The Clark Bar

This is a pretty cool place!!! I went there with some friends on a Friday evening because we heard they had karaōke. The karaōke DJ seemed three sheets to the wind, but was still somehow able to remain coherent enough to do her job.
The bar staff was great! It had a very laid-​back atmosphere and the drink prices seemed pretty cheap! We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back on Saturday after tailgating at the U of I football game. Great beer garden!

Clark Bar is the place to go for Karaōke! I’m not a big Karaoker, but I have great Clark Bar memories spent laughing with friends! Listening, and singing along. Occasionally Clark Bar will host bands, and has really staffed the place up with top-​notch bartenders and wait staff.
Clark Bar is quite dated. I wouldn’t call it the most visually appealing of the late-​night scene, but there’s definitely fun to be had there, and if pool tables and dart boards aren’t you thing, give Clark a shot. It might just surprise you!

This is a cool little bar that has local musicians in. I didn’t get anything to eat but they do make a crazy good Bloody Mary & Old Fashion!

Willing to give this spot another shot, but wouldn’t be in a hurry to go back. For neighborhood hangouts, there are others that are my go-​to that have a better vibe.
Venue used to be a hookah bar, and it hasn’t been updated much since. In the front area they still have large booths utilized for hookah smoking.
Went in on a Tuesday night. Had about 5 people sitting outside, 10 in the back karaōke /​dance floor area, and another 15 or so lingering around the bar. The space felt really big for the crowd size.
Bartender was prompt and friendly. Limited beers on tap selection (I think I saw 2 – 3 taps).
The patio seemed like it could be a really fun spot. I’d be open to going back and try to catch it at an earlier time to see what the crowd would be like.

I’m not usually one to stand on a stage and sing into a microphone in front of a crowd of people, but best friends and alcohol conspired me to do just the very thing at the Clark Bar on a frigid (but otherwise lovely) Friday night.
The bar has a really nice ambiance. There are a ton of rooms, a kind of living-​room type space with couches for relaxed conversation and live music, a somewhat crowded and annoyingly narrow bar area for boozing it up, and a music room with a stage and some peripheral seating for karaōke, music and dancing.
Great prices for beer ($ 3 Blue Moon!), clean bathrooms, and a great time for my first karaōke experience! If I lived in Champaign/​Urbana, I could see making this a frequent stop on my Friday night circuit.

Friendly staff. Good food & nice atmosphere.
Love the patio.
Staff has never had a problem keeping up with orders.

If you want to escape university culture and get a taste of «authentic» Champaign, then Clark Bar is the place to go. Spend a couple hours there for karaōke on a Tuesday or Friday night, and you will surely make some new friends and feel like you’re on an episode of Cheers. Honestly, karaōke-​ing there was the most fun I’ve had at a bar in a while…$ 2 draft beers, playing with the DJ’s dog Brownie, getting chatted up by some colorful characters… If you go to Clark Bar, you will definitely have a story to tell without having to get schwasted or spending a bundle on overpriced drinks.

Dear Clark Bar,
Please:
1). Post your business hours plainly on your website and on your facebook page.
2). Post your correct phone number on your Unilocal profile, or make it easily accessible under «contact info» on your facebook page or your website.
Let’s be frank– People shouldn’t have to chase you down, dig through web content, or be a Champaign lifer to know when they can show up and spend money at your establishment.
Thanks,

The Clark Bar! The best bar in town, in my opinion. The staff is friendly, helpful, funny, and wonderful. The location is tucked away in downtown Champaign, close enough to walk to the main strip but far enough away that you don’t get the college/​hipster scene. We started going to the Clark bar because it is so close and we can bring our dog to sit outside on their BEAUTIFUL patio. Worried we may not feel welcome in a neighborhood bar, we were immediately embraced by all the regulars, the owners, and the whole darn staff.
We’re there nearly every day. You know why? BECAUSE THE FOOD IS AWESOME and there are DOLLAR DRAFTS EVERY DAY! How could you go wrong there? I highly recommend the ribs, their cook is excellent and I honestly haven’t had better ribs in town. Beats both Black Dog and Porgys, as far as ribs go. The Reuben and the Rachel are my favorite sandwiches, and the crab cakes are sublime, if you’re feelin’ fancy. Also the pulled pork sandwich is super as well.
Please go to the Clark Bar, and see for yourself. Keep this gem alive.

As a new-​to-​towner and a 30-​something who is not a student or professional, I’ve been searching for a pub that catered to regular ol’ folk like me. Clark Bar is truly one of those places. The building itself is sort of hidden from the rest of the downtown bar scene. The building is actually a Victorian-​styled house that was remodeled into a bar. I can’t really speak about the drink selections… I’m a simple beer and whiskey man. The domestic drafts are $ 1 on Thursdays, but might actually the special every day. The bartender was friendly and attentive.

Clark Bar is a casual, neighborhood bar. Don’t expect much of a college scene here. And because the bar is off the main strip for downtown Champaign, you won’t find the modern urban socialite scene, either. Most nights are relatively low-​key, though they do host live music from time to time. The place is deceptively large as rooms are sectioned off to allow for cozy, private settings for small groups. I love to sit in their patio area in the summer, which also has a layout that allows for some privacy among groups, including a small screened porch (for people who fear insects).
The alcohol selection here is probably not indie rock enough to impress beer elitists. They offer standard beers and well drinks, but there are no obscure microbrews.
For some confusing reason, Clark Bar is listed as a «tapas bar» on Unilocal.I think that this classification is somewhat misleading as tapas evoke a distinctly trendy, European sensibility. While the tone of the food verges into tapas territory at times, the ambiance at Clark Bar probably wouldn’t be suitable for an elegant dinner date. The menu ranges from standard fare (burger and fries) to surprisingly exotic. My carnivorous friends rave about the ribs, which are served exclusively on Wednesday and Friday. Once I stopped by and found fried ALLIGATOR on the menu, an exceedingly rare delicacy outside of the deep south (ESPECIALLY in Champaign, IL). Any appetizer they make with shrimp is absolutely perfect. As a fair warning, some dishes are only offered seasonally.
The variation you see in terms of food might also apply to the clientele you meet here. Most nights the bars is populated by absolutely ordinary local people. However, during one surreal visit, I watched as a stream of people dressed in Victorian hoop skirts and silk waistcoats marched in. Not an experience you’d run across at most bars. Apparently Clark Bar was hosting a meeting of the local steam punk club that evening.
I’d recommend Clark Bar for anyone who isn’t scared of a bar with a «townie» vibe. This unassuming establishment serves some of the most interesting food in town, depending on the cook’s mood. For those who love to people-​watch, there are fewer prime locations in the area.

The Clark Bar… Beautifully remodeled, gets busier as the night goes on… a great warm-​up bar before heading out to C-​Street or also an excellent alternative if you need a break from the ‘only gay bar in C-​U’, as C-​Street is so-​often called.
Great atmosphere, good pool table, darts, cool outdoor tiki-​bar and funny staff with spunk.