This post is chock full of lunch and dinner ideas, but watch for a future post highlighting breakfast/brunch places that I love also! #weddingguestguide

So you’re in Champaign-Urbana for a couple days for a wedding? You are in luck, because C-U has an amazing food scene! We have lots of culture and diversity thanks to the University, and that means lots of ethnic foods in addition to traditional American food. I’ve assembled a list of some of my favorites, including some of my favorite dishes at each place. Happy eating!

American fare:

Black Dog — If you ask anyone in CU for a must-visit restaurant in Champaign, 9 times out of 10 they will say Black Dog Smoke & Ale House. There is almost always a wait, and make sure you get there early to try the burnt ends. They sell out of those fast! My favorite is the brisket with some mild Georgia peach BBQ sauce, along with a side of twice-baked potato casserole. Yum!

Hamilton Walker’s — If a fancy dinner is in your scope, you’ll definitely want to try Hamilton Walker’s. It’s got kind of an old speakeasy feel with steaks, racks of lamb, burgers, pasta, salads, and more on the menu. I highly recommend the side salad with warm bacon dressing with whatever entree you choose. The dressing is just as amazing as it sounds!

Esquire — This dive bar used to be one of my husband’s and my favorite places for lunch (until he started working on campus and it got too hard to leave campus during the day). They have a stacked list of appetizers that are delicious (try the Asian dumplings or the fried mushrooms!), but their sandwiches, burgers, and pizza are all great too!

Jupiter’s — In the mood for some pizza and a game of pool while you wait? Jupiter’s is your place! And if you hit up the one in Village at the Crossing, they also have a huge game room in the basement with arcade games.

Seven Saints — This place is one of my lunch favorites! For lunch, I like the Triple “S,” and I almost always get the salmon slider, the tomato basil soup, and the strawberry & goat cheese salad. Last week I also tried their new salmon & grain power bowl too — delicious!

MiaZa’s — For many years, one of our favorite family places was Za’s, where you could create your own pasta or pizza dishes with whatever toppings and sauces you wanted. All other locations closed though in the last few years though, so the next best thing is MiaZa’s on campus with fun menu items like Mac ‘n’ cheese pizza, chicken panini, and pear goat cheese salad. There’s plenty of seating too for a campus location — check out the upstairs for more room and a quieter atmosphere.

Crane Alley — This is your place for unique burgers, appetizers, and sides. They have THE best sweet potato fries, and I’m a big fan of their pasta dishes and sandwiches. They also have a couple pool tables and tons of beer options, so you can play and drink while you wait.

Asian fare:

Sushi Siam — This newly opened Thai & sushi restaurant is immediately welcoming and can satisfy all your Asian food cravings! Every sushi roll is presented in an Instagram-worthy way that will have you drooling. Every dish is plated neatly and colofully, and no matter what you order, you will certainly be pleased!

Miga — This Asian-fusion restaurant has quickly become a downtown Champaign favorite. I like the crazy monkey roll, and the house salad with soy balsamic reduction. There is something for everyone though with steak, tuna, chicken, scallops and tons of sushi rolls on the menu, as well as a vast array of mixed drink and wine options.

Asian Noodle & Sushi — We stumbled upon this place a couple of Christmases ago, and enjoyed a nice meal as a family. The sushi is fresh, tasty, and colorful. They also serve heaping portions of braised beef, peppercorn prawns, and bridge noodles. This is one of Champaign’s “hidden” secrets in my opinion!

Siam Terrace — This is one of our all-time favorite places in CU for pad thai. It’s been around for a long time, and we can always find menu items that our kids will also eat (though they are usually happy with just noodles and edamame!).

iWok — I visited iWok for the first time on a photoshoot with UberEats. The owner and his family invited me with partake of the food with them when the shoot was over, and it was such a nice experience! The crispy tofu was something that I probably wouldn’t think to order on my own, but once I tried it I was hooked!

KoFusion — KoFusion is another great sushi place, but they also have lots of hot dish menu items as well. One of my favorite things here is their weekday lunchtime buffet, which always includes a white rice, a fried rice, dumplings, salad, a soup, a couple of stir fry options, one kind of sushi, and their famous bean doughnuts!

San Maru — This Korean restaurant was another one that I first visited on an UberEats shoot, and their food again is beautifully and colorfully presented. They have lots of chicken options, soups, and spicy options.

Mexican fare:

Cactus Grill — This “fast food” Mexican place is where to go for your taco/burrito fix. You get to choose everything that goes into your entree from the rice to the meat to the toppings. There isn’t much seating, so plan to get your food to go.

El Toro — With a few locations throughout the C-U area, El Toro is a Champaign tradition. My favorites are the fajita taco salad, the chimichanga, and the cheese dip! My family also likes the chicken tacos, the pollo loco, and the margaritas of course!

Honestly, I could go on and on and keep thinking of more great places since I wrapped this post. But I think I need to stop or this post will be way too long to absorb! This post will also be updated periodically as needed. Updated 7/9/2020 after Destihl closed.