Maize Mexican Grill
| Address: | 60 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA |
| Phone: | +1 217-355-6400 |
| Site: | maizemexicangrill.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Skylar Wolphe
Crazy good prices for ridiculously good, authentic Mexican food. 2.50 for traditional tacos or 2.99 for an americanized one. Burritos are really fairly priced with a ton of meat options. Their horchata is fantastic and so refreshing when youve been out in the heat. Youre not getting these prices OR quality at Pancherro or Chipotle, and honestly the service might even be faster here. The only problem is that the restaurant is so small, but Im obviously not going to dock points for it when their food and prices are worth a little shoulder rubbing in the cramped space. Ive been here dozens of times, and often people were standing shoulder to shoulder to wait in line for this excellent food. The servers took orders quickly which allowed us to move to the back of the room, away from the swath of people continuously lining up to order. If standing in a swarm of people isnt your idea of a good time, I recommend calling in an order for take away. Theyve also got some pretty stylish shirts, if you enjoy wearing shirts of awesome eating establishments.
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Alexandra S
Literally the best Mexican food. They could charge through the roof and id still eat there but believe it or not, their prices are CRAZY awesome!! We are from out of state but travel through Champagne often. We ALWAYS make a point to stop and eat there (and usually order leftovers for later because you WILL NOT find more authentic Mexican food) I like to try something new every time! I usually ask the Manager to pick something for me b/c its ALL SO GOOD!! He always laughs and serves me something yummy. Its a small establishment with limited seating but I actually love that because you can easily strike up a conversation or have a laugh with others next to you. Its nice to engage instead of staring at your phone. Last time I drove through (about 5 days ago) I got a "Maize" shirt and wear it proudly so naturally the next step was a review :) ...just good people. GREAT PLACE, GREAT FOOD, GREAT PRICES-
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Fai Thompson
Pros: Maize is the best Mexican food I have ever had, period. I have traveled as far as Miami by car on my way to Chicago to intentionally stop at Maize. I have been all over the world and overall nothing compares. In terms of overall menu, Maize makes great dishes no matter what you choose. If you can, gain the full experience by dining in; the food seems to taste better than their takeout wrapped in foil. Cons: Just like several other people have mentioned in their review and even in person, the restaurant is terribly small which can deter people from going there. They have 6 parking spaces which is not enough for a populated, college town. There is no reason why it has been 6 years since they have opened and are still in a small facility. They really need to move their operation and open more locations to meet their demand.
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Chris Coletti
I travel for a living and have probably eaten at over a hundred Mexican restaurants AND I just got back from Mexico, yet Maize is seriously one of the top 5 Mexican restaurants Ive been, maybe even top 3. Wow! There are 2 hot sauces served with chips, the red one is ok but the more yellow one is UNREAL. Delish! Very unique sauce!!! Guacamole and chips: A+ They have real Mexican sodas like Jaritos and Coca Cola (made with cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup as in the US recipe). The tacos were the best! Im sure the tortillas are hand made. Yum! There is very limited seating (less than 20 spots) so its hard to get in but the wait is well worth it. Thanks for having such high standards, Maize; we the (eating) people appreciate it! (This review originally published on Yelp)
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Andrew Entin
This is an excellent restaurant. The food comes out quickly and is excellently made. The Mexican cuisine is familiar but original enough; avoiding the familiarity trap. Then theres the fact that it tastes excellent. Be forewarned, the restaurant is in transition right now. I didnt knock off a star because technically when I went it was a "soft open". The are transitioning from a takeout style of dining to a full-on sit-down experience. Thus we waited in line to enter the place because we had to order before we sat down. Also, they did not have a soda fountain yet (they told me its coming May 24th, 17.) Other than the growing pains, the food and service are excellent and the meals come out lightning-fast.
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Brandon Almeda
Terrible, just terrible. I had an extremely nice waitress help me with my pick up order, but she wasnt the problem. As she went to the back to get my food, I personally heard the cooks make sexual comments and gestures towards her. I asked her if she was okay, and she said everything is fine because she got used to it after a while. The worst part, the boss/owner was standing right at the register just turning his head the opposite way. What kind of leader is that? Terrible. Wouldnt recommend spending my money on a place that allows their workers to be treated like this with no consequences. Wont ever spend my money here again.
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Brian Faulkner
Updated review (3 stars): I revisited Maize to see if my opinion would change. I got a chorizo torta which was just OK, horchata which was pretty good, and chips/salsa which were also meh. Service was reasonably fast, prices about average. First review (2 stars) Everyone keeps telling me how great this place is, but I wasnt impressed. My burrito was ordinary. Some have said I ordered the wrong dish, but my friends torta was also unimpressive. There is very little dining space, theres always a long line, and also very little parking space.
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Jacob Crawford
This is the best place in town for Mexican food, hands down! Probably my favorite overall. I love it. If you take away only one thing: corn tortillas are made fresh AS YOU ORDER IT makes a world of difference. They take that giant extra step and achieve a whole new eating experience. Also radically tasty, new and fun vegetarian toppings like corn mushroom, pumpkin flower and avocado. Great way to be gluten free too. Cant say enough good things about this place. Where can I get one of those cool T-shirts?
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Jeff Adduci
Has gone straight down since its opening in early 2012. When it first opened it had an incredible value for the price and the food was better. Portions have slightly decreased over time, and the chips have gone from a full bag down to about 8-10 chips. It has been pretty upsetting seeing the decline of Maize since I used to live across the street and get it 2-3 times a week in early 2012. If you want better food, better salsa, and a better feel go to El Charro 100 feet away across Green St.
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Justin Cross
This place is so delicious! Armando and the rest of the staff are very nice. Its insane the amount of food they put out of this little place! And despite all of the crowds and pressure I have NEVER had a mess-up on my order. The tomatillo sauce is amazing if you can handle the heat. Pro tip: get something besides a burrito! Try the Gordita! Huarache! Torta! This isnt Chipotle. If youre man enough get the torta ahogada (you probably cant handle it though)
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A Private User
Very, very happy with my experience at Maize. I have been there twice in the last week, and I think it is possibly the best Mexican food in town. I have eaten at many Mexican restaurants, and my standards are very high, but Maize blew me away. The food is fresh and authentic, and the servers are so friendly and helpful. The food is also very reasonably priced. A bargain, actually. I had a gordita with carne asada and LOVED it.
