Silvercreek

In and out in 45 minutes for lunch today! That was awesome.
I ordered the cream of mushroom soup and the 4 oz. filet. The soup was very good. The filet came with grilled asparagus and golden potatoes. I asked for medium rare but received rare (which is better than well done). It comes with seasoned butter on top which I presumed would be melted but it actually comes out cold. Nonetheless everything was really good. Yes, I would recommend Silvercreek for lunch. They have very affordable items on the lunch menu and in and out time was remarkable! I will definetly go back.

Incredible brunch service! My family booked three tables in the Greenhouse on a recent Sunday and we could not have been more pleased. The selection of breakfast/​lunch foods was borderline overwhelming, but in a good way. Of course they have the classics — waffles, bacon, eggs, sausage — and then many more premium choices like prime rib, lox, and shrimp cocktail. There is also a fabulous dessert selection for those with more of a sweet tooth. The servers are quick to refill a drink or pick up an empty plate and were more than kind and tolerant of our group which was frequently moving around and staging photos in the middle of a booming time slot. I would absolutely come back!

We really wanted to like this place. I enjoy the farm-​to-​table, localvore style a lot. Our experience here was… less than optimal. I dined with my husband, and we had a late reservation. We had tickets to a performance at the Krannert, and wanted to eat dinner afterward. Silvercreek was one of the few places which had their kitchen open past 10, so we decided to check it out. We made a reservation, because we wanted them to know that we were coming. There were still two other tables dining when we got there, but that was it. I should have realized that something was wrong when I saw the totally empty parking lot at 10pm on a Saturday night.
First problem: the place was really bright and the music was awful. Chain-​restaurant bad 70s music and lighting. Not what I was expecting for the description of what they were going for or for their prices. Pros: the restored location is really charming, and with better lighting and a less cheap and intrusive soundtrack, the place could be beautiful.
Second problem: the booth was dirty. The whole place was practically empty, they knew we were coming and they didn’t bother to make sure that the table was clean?
The menu is a nice one. We opted for the calamari to start, then my husband ordered the lamb and I ordered the duck. We like both medium rare, which is the standard way that both meats should be served.
The food was just such a miss. The calamari was okay, and it would have been fine at Applebee’s. For the price, a pile of frozen calamari rings (interspersed with pieces of fries and onion fritters — clean your fryer guys!) served with canned sauces is not the «best of local, seasonal Illinois».
The entrees came out fast. I mean really fast. So fast that they were decidedly undercooked. I had already gotten a sense that even though the place was theoretically open for another hour, they were unhappy that we were there. Even though they knew we were coming. And they were open for another hour. Both the lamb and the duck were under rare. The cherry jam that was served accompanying my duck was refrigerator cold.
We probably should have sent the food back, but it was obvious that the kitchen was hostile to the idea that people were bothering them an hour before they were even supposed to be closed, so I was somewhat afraid of what would happen if we did. Flat out: the kitchen shouldn’t have sent out grossly undercooked food and the server shouldn’t have brought the meat to our table that way. The message «here’s your food, eat and get the hell out so we can go home» was not exactly subtle.
The food would have been good if it had been cooked properly. The plate presentations were nice and the cherry jam was pretty good — nice warm spices and cherries cooked just soft enough. The jam would have been a great accompaniment to the duck, if it wasn’t obviously straight out of the walk-​in.
It got worse, though. We had ordered a bottle of wine to share, and the entrees came out so fast that we were only half-​way through. I’d noticed an «artisinal cheese plate» on the appetizer list. I figured that that would be something we could snack on while we finished our wine. Especially since the raw meat wasn’t exactly a palatable meal. It also wasn’t something that would take a whole lot of work from the kitchen, so I figured it would be safe. When she walked away from the table, the server yelled back to the kitchen «Cheese plate coming» Mel’s diner-​style. Seriously. The kitchen yelled something back to her about not knowing how to make one.
The cheese plate was $ 19.00 for the large. What we got was a platter of cheese straight from the deli case at the local supermarket. Boursin, some sort of italian herb cheese, a really cheap Double Glouster, a brie and some bland white cheese. Not one of them were anything that would be close to artisan. Not one of them is «the best of local, seasonal Illinois». It was served with a handful of jarred black olives and a heaping scoop of the aforementioned ice-​cold cherry jam. It wasn’t an awful cheese plate, but it is not what it’s advertised as, which is surprising since there are a fair number of artisan cheese producers in the area. For $ 19, I was expecting more than cold supermarket cheese.
Soon after the cheese came the bill. No offer of desert, which is fine, since by that time we really wanted to get out of there and I could have stopped by the store on the way home and gotten some frozen pie if more stuff out of a box was where I wanted to go with the night.
If you’re looking for a nice meal, especially late, go elsewhere. The price they charge here does not match the atmosphere, service, quality or taste. It’s more family dining, and it would have been great if the bill hadn’t run to almost $ 200 (that’s with wine, tax and tip). For slightly more money there are better places in town that don’t make you feel like they hate you for coming in while they are open.

Went to Urbana for quick Sunday visit with our U of I son. Thought that taking him out for brunch would be nice and it was! Even though our son is a senior we have never thought about taking him our for brunch before. What a shame. Silvercreek is a great find.
First of all, half price mimosas and bloody Mary’s. Need I say more. (Though a bit strange that they put a maraschino cherry in the mimosa.) They have a nice omelette and waffle station that the men enjoyed. The buffet is filled with lots of hot options and a small table of cold items. The hot table included two types of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, vegetable, two types of potatoes (the sweet potatoes au gratin were outstanding), fried chicken, salmon and a carving station with both ham and prime rib. I always enjoy a nice piece of prime rib with horseradish cream sauce. The dessert bar had a nice selection too, including a hot chocolate bread pudding that was absolutely decadent.

Off the beaten path, cozy and quaint environment. Wait staff very pleasant and courteous. Prices reflect the food quality and service…

This was my 5^th time to Silvercreek for brunch. I have yet to go any other time.
Sunday afternoons are really fun here! Brunch… because mimosas. I mean really, do you need another reason. And they have them!!!
This is a buffet style brunch and they keep it classy. Everything is good! The waffle bar is fun and full of amazing toppings. They have your normal breakfast food and they have a salad bar with smoked salmon and cream cheese.
I love love love that they have turkey sausage links on the hot food bar. I don’t eat pork, so this makes me very happy.
There service is great too. We call ahead for seats and they are always happy to help. The manager came by our table and is always friendly.
I love it here. We will be back of course!
The 4 start is because they are a little pricey. It’s $ 20.00 a person, with no drinks. Ouch. But in a way, they do give you a lot.
Try to flourless chocolate cake. I promise you its amazing.

Great food and service although a bit overpriced. I went for the Sunday brunch buffet which was $ 20 per person. The selection is smaller than what you would get at other buffets, but the quality of the food blows all the others away. I would say that it even rivals other non-​buffet restaurants in terms of the quality of the food.
I liked their prime ribs and croissants, they were very fresh, a new batch being brought out once every fifteen minutes. The ribs were flavorful and not under or overcooked in my opinion. Some people may find some of the slices of meat to be too undercooked, but there are plenty to choose from.
One thing that was kind of disappointing is the selection of fruits. There was plenty of meats, vegetables, and baked goods to choose from, but I found the selection of fruits kind of lacking. Their website showed a whole platter of fruits with various melons berries, etc, but there was only a bucket of oranges and lemons (yes whole lemons) that you had to peel yourself. I would expect pictures to be slightly exaggerated, but this is a little too much. Even cheap buffets like Ichiban Chinese Buffet or Hometown will have slices of ready to eat fruit. Just that felt like a glaring hole, considering the price and the otherwise great food and service.
The service is definitely above average and my water was refilled often, and the waiter was prompt at taking my used plates. I felt comfortable eating at Silvercreek, with the restaurant being clean and the friendly staff. Overall a really nice restaurant, but one star off for the lack of fruits and higher price.

I tip my hat to Silvercreek and their amazing staff for accommodating my rather large family during my father’s funeral. I know we were boisterous, but they didn’t blink an eye and served us like royalty with quality food & beverages. We had called ahead initially to Longhorn Steakhouse (my mother’s favorite) who informed us they wouldn’t accept a party our size. A sibling and I had each had very good experiences with Silvercreek and were able to persuade my mother. This is now her favorite restaurant.

Went for brunch here on a Sunday. The after church crowd really packed the place. The tables of food were scattered all around the place. Seemed to me with no organization at all. Worst of all the omelet station was put into as corner by the bar where two people at most could get to it And multiple tables around there as well so people were trying to get by and eventually giving up on waiting like I did because the two cooks were so unorganized and cooking on dorm room skillets. Definitely not worth $ 20. Pretty good food but not $ 20 a person food and experience overall.

I have had a couple so-​so experiences here, one bad experience, and one horrible experience. After the last one I decided never to try again. Bad service, terrible (and expensive) food, awful ambiance. Last time the highlights featured an absent host so we stood around aimlessly waiting to be seated, even though it was basically empty. It was August and it felt like the A/​C was broken in there, I had to use a menu as a fan. Service was slow and rude (we waited about 10 minutes just to get a beer menu, which we had to make a special request for). Music was terrible and so loud I couldn’t tune it out (bad slow jams and classic 70s tunes). My so-​called «Roasted red pepper risotto» had not red pepper, but contained raw green pepper. And a fly died in my husband’s beer. Yeah, like I said: Never again. There are much better places to eat within just a few blocks, for way cheaper.

Sunday brunch is yum ! Tons of good food. Mimosa and bloody’ are included. Make sure to arrive early if you don’t want to wait

I had the lobster mac n cheese. The dish was advertised with shallots, but came with green onion. The lobster was extremely overcooked, like chewing on tire. Also went overboard with cheese, left the dish swimming in liquid. Service was great, but there was not a host upon arriving which left me wandering around looking for my table. Overall just average, but advertised as fine dining. I would like to go back to try something else.

I look forward to Silvercreek’s Sunday brunch and try to go often. Its always full of great tasting choices and everything is fresh. Love the make to order omelets and especially the prime rib and ham carving station.

Very good buffet on Sunday. Very fresh shrimps and fishes. The desserts are too sweet for me but I saw many other people queueing to grab those cakes. Beef is also great.

Been here several times over the years and have never been impressed.
The waiters are slow and unresponsive.
The food is mediocre and has always taken a long time to reach the table.
For example, once ordered a steak, asked for medium rare but got well-​done, so I sent it back. The waiter was hesitant but took it to the kitchen. After coming back, the waiter was argumentative and said the chef said that is how it is supposed to be.
Paid the overpriced bill and left. Don’t care to return, which is a shame because I like the ambiance and want to support local restaurants.

So this is a fancy establishment that exudes an aura of fine dining. It almost feels as if there should be a business casual dress code. Almost. I ordered the most basic macaroni dish. I wish the menu listed all the items that come with these dishes since I don’t enjoy onions (it comes with green onions). The dish definitely was a bit better than your standard macaroni fare, but I don’t think it’s good enough to warrant an $ 18 price tag.
The Sunday buffet is similar. It costs $ 20 and the food is a bit better than your standard buffet food, but not enough to warrant the much higher price.

If this place were in a bigger, more diverse town with more options, it would merit just three stars. Given that it is the only one of a few finer dining options in the CU area, I give it a 4. Our family outing was pleasant, but the meal was not memorable. Will likely eat here again, but will avoid any time there is a graduation, homecoming, or other big university event that pulls in alums and family based on other reviews. Staff who works here seem very nice and fairly accommodating.

After seeing all the negative reviews I was a little hesitant to try this place. But this morning my boyfriend and I drove pass right when they opened their door and my boyfriend said that we should try this place out since other breakfast places were packed with homecoming weekend. I was surprised when I walked through the door, the décor were nice and the hostess was pleasant. Our waitress was nice, she kept our drinks full and came by often to check on us. The food was good, I really liked the prime rib and the mixed green salad was good as well. For those sweets lover, the cake area is the best. It’s like being in dessert heaven!
Overall, I really enjoy the service and the food. I would definitely recommend this to others.

I came here for lunch with some co-​workers for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised! This place has a reputation for being overpriced however, I didn’t see anything on the lunch menu over $ 15. I won’t say it’s world class food or anything (only slightly better than Courier Café) but very well prepared and is good for people looking for classic American dishes — no weird exotic ingredients here!
¾/​15 UPDATE
Came in with some co-​workers during Urbana Restaurant Week for my birthday. What a great deal! $ 10 per person and I left absolutely stuffed. While the service was a bit slow, it was really good. They even brought out dessert for the table for my birthday and accommodated the gluten free eaters as well!

Unilocal steered us here for brunch, but your only option is a buffet. And it’s not good.
My waffle was okay, but the syrup dish had a lot of «skin» that had developed in the tray. Kinda chunky when pouring it out.
The bacon and sausage weren’t particularly flavorful. The «homemade» biscuits were hard.
Of all the places we ate in Champaign, this was the worst. Definitely not worth $ 20+ for the same kind of Sterno-​warmed slop you’d find at Old Country Buffet.
Go get a cup of Jarling’s Custard and make that your brunch.