Fiesta Cafe

I just discovered this place recently after 5 years of living in Champaign and always wanted to give it a try.
Our server was very friendly. Service was 4~5 star.
I’d give the food 3.5 stars. We ordered a horchata, a burrito dinner and the El Presidente. The horchata was SO GOOD! It’s perfectly sweetened, very fragrant and smooth!
I used to work in New Mexico and really enjoyed New Mexican food. The burrito and El Presidente we ordered at Fiesta were good but were slightly lack of flavor compared to the food I had in NM. I liked the chicken taco in the El Presidente. The chicken was very juicy. However, the steak in my enchilada was on the drier side. They do give a huge portions. Each dish could be two meals for an adult.
They also have a long margarita menu (ranges between $ 5.5 to $ 12+). Would love to try their margaritas in my next visit.

I love coming here. There’s a lot of margaritas to choose from and the staff is always friendly. The food and the drinks are great!

Best Mexican food in shampoo banana. Hands down. Huge portions, standard Mexican food prices, generally not a wait (and if there is, it’s not 2 hrs, like some places in Champaign).

My absolute favorite sit down mexican restaurant in town. When you walk in they hand you menus and you are able to pick wherever you want to sit which I love. I usually order the Vegetarian Fajita’s which are incredible and include tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, zucchini and squash. I hope I’m not forgetting anything in there. You also get to choose corn or flour tortillas and black or refrained beans which is also a bonus.
There is a nice patio area for those days or nights when we actually have nice weather. Amy is the greatest server, but the rest are pretty good too! For an appetizer I would suggest a side of guac if you don’t want too much, but if you’re in a group Guacamole Grande is the way to go! Also white cheese sauce with chorizo is very good.

I find it so wonderful that I can live in CU for this many years and still find new stuff that has been around for quite a while. I stopped into Fiesta Café after a friend told me about his first visit a week earlier. What attracted me the most was their (HUGE) margarita menu. I’m a pretty big tequila head and not a huge fan of Wedge in downtown champaign so I was really excited to try something new.
First of all, the drank. It was delicious. The margaritas aren’t the cheapest things in the world if you get a decent tequila in them but I came for the higher end stuff so I didn’t mind. I think it was around $ 7 – 8 for a 16 oz margarita that was maybe the best one I’ve had at a restaurant ever. I was so happy to just sit there sipping on it and eating the bottomless chips and salsa that I forgot that there was dinner to be had as well until my waiter reminded me!
As for the food, it’s not perfect. I ordered the (HUGE) fajita quesadilla from the appetizer menu and the person I was with ordered the Alex tacos. The food tasted great, but it wasn’t exactly authentic. But to be honest I feel like some kind of jerkoff for even saying that. When it comes down to it this place serves pretty great TexMex, which I don’t mind at all. If you’re looking to reach for your authenticity measuring stick every time you go to an «ethnic» restaurant, first of all quit it, and second of all this is not the place for you. But if you dig tequila and (HUGE) quesadillas then boy are you in for a treat. Will be back again and again and again.

Always wanted to try this place. I wish I had when I was a student.
Met friends here. 4 of us use wheelchairs and we all fit at a table, so it is accessible. Unsure about the restroom.
It was very loud during dinner on a Wednesday and the parking lot was very full. So minus a star for that.
Shared the asada relleno meal, chile relleno, and horchata. Loved their horchata; very milky. It came with free refills. Liked the meat in the asada relleno. Never heard of asada relleno before; it was like stir fried veggies with juicy meat, beans, rice, and tortillas. The chile relleno was good, a bit sour.
Free chips and salsa for dine in.

My wife and I have been going to Fiesta for 10 years? We almost always get the same thing carne asada for her. Sometimes they seem to scrimp a bit on the beef. (depends who is kitchen?) A veggie black bean chimichanga for me. I have sent 2 back in 20 years. I call that consistent! One time for sure, I know it was because of a staff change in the kitchen.
We will sometimes get Mexican fried potatoes.(French fries with paprika, salt etc?) they are ok. Always slightly undercooked.
Chili con queso is great. Bean dip is great also. I generally mix hot salsa in with either on of them.
Salsa and chips appetizer is good. They started salting them recently? Not a fan of that.
Another restaurant in town, El toro salts everything like crazy. (to drive drink sales?!) I imagine fiestas change is a reaction to El Toro. Don’t give in to the dark side Ron!
We often get a pitcher of margaritas. They are inconsistent and sometimes bad in the last 5 years. I think they switched to a mix like everyone else in town. They used to be home (prepared before in kitchen) made I think. Seems like they jacked up the price pitchers too.
Fiesta used to be a narrow little place. Over the years they have expanded. Tripled their capacity? Always a healthy crowd. Cleanliness has never been a concern. Parking has always been an issue. Spaces out back through bumpy parking lot?!
Another reviewer had an issue with being greeted with a smile, handed a menu and told «seat yourself». Uptight much?! Hmmm that’s called casual and friendly. «Go to El Toro and eat salty cafeteria food with the other dimwits.» I say!
The waitstaff has always been nice and friendly.
When I tell people Fiesta is possibly my favorite restaurant in Champaign, they ask me why. I say, «Because it is very very good and very very consistent.» They have a turnover of waitstaff like all restaurants. But I bet the turnover is much lower than most, because of good hands on management. And that is probably why the food is consistent. The owner is there most every time I visit.
Is Fiesta authentic Mexican? Tex Mex? I dunno. It’s Fiesta and it’s consistently delicious.
BTW. Fiesta is a gay friendly place. Kinda like how most places are straight friendly. You might see a higher than average gay crowd on occasion late night in back.
I have been going here for 20 years. But, I am not a personal friend of anyone. But Amy has been our waitress many times. She is super cool. Ask for her section, she will treat you well. She’s a pro.
Ron the owner is a sweet guy. I have only had a few occasions to talk to him about problems over the years. But when I did it was fixed quickly without issue. He will often wait or bus tables! and seems to be a super guy.
Fiesta is a big part of Champaign culture if you ask me!
Papa Del’s is the best Chicagoish pizza is town!
Fiesta is the best Mexicanish food in town!

I love this place! As soon as I come back for a visit I’m going to get an Alex Taco!
Also Amy is the best waitress!

Always run into people I know at this great place. Been going here since they first opened more than 25 years ago. It’s a very friendly place with great food and awesome margaritas!

I came here pretty often my junior year at the U of I. Overall good food, the chips and salsa are some of my favorite from any Mexican spot I’ve been to. Specials are usually a good deal, I stuck to their tacos because I had such a good experience when I ordered them the first time.

Amy is the best! Ask for her section to get the full fiesta experience and then order yourself some Alex Toco’s!

Not very authentic, and my rice was severely undercooked. They used yellow cheese on my tacos. Much better choices for Mexican food in Champaign.

I came as part of a big group — we estimated 30 but came with 40, about half an hour earlier than expected, and we were still received very well by the staff. Our server was so knowledgeable about the menu and told us about their specialties and informed us about the vegetarian options. She was very nice and patient to all of us, continually making sure we were refilled with horchata (free refills on horchata whaaaat), salsa, or chips. I got the Alex Tacos and asked for no spicy salsa on them, and when I got my food she brought the salsa in a bowl on the side for me to try, and I ended up loving it! The tacos were also loaded up and overflowing and every plate was very hot to the touch, so no one got cold food or left hungry. The cebollitos on the tacos were so amazing! Finally, she brought each table boxes for leftovers and our checks before we asked for them.

Chips and salsa — Bad had to sprinkle salt on em for flavor! The food, maaaaan! Not again, EVER!!! I love Amy tho! LOL

Love the cimichanga with a huge strawberry margarita at Fiesta! Fun place to eat out and the chips and salsa are good as well.

I used to love this place, but it seems the food isn’t as good as it used to be. My beef burrito was mostly beans and almost no beef. We were given menus outside and told to find our own seats inside — not the best for customer service — although our waiter was excellent. $ 2 Pacifico beer was a plus.

If you’re thinking about eating here, there are almost certainly better places you could go. I ordered the chiles rellenos and was pretty disappointed. Ingredients seemed low-​quality and overall preparation was subpar. Everything was drowned in a red sauce that tasted canned. I have made this dish better at home. The place also isn’t kept up very well, and the view from the patio where we sat was a little depressing. However, our server was a really nice guy. Overall I’d give the place one star based solely on food and atmosphere, but I bumped it up to two for the service.

Very good greasy-​spoon Mexican place. My husband and I both had margaritas, and they were great– not too sweet, nice amount of salt. Make sure you look at all of the options– we ordered «fresh» which uses fresh lime juice. They have tons of tequila choices. Nachos we shared were good, and the small order was more than enough for two of us.
My husband had the mixed fajitas, and enjoyed them. Portion was huge, and we brought about half of it home. I had the pozole and Alex taco. Both were flavorful. Pozole had a nice amount of spice.
We’ll return.

The typical Tex-​Mex place. Another spot in Champaign that seems like it has been open forever. The building is made of adobe, with a great shaded outdoor seating area. A few dinning areas inside with a bar in the back room as well.
Service is hit or miss, depending on how many people are here. The food is very typical for this kind of joint. Tacos, burritos, chimichanga, and various lunch specials and combinations. Globs of refried beans and starchy rice. A bunch of different margaritas, and a crap beer list.
That is it. Good for a nostalgic trip when visiting the family. Though nothing to go out of your way for.

I’d give it 4 stars for the margaritas and the service. Our server was really nice and attentive.
The food though, has much to be desired. Last night we went there and I got chicken tacos. They were so horrible that I only took one bite. My friend got the same thing and she also didn’t eat more than one bite. They were that bad. The chicken tasted like it was canned.
The chips are good and the salsa isn’t too bad either. They’re generous with the chips and keep them coming, good thing too since that’s what I ate for dinner since my tacos stunk.
Good place to go if you’re just looking for ‘ritas and chips.