The Cure: 5 C-U Hangover Food Destinations

By Masaki Sugimoto

It’s Sunday morning. You wake up and roll over in your bed to check your phone. 10:35 a.m. Filling your mind are fuzzy memories of the night before and a constant thump, thump, thump. You don’t remember exactly how you got home, but you know one thing: You need food, NOW. Fear not – here are five suggestions for the best places in C-U to start your day after a long night.


5. The Bread Company on Goodwin, 706 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL

If you’re looking for some good, old-fashioned European comfort food and warm service, Bread Co. is your place. On Sundays they put on a brunch service with all the classics: quiche, omelette, and crêpes (as well as the occasional French toast special. Paired with one of their croissants and a cup of their slow-drip coffee, you will be ready to take on the day in no time. Plus, if you are the type to fight fire with fire, they serve a mean mimosa.


4. Huaraches Moroleon, 805 Philo Road Urbana, IL

Sometimes your stereotypical breakfast foods aren’t quite what your poor, abused stomach is asking for. Sometimes you need something substantial, something to quell the slight nausea with brute force. Try their huarache ranchero, one of their sizable breakfast burritos or their lengua (beef tongue). Huaraches has been setting the bar for homemade Mexican food in C-U for years and they don’t intend to stop any time soon.

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3. Koto Ramen, 508 E. Green St, Champaign, IL

If you don’t feel like a barrage of refried beans and tortillas is what you need, and you prefer to coddle your stomach as opposed to beating it into submission, make your way down to Green Street. While Koto can be pretty hit or miss, and it has a long way to go to establish itself, the tonkotsu (pork bone) broth ramen has the power to cure the toughest hangover on a Saturday morning, so it deserves at least a little recognition.


2. Merry Ann’s-Urbana, 701 S. Gregory St. Urbana, IL.

Now on to the most popular choice, as anyone who has tried to get a table at Merry Ann’s late on a Saturday morning knows. As winner of buzz‘s Best of CU awards for Best Drunk Food and Best Breakfast Food in 2015, you know what you’re going to get: classic, short-order breakfast food that will come out to you lightning fast. Oh, and damn good coffee. Don’t forget the coffee.


1. Courier Cafe, 111 N. Race St. Urbana, IL

You can’t go wrong with diner food, both for post-hangover food and for regular a meal. It’s simple, it’s familiar, and even the greasiest place is going to give you an average product. But, the beautiful thing about a standard of mediocrity is that if a place really wants to be better, it can find ways to stand out. First off, the food has to be better than average. Courier Cafe’s food is exceptional, and will surely cure any hangover. The service has to be impeccable. Courier has that down – you’ll never leave less than happy, and your coffee mug will never be empty. But the thing that makes the Courier Cafe stand out is the cozy and charismatic décor, which has been carefully preserved from the buildings days as the home of a very successful country paper.

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