Blind Pig Brewpub is now serving up food and drinks to the Champaign-Urbana community
Get your first taste of the new Blind Pig at its new downtown Champaign cornerstone location
We’ve known it was coming for awhile, but walking past the Blind Pig and finding an unlocked door was still a pleasant surprise.
Blind Pig, a longtime downtown Champaign space to sip and socialize, is undergoing its opening in the brand new-t0-them space inside of the old Destihl (301 N. Neil St.). Most notably, Blind Pig now serves food alongside the many brews Champaign-Urbana residents are looking forward to finding on tap.
Following the closure of the brewery in 2024, Blind Pig was sold to a new owner who re-launched brewery production while working on a new concept and launching in the new space.
Fans of the old Blind Pig at 120 N. Walnut St., will be excited to see a TV monitor listing the 24 brews currently on tap. There are many glimmers of familiarity in the new space that will remind customers of what Blind Pig used to be.
The most obvious thing to point out is that Blind Pig has a hot new location on the corner of Neil Street and Church Street. It overlooks the new downtown plaza outside Big Grove and features 157 seats indoors and an additional 32 outdoors. If you are wondering how this compares to the old Destihl space, Blind Pig is utilizing half of the former Destihl, which feels like a very comfortable size when you walk in.
In addition to the location of the brewpub being radically different than the former Blind Pig, something else significant to note is that you can now enjoy food at the Blind Pig! The menu features burgers, pizza, Bavarian pretzels, salads, wings and sandwiches. With the Blind Pig still in a “soft opening,” the menu continues to settle in to what it will be when it officially opens (anticipated later in August). It continues to add menu items and will widen the offerings in the weeks to come.
The 7-ounce sirloin burgers are a generous size and delicious. A burger and fries (pictured below) will cost you between $13 and $15 with the current menu.
We spoke with general manager Joe when we stopped in. In regards to how operations have been coming together, he said, “We’ve been incredibly lucky … finding people with a lot of experience that will help us get a leg up and introduce ourselves to the community properly.”
The former Desithl space sat empty for five years before Blind Pig moved in. We are thrilled to walk down Neil Street and see patrons enjoying another fantastic place to gather, dine and sip in downtown Champaign in this beautiful location!
Blind Pig Brewpub is currently in a soft opening and welcoming folks to stop in to the bar or make reservations to dine. Follow on social for news as it begins serving lunch, adding menu items and announcing its grand opening.
