Quality Beer

As we’re sitting in Red Lobstah, I get a text from Mike N Matt, asking «are you coming to quality» The answer is «of course, as is the xmas eve tradition».
While it’s not the only time of the year that we go to Quality, xmas eve is the only time you can guarantee that I will be in quality. We get there after stopping in at Walgreens for some last minute gift card purchases (and run into 2 people that we know, because as mention before… that’s how I roll!)
We sit down and order a beer, I go with the Triptych XOCO. Kridz did something a little lighter in color. MnM like the xoco, but Dave is raving about it, because dave is a raver.
Drew started out as our bartender, but shortly thereafter T-​Boy replaced him. T-​Boy hasn’t been to sleep, because that what T-​boys’ do!
At this point, my brother and sister start a text chain of extremely inappropriate content, of elf on the shelf stuff. There’s other things, but Unilocal TOS sort of prevents me from… Ok, so one of the elf on the shelf’s the elf had peanut butter and a dog. I think my favorite was the elf with coke and a dead Barbie hooker.
I am somewhat disappointed in the men’s restroom. It’s not that it looks like people have attempted to remove the urinal from the wall (what’s with the black duct tape?) my problem is that the urinal is self flushing.
When I went into the restroom (again, shortly after redlobstah) I was doing my business and was like… wtf??? oh yeah, asparagus. Man, that’s some fast acting (and strong) asparagus.
I wanted to leave a nice present behind but the urinal self flushed. :((not a crap in the urinal, just an unflushed one, so that when the next guy peed, it would stir up the air, and he’d get a huge whiff of asparagus pee).
My second beer was a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. It’s on tap, so I got it.
Quality always has fair prices. They have good specials through the week as well. It’s becoming more popular with non-​downtown people. Downtown people don’t stay at one bar too long, they all roam, and roam a lot. Non-​downtown people find a place, then stay there all night. Quality is attracting a fair amount of people who go in there, and stay all night.
We left Quality and went to MoM, where I proceeded to forget to pay my tab, and woke up to an angry FB post from KASS, calling me an ASS. (FYI, MoM doesn’t have autoflush urinals, so xmas eve gifts may have been left there)

I would have given them 4 stars, but their wine pours have significantly diminished since last year, while the price has stayed the same. Good place to grab drinks especially in the summer because of their outdoor patio. Also, they sell pub mix for $ 1, which is pretty much the dream. Just really unhappy about their diminished wine pours, as that was the reason my friends and I used to come here a couple of times a week. Also, I feel like they should bring on another bartender because it takes a while to get a drink when it is busy.

Cool bar with an upscale vibe. Nice election of beers and spirits and a fairly diverse clientele. Have been there several times with friends and enjoyed ourselves each time. Only slight issue is the bartending, not horrible but it seems as if they are not well trained in terms of knowing how to make drinks or how to be the most efficient at serving. If the quality of the bar tending improves I’d definitely become more of a regular.

Good beer selection, good aesthetic.
Bartenders are difficult and inattentive. Asking for a beer list gets you «its on the wall» and then a walk-​away. Speed of service is slow. Bartenders will regularly be engaged in lengthy conversation about their personal lives with the patrons they know.
Overall: Worth the beer. Go when it’s busy — paradoxically, you will be served quicker.

Simple = Best
Quality is simple, which is why I love the place so much.
YES, it does have a bad wrap for being a hipster bar. Funny, they’re too good to serve any «mainstream beers» (Bud, Coors, Bud Light, Corona, etc), but they absolutely serve PBR!!! Shocker haha
Great bar, nonetheless.
Oh, and darts. So much fun. Darts.

I come here way too often. Not only do they have an amazing beer selection but they have a very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Whether you want a microbrew IPA or a cocktail, the bartenders will be able to help. Plenty of outdoor seating, not so convenient in the winter, but available nonetheless. Fast service at the bar and plenty of personal space on the back side. Great place to go on the weekends or during the week for a nightcap.

The Good: The décor is quite nice: exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and wood floors. There is a large selection of board games which seem to be well taken care of and the beers on tap seem to rotate often enough to offer a decent variety to the customers. The outside space is enjoyable during the nighttime and offers a nice vibe with the strung lights in the alley.
The Bad: The acoustics in the bar are HORRIBLE. You basically are unable to have a conversation with the person sitting next to you unless you scream. The line at the bar is also extremely chaotic and the bartenders seem to have no system to take care of their clients in an orderly fashion (I realize that’s a common problem in bars but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be mentioned). Finally, I ordered a Glenfiddich neat and I got a full glass of ice and scotch. I realize that people go there mainly for beer but ordering a scotch without ice and receiving it with as much ice as if it were a rum and coke is not acceptable.
Verdict: I like the bar. It’s clean, well taken care of, and the employees and patrons are often friendly and interesting. I just hope that they can solve the noise issue and can create a more effective system for taking drink orders.

Waited to get service for like 10 minutes. There were five bartenders and they kept skipping us. My guess? The bartenders are color-​blind.

I wish my group of friends would expand and try bars in town other than quality. But, usually this is the place where grad students and young professionals lean towards, so I’ve been here quite a bit.
The beer selection is relatively good, and the service is fine. I like to go earlier in the evening, as it can get really noisy after 10 pm or so.
One thing to note it the awfulness of the bathroom scene. As soon as you head down the hallway, it starts to reek – I seriously feel like I’m back in New York, heading down towards the subway. The bathrooms are almost always stinky, so I try to not stay too long so that I can avoid those stalls.

Quality is an excellent bar with a fantastic beer selection. The bartenders are always quick and friendly. Great place to have beer in champaign.

Really like this place. Great bartenders serving a pretty awesome selection of craft beers. Board games, darts, arcade games, Jenga! And when it’s warm enough the patio has a nice ambience. This place is totally on par with any good bar in Chicagoland, so yay!

This is my favorite bar in downtown Champaign. I feel comfortable anywhere. I love coming in here to play darts, board games and arcade games. I’m never bored here. I usually find a new beer that I like on tap and if not, they have such a huge bottle selection, I“m always happy.

Love, love, love Quality, though it took me a bit to come around. They can be really crowded on weekends, to the point where I can get a bit overwhelmed. But that’s the only real downside to the place.
Drinks are reasonably priced; I can get a glass of nice bourbon (Bulliet) for about $ 6, and scotch (Macallan 12) for $ 9. The bartenders are also incredibly nice to the snob in me who insists on ordering martinis during rush periods. The place has a nice spirit selection, though it’s not incredibly extensive.
The beer list is pretty good. They rotate about 10 – 12 beers on tap, and the bartenders are always willing to talk about beers and recommend or allow you to sample new stuff.
Quality’s a great little bar, and also a good spot to sit and grade or read at 4:30 in the afternoon with a light beer. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and the selection rocks. Just don’t go on Friday or Saturday (so I can get a seat).

Ok where shall I start? It’s 1135. There is no audible music, absolutely no ambiance, and there is a dog (possibly a puppy) running around. I do like dogs but they are a lot like babies… I cannot think of a situation in which it is proper for them to be in a bar (and this is not the first time I have encountered a dog in here) Also the place just kinda looks unfinished. Maybe it’s just not my thing. Pseudo hipster vibe with a good selection of beer. Meh

Huge addition to the craft beer scene in downtown Champaign, Quality carries a tap list that rivals the Blind Pig including breweries like Left Hand, Stone, Rogue, Bells, Victory, Founders, North Coast, etc.
Bartenders are accessible and friendly and ready to talk about the beer or grab you a sample. Atmosphere is clean and easy. This place is a best bet to find a good «talking» atmosphere in earlier evenings or even not a bad place to study/​work because it’s relatively quiet, and doesn’t have loud music and has solid wi-​fi. Can get more packed after 9pm.
Back deck is awesome in warmer weather to meet friends, and their are good group tables inside as well.
Wish they had a few more beer specials – it’s hard to show up here at $ 5 and $ 6 for a beer when Blind Pig Brewery is at $ 2-​$ 3 some nights. But still hope they stay around.

I went to this bar while visiting family at Christmas time. While there the owner screamed obscenities at a young woman and told her to leave, apparently all because she and her friend were having a disagreement with an off duty bar tender. The owner was also a slob and dressed in sweats and sneakers. Completely unprofessional event to witness, and I would never go to this bar again.

This is a fairly new beer and cocktail bar that opened up in downtown Champaign. There are several entrances, but none are well marked. Once inside there are two sections. One has an L shaped bar that holds about 20 people. Some darts off to the left, the chalkboard with the tap listings is to the right. A patio area outside. The other section has a library of sorts with some low top tables scattered about. The setup is very cavernous, and probably very loud when full. Though relaxing, and enjoyable on the few slow afternoons I have visited.
The service is very good. I visited on a slow Monday afternoon. The bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, and quick. Can’t complain about that.
A smaller selection of about 15 craft beers that rotates. Several Founders, Breakfast Stout and Dirty Bastard. Goose Island and Anchor. Plenty of good stuff on tap, along with an extensive list of bottles. A very nice selection. They also have plenty of liquor, a nice whiskey selection with some cocktails. I have not tried any of the cocktails, but in the set up and selection this reminds me of Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston, in a very good way.
Overall a very enjoyable time. Another good option in downtown Champaign. The downtown area is becoming quite a beer hub. I was very impressed, and a place I would recommend.

From the very thoughtful and extensive beer list, to great décor, and a staff second-​to-​none, Quality delivers.
This is a place where you can sit at the bar with a friend when it is slow and quietly converse or move to a table with a group when the night gets going. Middle-​aged couples on nights out sit next to early twenty-​somethings who never went home and mellowed thirty-​somethings de-​stressing from work. There are darts; there is Pac-​Man; there is a library with Nabokov tomes.
Simply put: This place is Quality.

In the interest of full disclosure, the owners are my brothers. However, I am the oldest brother and as such I am well within my rights to put them in a headlock when I want to. Thankfully, they’ve done good when it comes to Quality, so it hasn’t had to come to that. I am also a homebrewer, a beer lover, and privileged to live next to 30^th Street in San Diego, the best beer street in the country.
I’ll tell you right now that Quality’s beer lineup is on par with any bar in San Diego. Their 16 taps pour a varied array of great beers from all over the country (including some Stone beers from my neck of the woods). The bottle list is extensive. I was honestly surprised that they offered Hitachino Nest. If anyone is itching for some Japanese rice beer action, Quality has your fix. I was hunting for hops when I attended the opening, so I didn’t pay the closest attention to the wine and spirits that were offered, but they have them.
The space is huge. There are long tables for your big gang of friends and small intimate spaces for your latest Craigslist Personals hook-​up. You can toss darts while tipsy or sit outside with a pint and grade those papers that were supposed to be handed back to the class last week (I’m looking at you, U of I grad students). There’s even an old-​school video game cocktail table so you can play Mrs. Pac-​Man or Dig Dug as god intended, buzzed. Whatever you choose to do, Quality will let you do it with a damn tasty pint in your hand.

For the last three years that I’ve lived in Chambana, the storefront on the corner of Neil and University has puzzled me. What was it? Why is it in a perpetual state of construction? Is anything going to open there?
Well, finally it’s open. Quality is a new bar run by two brothers from Watseka, IL. In a strange coincidence I happened to be good friends with a brother of the two owners back in San Diego, and he told me that the place was opening, so I headed to their soft opening last night.
In short – this place has amazing potential. It’s got a great lay out, first off, two separate rooms, with large space and funky vibe – one room boasts everything from a vintage Ms. PacMan table/​arcade game to a haphazard book collection to a chalk wall and bench overlooking Neil Street; the other room showcases the expansive bar, which is host to an AMAZING selection of great beers on tap. You have beers like Founders available next to great California beers like Stone and Lagunitas; it makes me both homesick and delighted to see what they’ve got on tap.
I’d really heartily recommend going; I think this place is going to be the next spot to watch in town.