Inspired by a man named Russell who used to frequentlyg go to Farren’s Pub and Eatery, The Russell burger has been around for 13 years. With sauteed mushrooms, bacon, a house-made bleu cheese sauce and pepperjack cheese, the burger is served with crunchy tricolor tortilla chips. 

Restaurant owner Carolyn Farren said the burger is the most popular dish at Farren’s Pub in downtown Champaign. 

“When I first tried The Russell, it was just one of the juiciest and tastiest burgers I’d had in a long time,” said Lukas Campe, freshman in LAS. “I would definitely go back for another.”

The burger came into existence when Russell constantly ordered The Motherlode, a burger with sautéed mushrooms, bleu cheese sauce and Swiss cheese, but requested to add bacon and substitute the Swiss cheese for pepperjack cheese. Farren eventually made Russell’s preferences into a burger on the regular menu. 

The Russell, along with the rest of the burgers, is custom ground daily by Old Time Meat and Deli, a shop located on Neil Street in downtown Champaign. The produce comes from Central Illinois Produce and the bleu cheese sauce uses a secret recipe created by Farren.

“I’ve actually converted a lot of people that hate bleu cheese,” said Tyler Walker, Farren’s son, when explaining how he has gotten friends to try the dish. 

“A lot of people might not like bleu cheese, but they’re surprised by how good the sauce is in a burger.”

Normally Campe would not willingly eat bleu cheese in any form, but he decided to take a risk with The Russell. Just as Walker said, he admitted he was indeed pleasantly surprised. 

Farren’s Pub opened in February 2000, when Farren bought Creamy’s Bar and Grill, where she worked as a manager. Though she had been in the restaurant industry for years before buying Creamy’s, Farren’s is her first restaurant.  

The restaurant has become a local favorite of Champaign native Charlie Kessler. His family and friends would often dine at the restaurant, so he came along to enjoy a night of good company and delicious food, he said. 

“I really liked it there. It’s got a good atmosphere and it’s a nice place to go if you want to get good burgers,” said Kessler, sophomore in Media and former Illini Media employee. “It’s a very relaxing restaurant environment overall.” 

As customers walk down a ramp to enter what appears to be a small basement, they are instantly greeted with a vibrant stoplight hanging from the corner of the ceiling. Farren’s logo is displayed on bright green, yellow and red lights against an urban brick wall. A long bar runs along the back of the restaurant, and tables are scattered across the room. Vivid photographs of nature are featured on maroon-colored walls, creating a decor that is a fusion of casual pub comfort with a metropolitan flair. 

“We were one of the first businesses when they really started to rejuvenate downtown Champaign,” Walker said. “It’s been really nice watching downtown grow up around us and seeing how it’s changed over the 13 years we’ve been open.”

Alice can be reached at [email protected].