Whether you crave a solo cup of joe or a latte outing with friends, here are our favorite places to go for great coffee in the Champaign-Urbana area
If you forgot to fuel up for the day at home, it’s easier than ever to find a Starbucks or a Dunkin. And sometimes your circumstances absolutely demand a caffeine stop at McDonald’s or Steak ‘n Shake. But what about the places unique to the Champaign-Urbana area?
Our list of Great Places for Coffee is pretty wide-ranging, and even includes two local roasters. It has seen several versions over the years as establishments come and go, and we like to revisit it around National Coffee Day — yes, it’s a thing, it’s on Sept. 29.
Whether you prefer old-fashioned coffee or espresso beverages, we’re pretty lucky to have some great slingers of joe in and around Champaign-Urbana. In no particular order:
Great Places for Coffee
Caffe Paradiso, Urbana. This Urbana staple happens to be where chambanamoms.com was created. Messy birth stories aside, we love the coffee at CP. It serves Intelligentsia, which is a great bean. And don’t miss the barista art if you get an espresso drink.
The Original Pancake House, Champaign. It must be a ritual to leave this place shaking after the bottomless cup of coffee you get here. The amazing staff just keeps pouring away, and the coffee is delicious. Sometimes it’s OK to switch to decaf, I remind myself. (I can’t be the only one, right?)
Pekara Bakery & Bistro, Champaign. We have a soft spot for Pekara in the winter when you can snag a stool at the window to maximize your light exposure. Its menu offers breads, pastries, sandwiches, soups, and salads — plus breakfast any time. Its coffee comes from Columbia Street Roastery just a few blocks away.
Flying Machine Avionics, midtown Champaign. It’s not just a cozy place; Avionics knows its stuff. We love the beans roasted by Champaign’s very own Page Roasting Company.
Café Kopi, downtown Champaign. Kopi calls itself “downtown Champaign’s classic coffeehouse since 1993″ and one of our readers swears “Best cold brew, anywhere.” Be sure to check out artwork from local artists on display — and for sale — inside the shop. Also check out its satellite campus location at the Gies College of Business.
Espresso Royale CU, Champaign and Urbana. The original Espresso Royale House Blend roast dates from the 1980s. In the corporate chain’s heyday, you could enjoy Espresso Royale brews at cafes in college towns such as Champaign-Urbana, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Madison, and Minneapolis. But when the chain fell on hard times, the C-U locations reorganized under local ownership and the parent roasting operation in Michigan is now owned by a former Urbana ERC barista. (True coffee gossips will know that ERC now owns the Café Kopi locations as well.)
In addition to campus locations at East Daniel Street, the Grainger Engineering Library, and the Campus Instructional Facility, the C-U community continues to enjoy the great outdoor seating at Village Green, the parental-sanity-saving drive-thru on South Neil, and the primo atmosphere and people watching on West Oregon — all while drinking the smoothest mocha around.
The New Sweet Indulgence, Champaign. This bakery and espresso bar has been a C-U institution since 1987. Its signature iced sugar cookies have legions of kid fans, and its custom pies and pastries for every holiday imaginable are not to be missed. But since this post is about coffee, we should mention it serves coffee (and tea) from our local Columbia Street Roastery.
Could you be the next owner-operator of The New Sweet Indulgence? Current owner Missy Holste announced earlier this month that the business is for sale, since she plans to retire at the end of 2024.
Mad Goat Coffee, downtown Champaign. There’s something about coffee shops and windows that, when combined, create an irresistible space. Throw in a convenient downtown location plus a few dedicated parking spots, and it’s no wonder people are flocking to Champaign’s Mad Goat Coffee, which opened in 2024. Of course, this popularity might also be due to the delicious coffee that it roasts itself in Danville, where the first two Mad Goat coffee shops operate.
BrewLab, Campustown. BrewLab is “serious about its coffee.” Besides creating a space to build coffee culture in Campustown, it collaborates with its sister shop BakeLab at Yugo (on Lincoln in Urbana) to offer delectable baked goods.
You can also enjoy BrewLab coffee at the latest venture from BakeLab on South Neil Street: BakeLab Pâtisserie & Café, inside the space formerly owned by Lodgic.
Farmhouse Coffee Bar, Champaign. Yes, it’s coffee served inside a grocery store (Harvest Market, on South Neil). But not only does it have spacious seating on both the first and second floors, not only does it share space with the Farmhouse Restaurant serving delicious breakfast and lunch daily, not only can you shop in the same building for toilet paper or cheese … it serves Kaldi’s coffee (from St. Louis), Firepot teas, Lotus energy drinks, and more. And holy smokes — select flavors of Capannari ice cream too! Hint: look on the store shelves for locally roasted beans, such as Mad Goat.
Yo Yo’s Coffee & Bar, Mahomet. Order your coffee beverage of choice in its drive-thru, or walk up to the counter in its open-air environment. We recommend the mocha drinks and don’t forget to pick up a Lucky Moon pastry to go with your coffee while you’re there. Yo Yo’s opened in 2018 as a self-serve frozen yogurt shop but transitioned in 2020 to a coffee, tea, and smoothie cafe. In 2023 it pivoted once again, expanding to bar service at night — a story for another article.
Whisk Coffee and Wine Bar, Mahomet. Yes, Whisk serves coffee. And wine. And a great many other things at its Patton Drive location. But let’s cut to the chase: “We love the drive through and their thin mint cookie blended coffee drink!”
Courier Cafe, downtown Urbana. When you need to nurse a deep cup of coffee over conversation with a friend, this is a great place to do it. This classic Urbana joint is known for its flavored coffee, if that’s your thing. And match your coffee with a sundae – perfection. (Where’s my big puffy sweater now?)
Yummy Future, Campustown. The main attraction here is Mozart, the robot barista created by U of I students. Yummy Future provides customers with faster coffee, matcha, hot chocolate, and fruit tea through this autonomous robot. The business is a start-up from EnterpriseWorks at the U of I Research Park that provides robotic solutions for food and beverage businesses. The future is already here at 609 E. Green Street! (At time of publication, a second location is in the works at 401 E. Green St.)
Local Roasters
For those who want an amazing cup of coffee without leaving home.
Page Roasting Company. Established in 2017, Page manually roasts its beans — single origin coffees as well as some consistent blends — in small batches. Find it served at Flying Machine Avionics as well as other C-U establishments. Visit its shop at 202 S. First St., Champaign (located inside Flying Machine Avionics), or order its coffee online.
Columbia Street Roastery. Columbia Street has sold whole bean coffee and loose leaf tea since 1998. We are big fans of the seasonal flavors. Very quick (and free) shipping with a $40 order. Curbside delivery and in-store pickup are available via its Champaign location at 24 E. Columbia Ave., Champaign.
Did we miss an amazing local cup of coffee? I’m sure we did. Let us know why it’s amazing in an email.