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    McAlister's Deli

    2.9 (89 reviews)
    InexpensiveDelis, Salad, Sandwiches
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    McAlister's Deli Photos

    Business Info

    MCALISTER'S DELI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - McAlister's Deli

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    Pick 2
    Lilee N.

    Decent sit down deli that has some good sandwich, baked potato, soup, and salad options. Price is on par with Panera but the lines here are shorter and the customer service is much friendlier. You can get good lunch deals by picking two from the salad, sandwich, soups, or potato options. They bake their cookies daily. We tried their baked potato with cheese (can't really mess up a baked potato) an herb chicken sandwich on croissant (wish the chicken was a single piece vs tiny chunks of chicken that fell out of the sandwich), and chowder soup (decent and hearty). Food was good and made to order but nothing spectacular. They do have plenty of seating and can accommodate large groups. The staff also cleans up the table afterwards which is really nice.

    Weirdly cut sandwich. 2 big pieces & 2 small pieces.
    Jason L.

    I gave this place a 5 star review 3 years ago. Been back dozens of times since without any problems. Today must of been a bad day. We all have them. As soon as the wife & I sat down, we noticed no napkins in the dispenser on our table. No napkins any at the tables near us. Stood up to get napkins from the counter only to notice many empty napkin dispensers sitting to the right of the registers. Had to ask for napkins is a bad sign. Getting only 5 cheap store bought napkins another bad sign. Almost like someone forgot to order napkins, for a restaurant, no less. Another bad sign was that my wife got the wrong sandwich and side even though they match the table sign with the number on the order. Her sandwich that was weirdly cut with 2 big pieces and 2 really small pieces. See pics of sandwich and empty napkin dispensers. Today must have been a bad day but my wife & I will be back.

    Turkey Club. So yummy!
    Natalie M.

    Remembering the days when I would get McAlister's over in Texas when I used to live there. I got the sweet tea and the McAlister's club. It came with baked chips and a pickle. Yum! The pickle was fresh and this club was so yummy. The ingredients tasted really fresh and I love the honey mustard. Its sweetness complemented the sandwich very well. The staff were also so friendly!

    this is how you eat soup with no spoon. womp.
    Cambrie A.

    After driving since midnight, I stopped here at 11a for lunch. I ordered tomato bisque and half a spud to go. I asked for no sour cream with the spud. Not only did they not give me any butter for my potato, they also didn't give me a freaking spoon for my soup. I didn't check my bag before leaving the restaurant, as I normally only have to do that at McDonald's. So, because I don't keep spare spoons in my car, I had to pour my bisque on top of my potato in order to eat it. I also stopped in the restroom on my way out, and there was zero toilet paper in the stall I used. The restaurant opened 30 minutes before I arrived, so I'm guessing someone just didn't feel like checking the restrooms before the restaurant opened. I could understand if it was after the lunch rush or in the evening, but this was 30 minutes after opening. Thanks for killing my uber excitement to eat here.

    Bread bowl, as served.
    Maron H.

    Terrible experience. Was served a bread bowl that seemed smashed and poorly put together. Very disappointing.

    Spicy Turkey Melt

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    8 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Service not amazing staff is self absorbed not much cleanliness around the restaurant or restroom need better management.

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    4 years ago

    VERY similar to Paneras except VERY LONG WAIT TIMES regardless of number of people ahead of you.

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    I ate here out of connivence which I don't plan on doing again. The sandwich was very average.

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Stacey T.

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Reasonable food (lamb kebab my favoriate) but didn't offer delivery. Not sure if it does delivery now.

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - McAlister's Deli

    Farren's at the Inman

    Farren's at the Inman

    4.0(412 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Wifey and I decided to come to a brand new place (to us) for our 25th (silver) wedding anniversary…read more While driving up here, Wifey found this place online. We decided, sounds great, so here we are. Coming in, VERY CLEAN, nicely decorated. Love the atmosphere. So we got the fried brussels sprout appetizer with of course, the Gorgonzola crumbles on the side because Wifey doesn't do those! We also got a Mediterranean salad, and a Falafel Burger. Loved our choices! I'll post pictures, and, you know the drill, Wifey will give her opinions! Our server didn't say what his name was, but, a very friendly gentleman. Found out his name is Michael. Quite good brussel sprouts. I'm not usually a big fan. Usually they are just OK. Wifey wanted them so I went along. Surprisingly delicious! The right amount of breading, crisped nicely. Wifey is putting the chipotle aioli on the bun for the Falafel Burger. The pasta salad is great. It's going home for dinner. Take out is a violation of the clause but not this time! The burger was just the perfect taste! Hard to describe. A TINY BIT tangy because of the sauce and just tender veggies! Scrumptious. Wifey's turn: This place is is adorable, happily decorated, and has a warm and classy feel. Hubs mentioned the foods so I will not repeat in depth. The fried Brussels were delightful! I am not a Gorgonzola fan so we made that a side car and I let hubs have the dipping sauce and got me some lemon aioli. I highly recommend this choice! So good. Both the falafel sandwich and the Mediterranean salad were perfectly on point with their Mediterranean taste, vibe and flair. I had to take most of my half of the falafel sammie home for dinner and most of my salad as well. Oh darn! I get to spread the goodness out! I was very pleased with our first visit here. We will be sure to not make it our last. I am happily sated. Yum! This place gets a straight up five stars from me.

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

    Photos
    Farren's at the Inman
    Farren's at the Inman - Exterior

    Exterior

    Farren's at the Inman - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Forage Kitchen - Local roots with chicken and Spicy Corn & Coconut soup. Soup is perfect

    Forage Kitchen

    3.6(26 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    Casual warm bowls for clean living. This lunch place has you covered when you want something hearty…read morebut not heavy. The bowls use simple ingredients for a mild but hearty meal. I ordered a power bowl, with the dressing on the side and added tofu. It was effectively a large bowl of black rice -- a meal unto itself -- topped with slightly chilled vegetables. The guacamole and slaw that came on it were crisp, and they mixed into the rice to give it a texture both smooth and crunchy. On the other hand the sweet potatoes, lentils, and tofu were cool and mushy, like they had been cooked the day before and just come out of the fridge. They warmed party in the rice. The flavors were mild, except for the dressing. I'm glad to have ordered it on the side because it overwhelmed everything else with vinegar. The ingredients generally seemed to be a couple days old. The green onions were dried out though firm, and the sourdough it came with was a bit stale. In the future, I will probably stick with the small bowl, which cuts down on the rice.

    50 minutes. 2 items. Placed an online order for a wrap and a bowl. Showed up about 20 minutes…read moreafter ordering, only to have them start on the order. Stand in the pickup area for another 30 minutes. Told at 15 minutes 'the press isn't heated up yet' (now 11:00a - lunch service). Watched 3 wrap orders get served to eat-in patrons after this. Asked staff multiple times about the order with different excuses, eventually being ignored. Food is decent - it's a great option to have in town, but never again with that level of service. Wasted my entire lunch hour waiting.

    Photos
    Forage Kitchen
    Forage Kitchen - Mole Bowl

    Mole Bowl

    Forage Kitchen - Make Your Own Bowl

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    Make Your Own Bowl

    Fresh International Market

    Fresh International Market

    4.0(33 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $

    This place is awesome! I can see it becoming the best Asian international grocery market in the…read morearea! They have a huge selection of foods predominantly from China, South Korea, and Japan. I have seen some Indian, Vietnamese, and Filipino stuff though including a generous section of spices and whatnot. The prices are quite affordable and they have a great assortment of fresh produce, deli foods like ready to eat kimbap or squid salad, baked goods, pick your own hotpot items, and fresh bbq (put out at 11am). Their staff is super friendly and diverse (a sign at the entrance touts the multilingual abilities of the staff). They seem to have everything including more niche ingredients and even live seafood! I also appreciate that they freshly butcher meat to sell unlike other stores like Amko that freeze it all. There's also a home goods section with cute bowls, makeup, and other stuff. This is all relatively close to campus too and worth the trip. It's also right next to Golden Harbor, which is a plus. I found out about their membership card. You get 1 point per dollar spent and it builds up - it seems handy especially if you shop here frequently. They are still in the opening stage but hopefully the food court will open up soon!

    Very surprised to see an Asian market with a great variety of options in the area. We happened to…read morepassed by the market and saw some of our favorite items that you can only get in Asian markets. Red dates, Gogi Berry, ginger tea, kimchi, Vita drinks, matcha soymilk, miso paste, whole wall of lee kum kee sauces, japanese candies, Korean banana milk, coffee milk, instant noodles, and much more. Their fresh produce was a bit low in stock but they had Taiwan and Napa cabbage and fresh ginger. Inside seems clean and there is parking right outside of the market. Cashier was really friendly. There is a membership to earn points to redeem for coupon. Don't forget to grab some Japanese or Korean instant coffee packs and special lays flavored chips! Those are so good.

    Photos
    Fresh International Market
    Fresh International Market
    Fresh International Market

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    Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken Club with side of fries

    Watson's Shack & Rail

    4.1(306 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Had great stuff at this Southern themed restaurant in Champaign. It has a lot of chicken but also…read moreplenty of vegetarian choices if avoiding meats. Watson's is one of the cleaner and shinier hangouts but it still has some campus vibes. A lot to choose from. The prices aren't bad for portion and quality. Coming in the first time it wasn't that busy. It's a lot crazier when school is in session. This has been around for a while now but it's still a pretty cleaner looking kind of place okay to bring families of students or whatever. A lot on the menu. There's shit tons of drinks and we got a few of these. It's about $5 to get a slushie which hit the spot because outside it was hot. There's a few flavors to choose from which rotate. Among the cocktails are a few that are cool looking. I got one of the seasonal specials, the Campfire Mule. This was made with ginger beer, lime, and whiskey. It's about $12 for the cheapest entrees. She got the Tofu Basket, which was big enough for a meal. This was panko breaded tofu triangles and waffle fries, with a choice of a sauce. I got the Watson's Po Boy. This comes with a choice of protein and I got tofu. Comes topped with lettuce, onions, and a choice of sauce and got it with the vegan remoulade. Great stuff. Also has plenty of choices for chicken. They got the hot style. Got to say it has lots to choose from. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. There's chicken of course but also plenty of things for vegans and vegetarians.

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

    Photos
    Watson's Shack & Rail - Bar & Bourbon Selection

    Bar & Bourbon Selection

    Watson's Shack & Rail - Avocado toast brunch. They use the 7grain from Illinois Central Bakehouse

    Avocado toast brunch. They use the 7grain from Illinois Central Bakehouse

    Watson's Shack & Rail - Montucky Cold Snacks in a can. Ummmm... yes please!!

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    Montucky Cold Snacks in a can. Ummmm... yes please!!

    Baldarotta's Porketta & Sicilian Sausage

    Baldarotta's Porketta & Sicilian Sausage

    4.4(109 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    I've dined here several occasions and locations. They did a pop-up kitchen in Stone Grove when it…read morewas at Old Farms. I think I was pregnant and demolished two sandwiches: porketta and the other escapes me. If they offered a dessert, I probably got that too and enjoyed it. I recall great service and food. Located at Lincoln Square, the nonprofit I managed had a gig for another organization. Nothing to do with the food, but communicating an appropriate place for us to set up and perform was difficult. In the current location, my friend and I ordered pizzas for lunch. We probably could've shared one and split a salad. It was generous. We asked for take home boxes and were provided a box of foil. We wrapped up our pizza slices and the lady who took our order marched over and demanded the foil back. When she saw we had pizza she said she should've given us boxes. Maybe I'll give it a try again in the future and it won't be weird.

    Meat sandos make me happy!…read more Glad we stopped by to try this spot! Literally everything was so delish! We were greeted upon entry and although I briefly looked at the menu online, there's so much other randomness that's available! Be sure to follow their socials for specials and limited menu items that aren't on the paper menus at the counter. We ordered the Baldarotta, Italian Beef, and Turkey Pesto-Hot. Also got an order of fries and the Sicilian Potato Salad. Then ran away with 2 pistachio cannolis! There are quite a few tables in the dining area. I really enjoyed that each table was different with a different set of chairs for each table. There are restrooms available...which was great because I definitely got messy! The namesake Baldarotta had a combination of the porketta and sausage and it made me smile from ear to ear! Such a comforting sandwich. The Italian Beef came with a a whole wide container of au jus for optimal dipping and was so flavorful! The Turkey pesto ordered hot (vs. cold) is a game changer! The pesto Mayo was DELISH! Fries were well seasoned. The potato salad had olives in it and I enjoyed that as well! The cannolis we took to go and enjoyed them later that evening! I loved how it wasn't too sweet at all! Parking was easy as there are spaces in the back. They are next to a brewery so could see pairing these tasty eats with a drink or two next door. Will definitely be back!

    Photos
    Baldarotta's Porketta & Sicilian Sausage
    Baldarotta's Porketta & Sicilian Sausage - The baldarotta

    The baldarotta

    Baldarotta's Porketta & Sicilian Sausage - 4" Baldarotta. Delicious. Filling.

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    4" Baldarotta. Delicious. Filling.

    McAlister's Deli - delis - Updated September 2026

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