Broadway Food Hall: First Impressions

By Jennifer Wilson

When I moved here from Washington, D.C. nearly a decade ago, I instantly missed the convenience and electricity of the lunchtime food courts I would frequent. Nowhere else could a group of co-workers dine together, each with a different cuisine.

When I heard that a food hall would soon be arriving in Urbana, my mouth started watering. I had a feeling this unique addition to our micro-urban scene, developed by Sipyard’s Matt Cho, was going to be good.

My first visit to Broadway Food Hall, located at 401 N. Broadway in Urbana, did not disappoint. Arriving at the tail-end of lunchtime on a snowy Friday, our group quickly dispersed to three of the four open locations.

Our traditionalist enjoyed a grilled cheese and fries from La Royale, along with a post-lunch muffin from the same location. We heard something about beer-battered bacon in the works for this spot that specializes in diner basics, including breakfast.

Two in our group headed to Muchacho, which serves rice bowls that can be customized towards Asian or Latin flavors. Both topped theirs with teriyaki sauce and I heard no complaints. I tried a small bite of chicken from one of these bowls and found it tender and flavorful.

My office-mate and I both made a bee-line to King Kuma. We were here for the poke. A poke bowl is like a giant, deconstructed crunchy spicy tuna roll, but with more vegetables. As someone who always asks for extra spicy mayo on my sushi, I was in heaven.

We didn’t have a taker for Nation, the sandwich eatery, but saw others noshing on pastrami. A fifth option, focusing on salads, is due to open soon. Everyone enjoyed their meal and felt satisfied by the portions.

Our group did note a bit of an awkward parking situation in front of the building, including a number of double-parked cars reminiscent of Caffe Paradiso on Lincoln Avenue. We also discovered no recycling options yet, but were told these are in the works.

All in all, I am excited to have this new option available and will definitely be back for more. I was impressed with the array of options for vegetarians throughout the building and love having a welcoming space to dine with friends and coworkers.

DETAILS
LOCATION: Broadway Food Hall is located just north of downtown Urbana.
HOURS: Serving breakfast and lunch Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Open Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. starting April 28.
CHILD FRIENDLY: To be determined. Our fearless reviewer went during her lunch hour without kids. Might depend how adventurous an eater your child is.
OTHER NOTES: Beer and wine are served. Catering is available.
MORE INFORMATION: Check out the website, Instagram and Facebook.

Jennifer Wilson is a Texas transplant by way of Washington D.C, who provides solutions for stress-free memory keeping at Simple Scrapper. She wrote 31 and Pregnant for nine months, documenting her journey navigating first-time pregnancy in Champaign-Urbana.