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The City Center

3.9 (13 reviews)
ModerateBars, American
Closed • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
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Photo of Jessica E.
206
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3 years ago

Getting information about this venue is lacking to say the least. The staff is not friendly or helpful.

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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12 years ago

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7 years ago

Awesome place to hangout and eating food is 10 out of 10 waiter we had was awesome definitely coming back and recommend to come here

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11 years ago

A dive bar next to a gentleman's club. Can it get any better? Bar food that you would expect and drinks. Nice staff. I'm coming back.

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10 years ago

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14 years ago

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Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken Club with side of fries

Watson's Shack & Rail

4.1(309 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

Had great stuff at this Southern themed restaurant in Champaign. It has a lot of chicken but also…read moreplenty of vegetarian choices if avoiding meats. Watson's is one of the cleaner and shinier hangouts but it still has some campus vibes. A lot to choose from. The prices aren't bad for portion and quality. Coming in the first time it wasn't that busy. It's a lot crazier when school is in session. This has been around for a while now but it's still a pretty cleaner looking kind of place okay to bring families of students or whatever. A lot on the menu. There's shit tons of drinks and we got a few of these. It's about $5 to get a slushie which hit the spot because outside it was hot. There's a few flavors to choose from which rotate. Among the cocktails are a few that are cool looking. I got one of the seasonal specials, the Campfire Mule. This was made with ginger beer, lime, and whiskey. It's about $12 for the cheapest entrees. She got the Tofu Basket, which was big enough for a meal. This was panko breaded tofu triangles and waffle fries, with a choice of a sauce. I got the Watson's Po Boy. This comes with a choice of protein and I got tofu. Comes topped with lettuce, onions, and a choice of sauce and got it with the vegan remoulade. Great stuff. Also has plenty of choices for chicken. They got the hot style. Got to say it has lots to choose from. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. There's chicken of course but also plenty of things for vegans and vegetarians.

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.

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Watson's Shack & Rail - Bar & Bourbon Selection

Bar & Bourbon Selection

Watson's Shack & Rail - Avocado toast brunch. They use the 7grain from Illinois Central Bakehouse

Avocado toast brunch. They use the 7grain from Illinois Central Bakehouse

Watson's Shack & Rail - Montucky Cold Snacks in a can. Ummmm... yes please!!

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Montucky Cold Snacks in a can. Ummmm... yes please!!

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House - Whole Smoked Chicken ($21.95)

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House

4.1(641 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$

Holy smokes! Smoked meat that is. We were so thrilled to find this gem of a place…read more We actually headed here because folks told us it was Celiac friendly, but you won't notice the difference whether you're eating gluten free or not. The ribs were *beyond amazing*. No joke. I know they serve other things, but do NOT miss the ribs. All of their sauces are GF so you don't have to worry about what you're eating. And for those of you craving carbs that aren't diet-restricted, the Cheddar Jalapeño Corn Bread was delish. Located in an old train station, it has a HUGE gorgeous bar that is the statement piece within the restaurant. But feel free to sit outside when the weather is good.

I came in for dinner with my partner on 10/11/2026. This was my first time to Black Dog. Our server…read morewas Maddie (this will be relevant in a moment). To be clear the food was above average, and the sauces were very good. However the food was somewhat overpriced, but nothing egregious. My issue and cause for the low rating is the extremely poor service. We were seated immediately after entering the restaurant, as there were plenty of open tables. Our server did not come to take our drink order for 17 minutes. Thinking possibly there might be a large party somewhere or something else going on, we opted to put in an appetizer order at that time as well as our dinner order. Assuming the appetizer would come out first. At this point I should mention where I was seated I had a view of the food waiting for servers to pick it up. As time passed I watched customers come and go. People who came in after us receive their food, and our server began tending bar and having long conversations with bar patrons. At 35 minutes in, she finally checked for our appetizer that I noticed had been sitting in the window for about 10 minutes. It was cold. I asked politely for an update on our food, she said "oh not too long we just got really busy" keep in mind there are still empty tables. Another 10 or so minutes pass and a different server comes along to complement the brand of shirt im wearing. My partner asks if he can get him a drink refill, because our server has disappeared. He was a soild guy. He mentioned his initials were A.M. 15 minutes later an elderly expediter with glasses brings out our food. We begin eating. Halfway through I need a drink refill. Our server is still missing. I try to flag the elderly expediter and he says "ill get to you later" and runs away. I end up flagging a man in a flannel button down that gets me a refill. He was not happy doing it. Maddie the server quickly returns when she sees clean plates and brings the check. I still gave 20%...because I know servers have to survive too. This experience was one of the worst service experiences ive had in a restaurant. Black Dog, do better.

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Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
Black Dog Smoke & Ale House - Ribs

Ribs

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House - Entry

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Entry

The Wheelhouse - Wheelhouse Burger

The Wheelhouse

4.5(88 reviews)
10.6 mi
•$$

What an incredible discovery! We were driving from Iowa to Ohio, which is mostly a culinary…read morewasteland. My copilot found this gem. It sounded too good to be true, but it's true! Though it looks unremarkable from the outside, inside, you'll find a wonderful restaurant where the staff is highly invested in making sure you have a great meal. My companion enjoyed a lovely Old Fashioned to start. I ordered the Turkey stroganoff, while he had the shrimp and grits. When the plates came out, I thought the veil was finally about to slip. They were well-plated, but huge. And yet...the veil didn't slip. It was haute-cuisine comfort food goodness in what looked like a converted warehouse space. Unreal! Though turkey is often too dry, my stroganoff was moist and succulent. The sauce was much more than just cream of mushroom -- lots of flavor and not too much salt. We had a time of it. I'd happily come back here again and again.

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.

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The Wheelhouse
The Wheelhouse - French Toast

French Toast

The Wheelhouse

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The City Center - bars - Updated October 2026

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