The Courier Cafe

They had exactly what I needed when I needed it and exactly how I needed it. For a while I was ravenously craving a roast beef au jus, I had recently moved from the south so I was colder than I've ever been. It was dark out and I had just gotten a good payout from a side gig. Not sure if the food was as good as I thought or if I was in some sort of roast beef delirium but honestly I'm satisfied either way. The chips were melt in your mouth thin too and they have mineral water straight out of the ground. Would recommend to anyone in need of the culinary equivalent of a warm hug.

When you come in the place has minimal natural lighting and not much unnatural lighting either.. it comes off a little gloomy at 4pm. Its an older building with the dust ajd cobwebs to prove it. The Halloween decorations are cute though. The food is pretty lack luster. I came here specifically for the potato skins and they came out with cold cheddar cheese shreds sprinkled on top. I got the meatloaf w/ Mashed potatoes and gravy + Mac and cheese. The meat loaf was pretty bland but I didnt mind it. The Mac tasted like day old Kraft microwave and reheated. The mashed potatoes weren't even warm nor was the gravy on top (which was engulfing the meatloaf as well). Didn't hit the mark this time.

Beautiful restaurant. The Rueben sandwich are not really worth it and its kind of blend. But the burger is definitely the one to order, also the sides including Onion rings and home fries are finger leaking good. The lasagna is also really good

The Turkey Reuben had a lot of meat and was juicy. The iced coffee was watery and came with whipped cream on top, so it was like sweet water. The deep fried shrimp only had six pieces and the side fries were bigger portions. The food took quite long and we were never given water refills.

I do not recommend this restaurant. A couple of months ago I ordered wings and when I ate them they had blood on them and they were not cooked properly and I threw them away. I thought it was just a mistake and I let it go. But yesterday I ordered wings again and this time they were burnt very hard. Here is a photo.

This was our second time there. Went a second time to give it another try, but food is nothing special and pricey. Unfortunately, we will not go back. We will have to try out other local spots to try and find our favorite!

Step back in time at this old fashioned cafe in downtown Urbana. Enjoy breakfast all day or the lunch menu, so we enjoyed both. We had the Courier Breakfast and a tuna sandwich with sweet potato chips. The ham was delicious with the two eggs and multi grain toast and hash browns. The tuna sandwich is quite large with lettuce and tomatoes. Friendly and quick service. 4.1 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Awesome place for a quick bite in Urbana downtown 😋..this was my first time here and so many choices from the menu... our server was very friendly..i ordered the salmon with rice pilaf..the rice seemed kinda hard on the grain but it was very good..Definitely will be back later

It had a cozy old environment. Good service. There was a nice lady who was kind and very helpful. It is not a crowded place. Food was good overall.

Its nice that the Courier Cafe still exists. Its a local restaurant in downtown Urbana, and area that has been greatly overlooked due to downtown Champaign getting WAY better than when I went there. While I have only been here for breakfast, the menu looks like I need to stop by for lunch or dinner! The thing that really sticks out for me are the breakfast sandwiches. They are very generous with their eggs and their croissants are nearly perfect. Their service is also pretty good, especially since they seem to be able to turn over tables pretty quickly. I have never waited too long! If there is any downside, the place has slightly shortened hours. Could be the hazards of a small business, but this is one that you should certainly check out. With chains taking over everywhere, its nice to find a unique place for breakfast. I am going to try their other "night" food because they run some interesting food specials!

Came here on a Saturday night during move in and was shocked it was empty. We got seated right away and each got a burger. I love the history of the place especially since my mil worked here in college. Bbq burger - a little too much sauce but the onion right was nice Courier burger - very standard and refreshing

Absolutely lovely cafe. We love Renee and come every week. However, there have been some recent changes that have been very sad. What happened to the cream?? They switched from lovely carafes of fresh creamer to packs of half and half and it's not as good. And they've gotten rid of avocado!

I've had breakfast here before, and it's fine. But I recently went to dinner here and the food was a bit abysmal. I ordered the chicken alfredo, and it had very obviously been stored in the freezer before being heated up. The chicken wasn't fresh, and the whole thing tasted vaguely of freezer burn. The waiter also made some strange comments to me and my partner that made us kind of uncomfortable. Like I said, my previous visits have gone fine, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2. Ambiance is nice though.

The food here was very good Service was very iffy. Decore was quaint. I would choose another restaurant next time I am in town. I'm

I finally visited this place a couple days before Christmas. My wife and daughter are out of the country for a month, so dads left to fend for himself. They seem to have a decent rating and I love home style cooking, so let's give it a go. Now maybe they're known for breakfast vs dinner, but my experience was pretty lackluster in terms of the food I was served. I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potato's and added a side of steamed broccoli. The unseasoned broccoli was the best and freshest part of the meal. The potatoes were ok, but the meatloaf was odd. It had a hardness that wasn't from cooking too long in an oven or a crust from too long being reheated on the stovetop, but rather had this shell that if you've ever left meat in the fridge for too long you may be familiar with. I mentioned it to the server and she offered to get me something else, but she also said something that was a little tell for me. She said "that's weird, they don't normally serve it up smothered in ketchup like that, that's new". When a restaurant serves something in a way they don't normally serve it, that's not because they have a rogue cook. It's usually to cover up a mistake. It was burnt, it was smaller than normal, or in my case, it was an old piece of meatloaf that they decided to serve rather than throw away. I had high hopes coming here looking for some good home style cooking, as the best this area has to offer in terms of everyday eating is fast food and chain spots. That being said, if you're looking and considering the courier cafe. Don't.

Went here for lunch on a Sunday, the place was absolutely packed but we were still able to get a table within about ten minutes. Food is good, solid hearty Americana vibes, like small-town diner fare but more upscale. We ordered the biscuits and gravy which were out, but halfway into our meal a waitress brought us fresh biscuits and a bowl of gravy, as she'd gone into the back to get someone to make more just for our table. Great location for walking afterwards, in old classic Urbana just across from the iconic Rose Bowl, lots of street art and murals around. 4/5 needs a lot more staff, everyone there was running around and seemed very overworked.

This place is AMAZING for breakfast/brunch. We received phenomenal service from the entire team. Aziyiaha greeted us warmly and seated us immediately in a beautiful and comfy booth, and Veronica made sure our waters were constantly filled and our table was clean. Holly walked us through the menu and told us her favorites. She recommended the Rancheros Rarebit, a burrito with scrambled eggs, and she advised we add jalapeño and bacon. One bite and my hubs said, "This should be on the menu." It was SOLID. We split an order of the biscuits and gravy, which was also delicious. I used the leftover gravy on my burrito; along with a healthy dose of Cholula, this was an epic breakfast. Delicious from start to finish, adorable atmosphere, but the staff is what set this place over the top. Don't miss The Courier Café!i

Sooooo glad to have lunch in this famous restaurant in Urbana!!! I ordered a sledgehammer burger, a 1/2 salad and 1/2 chili soup combo (only for lunch) but it turned out that the burger was too big lol. Because of their huge portion size, I really recommend ordering 1/2 sandwich/burger plus salad and soup triple. It only costs less than 11, and you can take as much things in the salad bar as you like, plus one or two small buns! It is just so good!

The food and service were great! Nice "old school" look and feel. There is only one thing I would suggest... is keep your prices up to date on the welp app. I understand raising the prices, though, with the economy what it is today, but please keep menus updated. The menu on Yelp says a burger is $8.50

Love this Cafe Homey tasty food, Good sweet potatoes and chicken. Kids loved ice cream as well. Friendly service. Unpretentious. Nice place.

Went after the Illini game, ordered the Dagwood on Sourdough, when it came out I pointed out that it did not have any meat on it, guy says because this is a veggie, he took it back and within a min, the same sandwich was returned with meat put in, but did not have any cheese, or "special sauce" a different employee came over and said he would fix the problem, our server brought back the sandwich and walked away without saying anything, it still did not have cheese or sauce, it was just like it was when it was taken away, by this time my kids were starving and I told them to eat, and paid 13.50 for 3 pieces of white bread (did not toast the bread like I had asked) lettuce, onion, tomato l, and once rolled up slice of turkey and ham, I paid full price and tipped the 20% so my kids didn't have to see me get angry, ridiculous place that I will not be returning too

Food= Delicious Wait = too long Waitress= great Still same ol' Courier Cafe I have Been a frequent customer 31 years. Sorry to see it change ownership but hope it's still the same old Courier

Great little cafe in the heart of old Urbana. The atmosphere is friendly and casual; we hung out for a long time. Plenty of great meal choices available. The food is delicious and the portions are ample. Overall a great experience for us, and I look forward to returning there during my next trip.

We arrived this morning at 9am and we were told 45 min wait for a family of 4 which was expected. However, we ended up waiting an hour and a half, determined to eat since we had already waited so long. The food was subpar but better than a chain. Definitely not worth the wait. And sitting near the hostess stand we got to witness our waitress yell about how customers were being seated multiple times.

I used to think this place was great, now I am more mixed. I'm not sure that it has changed at all, but I think I've just come to realize that the food was never anything special. This place is about the vibes. It is a nice, classic, low-key diner. Top marks on atmosphere, average marks on food.

I love restaurants that honor tradition and resist the call of current dining trends. This is apparent in the Courier Cafe's untouched interior with its historic tin ceiling tiles, wallpaper like at Grandma's house, and comfy leather booths. Very homey, down-to-earth, and welcoming. We were here yesterday for brunch and had a lovely meal. It was a VERY busy day with lots of folks waiting for tables, but I appreciated that you could add your name to the wait list and get a text message when your table was ready. Except for the extremely stressed out and (understandably?) rude/curt/stone-faced bespectacled blonde waitress, everything was tasty and satisfying. We can't wait to come back!

Wonderful food and service by Renee! Our first time in and it did not disappoint! We had a Courier burger, The Sledgehammer sandwich, fries and a banana milkshake for the win! Delish!

A busy burger restaurant in town! Waited for a while to sit in, get my food as well as check. I ordered the Courier Burger with Onion Rings as the side, which tasted good! In addition, the vibe inside was cozy and comfortable, made me feel like at home. Love it!

Cute restaurant. I know it was popular when I went to U of I. The food was greasy and nothing special. My friend asked for no cheese in her omelet because of dairy allergies and luckily she caught that they put it in there. They remade it but still.

I took my family here for breakfast thinking it was the same place I knew as a student. It took 50 minutes from order to being served. The food was cold and bland. The biscuits were stale, and the waitress didn't think to bring butter or jelly to the table. It was one of the saddest meals I've ever had, because this place was a real gem for so many years. Much better to go to a place like Denny's or Bob Evans now. This place serves warmed over cafeteria leftovers, now. Please stay away.

The burger and the burger meat is very nice. Also, the salad bar has a really diverse set of salad. The environment is clean and tidy and the waiters there is pretty nice.

I have family out this way and during our last visit, we came here for breakfast. We were seated quickly and our server was on top of things. I loved the buffalo chicken wrap, and everyone else was happy with their meal too. I really enjoyed looking at the decor, especially the antique cash register up front. It's quite a piece.

Pre-pandemic this place was a great. They often had staffing issues, but overall it was a decent place to grab breakfast or lunch. The vibe was quaint. After the business was sold during the pandemic, prices nearly doubled. $40 for two sandwiches and a side of fries is obscene. With the high prices and spotty service, it's no wonder they had to add poker machines to bring more cash into this place. What was once a historical gem has now lost all of its charm. It's a shame.

We were one of three tables in the restaurant. Service was not good, food delivered cold, glasses never refilled and not one time did the waitress check on us. Floors, tables, and floors were visibly dirty. Sent food back, it came out as it had been microwaved, soggy and plate was hot. Find another place to eat!

The Courier Cafe is an Urbana, IL institution and, despite what some recent reviews will impress upon you, a fantastic restaurant for all of your breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner wishes. We had take-out from them last night - a Saturday night before Christmas Eve, no less - and everything was prepped for pick-up on time and incredibly delicious (2 burgers with fries, 7 Buffalo wings, and cheese curds; those incredible, dreamy cheese curds.). We had eaten breakfast during mid-day Saturdays twice in the past few months, and each visit was a great one. It helped that we had the same waitress (can't remember her name, alas), who on the surface may have appeared rush, but was in fact very personable and quite the hoot, on top of being incredibly attentive. Also, huge bonus points to The Courier for offering both breakfast and lunch throughout the day with many, many menu options to boot, and for having a free table to seat us right away (on a Saturday!). Additionally, we had done take-out with The CC numerous times on weekday nights, again with hardly any hiccups and always tasty, tasty food. These also included the few occasions when we attended music events at the Rose Bowl tent across the street over the summer, so convenient and satisfying their proximity. It should be noted that CC's burgers are super duper (and cooked to your liking). They offer many burger concoctions, more than Farren's! The main challenge that Courier faces, like almost every other place in the area, is a shortage of help. However, they make do the best they can. Folks just need to be patient and empathic, and maybe a bit nicer?

They were out of many food items on the menu. Slow service. They didn't seem happy to see us.

This place is a great place for breakfast or lunch. I try and go every time I get to Champaign.

Went for lunch. Man have they slipped. Had a tuna salad sandwich and fries and it was so blah. Waitress not very friendly. Maybe two old ladies out to lunch don't rate good service.

The only bad part about this place is the parking. I'd stay out of the little lot immediately next to the building and use the lot at the bottom of the hill; at least that's what we did. Great diner-style food with breakfast all day. Great coffee and atmosphere. I'd love to learn a little more about the history of the building too. Staff was super-friendly and helpful. I would definitely eat here again next time I'm in town!

The waiter was very rude, super rude. I don't know who pissed her off but we most certainly felt all of it. Our cups weren't refilled unless we asked. My mother asked for butter for her pancakes and it took her 15 minutes to get it. The waiter never even told us her name, and would walk off on us(several times) in the middle of making request. My steak i ordered medium well... it did not arrive as such. Save your money and go somewhere else, Lily ruined our experience here

Love this place, it's a classic Urbana restaurant. The salad bar is always amazing and they have great vegetarian options. I didn't like the cheese quesadilla I got on my birthday, that's the first time I've ever not been happy with their food. Fun place to go though, very nostalgic.

Great find on our recent trip to Champaign! Good location and charming interior decor. Food was delicious-typical home cooked breakfast! Loved using the check-in/wait list feature, as table was ready when we arrived. Service was top-notch.

I've been here twice--people often recommend it as a breakfast place around here. Though it hasn't been particularly bad, there's usually a long wait and both times the food has been under seasoned. Since there's a lack of breakfast/diner places in Urbana-Champaign, I see why it has mass appeal. We did try the cheese curds today, and WOW they're a must. If I go back, I'll definitely get those.

This food sucked tasted horrible the service was horrible didn't get our burger and the bath rooms are smelly and theirs crap everywhere. We didn't our food forever and it tasted like dog.

Sadly this is no longer the excellent restaurant it once was. The salad bar is not available by weight anymore.

After a last minute decision to drive from SC to IL, I found myself in my old college town of Champaign-Urbana. On a Thursday we drove around checking out my memory of the city. Going by lots of places including where my house from senior year used to be (it's an apartment complex's now) and then stopping by a park. Michael and I were then on the Urbana side of town when it was time for lunch so Yelp helped us pick the local breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot, Courier Cafe. I was hopeful they served breakfast all day bc all the food pics looked great! They don't, but do make their bread fresh in-house so a lunch sandwich would work. When you pull up there's a parking lot for the restaurant (huge plus in a college town) and an awesome mural painted on the side of the old brick building with pictures of famous people from Urbana. I should have taken a pic bc I only remember Roger Ebert being up there. When you walk inside it reminded me of every old time house turned into a restaurant in IL that I've been in. The ceiling tiles, I guess you'd call them, always look the same. We were sat in a cute little wooden booth. Since it was lunch time, the place was pretty crowded and sooooo loud. Our server brought us menus and a water and coke. I decided on a BLT add cheddar on the fresh made sourdough. Michael got the Dagwood on sourdough. Mine came out toasted and his didn't. We were both surprised bc when you describe a super large club type sandwich you expect the bread to be toasted. I guess he needed to ask. The bread was good and fresh, bacon crispy and enough LT and mayo to make it so it wasn't dry. Again that busyness I mentioned, the server wasn't able to stop by and check on us much. Michael only got one refill of coke the entire time and sat there with nothing to drink for all of his meal. I'd go back to try them again for breakfast if I'm ever back in Urbana.

Chicken noodle soup is more of a cream of chicken with dumplings. I did like the chicken pot pie soup with the vegetables. Chili is good. BLT was good. Service is good.

This is a special place for me as the new owners were regular guests of mine when I was a manager here. So I wanted to come and just see what was going on. Since breakfast is my jam and I am a true foodie. I couldn't review one restaurant on one day and not another. So here it goes. The greeting was lack luster unlike the day before at another restaurant. I was sat and was met by a nice girl. Don't know her name.she didn't introduce herself. I ordered the steak and eggs with hash browns and a mini biscuit and gravy. The food arrived about 20 minutes later and I was excited to dive in. That excitement quickly dissipated the wheat toast was cold the biscuit and gravy great flavor but was barely like warm, the steak was cold the eggs were the only thing hot and the hash browns a hefty portion was ok. The steak I ordered medium rare, the cut was small and medium rare is very unattainable. The coffee was hot. The server asked me if I wanted wrap up my check, I was still eating. She is young and learning. All in all my visit to The Courier Cafe was disappointing, but I do recommend them as the new ownership has some great plans. There is plenty room for improvement. Suggestions,: Friendly Welcome and greeting by the hostess and server. Hot food hot cold food cold. Suggestive selling Good Luck!

My wife and I went to the Courier Café last night to get one of their delicious Rueben sandwiches. In our opinion the best in the CU area. We ordered two Rueben's, an order of Onion Rings which we shared, a soft drink and a water. We were more than shocked when our bill came to a ridiculous $42.74 ! We have enjoyed the Courier for many years however we will not be returning due to their new increase in prices. Good luck and I hope you have lots of money to eat out in your budget.

Absolutely horrible. order 2 blts, both came with 2 peices of bacon each, mega tomatoes, and a skimpy peice of lettuce. I ordered "fries". i recieved 10 potato wedges. i ordered a "side Cesar salad". i received a tiny container of a few pieces of lettuce, cucumbers, carrot shavings, and get this, it was completely dry! not a single speck of cesar dressing. i go back inside and ask for cesar dressing, they confess they do not have any dressing. mind you, i would not have ordered it had they let me know beforehand. i spent a grand total of 35$, 30 minutes, and the cost of my dignity. I will not even comment on the attire worn, although it felt a little unprofessional. do not go here. I am deeply disappointed.

If you are looking for a place with lots of charm, large portions and great food, then look no further. The Courier Cafe delivers all of that and more! Beautiful stained glass windows and a painted tin ceiling are two of the architectural details that make this place so interesting. The staff was friendly, and my server kept my coffee mug filled. Speaking of coffee, not only was it delicious, but it was freshly ground on site. For breakfast, I had the Spanish omelet, and it was great! Even though it was made with chorizo, it wasn't overly greasy. The only drawback was the noise level. But, as you can tell, it wasn't bad enough to make me give a lower rating. This is definitely a place I will return to the next time I'm in town.

Wish I didn't have to drop my rating of this once fine establishment so drastically but after 3 disappointing to downright tragic visits I have no choice. Simply put everything has gone downhill fast! Seems most of the former excellent staff are gone. Service is inconsistent to terrible. A waitress/manager that always seams well to put it kindly, out to lunch! Another waitress that practically foams at the mouth when trashing her own employer! She may speak truth but when I'm dissatisfied I want resolution not griping from my server! Food quality has slipped drastically. Former favorites that remained on the menu have declined in quality to the point that I've left most of not all on my plate. The once great (no longer) salad bar that you paid for by the ounce is now a flat $12.95! Leaving no option for a side salad. (Our waitress ranted about that too!) The ultimate example of poor quality food is when I waited :45 for a piece of blackened whitefish that was neither blackened or for that matter even cooked! It was raw in the middle and the fishy stench was overwhelming! My first response was to "let things slide" and let the new owners work out the bugs. But now after a third incident when we got no attention from management for the disaster we experienced I have to take this action. When the hostess asks you was everything ok and they are well aware it was a disaster, you just throw your hands up and walk out. I now feel compelled to vent in a public forem and warn others. Avoid this place at all cost! Not only do you risk wasting your money on bad food and service but you may be risking your own health!

This place nice and cozy, perfect for a brunch or breakfast. There is cafe paradiso next door but I prefer this cafe over it because the food and drinks are better here.

We were in town for the Illinois versus Nebraska men's basketball game. Even though the restaurant was busy, they were turning the tables over quickly. A great experience with excellent food and excellent service. I highly recommend this place!

The food was good. Service was just okay -- my waiter brought my lunch, and then I never saw her again. I had to make a serious effort to get my bill. I don't really expect to have to spend 10 minutes on my own time trying to pay for something

Great place for brunch! We stopped by on a busy Sunday afternoon but service was still quick and food was still great! My mom loved her biscuits and gravy and I really liked my pancakes and eggs. My eggs were perfectly over medium which can sometimes be hard to pull off. If your family or you are visiting UIUC stop here for breakfast!!

This is a great place. I highly recommend this establishment. The food was awesome and the staff was fabulous. I only have one complaint. They have a cashier. She's a portly woman with dark hair, glasses and a nose ring. She was rude and disrespectful. Was not helpful at all. I still have it 5 stars because I'm not letting one bad apple ruin the bunch. I will be back here for sure!!