i am not sure what happened to this place, but ever since they expanded to more locations, this one has 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. read more

Watsons has never disappointed us. We have been coming here since we were students and it's always a favorite to visit when we're in town for an event. Watsons has a comfortable atmosphere, quick service, and you cannot go wrong with any menu items. I recommend the hot fish, Duvelo (secret menu item) which is the chicken sandwich with pork belly, cheese, and an egg, and the gravy fries. This time I tried the rice bowl for the first time and it was a hit! read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Duvelo - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Upscale cocktail bar and restaurant for Southern comfort food. The fried chicken shines and the menu is built around it. We ordered the Watson's rice bowl, tofu po boy, Cajun green beans, and a kids' Mac and cheese. The fried chicken tenders are like a grown up kids' food with moist white meat in a loose, crispy breading. The Watson's cream sauce and Cajun seasoning in the dirty rice gave the dish its depth of flavor in the chili and onion/celery profile. All of the dishes are great and worth ordering, thanks to the menu's attention to the mix of flavors. For example, most items include pickling in some way. The chicken is marinated in pickle brine, the rice bowl includes pickled okra, and there are bits of pickle in the Mac and cheese. The cream sauce on the po boy became tartar like, when it was layered on slices of lightly pickled cucumber. Perhaps the one element that needed more attention is the po boy sandwich roll. Given how crafted each of the other items was, the toasted bread was surprisingly plain. Maybe a slow-rising sourdough would step it up? You could say that's service was slow but that might miss the point at this place. The server/bartender who helped us, chatted at our table for long stretches. On a warm, lazy evening at an outdoor table he made us feel welcome at the restaurant and in town. When our drinks (and dinner) took noticeably long to arrive to the table, it was no wonder. He was engaged in another personable conversation with other patrons. The service shares the menu's comfortable ethos. The slow pace is a virtue! read more

Took me a while to finally visit this popular chicken spot and it did not disappoint! I was very impress with the portion size and recommend the Mac and cheese as your side! Indoor and outdoor seating and great place to catch up with friends. The waiting staff was kind! read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Mid food, and service leaves a lot to be desired for. Got the rice bowl with fried chicken, whole dish had strong pickle taste which was very off putting. Saying this as someone who loves pickles and always orders extra. Waitress kept checking in every fifteen minutes and made sure we left soon even though it had just snowed and there were plenty of empty tables. read more

Made a reservation at 11 on Mother's Day and got seated right away. Party of 7 with a baby and the back with the benches was perfect. Bathroom has a changing table. Fries were just ok Chicken sandwich - chicken was juicy and crispy Smash burger - pretty standard lots of mustard and ketchup Avocado toast - like a salad. Great vegan option with tofu read more

Ate here years ago and this time I was downtown for happy hour and thought I'd grab some togo food. Ordered Chix bacon Swiss- which we did not get, and a chix sandwich- which we got two of. My guess is the hostess who took the order over the phone made the mistake. Sandwiches were extremely disappointing this time around. Wasn't even chix breast anymore but two chix tenders that were over cooked and dried out. French fries were cooked to the point of no return and were inedible. $30+ for two of the most disappointing sandwiches ever. Popeyes might even be better than what they are serving... Will not be returning as there are plenty of better options in the area to get food from. I don't see this brick and mortar location staying open much longer if they don't adjust and serve better quality food. Definitely won't be trying their food truck ever... read more

This is a cool little hole in the wall. It's hard to find. I parked right across the street and couldn't see it. But inside is a cool compact little bar with a row of tables along the wall. The bourbon selection is indeed impressive. The staff is friendly and attentive. And the food is good. It wasn't amazing, but very solid. And you should have the sweet peach tea with your hot chicken. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Bar & Bourbon Selection - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Every thing I tried was amazing!! The server was super sweet to us and gave the best recommendations. I asked her what drink to get and she recommended the Watsons Famous Wabbit. She described as a fresh pressed juice with gin and hit the nail on the head. It was amazingly refreshing and satisfying. Both of the sandwiches were humongous and incredibly filling. I think that the first Watsons hot sandwich could be spicier but was still incredibly flavorful every bite we took. The buffalo sandwich was slightly sweet to taste and paired nicely with the house made ranch. This ranch is amongst the best I've ever had. Ranks above wingstop ranch ifykyk. the corn riblets were the highlight of the night. It was a special menu so I'm not sure if they're permanently available but omg they were amazing!!! If this was the only thing I ate tonight I would be smiling ear to ear with a full belly. FYI you must try the Carolina gold sauce with the fries. Amazing combo. Best described as McDonald's sweet and sour sauce on crack and perfected to the gods. I am obsessed. 10/10 would come back a million times. (I'm from out of town that says a lot) Thank you for the amazing meal!!! read more

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Always great food. I only ever get the hot chicken, but others I go with like to try new things and are never disappointed. Decent beer selection, but could use a couple more taps. Servers are friendly with the right level of attentiveness. It can be loud and sometimes you wait a while for a table if you didn't think to make a reservation. read more

Have been going for YEARS and always a go-to for awesome hot-chicken; now it's basically just chicken tenders with sauce. Small thin, dried out tenders. Lots of breading and just not great. Boneless thighs in hot oil was a moist and tasty treat; they don't even offer that anymore. And if that's not bad enough the price stayed high (may be higher). Great friendly service was all that place had going and if I wanted chicken I would not pay $16 for 5 tenders. Very disappointed. Will not be returning. read more

Soooo glad to have a place specializing in chicken near campus! This restaurant features chicken sandwich, chicken appetizer, grilled chicken, chicken rice bowls, etc. with a Southern American style. Plus, every Sunday they have some Southern-inspired brunch items from 11am-2pm. Their fried chicken is so juicy inside and crispy outside. But do not miss their roasted chicken and/or pulled chicken meat as well. The meat was tender and the seasoning makes it even better! Besides chicken, the restaurant also serves other Southern dishes such as fried Brussels sprouts, shrimp po'boy, mac & cheese and so on. Things are often more or less different from other restaurants. For example, how the Brussels sprouts are plated, or the shrimp in the po'boy was cooked in firecracker sauce. The pasta in the mac & cheese was in general longer than usual mac, and tossed in less creamy, more fluidly sauce. I suggest trying the pulled chicken sandwich, Starchild sandwich, spit-roasted chicken for chicken entrée. For starters do not miss their unique Brussels sprouts. For brunch, they have pretty good avocado toast (best in town to me) and chicken sandwiches. If you want to do some Southern American food try their firecracker shrimp, gumbo chicken waffles or Du Velo. Service was also in general quick--I often get my food in ten minutes. However their payment system sometimes do not accept international card so bring some cash as well! read more

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Watsons is a trendy place nestled in a very crowded downtown Champaign, IL.. this is a place that knows what it's strengths are and they wear them shamelessly. Great seasoned fried chicken served in numerous ways with various sauces, but the backbone of the operation starts and ends with really, really good fried chicken. Round out the menu with some other niche entrees and sides - combine that with some clever bar offerings - and you've got a pretty special dining experience. Our server Heather was super helpful and attentive. She made some great suggestions, and knew the menu really well. We were there for the last day of restaurant week, which featured a few special food and drink options and we ended up ordering a couple of those. Sadly, that was probably our only misstep. The Garlic Parmesan wings were just okay. Despite the picture, they were actually pretty bland, and could've used some seasoning. Also ordered a Beef Sandwhich off the restaurant week special menu... kind of a pot roast sandwich dressed up like a Philly Cheesesteak with onions and cheese whiz, and it was good, but I found myself envious of everyone else's chicken dishes. Should've just stuck with the chicken. I would definitely return to Watson's, and would definitely recommend it to others, so they're doing something right. read more

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Update- I've been here several times since this review and have had much better experiences. Good service and good food. I especially love their vegetarian and vegan options. read more

Recently went to Watson's Shack & Rail and disappointed that the menu has changed. They no longer have their potato wedges which were amazing or gumbo as well as other items. I'm not sure we will be back. read more

They have gift cards at the local Costco that gives you 20% off. Support your local chicken shack! Food is solid. Dine in is much easier than take out (it's always late and you're stuck waiting for your carry out). If it's in season get the Curtis Orchard cider slush. Whatver else you order, throw a fried egg on it. You won't regret it. We had the rice dish and it was filling. Potato wedges are plenty to share and the gumbo is solid. Fried Brussels are on point too for apps. There's a full bar if you want to watch a game or just grab a meal solo. The vibe is social and chill. There's something for everyone in terms of food. Customer service is always friendly too. read more

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We saw this place while in Punch and looked like a pretty good place for chicken using the app walked over past the alley and we were in and seated quickly we were in there around 7 on a Friday night not to crowded but the weather was terrible seating is great for couples and bigger groups Noticed the bourbon selection as we walked past the bar and it had some nicer higher end bourbons to taste Waitress was very accommodating and knew the menu pretty well and we had placed our order and it arrived rather quickly to our surprise the Nashville style hot chicken just their plan was very good but a little bit too spicy also side of dirty rice which I think needed a lot more flavor we also had the andouille and chicken jambalaya which we enjoyed very much Overall it doesn't come close to my favorite Hattie Bs but it's a good option for the area read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken & Andouille Gumbo - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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My husband and I just visited yesterday and we were both amazed at the quality of the food! So yummy and fresh. Definitely recommend coming here for some good chicken! read more

How did this joint end up in Illinois? Northerners seem to have an aversion for fried chicken places except for KFC and Popeye's. This place would be a joint one would find somewhere down South...well, almost. The building is in downtown Champaign in an old building that has been remodeled. There are several booths against the wall and a bar in a shotgun style. The menu has several fried chicken options such as your basic 3 piece, wings, and sandwiches. The bartender told me they were known for the Watson's Hot, which is a chicken breast dipped in Nashville Hot and served on a bun with slaw and comeback sauce. My Watson's Hot was really good overall with the comeback sauce giving it some zest and the slaw adding a creamy feeling to it. But my Watson Hot wasn't really spicy compared to Nashville Hot standards. I would rate it a 2 out of 10 on my heat scale. There was a little spice at the end of the bites. After I got the sandwich, I saw that for a dollar more I could have made it hotter. I usually don't do that but I should have in this instance. The sandwich came with potato wedges which some were overcooked, but still edible. I'm a sauce-aholic and Watson's make about five different sauces in house. The comeback sauce is like a spicy ranch or a chicken finger sauce like Cane's or Zax's sauce. The two other sauces I had that I recommend are the Cherry Coke BBQ sauce and the White sauce. Unfortunately, they charge I think a $1 for extra sauce (highway robbery). The Cherry Coke BBQ sauce has a sweet and smoky flavor to it. It doesn't really taste like cherry coke but it was still pretty good. The white sauce is the Alabama white sauce (Roll Tide) that is gaining more popularity. It is a mayo-based BBQ sauce that pairs well with chicken and has black pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar mixed in. It's a tangy sauce and if you haven't had it, you have to try it. Like I said, it's almost Southern as there was no fresh-brewed sweet tea, but they did have a fresh-brewed peach sweet tea. It made an excellent substitute for the lack of a sweet tea. I would go back to Watson's. There are lots of chicken options on the menu and lots of homemade sauces to try. The peach sweet tea is better than the standard Yankee unsweet sweet tea. The sandwich needs a little more heat though for my taste. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Watson's Hot but was pretty mild with Cherry Cola BBQ and Watson's White - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

So yummy! Went on a date here. Such great service, super polite and friendly. Has a casual environment, we also got the peach sweet tea, which was amazing, and the Hushpuppies for our appetizer. Everything was so good, portions were huge, left happy and full!! Would definitely go back and keep trying menu item read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken Sandwich, Green Chili and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Amazing chicken. Great drinks. We came for brunch. Love that they have different flavors of mimosas. The strawberry banana was odd, but I had a guava mimosa that was delicious. I had the crab Benedict. Perfect! Light and creamy perfectly poached eggs. My partner had the chicken and waffles you get the choice of light or dark meat. Very crispy and juicy. Do not skip the bread pudding! The staff are very quick and friendly. Come to brunch here! read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Eggs Benedict - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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OMG. I love this place. It's so lively and warm. Chicken sandwich was the best I've ever had. We came here for a friend's birthday and service was great and split the bill across multiple people. One of my favorite spots around UIUC! read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Just ordered for the first time in a long. TOTALLY opposite experience. I received the shrimp poboy. The shrimp doesn't taste particularly fresh and I knew I should have looked that the greens in the sandwich, which really tasted off. They looked like they'd been composted...wilted, black and brown, old... First and last visit for a $17 low grade sandwich with 3 pieces of shrimp and rotten greens on it. No thanks. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Compost from the shrimp poboy. - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Visited the truck while it was at Triptych and ordered a Watson Hot with fries/mac n cheese. The chicken was really good and had a good amount of heat to it. The mac n cheese was a bit too nacho-y for me to really enjoy it, but overall it was good. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Watson's Hot Chicken - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Stop by this placed because it was close to the train station. The boneless chicken thighs had just the right amount of heat and was seasoned well. My only problem was the chicken was just room temperature and not warm or hot. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Hot boneless chicken thighs - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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This is for the Watson's Food Truck! I was so excited that Watsons bought a food truck and they go to campus and other locations. I was able to try them out this past Market Sunday in Urbana. I had the Chicken and Waffles and they were AMAZING! I think I had them in store once too but they tasted so much better at the food truck. They had a good amount of chicken and waffles for 13$. The employees were also extremely friendly and accommodating. I really hope that they will have a lot of sales from their food truck because they deserve it!!! read more

I've been to Watson's four times in the last 6 months. Each time, it's a similar experience (in order of observation): poor customer service at the host station by not providing a welcoming attitude - not smiling, limited eye contact and communication. Serving staff is a bit hit or miss with two servers being excellent and bringing their A-game, and the other two providing a less than desirable experience (rolling eyes, walking away from the table without confirming what was asked/stated, limited contact through dining experience, etc.). My favorite server has been Bonnie - she is the ideal server in efficiency, humor, positive attitude, and her ability to connect with customers. If you could copy and paste Bonnie, every dining experience would be superb! Thanks for being an excellent server, Bonnie! If you're sitting outside, the tables are quite wobbly, to the point one of my drinks fell over because the table was so unsteady. I also think the chairs are, in general, quite uncomfortable. The food is always delicious and consistent. I typically get a chicken sandwich of sorts and I'm never disappointed. Bonnie recently recommended the mac and cheese and I'm glad she did - it took my meal to another level! I keep coming back for the food, but I think some work could be done on the comfortability of the outdoor table/chairs and improvement in consistency of excellent customer service from the start to finish of the dining experience. read more

Customer service is horrible. The worst I've experienced in a long time. I can't rate the food because I left after being ignored for 10 minutes at the bar in early afternoon on a weekend. I wanted to get a to go order so I sat at the bar. It was moderately busy but not really so much. The bartender studiously ignored be, not even making eye contact let alone acknowledging my presence and asking me to hold on a minute before he could take my order. Other servers walking by did the same. This is a huge red flag for any restaurant. Very bad sign. Never going back again. read more

The food and service is great! Will return! Love the fried Brussels sprouts, gravy fries, and Watson's White Chicken!

It's always a good time at Watson's Shack & Rail. This is my go-to restaurant for spicy chicken sandwiches! You must try the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich! Their chickens are always juicy and the flavors are always on point. We also got the Du Velo sandwich and the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich. Overall, the burger was on the heavier side, but the pork belly in the Du Velo sandwich is so heavenly! The service was great too --The staffs were all very attentive and friendly. While I never tried their famous daiquiris (and other drinks), I heard really good things about it and I am so excited to try them the next time I visit. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (on the left) and Du Velo Sandwich (on the right) - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We were in town for a student visit to UIUC. We asked a few people where we should eat dinner while in town and Watson's came up repeatedly. So we went, and even though it was packed we got a couple of spots at the bar. The food was great. Watson's does chicken every which way and we got two: spit-roasted and buffalo wings. Both were super tasty. But where Watson really shines is the bourbon selection. The selection was extensive and well-curated. There were bottles there I'd never seen in the wild before. Even better, the prices were very reasonable. Usually, bars with great selections charge outrageous prices. Not here. All in all, it was a great night. And if my kid winds up going to UIUC, we will definitely be back. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Joined friends for dinner on Saturday night. Good thing we had a reservation because they had over an hour wait for a table. We were seated immediately, and ordered drinks. We tried the fried Okra and the pimento cheese and crackers. Service was excellent and friendly, and the apps were great. The okra was really good, paired with the house made ranch. Hubby and I ordered chicken tenders and the chicken sandwich. Both were excellent. The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy and crispy all at the same time. The fries were great, and it was almost too much food after the apps. The bathroom had a funny shrine to Dolly Parton which cracked me up. We would totally come back, great food! read more

The service was interesting, there were a lot of servers but they seemed a bit cluttered with other things on their mind... forgetting what we ordered and coming back to confirm. Which I do appreciate. I got the gumbo.. I guess not too popular there. My friends got the chicken sandwich. In all honesty they should become a mashed potato joint cause wow, that gravy was amazing. The chicken was well seasoned and the place had cool drinks with a strange ambiance. I felt like I was in a fever dream, check it out yourself if you dont believe me. read more

Oh man I wish I had this restaurant in Neck of the woods! We were visiting my brother during dad's weekend, and stopped here for dinner on a Friday night. I started with one of their slushy cocktails. It was apple cider and came with an apple cider doughnut on the top. It was so so so good! For dinner and I had the fried Nashville chicken with a side of coleslaw. The chicken was juicy and spicy but not too spicy that you can't finish it. The pickles were also so good! The coleslaw was creamy and fresh, really good in my book. If we're ever back in Champaign in the near future we will definitely be stopping here again! read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Nashville Hot Chicken and Creamy Coleslaw - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich is what brought us here, as my daughter wanted to have one more before leaving Champaign for good after graduating from UIUC. According to her, the bread (a brioche bun) perfectly complements the crispy, juicy chicken. Her roommate like dthe thick fries for being able to taste the potato's soft inside. As for me, I started with the Doc Collins, recommended by our server, which was slightly sweet and tasted of gin, lemon, and mint--a winner. I ordered the chicken and waffles, one of my all-time favorite dishes (it had a more clever name, Chelsea's..., and I almost missed it!) This did not disappoint with crispy warm waffles, 2 pieces of juicy chicken with just enough evenly coated batter (I chose dark meat--a thigh and drumstick), along with cooked apples, which were a great topping for the waffles as well as alone. The whipped butter is a must for the waffles--it brought out the flavor; don't skip it. Overall, they did a great job with our food during a moderately busy dinner time, and the atmosphere was casual, slightly noisy but not too loud. The outside patio looked like a nice option on pleasant days, and their extensive spirits tasting options (3 one-ounce pours, choose your own, many were around $5 each pour) made me wish I had more time to explore it. I'm sad I won't be coming back into town anytime in the foreseeable future myself, but would recommend Watson's to anyone else without hesitation. read more

Watson's Shack & Rail - Bars Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

My favorite place when I went to UIUC. Great chicken, love their gumbo soup. Great whisky/bourbon selection. Their brunch is good but I'd recommend it more for lunch / dinner read more

We got catering from Watson's for an event and it was amazing. I love the chicken. I have not been to the restaurant in person.

My favorite restaurant in town :] Good drinks and food, and nice staff Music is kinda loud but still nice ambiance and clean facility read more

Chicken was fried in old grease. Mac and cheese was disgusting. I don't see the good reviews on this place

We really enjoyed our brunch at this place. Despite being a busy Saturday we were able to get a table for 4, and the chicken & waffles were to die for! I would recommend adding hot sauce, I didn't eat much of the apple spread as I thought it was too sweet. The crab hush puppies were very flavorful, but seems a little dry. Overall a pleasant experience for visiting my brother at U of I and wanting a brunch place with a few drinks. They have outdoor seating too! read more