My Favorite Resturaunts on Campus

As a freshman I can get pretty tired of the food in the dining hall. So as I’ve been here in Urbana I’ve tried quite a bit of restaurants for when I’m not in the mood for the dining hall meals. So here are some of my personal favorites here in Urbana-Champaign. 

1. Naya

Naya is an Indian restaurant that’s further down Green Street. Naya is one of the few restaurants on campus that I’ve tried that actually gives an authentic restaurant feel. It’s very aesthetically pleasing inside, so it’s great for a good photo or date night. The food itself is extremely flavorful, and has good portions. My personal favorite item on the menu is the Chicken Tikka Masala. Naya is not the cheapest option, but still is great quality. 

2. The bread company

The Bread Company may be my favorite restaurant on campus. They serve lunch in the beginning half of the day and you can get a great sandwich and soup. Then, they serve dinner with fantastic pasta and pizza. This is one of the few Italian places on campus that I’ve absolutely loved. The Bolegnese pasta is to die for, and is definitely something I crave the most here. I know they’re very popular for their French Onion Soup. The inside of this restaurant is very unique and has great cozy vibes. 

3. Kajken

Kajken is an Abura Soba restaurant. Other than the location here in Champaign, Chicago is the only other place to have this restaurant here in Illinois. They serve many noodle dishes, and ramen. The quality is amazing, I’ve personally never had any flavor similar to these dishes in any restaurant. Typically I get the original and then I create my own meal. It can get busy at times, and afterwards you can head to the upstairs half for dessert. 

4. Forage kitchen

Forage Kitchen is very similar to SweetGreen. It’s a relatively healthy place where you can buy bowls, wraps, plates, etc. So if you want to avoid anything greasy, and have something that’s pretty fresh this is a great place to go. But what drew me here was their Caesar Wrap. This Ceasar Wrap is definitely one of my most highly recommended dishes to get on campus. It has this lemony taste to it that I’ve never tried before, and it has bacon and eggs. It’s an explosion of flavors. This place is great for a nice day as you can sit outside or bring it to the quad. 

5. Caffe Bene

Caffe Bene has two locations here on campus. Caffe Bene serves typically cafe things like drinks, and pastries but they also serve sandwiches and other breakfast items. It’s pretty cheap for all that it comes with, so it’s a great place to go to. Their beef bulgogi sandwich has to be one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had though. Their bread, cheese, and sauces are incredible. Perfect ratios of everything, I could care about this single sandwich forever. But their other sandwiches are also amazing. Caffe Bene also has immaculate vibes, very cozy and chill. It’s a great place to study and eat. 

Overall Urbana-Champaign has a plethora of places to try, and there’s such a wide variety of restaurants. You truly can’t go wrong with anything you choose here. But these were just some of my favorites so far.