I love the Esquire Lounge. The staff know all their regulars, and the regulars know one another. You always have a friend at Esquire. The drinks and food are priced perfectly for the quality and quantity. It definitely won't break the bank. It's very roomy and very clean. If there is a "Cheers " bar, this is it. Great place to hang! read more

Had a quick to go snack from Esquire and opted for the bacon cheese tater tots! The tots were a perfect amount of crispy and cooked perfectly! Though the cheese/bacon/tot ratio was optimal, the cheese definitely tasted like the slightly worse version of the fake cheese you get at concessions stand and the bacon was not crispy. I think next time I would just get the plain tots! Would love to come back and have a full meal here. Very old timey vibes! Pool costs $1 every 10 minute. read more

Esquire Lounge - Bacon Cheese Tater Tots - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

My sister and I came here for lunch on St. Patrick's Day. They had a corned beef special soup for the day. We ordered a cup of it to try and it was OK. We split a salad and bbq chicken pizza. The pizza was very tasty. The beers we ordered were good and the service was very friendly. You can tell a lot of regulars come here. We did try one of their frozen drinks but it was too sweet so we split the frozen pineapple margarita and it was perfect. Glad we found this place for lunch when we were in town. read more

See all

Try their pineapple infused tequila that is made in-house! We ordered wings and burgers. The wings were extra crispy and were really good. Burger wasn't bad at all. Service is great even on a busy Friday night with drink customers. read more

Esquire Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great food. Service was good, although our server changed mid meal and it would have been nice to know. We kept looking for the girl who took our order but she left. On the plus side, we were there during the anniversary celebration and service was quick. read more

Esquire Lounge - Sidewalk seating for my birthday dinner! - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

First time customer at your establishment we were at the private party in the back. The bartender was very sweet and gave great selections on drinks. We ordered a few appetizers extra from what was provided for the private event. The chicken wings were crispy and very tasty enjoyed both sauces with the order the blue cheese and creamy hot sauce. The dumplings had great filling and the tangy dipping sauce was so addictive. read more

There is literally no one in here. We went to play Steve Holy, Nelly, and Bruno Mars. There were 3 white people and 1 black woman so before yall start to say it was racially biased in the music: we literally loaded $50 on the TouchTunes and we suddenly got skipped for 314 songs even after we paid for fast play see pic below. When mentioned to the staff they got disrespectful and shrugged their shoulders read more

Esquire Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great place for a drink and a snack! 10/10 go here Pineapple margarita is a must!! Nice service, clean, welcoming, relaxing. Perfect Sunday afternoon vibes read more

Esquire Lounge - a drink on a table - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

Went Friday for the fish sandwich, and with confidence I can say it was the worst, most tasteless fish I've ever had. The clam chowder was decent. read more

Esquire Lounge - Fish sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

I've been excited to try Esquire Lounge since moving to Champaign a few weeks ago. I've heard great things and I'm always dying for a good pizza place. My mom owns a pizzeria so my standards are high! I got the Bleu Pear Pizza (Bleu cheese crumbles, walnuts, pear, and mozzarella). At first the flavor was lacking but I asked for a side of honey (luckily they had some!) and drizzled it over the top, this improved the taste quite a bit. The texture was good but next time I would ask for it well done. Excited to go back and try more things here! read more

Esquire Lounge - Bleu Pear Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great food - great service - reasonable cost for quality of food.. ambiance typical urban pub.

The Esquire got high ratings as one the established bars in the area. The service on slow Wednesday was poor at best. The manager was training a female but it looked like he flirting more than teaching. I sat at the bar, got my drink then waited 20 minutes for someone to ask me if I wanted to order food. I ordered pizza (good) and wings (dry and tough). Back to the manager, he walked by me 20 times and never gave me a look let alone ask how I was doing. This place may be an institution in Champaign but my experience was not good. I would really be upset if the bill wasn't on my company. My assessment in two words, Disappointing and Overrated!!!!! BHR read more

The food is delicious and is a good value for the money. The servers are also very polite and are excellent at recommending food options. Great place for a date day or night, good for meeting up with collogues or just dropping by for a drink and an appetizer, alone. The "house" margarita is an extremely good value for the money; is strong and is also tasty. read more

Reliably good bar food. Dishonest ownership and downright bad staff. They will encourage you to drive after drinking too much(2022); they will leave you bleeding outside in the bushes while they look on drinking, smoking, and laughing (2 times in 2023, their own cook); they will give you cement mixers and bar shots (spills collected from the bar mat) once you are too inebriated (- 2022, ongoing). As a worker, if you don't drink on the job, refuse to steal change as "tips" from the customers, and endeavor to offer genuine service they will quickly ostracize and scapegoat you; then when workers quit, the management slanders and spreads rumors of drug use or similar nonsense to cover their own abuses (bartenders 22, 33, and 39, the last of which was a single mother.) It's like Cheers, if the bartenders only wanted your money and didn't care anything about you or the community (except when you're giving them money, of course!). read more

Just a fun old Champaign hangout with a very mixed crowd of ages and types, a smorgasboard of locals and students. I grew up in CU and went to the U of I (class of '73, yes I am old!) and the Esquire was a big 'townie' bar going back forever. I didn't have food this visit back to town but we had fun sitting at the bar having a few drinks on a Thursday night and experiencing the lively atmosphere. Young ladies from a bachelorette party, a bunch of college guys from some event, just all kinds coming there to have some fun. Pretty cool bartenders overrall and we'd certainly go again if we travel to CU. read more

This is one of my favorites, especially the bourbon barrel latte. I don't live in Illinois so I only get to have it when visiting my daughter. read more

Great consistent food and drink. Always a TV on what you want. Staff has been there a while

It's unfortunate, I keep getting invited to go here w/ friends, and I feel bad every time I reject the outing because of the service my husband and I received the first time we came here. When my husband and I first moved here this was the first place we went out to eat, the waiter was very unhappy to be serving us from the start, he was queer like us so I'd imagine he would be more welcoming but wasn't. In the middle of it he switched out with another waiter, probably after realizing he read the scene (us) wrong. He was better. (He at least didn't mind our existence too much...) With this being our first place to visit moving here it not only brought a bad taste to the restaurant but in a way Champaign itself. Luckily, we have been to many other places here, with better experiences. To leave off, I quite liked the thin pizzas and the look of the establishment. read more

I had the WORST experience imaginable yesterday when I went to Esquire. Please get ready because I could write a book on how I was treated from beginning to end. First of all, I came in on the phone and I sat for about 8 minutes before I was approached. Two people looked me in my face and finally a man comes over, gives me water and says I'll be back. Meanwhile, one of the workers is on break eating a burger at the bar who helped me before and he was pretty cool, "I thought" ..The man who said he was coming back was at the end of the bar watching television, came back and ignored me AGAIN. Didn't ask if I was ready to order or anything. I had a lot of patience this day because in any other instance I would have BEEN gone. Then four to five "Caucasian" employees looked at me and no one said ANYTHING to me. They literally all kept coming from the back staring at me because I was in the corner then whispering amongst each other. I'm very observant by the way due to the field I'm in, so I watch everything. Ok, so now I go and ask another lady if I could order my food and told her that I had been waiting because the other man said he was coming to help and didn't. She said, sure and walked over to my table. She says, it's not my section but I'll take your order. I politely said, you don't even have to walk over I could have ordered from the bar because I was grateful for her helping me. So when my food FINALLY came out, I was waiting on my drink because I asked for my drink with my food. I am waiting again, I see the owner who looked me in my face and he didn't speak, which explains why the staff treated me poorly. I explain to him that I had been waiting, been ignored and while I'm talking to him, he's dismissive and looking down. While I'm communicating with him, another employee who didn't even look my way since I had been there says, we were trying to wait for her to get off the phone and didnt want to interrupt. Excuse me, "I said, I have to be off the phone to get help" it's not a library it's a bar" Now the nice lady from earlier who took my order has turned mean and brings over the drink with an unfriendly look on her face and says, is that it!? As the ONLY minority in the place at this time, you have to understand the tension I felt. Then, I see the man who banned my husband and told me I couldn't come back years ago because of it. Honestly, I don't know why I ever want back there to be in the first place but I had been there since and had a much better experience, plus I talked to the owner in the past about this. My husband who suffers with his mental health had words with them in 2022 because he was intoxicated. Anyway, I spoke to the manager who banned him because I'm trying to demonstrate that was the past and he didn't want to speak. He threw his hands up and walked off on me. Here is where it gets good, the guy who was off the clock returned to work and I asked if he could get me another drink and i'd tip him. He brings it over, I'm taking a selfie on my phone and another emplayer out of nowhere comes and says, I can't be taking pictures of people with my phone. I said, "why would I be taking pictures of random people with my phone " Then she says an custimer told her that I was and then she told me I had to leave. Then the only guy who appeared to be "decent" who was at the bar eating earlier says yeah leave and she said, you're banned" as they were walking behind me out the door. They bullied me and it was embarrassing and scary . Not scary as in I was worried that they'd touch me because that would have been a problem for them. I fear no one but God, but scary as in the racism has begun. I had no intentions of EVER going back there again anyway. On my way out the door, someone called me a n******. I have NEVER in my life been treated so bad by caucasIan people in my life. The hatred has started already because of who we have in office and it's sad. I felt like I was in a movie about discrimination from the early 1900s. This has made me depressed and I am TRULY disappointed in how I was treated. I was dealing with something very serious yesterday and went there because I was hungry and was trying to clear my head. If I was suicidal, this would have taken me over the edge. Esquire has changed and the service is poor. I make GREAT money and I work with prestigious people who are lawyers and judges. They don't know that they were dealing with an "intelligent" educated woman with a PHD and this will be made known. Then, I called to speak with the owner to talk about my "horrific" experience. Some lady got on the phone and lied and said, I "followed" an employee" to their car. That is a blatant lie, she lied because I was called the N word and they know how I was treated so when they got called out on it, now they are trying to cover it up. "Stay tuned" I am a classy woman, I would never follow anyone to their car. read more

Gotta admit that the name of the place belies what's actually inside. When I hear the word "Esquire," I think formal and gentlemen. What I got was scattered peanut shells all over the floor and a normal bar scene. Despite this, this place features some cool billiards. It's a great place to watch sports games and the prices are quite reasonable for the amount of food they serve. They have a condiment bar so you can put as much tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and/or onions on your food. My burger and fried mushroom meal came out to be $8.49. And if you're feeling like a hipster, they have PBR pints for a dollar on Sunday. read more

Esquire Lounge - Black bean burger with fried mushrooms. - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We visited today and experienced the worst service of our lives. It took a half hour to get anything we asked for. Our waitress eventually just stopped coming to our table and another server took over- and no, she wasn't off work. We will never return. read more

Where's the meat......... Got shortchanged on my fish sandwich today Does anyone in this town sell a decent codfish sandwich in this town anymore This wasn't much over 1/2" thick either They are usually a good place to eat but I won't order this again read more

Esquire Lounge - Codfish Sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Every time we go to Esquire we have a great experience. The food is amazing and inexpensive for its quality but the service staff is top quality. Friendly, thorough and efficient! Cudos to the Esquire Management and staff! Well done read more

No more peanuts at Esquire! Cleanup guy didn't like cleaning them up.

Pretty laid back bar! I will judge mostly the food as I only had one drink. I got the bacon and blue pizza which was great, the toppings really made the pizza. It is very thin crust, almost cracker like crust. The menu prices are very reasonable and the menu isn't very elaborate. They serve pizza, some salads and sandwiches. I enjoyed the customization of the menu items in terms of toppings. Will be fun to try different combinations in the future. They carry Rigg's hefeweizen which is my favorite beer. read more

Esquire Lounge - Bacon and blue cheese pizza - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Drinks are fair an the wings are good ..seems like the food is cool people always eating there mite give something else a try but the wings are a go too read more

I was dying of hunger so I stopped in for a cheese burger and drinks. I think that I could've went to about 25 better places in Champaign terrible food, worse service and rude bartenders(The one pictured worse of all) . 0/10 do not recommend. read more

Esquire Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Rather you're in formal attire, Jeans or shorts, everyone feel at home.. No matter what your race, color, or sexual preference are, you feel at home... I've been going to the Esquire for approximately 40yrs.and nothing has changed, except it acquired more space.. The atmosphere is friendly. and welcoming, the food is great and the service is A+.. I've continue to order food from there for pick-up throughout the COVID Pandemic and nothing have change, still great food and great and service.. RAH read more

Classic place. Classic Champaign. Upbeat and warm, where everyone knows your name. A must stop when I'm in town.

To be honest, I do not remember this establishment very well. I can say the food was decent, but the service was lacking tremendously. I recall having to wait a while for a server to come by and take my order. When the server did take my order, she did have an attitude and acted like she did not want to be there. The place was not too busy from what I remember, but it was a while since I visited this establishment. Since I cannot remember this establishment, it goes to show that I didn't have a positive experience and I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Nice place to watch sports, enjoy cheap (but tasty and local) beer, and hang out with friends. Several offerings from Triptych, Revolution and Riggs. You can get pints or order pitchers. Didn't order food last night but have enjoyed the pizza in the past food. Typical bar food but prepared well! read more

My sister and I dropped into the Esquire for a burger and a brew today at lunch. The second vice was great and summer shandy was on tap. The service is great and the decor offers lots of great old photos of historic Champaign. Check them out! read more

Esquire Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great food, great drinks, good atmosphere! Pineapple margs are the best! Also can't go wrong with their pizza.

The manager does not need to be managing. Instead of talking about what went wrong she responded "okay well I'll call the police." I said okay do it. I went to get change For the pool table and they asked for my ID. Went to turn it in my tab was $50. They charge per minute?!?! Wasn't told that and she expected me to pay. Awful management call the police anytime. She was too scared to do so: read more

First visit there last night. Will certainly not be our last. After always visiting a different close by location that continually kept getting worse, we decided to change. Wow! Should of sooner. Great food (wings where the best but so was the dumplings and bacon Blu pizza). Great atmosphere. Every body is welcome and it shows in a quiet but amazing way. And Great service. Jessica was a terrific server/bartender. Funny, helpful and offered great menu suggestions. But it wasn't just her. ALL the staff would check in on us as they walked past even though we were not their table. Old fashion family service! Really looking forward to our next visit there. read more

Esquire Lounge - 2 kettle one vodka martinis and a lemon drop. And extra olives given with a smile :) - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

It's no frills, but the food is so good and it's reasonably priced. I don't go there as much as I used to, but whenever I go, I always order the ribeye steak sandwich with fries and a cheese pizza. The burgers are awesome as well. read more

Esquire Lounge - Ribeye steak sandwich with fries. - Pizza Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

See all

There's something quite nice about this place. I've heard they're quite cheap with the drinks here, but I'm more a fan of the food. Every pizza I've had here has been really delicious. The ambiance is worth the visit as well, a traditional joint with pool tables on the side. But the bathrooms...avoid the bathrooms. read more

I go to this bar every single time I'm in Champaign. They have an actual jukebox that's loaded with good stuff, you can eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor, they have pool tables, and lets not forget, the CONTUSIONS. They're just shots of pineapple infused tequila and even my friends who hate tequila seem to love them. I also really like this bar because they have some good bar food (lots of fried stuff) and they serve fried food pretty late. This place is also big, so it can feel busy without being shoulder-to-shoulder like some bars. It's just an all around nice place for a chill night or a party with a big group. Probably one of my favorite bars in Champaign. Just make sure you have your ID because they WILL card you! UPDATE: The jukebox is now gone. I am not happy. read more

Nice neighborhood bar. Good food and friendly service. Great variety of beers from PBR to the high end stuff.

Normally this place is a 5 all the way, however today it was a 3. The waitress we had was not friendly at all, she was rude and walked around like she was mad at the world. I understand people have a bad day but leave it at home. Ribeye steak sandwich was awesome. read more