It’s becoming a trend: another Champaign-Urbana area restaurant will be heading to the Carle at the Fields in 2020.
Hickory River Smokehouse, a Texas-style barbecue joint with a tremendously loyal fan following, announced via news release and social media that it will be opening a second location in the summer of 2020, this time in the rapidly developing Carle at the Fields corridor in southwest Champaign.
The announcement comes just a week after brewpub DESTIHL surprised many — and disappointed some — with its plans to move out of downtown Champaign and into Carle at the Fields, also by 2020.
[Update 4/28/2020: Destihl seems to be permanently closed.]
In the news release, Hickory River owner Mike Madigan noted that many customers have approached them about opening a location in Champaign in the past. The restaurant has been open in Urbana for 24 years on North Cunningham Avenue, and will remain open in Urbana.
“Carle at the Fields is an exciting new development with two anchor employers, and we believe this area of C-U is going to explode with growth,” Madigan said in the release. “What’s particularly exciting about this new store is that we are modernizing our look and tweaking our service model.”
One difference for the new location: they plan to serve beer and wine. According to the rendering above, the location will be right across the parking lot from DESTIHL.
For those looking to eat at Carle at the Fields – located just north of the intersection of Curtis and Duncan Roads – a new El Toro restaurant is making progress to opening, according to its Facebook page.
For more on barbecue in the Champaign-Urbana area, check out our Champaign-Urbana barbecue trail.
