I don't go here for the nightlife, so I can't speak to this place as a bar. As a lunch place, though, it's fantastic. There is always a place to sit, the service is fast and friendly, and they have a great menu that leans slightly towards the southwest.
Their southwestern quesadilla with the cajun chicken is amazing. I don't usually like things with corn, roasted or no, but the whole thing is delicious and not laden with grease. The grilled tortilla is flavorful, as is the side cup of southwestern sour cream they give you to dip each bite in.
Other good eats are their onion rings, Cobb salad (and it's under $9--cheap by my book), and Buffalo chicken.
Bottom line, I dig Guido's.
Just an average bar with slightly above average bar food. Â It is a nice atmosphere with an island bar and big booths around the perimeter. Â There is a nice patio outside as well. Â The service can be slow and uniformed at times, but nothing all that bad.
Food is pub grub. Â Lots of burgers that are good. Â A few other sandwiches and some apps as well. Â Nothing is great, but certainly not bad. Â Some Bell's and Goose Island on tap, but not much else on that front. Â Nothing to go out of your way for, but a decent spot downtown.
This isn't a bad place. It's nice on the inside, the booths are spacious, but the menu is severely limited. There's a handful of appetizers, a few salads, and the rest is sandwiches and burgers. Nothing on the menu really stands out as being that special. I got the Reuben sandwich and it was fine. The bonus was the eggplant fries, they were pretty good. There's a decent beer selection (mostly in bottles, with some on tap).
With its apparent shortcomings I plan on going back. This is the kind of place I could see myself hanging out at and having a few beers before moving on to other places for the night.
Decent food and service, but I can honestly say that this is rarely on my list of places to go. In fact, I only go here when the rest of the group insists. I'm not sure what it is, but it's just..."meh" to me. I can easily go across the street and feel a lot more at ease and get better food and drinks.
Review Source:After always going to the bars on campus, this is certainly a change-up in downtown Champaign. A chill atmosphere, a lot more older people, townies. Just something different outside of the college town. It took forever to get our food, but I must say even with a very limited menu, the food was delicious. Typical greasy food, but the western burger was just really good.
Surprisingly though the eggplant fries were amazingly delicious!. This was my first time trying eggplant fries, so good my friends and I had to get a second order!
I would go here again, the prices aren't bad and the service could have been better, but when you're with people who make you laugh, it overshadows that. Go & try it out, even if it is just for the eggplant fries!
3 stars for Guido's. Â No more, no less.
The menu is very limited. Â I was surprised at how limited. Â Maybe we were there at an off time where they were in between lunch and dinner and that's the bar menu, I'm not sure, but it was small.
On our table:
Queso
Nachos
Teriyaki chicken sandwich
Grilled cheese
Both sandwiches came with "eggplant fries" as an upcharge.
The queso and nachos "looked better than they tasted." Â The grilled cheese was standard. Â The teriyaki chicken sandwich was very salty and very dry.
The eggplant fries stole the show. Â They were delicious, with a side of grainy honey mustard for dipping. Â They're probably the only thing I'd go back for.
Also, if you want a cup of coffee (as my dad did) be aware that they use a Keurig, and therefore, charge by the cup. Â No free refills on your joe.
This place is terrible.
Nice location. Â Terrible atmosphere and service. Â If you feel like hanging out with the service staff and their friends, and feel like you are at a party where you don't know anyone and you are not welcomed, if you like to pay more than you should for your food and drinks, then you got to go to Guido's.
waitresses in skin tight mini dresses. Â check.
all the townie mid-90's uiuc frat alum. Â check.
waiting forever to get your bill. Â being subsequently charged twice on your card. Â having to deal with your bank to get said charge reversed because the manager at guidos can't be bothered to call you back. Â check. Â check.... and.... check.
the drinks are standard. Â the food is fair. Â the experience is forgettable. accept when you get your credit card statement. Â then you are reminded. Â sometimes twice.
Guido's is ok.
Pros: great burgers (even the vege burger is good), awesome fish sandwich on Fridays, one of the best outdoor seating locations in Chambana... Perfect for a leisurely and/or boozy lunch in the sun.
Cons: Downstairs club gets a bit rough later on in the night...sides (ESP fruit and veges) on sandwiches not always fresh and service can be slow.
Usually will get drug here with co-workers every now and then. Â Very average, just passable food. Â Typical greasy food type of fair. Â A bit on the higher side price wise I think. $10 for a sandwich and fries. Â
I hear at night the service, crowds can get pretty bad, but I've always went for lunch and generally the service/wait times were OK. Â Yes, not good, just OK. Â
I would never go here if I had the choice, but if I was with a group and ended up here for food, I could probably find something to hold me over to my next meal without being too upset about it. Â All and all, this place is average at best.
I have been here twice on a Monday afternoon around 4:30 having a beer and nachos. I think the nachos are really good. We have always had great service and it's never crowded (because of the time obviously). However, I am not that impressed with anything. Maybe I should try more items and then write a review. But, I also got a ticket while parked in the metered parking lot. I know it's my fault for miscalculating but it still pisses me off.
Review Source:guidos has really good french fries. REALLY REALLY GOOD. like sneak them off your husband's plate when he's in the bathroom even though you already have your own good...
...but remember all those people you hated in high-school? the ones you figured would join a fraternity or sorority to try and legitimize the fact that they are drunk, mentally disturbed, and semi-literate? remember how you thought they'd all still be acting like jack-asses in their thirties? well, you were right, and i promise you, they are hanging out at guidos right now with five hundred of their best friends.
This is not a place to write home about for the food, but the daily drink specials are key. Â I dont remember them all but Tuesdays are 4 dollar LIT's, Thursdays are 2 dollar coors lite and miller lite bottles, and sundays are 5 dollar coors light pitchers. Â Obviously I could only remember the ones that appeal to me;) They also have two dart boards and two pool tables. Â I havent been there when it's crowded or when there are frat boys. Â So for me it was a place where you can chat with the friendly bartenders, play some pool/darts, and choose my own music from the juke box.
Review Source:What comes to mind when I think of Guido's? Three things:
Nachos. Burgers. Want.
Everything else about this place kinda fades into the background, for me at least. The decor and ambiance are nice enough, I suppose, though a bit on the dark side. But seriously - who cares?
I'm there for the nachos anyway. These bad boys are listed under appetizer, but don't be fooled - the order is huuuuge and definitely could hold its own as an entree. If you're going to Guido's, get the nachos. End of story.
While I had been to this place before and it was passable, I made the mistake of going on some "Jose Cuervo" day, when downtown Champaign was all blocked off. Â Even worse, I took my family.
Tiny, overpriced menu, with heated-up pulled pork on a grocery store bun. Â Chips on the side. Â More than $7. Â My dad asked for a bottle of Miller Lite, they brought him a draft without checking if it was alright, and charged him for a bottle anyway. Â Inattentive waitress, despite the place being full of workers, we were left waiting a long time for pretty much anything we wanted.
Truly awful, I will never be there again. Â Extorting your customers and ignoring their requests is not a good way to get repeat business.
The only way this place gets three stars is because the service was good and our food was good. My wife and i went there for lunch. I got the chicken salad and fries. She got a veggie sandwich and onion rings. My sandwich was good and hers was ok. They were what they were. No frills. The veggie sandwich was just a plain veggie sandwich.
The reason this place needs less stars is because I would liken it to a TGI Friday's or Chili's. There is just nothing that would set it apart from standard American fare. I am glad I just went there for lunch rather than dropping more money at dinner.
I like their decor, and I like their onion rings. Â I also like that getting blue cheese is an option for the burgers.
Other than that, I was just not impressed. Â It was one of those non-busy times when there seem to be 10 bored waitresses milling around, but not one of them is actually helping you. Â It seriously took 10 minutes between being seated and seeing our waitress. Â Then our burger orders were mixed up. Â Then we didn't see our waitress until it was time to leave. Â It's also worth noting that while I may sometimes have the self-esteem and paranoia of a 13 year old emo girl, I really feel like the waitress was judging me.
On a more food-related note, I was DEFINITELY unimpressed by the veggie burger. Â It was over-spiced with chili powder, which made my choice of blue cheese crumbles unappetizing. Â It seemed like it came out of a package, which could be true, but I've never had a bad Boca burger. Â Definitely not worth it for the price.
Going a few more times since last review, I think that the banality that is this place drags it out of the 3 stars range. If friends suggest Guido's, which they often do, because it is a vanilla compromise place, I cringe. I still go along, but my heels drag on the way there, and my feet get itchy after half a beer.
There are a million places just like Guido's on the North Side of Chicago, and I think that a high proportion of the patrons here represent next year's crop of Chads and LP Trixies. Guido's isn't 100% a Campustown bar, but its on the way. Teej T.'s observation re: the crowd is 100% accurate, and unfortunately asshats like this are more the rule than the exception.
Food is pretty decent, prices a little on the high side for pub grub, but a good value for lunch. The place gets pretty crowded on Thurs-Sat nites, and the service gets understandably slow then. Good, but stingily-portioned onion ring sides. I say if you're gonna upcharge me for onion rings, I want a lot of 'em.
Objectively, the place is 'fine' in a ho-hum way. Subjectively, the intangible anti-culture, anti-intellectualism, anti-anything that is novel, interesting, and unique in favor of everything that is popular, faux-hawked, slutty, and top-40 brings this place down a peg.
In general, I like Guidos. Â They have a good selection of bottled beer, and it's reasonably priced. Â I think their food is fine, I've taken my dad there before and we've definitely had worse meals in CU over the years. Â Hell-- I even think that some of their martinis are better than those at Boltini-- blasphemy, right? Â
The bartenders have always been very nice, but I had one interaction with a waitress that was less than ideal-- I ordered La Fin du Monde, she brought me Lindeman's Framboise, I pointed out the error (they're polar opposites of the bottled alcohol spectrum, I didn't want to pay $8 for raspberry stuff) and she made a comment about how it's not like they could give it to someone else.. trend in DT champaign? But, she did bring me the right beer after I questioned her initial decision. Â
Overall, I like going there to play pool on the quiet nights... on the weekends, I'd rather go somewhere else.
This place seemed to be the fun college hang out bar. The place where the frat boys come to hang out and scan the ladies up and down. I, am not a frat boy. I did not come here to hit on ladies. I felt old here.
Though the bartender was nice and offered some suggestions to my friend on where he could meet some ladies to hook up with. Mercifully, I got to go back to the hotel and get myself to bed.
Absolutely unimpressed.
The frat boys yelling and carrying on Saturday nights when I'm walking past don't make for good advertisements, guys, especially when one shouts, "Look at the fool with the fro" and points. Â ugh.
Still, I decided to give Guido's a shot. Â I went for dinner after studying one night with some friends.
The waitress was polite but chronically forgetful, and had to be asked multiple times for anything from water to silverware to condiments. Â The burger was...okay. Â The fries were disappointing. Â The crab cakes were dry and icky.
I'm not coming back. Â And I'm certainly having my headphones in each time I pass the ever scintillating crowd on the weekends.
I went here for a business meeting after a seminar. Â It was about 5pm, and sure, it was raining, but the lights were turned down really low, ready for the night crowd (although it seemed a little early for night time lighting). Â So I thought it was a little dark, but anyway...
I had the bacon cheeseburger, and it was alright. Â I'd give it an average rating. Â You would think paying $8 for a bacon burger, they would put more than 2 skimpy slices of bacon on it. Â The fries were good though. Â They were the super skinny ones, sort of like Murphy's. Â I did not check out their beer selection, not because it was a business meeting, but I had serious studying to do after wards, so I can't comment on that aspect. Â
I can see it being a good place for groups to go. Â Not sure what the night crowd is like. Â It's maybe a little fancy, but not required. Â Like, if you wanted to "go out" and "dress up" you could probably go here, but if you were in jeans and a t-shirt that would be okay too. Â Know what I mean?
The waitress was nice, it has a large, open area, I think a pool table, and booths and tables along the perimeter. Â And outdoor seating.
This is a relatively classy place, not necessarily a college bar. Â At least, there was a fair mix of ages in here, and nobody even gave me dirty looks when I cheered vociferously for Penn State against the Illini during a Saturday-night game. Â It was lively but not crowded.
They have dark red paint and cherry wood in here, which individually are quite handsome but do not match well together. Â In general, though, it's an attractive place with a mellow atmosphere. Â One detraction: Â the bathrooms are terrible, far worse than you would expect given the rest of the establishment. Â
Service was friendly and attentive from our two waitresses. Â The first one could not name the bar's whiskeys besides "Jameson, Jack, Jim, Crown" (thankfully I ended up with Woodford Reserve) but give her credit for at least knowing what "whisk(e)y" is (you'd be surprised).
Me likey.
If you're looking for a nice, off campus bar, I suggest Guido's. Â It does get fairly crowded on weekend nights, but typically no line, and no cover, and the crowd that frequents this bar is fairly diverse. Â They have a wide selection of beers and great food which makes this place a good spot for lunch or dinner as well. Â The grilled chicken I got was really juicy and tasty - not the dry, flavorless, just out of the freezer stuff you'd usually find at other bars, and the nachos and quesadillas are yummy, cheesy, goodness.
It's clean, spacious, great ambiance, and they have an outdoor patio for additional seating. Â Guido's is a great place to take out of town friends for a good time.
I really like this place that I go nearly every weekend when I am in town. Â They used to have really hot waitresses so my guy friends would make me go all the time. Â There is no cover.. no lines.. Â busy and it's a posh place to hang out on the weekends. Â It's supposed to be a sports bar.. but it doesn't really have that feel. Â The drinks are also decent.. it's not watered down and the prices are reasonable.
I like some of their food too. Â Best quesadillas in town. Â Nachos are pretty good too. Â Crab cakes are NOT good. Â I'm not a huge fan of the sandwiches.. but the fish sandwich special on Friday is okay.
I used to work here and I liked it at the time. Now, I feel that since it's probably the biggest bar in the downtown area, it's like the go-to place for a lot of people and just gets way too busy. Also, I have friends that want to go there ALL THE TIME, so I feel like I'm kind of burnt out on it. But then again, if you want to go to a place that will almost always be busy, it's right up your alley.
Review Source:Uggh I think Guido's is my favorite bar in champaign. Â The "uggh" is because my favorite place in champaign still has miller light girls wearing slutty referree outfits at football games. Â
I'm pretty sure they have the best bloody mary's in town, and their pineapple upside down cake martini is more or less killer-- as are all their specialty cocktails, for that matter. Â Which is probably why if you go after 9PM, even if you are lucky enough to not have to stand in line, you almost definitely won't be able to get a table.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
