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Watson's Shack & Rail

4.1 (305 reviews)
ModerateBars, American
Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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WATSON'S SHACK & RAIL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Watson's Shack & Rail

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Reviews With Photos

Chicken Sandwich
Joanne C.

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!

Bar & Bourbon Selection
Lou L.

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.

Buffalo star Buffalo Starchild Sandwich
Johanna V.

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!!!

Watson's Hot Sandwich - perfectly cooked and really well seasoned.
Chris E.

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.

Dirty Rice
Leyang Z.

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!

Pickled okra!
Lilee N.

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.

Chicken & Andouille Gumbo
Tony I.

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

Watson's Hot but was pretty mild with Cherry Cola BBQ and Watson's White
Rhett B.

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.

Eggs Benedict
Katie M.

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!

Chicken Sandwich, Green Chili and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Genna H.

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

Chicken Sandwich
Venika G.

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!

Compost from the shrimp poboy.

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1 year ago

The food and service is great! Will return! Love the fried Brussels sprouts, gravy fries, and Watson's White Chicken!

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2 years ago

Chicken was fried in old grease. Mac and cheese was disgusting. I don't see the good reviews on this place

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3 years ago

We got catering from Watson's for an event and it was amazing. I love the chicken. I have not been to the restaurant in person.

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