Honestly I was worried about dining here after reading all the reviews, but had a pleasant experience and can't wait to dine here again. My family and I chose to come during the week and at lunch for our first visit because eating out with 2 toddlers can be unpredictable. We were not alone as there were several other guests with their young children dining too. Service: Carlos was great; attentive and professional. We ordered in a timely manner and he refilled our drinks without having to be asked and checked on us often. Food came out without any issues. Food: Being lunch I had a burger which was very juicy and cooked well. I loved the bread but felt that the juiciness of the burger made the bottom piece completely soggy and unmanageable to eat. The children's menu had a good selection of protein options (ribs, chicken, burger, fish plus a side); my daughter chose the 1/4 chicken (baked and so moist) and green beans (which were fresh and sautéed with garlic) plus she got to pick a dessert. I also had a bowl of the lobster and crab bisque which was very good, honestly I only got a couple bites because I shared with my husband and he devoured most of it. Overall: I enjoyed the dining experience at Hamilton Walker's. I hope that people will give them a chance because it's just opened and working out their issues during a busy holiday season. read more

I am so impressed by their lunch! I got their Prime Cut Hamburger on the House bun and added Age Cheddar and boy I was not disappointed. There was a hearty amount of meat and it tasted great! They even gave little mints as well. My coworker suggested the Prime Rib sandwich but since this was my first time eating their food I stuck with something a bit more traditional. Next time I'll definitely try it though. I was barely able to finish my burger without feeling full. I was only able to eat a few of the house fries because It was just so much. You get your bucks worth here for sure. read more

Hamilton Walker's - This definitely beats the small Andies mints you get at Olive garden. Talk about high end! :) - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

This is a sports bar pretending to be a chop house. They even have video gaming in it. It's clear that the owner's have never been in an actual chop house based on the decor (too open and cold) and the TVs. They also don't understand that if you are selling good steaks (considering for the price they charge), you do not put sauces on them. Sauces are an indication of low quality meat and you're better off going to the chain steak places. Save your money (and some disappointment) and go somewhere else. read more

Hamilton Walker's is a bit pricey for the quality. We went in early January, and sat at the bar. It was certainly a lively atmosphere and the bartenders provided great service. The food was good (I had prime rib, my husband had filet, we shared the twice baked potato, asparagus, and chocolate cake), but for the price, it simply didn't wow me. The steaks were good. The twice baked potato was recommended as one of the best sides, but it was relatively boring. The chocolate cake was enormous, but it was served very cold, so it tasted dry and the frosting hard. (It was delicious at home the next day when eaten at the appropriate temperature; just wish it was served that way. We'll be back to enjoy the downtown atmosphere for cocktails and snacks, but Baxter's is our preferred steakhouse in town. read more

Best Crème Burlee you will ever have. Atmosphere is great, as so is the food! Will definitely be back.

I had been holding off having dinner here for awhile, but today (2/22/2017) I decided to go in and have dinner for two. Drink selection and taste are amazing! Service was above and beyond outstanding! Ambiance was very impressive. However, the food and price are the let down. I will be back to order an actual steak from a steak house after they have time to find their footing. I will continue to go in all the time regardless for the bar. Price: Approx $89 before tip. *For what we got it was not over priced but I feel like 60% of the menu is over priced. Drinks: Gin Martini (Asked the bartender for something with Gin and Pomegranate) *Amazing Bartender Sweet White Wine (Do not remember the name, was not my drink) Appetizer: Complementary Bread Basket *Decent, but the butter tasted odd and had clearly been left out it was almost just liquid. Mussels in White Wine *Best I have ever had, I will defiantly get this again. Entrees: Half Roasted Chicken *Good for the price and well cooked, but tons of just canola oil still on the chicken. Half Pork Loan Back Ribs *Meat was overcooked and seemed reheated, but the sauce was very delicious. Sides: 4 Cheese Baked Macaroni *Overcooked pasta like it had been in a warmer all day and way too much cheese. Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes *Seasoned very well, but texture was that of powder instant potatoes. House Salad *Came with no croutons, no cucumber and onion when the menu did not state onion. Lobster Bisque *Burnt, like I got the bottom of the pot. read more

My hopes---they were high! Our community so needs a restaurant like this! I wanted it to better than it turned out to be. Here's my perspective: Dinner for a group of 4 on 1/21/2017: Appetizers- the lobster and crab bisque was definitely NOT a bisque...we thought it was more of a jumbalaya without the okra-score 3/10. The goat cheese, however was a hit-score 10/10. Main courses: Lollichops-score 9/10 and the crabcakes were an 8/10-very large. The bar staff were excellent in contrast to the wait staff. Our waiter and the gentleman who served our food were not friendly and had trouble serving our food to the right people at our table. That's what you would expect from Applebee's, not Hamilton Walkers. I do realize that trying to hire wait staff in a college town with low unemployment is a challenge, but there should be competency training on how to interact with customers and how to implement a system where the servers always know which patron ordered which dish. The building and décor get a two thumbs up. I will wait for a time to give it another try hoping that the chef gets some of the recipes worked out and the staff get more training. read more

Bartender, Brandon, was very nice, knowledgeable and attentive. We ordered drinks and appetizers, which were made well and arrived promptly. Good hire with Brandon - he was really friendly and professional. There was a drunk regular at the bar that proceeded to curse and taunt the bartenders non-stop. It was pretty annoying, but we tried to ignore it. The bartenders' solution was to fill up a plastic water bottle with liquid that looked like wine / sangria. I received feedback on this review that no sangria is served there, and it was likely iced tea (which makes me feel better than my initial impression of a to go cup being given to someone with booze). Had higher hopes as a first time visitor. Will give this spot another shot. read more

The atmosphere is elegant and comfortable. The staff, from the greeter at the door, the knowledgeable waiter, the servers all attentive, friendly and helpful. The food - I wish I could pick one favorite, the starter, a bruschetta with tender flavor filled meat on amazing bread with a glaze, the luscious Brussels sprouts, prime rib, kabobs created the best meal I've ever eaten. For dessert, a beautiful and scrumptious baked Alaska. We are already planning our next visit. read more

This is one of the finest restaurants in Champaign. The service was as good as anywhere I've been. The entire staff was attentive and friendly. My wife and I each ordered the 6 ounce fillet and both were perfect. The 5 stars are because there was nothing that could have been done better read more

Hamilton Walker's - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Absolutely like the dinning area. Good service. A little pricy. I had a sandwich. The bread was great. And you have choices of your bread for your sandwich. It came with a side of fries and ketchup. Fires were kinda soggy. The beef patty was well cooked but lack of flavor. And the sandwich had no sauce at all, which made it so dry that I couldn't eat it without dipping my bread in ketchup. read more

Hamilton Walker's - Bread - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Steve treated me so well!! I feel like family when I'm here. Hannah... I think that was her name she was fast and prompt and kept things moving smooth. If you are in Champaign and near here come get yourself a slice of luxury. read more

We came to Hamilton Walkers for a sibling dinner. I had the tenderloin tips and they were cooked perfectly! Our waitress was wonderful! The only problem I found was that the room was a little too loud to hear our conversation well. The atmosphere in this restaurant is also wonderful. read more

Food was subpar. Steak was fatty with lots of gristle. Crab cakes more filler than crab and served at room temperature. Had a $20 gift card that they wouldn't honor because it said it had expired on the fine print. Manager Claimed they couldn't override the system to honor the gift certificate. Pretty sure that's not true. This restaurant is way overpriced and poor quality. Will not be going back. The best thing I had was a bottled beer. read more

I was pretty underwhelmed by this place. It seems they are trying to be something they're not- the price for the quality of food does not pair up. The pricing was comparable to that of a Chicago steakhouse restaurant but the food does not compare. Giving an additional star for the good martini. I won't be coming back though read more

We love this place for weekend brunch! Their hollandaise is out of this world. The bacon Benedict has become one of my all-time favorite dishes. Their portions are good and the service is friendly. The Bloody Mary bar on Sundays has good toppings too. I'd love it more if they would turn their blasting music down. It's really hard to hear when it's going. And they only offer Tabasco hot sauce. They could add Cholula and turn down the noise and get 5 stars from this happy bruncher! read more

Visiting from California , came with family . Food was excellent, service beyond excellent . Chef came by twice to check on us , GM came to thank us . Great job guys read more

What more could I possibly ask for? Our waiter was very friendly and super knowledgeable about the menu. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time and it was delicious. I had the top sirloin and a loaded baked potato, which were perfectly cooked and delicious. The soup was amazing as well. The atmosphere was great, and all in all my family and I had a wonderful meal. Definitely will be recommending this restaurant to others-- it was great! read more

I love this place and try to go every time I'm in CU. I mean the meats are amazing but so is the salad - the salad! And I've always had amazing service to boot. Love the vibe and atmosphere for a fun night out! read more

Had a great dinner. Filet was perfectly cooked and delicious. Scallops were also cooked properly which is rare...no pun intended. I liked the old music with the deco decor. It was like the overlook hotel . Service was good and the prices were reasonable. Can't wait to go back! read more

One star is rare from me. I like to talk about positives and I am not hard to please if you read many of my other reviews. There is nothing positive I can say about this establishment. Service was horrible, food was not even average, prices are way too high for what you get. A group of 4 of us went at 4:00 pm on a Thursday with reservations. To keep this short, service was horrible. All of the food came out at the same time 45 minutes after we ordered. Salads, soup, entrees - all at once. I had to go up to the bar twice to get a refill on my guest's drinks. The bartender made me pay for them individually instead of getting them added to our bill. Food was boring and inadequate. Steak was cooked way wrong and our waiter never came back to check. I've had a better cut of steak at Ponderosa (remember them!?!?!) for 1/4 of the price. Shrimp cocktail was not deveined and was super tough - way over cooked and not fresh. Another guest had "Fish and Chips" - it looked like a child's plate or something you would get in jail - 1 small piece of fried whitefish and 9 cold steak fries. Salads were made with wilted and browned lettuce. It was completely nasty. I could keep going. The worst part was that the management team was 3 tables away from us and never tried to help. They were busy acting up-ity sampling wine from a vendor. There were only 2 tables active - us and a 6 top - and the 6 top got ALL of the service. I could go on more about the lack of cleanliness and other items, but no reason to. The food is lousy and way over priced and service was pathetic. Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn Steakhouse and Outback would have been better. read more

My son took me to Hamilton Walker's for my birthday. It was our first time there and we had a very enjoyable experience. Our server, Brian G. was such an engaging waiter. He added, tremendously, to our experience. Thank you, Hamilton Walker's and especially Brian G. read more

We visited for our second try yesterday, making a combined Mardi Gras/Valentine's Eve date night, with the idea that a good steak prior to forty days meatless would be a good idea, and that a festive Valentine's dinner would be better celebrated on a non-fasting day. With that in mind, we decided to give Hamilton Walker's another try. Our first experience with the restaurant was back in the first week of their opening, and it was not pleasant. They were trying to fit too many people in given the new place, and their staff was not up to the task. At the time, I began a review, but decided to wait since it would have been nothing but negative. I have to admit up front that the overall vibe of this place bothers me. I'm not quite sure what they're trying to pretend to be - gangster speakeasy? 40s elite club? some Chicago thing I know nothing about? - but it doesn't feel like anybody else is sure either. It comes across as pretentious and unnecessary, and I don't come to a restaurant for a theme park anyway. Our server seemed to approach his task like it was a sacred duty - his tone was very, very subdued (we had to ask him to speak up) and loaded with awed superlatives about food and drinks he could only describe vaguely. We settled quickly on their five-course menu for two, since it seemed to give us a good general selection of the types of foods we were hoping for. I did ask that the menu dessert of baked Alaska (really?) be replaced with the special dessert on offer, a chocolate creme brûlée with raspberries. After some hasty consultation this was agreed to. Overall, the food was fine if uninspired. A small cup of lobster bisque (very light on the cream, with some seafood that might have been lobster in it), a crab cake, heavy on the potatoes, remoulade sauce that was too sweet and heavy on the ketchup, and a substantial spinach salad (again, a bit too sweet, but it was a nice throw-back to 70s-style spinach salads when they were first popular). Then a couple of little filets with mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a port reduction sauce. Average - nothing that stood out above any chain steak place. My wife's first impression of the potatoes, in fact, was that they might have been instant, since they clearly had no dairy component (milk, cream, sour cream) which we pretty much take for granted in potatoes. And finally the dessert - a small dish (one for the two of us) of a very average chocolate mousse-type pudding with a brûlée shell on it and several fresh raspberries. We certainly didn't need one each at this point, but had rather expected it. So overall - nothing was overtly bad, nothing was overtly wrong with the place. But nothing was good enough, interesting enough, or comfortable enough to warrant the very high prices for the Champaign market, and we will certainly not be going back. I'm much happier paying less for more creative, more interesting food in a much less self-consciously fancy place. read more

Very nice restaurant in the area, came here for a graduation dinner. Quality steak options. Also had the scallops which were delicious. Recommend the chocolate mousse for dessert. read more

I should have listened to the skeptical reviews. They are rather kind, actually. Going here was a waste of time and money. The food is "meh" - some things decent at best, some truly poorly cooked by a half-competent chef. The fish is SO overcooked and dry. The steak awfully overpriced, OK-ish, nothing better than what you'd cook at home, likely worse. Yes, the ambiance is nice (hence two stars, rather than one star). Everything else is woefully lacking. The waiters, after DOZENS of reviews complaining about THE SAME FAULTS, continue to make THE SAME MISTAKES. Handsome and polite guys, but rather than a good-looking, fake, verbose, forgetful Mr. Clumsy, do yourselves a favor and hire some COMPETENT waiters, of the kind that work at Courier Café and many other places for 1/4 of the prices and of the tips, offering food tthree times as good. How really difficult is to bring a veggie side dish (very poorly cooked by the way) at the same time as the main dish, rather than "forget", then "apologize" but literally compel the customer to eat the dried-out, poorly cooked meat on its own? Apologies are nice and all that but if the restaurant person who keeps replying to reviews here would use the time to TRAIN THE WAITERS and make sure they run a functional restaurant, that time would be put at much better use! You'd need to apologize less frequently. Also this type of phony, canned responses - you know, "thank you for your feedback, we keep trying to improve, we invite you back again" - are quite offensive in a way, it's almost as if you take your customers for fools. I will NOT be back, thank you. You cannot have a pretentious, expensive restaurant based on absurdly high prices, lots of empty talk, bad cooking, and amateur-at-best service. I give this place one more year at most, before it inevitably closes down. read more

We come to CU occasionally from California. This place has the most amazing weekend brunch. Freshly made breakfast eggs .. great fruit and greens. read more

I have heard decidedly mixed reviews about this newish spot in downtown Champaign. Which has a lot of interesting spots for such a small downtown. I stopped in for a late lunch, and after a relatively large group of over six people left, I was the only one here. So, during Christmas Break time in a sleepy college town, they are able to get some customers. If not particularly jumping, though what would you expect? Anyway, a great cozy vibe. A long wood bar that can hold a lot of people comfortably, with high and low top tables scattered. Big windows around the exterior so you can take in the downtown area. A pretty simple layout, but really welcoming. I was seated right away at the bar, and was taken care of immediately. Ordered a Rigg's Hefe (they have a small but well thought out beer selection with locals and good regional's), and a Prime Rib Sandwich. Food took about 20 minutes to come out. The sandwich wasn't put together very well. As the bun feel apart immediately, and the Prime Rib just one big hunk of meat. I ended up just eating everything separately. It would have been better to slice the rib up or not serve this as a sandwich. Not complaining, but didn't seem necessary. I would just serve this with the same cut without the sandwich, and maybe some fresh bread/rolls on the side. Anyway, I didn't think the Prime Rib was anything special, it came out juicy but a little to done (I order medium rare, thought it was over medium IMO, but not a big enough issue to make a fuss about it). Though overall, just lacked flavor. For something that is $17 in this town, would except a little better. The rest of the lunch menu seemed more along the lines of simple pub grub, which can be great as many places in the immediate area do, but up charged. Looking at the dinner menu, it is certainly high end prices. Overall, this is an A-OK spot. I will give them another try when I can make it up to this town as it is certainly not as bad as some of the negative reviews. It is a pretty good bar to have a drink at. Though not yet at the level of some of my other favorites downtown. read more

The food is great. We are planning to go back soon. Nice atmosphere. We have celebrated two birthday dinners there. We were able to bring in our own cake. They sliced it and served it. There was a nominal charge for that, but well worth it. read more

Great Service every time I've been here! I've had the: Crab Cake, Great, 99% crab with only enough breadcrumbs to keep it together. Lamb, Perfectly cooked, with awesome sauce. Fish Sandwich, cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Several salads for lunch, big portions, and tasty dressings. The wine and cocktails are great(Perrier-Jouet Champagne by the glass!) Overall I've had great experiences in the half dozen times I've eaten here in the last 2 months. read more

Had a key business dinner that required a quiet space. Although they didn't have a small private room, the GM found a spot for us at no additional charge. Thank you! read more

We came here recently on a Friday evening for dinner. We had been twice previously, but that was soon after they had first opened. We were not impressed with our first couple of visits, but it seems like they have figured it out. Food was very good if not a little pricey, but that was expected. To us, the service and atmosphere was dramatically improved and was really top notch for the area. Pretty much perfect ordering, checking in and serving from a timing perspective. They were very friendly and accommodating for our 1 year old daughter. Place was as full as I have seen it, but not too noisy (we were in the dining area). I would recommend now based on this recent experience. read more

The bartender Josh kills the game. Sick double strain for shots. Food is good but expensive. It's got the whole roaring '20s vibe. And that server Nate has the hair of an angel despite what anyone says read more

I've been following the development of this steakhouse for over a year! Got my chance to finally go and see what they're all about last night. It's apparent from the start that this is a place that has just opened. The preflight jitters are palpable from the moment you walk in the door and see six men in suits hovering around the bar area and check-in desk. Clearly management and owners, clearly making sure everyone is happy, clearly making the wait staff nervous. At least you know they want it to succeed, right? I quickly tried to put it out of my mind. We were there to sample, not to dine in just yet; we plan on coming here for New Year's. I ordered a cocktail - the Brooklyn. It was made to perfection - for being rye whiskey and two liqueurs, the taste was very balanced. The bartenders know their stuff here, and word on the street is their extensive cocktail menu doesn't cover all the things they can (and will) make for you; they aim to please! The server we had was very friendly and had an extensive knowledge of the menu. One of my pet peeves is a server that constantly hovers once your food is out; that was not the case here! We got the shrimp cocktail and baked goat cheese. Both were absolutely fantastic. I wish you got more than five shrimp, especially at the steep price point of a restauraunt like this, but they were gigantic! The cocktail sauce had kick to it, too; I love it when people don't skimp on the horseradish. The goat cheese was baked to perfection; a light, slightly crispy golden outside and that oh-so-spreadable and rich inside. It was served with a red pepper sauce and balsamic drizzle. To die for! The acidity helped keep the richness of the goat cheese from overpowering us. I knew someone who had gone to the soft opening for HW, and they told me that I had to try their cheesecake, so we ordered a slice. I thought it was pricy until the slice was brought out... and I realized it was as big as my hand and twice as thick! And it was clearly not your store-bought thawed out cheesecake; this was a from scratch not-so-little slice of heaven with your typical cheesecake fruit assortment on top. No sauce, though; clearly the flavor is meant to stand on its own. It had the consistency of angel food cake until it warmed up in my mouth with each bite where it transformed into that distinctive flavor I know and love. Truly the highlight of the night. You MUST order the cheesecake here. In short, the ownership and management team need to relax and trust their obviously well-trained staff; this steakhouse, much needed in our city, is set up for success. Great food, great drinks, great service. I can't wait to try some mains in the near future and I will definitely be a regular (as much as my wallet permits)! read more

Hamilton Walker's - Shrimp cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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For so long, Champaign residents recognized the need for a classic steakhouse and the arrival of HW was filled with a great deal of anticipation and excitement. We visited HW for the second time last night and I have a mixed review of the experience. First, the cocktails were very good. My wife ordered the Hemingway and I had the Old-Fashion. We waited on the appetizers, Lollichops (lamb) and the Baked Goat Cheese, a bit longer than we should have. We had made it clear to our server that we had an hour and a half before a show and believed that would be sufficient time for our dining experience. By the end we were rushing through our main course to make our show. I ordered a Bordeaux from the wine list and 15 mins later, the waitress came back to tell me they were out of that wine. The alternative was a weak substitute. The apps were very good. The goat cheese is one of my all time favorite apps. The chops were decent. The main course was a filet and a strip. Both requested to be prepared med rare but were medium when they arrived 15 mins before our show. Not only were they over cooked, but the quality of the cuts were average at best. We had the garlic mashed pots and creamed spinach as sides. Both were fantastic but we had to rush out the door and did not have the time we needed to truly appreciate the meal in its entirety. My first experience was better but both visits left me happy with everything but the steaks. Pretty sure a steakhouse should build around a spectacular steak, not the other way around. I have lived in New York and Chicago for a number of years in each location. I know a good steak (Peter Luger's, Erie Cafe, The Palm, Gene and Georgetti, Smith and Wolenski's, etc) so when I tell you this was a disappointment, you can take that to the bank. I am happy to spend 200+ on a meal for two if it fulfills even the basic expectations of what is advertised, but HW failed overall because they have an inferior primary product. The $40 steaks, are worth about $10 and the slow service despite repeated requests drops this to an average, overpriced restaurant in Champaign. read more

Okay so let's start with service. Average, got seated, took our drinks, took our lunch menu, and then a screw up. Ordered Fish and Chips but got Fish sandwich. Told the waiter I ordered the Fish and Chips, he answered just don't eat the bun. Really???? I would do that at McD's but this being Hamilton and Walkers I expected more. I think I saw the owners or managers hanging by. Why don't you fuckn lazy ass guys walk around and ask if things are fine. I'm pretty pissed as you can read. If you can't the lunch menu right how are you gonna get the dinner menu right? read more

We took part in the Champaign Parade of Lights VIP event at HW last night that consisted of appetizers, gift bag and reserved parade seating. We have not been to the dinning room so this review does not reflect that, just our experience of the event. First, the wait staff/"buffet guards" were pleasant. The room was heated. However, we had to wait 20 minutes in a line the spiraled thru the event room that had only 3 tables against the walls. I am not sure what event planner put this together, the logistics were a nightmare - L spaced single-sided buffet put in the corner of the room, no chairs, no place to put plate or drink down, and way too many people for the space could hold. There were elderly folks who had to ask for chairs!? The food was not hot, medicore in quality - chicken sliders, and deep fried potato balls, shrimp, veggies, and fruit and the flow was nightmare. The food was not labeled. There were no forks provided so I had to eat melon with my fingers. If this was a reflection of the quality of the food at the restaurant we will not be visiting this establishment any time soon. I would hope this feedback would help shape next year's VIP event. Having high cocktail tables and a two-sided buffet, and better flow would greatly improve this event. read more

My wife an I just had one of the best meals of our lives. The whole experience, food, atmosphere, customer service, wait staff was just outstanding. We loved the Sautéed Brussel Sprouts. We decided to try your restaurant before the Pat Benetar concert at the Virginia Theater. That for a great start to the evening. read more

We had a 5 star meal here. The drink menu had many gins to choose from, and we each had a top notch martini. The shrimp cocktail had 4 enormous shrimp with excellent cocktail sauce. We shared a Caesar salad and the best side of green beans we have ever had. My husband had a perfect filet mignon, and I opted for fish and chips. I requested extra crispy and was not disappointed. Food and service were both superlative. read more

We have been here for lunch 2 times in one month. Love their burgers, fried cod sandwiches and the amazing steak fries. This past Saturday, we invited 2 friends to join us for dinner, as my husband raved about his experience for dinner here a couple of weeks ago for a work function. The service was outstanding, especially since we were needing to be on time for a concert. Cocktail shrimp were colossal. Our filet and ribeye steaks with Oscar style (crab meat on top) were done perfectly. Also thought the lobster and crab bisque was excellent without being salty. Very happy to have this place in Champaign. Will definitely return. read more

Beautiful. I'm glad they saved and improved a Champaign landmark. Classy all the way. A bit pricy but worth it for the 30+ crowd. Not a hipster haven! Thank goodness. Plenty of staff, great service and well lit. Good background music... Also a good place to pick up women looking for their next ex-husband and his pension. read more