee was also super tasty and the food looked great. I will definitely be back to try out the menu and I could see myself being very comfortable working there on a pretty regular basis! read more

Flying Machine Avionics - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Funky independent coffee shop with small food menu and nice selection of baked goods. My cappuccino was excellent. They are efficient and there are a lot of nice small touches (art work on walls, cute stained glass transoms, etc). I did not try the food so my review is just the coffee and ambiance. I believe it would be easy to work here if you wanted. There is a large seating area with long tables and benches. There is also a small amount of outside seating (two small wrought iron tables w/ 2 chairs for each). read more

It's great for meeting, studying, or just enjoying coffee. There are some street parking near the caffe. Atmosphere is absolutely perfect. read more

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Delicious coffee, great service, chill decor, wonderful location. Try the "Harvest Moon". Buy coffee by the bag - Ethiopian is amazing. Happy to have a spot like this is midtown. read more

Flying Machine Avionics - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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I decided one day after class to try a different cafe and it's breakfast food so I chose Flying Machine Avionics at random off my directions app. The food was really good and so was the coffee. The space was nice and open but there was still quite a bit of seating for the little cafe. I was put off by the service though. Nobody who worked there was rude, but everyone looked and felt like they wanted to be literally anywhere else. When I had tried to lighten their moods, they didn't seem interested. So if you absolutely need good food AND service, don't go here, but I if the service is not necessary, this place is just fine. read more

Love the music and hot chocolate. It was cozy and warm there. Enjoyed the time staying there. read more

I've returned to this place several times and each time, the coffee and food do not disappoint. They sell Lucky Pierre donuts here but you have to snatch them up, they go so fast! A great little spot in midtown and you don't have to fight too much traffic to get here. There are also convenient parking spaces around the shop. And, you support local. Win win win. read more

Great place to study. The vibe is great, and has an authentic and natural-feeling atmosphere of Black representation and empowerment. The staff is also very nice. read more

Coffee: 5/5 People: 5/5 I give it only 4/5 overall because the chairs are kinda uncomfortable (cheap ikea type) and it's always cold. read more

This place is a solid place to study and grab some beans to go. Music isn't distracting and the light isn't harsh making it nice for reading or just hanging out. read more

Lovely atmosphere, beautiful artwork, good music selections, friendly staff, and delicious coffee. The options for food and drink are both interesting and affordable. A great place to spend some time. read more

We were in town for a music festival and away from our favorite coffee shop at home which we frequent every day almost. We found FMA through yelp and decided to try it since they have food and coffee drinks. My go to drink is a plain iced latte and it was delish!! Great espresso shots. They do stop serving food at 2pm do we didn't get to try that. But we were both very happy with our lattes and the ability to use WiFi for a bit. The staff were very friendly too! read more

I've lived upstairs from this spot for about 7 months and the coffee is consistently amazing, the atmosphere is wonderful, the service is fantastic and the beans are delicious. Highly recommend. Also they have loyalty cards which is fun. read more

This place has become my second home for breakfast and morning beverages. Best coffee in town, in my opinion. Page Roasters kills it with her beans and everything on the menu is fresh and tasty! Highly recommend Flying Machine!! read more

I am almost hesitant to write this glowing review to this awesome new coffee house. It is very hard to get a table here as it is. The coffee here is so flavorful and the atmosphere and decor is very soothing but hip. I tried one of their specialty lattes today. The sweet heat latte. It was *so* good! Spicy cayenne and just a hint of honey for sweetness - perfect. I have also had regular lattes and the Americano - all delicious. Their food menu looks good but I haven't tried anything yet. I hear the donuts are great. I hope they either expand or open more locations. It is my favorite coffee in town. read more

I never thought it possible, but this is even better than the original location. Same amazing coffee augmented with locally roasted beans from the phenomenal Page Roasting, I find myself there nearly daily. The ambiance is wonderfully cozy, the staff friendly and helpful, and the food is the real hitter. Small, well-thought menu with delicious, unique, well-balanced dishes. My personal favorites are the fresh baked muffins, toasted Brie sandwich, and the egg sandwich. Eagerly awaiting their Sunday brunch offerings. read more

I"m really happy about this spot. I"m kinda a coffee only person lately, so I can only review the awesomeness of their brewed coffee, the comfortable vibe of the spot, and the very friendly staff. The owners are top notch folks as well. Follow their social media spots for fun informative posts. read more

If you like paying top dollar for bottom dollar coffee, this is your place! I ordered a coffee drink with skim milk and a chocolate chip muffin. I noticed the barista using whole milk, so I asked why. She said they don't have skim. So, no one bothered to tell me until I asked. The muffin was *terrible.* So bad, in fact, that I threw it away after the first bite. Seriously, it was like a prepackaged Lil Debbie. Just awful. read more

OMG!!! The Apple Butter is life changing!!! I've been a frequent patron at Flying Machine for nearly one month and I've enjoyed a variety of their food and drinks, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Today, Crystal recommended that I try the Biscuit with Honey Butter and Apple Butter... and it was absolutely divine! Perfect pairing of savory and sweet. read more

Love this place. The atmosphere is perfect for a local coffee shop. Comfortable and warm. The egg sandwich was unreal. My latte was served at the perfect temperature so I could drink it immediately. Highly recommended. read more

Flying Machine Avionics - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Delicious! Josh and Erin are fantastic! I love their menu especially the root sandwich. To die for! I love the vegetarian chili too! Has the right amount of spice to kick it! I'm a teetotaler and totally trust them deserve me new surprises. I have loved all of them! I guess I should just say I love their entire menu of Beverages and food they are fantastic. This is the best hidden spot to take a friend to to show them the best of Cu. read more

I like this place a lot. The coffee, the food and the atmosphere are all great. It would be the perfect place to work but, lately, their wi-fi has been very unreliable. On multiple occasions I had to leave because I couldn't even check my email. read more

Was such a fan of the coffee and the cute little shop! Had the sweet heat latte and let me tell you! I would be rude to say best speciality latte I have ever had! And the prices weren't bad either! Would def recommend! read more

Very quaint and hipster coffee shop located a bit off campus with a cool, retro feel. I had the toasted bagel and my friend had a iced coffee with almond milk. Both were excellent. A really nice touch were the glass bottles of water at each table. Was great for me, a non coffee drinker, to get coffee with a friend who does. Allows me to still drink something without the awkward process of finding something random on the menu other than coffee to order. read more

This place was weirdly slow. It was as if the barista thought each coffee needed to look like a Picasso. My lord, just steam the milk and let us get on with our day. read more

This place is great! They have done a fantastic job with this space. Not only do they have great coffee and coffee drinks, but also they have great food. Such a great addition to downtown Champaign. read more