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• Best Vegetarian Restaurant: The Red Herring

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Red Herring Coffeehouse »
Address: 1209 W. Oregon Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 367-2340
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Unlike any other restaurant on campus, the Red Herring is a nonprofit vegan restaurant with a menu focusing primarily on local and organic ingredients. The restaurant is located in the vibrant and inviting basement of the Channing-Murray Foundation at 1209 Oregon St. in Urbana.

The menu, which fluctuates daily, features low-price meals.

Ally Simmons, a restaurant employee, said the appeal of the Red Herring lies in its unconventional approach to food.

“We really want people to understand that eating here is one of the best options on campus. It’s a great alternative to the usual menus found at other area restaurants,” Simmons said.

In addition to delivering a sense of uniqueness to campus, the Red Herring, as characterized by restaurant manager Chad Knowles, is, “a friendly place to eat where we know the names of over half our customers.”

This leads to both the employees and patrons having a mutual desire to see the restaurant thrive.

The Red Herring serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and is a place that primarily draws people who are concerned about the food they eat, the environment and the local community.