I came here on the night of July 27,2025 with a group of women I befriended at a previous bar. I was the only masculine lesbian of the group, and the white man who was a "superior" security officer in shorts and sandals refused to let me in. after my friends talked to the man, he claimed that I refused to show ID. I keep two forms of ID in my wallet , and I also had two wristbands on from previous bars I decided to explore. he then lied to my group and claimed I was disrespectful. this was my first time ever going to that bar. I've lived in the area for a year , but I don't get out much. I'm a shy person and I don't talk much. the man never spoke to me regarding iD because I had never been there before. the black man at the door replied "that's the boss " when addressed about the injustices occurring at the entrance. feminine women are welcomed by staff, but masculine women are stopped at the door. go where you're respected sweetheart. Neil st blues is around the corner and they would never treat anyone like that. My people should spend their money where they are appreciated . This is how they feel about us. I don't encourage anyone to spend their money where their money and energy isn't valued. The good people at Neil st blues welcomes everyone no matter what They may believe in and you can tell from the moment you walk through the doors. this place is discriminatory. read more

Great ambiance if it suits you. Excellent evening meet spot. Also where underagers go downtown to be the Rock and Roll Clown on the weekends. read more

Me and my friend went to the bar tonight, everything was okay! We tipped well, had a few drinks, then it went south. My other friend accidentally spilled a drink, so we tried to get the bartenders attention to clean it up. She looked at us, blatantly ignored us. There was a rag on the counter, so she grabbed it to clean up the drink. The bartender comes over yelling at her to "never step behind the fucking bar," when she clearly did not, and kicked her out. Whatever, it is what it is. We go to our other friend at the bar to let him know we're leaving and what happened. She then proceeds to walk up to us, calling my friend a slut and a whore and telling her she can remove her. Once we leave, we're standing outside trying to work out our plans, the bartender then calls the cops and says we're trespassing and trying to enter the bar again, which is not all what happened. SO unprofessional and RUDE!! I love Quality, and I cannot believe this experience happened tonight! read more

Shockingly poor customer service. I've never been to an establishment that so blatantly discriminated against clientele. With all of the other options in town, I'll be glad to avoid this spot. read more

Huge addition to the craft beer scene in downtown Champaign, Quality carries a tap list that rivals the Blind Pig including breweries like Left Hand, Stone, Rogue, Bells, Victory, Founders, North Coast, etc. Bartenders are accessible and friendly and ready to talk about the beer or grab you a sample. Atmosphere is clean and easy. This place is a best bet to find a good "talking" atmosphere in earlier evenings or even not a bad place to study/work because it's relatively quiet, and doesn't have loud music and has solid wi-fi. Can get more packed after 9pm. Back deck is awesome in warmer weather to meet friends, and their are good group tables inside as well. Wish they had a few more beer specials--it's hard to show up here at $5 and $6 for a beer when Blind Pig Brewery is at $2-$3 some nights. But still hope they stay around. read more

Super relaxed environment and atmosphere. Tons of boardgames, great selection of drinks. Favorite place for an outing in the CU area. Seats are often limited but there's always room at the bar. The venue itself is well kept and roomy despite being one of the smaller bars in the area. If you're looking for a fratboy-free bar with a relaxed environment, where your shoes won't stick to the floor and the music isn't obnoxiously loud, you've found your spot. read more

Quality Beer is a quality bar. They could potentially up their west coast IPA game, ftr. But, and it's a small butt, it's an expansive beautiful place, with a kind of awesome crowd. Ok, fairly nerdy, perhaps people next to me were playing splendor, whatever that may be. But sheesh, what a great vibe ok? We had this dog situation, and they were awesome about hosting a skittish neurotic beagle. Come on over. You will like it, I dost think. read more

Quality Beer - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

For the last three years that I've lived in Chambana, the storefront on the corner of Neil and University has puzzled me. What was it? Why is it in a perpetual state of construction? Is anything going to open there? Well, finally it's open. Quality is a new bar run by two brothers from Watseka, IL. In a strange coincidence I happened to be good friends with a brother of the two owners back in San Diego, and he told me that the place was opening, so I headed to their soft opening last night. In short--this place has amazing potential. It's got a great lay out, first off, two separate rooms, with large space and funky vibe--one room boasts everything from a vintage Ms. PacMan table/arcade game to a haphazard book collection to a chalk wall and bench overlooking Neil Street; the other room showcases the expansive bar, which is host to an AMAZING selection of great beers on tap. You have beers like Founders available next to great California beers like Stone and Lagunitas; it makes me both homesick and delighted to see what they've got on tap. I'd really heartily recommend going; I think this place is going to be the next spot to watch in town. read more

The Good: The decor is quite nice: exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and wood floors. There is a large selection of board games which seem to be well taken care of and the beers on tap seem to rotate often enough to offer a decent variety to the customers. The outside space is enjoyable during the nighttime and offers a nice vibe with the strung lights in the alley. The Bad: The acoustics in the bar are HORRIBLE. You basically are unable to have a conversation with the person sitting next to you unless you scream. The line at the bar is also extremely chaotic and the bartenders seem to have no system to take care of their clients in an orderly fashion (I realize that's a common problem in bars but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be mentioned). Finally, I ordered a Glenfiddich neat and I got a full glass of ice and scotch. I realize that people go there mainly for beer but ordering a scotch without ice and receiving it with as much ice as if it were a rum and coke is not acceptable. Verdict: I like the bar. It's clean, well taken care of, and the employees and patrons are often friendly and interesting. I just hope that they can solve the noise issue and can create a more effective system for taking drink orders. read more

Even with only one visit under my belt, I can say with confidence that Quality may become one of my permanent hangout spots in downtown Champaign. The atmosphere is sophisticated and elegant without the heart-stopping prices of Boltini, Bacaro, or other downtown bars with similar ambiance. The interior is all dark, expensive-looking wood, modern chic, and a bit of quirk. In the late afternoon, there was quite a lot of natural light coming in, which made the place feel both clean and inspiring. Just beautiful. A friend said she'd feel comfortable studying or reading here in afternoons, and I agree. Since the place is newly-remodeled, it smelled very much like an Ikea, though that will likely pass with time. The acoustics of the room also absorbed noise pretty well, so I didn't have to get in my friend's face and shout in order to have a conversation; I could see myself coming here for a drink on an intimate date. Unfortunately, unlike most bars, there was not a lot of seating provided. I imagine that if this place gets crowded, you will probably just have to stand. Not quite sure why there was so much empty space... Maybe for dancing? (Though I didn't pick up much of that vibe.) I can't complain about the beer selection. There were a number of interesting options on tap, though loyalists of the Blind Pig might not be impressed. A wine menu was also provided, with about 6-8 bottles available. The drink that stands out best in my mind was their cider on tap, which was crisp, refreshing and would be a perfect complement for warm, sunny weather. Our bartender was warm, charming, and made sure we were cared for during our visit. We had taken a booth seat, and fetching more drinks would involve crawling over each other to get out of a tight space. Luckily, business was a bit slow, so the bartender came over to check on us, clean empty glasses, and refill drinks with regularity. Very professional and helpful. Until people become familiar with the layout of the bar, there may also be some trouble in finding it. Quality is listed as a location on Neil Street, but the actual entrance is on Chester Street. In fact, one of the main windows of the bar faces Neil, and I could see curious pedestrians passing by, looking through the window and all over the building for some indication of what was going on. An outdoor sidewalk sign or "Entrance over there" sign might really help to steer traffic in the right direction. read more

As we're sitting in Red Lobstah, I get a text from Mike N Matt, asking "are you coming to quality" The answer is "of course, as is the xmas eve tradition". While it's not the only time of the year that we go to Quality, xmas eve is the only time you can guarantee that I will be in quality. We get there after stopping in at Walgreens for some last minute gift card purchases (and run into 2 people that we know, because as mention before... that's how I roll!) We sit down and order a beer, I go with the Triptych XOCO. Kridz did something a little lighter in color. MnM like the xoco, but Dave is raving about it, because dave is a raver. Drew started out as our bartender, but shortly thereafter T-Boy replaced him. T-Boy hasn't been to sleep, because that what T-boys' do! At this point, my brother and sister start a text chain of extremely inappropriate content, of elf on the shelf stuff. There's other things, but yelp TOS sort of prevents me from... Ok, so one of the elf on the shelf's the elf had peanut butter and a dog. I think my favorite was the elf with coke and a dead Barbie hooker. I am somewhat disappointed in the men's restroom. It's not that it looks like people have attempted to remove the urinal from the wall (what's with the black duct tape?) my problem is that the urinal is self flushing. When I went into the restroom (again, shortly after redlobstah) I was doing my business and was like...wtf??? oh yeah, asparagus. Man, that's some fast acting (and strong) asparagus. I wanted to leave a nice present behind but the urinal self flushed. :( (not a crap in the urinal, just an unflushed one, so that when the next guy peed, it would stir up the air, and he'd get a huge whiff of asparagus pee). My second beer was a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. It's on tap, so I got it. Quality always has fair prices. They have good specials through the week as well. It's becoming more popular with non-downtown people. Downtown people don't stay at one bar too long, they all roam, and roam a lot. Non-downtown people find a place, then stay there all night. Quality is attracting a fair amount of people who go in there, and stay all night. We left Quality and went to MoM, where I proceeded to forget to pay my tab, and woke up to an angry FB post from KASS, calling me an ASS. (FYI, MoM doesn't have autoflush urinals, so xmas eve gifts may have been left there) read more

Quality Beer - Energy drink. - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Quality is one of those bars you can pretty much predict: great beer selection, at least 8 beers on special, someone has a dog, someone is playing darts, and one tinder date in the corner awkwardly chatting. It's a comfortable spot to take friends visiting who hate bars normally. The cocktails are good and reasonably priced. After 1am on a weekend beware of the late night crowd which is usually loud, somewhat boisterous hipsters who are essentially harmless to everything but your ear drums. Some outdoor seating and board games also available. read more

I went here for my last night out before graduating, because I wanted to try the "new" place before I left. I was really impressed with Quality, especially because most places seem to stumble rather hard when they first open. There was a perfectly adequate draft menu, and it seemed to have some more obscure beers that I hadn't seen before (Pig or otherwise). There was nice seating outside, but the interior was rather cavernous, and I expect most people will end up sitting inside anyway. I loved the sort of industrial decoration theme going on, and it definitely stood out in the downtown scene. Only issue with the interior was that the seating seemed awkwardly spread out, and I definitely noticed others having the same issue I did finding a comfortable location. The seating could benefit from being more densely packed, or at least better spaced. What stood out to me the most was the fact that the bartenders were actually rather friendly, and didn't make me feel uncomfortable being there (as some downtown bars tend to do to people closer to 21 than 30). I wasn't particularly hassled, and only got carded once (probably because I had a tab, but still). Yes, that might be a silly thing to dwell on, but I appreciated it nonetheless. read more

From the very thoughtful and extensive beer list, to great decor, and a staff second-to-none, Quality delivers. This is a place where you can sit at the bar with a friend when it is slow and quietly converse or move to a table with a group when the night gets going. Middle-aged couples on nights out sit next to early twenty-somethings who never went home and mellowed thirty-somethings de-stressing from work. There are darts; there is Pac-Man; there is a library with Nabokov tomes. Simply put: This place is Quality. read more

This is one of my favorite bars in chambana. I find it highly valuable because if I do go out, it's frequently last-minute and by myself, and Quality is an extremely social bar. It has a very open layout without the nooks and crannies commonly found in other bars, and I think this encourages random meetings and conversations among strangers. I usually have no problem showing up by myself and playing darts and chatting with some random people. The only reason I'm taking off a star is because the crowd can be very very transient. Sometimes I'd go in and find very few people there, and sometimes it's jammed. I also wish they'd lean a bit more wheat/Belgian/sour on their tap list. read more

This is a fairly new beer and cocktail bar that opened up in downtown Champaign. There are several entrances, but none are well marked. Once inside there are two sections. One has an L shaped bar that holds about 20 people. Some darts off to the left, the chalkboard with the tap listings is to the right. A patio area outside. The other section has a library of sorts with some low top tables scattered about. The setup is very cavernous, and probably very loud when full. Though relaxing, and enjoyable on the few slow afternoons I have visited. The service is very good. I visited on a slow Monday afternoon. The bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, and quick. Can't complain about that. A smaller selection of about 15 craft beers that rotates. Several Founders, Breakfast Stout and Dirty Bastard. Goose Island and Anchor. Plenty of good stuff on tap, along with an extensive list of bottles. A very nice selection. They also have plenty of liquor, a nice whiskey selection with some cocktails. I have not tried any of the cocktails, but in the set up and selection this reminds me of Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston, in a very good way. Overall a very enjoyable time. Another good option in downtown Champaign. The downtown area is becoming quite a beer hub. I was very impressed, and a place I would recommend. read more

I recently attended a prospective grad student mixer here. The bartender was friendly, and drink prices were reasonable ($3.50 for a whiskey and ginger). This bar apparently allows carry-in food, which is a plus. Quality is very spacious but it does seem like they could benefit from a few more tables. Our large group took up most of the main/entry room. With a party that large (20+ people), it got pretty difficult to hear, so if you're visiting while it's super busy or planning a social gathering here, you might keep that in mind. read more

I see you Quality, chilling in the former Lock Stock & Bagel spot. So many pizza bagels.... oh wait, yeah, Quality! The taps are always on point, the Mickeys is a thing. Pinball, space, and a really great staff. The beer garden is spartan and perfect. Go fourth and get your drink on read more

This is another of my favorite bars in Champaign. Quality doesn't quite have the same low-key vibe as the Pig and Piglet, and it tends to be more of a mixed bag in terms of crowds. The worst part is that yes, it gets VERY LOUD in here, owing to the airy and open floor plan. In many cases, especially if it's a busy night, you will not be able to hear yourself think. During the day, however, it's a joy. They have a wonderful beer menu, along with books and games for those who come for a round of Monopoly. It encourages being sociable, and with such an open format, it's very easy to meet people and spark up a conversation, and friendly bartenders add to the communal, fun vibe. This place is incredibly non-pretentious, and is the much more extroverted friend to the quiet introversion of Blind Pig Brewery and the outright snobbishness of Blind Pig Co. Their drinks are always well-priced, and while there are no half-price happy hour drafts like Blind Pig Co., you still won't pay a ton of money for beers. All in all, this is the place where you take your friends to hang out and listen to some good tunes and have a good time. read more

Love, love, love Quality, though it took me a bit to come around. They can be really crowded on weekends, to the point where I can get a bit overwhelmed. But that's the only real downside to the place. Drinks are reasonably priced; I can get a glass of nice bourbon (Bulliet) for about $6, and scotch (Macallan 12) for $9. The bartenders are also incredibly nice to the snob in me who insists on ordering martinis during rush periods. The place has a nice spirit selection, though it's not incredibly extensive. The beer list is pretty good. They rotate about 10-12 beers on tap, and the bartenders are always willing to talk about beers and recommend or allow you to sample new stuff. Quality's a great little bar, and also a good spot to sit and grade or read at 4:30 in the afternoon with a light beer. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and the selection rocks. Just don't go on Friday or Saturday (so I can get a seat). read more

A great little place in downtown Champaign. They serve so many different beers it's nuts, and they do have a cocktail and spirits menu. The staff is helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, and the prices are fair. The spacious indoor section boasts tons of board games, as well as a couple of arcade machines. The large outdoor patio is fantastic, and has gorgeous lights above during the night. I reccomend this place to both beer newbies and carnosaurs alike. This is also a great date destination! read more

Seems like a good addition to the Champaign downtown. I don't see Quality as offering anything all that different from the other places, but it does so in a very nice setting. Ambiance is excellent. read more

Quality Beer - What do you see? - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I had the worst experience I've had at a bar in my life here at the hands of the owner, Aaron. I was sitting outside on the patio drinking a beer with a friend, Aaron came and grabbed my friends full drink while she was at the bathroom. I told him she wasn't done, and he said too bad I told you to finish up. Which he did not plus it wasn't closing time yet. I then asked when they closed as it was 26 minutes past the hour when he came to us. He told us 30 minutes past the hour, so he grabbed her drink several minutes before he even should have. I asked him several more times for her drink back but he wouldn't give it to me, he proceeded to stand at the table holding it like he was my parent and we were in trouble, as he said he would give it back to her if she made it out in time. Mind you, the patio was filled with other people drinking and other people were still going into the bar. I then raised my voice and told him to give me the drink back because I paid for it. He then gave it back and told us to finish up and "get off [his] patio." I will never return here, he does not deserve peoples business, very concerning behavior on his part. read more

Some how managed to overlook this place for some time. But I would say this is one of the better watering holes in the downtown Champaign area. Lots of space, affordable drink prices, and a nice patio space. I loved how the lighting wasn't too dark or bright, excellent balance. 2 pinball machines were an excellent touch along with an old school 2 person packman game. So check this place out, great place to stop in for a drink. read more

I usually have a great time at Quality. Decent beer selections, dim lit, lots of board games, and darts. I just wish there was some extra room to sit, but the space does limit their capability a bit. read more

Food: Unfortunately, Quality doesn't have an operating kitchen, and the extent of cuisine you'll find here starts and ends with free bowls of snacks offered at the bar. However, they aren't attempting to be a restaurant, and they place all of their focus on being a bar. Drinks: Great list of beers to choose from, with something always new and interesting on draft. They also have a pretty decent array of cordials, whiskies, and spirits if you're just not in the mood. I definitely keep coming here for the Mojo IPA on nitro, it's an IPA that pours like a Guinness! Service: The bartenders are always pretty friendly. There's no servers, no hosts, but again, Quality focuses on being a craft beer bar, and the staff behind the bar are always willing to help me choose something interesting. Ambiance: There's a lot of wide open space (although sometimes it does feel a little too wide open), an area for darts, and an ARCADE if you can believe it. Great atmosphere to hang out with friends. Also: they have a bookshelf filled with some pretty decent reads. It's honestly too dark to make use of it by night, but I'm really looking to thumb through after work someday. Overall: Quality seems like they want to be a relaxed, craft beer bar, and succeeded. This is one of my favorite hangouts when I feel like a pint. Definitely recommend! read more

Any bar that has a book shelf is deserving of five stars. The bar was great and dark with fine selection of drinks. The bartender had some knowledge of the profession and was interesting to speak and this bar is definitely worth the visit if stay in the area. There are no TV screens and is basically a place to talk live to people read more

I went to this bar while visiting family at Christmas time. While there the owner screamed obscenities at a young woman and told her to leave, apparently all because she and her friend were having a disagreement with an off duty bar tender. The owner was also a slob and dressed in sweats and sneakers. Completely unprofessional event to witness, and I would never go to this bar again. read more

Waited to get service for like 10 minutes. There were five bartenders and they kept skipping us. My guess? The bartenders are color-blind.

Update. The incredibly. Awfully. Disgusting. Consistently horrendous bathroom deserves mentioning. This is nuclear waste level. They just don't clean. The entire bar has started to smell like urine and its really truly turned me off of the place. read more

They have quality beer and the bartenders are nice but the bathrooms really need help. They smells like a people have urinated over everything. If they can fix the bathrooms then this place deserves a 4 star. read more

Cool bar with an upscale vibe. Nice election of beers and spirits and a fairly diverse clientele. Have been there several times with friends and enjoyed ourselves each time. Only slight issue is the bartending, not horrible but it seems as if they are not well trained in terms of knowing how to make drinks or how to be the most efficient at serving. If the quality of the bar tending improves I'd definitely become more of a regular. read more

This could be a pretty cool place, but they really have to get more tables. My party of four is sharing a short, 1.5 foot diameter table. The group next to us has the same size table with 7 people crowded around it. There's tons of floor space and they definitely have room for more tables. They have games and books which is cool, but there's not enough table space for more than 3 or 4 groups to use these things. There are tables outside which is nice, but only if weather permits. Good beer selection. If you can get a table it's fun, but if you can't (which is most of the time after 9pm) it's just kind of awkward. read more

I would have given them 4 stars, but their wine pours have significantly diminished since last year, while the price has stayed the same. Good place to grab drinks especially in the summer because of their outdoor patio. Also, they sell pub mix for $1, which is pretty much the dream. Just really unhappy about their diminished wine pours, as that was the reason my friends and I used to come here a couple of times a week. Also, I feel like they should bring on another bartender because it takes a while to get a drink when it is busy. read more

Quality is not so bad once you get used to the terrible acoustics, mindlessly wasted space, and the heartwarming sterility of the place.

I wish my group of friends would expand and try bars in town other than quality. But, usually this is the place where grad students and young professionals lean towards, so I've been here quite a bit. The beer selection is relatively good, and the service is fine. I like to go earlier in the evening, as it can get really noisy after 10 pm or so. One thing to note it the awfulness of the bathroom scene. As soon as you head down the hallway, it starts to reek--I seriously feel like I'm back in New York, heading down towards the subway. The bathrooms are almost always stinky, so I try to not stay too long so that I can avoid those stalls. read more

Great bar with friendly bartenders! I believe the best beer selection in Champaign-Urbana. Very chic urban interior taking advantage of the vintage downtown setting. The bar is comfortable, and there is ample seating inside and also a small outdoor seating area. My wife are frequent patrons of downtown bars and restaurants and this will be a regular on our list. read more

Really like this place. Great bartenders serving a pretty awesome selection of craft beers. Board games, darts, arcade games, Jenga! And when it's warm enough the patio has a nice ambience. This place is totally on par with any good bar in Chicagoland, so yay! read more

Love this place! It is a great place to chill and play some darts. The bartenders are nice and the atmosphere is great. It is a good place to sit back and enjoy good company. read more

Good beer, reasonably priced. Well liquor is a tad expensive, I think. The outdoor seating is next to some trash cans, so that kind of sucks but you don't really notice it unless you are right next to them. The inside of the bar is really nice. The people that work there are all very friendly and proud of the bar. read more