The food is pretty good it changes everyday the convenience is what really sells me their cafe is…read more3-4 dollar coffees and matchas and their food is very cheap too

As someone who dined here before and after the renovation, you can definitely tell the difference…read more It's a fancy, attractive facility with new functions, but as they say the proof is in the pudding. The quality is maintained, though I think most of the dishes are the same, I think at some point Chef Eugene will come up with some new additions? I know these things take time, they're still finding their feet. I will say that I absolutely love the chicken enchiladas on Taco (every other) Tuesday. It's pretty clear that they're watching the pennies closely as reflected in the portion control, unfortunately there was a dramatic increase in food prices in their time away and I'm sure the expense of this complete remodeling is also reflected in the new watchful eyes on what ends up on our plates. One item in particular that I think suffers from this shift is this really nice chicken sandwich that they have daily by the salad bar. The first time I had one, the first day, I think the students hadn't been trained well enough yet and they gave me enough chicken to overflow both sides of the bun, it was amazing! The next one I ordered a week later, was a very small chicken breast that barely reached the edges of the bun. They now call the portions: 1 Protein or 2 Protein, formerly Half Order and Full Order, I asked the manager, who was here for years before the remodel if that sandwich was 2 Protein and he said yes. "And you cut that in half for a 1 Protein?" Yes. Wow, that's ridiculous for What comes out to nearly $10 for just the sandwich. When I griped about them closing for so long before the close, I was asked by a staff member "Don't you want more food options?" I said then that I just wanted the food they had, without going without what I thought would be a year that turned out to be two; the first year being completely pointless because the construction didn't actually start until the next summer. I'll repeat my refrain and add that some details have been lost, watching them eek out a pinch of shredded cheese to put on my taco is pretty frustrating; I'd like to actually taste the cheese please. Oh, and I bought a insulated Beckman Institute tumbler before the renovation (plus another one for a friend) and the deal was you got lifetime refills for a dollar. I guess the "lifetime" was for that particular kitchen space, not transferable to the new one. I was told that program is gone, now they have a loyalty program. (In my unqualified opinion that's bordering on violation of a verbal contract, I paid for that tumbler with an express agreement. Fool me once...) A loyalty program for what you ask? I'm going to bet it's the same K-Cup "coffee" that they serve as their free "coffee" with the purchase of a hot breakfast... in a very small serving. It's the same thing you get at the Circle K across the street, in the machines that they put a fake coffee bean hopper on top with a picture of coffee beans around the ring to make it seem like you're getting actual coffee. lol A quick note about the dining area, they have some nice new furniture, very pretty. I was concerned before the opening, it seemed like it wouldn't seat nearly as many as the space did before, but fortunately they've extended the dining down a couple of sections of the ground floor. I guess there were tables there before, but there was rarely over-spill there. The one complaint I will make is that they have booth type benches and I love that type of seating... but the tables only manage to come up to the tops of my knees; quite awkward. As you can tell, a lot of this leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but there's still a lot of positives. There's good comfort food and what they scrimp on with protein and cheese, they make up for with pasta, veggies and other sides. Times are tough and you can definitely see this at Ted's Cafe. Maybe our raises will catch up at some point I can say "Two chicken sandwiches! - Two proteins? - No! Four proteins!" Who am I kidding? I'm civil service. But a boy can dream...

Love the little space with tons of beautiful art and great number of books to keep you occupied…read more The first time I came here, I did the Suzu's and Analog collab and it was so fun. The desserts were fresh, the wine selection was dry to sweet, and it was perfect! The second one with sushi and sake pairing was abysmal to say the least. Three dry pieces of sushi with one glass of sake. Will probably never do another collab night, and stick to getting wine.

At University of Illinois for a work event and decided to try something off the path. Was looking…read morefor a nice chill wine bar and found this on Yelp. Just me and a couple other people here it's gorgeous outside and they have a really cute patio. Music across the street is mellow, totally recommend checking it out if you're from out of town. Got the wine sampler and picked a great spread of different types of wine.

I'm surprised by the lack of reviews for Intermezzo. Located inside the Krannert Center, it's a…read morepopular spot for students, staff, and faculty at UIUC. First off, they only serve breakfast and lunch. Their menu is pretty simple, but they have various offerings. I've only had lunch here, but their breakfast menu looks great as well. They have a regular lunch menu in addition to lunch specials that chance daily. Basically, you order food from the start, get a written piece of paper with what you ordered, and pay up front. Then, you're food is ready for pickup at the side. They have utensils, sauces, bags, and napkins right nearby. What I like the most about Intermezzo is how quick the process is with ordering and picking up food. Pricing is also relatively cheap as well. They have plenty of seating at Krannert and it can get pretty busy during peak weekday hours.

I've read the other reviews for this place, but cannot imagine why our experience was so different…read morefrom what others have described. I think I'd rather eat junk from a vending machine next time. We had a BLT. I've never before had a BLT that used diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. At least nothing about the sandwich was actually horrible, but when talking about a sandwich that should be as simple to do well as a BLT being mediocre and the best part of a meal.... We also had the Chili, served in a bread bowl. It was thick and gummy, reminding me of Hormel's canned product. blech. For sides, we had the "Three Bean Salad". I don't think I've ever had a three bean salad that featured bits of broccoli or some kind of mysterious yellow disk vegetable. Other than mysterious extra ingredients, I do not recall it being particularly horrid, but it certainly was not something I'd order again. We also had the Potato Salad, which was decent but kinda sweet. The Iced Tea a fright, with a very industrial taste. Vying for best part of the meal with the mediocre BLT were the Oyster Crackers that came with the Chili. They were made by Nabisco, not my favorite brand, but they were fresh.

With no visible signs or advertising, you could easily overlook this place during your entire stint…read moreat the university. (By the way, you can find it on the second floor, northwestern corner of the Union.) I would recommend this place for guests of the Union Hotel who want to stick close to their rooms, or anyone else who wants a slightly classier lunch option (compared to the mall-style food court in the Union's basement). My department often takes visiting professors and job candidates here for lunch, mostly because it is no fuss yet still feels professional. Although there are no actual restrictions against the public dining here, the location and atmosphere make it a more appropriate lunch option for the university community and campus visitors. Food is served buffet-style, with daily soups, salad bar, sandwich bar, hot bar, and desserts. In terms of quality, I'm pretty sure that the Ballroom uses the same food service company as the campus dining halls. There's a good selection of crunchy veggies on the salad bar, meats and cheeses for sandwiches, and other items, but I can't help but feel that I'm reliving a slightly upscale version of my dorm years. The hot bar is surprisingly good, and probably the only part of the menu that sees significant rotation (I've never seen the same thing on the hot bar twice in a month). This can be great if you plan to eat here regularly and don't like repetition; it sucks once you've found something you really like and know there's a slim chance of seeing it again. Some of the past items I've really enjoyed include: chicken piccata, eggplant parmesan, and potato-crusted fried fish. There is usually a vegetarian entree and sides, and the staff are good at answering questions if you have dietary restrictions. Time has passed since Yelpers wrote about this place, and the price has rose to around $10 per person. This price includes access to the full buffet, plus beverages, and I think it is comparable to what you'd probably pay at other buffet places.

The ballroom, as the name suggests, provides a grand atmosphere for lunch. But the food is done by…read moreUniversity Dining Services -- the same people that cater meetings and events so badly. The motto could be: "A dorm dining hall without the dorm." The one joy of the buffet line for me is its Midwestern-ness. I occasionally see jello salads and ambrosia unlike anything I have ever seen on the West Coast. Miniature marshmallows! Fruit salad with... is that mayonnaise? The salad and dessert recipes recall the Better Homes cookbook circa 1952. But beyond these culture shocks there is little pleasure to be found. It's expensive for the quality of the food. The salad bar is tolerable. The main dishes range from poor to horrible. The sandwich bar features limp lunchmeats and tasteless bread. If you like to snicker at such things, apparently the person who writes the buffet cards is often stumped by the exotic ingredients in some dishes. This leads to platters marked as "White Soup," "Spring Salad" or my favorite: "Ethnic Dish." Note that the previous price listed is out of date. It is now $8.75 for buffet, drink, and dessert.

It wasn't until last week that I found out.I was missing the best breakfast item on the menu, the…read morefrench toast. I got the 2 piece order and it was almost more than I needed. It came to me hot off the griddle, with scrambled eggs and plenty of bacon. The flavor was glorious. Again, Amy was at the top of her game, taking care of me in several other tables during a very busy saturday morning. It's definitely something worth returning for.

Not a big guy in diners... but this diner hit hard as fuck, and was super comfy. Only being cash…read moreonly was a bit of a bummer, but it does not knock the review points down much. Ambiance was alright. Classic diner.

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.

Watsons has never disappointed us. We have been coming here since we were students and it's always…read morea favorite to visit when we're in town for an event. Watsons has a comfortable atmosphere, quick service, and you cannot go wrong with any menu items. I recommend the hot fish, Duvelo (secret menu item) which is the chicken sandwich with pork belly, cheese, and an egg, and the gravy fries. This time I tried the rice bowl for the first time and it was a hit!

I can't believe it's taken this long for me to write a review about my fav restaurant in CU. I…read moreabsolutely love this place, I have never had something I didn't love here but one of my new favorites are the yellow fin nachos! Omg they were so amazing, fresh and flavorful! Also our waitress was seriously nice and attentive we never needed for anything! I seriously cannot recommend this place enough!

We stopped into Sun Singer for a lunch break during a business trip, and it ended up being one of…read morethe highlights of our time in the area. It's a wonderfully unique space--part wine and spirits shop, part lively daytime dining room--with a steady flow of customers browsing bottles alongside a full bar and tables occupied by ladies who lunch and retirees enjoying a relaxed weekday afternoon. It is a surprisingly chic space for Champaign. The dining room was busy enough that there would have been a wait for a table, but we were perfectly happy at the bar. Our bartender was very friendly and welcoming, even while clearly managing a high volume of guests in what felt like a short-staffed moment. Despite that, service remained warm and attentive. We shared the traditional fondue, which was generously portioned and stayed hot for an impressively long time thanks to their setup--ideal for lingering over conversation. We both enjoyed wine pairings, and I especially loved the Winter Warmer Knob Creek cider: cozy, well-balanced, and a standout choice, particularly for anyone who appreciates Knob Creek. Sun Singer has an excellent atmosphere--social, distinctive, and effortlessly inviting. I very much look forward to returning the next time we're back in the area.

It had a cozy old environment. Good service. There was a…read morenice lady who was kind and very helpful. It is not a crowded place. Food was good overall.

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.