I first heard about Maize at the Station from a magazine for pilots. This guy flew his plane to Willard Airport just to eat lunch at Maize. Then he flew back. It is definitely worth the effort to get to Maize for lunch or dinner. The food is made fresh. The tortillas are homemade. The ambiance is quaint in an old train station. Lots of First Place awards adorn the walls. I had the Tacos de Camarones (grilled shrimp) with a smooth avocado salsa. It came with plenty of shrimp and very fresh vegetables. The blue corn tortillas were delish! I also had a Riggs IPA which is an Urbana beer company. It was refreshing. The service was excellent too. My bill was $30. Not cheap but I was full and very satisfied that my lunch was healthy and fresh. read more

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Best Tacos de Lomo ever!! Seriously, they were life changing. Tacos Birria is a close second place. Fajitas were huge. Nachos equally impressive. Service has been good every time. Food has come out impressively fast. This place is a well oiled machine. Love, love, love! read more

Maize at the Station - Birria taco - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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This was a nice Mexican place in CU. I got the mega tlacoyo which was super savory and rich and filling. I definitely want to try other things here. Homemade tortillas are amazing. read more

Contemporary Mexican restaurant with an uneven menu. There are three cuisines served here: Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Americanized Mexican. Each can be good but some items are better than others within each cuisine. On the Mexican side, we ordered tacos, which are made on thick, fresh tortillas. The al pastor was both crispy and juicy with marinade staining the tortilla. It was excellent. However, it sat next to a pollo taco that was a wet lump of shredded meat and lacked any taste. We also ordered a burrito which is part of their Americanized fare: no rice, but a good deal of shredded lettuce and un-melted, grated cheese. I guess it was a good wrap? Fortunately, the salsa was spicy and sweet -- it may have had mango or pineapple -- and it saved the burrito from being too much like visiting a salad bar. read more

Oh man... this place is on point. Had the tacos de lomo and the words can't describe the excellence of these tacos, especially w the avocado salsa. My wife had the flautas and she loved every bite. My kids had the birria tacos and rice and beans and they loved them. Everything here had great flavor. The churros were so awesome as well. And the chocolate mousse cake was delightful. The service was friendly and fast. The atmosphere is good as well. Made a reservation and got right in. I wouldn't miss this place if you are around. read more

Skip this place parents and students. The food was barely edible, and my order did not come out correctly as ordered. The problem is mostly with the service and LENGTHY wait at the table for basic service. They definitely have a sub par server working there. We arrive 11:30 am on a Saturday, and we are one of three tables. One of the tables was finished eating when we arrived. The other table had two diners, and we were a table of two. 15+ minutes to take our order. Our server was male presenting with hair tied up with a red ribbon. They kept disappearing for very long stretches. The poor service provided to us was the same for the other diners. Im surprised the two new tables that came in as we were sitting waiting for the box and check stayed. The server wasn't all there in the head. They were completely inept, slow, forgetful, and possibly intellectually challenged. All fine as a human life, but terrible in the role as a server. It took literally 40 minutes to get coffee. It only came 5 minutes before the food when we had been sitting 35 minutes. I was nearly ready to get up and leave. They seemed to forget we ordered it. Had to inquire about it. One of us did get a coffee after 30 or so minutes. But I had to wait an additional 15 minutes. It took an hour to get food from being sat to being served food. My order was wrong. It took 20 minutes after the food arrived to get hot sauce after asking for it with ordering, and BEFORE the food came out a second time, and asking for it a 3rd time while my very bland tacos sat in front of me getting cold. Never refilled drinks or asked us anything. This meal ruined my whole afternoon. We spent an agonizing 1hr and 45+ minutes waiting half that time with just ice water and chips in front of us on slow service in an empty restaurant, then served bland, spiceless, boiled pulled chicken in a tortilla at $4.25 a taco, and the order was not prepared properly as it was missing what I asked for on it. I could scream. We even had to wait 20 minutes to cash out. I will not be back unless someone else is treating. I won't spend my time or money in here again. Definitely not my money. The server was seriously terrible. read more

We were in town to help move out our daughter from UIUC and they nailed it again ( our third time here). We were seated right away and had a nice view of the bar area. A super friendly server helped us and our water never got below 1/2 glass. We loved the comp chips and mild salsa along with our killer entrees-- seafood quesadilla (it's huge) with black beans, 2 taco dinner (shredded chicken and pork al pastor), and chips and salsa flight with 4 types of salsa. Everything was so good-- from the homemade? tortillas to the chips made on site and the generous portions, this was such an enjoyable meal! Convenient parking in b read more

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I seriously do not understand the low ish rating. The food, drinks, and service were exceptional. They truly set the setting with the decorations and music. The prices for many things on the menu are criminal value. I'd recommend going to this place over other Mexican restaurants in the area. read more

How do you mess up a margarita? The food is bland. The service is great, the ambiance is on brand, but come on... I have lived in the southwest and I honestly have to say that this is not Mexican food. The ceviche was good, but everything else I could make better at home. Sorry, but save your money. read more

What a nice little gem in downtown! We came here for their brunch on a Saturday. Food was delicious and service was on point. We started with the chips and salsa flight which highly recommend if you enjoy different salsas. The homemade chips are a great touch! We also tried the steak fajita quesadilla and the pasta poblana which were both delicious ! read more

Maize at the Station - Chips and Salsa Flight - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Had a fantastic brunch dish... enfrijoladas. So satisfying and it came out so quickly! Tons of fun drink options. Service was quick and kind. In the old train station. Classy and clean. read more

Came in a large group for which we did a smaller menu to help make it easier for the kitchen. I started with their classic margarita, which was very sweet. I could not finish it. They brought out chips, guacamole, and salsa for the table. The salsa was warm and tasted more like spaghetti sauce than salsa. The guac was quite bland with seemingly no onion, Cilantro, etc. After ordering food came out pretty quick. I got a salad, which was a special offering. The steak actually was surprisingly good, but some other vegetables besides radishes would have been good. My husband said his tacos were pretty good. Overall service was nice, but food was just ok. I do live in SoCal, so I have access to a lot of great Mexican food. If in town visiting again, I would probably skip this spot. I thought I took pictures, but did not have any... read more

Still amazing food. Reviewing two years later and quality is still outstanding. Chilaquiles and tacos al pastor, birria are so good!

First time, last time. Food was bland. What little protein was on our plates was not fresh. Tasted off.

The best part of our meal was the chips and salsa. Everything else was bland and lacking flavor. The steak fajitas needed salt and was overwhelmingly onions and peppers. read more

Hands down, best dining experience during the 2023 Champaign County Restaurant week. I ordered chicken tortilla soup and Birria tacos. The chicken tortilla soup was served in an interesting way! The waitress first gave me a bowl of sliced tortilla and then poured the soup into it. Great experience! The Birria tacos were a REAL hit! The tacos were stuffed with stewed beef, super juicy and super generous portion. Add some lime juice and onion and cilantro, it was heavenly! This dish was also served with a bowl of soup and you can dip the taco in it. It was super flavorful! Note: because of the juice inside, your hands may get oily after it! read more

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Hands down, best Mexican food in town! Order the seafood volcan--you won't be disappointed; you also may not find it on the menu, so ask for it. read more

Lunch at Maize: ordered their Shrimp Cocktail. All I can say: do not order it! The taste was good, however, the glass it came in was filled with Cilantro, Onions, Tomato chunks. Where is the Shrimp you ask? Good question. I found a few tiny chopped up pieces of shrimp. Honestly I believe there were maybe 2 medium shrimps chopped up in this large glass of juice. Had to really search to find them. This is unacceptable. $15!!!! for Cilantro soup! That would be a better name for it. Very disappointing. My favorite dish at other Mexican Restaurants. They offer a huge amount of large shrimp in their Shrimp Cocktail. Very sad! It seems like over time their portions and quality have decreased and their prices have increased! read more

Maize was my go to in college for a cheap, delicious meal. As a broke college student I would always get the volcan. As an adult dropping my sister off at college, we stopped by the union location and I was able to try all the tacos and off course a volcan again. Tbh they were a little overpriced but still tasty. I recommend not choosing all the salsas because then they only have room for like two chips in the bag. read more

This place is amazing. Brings me back to my college days, and I love that the larger restaurant format has more variety, selection, and seating. The food is exactly the same as the one on First and Green, and it has not changed (has remained awesome) over the years. The service was a bit uneven, but the food is worth the drive down from Chicago. I love it as much as I did when I was in college. The best things on the menu are the chorizo taco, fish taco, and chicken volcan! And it's amazing that they have desserts. The churro was amazing. read more

Maize at the Station - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We eat at Maize regularly with our parents and others, and we it...fish tacos are our favorite.

Orders carnes asada medium rare and it came well don't and super chewy. Won't come back

My buddy mentioned that there was a good Mexican place in the train station and we should check it out. Surprised, I made sure there was some time for lunch during our Ebertfest trip. I was surprised by the size of this place and it's cleanliness. My buddy suggested sitting at the bar because the service can sometimes be a little slow. The bartender/server was actually pretty good and attentive. We started with some Margaritas which were actually quite good! Some of the best in the area. We got Guac which was also very good. For lunch I got Mole Enchiladas. They only came in chicken, but they were good. Surprisingly spicy and a pretty big portion. While the food was great, the prices were a little on the higher end. I've had quite a bit of Mexican and for Champaign, this is the tops, but I can get similar quality for about 75% of the price in Chicago. It wasn't horrifically expensive, but a little more expensive than expected. I liked this place quite a bit, but it might be a little time until I come back. Not because of the price, but that there is stiff competition around. It certainly stood out which is important in a changing downtown. read more

*Review from an experience in September 2019* Can't say that this is authentic, but according to the UIUCers around here, this is one of the better restaurants in town! It doesn't seem to ever get really busy here, but if you have a large party...make sure to call ahead so that they can re-arrange the tables to accommodate. Yay for free chips and salsa! (The salsas have a kick!) Pro tip 1: parties of 6 or more - a 20% gratuity will be added. Menu: the usual spread - lots of options! Service: server was super attentive, and came around often to top off our waters. he also helped with splitting all our checks at the end, since we came as a party of 12. Pricing: probably because I come from CA where everything is kind of pricey, the food here is VERY reasonably priced. I ended up ordering: Carne asada: 8 oz tender grilled skirt steak that was served with rice, beans, salad, avocado, and fresh handmade tortillas ($16) // +1 really big portion! We got a huge container (? not sure if that is the proper term lol) of tortillas...it's meant to be kind of like a BYO(taco) situation. +1 Skirt steak was well cooked! 8 oz was also just the perfect amount -1 Enchilada was whatever...super dry and overcooked +/-1 Beans, rice, avocado - just fine! If you don't know what to eat around here, I would recommend coming here for a quick lunch/dinner. Lots of alcoholic drinks and desserts provided too! read more

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Excellent food - the weekend brunch was a nice surprise, and that breakfast torta was absolutely delicious! The drink I had was also lovely: cold brew coffee with horchata. The service was friendly, prompt, and attentive. A great place to eat if you're in downtown Champaign! read more

Maize at the Station - breakfast torta - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Food was amazing. I recommend the birria tacos. The service was good and they were nice. The restaurant inside was very nice and good decor.

The food is delicious and the staff was very friendly. I wish I knew about this restaurant years ago.

The food is great, and it's amazing to see restaurant grow with such popularity from a tiny storefront on Green St, to a second location in downtown and a food truck. They've done great stuff with the community, but unfortunately, they've completely outpriced themselves. I'm all about supporting small businesses, but to order chile rellenos and then being charged $8 to have steak....... and then an 18% surcharge put on top of it, is a little overboard. On a separate occasion, we also tried out their fajita platter which was $40.... but we wanted chicken fajitas and then they added $8 for that??? So just fajitas with peppers and onions and no protein is already $40?!?! But we thought we would also add some shrimp, so now it's an extra $16 on top of that?? What the heck..... our order came out we wound up rationing out the order and eating it for 3 days so we would feel that we got our money's worth. I understand that you have to pay your workers, rent and utilities, but $40 for peppers, onions, pico de gallo, and some corn tortillas is some serious inflation. Sorry, Maize..... you're great, but I can't afford you anymore. These orders were back in February (the last time we ate there) so not sure if anything has changed. read more

Maize at the Station - $16 to add shrimp?!?!?! $8 for chicken?!?!?! - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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The service was exceptionally slow. We waited 40 minutes with a reservation, then waited over 20 for our server. After we finished eating it took around 40 minutes to get our checks (that came with 25% gratuity). read more

Ridiculous poor service and automatically charged 18% tips for a pickup order. Called in 40 mins ahead of time to place the order. Was told that it would be ready in 20 mins. But I told them that I will come by in 40 mins. Still, they made me wait for 30 mins there! It's like they forgot to make my order. Yet, they automatically charge 18% tips for such a failure! Shame on you! Will not come back ! read more

Maize at the Station - Automatically charged 18% tips for a failed order! Good job Maize. I'm not coming back again. - Mexican Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Handicap accessible poor. Only door to restaurant was stairs and other doors locked. Service was slow and food was average. read more

Food was wonderful. Almost all of the menu is gluten free. Tortilla chips were thicker than most Mexican restaurants and did not break when dipping into fundido. Will be back the next time I'm in Champaign read more

Excellent fast and friendly service at this quaint little restaurant in an old train station. Loved the, very traditional, Chili Rellenos and the Margaritas were awesome as well. read more

Got take out from Maize at the Station on Saturday night. Was so disappointed in the food. I ordered a carne asada quesadilla. It was basically grilled steak with some cheese. ZERO seasoning. The tortilla was good, but I have never had such a flavorless quesadilla. Might try another dish there in the future but the quesadilla was the worst I have ever had. read more

The food is usually good here. The margaritas used to be really good but I wouldn't order one again there. It seems strange to be charged a 20% gratuity for a large group (of 6 - OK) and then, when you go to pay, be charged another 5% for a large group (of 6 or more). The waitress explained that the computer did it ... she didn't. I guess the computer did it twice. read more

We were near Champaign for a night and decided to stop at Maize at the Station because it had a lot of gluten free reviews. I was excited for the gluten free chips and to get some fajitas. When we first entered it took at least 10 minutes for a hostess to come to the stand. It was busy and they seemed to be short staffed at first. We decided to sit at the bar and the first chips and salsa is free and after that you pay. We decided to do the salsa flight which is unlimited for 4 dollars because I thought it would be nice to have a snack and anticipated it may take awhile to get our food. We ordered one Paloma and 2 waters and it took until our meal came out to get the Paloma and our chips and salsa flight came right before our food. As the night went on it got quieter but the service didn't get better. We asked for more corn tortillas because we only got 4 and in the meantime asked for more chips since they were unlimited. After a while we got our corn tortillas and then our server realized we hadn't got our tortilla chips. We told them to skip it because we didn't want to wait longer for the chips. Our server was nice but I would not return again with the service and the food was just okay. read more

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I have to agree with many of the reviews here. The food at Maize is really good and fresh. Portion sizes are generous and service is great. The only thing is that they're slightly pricey compared to some other Mexican restaurants in town. I guess you're paying for downtown Champaign location prices, but in my opinion, it's a little bit expensive for what it is. Don't make the mistake I did and pay for parking on the street. They have free parking in the back lot by Black Dog. Outdoor seating was excellent in the summer. I'm definitely looking forward to dining outside there again. read more

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Love Maize. Huge menu so it's fun to try something new each time. Really good good and staff is great a giving suggestions, too. Nice atmosphere. Great patio in warmer weather. A must do in Champaign! read more

It frustrates me having to write this. Maize has delicious food and has been a local favorite for my wife and I....when they get my food order correct which unfortunately is rare. Maize became our most frequented restaurant during the pandemic but it got to a point where I specifically had to remind them how frequently the made the wrong food in order for them to make the order correctly. We stopped going for a while and returned sporadically. They were better but would still mess up the occasional order. We ordered online last week and my order was wrong. I called the store and was advised the issue was a language barrier. We ordered again tonight, and I submitted my order in both English and Spanish and again, my order was made incorrectly. The food is amazing but if you have an order with any modifications, DO NOT order take out. read more

Always great food and impeccable service. Our go to for dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch.