I love stopping at this place on the way to work in the mornings when I need a quick pick me up. The staff is always friendly and are sure to keep things moving quickly. Even if you're in a time crunch you're still safe to make a quick stop here. I've had a variety of different drinks here: regular coffee, frozen drinks, mochas, the usual stuff. It's all great, you really can't go wrong. There are a number of locations around C-U so you're never too far from a location. read more

Good espresso, nice staff, but... Water dispenser hadn't been filled yet, bathroom was out of paper towels and display shelves were super dusty. And this was at 6:45am, just after open. 2.5 read more

Stopped by this morning and tried a new drink! I got the lavender cream matcha latte and it was amazing! It was a little more sweet than I usually prefer but I really enjoyed it. The staff was helpful, and I didn't wait around very long either! I'm always wanting to support local businesses and I'm glad I stopped by this one this morning! read more

Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza - Lavender cream matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

When I walked in no one was at the counter or behind it. All three members of the staff are in the back kitchen. When I see that in a business it usually means staff is busy socializing with each other instead of being present at work. As I write this review while I drink my coffee they all three left the counter again and went into the kitchen. When I came to the counter to order I was met with a very stale and a I'm here because I have to be here vibe. No emotion or good morning. A vibe like why are you here? They didn't say that but that's the vibe... feeling I don't care what you want to call it that's what I felt. I ordered my coffee I left my tip. I don't have to leave a tip but I always do EVERYWHERE I go because I understand people need to make a living. So I ordered my coffee and sat down with my back to the counter. They make my coffee and didn't even say my order out loud like black coffee two shot of espresso. I mean I am not asking you to yell that or anything just say it so I know it's ready isn't that what coffee places do usually. Last time I came here they did.. you can leave the counter all three of you and socialize in the kitchen you can't just let me know the order is ready you just walk off? I come to a business that offers a service I want at least good service. I'm not asking you to jump over the moon for me. A smile and how are you go a long way. The more you put into it the more you will get out of it like possibly a better tip which = more money! read more

Don't go here on the morning on a game day. Super slow service in the drive through.

Stopped in for a quick coffee. I ordered the maple bourbon latte and there may have been bourbon in the coffee itself. I am kidding but man it tasted like you were drinking straight out of the bottle. It was crazy but good. Didn't get a lot of maple flavor but overall it was tasty but probably smelled like I was drinking for the rest of the morning. There were plenty of tables and free internet. The place is nicely decorated. read more

A great spot for study or work! Just grabbed a small cup of iced Americano and worked on my laptop for the whole morning. But the AC was a little too cold for me TT during that time. The guys at the front desk are quite energetic and friendly! read more

Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza - a cup of espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

First time customer-received $5 credit when I signed up for the app. Great coffee, wonderful service.

They do have the best espresso BUT ever since they changed ownership the scones went downhill. They stopped making the best scone in town-the raspberry almond & replaced it with with the disappointing cran-orange and their other scones are desiccated ghosts of their former selves. I'm super bummed, this used to be one of my favorite places to treat myself. read more

One of my favorite spots in Champaign for the coffee hits, enticing indoor atmosphere, huge menu offering so many options it takes a couple minutes to sort through them all, delightful creative cocktail style brews too like the lawn mower, something for everyone however I really wish that used house made syrups for more enticing flavors and reduced sugar. I pulled out with a bourbon latte and the lawn mower, a wonderfully minty mocha. As I mentioned because of the factory source ingredients, both were extremely sweet. The bourbon was actually some of the best flavors I've ever had for a brewery style brew, rich and indulgent bourbon notes! There are more authentic and quality spots in the area but it's easy to come in here since the others close early. read more

Nice enough staff, but consistency is off when making beverages. Went a few months ago and ordered a "staff favorite"- it was great. Ordered the exact same thing a few weeks later- it was terrible , not sure if the coffee was burned or something just went wrong but it should not be like throwing a dart in the dark when making the same thing. read more

honestly their lattes are amazing, atmosphere seemed nice, friendly service. I'm going to definitely go here for lattes more often!

Went here in the late morning on December 5 and ordered 3 large drinks. The americano was not made with espresso, it was regular coffee. The iced mocha was literally milk and coffee on ice. No chocolate flavoring whatsoever. Took a drink of the Bourbon Caramel Cappuccino that I ordered... surprise, it's literally straight black coffee. Not even good coffee. If you're out of something tell the customer (which I don't quite see how they would be out of everything but ‍), and if you are literally just too lazy to make the ordered drinks then get a new job. Twenty bucks down the drain. 10/10 would NOT recommend this place Should also add that we had no problems up until we tried our drinks. The service was friendly and fast (now I can see why). But I'm completely certain that she also knew exactly what she was handing us. read more

Friendly staff and quick service! I ordered a small black coffee that ended up being much smaller than I imagined. I asked if I could pay the difference to upgrade to a medium and they upgraded it for free. read more

Espresso Royal is conveniently located in Champaign, IL. The atmosphere in the coffee shop is that of the average coffee shop. It has plenty of tables and chairs for people to sit and get work done or just enjoy the company of others. It also has comfortable living room type chairs in front of a fireplace and bookshelf. When I travel to local coffee shops around the country I always try what each shop has that is the "thing" that sets them apart. At Espresso Royal they have bourbon barrel coffee. It was different and delicious. I would return to this coffee shop next time I'm in Champaign and I suggest people check it out. read more

Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The true italian roast beans at Espresso Royale make the best drip coffee in the world. I'm not sure what else can be said. A free drink with every bag? read more

Update: 5/14/09 I have gone back here due to study group requests, and my experiences have been okay. The temperature fluxuates quite a bit, or I just always seem to be under a blower. Cold blasts of air with periods of it getting incredibly warm. Bring layers. We asked once if they could do anything about the climate control, and they said they could, but we didn't notice a change. I haven't noticed the music or if there is any because I've only gone here for study group sessions. The tables are pretty small so we would have to combine 2 or 3 tables to make enough room. The internet is alright- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't or is very slow... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weird coffee shop (and not in a quirky way, just awkward)- don't recommend. I have been wanting to go here since I saw them remodel. It looks beautiful. Finally I went in, and.... bleh. There is no music playing. Just awkward silence and people typing on keyboards. Except for the television show blasting from behind the counter in the back room where the barista is watching "Everybody Loves Raymond," or something of the sort. Loudly. I may as well be sitting in my parents house. This is not coffee shop ambiance. Then she feels the need to bring her lap top out to the counter, and continue to watch television loudly and laugh. Needless to say, not conducive to my reading. It was cold, but the fireplace was not going, which may have helped. I will not be going back here. It looks a lot better from the outside than when you step inside. There are many other coffee shops in the area I would rather spend my money and time at. read more

Great staff and tasty coffee! My favorite is probably the chocolate raspberry mocha. I've tried a bunch of their other lattes (got to love $2 latte Wednesdays). The staff are usually friendly and this location is a nice escape from being on campus. I've been here a lot of times to work on reports or to study. More reliable WiFi and chill staff! read more

This ER location may not look fancy on the outside. There's no bike parking, the parking lot is small, & it's located on a busy street which makes access difficult with traffic. But once you step inside, it's a whole different situation. It's spacious & there's a fireplace inside! Plenty of shelving displays the coffee & cold brew growlers you can buy. Nearby, the pastries, cookies, sandwiches, & biscotti entice you as you place your order at the counter. In the summer, there's outdoor seating but the traffic & sticky weather sometimes make that uncomfortable. What makes up for any of that is the friendly staff. read more

Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza - the coffee shop - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

Great coffees and teas, free wi-fi, and parking. The Jumpin' Ginseng tea is awesome for a caffeine-less evening, or if your stomach is queasy because of papers/finals. I generally don't eat the food, since it is slightly overpriced for what you get and it tends to sit around all day. This place can definitely get crowded fast; especially with law students who, rather than studying their torts casebook, tend to blather and look at Facebook. I learned that as a graduate student looking for a place to actually study. The wood tables and chairs are generally clean; however, the cloth chairs and couch are FILTHY with skin grime and grease. The cushions are full of ancient crumbs, hair, and dirt--believe me, I dropped a pen between the cushions of a chair and had to fish it out. The outdoor seating is ok, yet minimal. Although, the layout allows it to trap exhaust fumes from cars in the lot and cigarette smoke if someone decides to puff. Aside from that, it's pretty standard Espresso Royale style, without the campus traffic and campus parking issues. read more

I've gotten decent mochas from this place before (different location, the one at Village at the Crossing) but one thing that is disappointing is that their small is not equal to a Tall from Starbucks. It's really small! But since the prices are elevated, I don't like to get more than a small at one time. Secondly, my boyfriend and I stopped in to get some drinks on our way to do another errand. The girl was friendly and served us right away, albeit impatiently, because she was also working the drive-thru. He got some kind of frap thing and I got a small hot chocolate. I specifically asked the girl, "How is your hot chocolate?" Of course she said oh it's very good. We're halfway down the street with our drinks when I finally try the hot chocolate. First of all, the whipped cream is actually very good. It's real whipped cream. That's where it ends. The hot chocolate was ALL milk. It just tasted like hot milk with some kind of oily residue in it. I couldn't take more than a few sips. I poured it out on the ground and it was all milk with a couple of shots of syrup at the bottom that didn't mix in whatsoever. It was a waste of money and did nothing to reassure me that it's a good place to go for drinks. read more

This cafe is a fine place to drink coffee and read the paper indoors. Its coffee and tea products are mostly mediocre, although quality varies. Regarding the coffee and tea and associated drinks, such as cappuccino, Espresso Royale rarely produces a good cup. Quality is usually not bad, but overall it tends to be mediocre. Given the quality, coffee and tea drinks are overpriced. The other items for sale, especially the fruit salad, yogurt and cereal, and so on, are good, and competitively priced. I haven't tried the cookies, pastries, chocolates, biscotti and other little things because I rarely buy them in any cafe. Service is friendly and good, although not necessarily the fastest. The shop has a drive-in window, so be aware that the barista might well be working on an order from the window, and not ignoring you at the counter. The indoor area is very nice, and makes an inviting area to sit and enjoy the coffeehouse experience. The outdoor area is well designed but suffers from having a horrid view of Neil Street and the strip mall's own parking area. That's really too bad but nothing can be done about it. Summary: Espresso Royale is a decent cafe with strengths in some areas. It suffers mostly from selling a mediocre product (coffee and tea drinks). read more

I love Espresso Royale, but at other locations. The one on Neil St. has got to hire the most miserable people on the planet. I realize the people who work there, for the most part, are college students whose parents forced them to get a job while in school, but please don't take that out on the customers. I've been to this location five times maybe, and each time I wonder why I continue to punish myself by going back. For instance, the two girls who worked on the mornings of 5/24 and 5/31, around 10:30 or so, really topped the cake. Rude as hell is an understatement. They were nasty to me both times, and both times they were nasty to the people in the drive-thru. Apparently it's a chore for them to come to work and do their job, and they want each customer to know that. I'd prefer to not pay someone to be a jack hole to me. Like I said, I love Espresso Royale but I'd rather drive out of my way to go to another location, and will start doing that from here on out. read more

Had a bad experience at ER today. They gave me the wrong coffee at drive-thru and I just realized it at home. Coffee in the trash. I had to repeat my order at least 3 times at the speaker and at window. Not sure I'm coming back. So many options in town. read more

I frequent this ER especially if I am on my way to work, because it has a drive-thru. I have never had an unfriendly encounter, and frankly I think this has one of the best groups of ER staff in Champaign-Urbana. I don't like to study here for some reason, but I don't mind meeting up with people and chatting. The drinks are usually good, when I have the sandwiches they are good. My only complaint is last time I went in I had to explain to the barista how to make a yerba matte latte. Perhaps better training is in order for this young gentleman? Otherwise, good place. read more

This place has gone downhill. The service has not been very good over the last 6 months-year. You're often ignored for a couple of minutes before you order, and they have forgotten a food order a few times. It just irks me a bit after years of working in customer service positions. read more

Extraordinarily relieved to look out the window of my hotel to see this place in plain view. Crumbly but fresh scones and cozy setting. Fireplace. Kind baristas with solid scone recommendations. read more

Espresso Royale - Stadium Plaza - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Eh, I've tried this place a few times and it just doesn't work for me. The second time I went was last week and the cafe had maybe 3-5 people inside. All of the tables were mostly empty however they were all dirty whether they were wet from drinks or crumbs from pastries. I ordered a hot chai latte for the second time in hopes that it would be better than the first time...shucks. The chai was cold and had nothing but a milky taste...I ended up just leaving as I couldn't figure out where the man went after he gave me my beverage. I give up on this place read more

Espresso's lattes are the best in town! This location in my favorite because of the fireplace and the various seating offerings. I like to come here to work on my own work or with my daughters to help them with homework. Conveniently located and always pretty quick. Hands down my fave place for caramel vanilla lattes! read more

This is my "I need large coffee amounts" spot. My local cafe is great, but I drive here for coffee when I'm working outside of downtown Champaign to get their yum yum iced coffee. Generally a smooth transaction. read more

Good options, good coffee, fast. We stayed at the Homewood Suites. Thankfully we had the Royale feet away.

A pretty good coffee house in a crap strip mall and there are few spaces for parking and a number of business attached together making it hard. The service here as excellent and the place looked good selling superior coffee as this local chain is well known for in the area. A wonderful fireplace is the key highlight of this cool coffee house and much appreciated on a cold day. read more

My favorite Espresso Royale to study at. They bought out the bakery next door, broke down the wall, and renovated the place. It's nice and big, with plenty of tables as well as a sofa in front of a pseudo-fireplace area in the middle. That said, it's still an Espresso Royale, which = expensive coffee that tastes burnt. At least they're better than Starbucks in that they provide free wifi, which unfortunately was broken the last time I went and the hapless overworked barista had no idea how to fix it (fortunately, a more tech-savvy patron finally got sick of it and went and fixed it himself =P). Good for studying because it's off campus (so no loud socializing undergrads...s'okay, I don't hate you guys, I'm just jealous of all the free time you still have =P), and also not in downtown Champaign, so it doesn't get (as) crowded. Don't come here for the coffee though, if you want good cheap coffee go to Pekara in Champaign. read more

The staff is excellent! The atmosphere is excellent! The espresso is subpar-undrinkable unless doctored up. Iced vanilla latte was pleasant.

Best tea latte in Champaign! You can't even get chamomile tea at Starbucks anymore. Espresso Royal has great service too, always so nice to make my concoction just the way I like it (and need it due to my food allergies). read more

by default, i went to espresso since it is so close to my school building. the drinks in general were too strong for me in the beginning but it grew on me. my favorite drink to order is the white mocha. i recently started getting it with hazelnut to make it a bit sweeter and now that is my favorite. if i don't get that, i'll go with the double trouble mocha. and you can't be $2 latte wednesdays!!!! another good drink to try is the vanilla yerba matte tea. it's good for ya and it tastes good to top it off! their polar freezes are not so good, has a strange consistency. i would not pay for that again. don't forget your punch cards (9 drinks, 10th free i think), i've earned my free drinks in the last year! their pastries are okay, not my first choice. but sometimes when you need a donut, you just need a donut lol. they also have sandwiches, soups, chips, and candies if you are in a time crunch and need something quick. read more

Great strong espresso flavors in all their latte variants. But missed the boat too many times on the milk-to-foam ratio on most of my orders so far. read more

Barista was not customer friendly or socially adept. I understand that there is a drive through, but how difficult is it to say, "Thanks for being patient. I will be with you just one moment." There was another barista in the back, and he saw me standing there but chose not to help this guy but snaked backwards and out of sight. Are you guys so shy or lacking in confidence to address customers? Seriously? YOU'RE working in a coffee shop for goodness sake! If you're not people friendly, go find another part-time job! Coffee was mediocre at best and service is lacking to say the least. It's a coffee shop served with a college student attitude. Stay home instead and make your own coffee! You need not find it here. read more

I used to come here fairly often when WPGU were giving away free drinks all the time. I have never been satisfied with a drink ordered from here. I'm not sure what the deal is with their Chai Latte, but it's straight up weird. I hoped my first one was just a mistake and ordered another one my next visit - nope. Still watery and unpalatable. The drive thru service is incredibly slow also. This is the only Espresso Royale location I've visited, so maybe it's just this one. read more

I was glad to see the addition of non soy milk alternatives. Unfortunately the quality of the coconut milk is terrible. It tastes like rancid coconut and made my latte undrinkable. Couple that with baristas who only talk/greet/thank regulars, it makes for a bad coffee shop experience. Too bad since it's close to the house. Probably won't be back. read more