I came to Hamilton Walker's for a large group dinner (~20 people) and had a great experience! We were seated in a private room in the back at two long tables and received attentive service all night. I ordered the truffle-crusted filet and would definitely recommend! The menu noted food allergies, and a member of our party who is gluten-free was able to order with no issues. read more

We wanted somewhere special to celebrate my in laws 50th wedding anniversary, so we chose Hamilton Walkers. Yet again, they did not disappoint. They handled and served our large party of 13 with excellence. The food, from the appetizers, to dinner and dessert were excellent. Tom our server was funny, helpful and made sure that this special night was extra special. Thanks Hamilton Walkers! read more

Hamilton Walker's - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

the food was good, i gave a cash tip and when i went over my account i found i was charged $25.42 over the bill, this is not the first time a dining establishment has done this. ethics are a choice read more

I got there burger The burger is very rich 7/10 The fries also super rich first bite 8/10 tenth bite 5/10 Mac n cheese super rich 7.5/10 I wish I just had a side of fruit to cut out how rich everything was read more

Good price for good food, their chief knows how to cook steaks. Good service too, they were still very nice to us even we went in 20 min before they close. read more

Great food great service as always! Love this place. Caution to ownership, seems you may have dialed back the quality on the ribeyes you've been buying. Last two visits moms weekend and graduation weekend 2024 would indicate this IMO read more

I made reservations for myself and a dinner guest. After meeting up, we were shown to our table. It was a lovely booth in the dining room area. The ambience was pleasant with a lovely mirror featuring a mural of a Fred & Ginger like couple dancing in formal wear. Our waitress, Hannah, approached the table almost immediately with menus, fresh, cold goblets of water, and cloth napkin wrapped tableware. She was extremely pleasant, smiling behind her mask, and very artfully informed us of the specials. We both opted for the chef's soup of the day, a Thai Lobster Bisque. I ordered the Twin Petites and my dinner companion decided on the Grilled Atlantic Salmon. I also ordered a glass of Merlot. As we chatted and awaited our soup, a young gentleman whose name I failed to note monitored our water glasses like a hawk. If the glass was less than half full, he topped it off efficiently. We never saw one ice cube. Yet, not one drop of water that passed my lips failed to be comfortably cool and refreshing. Fresh French bread was delivered to our table with two slabs of butter plated together, one herb and garlic, one sea salt. The bread was warm and flaky. Both of the butter options were delicious. Soon Hannah dropped off our bowls of soup. Noticing our bread basket was empty, she asked if we'd like more, to which we responded with a resounding yes. We were worried the Thai styled soup would be too spicy. But it was rather a mild, slow building heat with extraordinary flavor. As our entrees were brought out, so was my glass of wine. I had requested bleu cheese crumbles on the filets. And I was delighted to see that the cheese was marvelously melted atop the lovely little filets. The salmon was delivered with some pasta and lovely vegetable garnishments. It would be an understatement to say that the filets were perfect in every way. My companion was equally impressed with the salmon, specifically mentioning that the glaze was unique and surprisingly tasty. And my wine was a perfect compliment to the flavors on my plate. We had carefully ordered small in order to have room for desert. After a brief discussion, we decided to share a slice of New York Cheesecake, which was also on the chef's specials list. After we ordered it, Hannah asked us if we wanted some coffee with our desert. Of course, we nodded enthusiastically. What a great decision. Hamilton Walker's gets their coffee as a special blend from a local coffee shop called the Columbia Street Roastery. It was a full-bodied, medium roast that was the perfect palette cleanser before desert. Then Hannah presented us with a plated slice of cheesecake. A sweet, red berry sauce was drizzled on the plate, not the cheesecake. This allowed us to scoop just as much as we wanted for every bite. Now, I am by no means a cheesecake aficionado. However, this was, by far, the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. The staff of Hamilton Walker's will provide you with excellent service. The chef will craft art on a plate. This place gets five stars from me. Dine with confidence. read more

HW gets five stars just for for their happy hour. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to pay this place a visit, but I certainly wasn't disappointed. Hashtag value. Service was exquisite and my party was seated outside on this awesome summer night. My work colleagues and I all enjoyed two rounds of their draft wines. We also shared the heirloom tomato tower and a crab cake. We went on to have the grilled shrimp, prime rib, and filet. Shaved Brussel sprouts were the side of choice. We didn't have room for desert, but I can't say enough about the service. The staff was attentive but not overbearing. I also have to say the decor was nice and not tacky, like I had built it up in my mind to be for some reason. read more

Outstanding food served with flair. Third visit this school year visiting our Illini. All 3 times we were seated promptly, had outstanding service, and the food was prepared impeccably. Reminds us of an old time Chicago steakhouse. Rib Eye and filet perfectly cooked, nice selection of sides, great dessert if you have room. Well worth the cost for a great dining experience read more

Food is OK, a bit too heavy for my taste. You go there and pay more mostly for ambiance.

Have to say, this place still has an awesome and friendly staff, which is why it pains me to write this, maybe it's just a cautionary tale of not going into a restaurant on a Sunday night an hour before closing and with only one other table occupied. My son ordered the burger and I ordered the meatloaf (on the recommendation of our server as 'the chef's specialty'). The bread that I had previously raved about was cold and stale. My son's burger (which he ordered medium) came out on an equally stale bun and overcooked; whereas, my meatloaf came drenched in barbecue sauce and almost raw/pink on the inside. It tasted like bbq sauce. Period. If this is the chef's specialty, I don't know what to say. It seemed to have been heated up and put under a heating lamp while my son's burger was being made. I tipped at over 30% - service is not an issue and the staff have no control over the food they bring out. The food on a late Sunday night was so subpar I threw away the leftovers on my way back to the hotel. read more

We enjoyed our daughter's graduation celebratory dinner at HW. There were 10 of us in our party and it was a fun and delicious dinner. My steak was cooked perfectly and had wonderful flavor. I think HW's cream brûlée is my new fave dessert! Our server, Frank, was attentive and kind. read more

Very good experience here! Bar service top notch. Great selection of bourbons and homemade cocktails. The appetizers were delicious- we had the bacon wrapped dates and lamp chops. Nice Caesar salad and then steaks (filet was perfectly cooked medium rare and a strip that was very good). We skipped dessert to walk around the downtown. Tons of nice places and outdoor seating in the area. Nice visit to Champaign - great high scale dining option while you are there. read more

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Had the barbecued chicken for $25. Awful. Paper thin chicken breast. Unsavory red wine bbq sauce.

We had dinner here for our Ladies New Years Eve Celebration, the food was phenomenal, I mean even the salad was off the ! I will be back to dine in again, thanks to all the staff members! read more

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Great steak. Service is great Nd quick. Potion is good. Price is very high. Need reservation

We were fortunate to get an outdoor table as walk-ins during move-in week at U of I, and we were so impressed with our meal. We dine out often back home in San Francisco and this steakhouse holds up against the best steakhouses in SF, as well as Chicago where we're originally from. The service was warm, polished, and attentive. Everything was super-fresh, and my filet mignon was absolutely perfect -- tender, flavorful....and it was precisely cooked to Medium as requested. All too many steakhouses can't get that part right! We left happy and full. Thank you, HW, we had a wonderful time! read more

We had an amazing meal. The lobster bisque was amazing. As we're the green beans. The s'mores dessert will be ordered every time we come back. The staff was very helpful and had great recommendations. read more

Hamilton Walker's - S'mores dessert. - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We stopped in for drinks during a walking bar crawl in downtown Champaign. In addition to their extensive cocktail menu, their friendly knowledgeable mixologists will whip you up something to fit your taste. Highly recommended read more

Great experience--food and service by Kyle astounding. Had Prime Rib, steak fries, the mushrooms, asparagus, Caesar salad. Hot fresh bread right out of the oven. The chef/owner came out and chatted with us. All of it first rate. read more

Had a meal here with my buddy a few weeks ago. The steak was phenomenal. We sat at the bar and the entire bar team was incredible and fun to chat with. I've been here every time I've been in Champaign and it's always exceeded expectations. I'll be back next time for sure. read more

Absolutely phenomenal. We ordered smoked salmon bruschetta and crab cake as an appetizer. Not a bit left on the plates. Our server was Nick. He did a great job. Soups and Salads were flavorful in addition to the main courses: steak pasta, twin 3 oz filet, 7 oz filet, Parmesan chicken, and stuffed beef tenderloin Spacious and welcoming atmosphere. Very clean too read more

One of the best restaurants with the best staff I've been to in years. During these low staffing times, it can be hard to find restaurants that have enough staff AND attentive and friendly staff. This place hit it out of the park. Every person that worked there was overly friendly and helpful for anything we needed. We never waited for food, drinks, refills, etc. Our server was especially awesome. We also had a party of 6 and it was honestly a perfect place to celebrate. read more

I visited this restaurant while visiting family in the area and we thought this would be a nice tread for the family. We arrive to a table being set up late and poorly wiped off. The drinks are also late to the table while we are already prepared to order. The staff here are super kind but the kitchen and bar do no favors to this restaurant. I order a boneless steak with a black truffle crust. The crust is so thick and liquid that I need to scrape some off. The steak is very tough and has lots of gristle. The sides were very nice but the 50 dollar plus steak was underwhelming and not any wear near worth it. If you go here do not be afraid to send your plate back looking for a fixed plate. If you do not feel comfortable telling them they messed up do not go here. While the staff is wonderful the food is sub par. read more

This review is only pertinent to brunch, as I have never been here for dinner. Based on my experience at brunch, I have to give it 5 stars because my party and I were all quite satisfied. To start with, the option to use the Bloody Mary bar is pretty cool and they do have some nice garnish choices, including bacon, shrimp, and cuts of cheese. The food portions are huge. My omelet (which I got with everything) was awesome. My girlfriend's chocolate chip pancakes were enormous and good as well. We had no complaints about the service either. One thing I will say, they should seriously consider having hot sauce that isn't tabasco. Anything - Louisiana (preferably), Frank's, Cholula, anything would suffice. read more

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Third time going to HW while attending Illinois football games. Excellent food, service and overall experience. The best food experience in Champaign. The staff and management are super accommodating with larger parties and always have a can do attitude. We will continue to come back read more

I decided to log onto Yelp just to write about my dining experience tonight (4/9/17). Unlike others, I like to use Yelp to praise businesses, and I tend to shy away from negative reviews. I'm the kind of person that doesn't complain to the wait staff that there was a hair in my food. I simply just don't eat it. My husband and I had a gift certificate to HW and decided to finally use it. We easily booked a reservation online for 6 PM and were anxiously awaiting to try HW for the first time. We sat down at a table, which we weren't asked for our preference, so that was a little odd. We felt like we were "in the way" most of the night. The table had NO centerpiece. It felt strangely empty and uncomfortable. No focal point. It took awhile for our waitress to come take our drink order. She was very mild. I don't know if she was just shy or hungover. Anyways, they give you drinks in these small glasses. I half expected to get charged for refills. We ordered two of the 6 oz filets which only come with soup OR salad. No typical side! I mean Texas Road House does that, because it's the correct way to serve entrees. HW should really change their setup with that! We added a twice baked potatoe to share despite the added cost. We both opted for the house salad. My husband picked what he thought was "French" dressing and I was told they don't have "Ranch" but they have "Greek Goddess"...umm lol ok. Salad was very odd. You know one thing that really spoiled it is the silverware! No joke, I couldn't stab a piece of lettuce if my life depended on it! My husband had the same problem. There were SO MANY onions on our salad. Good god, I'm glad I'm married and not on a date, because no gum in the world would mask that smell. Our steaks came out, and the server gave us the wrong plates. You would think by them ordering from a tablet (which is so tacky), they would have a system that allows them to track whose seat ordered what. Anyways, we switched our steaks. I ordered Medium Well and my husband ordered Well Done. My "Medium Well" was a bloody cess pool. I tried to suffer through my first bite. It was awful, and I left my meat-shaped blood pocket for good. My husband's steak wasn't well done either...his would have passed for my "Medium Well", but HALF of the 6 oz filet was all FAT! We tried the twice baked potatoe and it was so off point. No taste, no homemade feeling, nothingness. No portion of our meal was enjoyable. The bread? Meh! Our bill ended up being $90+ including a 20% tip. So, we basically paid $90 for bread, water, and a lemonade. HW, you are WAAAAY off base with your pricing. There was nothing that said "Hello, why yes indeed I am a $30 Steak". We couldn't wait to get out of there and go buy some real food! It was awkward not knowing how to pay for the bill. Our waitress disappeared quite often, while we sat there endlessly searching for eye contact with another serve to save us. All the while, a man who looked just like the Monopoly guy walked around from table to table being chummy and asking how the food was. Luckily, we were able to get out of jail free and escape (paying, of course!) We noticed the mirrors and decor around the place were very dirty. I'm so sorry to leave a bad review, but HW is not a place that we will consider coming back to. It was memorable for all the wrong reasons, and I really hope that one bite of bloody steak I had stays down the rest of the night. Save your money, folks. Really... read more

Hamilton Walker's - That is not Medium Well...it just isn't. - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The food was amazing. 4 people could easily share the Mac and cheese. The steak was the best I've had in a long time. The atmosphere was beautiful, quiet and clean. The best part of the meal was our waitress Savanna. She was the best waitress we've ever had. We will definitely come back! read more

We met friends we had not seen in over 20 years for dinner here. The food was way over priced but very good. We discovered this restaurant places time limits on their tables based on how many people are are at the table. So for a table of 4 you are only allowed 2 hours to enjoy drinks, dinner, dessert and conversation. This was on a Wednesday night! Not even busy. I felt rushed even after saying we had not seen eachother in 20 years. I had no idea there were time limits placed on tables. A terrible practice during a non busy evening. Champaign is NOT Chicago or New York City folks! Get real. I won't be returning to your establishment. read more

I visited here this past weekend, with reservations and I'm glad as they were busy! I was quite impressed with the dining experience at Hamilton Walker's. From the exceptional service to the almost perfect cuisine, my group of 4's dinner could not have been any better. Drinks were wonderful. I ordered the crab cakes for an appetizer. Then went with the filet mignon and spinach salad for my main entree. I would definitely order those again. Lemon drop martinis were the best I've had in the Champaign-Urbana area! Highly recommend this place, it's worth the money you spend. read more

Great food and service every time. Attentive wait staff and clean restaurant. Will keep coming back

I am quite picky but thought everything we had was very nice. Fish n chips (good fish, not too greasy, good portion, fish tasted fresh, chips were great). Side salad (does the job if a little small for 8 bux) Lamb chops (good serving, cooked very nicely, very complementary sauce which didn't overwhelm). Seafood pasta (Pasta cooked well, fresh seafood, nice buttery sauce). Creme Brulee (Just a good creme brulee). Complementary bread n butter (good). Service - good, helpful, quick, frequent water/tea refills. Decor isn't my cup of tea, but there's always the option to sit outside. I would recommend this place if you are picky like me, can't stand 'style over substance' and enjoy simple meals without crappy ingredients/crappy cooking. read more

In town for some spectacular Illini basketball and was looking for a great steakhouse. I was directed to Hamilton Walker's by locals in the know. We hit the jackpot. My father, my son and I were very impressed with Hamilton Walker's. Finding a great steakhouse is always my goal and HW is great. Great service, great atmosphere and great food. Everything about our experience was 5 star perfect. Thank you, HW. read more

I was a bit underwhelmed with my experience at Hamilton Walker's. My husband and I were staying at the Hyatt Place and decided to restaurant hop. We started off here for a drink and an appetizer. We sat at the bar and were the only people seated at that time. We were able to order a beer pretty quickly. We immediately knew we wanted to try the mussels for an appetizer. However, we didn't get to order for about fifteen minutes. There were probably 5-7 people working behind the bar but it seemed as if people were training or doing tasks (i.e. cleaning glasses, stocking the bar) rather than focusing on customers. Not sure what was going on there. The mussels were served in a white wine sauce with tomato and little pieces of grilled baguette. They were okay. Could've been warmer! We caught someone's attention to get our check and had to wait awhile again. I hope that service issues will get worked out. At Hamilton Walker's price point the service needs to change to be worth it. I'd considering going for a meal in a few months after kinks are worked out. read more

Hamilton Walker's - Rigg's Hefeweizen on draft. - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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VERY good. I was a student in Champaign for 4 years and never made it over here, but coming back for recruiting this year allowed me the opportunity to try it out. WOW, I was missing out. This is a super nice option for a nice dinner, and definitely within the budget for a college date night. I personally had the Grilled Salmon here (amazing), but everyone at my table enjoyed their food and drinks as well. I would recommend this place to students and adults alike. It's a great environment for a date, a social dinner, or a celebration. The wait staff is friendly as could be, and I look forward to going back next time I'm here. read more

First visit to Hamilton Walker's since before Covid (February 28, 2023). Made reservation for early evening, 5.30 pm. Place was quiet, as we remembered it. HM has always been a good place for socializing and conversation because the acoustic environment is so pleasant. Staff was welcoming upon arrival and as we were being seated. Drinks -- a Martini and Margarita -- were excellent. Caesar salad ditto. Two small pieces of baguette by way of a bread basket struck us as a bit frugal. Main courses: a steak burger served medium rare, good; and fish and chips, decidedly mediocre to poor. Under copious amounts of breading, cod tasted bland, though was acceptable overall. The fries, however, were another story. So burnt they looked and tasted like briquettes out of a Kingsford bag, these were entirely inedible. Informed server who summoned manager. He was very apologetic and offered to replace entire dish. I declined as only fries were beyond the pale and we were almost done with the meal, so he told me he would arrange for a new portion of the latter. New fries arrived about 20 minutes later and were just as charcoally as their unfortunate predecessors. Meanwhile had ordered a cappuccino, which came without a spoon, sugar, or sweetener. Called over the server and was given a soup spoon (this is not a criticism of the waitress who did her best throughout). For a meal that cost ca. $130, the quality was subpar. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35790-d11915438-r881118558-Hamilton_Walker_s-Champaign_Champaign_Urbana_Illinois.html# read more

Small portions of the most bland food at a premium price. The steak was over cooked, flavorless and tough. At least the ambience was pleasant. read more

A great atmosphere for many occasions: co-worker dinners, date night, family birthday, the list goes on. The layout of the restaurant made it especially welcoming and took me by surprise being a hidden gem within the city of Champaign. There is a variety (excellent) options on the menu, which made it difficult to choose initially, but luckily our waiter was prepared to answer our questions and offer recommendations. Our table ended up ordering the 5 course meal..check out the photos. read more

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What are these chef's stuck in the 70,s? I was cooking more elaborate food at 8 and it looked a hell of a lot better... They need to crawl out of the prehistoric area and grow up and get with the future of food.. Really biaggi,s....no wonder...dream another dream... Insult to injury...pay employees better they might act more like the winged monkey's you seek grand master Z. read more

Decided to come here for my graduation dinner given its the only upscale steakhouse in the CU area, and I'll say I enjoyed Hamilton Walker's much more than I expected to. The wait staff had no problem accommodating to my party of 8 and the food arrived within a reasonable timeframe. We tried the crab cakes for an appetizer, and they were delicious (especially the sauce). I recommend ordering multiple for larger parties. For the entree, I ordered the bone-in ribeye with a side of lobster. We also ordered mac & cheese, asparagus, sprouts, and garlic mashed potatoes to share. The mac & cheese was a bit too cheesy for my liking, but the other sides were tasty. My steak came a little underdone from my requested medium rare, but after a quick trip back to the kitchen, it was much better. I didn't lose too much patience over it. The lobster tail was just average, but I thought it was odd that I was the only one who received a side of butter out of the three of us total that ordered the lobster. I appreciate consistency. Overall, not quite best steakhouse experience I've had (compared to those in Downtown Chicago, e.g.). However, I'd still highly recommend Hamilton Walker's for special occasions in the area. Despite my minor complaints, I'd say its worth the splurge. Decent steak, good wine pairings, and friendly service. read more

Hamilton Walker's - 20 oz. Bone-In Ribeye & Grilled Lobster Tail - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois