• the217
• Food + Drink
• Esquire Lounge

Related Media

• See Slideshow (4 images)

Related Venues

Esquire Lounge Inc. »
Address: 106 N. Walnut St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 398-5858
Show on map

Located at 106 N. Walnut St., the Esquire Lounge is nestled in the heart of downtown Champaign, but just far enough from traffic to be relaxing at night. One of the oldest bars on campus, it’s a venerable part of the city’s night life but not exactly fancy.

“Lounge” is the operative word here. The Esquire is what you might call a regular’s bar, with plenty of good people but low in excitement. Aside from a low rumble of conversation, the only sound in the beer garden comes from a quiet jukebox piped from inside.

The crowd here ranges from 21 to the biological limit. College kids rub elbows with white-haired regulars, some of whom could have drunk here when the bar opened in 1975. This variety of company and the relaxed atmosphere that goes with it are the biggest attraction for bar-goers like Rebecca Crist, a grad student at the University of Illinois. “It’s a good cross-section,” she said. “It’s not just a campus bar. It’s not just a young singles’ bar. It’s not just an old man’s bar.” In other words, the Esquire has something for everyone.

The garden itself is medium-sized, open-air and right on the street. Patrons can walk in off the sidewalk, find a table (ideally) and order from one of the servers who pass by frequently. The garden is quiet, shadowy and casual. Close to the street, it’s perfect for people-watching but also for catching a breath of car fumes.

In addition to a solid beer selection, the Esquire’s kitchen also has a full menu. From sandwiches to pizza, food is served until 1 a.m. Although the food is a little bland, it’s cheap and welcome after a night of drinking. It comes fast, too, but if you want toppings, you have to add them yourself at the condiment bar.

For those looking for the wild side of CU’s nightlife, the Esquire and its garden are not the place. But students looking for a relaxed, low-key environment to spend the evening will see why the Esquire has been serving patrons for so long.

How does their garden grow?

Beer selection: 3 — Everything you need to get drunk, but not everything you might want.

Atmosphere: 4 — Relaxed and with an interesting mix of patrons. This is a lot closer to the bar from Cheers than Joe’s or Station. Hard-core partiers, look elsewhere.

Noise Level: 5 — Almost too quiet. The noise from traffic is surprisingly low, and music coming in from the speakers may even be drowned out by conversation.

Ambience: 3 — Laid-back and friendly but unspectacular. A handful of chairs and tables lit by beer signs and streetlights and accompanied by faint music whenever somebody puts money in the jukebox.

Service: 4 — Friendly, casual staff and reasonably quick service even when the garden’s full.

Average: 4 — It isn’t flashy, but drinkers looking for a regular bar couldn’t do much better than the Esquire.