The staff made my dining experience wonderful! They were very attentive & helpful. Their smiles…read moreseemed genuine. Apparently they like working there. The food was amazing! I loved the macNcheese bites & pulled pork. The ambiance was quite comfortable, clean, & inviting. The paper straws & recyclable take-home containers were so appreciated.

Ambiance: Interior has a nice vibe to it. Pretty stereotypical for bbq restaurants when it comes to…read morethe theme and decorations. There is also an outdoor section. During the colder months the outdoor seating also has heaters. Service: The servers are respectful and quick. Food: The burnt ends is extremely juicy and would recommend getting over regular brisket. The rib tips are also great if you enjoy eating cartilage. The Mac n cheese is good but I'd say it's standard. The potato casserole however really stands out to me. It has a very rich flavor and is one of my favorite things there. Sometimes certain meats are unavailable during the end of the day so it's important to keep that in mind and maybe call ahead if there's something specific you're looking for.

I found Black Dog to be really good barbecue. The brisket was perfect. I like the sauce choices…read moretoo. I had the Chicago Hot and a monthly special called Kansas City Firecracker. Both were hot and sweet, my favorite type of sauce. The red cabbage coleslaw was delicious and plentiful. The green beans and tomatoes were awesome. I wish they had greens too , but no. I also tried the polish sausage because somebody on Yelp said it was secretly the best thing on the menu. It was very good, but I'd say the brisket was better. Lots of nice craft beers available - some local. The service was nice and friendly. Nicole was my bartender/server. I enjoyed hearing about her favorite menu items. As you'll see from my receipt, everything has an itemized cost, so the place is a little pricey. But still worth it to me.

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House was a solid BBQ stop while staying in this college town. We came on a…read moreSunday night and it surprisingly wasn't very busy, although there was still a wait if you wanted outdoor seating. A few menu items were already sold out, but the smoky BBQ smell hit us from almost a block away, which definitely built the anticipation. I ordered the burnt ends sandwich without the bun. The flavor was really good and smoky, but the portions felt a little small overall. The coleslaw came in a small sauce cup, which was disappointing. The green beans had great flavor, and the twice baked potato casserole was tasty too, just smaller than expected. Service was friendly and the food came out really fast, so it seemed like everything was prepped and ready to go. Overall, good BBQ flavor and worth checking out if you're in town, especially if you love smoky meats -- just don't expect huge portions. Plus you had to pay for extra sauce and didn't have an option to try the different flavors, which was a bummer.

Always my favorite place to go and take friends, especially anyone visiting from out of town. Food…read moreis awesome with a variety of choices. Service is always good. Love the atmosphere as well.

Their sweet potato fries are FUCKING spectacular. Their sandwhich / sliders assortment is also…read moresomething that is super cool - they have, like, 14 different sandwhiches / burgers on their menu, all with different items? I don't even LIKE sliders, but this put me on! You can have many different smaller burgers for the same stomach space as a regular burger... its genius The ambiance of the bar is something that I love as well - whether you go here for a date or just to chit chat with your homies, the dim lighting makes this feel like a speakeasy, but the server's (who clearly work very hard, so props!) move around with such delicate urgency it makes you feel as though this place is the spot everyone wants to be at. Loved the food and the environment.

i am not sure what happened to this place, but ever since they expanded to more locations, this one…read morehas suffered immensely. I am here for Ebertfest and it has now taken over an hour to get drinks, food, and dessert. I am trying to flag down my server because I was worried about the amount of time it was taking. She apologized and took off the dessert, but she seemed to be the only one working. I was near the back so I got to see all the other servers "yucking" it up and just standing around while this poor lady was doing laps. I am from the service industry and only 40 so I'm not being a Karen. This server deserves a huge raise and probably a better job. Pair that with them cutting down the menu, this place went to a "must see" in Champaign to a maybe. What I ate was tasty, but the rest of Champaign has caught up and starting to leave them behind.

Watsons has never disappointed us. We have been coming here since we were students and it's always…read morea 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!

The P-47 Burger with tater tots hit the spot! Great atmosphere, attentive staff, and fast service!…read moreWould definitely recommend this place!!

Love the nachos from their menu, we regularly order a turkey at Thanksgiving as well that is so…read moregood.

Impromptu lunch date here today. We saw the shaded patio and thought let's give it a try. The…read morehostess quickly seated us outside upon request. Our server was friendly and our food was out shortly after we placed our orders. Everything tasted delicious!!! Well seasoned, meat tender and cooked to perfection!

Very spacious typical American tavern!…read more We tried more of the not typical American items and it was slightly a miss. I think if I came back I would definitely lean into the typical American stuff because that's probably what they do best (the fries looked really yummy on other people's plates) Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche - this was an appetizer specials that I really enjoyed and highly recommend. Every bite was refreshing! Korean Salmon - Salmon was cooked well and the crust was nice and crispy. Something was just off about the flavor -- the sauce was too salty. Surf and Turf Tacos - decent tacos, would consider getting again Overall in the pricer side but it is a nicer sit down restaurant in Champaign. Comes with free popcorn sampler at the beginning of the meal! The servers were every kind. They unfortunately cannot accept visa gift cards too

Wow wow wow! My bartender recommended the wings and they are to die for! First smoked, then fried…read morethen sauced with Asian buffalo sauce. I'm not sure what the sauce was, but I couldn't stop eating it! Then went with the Asian tacos with brisket. Very interesting combination of sauces and brisket. I added the vinegar based bbq sauce for even more yum! Ended with the key lime pie. Definitely different than I was expecting, but very solid none the less. I highly recommend this place! Go get you some!!

Eating here has made us decide we will never eat BBQ again!!…read more This was hands down the worst BBQ we have ever had and in the running for the worst food! The wings were burnt chunks on a plate. There was more burnt, dry skin and meat than edible meat! The ribs were pretty much the same. Drowning them in the sauce did nothing to make them better!! Served with lukewarm fries and below average other sides, there was nothing redeeming about our plates. The cornbread muffin was good...but it's just two bites.

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

This was a top notch place back in the day! But past owner from the 1980's, Allen Strong, has…read moreretired and the new owners don't seem to add much. A glass display case sits empty at the hostess station displaying nothing but lots of smudgy fingerprints. A fitting analogy to the current Courier unfortunately. Patrons come in for lunch and wait several minutes for somebody to seat them. The service suffers from understaffing. I ordered a Veggie Dagwood sandwich. Remember Dagwood Bumstead and his multi layer skyscraper sandwiches?? Not here! This was more of a very dry bread sandwich. Where are the layers of veggies? The layers of cheese? The alfalfa sprouts? The sauce? My sandwich was served with a stale pickle. I asked if I could order a side like potato salad. They had coleslaw - $4 up charge. The place needs to be cleaned up! Put a little pride into the menu.

Love the food here! I have never had a bad experience here. The atmosphere is so calm.read more

The food, atmosphere, and service were ALL simply AMAZING!!! The cheese and shrimp grits are heaven…read moreon a plate. 2 hours from home and not only worth the drive but, quite possibly, worth the walk as well!!! 5 BIG STARS!!!!!

The Spicoli burger. Best cheeseburger I have had in 6 months. Staff is great. It is a little pricey…read morebut It's a high end burger with everything that comes with that.

i liked it :) that's…read morepretty much all i have to say, second time coming and everything was great and i will be back again