This place is like many other places across the country that serve steak and have all you can eat salad bar (like the Beef House, etc.). The only real complaint I have is I've never seen the place actually clean...always has a film of dust on everything but the table and chairs. read more

Best place in town!!!! Been eating steak there for 20years. Can't beat the all you can eat salad bar. My steak is always perfect and they actually know how to cook it rare. I don't understand why people are so hung up on the decorations. read more

The Ribeye serves... you guessed it ribeye steak. And they do a pretty good job. The ribeye is on the thin side but cooked right with minimal seasonings. I grabbed the twice baked potato for my side and although it looked like it was sitting around for a while it was good. Salad bar was all you can eat with a decent selection of toppings. If you rolled in looking for other options on the menu, be aware the menu is simple. Other members of our table had the shrimp and chicken and gave it a good rating. Now onto the decor... if you like the 80's this is your hot spot. Overall a decent meal and good service. read more

The Ribeye - The Ribeye medium rare with twice baked potato. - Steakhouses Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great service! I only had the salad bar when I went but it was still great! They have so many options on their salad bar. By far on the the best in Champaign. The others I was with enjoy their meals and would recommend going back! read more

Ahh, The Ribeye, a University of Illinois post game tradition. I am assuming it is a post game tradition because most people have imbibed before, during, and after the game and need the Ribeye's bland food to stay in their stomachs. I am only halfway joking. My SO and I went to the Ribeye recently on a Saturday night and true to course, it was packed. Even with the full house we did not have a long wait. The clientele was a mixture of older couples and slightly depressed game goers. The interior of the Ribeye is straight up old school steak house, dark and dated. Like prior reviewers have noted, the Ribeye is famous (or infamous) for its very small menu: ribeye steaks, chicken, and shrimp. They charge you $1.50 per ounce after $23.99 for a 10 ounce ribeye so it makes it just a little more expensive than going to a chain steakhouse restaurant. They do have a salad bar that is included with your dinner. It is not a huge salad bar and only has the basics for salad toppings. It's meh ... I was impressed to see spiced apple rings on it though. I had not seen those things since the grade school cafeteria! The server we had was very friendly although she was busy and did not offer a refill or any suggestions to go with the meal. I will chalk it up to being busy although she did take time to chat up the U of I game goers at the next table. I ordered a 8 oz. ribeye rare with sautéed mushrooms and loaded baked potato. SO ordered the 10 oz. ribeye medium rare with steak fries. It did not take long for the entrees to arrive on sizzling hot on plates like a fajita. The sautéed mushrooms were canned button mushrooms in a weird wine sauce and swimming in oil. They were not bad, but they were not sautéed. My steak was medium rare but it's hard to cook a steak-umm rare. Seriously, my steak looked like it belonged on a Philly cheesesteak. I did not mind the fat but the lack of any type of seasoning was ridiculous (salt & pepper should be requisite seasonings!). If you want to be known as THE steakhouse for the Champaign-Urbana area, maybe you should invest in some quality steaks and not truck stop steaks. My husband enjoyed his steak but he had just recovered from the stomach flu so I am not sure his experience is valid. SO's steak fries were okay, again no seasoning and my baked potato was a baked potato. Sour cream is fully loaded here and you have to ask if you want extra butter other than the one that comes with the tableside bread. Disappointed in general and completely confused as to how people consider this a great steakhouse. Pros: Nice service, kind of cool retro atmosphere Cons: Bland over priced food, over inflated reputation read more

As a big fan of the Ribeye, I have one piece of advice - if you plan to go on a Friday night, or after any Illini basketball, football, volleyball, or other popular sport game, make sure to call in reservations before you go. I've had 15 minute waits even with a reservation, and 45 minutes plus without. I don't believe they take any reservations on Saturday, so expect a wait. Ambiance/decor isn't the best, sure, but it serves its purpose. The clientele is comprised largely of older Illini fans, so it works for the Ribeye to have pictures of Illini teams from their glory days. The service here is fantastic. The servers are professional, polite, friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. About the food... Well, when you go to a place called "The Ribeye," you should probably be in the market for a ribeye. Sure, there's chicken and shrimp, but the ribeye is their pièce de résistance. Honestly, when I started going to the Ribeye around 5 years ago, I feel like the steaks used to be higher quality, which is what keeps me from giving them a 5. Still, the ribeye is brought out on a hot cast-iron skillet/plate, and that sizzle alone can make my mouth water. I recommend either ordering one degree of cooking lower than your normal preference (i.e., if you like medium-rare steaks, order rare) to compensate, or eat your steak as soon as it's served. The highlight for me, however, is the salad bar. There's iceburg lettuce and the standard salad toppings to make your own, or an array of pasta, bean and potato salads (most of which are, indeed, covered in mayonnaise). My personal favorite is comprised of green peas, peanuts, cheddar cheese, bacon and ranch dressing. Is it haute cuisine? No. But it is solid, simple, and delicious. Also awesome - the croutons, made from the leftovers from the fresh French or wheat bread brought to your table. The price isn't terrible. Two people with soft drinks and before tip comes out to $42. The Ribeye isn't world-class, five-star dining, but it does offer good steaks, great salad options, and pleasant service. read more

After much anticipation having heard about this place for years, I was disappointed. Evidently, many people have not experienced an excellent steak or they prefer their's bland. If your name is The Ribeye, you should have flavorful ribeyes. I used steak sauce so I could taste something. I can at least say my steak was cooked properly and the service was good. read more

After hearing rave reviews of The Ribeye, I decided I would like to try this place. I was surprised that the restaurant was only open 5 and half hours every day and close by 9 or 9:30 every night. Weird concept for me... they would definitely receive more business by staying open a little later. We did not make a reservation and walked in. Quoting us a 20-25 minute wait while there were four open tables to be seen we decided to wait and eat here. Seeing we were not leaving, the hostess seated us within 8 minutes. This was a Friday evening. Our waitress was extremely pleasant and took great care of us. We ordered a beer on tap and of course, the ribeye. Ribeye comes with choice of baked potato, steak fries, or rice and each couple gets a loaf of bread. Salad bar is free if you order an entree. The salad bar was great, but way too small. It had plenty of food but it was crowded with a lot of people on both sides reaching everywhere. It needs a different spot in the restaurant. I ordered the 8 oz. ribeye while my husband ordered the 12 oz. It was a good cut of meat and well-aged but it was just good. I expected my mind to be blown, but it was just a good cut of steak. With two steaks and two beers our bill was $55. The restaurant looks like something from the 70s... very odd, but comforting in a way. read more

Whenever I come to town and ask my parents where I can take them out to eat, they choose the Ribeye. Otherwise, I would never go here. When you walk in, The dated paneling, low ceilings, and sports bar lighting/TVs might make you think you were in a pizza joint or sports bar instead of a steak restaurant. The place is dark and windowless with (rather tacky) Illini sports posters on every wall/surface. The salad bar, which some people rave about, is not particularly large and is poorly designed/located so that you often have to go down both sides to get what you want...which is a lot of trouble considering the offerings. The steaks are OK, but thin for the price and always overcooked. The shrimp is OK, too. The bread, which looks/feels fresh baked tastes like its stale and probably comes from frozen dough. The only nice thing I can say about the place is that my parents like it. read more

I have been in Champaign for school for the past 2 1/2 years and during that time people have recommended the Ribeye, but I never was able to try it. I'm finishing up my last week here and we decided to try this place tonight. I will get to the point. It was crowded on a Thursday night (mostly with elderly individuals over 60), Being crowded on a weeknight is usually a good sign. The other goods. They offer a pretty decent salad bar and their ice cream alcoholic drinks are good. The Bad: The food lacks seasoning. The waitress admitted that they don't season the fries and steered us away from them. This didn't bother me as I had no interest in fries. I ordered the Ribeye, which I was also shocked that they don't season at all. I'm talking zero seasoning, not even a pinch of salt or pepper. I assume this is because of the elderly clientele that surrounded us. I find this unacceptable. I could have at least been warned that they don't season the steak and asked if I want it seasoned. This place was a disappointment and is not worth trying. I imagine it will be out of business in 10 years when their clientele unfortunately pass away. read more

This is by far the best place in Champaign to get a steak, hands down. I have ate here probably 30 times and never had a bad experience. The salad bar here is beyond amazing. Food and serve is also excellent. PS ~ Brian is the best waiter. He always remembers us and is super personable. read more

We were in town for graduation and were hoping to find someplace we could get into without a huge wait. We only had a brief wait for our party of 6 and the food and service were really excellent. The menu is limited but if you want a ribeye, don't pas up this place. read more

The price is increased but the steak size is reduced. Disappointed.

The four stars are earned for the side of shrimp, the service and the salad bar...one of the better salad bars I've seen in a while. I wasn't in the mood for steak that evening and my server suggested the grilled chicken. The chicken was ok...my guess is it might have been frozen then thawed which tends to dry it out. While the sizzling platter is great for a steak...it just wasn't good for this. Brian my server was excellent...great service from him. read more

The food was Amazing 16oz Steak and fries steak was so big and juicy I couldn't finish it so I brought the leftover home for my Dog Roxy. I'm sure she will love it as well as I Did read more

A very popular place in Champaign. The steaks are always done as you request, the salad bar is a nice size with good selection, the beer selection is very limited if your not a 'light' fan. Service has always been good, an extra treat for anniversaries & birthdays is a plus. Since all I can say is good things, why just 3 stars you ask? Well, since you asked, I'll tell you: I have never come out of 'The Ribeye' and said to myself, "I just can't wait till I come back here" read more

Oh my goodness! What has happened to this once great steakhouse? Firstly...Dee was a wonderful server, friendly, helpful, and efficient. Buck was a great host. The salad bar was 5 star, but the balance of the meal....well that's what you come for, was poor. Steaks not good, my wife ordered hers medium well it was red. Our server took it back but it was poor. Mine was cooked correctly but no flavor and not worth $24.95....the twice baked potato was also poor, tasted like it was frozen and baked or microwaved to warm it. We won't return unless forced to. Don't know what has happened but things are moving backwards very quickly. read more

Great on all counts except the decor could really use updating. Tradition or not, I know people who refuse to go based on the decor. The food is awesome though. read more

Excellent quality! Salad bar is outstanding with variety salads and fresh cold salad ingredients. We had the 9 Oz ribeye and it was cooked perfectly. Served with a baked potato rubbed in salt and slowly cooked. We had no wait time on a Friday night at 6:45. Seemed to be older patrons flock this establishment, but the food was fabulous! Would go there again. Waitress was excellent and not overbearing. Highly recommend this restaurant in Champaign. They did not have yelp check in however. We thought we were checked in but the hostess said they don't do that. Still didn't matter on our wait or experience. We were seated immediately. read more

This is a place you only go to for one reason - steak. That said, it's pretty good, and the salad bar is quite good. Expect throngs of locals, esp. around athletic event times. The place is full of Illini regalia and probably hasn't been updated decor-wise since the 70's. Sadly, most of their constituency wouldn't care or notice. read more

This restaurant is a great local spot with very good food. The portions are plentiful and the salad bar had so much to choose from other than salad toppings. Ill definitely go again. read more

Okay so I dont get the draw to this place- the decor is right out the 80 ' s and the clientele is in their 60' and 70's. The food is one step above a sizzler and the prices are that of medium to upscale restaurant. Over time I've began to realize that some people don't know what good food is...now without calling me an A-hole, hear me out. Everything is bland and unseasoned here; steaks are traditionally brought out with the texture of shoe leather, God forbid there be any juice left in the steak. Salad bar is eh, it's big and if big means good then I guess it's great. As one person posted before it will probably be gone in 10-15 years when a majority of their patrons have passed away, though I would like to say they are probably right, there is a new crop right around the corner that will still view the ribeye as a special treat. You don't have to reinvent the wheel but for Petes sake if you are going to specialize in steak serve a great steak (I'm looking at you, Beef House, as well). Eat what you like, I'm not going to stop you, but if you are seeking out a decent steak in Champaign the best place I can suggest is Roadhouse and I'm ashamed to do so- read more

The Ribeye - The "Amazing" salad bar - Steakhouses Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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The steaks are fine, but I love the twice baked potatoes and the salad bar is legit. It's not terribly budget-friendly, though, so we don't make it here very often. read more

The Ribeye is a traditional steakhouse! The ribeye, potato, cake, and bread were delicious. Also they have cool Illini staff in their restaurant. They also have a good wait staff too as well! read more

I love this place for the great place to talk. It's bust but quiet. The chicken and shrimp are my favorites.

Nothing particularly outstanding about this establishment. Came here because it was close to my hotel. Steak was below average and service was lacking. I would not return. read more

Fair is stretching it. The ribeye was a low grade supermarket cut. Not on my list to revisit in the future!

The staff is extremely friendly, the salad bar is fresh and the plates are kept cold. And the steak is amazing and full of flavor. Would recommend to others. read more

Making plans to celebrate a sisters retirement and birthday by having all of our families gather on a Saturday. I know they do not normally accept reservations on a Saturday so I had sent a message via Facebook messenger and then later when I thought a manager would be there made the phone call explaining what we wanted to do. I was told they do not take reservations on the weekend I mentioned that my sister was able to make arrangements a few years previous for a Saturday after our mothers funeral. I was told by the manager I'm guessing that he had worked there since the 1970's and that never happened which I knew better as I had attended when we did. He came across short and unfriendly so I made another phone call to another steak house in town and they were thrilled to have our business. I am guessing 28 people ordering steak dinners would be profitable and something any business owner would hope for, but, not The Ribeye and I along with all of my siblings are marking them off of our lists for the future too. read more

I was impressed. We had the ribeye, shrimp and chicken entrees. All were very good. The service was very good.

The menu is very simple. The ribeye is very thin and comes out on a hot skillet. The twice baked potato was very good. The steak was good as well. read more

My family has been going to the RIbeye for over 20 years. Their steak is WONDERFUL, the all-you-can-eat salad bar is beyond this world, and the twice baked potato is the best I've ever had. The staff is professional and very knowledgeable and helpful. Would highly recommed the Ribeye for a classy, Illini-themed restaurant any day. read more

My fiancee and her family have been going to this place for years. It's pretty simple all around -- they have a simple menu and a rockstar salad bar (whatever that means...their salad bar is A+). The service is always excellent and the food is consistently great. read more

First time in Champaign and our first meal was at The Ribeye. Great Steak, Amazing Salad Bar, stiff drinks, excellent service (Brian). I will definitely be back! read more

An excellent Manhattan to start the evening. Terrific service, great salad bar then prime rib and baked potato. Simple and perfect. Oh and carrot cake to go which was also delicious! read more

This restaurant has excellent food and delicious steaks. The Ribeye has the best salad bar in C.U.

I agree with what other's have said-- not as good as The Beef House. But for the local scene, it's the best steak you'll find! Great steak, very good service, and the salad bar was well stocked too. We really enjoyed our meal here, and definitely recommend it! read more

We love eating at the ribeye. The salad bar OMG it is EXCELLENT I understand everything on the salad bar is made inhouse? The cucumber and onion salad if you're a fan is to die for. The recipe would be nice LOL Ribeyes in every size done to your prefection. We have never had to send one back. read more

Friendly and proffesional wait staff. Steak was well cooked and a nice cut but seemed to have absolutely no seasoning. My wife's was the same. Seasoning should be the easiest thing to get right - not rocket science. Ordered the steak and shrimp. The shrimp were overcooked, greasy and rather fishy tasting. The manager to his credit took them off our bill as they were not edible. Decor was somthing out of 1975 but in a nostalgic manner. read more

Still a pretty good one steak steakhouse but not what it once was. If you want a great salad bar then this is the place to be. The cuts of steak need to be a bit more flavorful though. The decor is dated and dingy. Definitely would benefit from an update. Service is always reliable here. read more