Love this place--fabulous drinks, nice friendly atmosphere. Â Today I went for Sunday brunch for the first time and was impressed with the variety and quality of items on the buffet. Â Didn't realize they had eggs benedict until I was already stuffed because that pan got emptied out pretty quickly, but everything else was good--eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, fruit--just about any breakfast food you could want. Â $10 for a bottle of champagne for the table for make-your-own mimosas is great!
Review Source:What a gem in Urbana!!!
My partner and I visited Urbana from Michigan and we happened to hear about Emerald City Lounge through Yelp and decided to hit up the Sunday brunch. It exceeded our expectations! Great selection of breakfast yumminess and a nice bloody mary bar. I mean, how cool is that?
The food was some of the best breakfast food that I've had at a restaurant. We had  memosa's (that's how we do)- an entire bottle plus OJ for $7...  maybe it was 10, it was completely reasonable and who can say no to memosa's on Sunday morning?
The service was very friendly and the atmosphere was low key. Perfect for a Sunday morning.
We wish we lived closer because we would hang out here more often.
Thanks ECL, we'll make sure to drop by when we're back in town ;)
I have lived here for 11 years now, and never gone out a lot because I was not comfortable at some of the other bars in town. Â Emerald City Lounge is a friendly environment and great place to meet people, or meet friends for chat, dancing, or just drinking. Â
The staff treated me when I sat at the bar and have called me by name when I went back. Â The owners were polite and friendly. Â
I need to get a Sunday off work to try this brunch. Â I hear lots of good things about it.
I enjoy the different themed nights, two thumbs up on the bear/leather nights.
It is disappointingly hard to find two things in C-U: a good cocktail, and a classy gay bar. The latter was impossible to find until this place opened up. The bartender I am most familiar with makes a mean drink, and he has a broad enough knowledge of cocktails to probably make you something obscure. The other ones seem pretty good too.
It is definitely friendly to people of all orientations, but it is a good place to come if you're looking for a gay bar, and can't stomach C-Street (I can't). The crowd is mostly grown ups, not the undergraduates.
I come here relatively often.
Amazing brunch!!! We were definitely not expecting the quality and variety of food they had on the Sunday we went. Service was great, they were quick and really nice.
If you are looking for a great place for brunch definitely go here, I know I will!!
Starting in September they have Drag Queen Diva Sunday brunch where you can dine with the Divas. I know I will be back for that!
Visited Emerald City Lounge on a trip to Champaign to wallow in my college days. Live in San Francisco now and am comparing Emerald City Lounge to the places I frequent at home. This is a real find and if I lived in Champaign I would be a regular. The owners were nothing but friendly and socialable, the staff were great (and Billy knows how to make a great cocktail), the ligthing and music were perfect for the upscale lounge vibe. Wish the owners of gay bars and lounges in San Francisco would understand that patrons actually do want to talk to each other, do want to walk across a floor and not have their shoes stick, and do want to sit on comfy stools and banquets. I probably won't fly 2,000 miles just to come to this lounge again, but it certainly is tempting. I am just a bit jealous that a town the size of Champaign-Urbana has such a nice place.
Review Source:Come on people. 5 stars on yelp states 'as good as it gets' and this IS as good as it gets in this part of the world - friendly, cute staff (male and female), good strong drinks, great range on the food menu. My favorite things are the paradox of 1) atmosphere, which is classy, cool and upscale and 2) the feeling of a neighborhood bar. Sunday brunch is hands down the best quality and value for money within a 100 mile radius.
Review Source:People writing reviews and complaining about not interacting with the owners of an establishment should be taken with a grain of salt. Â These are the same people the owners probably wish to avoid in the first place.
That being said, this establishment is a much-needed addition to the CU area. Â It brings something other than yet another another rundown country bar serving awful American beers. The brunch service is fairly standard fare with some notable accessories (the bloody mary bar). The fact you can actually enjoy a conversation with a reasonable ambient noise level is the best feature of all. Then add in the creative cocktail list, and you have the recipe for an enjoyable outing.
Disclaimer: Â I am friends with the proprietors. Â Having said that, please be assured that I don't cut them much slack.
I have been enjoying this bar/lounge since it opened.
Drinks are good. Â I enjoy the Toto, the dirty martini yet drink the inexpensive draft beer on most evenings. Â The music is not too loud that you can't carry on a conversation and I enjoy seeing music videos I don't see at other places. Â We have seen a couple of different live music acts here, and intend to see plenty more.
A wonderful Sunday brunch has been served from 10AM - 2PM.  Lisa and I have only missed a couple of Sundays since.  Two types of eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, pastries, fresh fruit and a Bloody Mary bar with  all the fixings.  I am crazy about the sausage gravy served with biscuits... (no this isn't the kind of gravy they wave sausage over the gravy for flavor), it is almost another breakfast meat.  Oatmeal has also been added to the brunch along with toast to order.
i recommend this brunch to the heartiest of eaters.
See you there.
I went to Emerald City Lounge for my birthday brunch with my family back in December. The brunch was fantastic; good food, GREAT bloody mary's, and a fun fresh atmosphere!
The service was just as outstanding. The Divas that seat you are beyond fun and add that extra spunk you need to get up and going on a Sunday morning after a long night out and about. The staff knows just when to approach your table to make a refill or take a plate away.
Having been to other brunches in the area (Jim Gould's and Silver Creek), ECL easily stands out as superior!
Go check it out!
Think relaxing, comfortable and pleasant....you have come to the right place.
I  have been to Emerald City numerous times and always have a great time.  A relaxing upscale lounge that is a welcome addition to  Champaign.  The owners and staff are extremely attentive and accommodating.  As hard as they DO try and would love to have the time for a conversation with each and every person who walks through their door, they DO have a business to run too.  If they don't come talk to you then go talk to them.
Wonderful martinis, beer selection and excellent light food menu is fab. Â I recommend the Fontina! Â Great live entertainment most nights...we enjoyed Candy Foster last night and it was one of the best crowds ever! Â It was like being in a beautiful upscale comfy living room (i.e a lounge!) and having a great band play just for you. Â The patio area is a huge plus and perfect this fall with the addition of the stone Firebowls!
Come to ECL, you will not be disappointed.
I've visited Emerald City on 3 occassions and have enjoyed each very much. Â The lounge is a welcome addition to downtown Champaign's night life and extends that part of the city a little to the east. Â The service has been excellent and the servers and bartenders fun (and hot!). Â The drinks are great (a bit pricey but they are catering to a more adult crowd I think) and the food is truly delicious (as would be expected from these guys). Â The owners have stopped by to check things out with us and were very involved in making sure everything was running properly. Â As with any new operation, there may be a few bugs to be worked out, but that will happen with time. Â The addition of quality entertainment is wonderful, and as many have said, it is nice to go to a place where you can enjoy the entertainment and music, and still be able to share in conversation. Â The decor is stylish and contemporary and the conversation areas a wonderful idea!
Review Source:I have recently edited my review after visiting the bar on several occasions.
The drinks from the Martini menu are absolutely divine! Â I can honestly say the mixed drink specials at this bar rival any other in Champaign/Urbana for quality. Â
However, I still have yet to speak with the owners. Â I have seen them at the bar on several occasions, just like another reviewer, and they have spent much of their time associating amongst the barstaff.
While I have enjoyed the Emerald City very much, I must agree with the reviewer in regards to the lack of owner interaction. Â Reading his review, he states clearly that staff outweighed customers. Â I, too, have been in the lounge when this happens. Â And, while it is nice to have a quiet drink with a friend or two, the owner(s) should at least pretend to acknowledge the presence of those attempting to keep this treasure in business. Â The owners have been in the bar on every visit I have made, and have NEVER been busy attending to their business. Â Conversely, if they are not talking to staff, they are sitting alone.
I do want to make it perfectly clear that this is not a STAFF issue. Â I have had nothing but positive interactions with the staff, most of which are extremely friendly and outgoing. Â I always feel comfortable and well liked when I visit, thanks to the staff.
I once rated this as 4/5, but until I see a little more interaction with the owners, the price paid for the drinks just doesn't make this worth the trip.
Hey, it's my first Yelp review!
I went here their fourth night since opening (it was a Saturday) and thought it was okay. The staff was very friendly and were happy to split the check. Our server had kept track of who had ordered what.
The drinks themselves were fine. Nothing out of this world in terms of taste but strong. I had the Tin Man and the Wizard, both martinis which I think are the best deals there.
I guess it was a little pricey for Champaign. I'm a Chicagoan so I'm used to paying around 17 for a well made martini instead of 10 here.
Another thing: I'm not gay but I was with three friends who are. I might have given it another star if I were. My friends seemed to notice a lot of attractive people and thought the waiter was cute.
As it was nothing amazing but nothing bad, I give it a 3 star.
Horrible location.
Calling this location downtown Champaign is a stretch. It's next to a police station near a sketchier part of town where there's little parking. No other night businesses are close. Â The owners already owned the space from a catering service out they run, and apparently didn't think location actually mattered. Maybe a great interior could make up for this, but in this town it's hard to beat Boltini, and this doesn't come within a mile of it.
Bad drinks.
The mixed drinks were weak and more expensive that Boltini. Some of the  drinks were brought out in incorrect bottles indicating they didn't understand the basics of serving alcohol. I'm not very wise about these things myself, but it was obvious to me that my beer shouldn't have been served in a pilsner glass.
Bad service.
My group had to wait half and hour to get our checks. When I went up to the bar to let them know we had been waiting, I didn't get an apology of any kind. The waiter didn't know who ordered what, and actually forgot some of the beers.
They close at 1pm on most nights unlike every other place. Everyone was confused when last call was 12:45.
This place will have to make major improvements if its going to survive at all. Â I'm pretty certain it can't. There are much better places to go in downtown Champaign. Don't waste your time.
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