Watsons is a trendy place nestled in a very crowded downtown Champaign, IL.. this is a place that knows what it's strengths are and they wear them shamelessly. Great seasoned fried chicken served in numerous ways with various sauces, but the backbone of the operation starts and ends with really, really good fried chicken. Round out the menu with some other niche entrees and sides - combine that with some clever bar offerings - and you've got a pretty special dining experience. Our server Heather was super helpful and attentive. She made some great suggestions, and knew the menu really well. We were there for the last day of restaurant week, which featured a few special food and drink options and we ended up ordering a couple of those. Sadly, that was probably our only misstep. The Garlic Parmesan wings were just okay. Despite the picture, they were actually pretty bland, and could've used some seasoning. Also ordered a Beef Sandwhich off the restaurant week special menu... kind of a pot roast sandwich dressed up like a Philly Cheesesteak with onions and cheese whiz, and it was good, but I found myself envious of everyone else's chicken dishes. Should've just stuck with the chicken. I would definitely return to Watson's, and would definitely recommend it to others, so they're doing something right.

Great food and fun vibe with really awesome staff! Fun place to hang in downtown Champaign!

I've also heard raving reviews from people about Watson's and If I'm going to be honest, I was skeptical. There are just so many options for chicken sandwiches that were a lot cheaper so I just never tried it. I didn't look up any review photos and ordered a chicken sandwich. Def gasped when I saw just how big the sandwich was, it was like 2-2.5x the size of a fast food chicken sandwich. Now I understood the price correlation haha! The flavor was even better! The chicken was crispy and just enough spiciness for me! Toppings were complementary flavors, loved the sauce! And that mac and cheese was so creamy... I think it was the best side Mac and cheese I ever had! We had outdoor seat which worked out for the nice day! Harder to get the attention of a server when outside but they did a pretty good job checking in on us!

Visited the truck while it was at Triptych and ordered a Watson Hot with fries/mac n cheese. The chicken was really good and had a good amount of heat to it. The mac n cheese was a bit too nacho-y for me to really enjoy it, but overall it was good.

So yummy! Went on a date here. Such great service, super polite and friendly. Has a casual environment, we also got the peach sweet tea, which was amazing, and the Hushpuppies for our appetizer. Everything was so good, portions were huge, left happy and full!! Would definitely go back and keep trying menu item

This is a cool little hole in the wall. It's hard to find. I parked right across the street and couldn't see it. But inside is a cool compact little bar with a row of tables along the wall. The bourbon selection is indeed impressive. The staff is friendly and attentive. And the food is good. It wasn't amazing, but very solid. And you should have the sweet peach tea with your hot chicken.

Every thing I tried was amazing!! The server was super sweet to us and gave the best recommendations. I asked her what drink to get and she recommended the Watsons Famous Wabbit. She described as a fresh pressed juice with gin and hit the nail on the head. It was amazingly refreshing and satisfying. Both of the sandwiches were humongous and incredibly filling. I think that the first Watsons hot sandwich could be spicier but was still incredibly flavorful every bite we took. The buffalo sandwich was slightly sweet to taste and paired nicely with the house made ranch. This ranch is amongst the best I've ever had. Ranks above wingstop ranch ifykyk. the corn riblets were the highlight of the night. It was a special menu so I'm not sure if they're permanently available but omg they were amazing!!! If this was the only thing I ate tonight I would be smiling ear to ear with a full belly. FYI you must try the Carolina gold sauce with the fries. Amazing combo. Best described as McDonald's sweet and sour sauce on crack and perfected to the gods. I am obsessed. 10/10 would come back a million times. (I'm from out of town that says a lot) Thank you for the amazing meal!!!

We saw this place while in Punch and looked like a pretty good place for chicken using the app walked over past the alley and we were in and seated quickly we were in there around 7 on a Friday night not to crowded but the weather was terrible seating is great for couples and bigger groups Noticed the bourbon selection as we walked past the bar and it had some nicer higher end bourbons to taste Waitress was very accommodating and knew the menu pretty well and we had placed our order and it arrived rather quickly to our surprise the Nashville style hot chicken just their plan was very good but a little bit too spicy also side of dirty rice which I think needed a lot more flavor we also had the andouille and chicken jambalaya which we enjoyed very much Overall it doesn't come close to my favorite Hattie Bs but it's a good option for the area

Soooo glad to have a place specializing in chicken near campus! This restaurant features chicken sandwich, chicken appetizer, grilled chicken, chicken rice bowls, etc. with a Southern American style. Plus, every Sunday they have some Southern-inspired brunch items from 11am-2pm. Their fried chicken is so juicy inside and crispy outside. But do not miss their roasted chicken and/or pulled chicken meat as well. The meat was tender and the seasoning makes it even better! Besides chicken, the restaurant also serves other Southern dishes such as fried Brussels sprouts, shrimp po'boy, mac & cheese and so on. Things are often more or less different from other restaurants. For example, how the Brussels sprouts are plated, or the shrimp in the po'boy was cooked in firecracker sauce. The pasta in the mac & cheese was in general longer than usual mac, and tossed in less creamy, more fluidly sauce. I suggest trying the pulled chicken sandwich, Starchild sandwich, spit-roasted chicken for chicken entrée. For starters do not miss their unique Brussels sprouts. For brunch, they have pretty good avocado toast (best in town to me) and chicken sandwiches. If you want to do some Southern American food try their firecracker shrimp, gumbo chicken waffles or Du Velo. Service was also in general quick--I often get my food in ten minutes. However their payment system sometimes do not accept international card so bring some cash as well!