Similar to my post for recommended Iowa City, Iowa recommended cafes (for University of Iowa, Hawkeyes university tour), I am requesting fellow H-B.com members opinions for Champaign-Urbana, Illinois recommended cafes (for University of Illinois, Fighting Illini university tour).

Google seach of H-B.com brings up no threads.

Per yelp.com review, Cafe Kopi and Aroma appear as good candidates. But most intrigued with Columbia Street Roastery. Unfortunately the point of the visit is university tour so I will only have time to go to one location this trip. If my son matriculates at U of Illinois Champaign, Urbana then I will cafe hop on visit to him.

H-B.com members recommended cafes in Iowa City, IA

PaulTheRoaster wrote:..... I can only recommend two places....Flying Machine in downtown Urbana......Caffe Paradiso on campus --

Thanks Paul.

Kinda late update. Family did not want to go to cafe so I had <10 minutes to go to one place. I went to Columbia Street Roastery.

Short review:
skip it.

Long review:
It looked promising from yelp.com reviews (yes I know any Joe Blow can post on yelp.com but since no home-barista.com reviews, it was all I had to go on; and their website is ok and gives appearance that they know coffee).

I bought their "Espresso 411" blend. When I asked female employee there what are components, her answer was monotone voice (kinda like Squidward Tentacles at the Crusty Crab) "from four major coffee regions of the world." Ok that was bad sign. I did not have prejudice in my voice and was quite happy to see a roaster in Champaign-Urbana. Another bad sign (as seen in picture in left side uri) was she got the roasted bean from clear plastic dispenser (like ones I see at local grocery store); so who knows how long ago beans roasted. But bag was dated with day of purchase. Good sign was the roaster (appears to be a Diedrich). I tried to smell the coffee by pressing the bag to get air out of one-way valve --> nothing . Upon further examination it is clear plastic sticker with center that looks like one-way valve (another bad sign); I checked whole bag and it has no valve. Upon opening bag it smelled like old stale coffee. At least it was 16oz and cost under $12.

When I returned home I brewed the "Espresso 411" using my vibratory pump E61 and my manual lever, both espresso brew methods tasted like old stale coffee. Also very one dimensional and little body.

I won't even bother trying this roaster again. I will stick with h-b.com recommended roasters. I will have to try Paul's two recommended cafes when back at U of Illinois for son's registration.

http://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/ ... bHsQ/o.jpg

https://csrcoffee.com/store/coffee/espr ... presso-411

"PaulTheRoaster" is spot on. I have been only to one in the Champaign-Urbana area: Flying Machine in Urbana, IL. My son, the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana undergraduate student, has been to all. He agrees Flying Machine is the best. And his coffee & espresso palate is refined beyond the typical college student. I will skip all the others. Son also drinks brewed coffees and I do not.

At Flying Machine, they serve a variety of espresso bean from different roasters depending on availability. The three times I was there it was Dark Matter beans.
I spoke with the owner and he used to work at Dark Matter in Chicago. The young man (crap that means I am middle aged ) was very pleasant and happy to discuss his experiences in the time between customers.

Espresso machine: LaMarzocco two group PB linea (to my guess)
Grinder: Mazzer Kony (did not appear to be Robur) and Mazzer Super Jolly
I did not have a chance to ask the owner about the equipment as speaking in blurbs between customers and spent most of the time talking about his Chicago cafe experience and his current business plans. Other time I went, different barista and surprisingly he was not exactly sure about the equipment he was brewing the Dark Matter espresso beans with.