This was a top notch place back in the day! But past owner from the 1980's, Allen Strong, has retired and the new owners don't seem to add much. A glass display case sits empty at the hostess station displaying nothing but lots of smudgy fingerprints. A fitting analogy to the current Courier unfortunately. Patrons come in for lunch and wait several minutes for somebody to seat them. The service suffers from understaffing. I ordered a Veggie Dagwood sandwich. Remember Dagwood Bumstead and his multi layer skyscraper sandwiches?? Not here! This was more of a very dry bread sandwich. Where are the layers of veggies? The layers of cheese? The alfalfa sprouts? The sauce? My sandwich was served with a stale pickle. I asked if I could order a side like potato salad. They had coleslaw - $4 up charge. The place needs to be cleaned up! Put a little pride into the menu. read more

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Revisited the Courier Cafe today and I need to drop it a star. After trying a few items across the menu, I now believe the food warrants two stars although the ambience and service remain very good. I won't belabor the point but the items we ordered lacked thoughtful preparation. The scrambled tofu was just tofu with curry powder. The veggie Dagwood consisted primarily of plain toast with little in the way of "veggie." An extra tomato and another dollop of special sauce (sweet mayo) would go a long way here. read more

Interesting surroundings for this restaurant housed in an old newspaper office. Came for lunch and enjoyed the salad bar and soup choice. One trip only . Good toppings offered . Hearty, delicious soup which changes daily ( we had creamy chicken noodle). Self serve at salad bar but table service for soup and drinks. Would have liked either a bigger plate or an extra trip to salad bar! read more

The Courier Cafe - Blurb about building - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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This building has so much character and I felt like I was transported back to the 90s, in the best way. Our server, Andrea, was so attentive. She anticipated our needs before we could ask. She was very friendly and has been working there for over a decade. The Ruben, pesto grilled cheese, onion rings and salad were delicious. My aunt enjoyed her breakfast dish. They serve breakfast and lunch overlapping. Definitely recommend. read more

The Courier Cafe - Special board - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Its nice that the Courier Cafe still exists. Its a local restaurant in downtown Urbana, and area that has been greatly overlooked due to downtown Champaign getting WAY better than when I went there. While I have only been here for breakfast, the menu looks like I need to stop by for lunch or dinner! The thing that really sticks out for me are the breakfast sandwiches. They are very generous with their eggs and their croissants are nearly perfect. Their service is also pretty good, especially since they seem to be able to turn over tables pretty quickly. I have never waited too long! If there is any downside, the place has slightly shortened hours. Could be the hazards of a small business, but this is one that you should certainly check out. With chains taking over everywhere, its nice to find a unique place for breakfast. I am going to try their other "night" food because they run some interesting food specials! read more

Came here on a Saturday night during move in and was shocked it was empty. We got seated right away and each got a burger. I love the history of the place especially since my mil worked here in college. Bbq burger - a little too much sauce but the onion right was nice Courier burger - very standard and refreshing read more

This place is AMAZING for breakfast/brunch. We received phenomenal service from the entire team. Aziyiaha greeted us warmly and seated us immediately in a beautiful and comfy booth, and Veronica made sure our waters were constantly filled and our table was clean. Holly walked us through the menu and told us her favorites. She recommended the Rancheros Rarebit, a burrito with scrambled eggs, and she advised we add jalapeño and bacon. One bite and my hubs said, "This should be on the menu." It was SOLID. We split an order of the biscuits and gravy, which was also delicious. I used the leftover gravy on my burrito; along with a healthy dose of Cholula, this was an epic breakfast. Delicious from start to finish, adorable atmosphere, but the staff is what set this place over the top. Don't miss The Courier Café!i read more

The Courier Cafe - Rancheros rarebit with jalapeños and bacon added--OMG - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

The food here was very good Service was very iffy. Decore was quaint. I would choose another restaurant next time I am in town. I'm read more

Absolutely lovely cafe. We love Renee and come every week. However, there have been some recent changes that have been very sad. What happened to the cream?? They switched from lovely carafes of fresh creamer to packs of half and half and it's not as good. And they've gotten rid of avocado! read more

The Courier Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Good food. Filthy place. I've been enjoying the Courier since 2002. Today I visited for lunch and was shocked. The carpet was filthy and the stairs were black with dirt. It smelled like mildew and old grease. The booth was sticky and there was food on the floor. read more

Had a blueberry pancake, chocolate chip pancake and a small biscuits and gravy. Hit the spot.

Ambiance is great. Antique furnishings with lot of wood. Very warm and inviting. Service is prompt and friendly. And most of all, the food is scrumptious. Very fresh and tasty, healthy and quality produce. Highly recommend. However, I would recommend hand rails on the outer steps. Not good for handicap accessibility. read more

Great little cafe in the heart of old Urbana. The atmosphere is friendly and casual; we hung out for a long time. Plenty of great meal choices available. The food is delicious and the portions are ample. Overall a great experience for us, and I look forward to returning there during my next trip. read more

Decent food, decent prices. It was our fault for going late but it was good. Big portions and I really like the character of the building. Haven't been brave enough to visit during the big breakfast rush yet but im excited to try. read more

It had a cozy old environment. Good service. There was a nice lady who was kind and very helpful. It is not a crowded place. Food was good overall. read more

Sooooo glad to have lunch in this famous restaurant in Urbana!!! I ordered a sledgehammer burger, a 1/2 salad and 1/2 chili soup combo (only for lunch) but it turned out that the burger was too big lol. Because of their huge portion size, I really recommend ordering 1/2 sandwich/burger plus salad and soup triple. It only costs less than 11, and you can take as much things in the salad bar as you like, plus one or two small buns! It is just so good! read more

My husband and I were very impressed and extremely satisfied. The food was very good and plentiful. My husband really enjoyed the flavored coffee. Staff was very nice and courteous. We will definitely be returning soon. read more

Love this Cafe Homey tasty food, Good sweet potatoes and chicken. Kids loved ice cream as well. Friendly service. Unpretentious. Nice place. read more

Went here for lunch on a Sunday, the place was absolutely packed but we were still able to get a table within about ten minutes. Food is good, solid hearty Americana vibes, like small-town diner fare but more upscale. We ordered the biscuits and gravy which were out, but halfway into our meal a waitress brought us fresh biscuits and a bowl of gravy, as she'd gone into the back to get someone to make more just for our table. Great location for walking afterwards, in old classic Urbana just across from the iconic Rose Bowl, lots of street art and murals around. 4/5 needs a lot more staff, everyone there was running around and seemed very overworked. read more

The Courier Cafe - Street mural outside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Have never ever in the many many years I've come here had horrible service! The greeter was rude when we walked in. Our waitress was very rude as well. She forgot several things and got both of our orders incorrect. I ended up asking her to take my meal off instead of remaking it, as I was waiting for her to come back after 3 times for utensils. She snatched the plate from me without saying anything and came back and set the ticket down without saying anything and walked off. I do plan on getting in touch with higher ups tomorrow. Totally uncalled for. I can tell their customer service has gone completely downhill. read more

I love restaurants that honor tradition and resist the call of current dining trends. This is apparent in the Courier Cafe's untouched interior with its historic tin ceiling tiles, wallpaper like at Grandma's house, and comfy leather booths. Very homey, down-to-earth, and welcoming. We were here yesterday for brunch and had a lovely meal. It was a VERY busy day with lots of folks waiting for tables, but I appreciated that you could add your name to the wait list and get a text message when your table was ready. Except for the extremely stressed out and (understandably?) rude/curt/stone-faced bespectacled blonde waitress, everything was tasty and satisfying. We can't wait to come back! read more

Have had breakfast here twice. Both times the service and food was great. Look forward to the next time.

Food has changed from previous owner - they need to bring back the old recipes. Service was great though.

The food and service were great! Nice "old school" look and feel. There is only one thing I would suggest... is keep your prices up to date on the welp app. I understand raising the prices, though, with the economy what it is today, but please keep menus updated. The menu on Yelp says a burger is $8.50 read more

The Courier Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I've had breakfast here before, and it's fine. But I recently went to dinner here and the food was a bit abysmal. I ordered the chicken alfredo, and it had very obviously been stored in the freezer before being heated up. The chicken wasn't fresh, and the whole thing tasted vaguely of freezer burn. The waiter also made some strange comments to me and my partner that made us kind of uncomfortable. Like I said, my previous visits have gone fine, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2. Ambiance is nice though. read more

After a last minute decision to drive from SC to IL, I found myself in my old college town of Champaign-Urbana. On a Thursday we drove around checking out my memory of the city. Going by lots of places including where my house from senior year used to be (it's an apartment complex's now) and then stopping by a park. Michael and I were then on the Urbana side of town when it was time for lunch so Yelp helped us pick the local breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot, Courier Cafe. I was hopeful they served breakfast all day bc all the food pics looked great! They don't, but do make their bread fresh in-house so a lunch sandwich would work. When you pull up there's a parking lot for the restaurant (huge plus in a college town) and an awesome mural painted on the side of the old brick building with pictures of famous people from Urbana. I should have taken a pic bc I only remember Roger Ebert being up there. When you walk inside it reminded me of every old time house turned into a restaurant in IL that I've been in. The ceiling tiles, I guess you'd call them, always look the same. We were sat in a cute little wooden booth. Since it was lunch time, the place was pretty crowded and sooooo loud. Our server brought us menus and a water and coke. I decided on a BLT add cheddar on the fresh made sourdough. Michael got the Dagwood on sourdough. Mine came out toasted and his didn't. We were both surprised bc when you describe a super large club type sandwich you expect the bread to be toasted. I guess he needed to ask. The bread was good and fresh, bacon crispy and enough LT and mayo to make it so it wasn't dry. Again that busyness I mentioned, the server wasn't able to stop by and check on us much. Michael only got one refill of coke the entire time and sat there with nothing to drink for all of his meal. I'd go back to try them again for breakfast if I'm ever back in Urbana. read more

The Courier Cafe - BLT Sandwich Lunch and the Dagwood Sandwich Lunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

A busy burger restaurant in town! Waited for a while to sit in, get my food as well as check. I ordered the Courier Burger with Onion Rings as the side, which tasted good! In addition, the vibe inside was cozy and comfortable, made me feel like at home. Love it! read more

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Food= Delicious Wait = too long Waitress= great Still same ol' Courier Cafe I have Been a frequent customer 31 years. Sorry to see it change ownership but hope it's still the same old Courier read more

I finally visited this place a couple days before Christmas. My wife and daughter are out of the country for a month, so dads left to fend for himself. They seem to have a decent rating and I love home style cooking, so let's give it a go. Now maybe they're known for breakfast vs dinner, but my experience was pretty lackluster in terms of the food I was served. I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potato's and added a side of steamed broccoli. The unseasoned broccoli was the best and freshest part of the meal. The potatoes were ok, but the meatloaf was odd. It had a hardness that wasn't from cooking too long in an oven or a crust from too long being reheated on the stovetop, but rather had this shell that if you've ever left meat in the fridge for too long you may be familiar with. I mentioned it to the server and she offered to get me something else, but she also said something that was a little tell for me. She said "that's weird, they don't normally serve it up smothered in ketchup like that, that's new". When a restaurant serves something in a way they don't normally serve it, that's not because they have a rogue cook. It's usually to cover up a mistake. It was burnt, it was smaller than normal, or in my case, it was an old piece of meatloaf that they decided to serve rather than throw away. I had high hopes coming here looking for some good home style cooking, as the best this area has to offer in terms of everyday eating is fast food and chain spots. That being said, if you're looking and considering the courier cafe. Don't. read more

Went after the Illini game, ordered the Dagwood on Sourdough, when it came out I pointed out that it did not have any meat on it, guy says because this is a veggie, he took it back and within a min, the same sandwich was returned with meat put in, but did not have any cheese, or "special sauce" a different employee came over and said he would fix the problem, our server brought back the sandwich and walked away without saying anything, it still did not have cheese or sauce, it was just like it was when it was taken away, by this time my kids were starving and I told them to eat, and paid 13.50 for 3 pieces of white bread (did not toast the bread like I had asked) lettuce, onion, tomato l, and once rolled up slice of turkey and ham, I paid full price and tipped the 20% so my kids didn't have to see me get angry, ridiculous place that I will not be returning too read more

I've been here twice--people often recommend it as a breakfast place around here. Though it hasn't been particularly bad, there's usually a long wait and both times the food has been under seasoned. Since there's a lack of breakfast/diner places in Urbana-Champaign, I see why it has mass appeal. We did try the cheese curds today, and WOW they're a must. If I go back, I'll definitely get those. read more

The Courier Cafe is an Urbana, IL institution and, despite what some recent reviews will impress upon you, a fantastic restaurant for all of your breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner wishes. We had take-out from them last night - a Saturday night before Christmas Eve, no less - and everything was prepped for pick-up on time and incredibly delicious (2 burgers with fries, 7 Buffalo wings, and cheese curds; those incredible, dreamy cheese curds.). We had eaten breakfast during mid-day Saturdays twice in the past few months, and each visit was a great one. It helped that we had the same waitress (can't remember her name, alas), who on the surface may have appeared rush, but was in fact very personable and quite the hoot, on top of being incredibly attentive. Also, huge bonus points to The Courier for offering both breakfast and lunch throughout the day with many, many menu options to boot, and for having a free table to seat us right away (on a Saturday!). Additionally, we had done take-out with The CC numerous times on weekday nights, again with hardly any hiccups and always tasty, tasty food. These also included the few occasions when we attended music events at the Rose Bowl tent across the street over the summer, so convenient and satisfying their proximity. It should be noted that CC's burgers are super duper (and cooked to your liking). They offer many burger concoctions, more than Farren's! The main challenge that Courier faces, like almost every other place in the area, is a shortage of help. However, they make do the best they can. Folks just need to be patient and empathic, and maybe a bit nicer? read more

This place nice and cozy, perfect for a brunch or breakfast. There is cafe paradiso next door but I prefer this cafe over it because the food and drinks are better here. read more

The Courier Cafe - Cozy place - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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We arrived this morning at 9am and we were told 45 min wait for a family of 4 which was expected. However, we ended up waiting an hour and a half, determined to eat since we had already waited so long. The food was subpar but better than a chain. Definitely not worth the wait. And sitting near the hostess stand we got to witness our waitress yell about how customers were being seated multiple times. read more

I used to think this place was great, now I am more mixed. I'm not sure that it has changed at all, but I think I've just come to realize that the food was never anything special. This place is about the vibes. It is a nice, classic, low-key diner. Top marks on atmosphere, average marks on food. read more

The burger and the burger meat is very nice. Also, the salad bar has a really diverse set of salad. The environment is clean and tidy and the waiters there is pretty nice. read more

Went for lunch. Man have they slipped. Had a tuna salad sandwich and fries and it was so blah. Waitress not very friendly. Maybe two old ladies out to lunch don't rate good service. read more

I have family out this way and during our last visit, we came here for breakfast. We were seated quickly and our server was on top of things. I loved the buffalo chicken wrap, and everyone else was happy with their meal too. I really enjoyed looking at the decor, especially the antique cash register up front. It's quite a piece. read more

This is a special place for me as the new owners were regular guests of mine when I was a manager here. So I wanted to come and just see what was going on. Since breakfast is my jam and I am a true foodie. I couldn't review one restaurant on one day and not another. So here it goes. The greeting was lack luster unlike the day before at another restaurant. I was sat and was met by a nice girl. Don't know her name.she didn't introduce herself. I ordered the steak and eggs with hash browns and a mini biscuit and gravy. The food arrived about 20 minutes later and I was excited to dive in. That excitement quickly dissipated the wheat toast was cold the biscuit and gravy great flavor but was barely like warm, the steak was cold the eggs were the only thing hot and the hash browns a hefty portion was ok. The steak I ordered medium rare, the cut was small and medium rare is very unattainable. The coffee was hot. The server asked me if I wanted wrap up my check, I was still eating. She is young and learning. All in all my visit to The Courier Cafe was disappointing, but I do recommend them as the new ownership has some great plans. There is plenty room for improvement. Suggestions,: Friendly Welcome and greeting by the hostess and server. Hot food hot cold food cold. Suggestive selling Good Luck! read more

Great find on our recent trip to Champaign! Good location and charming interior decor. Food was delicious-typical home cooked breakfast! Loved using the check-in/wait list feature, as table was ready when we arrived. Service was top-notch. read more