The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

Hungry? Check out these must-eat restaurants on Green Street

Green Street is a bustling area of campus that students at the University venture to not just for the social scene, but to indulge in their favorite meals that campus has to offer. 

With restaurants lining the entire street, Green Street is home to some of the most beloved restaurants on campus. Whether it be the comfort of chain fast-food restaurants or the Chambana classics, students with any food interest can find something they enjoy on Green. 

To make it easier for new and returning students to find their favorite spot, here is a breakdown of the must-eats and extensive menus of the diverse restaurants on Green.

 

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Panda Express

Chain restaurant Panda Express is a popular Chinese restaurant on the corner of Green and Wright streets.

At the east end of the central portion of Green Street, Panda Express is bustling on the weekends as students take study breaks and venture out to eat with friends. 

Panda express is versatile and a great option for either takeout or dining in. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.  

Mia Za's

Mia Za’s is an Italian restaurant also located near the corner of Wright and Green streets, right in the heart of campus. 

Offering a casual takeaway or dine-in experience, students are able to quickly and conveniently walk to Green Street to grab their favorite pizzas and pastas made fresh. 

While Mia Za’s has a set menu of specific meals, one element drawing students to the restaurant is the “build your own” option. Students completely create their own pizza, pasta, salad or sandwich with all of their favorite toppings. 

Mia Za’s homemade feel is loved amongst campus residents. The restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Vinny's Pizza

Vinny’s Pizza By the Slice is a campus classic. This pizza parlor is one of the most popular post-night-out food spots on Green Street. 

Serving just the right amount of food for a pick-me-up, Vinny’s sells unique styles of pizza by the slice. Some of the variations include macaroni and cheese, BBQ, margarita and more. 

Vinny’s is currently closed for summer break but will reopen on August 1 for students’ return to campus.

Shawarma Joint

Shawarma Joint serves Middle Eastern cuisine right in the heart of Campustown. The restaurant has many food options where you can order a traditional meal or build your own. 

Customers can create their own bowl, pita or wrap, adding a base of rice or hummus, choice of protein and a wide assortment of veggies prepared in alignment with traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. 

Shawarma Joint also offers delicious sides and shareables of hummus plates, shawarma plates, baba ghanouj, grape leaves, baklava, rice and more. 

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Teamoji

Teamoji is a bubble tea shop and restaurant on Green Street that serves a variety of bubble teas, bakery items and savory foods. 

Teamoji’s biggest draw is their wide selection of bubble teas. Customers can pick from fruit teas, milk teas or from their signature crafted drinks that combine teas to create unique drinks like their taro milk tea with crystal boba. 

Although known for their namesake of bubble teas, Teamoji also offers items such as a dozen different flavors of mochi donuts, rice hot dogs, egg toasts and a variety of bakery items. 

Teamoji is a great place to stop and grab a bubble tea and a mochi donut on your way to campus. The shop is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Spoon House Korean Kitchen

Spoon House Korean Kitchen serves fresh Korean food. The menu consists of traditional fried rice dishes and noodle dishes such as ramens, udon noodles and pan noodles. 

The menu also highlights their specialty dishes that are popular orders such as dumpling soup, tonkatsu, crispy chicken with rice, kimbap and more. 

Spoon House has a large menu for customers to enjoy. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Cracked: The Egg Came First

Cracked: The Egg Came First

Cracked is a breakfast restaurant located on Green Street. As a popular breakfast option, Cracked brings in a lot of students on the weekends who come in with their friends, as well as those who bring their families when they visit campus. 

With a menu that serves a variety of classic breakfast foods, like sandwiches, eggs and tater tots, Cracked is a staple stop along Green for savory breakfast lovers. 

Cracked is open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Yummy Future

Yummy Future is a coffee shop that opened on Green Street in the fall of 2021. The coffee shop is definitely one of the most unique on campus, as it is a robotic coffee shop. 

A machine serves people who walk through the door, making a wide variety of coffee drinks and serving up delicious desserts and pastries. 

Yummy Future is a must-do while on campus, and it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 

Dunkin' Donuts

Champaign Runs on Dunkin’! The worldwide coffee chain Dunkin’ Donuts has its own cozy storefront on Green Street. 

The campus Dunkin’ Donuts is within a short walking distance from the Main Quad, making it the perfect stop for a between class and studying pick-me-up. 

The Dunkin on Green Street opens at 7:30 a.m. for early rising students and closes at 5:30 p.m. Coffee lovers can get their classic hot coffee, cold brew, latte, macchiato and more at this on campus Dunkin’ Donuts location.

Murphy's Pub

Murphy’s is a classic Irish pub located in the center of Green Street. Promoting themselves with the tagline of “Serving Illini since 1969,”  Murphy’s has an extensive menu of beer and food. 

Murphy’s has 25 beers on tap and does not serve solely Irish cuisine. Although they do serve common foods served at a pub, like bangers and mash and fish and chips, classic favorites of burgers, paddy melts, corned beef and pork tenderloin are also offered on the menu. 

Murphy’s sticks to a schedule of offering different deals on food and drinks almost every night of the week. The most popular of these nights are Wednesday’s Logo Glass Day, Thursday’s Pint Night, Saturday’s Karaoke Night and Sunday’s Trivia Night. 

Take a trip to Murphy’s Pub for a good time and good food!

Jimmy John's

With their headquarters in Champaign, Jimmy John’s is a popular and frequently seen sub sandwich spot on campus as well as in other parts of town. 

What makes the Green Street location of Jimmy John’s unique is that it is open until the early hours of the morning. 

Opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 3 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends, Jimmy John’s on Green is a popular stop for a sub sandwich for lunch, dinner and a post-night-out snack. 

Noodles & Company

Noodles & Company is a well-known chain restaurant that serves a wide variety of noodle-based dishes, ranging from Asian noodles, pastas, loads of mac options and even zoodles — zucchini noodles. 

The Noodles & Company located on Green and Sixth streets in Champaign is a popular weekend food destination among students, as it is close to many apartments, houses and residence halls. 

Many students will mobile order and grab Noodles & Company for a quick grab-and-go meal! The restaurant is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Chipotle

Chipotle is as well-known on the University’s campus as it is across the world. Having Chipotle within walking distance to a majority of the campus’ residence halls and academic buildings offers a certain comfort to students. 

People can go to Chipotle when in need of a pick-me-up and order their favorite bowls, wraps, tacos and quesadilla meals. Chipotle is like a taste of home on campus. 

Chipotle on Green is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Caffe Bene

Caffe Bene is a staple study spot on campus, and the Green Street location offers a middle ground meeting spot for people from different residential areas. 

Bringing together the Urbana and Champaign students residents with coffee, acai bowls, smoothies and studying, the Green Street Caffe Bene is an ideal place for students to meet with friends, settle in for a study session or grab a cup of joe on their way to class. 

Caffe Bene is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Legends

Legends is a unique establishment on Green, serving as a restaurant during the daytime and as a 21-plus bar at night. 

The food consists of typical grill food, offering a large variety of burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. For drinks, the selection is just as large, offering cocktails, seltzers, beer on tap and more. 

Legends is a common place for people to watch the Fighting Illini on the basketball court or the football field while enjoying food, drinks and friends.

At Legends, the restaurant is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the 21-plus bar is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 

Signature Grill

Signature Grill on Green Street is an Indian restaurant where customers can make their own version of traditional Indian food. 

Customers choose to make either a rice bowl, salad, wrap, dosa, burrito or taco, and then add their choice of protein, choosing from a variety of curried chickpea, tikka chicken, malai chicken, masala shrimp and more. 

Signature Grill’s style of make-your-own allows people to customize the experience of tasting the flavors of traditional Indian food. Signature Grill is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Möge Tea

Möge Tee is another bubble tea shop located on Green Street. Möge Tee’s menu brings a modern twist to Asian bubble tea, adding fruits, flavoring and unique ingredients to the mix and turning it into more than just milk teas, but fruit tea slushies, matcha drinks, tofu puddings and more. 

Möge Tee is a great stop along Green Street when in need of an afternoon pick-me-up or a refreshing treat on your way to class.

 Möge Tee is open Sunday to Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m.

Forage Kitchen

Forage Kitchen is a semi-recently opened customizable salad restaurant on campus. 

Although priced on the higher end of the scale, the salads and bowls offer a healthy and customizable option to students. 

Forage has a set menu of green bowls, grain bowls and kitchen salads, but also offers a “Make Your Own” portion of the menu for those who wish to curate their own salad or grain bowl. 

While Forage Kitchen is takeaway friendly, the restaurant does offer a nice dine-in environment with a nice seating area for customers to sit with friends and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal. 

Forage Kitchen is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Potbelly

There can never be enough sub sandwich spots on Green Street. If Jimmy John’s is too far of a walk, students may choose to stop in at Potbelly for a warm sub.

Potbelly is a classic sub sandwich spot but with the twist of a variety of additional items like salads, soups, macs, shakes and cookies. 

With a comfort food feeling, Potbelly is a popular stop for University students. Potbelly is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Raising Cane's

The most recently opened restaurant on Green Street — as well as the most anticipated and popular — Raising Cane’s created quite an uproar when it opened up right on campus. 

Creating a unique and fun vibe inside the restaurant and then an open rooftop seating area, the new Raising Cane’s is a great place to socialize with friends and to eat great chicken.

Raising Cane’s is open Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. 

C-U La La Noodle

C-U La La Noodle is a restaurant that offers a wide variety of Chinese cuisine to students walking up and down Green Street. 

C-U La La Noodle offers many dishes from their massive menu: noodle soups; mixed noodles; fry noodles; many meat options including chicken, pork, beef and lamb; seafood, buns; and many rice and vegetable dishes. 

C-U La La noodle offers takeout, delivery and dine-in options to accommodate anyone. C-U La La’s large menu can be enjoyed with friends or solo every day from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Burrito King

Burrito King is another popular grab-and-go restaurant on Green Street that serves Mexican food dishes. 

The Burrito King menu is extensive and has something for everyone, serving quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tortas, flautas, chicken dishes, steak dishes and more! 

A popular aspect of Burrito King amongst students are its late hours, as it remains open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. 

Bangkok Thai

Bangkok Thai is a traditional Thai restaurant on Green Street. As one of the few Thai options in the area, Bangkok Thai is a favorite among students at the University. 

Thai food at Bangkok is made fresh at the restaurant and can be made for dine-in or takeout. The menu consists of fried rice dishes; noodle dishes, which include the traditional pad thai meal; entrees of chicken, beef or seafood with rice and vegetables; vegetarian meals; curries; and more. 

Bangkok Thai is often bustling with students on the weekends when people venture to Green Street. Bangkok Thai is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Sakanaya

Sakanaya adds great variety to Green Street as it is one of the few sushi restaurants on campus.

At Sakanaya, sushi is served by the roll and differs in category. Nigiri and sashimi, classic rolls and Sakanaya Signature Rolls are all offered, differing in types of fish, size and price. Kitchen Entrees and Sushi Combo Plates are also offered for more variety. 

Sakanaya’s location on Green conveniently opens up students’ ability to enjoy sushi without having to leave campus.

Sakanaya is open Tuesday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., as well as on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for lunch. 

Four American Grill

Four American Grill is a traditional breakfast destination located on Green and Fourth streets. 

With a menu filled with any breakfast food imaginable, Four Breakfast is a common stop on weekend mornings. 

Gather a group of your friends and head on down to Four Breakfast for a weekend debrief and a warm breakfast of hash browns and pancakes.

If you don’t like breakfast, don’t worry! Four American Grill also has a daytime and nighttime menu of Mexican food. Four has something for everyone. 

Lai Lai Wok

Lai Lai Wok is a Chinese restaurant on Green Street that offers a large menu full of traditional Chinese dishes. Such dishes include appetizers like egg rolls and steamed dumplings, but also different types of soft pork buns with vegetables like eggplant, mushrooms and bok choy. 

The menu is categorized by type of protein: shrimp, squid, chicken, beef, pork, tofu or fresh vegetables. Each type of protein and option of rice or noodles has a different variety of dishes that are homemade and ready to eat. 

Lai Lai Wok offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Shiquan

Shiquan is a restaurant on campus that offers a large selection of Chinese dishes for students to enjoy at the restaurant or for delivery or takeout. 

Catering to a variety of different customers, Shiquan’s menu is extensive and offers different options for each type of food. 

Wontons; seaweed dumplings; mapo tofu and fried tofu; Hunan-style braised pork belly; steam fish filet with red chili; fried beef with sour pepper; and fried rice dishes make up a majority of the menu, each offering a different set of fresh ingredients and spice. 

Shiquan is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. 

Chopstix

Chopstix remains one of the most popular post-KAMS stops on Green Street. Open until the late hour of 3 a.m., Chopstix is conveniently located on many people’s walk home from KAMS or The Red Lion, two of the most popular campus bars.

With options ranging from chicken and broccoli, fried rice and tofu meals, Chopstix has something that can satisfy the late-night food cravings of anyone! 

Papa Johns Pizza

The Papa Johns Pizza located near KAMS on Green Street is one of the few pizza places on campus. 

What is different about this Papa Johns location is that it is no-contact delivery only. With takeout being the sole service option, Papa Johns is a great place to order a pizza to share with friends during a late-night study session or for an end-of-the-week Friday pizza night. 

Papa John’s is open from 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday through Saturday. 

Maize Mexican Grill

Maize Mexican Grill is a Mexican restaurant that was originally located in downtown Champaign, but a small dine-in or takeout chain of the restaurant has since opened up across from KAMS on Green Street.

Maize serves many different options for Mexican-style food, but is most popular for their burritos, street-style tacos and chips and guacamole. 

The Mexican food pop-up at the end of Green Street provides a taste of downtown Champaign without having to leave campus.

Maize Mexican Grill on Green Street is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

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