Best Restaurants in Urbana-Champaign

2/7/2018

Devon Goszkowicz

I absolutely love to eat and cook, and tour restaurants wherever I go! In the 3.5 years I’ve been a student at the University of Illinois, I’ve tried to visit every restaurant that I can. In no particular order, here are my favorite restaurants in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Destihl - Destihl is one of my favorite restaurants to show to my visiting family and friends. It has fantastic food that can suit all tastes, desires, and dietary needs. Their beer battered asparagus is a stand-out item for me, and their desserts are all amazing!

Seven Saints - Seven Saints has an incredibly cosy atmosphere that invites you in to eat their delicious food. Although Seven Saints doesn’t take reservations, it is well worth the wait to taste their renowned sliders and sandwiches. Their goat cheese salad is also one of the most delicious salads I have ever eaten in my life, and I could not recommend it more highly!

Sam’s Cafe - Sam’s Cafe is this cute little diner in downtown Champaign that is budget friendly and DELICIOUS. They offer a myriad of breakfast foods (all fantastic), and their french toast is absolutely divine — imagine a pancake turned into french toast, and voila! it exists at Sam’s.

Huaraches Moroleon - If you’re craving good Mexican food, this is the place to go. Huaraches Moroleon is a delightful Mexican restaurant in Urbana that serves four incredible salsas with homemade chips before you begin ordering. The food you receive is massive, flavorful, and delicious. What more could you want?

Sitara - Sitara is my favorite Indian restaurant in the Champaign-Urbana area. Each time I have gone, I have ordered something different. Each time, I’ve loved what I received!

Nando Milano - Nando’s is one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to, and it’s right in the heart of downtown Champaign. It is on the pricier end of restaurants (translation: bring your parents here ;) ), but is absolutely delicious and the service is fantastic. Everything on the menu is simply scrumptious, and I highly recommend this restaurant.

Bangkok Thai - If you like a lot of food for your money and Thai food, Bangkok Thai is the place to go. An $8 platter of food has fed me for 3 meals on multiple occasions. Standouts for me include the fried tofu, pad Thai, and yellow curry.

Cracked - I had heard of Cracked since I was a freshman, and always wrote it off as a overrated breakfast sandwich food truck. Boy, was I wrong. I went to Cracked for the first time in the fall and it was hands down one of the best breakfast sandwiches — maybe THE best breakfast sandwich — I have ever had. Cracked’s inclusion of hash browns in their sandwiches is a total game changer.

Pandamonium Doughnuts - To preface this, I am not a huge doughnut person. To me, they are often way too similar to cake, and I genuinely do not enjoy eating cake. BUT, Panda’s doughnuts are amazing. They’re not like cake at all, and the flavors are unique and delicious every single time! My personal favorite is the Earl Grey Meyer Lemon.

Wedge - Wedge is a tequila bar in downtown Champaign that, while offering a wide selection of tequilas, also has some of the best tacos and guacamole I have ever eaten in my life. Get the taco dinner platter, which will give you three tacos, beans, rice, and pickled veggies, and you will not regret your decision!

 

 

- Devon Goszkowicz