I still remember when I tried this place for the first time as a freshman. Let me just say that it is still a coveted experience as a Master's student because it is so dang good! The wait at the Urbana location can get pretty long, but every time I've come to the spot in Champaign, even with a group of 6, we could get seated pretty quickly. And thank the lord for the electronic ordering system, it makes payment so much faster!
The Champaign location is much larger than the Urbana one. I have sat at the bar and on the floor, and the service is the same in both locations. The servers are always friendly and happy to answer any of my questions!
For food, I like to split a platter with three different meats with a friend and sample different sauces. We're usually stuffed by the end because you also get sides and I have yet to be disappointed. Everybody raves about the burnt ends, and while they were very tasty, they also had a lot of fat and I wasn't the biggest fan... The Blackdog burger (I switched out the sweet Georgia Peach sauce with a mild Milo's Mustard Sauce) was delicious! For sides, you can't go wrong with some classic mac and cheese and fries (sweet potato and regular are both great). But since this is a BBQ joint, their cornbread is pretty out of this world.
This should be on everyone's list of places to try in the Champaign-Urbana area!