I will be super blunt here. These guys are complete idiots. Ok. Garth Brooks on a Saturday night. Hmm. Lets schedule no servers and no bartenders and let's see what happens when the 7:30 concert gets out. I guess this is the norm for this area. Too many people that have no clue what is going on. If this were in Atlanta, this place would be closed down. This place is quite the joke. So next time fellas, either close or staff up. Geez read more

Over a year passed since I had last stopped by Houlihan's. A friend recommended coming here for happy hour. Based on my prior experiences, I knew to keep my expectations low. Instead, I had a great time. I came back a few days later and had another pleasant meal. As far as chain restaurants go, Houlihan's ranks well above average. I've skimmed the other reviews, and I can't be sure if I've just been lucky, but I certainly didn't suffer the problems of other customers (e.g., bland food, poor service). Lunch options are generously portioned and reasonably priced. Complimentary soup or salad is served with entrees, sandwiches/wraps, and pizzas. I've tried the baked potato soup and chicken tortilla soup and have trouble picking a favorite; both are savory and very thick/hearty. If you're concerned about skimpy salads, each of the signature salads come with a healthy proportion of greens-to-"toppings" (candied pecans, Gorgonzola cheese, chicken, etc.). The tapas-style menu really makes this a fun spot for happy hour. There are a LOT of options here (more than 40+), ranging in size from small to medium to entree-size. You'll find something, even if you're a picky eater (and Houlihan's takes special consideration if you mention being gluten-intolerant, vegetarian/vegan, etc.). I love being able to pick out a few things to share with friends, but I can also see this as a great option if you have a light appetite and want truly modest portions of rich mashed potatoes or filling pasta. (Or if you have a diverse appetite and just want to eat bites of a lot of different things!) You can get small, "appetizer"-sized portions of their mac-and-cheese (yum!), grilled skewers, asparagus salad, and white bean hummus (DELISH). I eat hummus as an appetizer at many places, and while they vary in success, I found Houlihan's hummus with grilled pita to be plate-lickingly GOOD (surprising especially for a chain!). The other essential element for happy hour are drinks, and Houlihan's is stocked with a full bar, along with a menu of suggested cocktails. Some of these drinks are more sophisticated, compared to the corn-syrupy messes you get served at most chain restaurants. For women watching their weight, Houlihan's also serves a number of fruity drinks from the "Skinny Girl" brand (great for minimizing the damage that restaurants can do to your diet). read more

Gluten-free...I'm hyper-sensitive and they were top notch! The Chicken enchilada soup was amazing!

Got right in after a late concert. Server was friendly. Limited menu, but food was good. Price seemed a little high. Our table and restrooms were clean. They did forget my ranch, but just a small mistake. read more

My family & i think this place is better than it was before. They are improving with every visit

This is not the Houlihan's of my childhood! This is a classy, someone expensive, upscale establishment. With 4 adults and 2 toddlers, we were seated (thankfully) away from all the other guests (it was early maybe just 5p so there was a lot of extra space). The food was good and the staff was friendly and helpful. I don't live in the area, but if I did, I would be adding this to my list of go-to places for when company is in town. read more

stopped down here for a quick lunch. my friend and i ordered a few of the small plates to share which ended up being the perfect amount of food. we shared the bbq chicken flat bread pizza and the spinach dip appetizer. we also each got a cup of soup. i had the french onion, which was alright. the pizza was tasty and the dip was relatively light considering how heavy spinach dips can be sometimes. service was great. our waitress was very attentive. read more

This is delicious! I had never been to a Houlihans before and it is great. At lunch I get the mini burgers and salad combo and it is great- a little pricey. If it was $7.95 or so I think that it would be a better deal but the food is really good. At dinner time they have a menu that included mac and cheese for $6 and it is GREAT!!!! This is a place worth going!! read more

Yum! That hit the spot! I wandered around campus for a good hour looking for a place to enjoy a nice meal and glass of wine but had no luck near the college, so I came back to the hotel where I am staying. I wanted a steak but thought the 8 oz filet was a little pricey and large so I settled on the 4 oz filet (and subbed fries for a house salad for $2). My steak was perfectly cooked and was served with a side of broccolini and a dab of buttery sauce for only $10!! The 8 oz fillet is only $25 and comes with sides and a salad so that's not a bad deal either. I also had breakfast here this morning and was very satisfied with my scrambled eggs and bacon. I would definitely recommend this place. I know it's my first review, but it's legit. :) read more

Best bartenders and servers in town. Tom's upbeat exuberance lights up the room. Allen's knowledge of mixology is off the charts.

I've been Houlihans several times and I am definitely a fan. While the service has definitely been dopey at times, our food has always been very good. The apps, entre's and even the salads have all been great. I really recommend giving this place more than one chance to shine. The only downfall I feel this place has is the prices- but it's in a hotel, when's the last time you got anything for a normal price in a hotel? It's like buying hot tamales at the theater- read more

I had the fish tacos, hubby had a bacon cheeseburger, and the kids had corn dogs. The fish tacos were very tasty!

Not bad for a chain. Definitely only do dinner or happy hour. Breakfast is a total bust both if you order off the menu or go with the buffet. The bartenders are excellent at customer service and very attentive. read more

I was staying at the adjacent hotel (which is spectacular), and I didn't feel like driving elsewhere for dinner and decided to give this place a shot. It was a Friday evening, and there were very few other guests in the restaurant, but it still took 15 minutes for me to be acknowledged and another 5 minutes for me to be seated. My waiter had no knowledge of the menu and seemed to be quite new. He should not have been on his own. The food was of a poorer quality that one would expect from a fast food restaurant, though the prices said otherwise. The service form the waiter was poor from start to finish, and I never once got a refill on my drink. Next time I stay at the hotel, I will definitely be driving elsewhere to dine. There are so many other great places in Champaign, that it would be a shame to waste time and money here. Avoid at all costs. read more

What a neat little place! Amazing ambience. Of course, the place will really light up on a game day. They have got a good menu. A good selection of small plates (2-4 of these would be one meal) with very reasonable prices. A traditional selection of regular appetizers. The drink selection is great. They have pretty much everything on the menu but I dont know if they really have it behind the bar. The happy hours are very attractive. Not as much as other places but still great. We went for a dinner one evening. We were served by an apprentice waiter. She did a good job and the person over seeing her was very courteous and respectful too. They offered to correct our drink when we were not satisfied with the one we got. The beer selection is satisfying. The small plates are delicious and will leave you wanting more. But thats what they are designed to be. Delicious small portions. The sliders are tasty. The chicken is moist and tender. Great going so far. The entrees are a hit or miss. I particularly did not like my Salmon. It was tough, chewy and smelled a little. I do no like seafood when it smells of seafood. Yeah .. fresh seafood does not smell at all and feels tender yet firm when you cut it / chew. This one was definitely a miss. The grilled shrimp entree was good. The shrimp did not suffer the same fate as the salmon. Save room for desserts for sure! Good selection of individual desserts priced reasonably. Highly recommended for: happy hours small plates appetizers desserts bar menu Inconsistent about: entrees Looking forward to try their brunch! Watch out for: the happy hour listed on the site is no longer valid. They have a different happy hour configuration now. read more

Because I would be arriving during Mother's Day weekend at U of I, I emailed ahead and asked if I could make a reservation since I knew it would be packed. I received an answer promptly and was accommodated. Service was great and friendly. Our party enjoyed chicken parm, fish tacos and the chicken wraps. All were very tasty. My contact via email, Sam, came over to our table and checked how things were going. We all enjoyed our experience and will be back. Thanks to Sam and Pete for going out of their way to make our dining experience a pleasant one! read more

Staying at the iHotel for a conference. Pleasantly surprised at how good the food was! Tomato bisque (with grilled cheese fritter) and veggie mini burger were yummy and both tasted freshly made. Very quick service. Friendly bartenders both nights (sat at bar). read more

The Food was shit and the service was actually really bad I asked for a drink refill about 7 times. Then I found a bunch of hair on my food. I want to the bathroom and someone wrote swears on the walls of the stall and it is the dirtiest bathroom I have ever seen. All the waitresses tried to hit on me at least 4 times each, they weren't even attractive(at all). And it's really freaking expensive, 5.00 for a beer, I felt like I was at a freakin pro baseball game. DON'T EVER GO IN THERE. read more

The food is pretty good at Houlihan's. It is a fun place to hang out with friends. Calamari is delicious. French Onion soup is very good. The service is adequate but not great. Our friends dessert was added to our bill, by mistake. It is an okay place to eat. read more

Champaign Houlihans is the best. I must say that Mina and his staff are attentive and try to service the best way they can. My graduate student friends and I were able to have a place to do work, then have drinks, and have a great time. The manager brought blankets, lit the Fire and made sure we had a great time. Thank you for the amazing time! We appreciate you ! read more

Well, if you toss Bubba a steak from the dollar store, and a couple of frozen shrimp he can boil - you'll have a better dinner than the one I had here! The big difference, Bubba could have made it for $3.00 and I payed $100 here (including a couple of drinks and a hamburger for my son). read more

Fantastic dinner last night. Seared ahi tuna and calamari for apps, scallops and stuffed chicken for dinner. The food was very good. I expected to wait much longer than we did for food since the campus was flooded with marathon runners. In and out in about an hour. My only complaint is with the service. Our waiter looked like he had just rolled out of bed and was annoyed he had to work. By the end of the meal we were finally able to get one smile out of him. Will definitely be back! read more

The service at Houlihan's is the slowest of all the places I've been to in Urbana-Champaign. We went looking for a server after sitting down and waiting for 15 minutes, and after he came, he took the longest time to bring the menu, drinks, bill, etc. The food was meh, nothing that stood out. read more

It's okay for the area. Food is average and service is average. I've been a few times.

nice change from the congested side of Champaign. would definitely go back but by 7:00 pm it started getting busy. i do wish they would use real bacon on the loaded baked potato. read more

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We went here for my sister's birthday. It took 1 hour for the food to come out. We got our entrees then our appetizers and salads. What a joke! Our server never checked on us at all during our hour wait. My sides were cold, so I assume they sat for quite some time. This is the worst place I've ever been to, and I won't be back! Don't waste your time! read more

I've been there twice in one week. Never ate inside but enjoyed the lovely outside eating area. Food was great both dimes as well as service. It's one of my favorite places in the area now. read more

I love the House salad! Most times I go in and order it to go as I do not have the time to wait there to be waited on. The service there has been horrible ever since they opened. SLOW must be their motto!! It can be dead and you still have to wait forever! Oh and I have paid 3 different prices for my house salad?!? This last time I was there I had a French Dip (which I love) and the au jus was gravy!! It was thick and honestly nasty!! Won't be back there anytime soon! read more

Service was slow, but new. Thai salad was mostly cabbage. Stuffed mushroom appetizer was bland. Both sound better on the menu.

Had a reservation for 12 and they sat us at a table for 8. Instead of moving us they added chairs too the table and squished us at the ends. The service was awful. They kept telling us that the service and table issues were because they were so busy. The restaurant was about 1/4 full. It took an eternity to get my sunny side up eggs and they were completely raw. The table next to me had the same issue and set it back. It took so long for it to come back that I didn't even bother sending mine back. I gave them 1 star because I asked for crispy bacon and they did 1 thing right. read more

Houlihan's is attached to the I Hotel and offers the free continental breakfast offered with their standard hotel room stay. From reviews I had read I wasn't expecting much, and not having eaten the day before, being in a college town and it nearing the end of the buffet hours, my expectations were especially modest as a vegan patron. We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the manager, Nathaniel, who was attentive to our needs from the moment we arrived. I asked for a menu (still not expecting too much of the breakfast itself) and he directed us to the continental breakfast - an ample choice of breads (perhaps muffins?), spreads, toaster available, fresh fruit including a mix of fresh watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, oatmeal, cold cereals, warm breakfast wraps, fresh juice, soda fountain choices and Starbucks coffee. Nathaniel returned with my menu and I mentioned I was looking for some hash browns or potatoes not cooked in butter, and he suggested the roasted hash brown potatoes with onions. Perfect! A toasted bagel with peanut butter and banana, a bowl of fresh fruit, side of roasted hash browns with some juice - a lovely breakfast! The husband had a couple of the breakfast wraps and said they were quite tasty. Nathaniel continued to check on us and let us know when the buffet would be closing down. Though he kept just enough coffee to the side for those of us who needed to grab a cup to go. One of the other things he did which was above and beyond was when I was telling him that everything was closed when we got in the night before and I couldn't cook the frozen burritos I had brought because I couldn't find a microwave he told me I could have asked the front desk to bring one up. Then he offered to have the front desk note my account so that the next time I'm at the hotel a microwave will be available for my room! Not many people seem to truly enjoy their jobs to the point where their good mood is infectious, but Nathaniel fits that bill. And the breakfast was pretty good too! read more

Houlihan's was the perfect restaurant. It is not too nice that you don't feel comfortable wearing jeans, but also a place that is nice enough that you could have an anniversary meal. The food was amazing. The chef even came out to check on how everything tasted and answered all my wife and I's questions. Our server Karla was amazing. She brought all of items promptly and never made us feel rushed. She was especially good with our son and daughter. Thank you Karla for the great service! Hope you get a raise. read more

Houlihans has become my absolute favorite restaurant in the Champaign Urbana area in the last two weeks. I had never tried it before because I had heard of people eating there when it first opened years ago, and they received horrible service. So reluctantly I gave in to my mother in law and gave it a try 2 weeks ago. Both times I ate at Houlihans I had the same waiter. His name was Nick and he did a sensational job each time. He was very funny and charming and clearly was confident in his knowledge of what was best to order. I let him pick out my lunch each time and both times Ive been blown away. (Ive tried the Calamari, Lettuce Wraps, Fish Tacos, and the Steak and Wedge Salad). I was expecting a chain restaurant atmosphere and quality since it had the Houlihans name, but the food quality is definitely of a gourmet restaurant. I am usually not into deserts either but Nick suggested the Banana Cream Pie and it was to die for! I truly don't have a bad word to say about the place but Ive only been there twice so I guess I cant say too much but for my money its the best restaurant in town and Ive lived in the area my whole life. My only complaint is that I didn't try it before :) Thanks to Nick and the whole staff for the service and quality I received on both visits, including my birthday. I know people are always quick to yelp about poor food quality and service, so its truly refreshing to have a fine establishment to share the word about. Keep up the good work and ill be sure to keep dragging everyone I know in with me to convert them just like I was :) -Candice read more

We had dinner here and it was excellent. We had the scallops and risotto. It was mouth watering over the top delicious! Wow! Great chef! The restaurant is upscale and very classy. We had a great experience here. Hats off to the manager. He is doing an awesome job! If you are in Champaign make sure to check out this place. You will not be disappointed. Kevin and Jane H read more

Sunday breakfast menu is a little limited in options, but the egg white omelette I ordered was delicious. $9 got a full plate of bacon, toast, omelette, and breakfast potatoes. Not very busy on Sunday morning either! read more

I had breakfast with my guest who stayed at the I hotel. The food was ok; the baked potato and bacon were both slightly overcooked and dried. The ultimate bad experience came from the waitress. She is in her mid-age and was super in a hurry for everything. She spilled coffee, forgot the tobasco, dropped the plate, etc. Most terrible thing is that, my guest does not eat pork due to his religion. We specifically told her twice that "no bacon". Guess what, it came with a load of bacon. Maybe it is the cook who forgot about it, but she did not notice it either. It was not a plasant experience. read more

You expect a certain level of a quality when you go to a chain, that's why you go there. This Houlihan's doesn't measure up to others I've been to. The service was awful, we waited 20 minutes for our waitress to show up at the table. We then placed our order immediately so as to not wait even longer, and we saw her go to several other tables for very long minutes before even turning in our order. So we waited another 30 minutes to get our food, which was NOT worth the wait. I had the fish tacos, and the fish was dry and overcooked. There are better places to eat in Champaign. read more

Lunch portion "scallop" dish was a bowl of risotto with diver scallop garnish. I love balsamic reduction but the amount on this dish was overpowering. Risotto needed salt. Ceasar salad was delicious, but that's hard to really mess up...wish they used shaved parmesan as opposed to the powder stuff from a plastic container. 3 stars for friendly and fast service. Would not return for the food. read more

This place one of my favorites in town. Good service, great environment and awesome food. Their fish tacos are absolutely delicious and you can't go wrong with them, but the steaks, burgers, grilled stuff is delectable too. Most appetizers are shareable which is great if you're going as a group. Portions are good sized and very filling but if you go for dessert they have this Serious Brownie Sundae which is absolute perfection. read more

Staying at the iHotel for the second time in a month. Staff is very nice but the lunch from Houlihan's was very disappointing. The tomato bisque was acceptable (I would give it 3 stars) but the flatbread was absolutely horrible (0 stars) -- oily, doughy, wilted arugula with 0 taste, and I am pretty sure some of the mushrooms were past their prime. The flavor and texture of the flatbread made me wonder if it was pre-made and then just microwaved, there was nothing fresh about it. read more