Philo Tavern

Food was exceptional quality, with portion size to match. Atmosphere is a vaulted high ceiling…read morespace with the bustle of a hard working kitchen and an attentive waitstaff. The menu is limited to signature offering of various dishes eliminating the tough choices between offerings. The daily special was a nice addition to the menu. All food was plated on various china which added to the fun of it all. My wife and I shared 2 separate meals and both were 10/10 in our opinion. This place will be on our very short list of great food, great folks, and great experience.

We saw good reviews, so we hopped off the interstate and checked this place out for dinner. They…read morewere moderately busy, about 1/3 capacity. That was not the problem. The food took over 30 minutes, which wouldn't be a deal breaker, if it was hot. The fries were cold. That's a death sentence in my opinion. The burger was fine, though not hot, at least warm enough. Sorry, maybe impressive for some, but not for this guy. I would have been happier at the BBQ joint across the street.

French Toast

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Murdock's Place

4.7(9 reviews)

35.6 mi

Food was very good lots of it but kinda pricey. Service was great…read more Ambiance was so so.

Driving from Chicago to Champaign and needed a bite. This place hit the spot. Great bar food at…read moregreat prices. We got an appetizer sampler where you pick 3 for $10. A steal. All of their pork and beef is sourced from local farms, listed on the menu. Service was fantastic. Would definitely return.

Fried chicken and mashed potato.

Menu and fried chicken.

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Wednesday and Thursday night specials

Punch!

4.8(47 reviews)

8.9 mi

Hands down my favorite bar in town!! Great cocktails, good selection of wine and warm, friendly…read moreservice always. Top notch bar food too, every food item in the menu and they were all delicious!!

Googled "bars with a good vibe" when we were in the Champaign area and found this little gem!! Such…read morea cute street with a number of options for food & drink, but Punch was perfect for a cocktail and something light to eat at the end of a full day. We ordered the "salad and skewers" and tried 3 different kinds of meat! So yummy. It was a quiet night for the place when we visited so we had over the top service and attention.

Inside

BOURBON BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD

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Sun Singer Wine and Spirits

4.1(226 reviews)

7.7 mi

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.

Chargrilled oysters

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Writer's Room

3.7(20 reviews)

7.7 mi

We went to this restaurant for my wife's birthday. The food was all excellent with unique…read moreingredients and flavor combinations. The caccio e pepe had truffles, but the truffle flavor didn't overwhelm the pasta. You have to save room for the chocolate mousse for dessert! We would absolutely come again. Also, just because this was something that concerned us, but you do not have to be a guest at the hotel in order to dine here.

A group of us came here for dinner after wedding dress shopping for a friend. The space is…read morebeautifully decorated. We started with drinks at the bar. The peach cider on tap was excellent and other customers said their cocktails were really good. The service was good. We were a group of 5 and were seated at a 2 person table pushed together with a 4 person table. The 4 person table had regular table legs in the 4 corners. When it was pushed against the bench, this made it impossible to get to our seats on the bench, especially in a dress. Kind of a crazy design. I had the pasta and it was fine. Nothing to rave about and pretty pricy to leave still hungry. I had considered the cod with peanut sauce and cauliflower puree. We were informed they didn't have cod anymore and it was either salmon or tilapia. It seemed crazy to charge $23 for tilapia while salmon & peanut sauce combo did not sound that great. A friend did order it and was unfortunately disappointed. The cauliflower was so puréed it ended up being very thin like a sauce. So, she ended up with 1 piece of fish with different sauces on her plate. No vegetables or carbs to go with the fish.

Writers Room Restaurant

Complimentary bread and butter

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Bar

Baxters American Grille

4.1(182 reviews)

7.8 mi

•$$$

We visited Baxter expecting to have a finer dining experience in the Champaign area. When we…read morearrived, we were greeted and seated promptly. We ordered two of their specialty cocktails, which took a little long to be delivered but subsequently were very good. Next we ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Halibut and filet medallions. Service was a little slow so we decided to just enjoy the time together. Our appetizer arrived and was outstanding. It was a bit of a wait for our entrees to appear and when they did we were disappointed with the wait. The filet was ordered medium well and arrived seared to almost well done other than the very center was cold and red. The halibut was overcooked as well but regardless I decided to enjoy the halibut because it was still palatable. The filet, on the other hand was not. It was tough and just not very good. I fully expected to spend the money on a fine dining experience but didn't feel that experience was met. We will try Baxter again in the future with hopes of a better experience but our history there has been hit and miss!

Came in after the Illini beat Maryland on a Saturday evening. No issue with getting a seat right at…read morethe bar. Bar tender seemed a bit overworked, vary harried and not super friendly, but reasonably fast. Ordered the gnocchi and filet tips. Started with the Baxter's salad. That was excellent! The gnocchi was promoted as 'crisp' which I found intriguing. Not crisp at all. Standard fair. Filet was okay, but not great. Mushroom sauce was great! Ambiance is that of a classic steak house. Nice place, will come back again to try the steak.

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Mocktail based on blueberry kiwi cocktail

Blind Pig Brewpub

4.2(10 reviews)

8.9 mi

Chef Eric knows how to cook!! Server Juan knows how take care of his customers!! We had the shrimp…read moretacos and the pork shank and both were 10/10 deliciousness. This restaurant is by far the best choice in downtown Champaign!

Came for a grad lunch and sad to say this was not the best experience. The food was good and…read morereasonably priced, and I real enjoyed the vanilla cream ale. It's a nice vibe inside and seems like it would be fun on a game day. But the service was incredibly slow-- we were waiting for our drinks, appetizer, and food each individually for a very long time. I am not sure if grad weekend was unaccounted for in staffing or something of the sort but I was certainly tough and we narrowly escaped being late to the ceremony, not due to our own poor planning. Another note-- our waitress was lovely and it was not her fault! Also the onion rings are presented in a ridiculous way

Happy Hours!

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Ike's

4.8(21 reviews)

36.1 mi

Wings were delicious and chicken tacos were spot on! Tater tot's cooked to perfection -- but the…read moreatmosphere is what wins! Great place and service! Hard to get into parking lot but worth the maze!

Good is always amazing and still hot if not warm when it arrives through DoorDash! Always quick and…read moreefficient too. I'm picky so if I call and make a change to my order that I wasn't able to do through forecast they're always super nice and helpful with meeting my requests!! I always order from here, definitely recommend.

Double cheeseburger. Simple, fresh and delicious.

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Picture of just the burgers.

The Local

4.6(15 reviews)

41.8 mi

Entrance is located in the back of the building. Service was very good, as was the food. I was…read morethere for lunch and the burger was quite good. Liked the idea of a small Chef's salad as a side. My friend had the BLT and thought it was good, particularly the bacon, He had the Onion Rings of which there were plenty. The prices were fair and the quality was high. Definitely a great place to eat.

Rain cancelled our usual Saturday night plans. So decided to go try out a newer restaurant (est…read more 2022)that's been on my must try list for awhile now. If your a foodie..... RUN, Do not walk to this establishment! Everything was so delicious! The best goat cheese fritters I've ever tasted. Burgers are absolutely mouth watering. Hubby had shrimp cocktail, he said BETTER than a famous downtown Indianapolis steakhouses famous shrimp cocktail. Only downside to this meal was the Mac n Cheese, it was dry and needed seasoning. But we are Mac n cheese snobs, lol. Overall Quality ingredients are used in the dishes and it shows. My only issue was not being able to try everything on the menu that I wanted to. So now I'm mad I didn't go sooner. We will for sure be returning! If you haven't been yet.... Don't be dumb like myself and put it off. Might want reservations. I was able to walk in and be seated. But it is a very small space. But honestly that's an asset in my opinion.

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Black Dog Smoke & Ale House

4.1(633 reviews)

8.8 mi

I found Black Dog to be really good barbecue. The brisket was perfect. I like the sauce choices…read moretoo. I had the Chicago Hot and a monthly special called Kansas City Firecracker. Both were hot and sweet, my favorite type of sauce. The red cabbage coleslaw was delicious and plentiful. The green beans and tomatoes were awesome. I wish they had greens too , but no. I also tried the polish sausage because somebody on Yelp said it was secretly the best thing on the menu. It was very good, but I'd say the brisket was better. Lots of nice craft beers available - some local. The service was nice and friendly. Nicole was my bartender/server. I enjoyed hearing about her favorite menu items. As you'll see from my receipt, everything has an itemized cost, so the place is a little pricey. But still worth it to me.

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House was a solid BBQ stop while staying in this college town. We came on a…read moreSunday night and it surprisingly wasn't very busy, although there was still a wait if you wanted outdoor seating. A few menu items were already sold out, but the smoky BBQ smell hit us from almost a block away, which definitely built the anticipation. I ordered the burnt ends sandwich without the bun. The flavor was really good and smoky, but the portions felt a little small overall. The coleslaw came in a small sauce cup, which was disappointing. The green beans had great flavor, and the twice baked potato casserole was tasty too, just smaller than expected. Service was friendly and the food came out really fast, so it seemed like everything was prepped and ready to go. Overall, good BBQ flavor and worth checking out if you're in town, especially if you love smoky meats -- just don't expect huge portions. Plus you had to pay for extra sauce and didn't have an option to try the different flavors, which was a bummer.

Ribs

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Holly S.

0

1

0

3 years ago

Great food, great service and prices are reasonable

Philo Tavern - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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We visited Baxter expecting to have a finer dining experience in the Champaign area. When we…read morearrived, we were greeted and seated promptly. We ordered two of their specialty cocktails, which took a little long to be delivered but subsequently were very good. Next we ordered the stuffed mushrooms, Halibut and filet medallions. Service was a little slow so we decided to just enjoy the time together. Our appetizer arrived and was outstanding. It was a bit of a wait for our entrees to appear and when they did we were disappointed with the wait. The filet was ordered medium well and arrived seared to almost well done other than the very center was cold and red. The halibut was overcooked as well but regardless I decided to enjoy the halibut because it was still palatable. The filet, on the other hand was not. It was tough and just not very good. I fully expected to spend the money on a fine dining experience but didn't feel that experience was met. We will try Baxter again in the future with hopes of a better experience but our history there has been hit and miss!

Came in after the Illini beat Maryland on a Saturday evening. No issue with getting a seat right at…read morethe bar. Bar tender seemed a bit overworked, vary harried and not super friendly, but reasonably fast. Ordered the gnocchi and filet tips. Started with the Baxter's salad. That was excellent! The gnocchi was promoted as 'crisp' which I found intriguing. Not crisp at all. Standard fair. Filet was okay, but not great. Mushroom sauce was great! Ambiance is that of a classic steak house. Nice place, will come back again to try the steak.

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