Illini Inn

The one and only place to go for a beer in between periods during Illini hockey games. Far enough away from Green Street that it doesn’t see the same crowds, which I love. Best dive on campus.

You say dive, I say hell yeah!
Saturday at 11pm we wanted to avoid the typical UIUC bar scene and opted to head to the Illini, as it is notoriously tame and fairly unique in that regard, not to mention none of us were members of the mug club yet.
There were surprisingly not that many people there on a weekend night. The ones that were didn’t really seem too obnoxious.
Inside is really old, decorated accordingly, and will put you in a time capsule to a time when the generation before us was slamming Old Style and signing their names in the club book.
We enjoyed being able to sit at the bar and have some quality conversation, with decent music being played at a reasonable volume. I personally like the whole club type of vibe that most campus bars go for, but this was an unusually pleasant change of pace.
The mug club was a must for everybody. We happily joined and were able to recite our numbers at the end to get our membership cards back.
Solid place on campus that lets you experience a hidden nook of UIUC to avoid the obnoxious people, deafening music and super high drink prices.
You will see me here again for sure.

I frequented this establishment during the late ’70’s. I lived across the street. My fondest memory is ordering pizza late night. After many years traveling and living across the USA, I have yet to taste a better pizza. The cheese was amazing. Champaign was (still is?) the best pizza town.

Dive bar it is…
This is a small, local, non pretentious, very chill establishment. You can come in jeans and a t-​shirt. It feels like hanging out in an 80’s basement ($ 7 domestic pitchers). The crowd is 25 – 50 ish. Come to catch up with friends and take a buddy if you must go to the bathroom because it’s super sketch. Apparently it’s way better than before because it actually has a door on it now?! When we were there it had 1 door, 2 toilets side by side, and 1 clogged sink. Go at your own risk or leave before you have to pee.

Got there about an hour before game time with my daughter who is now a senior at the U of I. I wish I had gotten there sooner, the place was as good as I remembered it. A lot of alums with their original mug club cards. While there were still a lot of students so that the place didn’t look like a retirement home, I found that while I was standing in line for the bathroom that I was the youngest in line at 50. If you are going back for a game you have to stop here for a beer or twelve.

This is a true neighborhood bar. Quaint, divey, but great atmosphere. Friendly staff, cheap beer (with some decent varieties on tap). Since it’s relatively small, it’s nice that it’s an over 21 crowd. Great location– a campus town secret.

A dive bar no doubt, but a good one. The Mug Club is fun and makes this dive worth the visit. Chug an Old Style and remember your number to get your Mug Club membership card back. Good stuff.

I have not been under the new management, so this is a rating of the old Illini Inn circa 2002 – 2008 or so. Before the change it always warmed my heart that there was one real, legit dive bar still remaining in campustown. Cheap beer and a small place that isn’t always crowded (shocking given its location). People have since told me that they took out many of the things that made Illini Inn great — pinball machines, nice tables, etc. We used to come here after Illini hockey games across the street. Too bad it may have gone downhill since.

Mug club 70 360

What the Inn lacks in amenities, it more than makes up with it’s ambiance. This is no Joe’s, Legends, or Brothers. While Ed is correct that lately, it seems like there’s more patrons wearing vertical striped oxford shirts and square toed shoes on their way to Brother’s, they don’t tend to stick around too long. If you get there early, you can grab a table, toss some darts, and get your songs played on the internet jukebox.
Most of the bartenders are polite, patient, and fun. However, there’s one beast of a woman who enjoys berating people who aren’t the fastest Mug Club pledges… but hey, you asked for it anyway.
If you come to visit Champaign, you simply MUST join the 60,000 member mug club, and take in some of the history at the Inn… It’s a Champaign institution.

Ed T., I weep for the days when there were no frat boys, and this was an amazingly undiscovered gem of non-​douchyness in Champaign. You’re dead on though — rock the mug club, go for your low number now!
Unfortunately, the place is always PACKED now, full of idiots, and it’s impossible to get a table and have a decent time. I have lots of fond memories — filling the place half way up with 10 people on a basketball weekend, just hanging out all night. Now we have to fend off French people trying to hit on group member’s fiancees (not a joke) and dodge popped collars. We’ve pretty much given up. It’s not a two star because I remember the glory days.
One standout moment — to the two dudes in head to toe Carhart and stocking caps who obviously selected Scissor Sister’s «Don’t Feel Like Dancin’» from the jukebox, and then hid in the bathroom until the music came on? We were standing by the dart boards when you came out of there, slowly robot-​ing your way across the floor, so incredibly focused on your dance that you didn’t crack a smile, didn’t even make eye contact with other patrons. Maybe, seriously, the funniest thing I have ever seen. Thank you for a memory that never fails to make me smile.

Illini Inn is the last dive bar remaining in campus. After Deluxe got knocked down to make way for the mediocrity of Legend’s and Murphy’s expanded and cleaned the place up, Illini Inn stands alone.
This place is a true dive: cheap drafts, dingy bathrooms, a good jukebox and a surprising lack of fratboys (especially considering you’re surrounded by big houses with greek letters in the front yards.)
Go forth. Chug a beer. Join the Mug Club.