Martinellis is such a cool place for Champaign to have. I love that it's a cafe, bakery, store…read more There's nothing there that isn't good or well crafted here and it's made fresh! It can be a little bit pricey but I definitely think it's worth what you're paying. They have a great outdoor idea to sit in if you have a dog with you and the staff is so friendly. I love seeing their specialty items in their grocery section as well. They clearly pick those items with a lot of thought!

I usually really enjoy visiting Martinelli's: they have fun snack aisles for one to browse through,…read morebread samples, yummy dessert options and a freezer full of goodies. Its got a lot of natural light, plenty of seating and has a really nice ambiance for a quick lunch or coffee date. We stopped by for their delicious foccacia pizza but were informed that they don't serve it after 1:30 pm. We settled on the tuna melt but were disappointed by that; cold tuna salad, greasy soft bread (ie not toasted enough), and a slice of unmelted cheese. It really didn't work. We also ordered a few baked goodies but were disappointed to see a bug flying on the cookies. I'm giving them 3 stars for the overall vibe of the restaurant and past experiences. I'm hoping that today they were just having an off day.

What a gem! Visited for lunch with my daughter and her boyfriend and enjoyed everything we ordered…read more The sandwiches are huge. Split an eggplant parm sandwich with my vegetarian daughter, and it was still too much for us to eat. Tasty and not greasy. We also tried the porchetta, also top notch and easily enough for two. Broccoli pasta salad (more broccoli than pasta) was a surprise sleeper hit. We really enjoyed the cannoli for dessert. Do note it's not super sweet. That's our preference, but could see how others might want more sugar. Good selection of gelato. The peanut gelato was more peanutty than peanut butter. Gelato has a great texture. If I lived in UC, would be here multiple times a month. It's a better Italian deli than we have in Washington, DC.

I've dined here several occasions and locations. They did a pop-up kitchen in Stone Grove when it…read morewas at Old Farms. I think I was pregnant and demolished two sandwiches: porketta and the other escapes me. If they offered a dessert, I probably got that too and enjoyed it. I recall great service and food. Located at Lincoln Square, the nonprofit I managed had a gig for another organization. Nothing to do with the food, but communicating an appropriate place for us to set up and perform was difficult. In the current location, my friend and I ordered pizzas for lunch. We probably could've shared one and split a salad. It was generous. We asked for take home boxes and were provided a box of foil. We wrapped up our pizza slices and the lady who took our order marched over and demanded the foil back. When she saw we had pizza she said she should've given us boxes. Maybe I'll give it a try again in the future and it won't be weird.

solid food, delicious milkshake. We got a hang burger, fat chief and chicken parm. all were good :)…read morewe got the oreo milkshake which was by far the highlight! i imagine this would slap after a late night :)

By far the best sandwich shop in town, maybe even the entire state. Actually... is Chicago still a…read morepart of Illinois? Ok, there might be some good sandwiches in Chicago, but this is clearly the best sandwich shop in town! The first time I came in, I interviewed the owner for my podcast. Now I stop in every time I come through on tour. Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2n8cFcCdjX2O39jG1tS43w

I have officially had the best sandwich in my life, thanks to this place. I'm visiting a friend,…read moreand found Cheese and Crackers on Yelp. I'm not a sandwich person, but my 16 year old is, and I wanted something I could eat to-go. You can smell the scent of yummy as you walked into the door. It appears to be a gourmet grocery store, specializing in sushi grade seafood, pasta from Italy, fancy cheeses, meats, caviar, and sodas from around the country. They had diet Cheerwine, even. I've never seen so many different root beers in one place- there was even a pumpkin root beer! There wasn't a BLT on the menu, but they custom made one for my son, and he added pesto and provolone. He declared it the best BLT ever, and knocked his favorite sandwich place back home to second place. I had the Thanksgiving everyday. A $16 buck sandwich, I was skeptical it wasn't going to live up to its price point. However, it was worth every cent. It was turkey, goat cheese, and homemade cranberry sauce on sourdough, and grilled panini style on a press. The turkey was sliced fresh- everything was made fresh. The taste was absolutely amazing. I live in California, but hate most sourdough bread, because that tang tastes spoiled. You don't have that weird taste with Cheese and Crackers sourdough bread- it's just delicious toasted buttered bread. It was the right texture and made it crunch. The crew appeared very hardworking and enjoyed their jobs. We were greeted kindly, and felt welcome. I use a walker, and was able to navigate the store, but note the space is kinda small. Since I don't live here, I'm going to do my best to recreate my sandwich at home. Cheese and Crackers- thanks for teaching me about a delicious flavor combination, and for providing an enjoyable epicurean experience.

How could they possibly claim to have the best sandwich in the state? My son insisted on coming…read morehere just because of that claim, but what a huge disappointment! We paid $20 for one sandwich and waited more than 20 minutes for it. When we finally got it, the three of us each took just two bites and didn't want to eat any more. The bread was soggy, and one of the sauces inside had a slightly bitter taste. Honestly, this was incredibly disappointing. Definitely not what we expected after hearing it was supposed to be the best sandwich in the state.

I ordered a Dee-Dee's Cutlets Sandwich (on the restaurant week's menu) to go. It was delicious! The…read moresandwich contained a big chicken cutlets, and mozzarella (kind of herb seasoned), and was just suitable for feeding me full during dinner. People here were so nice and friendly! I see that it's only open during dinner time through Thursday to Saturday. I think students would be happy if Dee-Dee's Beef could expand its opening hours to lunch throughout the week! Looking forward to that to happen!

Prediction: Dee-Dee's Beef will soon become a Champaign-Urbana institution…read more This place is the real deal. They know what they do extraordinarily well and stick to it. I had never had an authentic Italian beef sandwich before, but after last night, I knew I had had the best in the state, outside of Chicago perhaps. Their menu is straight-forward and harkens back to deli and sandwich shops of old. In fact, I had assumed that Dee-Dee's had been around for decades. My combo sandwich was heavy duty, bursting with beef, juice, and flavor. If you are a more economical eater, unlike myself, then you could certainly get two meals out of it. Customer service was above and beyond. I imagine that I corresponded directly over the phone and counter with one of the Owners when placing and picking up my order. Located in the Cracked restaurant space right on Green Street, they are open three days a week (for now) and accept all major credit cards. We will be back, no question.

My family and I were back in town for a football game (ugh what a horrible season). We stayed in an…read moreAirBnB nearby and just needed a quick breakfast one morning. We were in walking distance, so decided to check Pekara out. Everything was good. We got a mixture of different breakfast sandwiches, a quiche, and pastries. My wife and sister also got coffees. The staff was nice and the service was quick. There is a mixture of both indoor seating and some outdoor seating. The outdoor seating faces two busy roads so I wouldn't recommend it, but it is there. Overall pretty much what you would want from a morning breakfast spot.

PEKARA BAKERY & BISTRO: A HAIKU…read more Polished, quaint menu, a plain panini arrives, pickle steals the show.

Fantastic place for a light lunch. The draw is fresh ingredients served simply…read more I ordered the hummus sandwich and house onion soup. The sandwich was served on their sweet batard that was pillowy and slightly moist like it came from the oven just an hour beforehand. The garlic hummus was generously spread over both sides with crisp lettuce and tomato -- and sweet pickles -- in between. The soup is flavored with only salt and pepper which gives it a warmth that complements the beef stock's savory taste. Overheard, while I waited for my lunch to be served: "This sandwich is amazing!" I heartily agree.

First visit and will keep coming back!!!…read more The sandwiches were amazing, went with my family for lunch. We had the grilled GRUYERE CHEESE, ROAST BEEF and CHEESESTEAK sandwiches. The staff was friendly and answered are numerous questions about the bread and sandwiches.

This was the 1st Potbelly I visited back in 2006, and I did not understand the fascination over the…read moresandwiches. I literally cut my lip on the toasted bread, and I was more then upset at the concept of Potbelly. So, I went back again in 2017 for a second visit, and OMG was I blown away by the awesome sandwich, chips, and cookie. I fell in love with the Roast Beef original on multi grain bread. It has been over 10 years since I first tried Potbelly, and each time I visit, it's like visiting for the 1st time all over again. I have not eaten at this location since graduating, but I'm sure the Green St. location is touching students hearts across campus. Thanks Potbelly for helping me thru my touch times while in undergrad.

awful just awful I cannot believe the way I was treated when I requested a PBandJ is laughed at and…read moretold they no longer had any for me. unacceptable would never go here again should be dealt with immedatly. if I weee the manager I would have everyone fired.

Ambiance: Clean well maintained interior…read more Service: Staff were friendly and had no issues with adding extra toppings Food: Sub was exactly as expected. Meat was freshly cut and bread was not stale. I got the club sub that included bacon which was very crispy. Truly a sub from above. If you want a nice meaty and juicy sub come here!

The service was horrible. Waited 15 minutes past the time the delivery order was to be picked up…read more What's the point of ordering ahead if you still have to wait just as long if not longer than if you had ordered in store? Ridiculous!

They accommodated our group of 15! The server did an amazing job. I don't know her name, but she…read morewas fantastic. Food is outstanding. Hubby had shrimp tacos, son had sliders, i had one of their amazing salads (BLT). Sangria was also great. Definitely would come back again! Such a cute restaurant in prime location.

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.