You’ve already tailgated and watched the game with your dad. Now it’s Sunday and your dad wants to end his visit by treating you to a hearty breakfast before it’s back to dorm food or cooking for yourself. Take a look at these popular breakfast and brunch spots in Champaign-Urbana to help bring Dads Weekend to a delicious close.

$ – FOUR

401 E. Green St., Champaign

A quick walk from campus, FOUR serves traditional breakfast foods for reasonable prices. This restaurant is a popular place on Grubhub, so if you and your dad want to hang in his hotel room, you can get your meals delivered right to the door. 

$ – Cracked

619 E. Green St., Champaign

This Green Street restaurant is great if you and your dad are looking for a casual breakfast spot. Some of the restaurant’s most popular menu items are the ‘tots,’ boasting six different flavors. The rest of the menu consists of a variety of breakfast sandwiches, soups and wraps.

$ – Merry Ann’s Diner

1510 S. Neil St., Champaign

701 S. Gregory St., Urbana

Merry Ann’s is a diner known for serving traditional American breakfast foods, so expect bacon, eggs, sausage and hash browns. The prices aren’t too steep and there are two locations, so it’s a great option no matter what side of campus you live on. 

$$ –  The Original Pancake House

1909 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign

Though The Original Pancake House is a bit of a drive from campus, it’s definitely worth the trip. Its menu consists of all the classic breakfast items, but pancakes are its namesake for a reason. You’ll typically find a long line on Dads Weekend, so be sure to get up bright and early to secure your table.

$$ – DESTIHL

301 N. Neil St., Champaign

Until 2 p.m. on the weekends, you can enjoy a gourmet brunch at DESTIHL, a modern brewpub and restaurant in downtown Champaign. Its classic cuisine carries items from skillets to breakfast pizzas to french toast. 

$$ – Big Grove Tavern

1 E. Main St., Champaign

Big Grove Tavern, who describes their food as farm-to-table American fare, serves classic brunch items with a gourmet twist. You can really tell that they use the best ingredients. Their recipes take basic meals just a little further, justifying the pricey menu.

Most of these restaurants fill up fast when all of the dads come to town, so if you’re not an early riser and you don’t feel like waiting, you might have to settle for a McDonald’s or Steak ‘n Shake breakfast. But when it comes to spending precious time with your dad, the choice of what food to get isn’t the most important on the menu.

Cassie is a sophomore in Business.

[email protected]