I've been here countless times. I love the atmosphere n the food. The owner is humble and hardworking! I love everything on the menu. It's all really good and has consistent quality every time I go! read more

Walked in for dinner at 5:50pm on Sunday. Waitress refused to seat me saying they close at 6:00 on Sunday. COVID-hours sign on door says they close at 9:00. read more

Good service, the blackened catfish was perfect. Nice selection of drinks.

After driving by this place for months, finnaly had the oportunity to stop in. I'm very glad we did! The owner greeted us and was warm and kind. The servers were friendly and a great time. For appetizers we went with the oyters, which were ok (what did we expect in central illinois?) and the hush puppies, that were great. For dinner we had rib tips, wings and a shrimp Po Boy. All were seasoned with the hand of a great soul food cook. The sides were also fanatstic, grits, greens and mac and cheese. We left the place stufed in a way you only get from down home cooking. read more

Visited this restaurant on a Saturday afternoon after The Illini game. I enjoyed the hush puppies with pimiento cheese very much, so much that I can't wait to get it again!. I also had a cup of gumbo. It was good as well. Was clean and I enjoyed the music playing in the north dining area. read more

I've gone here a few times with different groups of people; before and while Chef Curtis moved into the kitchen. The first time was back in February for a colleague's birthday where the manager remembered my friend from the previous night. (His family took him there for a family celebration.) I got the Cajun Pasta Alfredo and thought it was tasty. It was a hefty serving so I ended up taking a portion home. We got dessert to go; I took home strawberry cheesecake and pecan pie. Both were delicious! The second time was in June with a large group and we all needed different tickets. The waitress, Desiree, was great- she was accurate on all orders for our group of ten. There was a band there so they were quite busy but she did a great job visiting the tables. We ordered a few appetizer as we waited for the rest of the group. The spinach artichoke dip was chunky; we ran out of chips but it was refilled so we could finish gobbling that down. I got the catfish dinner with Mac n cheese and collard greens. Again, it was a sizable portion so I took the leftovers home and my husband happily ate my them and complimented the proper way the fish was breaded and fried. The most recent time I went was after a Friday Night Live gig so I grabbed some takeout for home. I ordered a Shrimp Po Boy. Even as a takeout the sandwich was presented beautifully in the container. The bread was slightly buttered and added to the richness of the sandwich. I also appreciated that the shrimp was a nice size not little popcorn shrimp read more

We went to Neil St. Blues for lunch (They're open for lunch!) because we knew it would be awesome, but HOLY SMOKED RIBS, Batman! That was amazing. Crab cakes and giant burgers and ribs for days. Nice work from Chef Christina Glass and a delight to see Gayle Starks, owner and pillar of the community. ...need a post ribs nap, now... read more

Our visit was a wonderful experience. We visited for a late lunch. Our server Raven did a great job of explaining the menus items. She was also very friendly and attentive. So to say this is comfort food is an understatement! The food was so good we wish we were locals so we could visit often. My husband had the ribs, Mac and cheese and collard greens. I had the alligator po boy and potato salad and we shared a banana pudding for dessert. The food was all so delicious. I would highly recommend this place! read more

The food is phenomenal. The people are lovely. Everything feels like an old family recipe. read more

Neil St Blues - Cajun pasta - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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I've been coming to Neil Street Blues for over a year now and it's my favorite place in Champaign! Everything I've tried has been good but my favorite is the shrimp and grits. The gumbo in it pairs so well with it. Their wing dinners, yams and greens are my go to as well. All the drinks are good too. I highly recommend the coconut crusher. The staff is so friendly and the vibes are unbeatable. The music is never not good. I really love it there! read more

If they mess up an order you are gonna have a nightmare getting it right! Getting your order fixed is impossible. Getting a refund is next to impossible! This place might be great but if you have a bad experience you are seriously gonna regret ever ordering from them! Employees are rude, disrespectful, flat out lie!!!! And will waste four hours of your night! Then get ready for three solid days of Grubhub/Yelp customer service Hell! Ordered food at 7pm and it claimed to have a 40-60 minute wait. After an hour the delivery left and the app updated to say it would be 65min-2hours. Food arrived barely lukewarm. DIDNT GET 2 SIDES I PAID FOR! Called and they lied and told me they only had three sides, that the greens had been unavailable for days and wouldn't be on the menu again for the foreseeable future. We decided to try two of the choices they have us and they suddenly put "Mike" the "manager" on the phone and he claimed they just that second received, cooked, and were ready to send me my greens. That sounded fishy so I just asked them to go ahead and send the other items as the other person explained and he said they'd be ready shortly. Two hours later they had closed and no sides. No answer because they were closed. So I paid a delivery fee, got a "Cobb salad" that wasn't as described in the menu, got shorted what amounts to $8 worth of sides and the restaurant simply doesn't care! Even worse Grubhub/Yelp customer service is worthless. 3 days of being disrespected, disconnected and shoved to the back of queues of over 100 people. Promises of supervisors emailing me that never follow through. Reps who simply sit there until you prompt them repeatedly with "Hello." Being told they will only give me a $10 credit toward MORE food at this HORRIBLE restaurant!? Edit: after three days of customer service Hell a manager finally called me back. ( I repeatedly asked for emails because 1. I having a hearing disability and 2. I was tired of being "accidentally disconnected" and shoved back into ridiculous queues and having reps tell me that I needed to do everything I already did the day before and then have them fail again and waste more hours of my time to get nowhere.) He simply emailed me a refund. Too little too late IMO. I'm deleting the app/s and will just have food delivered from your competitors. Thanks to Eric who helped refund my order. The rest of your customer service reps need retrained or fired. read more

My husband and I took a couple from out of town to dinner here this weekend. It was our first time dining at Neil St Blues as well and it did not disappoint! The food was amazing, the waitstaff was very friendly, and the restaurant itself was a wonderful place to dine. We'll definitely be back! read more

Came in, it's the evening, right before ten. Try to order cocktails. The waitress tells us that the bartenders are too inexperienced to make basic drinks (cherry bomb or lemon drops) but, she'd have them pull out their phones for a recipe. Okay. The cherry bomb gets here... it's bitter as all hell, gross and does not taste like alcohol. The lemon drop was good because the waitress knew how to make it. Alright, not the place for drinks but, they also forget to bring us the appetizer (fried cheese curds). Mains come out and my shrimp skewers (which were just grilled shrimp and peppers) are missing one of the sides I ordered. My boyfriends meal is "meh". We never see any ketchup or condiments either. For the prices they charge, this shit is too much. Maybe, I'll try again when they are "older", if they get that far. read more

Food was not bad. Issue is value. For 2 normal sized Philly steak egg rolls it's $11. That's just insane. A normal serving of a mediocre peach cobbler is over $9. A 4oz helping of again mediocre potato salad Is over $5. If they would just charge realistic prices for the quantity and quality they provide, this review would have been much different. Better values found well....anywhere. read more

Great place to get southern comfort food or barbecue. I got the shrimp dinner with sweet potato fries and Mac n cheese. We also got the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer which were great. All three were unique compared to other places. Service was very good as well. Will definitely be back soon to try the shrimp and grits. read more

Neil St Blues - Shrimp dinner and catfish dinner - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Delicious food! And I so appreciate the vegan options. The fried chicken was crisp and so fresh!

Exceptionally great food! Like your granny would make! My husband had the fried green tomatoes, and catfish dinner with greens & Mac & Cheese! The greens wee super flavorful loaded with tons of turkey, homemade Mac & Cheese. I had the shrimp Po'Boy, on fresh bread from Wisconsin with a to die for Long Island I've tea! All in all, well crafted food, made with love and very affordable! Definitely will be back!! read more

Neil St Blues - Amazing po' boy - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The catfish was so good I began laughing incredulously. Seriously. That is not a joke. The food is really, astonishingly good. (I had the mac and cheese, collard greens, catfish, and pecan pie.) The atmosphere is also comfortable and stylish. Waitstaff were friendly and competent, though some were maybe a bit new. Add live music and good drinks, you have a winner. read more

The service was great. We had the fried shrimp which was very crispy and had a great flavor. We also had the mushroom etouffee which was part of the vegan chef challenge. It was savory and so delicious. The margaritas were nice and strong too. I will be going back. read more

We've done curbside at Neil St. Blues a few times as it is just a couple minutes from our place. The first time was a great experience. My husband did the build your own burger and I did the black bean burger. Both orders were correct and tasted great! Their fries are delicious!!! I really enjoyed the black bean burger! We ordered curbside last night. My husband reached the curbside parking & called to let them know he was there at 6pm. The young lady who answered the phone asked him what his name was. As my husband replied she said 'huh, what?' so he proceeded to spell his name out. The lady then LAUGHED at him. Yeah, she laughed at his name and hung up on him as he was telling her our car description. 13 mins later, he's still waiting when it's 7°F outside. I got a text at 6:03pm saying the food was ready yet no one was bringing the food out. I called them this time. A nice young man answered the phone and told me that my husband should've called and they would've brought the food right out so I told him he did call 13 mins ago and the lady just laughed at his name and hung up. He said he'd bring the food right out which I appreciated. The lady who laughed at my husband's name came out to deliver the food and didn't even apologize to him. Maybe she isn't used to people from other cultures but who the heck laughs at someone's name?! We order out from restaurants allll the time and never once has anyone laughed at our names. The food also didn't have the toppings/condiments on it that we asked for. What's the point of ordering food from a restaurant when you have to provide your own toppings & condiments that you checked the box for to be included in your order? read more

Best PoBoy I've had in a long time. This place kicks ass. Excellent service and the food came quickly.

Always satisfying! We love Gayle, Michael, and entire staff at NSB! The service is professional, and portions are perfect. My fav food spot in CU. read more

First the hostess forgot we were waiting for a table, then said she was calling our name when that never happened. Then took another hour to get food. Food was served cold, I asked to be made fresh, manger took my plate threw it in a microwave and comes back and tries to say this is fresh. Well it was microwaved so hard the ribs turned white and the red beans and rice brown from drying out. We have been finished eating for 20 minutes and no one has brought us a check... avoid if you value hot food, honest staff, and friendliness... update it only took our sever 25 minutes to bring our check. Couldn't help but to notice how all the other tables around us were getting wonderful service except us. read more

I really wanted to like this place because I'd heard good things but ... We were seated right away and a server took our drink order. The atmosphere is lacking. They need some kind of decor! I ordered jambalaya and my date ordered rib tips and fries. The jambalaya was tasty but not much of a kick as expected with jambalaya. The rib "tips" were just regular ribs cut into small pieces and they all had bones; therefore not true rib tips. The sauce on them however was good. We ordered second drinks that never came so we checked out. Unlikely we will return. My date was very upset about the rib tips. read more

Beyond happy with this place!! Amazing food and great service. Cheesesteak egg rolls, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles were all solid appetizers. The SHRIMP AND GRITS are everything!! Do yourself a favor and get them. Also, the staff is very helpful if you are unfamiliar with creole food. All of the food, sides and even the dipping sauces seemed to be made from scratch and fresh . Ended the meal with bread pudding, also delish and made from scratch!! read more

Great food and a great atmosphere! Really enjoyed ourselves! Got the catfish dinner with fries and potato salad and the grilled shrimp dinner with fried okra and candies yams! read more

Neil St Blues - Catfish dinner with fries and potato salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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We are visiting from out of town and were blown away by the exquisite food at this restaurant! I ordered the vegan oyster mushroom po'boy, and it was so flavorful, delicately battered, perfectly crispy and chewy at the same time. It was truly one of the amazing things I have ever eaten! There were several other vegan options on the menu that sounded delicious so I'll definitely return tomorrow night to eat my way through the menu. Our server was really friendly, and it was such a treat to meet the owner Gail! read more

Delicious! I ordered the fired chicken for a rainy day treat and it was so good! The Mac and cheese was terrific.

I was excited to try their brunch with live music. I arrived at 1:00 and there was no live music. those things happen, so I asked for a table, and it went down hill from there. The hostess could not decide where to seat me--I ended up at a bar table, near a wall, in the way of people trying to get to the buffet--they moved my chair multiple times. No one explained anything. I went up and there were no plates out--apparently you have to ask for them, and they hand them out. One of the employees said that the health district requires them to hand out the plates--I have never heard of such a rule--if that's the case, then buffets and salad bars all over CU are violating that rule. I believe there were omelets to order, but again, no one explained that, and there was no one there to cook them. The catfish and wings were good, but not good enough to subject myself to that again. The waitstaff were serving mimosas, I believe, but no one came to the table to ask me, and I finally flagged down my waiter to order orange juice. I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant in my life. I think if you're a regular and know the drill, your experience is better. I enjoyed Chef Curtis' food when he was in Rantoul, but with all of the options in town, I don't see myself going back. read more

This was our first time eating here and we will go back again. All the food was spot on, service was quick and everything just like we ordered. I'm a big fan of ribs and these are the best ribs in CU. Everything we had was good, portions were big and it was all served pretty quick. Prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get. We had food leftover to take home, neither of us could eat it all. read more

Neil's is outstanding best seafood in Champaign! I would recommend it anyone who loves seafood.

Wow! Is that too obvious that I really liked this southern cuisine? Fall off the bone ribs that are completely succulent. Down south when someone can really cook well you tell them they " Put their feet in it." A compliment worthy of this fine establishment. The sides taste like home ( if you know how to cook...well!). Support this place, they truly are chefs of southern cuisine! read more

1st of many visits. Walking in, think upscale southern cooking. It is downtown after all. I agree with another reviewer that more could be done ambiance-wise that could lend itself to that concept. Playing blues all day doesnt carry that. I appreciate cleanliness, good service, and good food. Tables and place were clean, but utensils had soap residue. Menu is simple and easy to read. Service was good with a smile, but I may have ordered another drink had I had more attention. Food was perfect really. Catfish was hot and breaded well, okra was spot on, and the sweet potato fries had a splash of brown sugar which was a nice touch. Ribs fell off the bone and smoked well. BIG portions! After I asked for the drink menu (?!) I noticed a small, but well rounded selection. I tip according to the overall experience and left 20%. I have every intention of returning with friends. I hope this helps. read more

Neil St Blues - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Do not place your order online because they will NOT give you the same quality as if you were to go in and sit down. For $26 my pasta was watery, my portion of fries were extremely small and my candied yams were completely burnt!! So disgusting I'm mad I wasted my money here. read more

Neil St Blues - Candied yams were burnt and dry!! Complete waste of money. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Honestly didn't know what to expect coming in. Best soul food I've had in a long time. They have a little mix of Cajun, seafood, and bbq and don't solidify themself in one category. That being said, they're killing it on every level. They put interesting twists on soul food originals but don't dishonor the classics in any way. Great ambience and fantastic food. I'd love to come for some live music and late night menu. Hope this place succeeds because if it does, I will for sure be a frequenter. read more

This is a new restaurant in downtown Champaign. The food was quite good as was the service. They had live music tonight and the performers were very talented. I will definitely be back and expect an even better experience as the business grows. read more

Food and service was AMAZING! If your looking for a great vibe and want to experience delicious soul food in Champaign! This is your go to place read more

Went to Neil Str Blues and got the WORST service !!! Took 10mins to get to a table got to the table took 10mins to get drinks hell the waiter wouldn't even talk to us we had to say something to her she never checked on us to see how we was doing never refilled our drinks .. but ... every white person that came in there was treated with great quick service. The server name was Courtney if I can give her minus 5 stars I would read more

I had a delivery, so no comment in the service but The ribs were very good! Very meaty and portions very generous. Sweet sauce just right. Corn bread yum! read more

I love Chef Curtis food but the service is bad and the bartenders don't know what their doing. Last time we were there it look 15min for someone to acknowledge us and then the waitstaff said they were out of clean glasses and gave us paper cups. Last week I order to go, which is better then going in, but the biscuts that are suppose to come with the wings turn out to be Hawaiian rolls and the wings are certainly smaller then a month ago. I trying to give this place a chance but the service needs help, and not get me started on the brunch buffet..... read more