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Took me a while to finally visit this popular chicken spot and it did not disappoint! I was very impress with the portion size and recommend the Mac and cheese as your side! Indoor and outdoor seating and great place to catch up with friends. The waiting staff was kind!
This is a cool little hole in the wall. It's hard to find. I parked right across the street and couldn't see it. But inside is a cool compact little bar with a row of tables along the wall. The bourbon selection is indeed impressive. The staff is friendly and attentive. And the food is good. It wasn't amazing, but very solid. And you should have the sweet peach tea with your hot chicken.
Every thing I tried was amazing!! The server was super sweet to us and gave the best recommendations. I asked her what drink to get and she recommended the Watsons Famous Wabbit. She described as a fresh pressed juice with gin and hit the nail on the head. It was amazingly refreshing and satisfying. Both of the sandwiches were humongous and incredibly filling. I think that the first Watsons hot sandwich could be spicier but was still incredibly flavorful every bite we took. The buffalo sandwich was slightly sweet to taste and paired nicely with the house made ranch. This ranch is amongst the best I've ever had. Ranks above wingstop ranch ifykyk. the corn riblets were the highlight of the night. It was a special menu so I'm not sure if they're permanently available but omg they were amazing!!! If this was the only thing I ate tonight I would be smiling ear to ear with a full belly. FYI you must try the Carolina gold sauce with the fries. Amazing combo. Best described as McDonald's sweet and sour sauce on crack and perfected to the gods. I am obsessed. 10/10 would come back a million times. (I'm from out of town that says a lot) Thank you for the amazing meal!!!
Soooo glad to have a place specializing in chicken near campus! This restaurant features chicken sandwich, chicken appetizer, grilled chicken, chicken rice bowls, etc. with a Southern American style. Plus, every Sunday they have some Southern-inspired brunch items from 11am-2pm. Their fried chicken is so juicy inside and crispy outside. But do not miss their roasted chicken and/or pulled chicken meat as well. The meat was tender and the seasoning makes it even better! Besides chicken, the restaurant also serves other Southern dishes such as fried Brussels sprouts, shrimp po'boy, mac & cheese and so on. Things are often more or less different from other restaurants. For example, how the Brussels sprouts are plated, or the shrimp in the po'boy was cooked in firecracker sauce. The pasta in the mac & cheese was in general longer than usual mac, and tossed in less creamy, more fluidly sauce. I suggest trying the pulled chicken sandwich, Starchild sandwich, spit-roasted chicken for chicken entrée. For starters do not miss their unique Brussels sprouts. For brunch, they have pretty good avocado toast (best in town to me) and chicken sandwiches. If you want to do some Southern American food try their firecracker shrimp, gumbo chicken waffles or Du Velo. Service was also in general quick--I often get my food in ten minutes. However their payment system sometimes do not accept international card so bring some cash as well!
Watsons is a trendy place nestled in a very crowded downtown Champaign, IL.. this is a place that knows what it's strengths are and they wear them shamelessly. Great seasoned fried chicken served in numerous ways with various sauces, but the backbone of the operation starts and ends with really, really good fried chicken. Round out the menu with some other niche entrees and sides - combine that with some clever bar offerings - and you've got a pretty special dining experience. Our server Heather was super helpful and attentive. She made some great suggestions, and knew the menu really well. We were there for the last day of restaurant week, which featured a few special food and drink options and we ended up ordering a couple of those. Sadly, that was probably our only misstep. The Garlic Parmesan wings were just okay. Despite the picture, they were actually pretty bland, and could've used some seasoning. Also ordered a Beef Sandwhich off the restaurant week special menu... kind of a pot roast sandwich dressed up like a Philly Cheesesteak with onions and cheese whiz, and it was good, but I found myself envious of everyone else's chicken dishes. Should've just stuck with the chicken. I would definitely return to Watson's, and would definitely recommend it to others, so they're doing something right.
They have gift cards at the local Costco that gives you 20% off. Support your local chicken shack! Food is solid. Dine in is much easier than take out (it's always late and you're stuck waiting for your carry out). If it's in season get the Curtis Orchard cider slush. Whatver else you order, throw a fried egg on it. You won't regret it. We had the rice dish and it was filling. Potato wedges are plenty to share and the gumbo is solid. Fried Brussels are on point too for apps. There's a full bar if you want to watch a game or just grab a meal solo. The vibe is social and chill. There's something for everyone in terms of food. Customer service is always friendly too.
How did this joint end up in Illinois? Northerners seem to have an aversion for fried chicken places except for KFC and Popeye's. This place would be a joint one would find somewhere down South...well, almost. The building is in downtown Champaign in an old building that has been remodeled. There are several booths against the wall and a bar in a shotgun style. The menu has several fried chicken options such as your basic 3 piece, wings, and sandwiches. The bartender told me they were known for the Watson's Hot, which is a chicken breast dipped in Nashville Hot and served on a bun with slaw and comeback sauce. My Watson's Hot was really good overall with the comeback sauce giving it some zest and the slaw adding a creamy feeling to it. But my Watson Hot wasn't really spicy compared to Nashville Hot standards. I would rate it a 2 out of 10 on my heat scale. There was a little spice at the end of the bites. After I got the sandwich, I saw that for a dollar more I could have made it hotter. I usually don't do that but I should have in this instance. The sandwich came with potato wedges which some were overcooked, but still edible. I'm a sauce-aholic and Watson's make about five different sauces in house. The comeback sauce is like a spicy ranch or a chicken finger sauce like Cane's or Zax's sauce. The two other sauces I had that I recommend are the Cherry Coke BBQ sauce and the White sauce. Unfortunately, they charge I think a $1 for extra sauce (highway robbery). The Cherry Coke BBQ sauce has a sweet and smoky flavor to it. It doesn't really taste like cherry coke but it was still pretty good. The white sauce is the Alabama white sauce (Roll Tide) that is gaining more popularity. It is a mayo-based BBQ sauce that pairs well with chicken and has black pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar mixed in. It's a tangy sauce and if you haven't had it, you have to try it. Like I said, it's almost Southern as there was no fresh-brewed sweet tea, but they did have a fresh-brewed peach sweet tea. It made an excellent substitute for the lack of a sweet tea. I would go back to Watson's. There are lots of chicken options on the menu and lots of homemade sauces to try. The peach sweet tea is better than the standard Yankee unsweet sweet tea. The sandwich needs a little more heat though for my taste.
We saw this place while in Punch and looked like a pretty good place for chicken using the app walked over past the alley and we were in and seated quickly we were in there around 7 on a Friday night not to crowded but the weather was terrible seating is great for couples and bigger groups Noticed the bourbon selection as we walked past the bar and it had some nicer higher end bourbons to taste Waitress was very accommodating and knew the menu pretty well and we had placed our order and it arrived rather quickly to our surprise the Nashville style hot chicken just their plan was very good but a little bit too spicy also side of dirty rice which I think needed a lot more flavor we also had the andouille and chicken jambalaya which we enjoyed very much Overall it doesn't come close to my favorite Hattie Bs but it's a good option for the area
So yummy! Went on a date here. Such great service, super polite and friendly. Has a casual environment, we also got the peach sweet tea, which was amazing, and the Hushpuppies for our appetizer. Everything was so good, portions were huge, left happy and full!! Would definitely go back and keep trying menu item
Had great stuff at this Southern themed restaurant in Champaign. It has a lot of chicken but also plenty 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. read more
6 months ago
11 months ago
Watsons has never disappointed us. We have been coming here since we were students and it's always a favorite to visit when we're in town for an event. Watsons has a comfortable atmosphere, quick service, and you cannot go wrong with any menu items. I recommend the hot fish, Duvelo (secret menu item) which is the chicken sandwich with pork belly, cheese, and an egg, and the gravy fries. This time I tried the rice bowl for the first time and it was a hit! read more
Took me a while to finally visit this popular chicken spot and it did not disappoint! I was very impress with the portion size and recommend the Mac and cheese as your side! Indoor and outdoor seating and great place to catch up with friends. The waiting staff was kind! read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
This is a cool little hole in the wall. It's hard to find. I parked right across the street and couldn't see it. But inside is a cool compact little bar with a row of tables along the wall. The bourbon selection is indeed impressive. The staff is friendly and attentive. And the food is good. It wasn't amazing, but very solid. And you should have the sweet peach tea with your hot chicken. read more
3 years ago
Every thing I tried was amazing!! The server was super sweet to us and gave the best recommendations. I asked her what drink to get and she recommended the Watsons Famous Wabbit. She described as a fresh pressed juice with gin and hit the nail on the head. It was amazingly refreshing and satisfying. Both of the sandwiches were humongous and incredibly filling. I think that the first Watsons hot sandwich could be spicier but was still incredibly flavorful every bite we took. The buffalo sandwich was slightly sweet to taste and paired nicely with the house made ranch. This ranch is amongst the best I've ever had. Ranks above wingstop ranch ifykyk. the corn riblets were the highlight of the night. It was a special menu so I'm not sure if they're permanently available but omg they were amazing!!! If this was the only thing I ate tonight I would be smiling ear to ear with a full belly. FYI you must try the Carolina gold sauce with the fries. Amazing combo. Best described as McDonald's sweet and sour sauce on crack and perfected to the gods. I am obsessed. 10/10 would come back a million times. (I'm from out of town that says a lot) Thank you for the amazing meal!!! read more
10 months ago
Soooo glad to have a place specializing in chicken near campus! This restaurant features chicken sandwich, chicken appetizer, grilled chicken, chicken rice bowls, etc. with a Southern American style. Plus, every Sunday they have some Southern-inspired brunch items from 11am-2pm. Their fried chicken is so juicy inside and crispy outside. But do not miss their roasted chicken and/or pulled chicken meat as well. The meat was tender and the seasoning makes it even better! Besides chicken, the restaurant also serves other Southern dishes such as fried Brussels sprouts, shrimp po'boy, mac & cheese and so on. Things are often more or less different from other restaurants. For example, how the Brussels sprouts are plated, or the shrimp in the po'boy was cooked in firecracker sauce. The pasta in the mac & cheese was in general longer than usual mac, and tossed in less creamy, more fluidly sauce. I suggest trying the pulled chicken sandwich, Starchild sandwich, spit-roasted chicken for chicken entrée. For starters do not miss their unique Brussels sprouts. For brunch, they have pretty good avocado toast (best in town to me) and chicken sandwiches. If you want to do some Southern American food try their firecracker shrimp, gumbo chicken waffles or Du Velo. Service was also in general quick--I often get my food in ten minutes. However their payment system sometimes do not accept international card so bring some cash as well! read more
1 year ago
Watsons is a trendy place nestled in a very crowded downtown Champaign, IL.. this is a place that knows what it's strengths are and they wear them shamelessly. Great seasoned fried chicken served in numerous ways with various sauces, but the backbone of the operation starts and ends with really, really good fried chicken. Round out the menu with some other niche entrees and sides - combine that with some clever bar offerings - and you've got a pretty special dining experience. Our server Heather was super helpful and attentive. She made some great suggestions, and knew the menu really well. We were there for the last day of restaurant week, which featured a few special food and drink options and we ended up ordering a couple of those. Sadly, that was probably our only misstep. The Garlic Parmesan wings were just okay. Despite the picture, they were actually pretty bland, and could've used some seasoning. Also ordered a Beef Sandwhich off the restaurant week special menu... kind of a pot roast sandwich dressed up like a Philly Cheesesteak with onions and cheese whiz, and it was good, but I found myself envious of everyone else's chicken dishes. Should've just stuck with the chicken. I would definitely return to Watson's, and would definitely recommend it to others, so they're doing something right. read more
They have gift cards at the local Costco that gives you 20% off. Support your local chicken shack! Food is solid. Dine in is much easier than take out (it's always late and you're stuck waiting for your carry out). If it's in season get the Curtis Orchard cider slush. Whatver else you order, throw a fried egg on it. You won't regret it. We had the rice dish and it was filling. Potato wedges are plenty to share and the gumbo is solid. Fried Brussels are on point too for apps. There's a full bar if you want to watch a game or just grab a meal solo. The vibe is social and chill. There's something for everyone in terms of food. Customer service is always friendly too. read more
8 months ago
10 months ago
How did this joint end up in Illinois? Northerners seem to have an aversion for fried chicken places except for KFC and Popeye's. This place would be a joint one would find somewhere down South...well, almost. The building is in downtown Champaign in an old building that has been remodeled. There are several booths against the wall and a bar in a shotgun style. The menu has several fried chicken options such as your basic 3 piece, wings, and sandwiches. The bartender told me they were known for the Watson's Hot, which is a chicken breast dipped in Nashville Hot and served on a bun with slaw and comeback sauce. My Watson's Hot was really good overall with the comeback sauce giving it some zest and the slaw adding a creamy feeling to it. But my Watson Hot wasn't really spicy compared to Nashville Hot standards. I would rate it a 2 out of 10 on my heat scale. There was a little spice at the end of the bites. After I got the sandwich, I saw that for a dollar more I could have made it hotter. I usually don't do that but I should have in this instance. The sandwich came with potato wedges which some were overcooked, but still edible. I'm a sauce-aholic and Watson's make about five different sauces in house. The comeback sauce is like a spicy ranch or a chicken finger sauce like Cane's or Zax's sauce. The two other sauces I had that I recommend are the Cherry Coke BBQ sauce and the White sauce. Unfortunately, they charge I think a $1 for extra sauce (highway robbery). The Cherry Coke BBQ sauce has a sweet and smoky flavor to it. It doesn't really taste like cherry coke but it was still pretty good. The white sauce is the Alabama white sauce (Roll Tide) that is gaining more popularity. It is a mayo-based BBQ sauce that pairs well with chicken and has black pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar mixed in. It's a tangy sauce and if you haven't had it, you have to try it. Like I said, it's almost Southern as there was no fresh-brewed sweet tea, but they did have a fresh-brewed peach sweet tea. It made an excellent substitute for the lack of a sweet tea. I would go back to Watson's. There are lots of chicken options on the menu and lots of homemade sauces to try. The peach sweet tea is better than the standard Yankee unsweet sweet tea. The sandwich needs a little more heat though for my taste. read more
3 years ago
We saw this place while in Punch and looked like a pretty good place for chicken using the app walked over past the alley and we were in and seated quickly we were in there around 7 on a Friday night not to crowded but the weather was terrible seating is great for couples and bigger groups Noticed the bourbon selection as we walked past the bar and it had some nicer higher end bourbons to taste Waitress was very accommodating and knew the menu pretty well and we had placed our order and it arrived rather quickly to our surprise the Nashville style hot chicken just their plan was very good but a little bit too spicy also side of dirty rice which I think needed a lot more flavor we also had the andouille and chicken jambalaya which we enjoyed very much Overall it doesn't come close to my favorite Hattie Bs but it's a good option for the area read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
So yummy! Went on a date here. Such great service, super polite and friendly. Has a casual environment, we also got the peach sweet tea, which was amazing, and the Hushpuppies for our appetizer. Everything was so good, portions were huge, left happy and full!! Would definitely go back and keep trying menu item read more
Amazing chicken. Great drinks. We came for brunch. Love that they have different flavors of mimosas. The strawberry banana was odd, but I had a guava mimosa that was delicious. I had the crab Benedict. Perfect! Light and creamy perfectly poached eggs. My partner had the chicken and waffles you get the choice of light or dark meat. Very crispy and juicy. Do not skip the bread pudding! The staff are very quick and friendly. Come to brunch here! read more
OMG. I love this place. It's so lively and warm. Chicken sandwich was the best I've ever had. We came here for a friend's birthday and service was great and split the bill across multiple people. One of my favorite spots around UIUC! read more
3 years ago
Just ordered for the first time in a long. TOTALLY opposite experience. I received the shrimp poboy. The shrimp doesn't taste particularly fresh and I knew I should have looked that the greens in the sandwich, which really tasted off. They looked like they'd been composted...wilted, black and brown, old... First and last visit for a $17 low grade sandwich with 3 pieces of shrimp and rotten greens on it. No thanks. read more
2 years ago
Visited the truck while it was at Triptych and ordered a Watson Hot with fries/mac n cheese. The chicken was really good and had a good amount of heat to it. The mac n cheese was a bit too nacho-y for me to really enjoy it, but overall it was good. read more
3 years ago
Stop by this placed because it was close to the train station. The boneless chicken thighs had just the right amount of heat and was seasoned well. My only problem was the chicken was just room temperature and not warm or hot. read more
3 years ago
It's always a good time at Watson's Shack & Rail. This is my go-to restaurant for spicy chicken sandwiches! You must try the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich! Their chickens are always juicy and the flavors are always on point. We also got the Du Velo sandwich and the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich. Overall, the burger was on the heavier side, but the pork belly in the Du Velo sandwich is so heavenly! The service was great too --The staffs were all very attentive and friendly. While I never tried their famous daiquiris (and other drinks), I heard really good things about it and I am so excited to try them the next time I visit. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
We were in town for a student visit to UIUC. We asked a few people where we should eat dinner while in town and Watson's came up repeatedly. So we went, and even though it was packed we got a couple of spots at the bar. The food was great. Watson's does chicken every which way and we got two: spit-roasted and buffalo wings. Both were super tasty. But where Watson really shines is the bourbon selection. The selection was extensive and well-curated. There were bottles there I'd never seen in the wild before. Even better, the prices were very reasonable. Usually, bars with great selections charge outrageous prices. Not here. All in all, it was a great night. And if my kid winds up going to UIUC, we will definitely be back. read more
Their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich is what brought us here, as my daughter wanted to have one more before leaving Champaign for good after graduating from UIUC. According to her, the bread (a brioche bun) perfectly complements the crispy, juicy chicken. Her roommate like dthe thick fries for being able to taste the potato's soft inside. As for me, I started with the Doc Collins, recommended by our server, which was slightly sweet and tasted of gin, lemon, and mint--a winner. I ordered the chicken and waffles, one of my all-time favorite dishes (it had a more clever name, Chelsea's..., and I almost missed it!) This did not disappoint with crispy warm waffles, 2 pieces of juicy chicken with just enough evenly coated batter (I chose dark meat--a thigh and drumstick), along with cooked apples, which were a great topping for the waffles as well as alone. The whipped butter is a must for the waffles--it brought out the flavor; don't skip it. Overall, they did a great job with our food during a moderately busy dinner time, and the atmosphere was casual, slightly noisy but not too loud. The outside patio looked like a nice option on pleasant days, and their extensive spirits tasting options (3 one-ounce pours, choose your own, many were around $5 each pour) made me wish I had more time to explore it. I'm sad I won't be coming back into town anytime in the foreseeable future myself, but would recommend Watson's to anyone else without hesitation. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Oh man I wish I had this restaurant in Neck of the woods! We were visiting my brother during dad's weekend, and stopped here for dinner on a Friday night. I started with one of their slushy cocktails. It was apple cider and came with an apple cider doughnut on the top. It was so so so good! For dinner and I had the fried Nashville chicken with a side of coleslaw. The chicken was juicy and spicy but not too spicy that you can't finish it. The pickles were also so good! The coleslaw was creamy and fresh, really good in my book. If we're ever back in Champaign in the near future we will definitely be stopping here again! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
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More info about Watson's Shack & Rail
211 N Neil St
Champaign, IL 61820
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(217) 607-0168
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http://www.watsonschicken.com
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