This place is vastly different from any of the other restaurants downtown because its atmosphere is neither pretentious nor dumpy. It somehow manages to straddle the line in such a way that nobody really seems to feel out of place there. The burgers are some of the best in Champaign. They have a good char-grilled taste to them that so many other, more pretentious, places lack. There are a large number of sides to select from, including fried mushrooms, onion rings, french fries, potato chips (which, sadly, just come from a bag), fried broccoli, and Asian dumplings (which my friends tell me are fantastic). I've had the polish sausage once, and it was passable, but nothing special. The pizza is good and comes in a number of varieties.
The one complaint I have is that the service can be especially hit-and-miss. There have been times I've been served wonderfully, and there have been times I've been ignored for a half-hour just to refill my drink.
Overall, Esquire is a down-to-earth place with good prices and good food.