Breakfast stop on the way to Champaign?

Hi all--

I am driving down to Champaign tomorrow to give a talk at UIUC and I was wondering if there was anywhere off I-57 worth a stop for breakfast. I'm going to leave early from Hyde Park to get a jump on the traffic and would be looking to stop anywhere south of the Chicago metro area: Kankakee, Bourbonnais, one of the small towns further south?

Thanks,

Patrick

I don't think so, honestly. I make this trip once a week and I can't think of any interesting breakfast spots that are near 57.

If you can manage it, my recommendation is to go all of the way to Urbana and eat at the Courier Cafe (see below). This is a very reliable local staple that has all of the traditional breakfast dishes you'd expect (pancakes, eggs, etc.) plus a few interesting additions. You'll likely find families plus professors/administrators treating visiting speakers/job candidates/etc. to breakfast.

If you want to stop along the way, Rt. 17 in Kankakee is about half-way to Champaign-Urbana. If you exit here and make a right turn onto Rt 17 (Court St.) you'll see a typical diner spot. I haven't been there, but my guess is that they have the typical array of breakfast dishes.

For future reference, if you continue another quarter mile of so, there is a little place called Poor Boys, that does hot dogs, burgers, fried fish, gyros, etc. Nothing terribly different from what you can find all over greater Chicago, but these places are a bit more rare south of the city.

Courier Cafe
111 N Race Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Ph: 217-328-1811
http://www.couriersilvercreek.com/couriercafe/

I'm pretty sure there is a Cracker Barrel in Bourbonnais just off 57, but Darren is right, wait until Champaign if you can.

I don't make this trip much any more, but once upon a time I lived in Champaign for about 12 years, while most of the rest of my family lived up here in Chicago. (I am one of those people who went to gradual school -- where you keep going to school til you gradually realize you don't want to go to school any more.) So I figure I've made this trip maybe a thousand times.

And whoever said there's nothing interesting between the two is right. If you need to eat or buy gas, you need to stop in Kankakee. And you'll be eating at McDonald's. Look around but there's really not much else.

Otherwise you do need to get down to Champaign or Urbana and get breakfast there. I personally am not a big fan of the Courier Cafe, and there are a lot of other options in both C and U, a lot more than when I lived there.

But it's true, not much in between. Unless you get off on the Lincoln Highway, but you've hardly even left home if you're already getting off there.

Thanks all for the input. You're all quite right. It is a pretty bleak, chain-ridden landscape between the two cities. As it turns out, I was making good time and not too hungry in the morning so I didn't stop at all.

I was going to do the same on the way home, but some driving rain and a pretty scary looking accident inspired me to take a break in Gilman where I ended up at...McDonald's. I did decide to expand my culinary horizons and try something I have never tried before in my 35 years: a Big Mac. Not bad, but I can't say I regret having waited this long to try one.

Based on the preceding discussion, I don't have high hopes. But it can't hurt to ask. Is there any place good between here and Champaign for a meal other than breakfast? I'll be driving back Friday afternoon looking for late lunch/early dinner. Is there anything of culinary interest? Restaurants, snacks, farm stand, anything worth stopping for? I'm willing to drive a little out of the way for a gem, but probably not more than 15 min or so. I suspect the answer is no, but would love to be surprised. Thanks.

berryberry wrote:Based on the preceding discussion, I don't have high hopes. But it can't hurt to ask. Is there any place good between here and Champaign for a meal other than breakfast? I'll be driving back Friday afternoon looking for late lunch/early dinner. Is there anything of culinary interest? Restaurants, snacks, farm stand, anything worth stopping for? I'm willing to drive a little out of the way for a gem, but probably not more than 15 min or so. I suspect the answer is no, but would love to be surprised. Thanks.

The answer is most definitely yes.

@BerryBerry...If you're coming up (or down depending on your reference I suppose...) I 57, jump of at Rt9 at the Paxton/Gibson City exit. Gibson City is 15 miles west of I57 right on Rt47 and at the north end of the "main drag" (Sangamon Ave) lies the Bayern Stube a fantastic Bavarian styled German restaurant that I think you'll enjoy!!

Right now they're in their 1st week of the Oktoberfest celebration so they should have plenty of even more special offerings to tempt you with!

I know they have a website...Google them up, it's worth your detour.