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• Perfecting the art of the cheeseburger

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Big Mouth's »
Address: 408 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 328-2447
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Office »
Address: 214 W. Main St. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 344-7608
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Courier Cafe »
Address: 111 N. Race St. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 328-1811
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• Cheeseburger in campustown

It is not difficult to put a piece of meat in a bun, but perfecting the art of cheeseburgers is something few accomplish. Urbana-Champaign has many places that serve a good cheeseburger at a decent price—IHOP and Hardee’s are not those places. However, it is easy to find an excellent cheeseburger if one knows where to look.

The easiest place to find what may be the best cheeseburger in the area is at Big Mouth’s at 408 E. Green St. in Champaign, Ill. Though they advertise the hot dogs on their sign, their cheeseburgers are far superior and much more filling. Unlike many places that grill their cheeseburgers, Big Mouth’s char them in a manner similar to Billy Goat’s Tavern in Chicago, which leaves them juicy and greasy. A double cheeseburger meal with fries and a chocolate covered deep-fried Twinkie is a lot of food, but it is also expensive, topping out at over nine dollars. Their simple menu of fries, hot dogs, cheeseburgers and chicken also leaves few alternate choices.

Though Big Mouth’s may be good, not every person believes a greasy cheeseburger is a good one, and it definitely is not good for the body. For another good cheeseburger with a lot less grease, go to The Office on 214 W. Main St. in Urbana, Ill. Similar in appearance to Green Street favorite Murphy’s only with brighter lights and less drunken fraternity members, the clean, attractive ambiance perfectly compliments the delicious burgers. The exact opposite of Big Mouth’s, the grease is removed from these burgers and cooked with a considerable piece of meat for a unique flavor and excellent taste. The Texan burger even comes with bacon and barbeque sauce in the shape of a star, which was a welcome surprise.

Around the corner from The Office is Courier Café, located at 111 N. Race St. in Urbana. Rich in history as it may be, their highly recommended burgers came up short. With an awkward heavy bun and a dry taste, this burger left much to be desired. But unlike the previous restaurants, this establishment has a full menu of other possible options, and many of them are appealing to both the vegetarian as well as the carnivore. Do not return for the burgers, but come back instead for unique items like the Monkey Stuff sandwich, which puts peanut butter, honey, sesame seeds, coconut and bananas between any of seven different bread slices. Besides, where else can a person be cashed out on a register from the 1900s?

Now, besides for Hardee’s and IHOP, there is one other cheeseburger that must be avoided at all costs. This distinct honor goes to Junior’s Burgers, now located at 1511 W. Springfield Ave. in Champaign. Though cheap and customizable with various garnishes and toppings, these burgers are nothing more than flat pieces of square meat with plastic-looking cheese melted on top. The burger flavor is lost entirely. I would rather go to the Famous Dave’s around the corner.

Hopefully this small guide can help those with burger cravings make an educated decision about where to go to eat quality cheeseburgers. However, this is far from comprehensive. There may be other places in the area that can serve a cheeseburger far better than what I have experienced. Though a cheeseburger can be prepared in many different ways, the need to fill a burger craving is constant.