A few weeks ago, someone on Instagram messaged me to ask if I’d reviewed Pia’s Sports Bar before. Though I’d definitely driven by the place many times, I’d actually never been. That same kind stranger followed up, saying that the bar had the best chicken wings in town. Since Smile Politely‘s last review of Pia’s Sports Bar & Grill was back in 2017, and I love chicken wings, I set out to see what the neighborhood bar was all about.
Pia’s long building is located on Springfield Avenue in Champaign, next door to Carmella’s Creme and its amazing chocolate-iced doughnuts.
Inside Pia’s, the space was split in two. At the entrance, there was a gaming section with darts and machines. To the right and up a few stairs, there was a dining section with booths, tables, and barstools. The bar was adorned with football helmets, beer merch, and five televisions all playing the same ESPN show. I went to lunch twice for this review, and the first time, the speakers blasted a playlist of jams from Creed’s My Own Prison to Unholy by Kim Petra and Sam Smith.
When my server delivered the menu, she asked what I wanted to drink. Like most neighborhood bars, Pia’s offered no specific cocktail or drink list, but knowing the bar can make almost any mixed drink, I ordered a Jameson and ginger. When my server said the bar had neither ginger ale nor ginger beer, she offered an alternative: a mix of Sprite and Coke instead (which I’d never had before). And I said, “Let’s go for it.”
Served in a cool branded plastic cup, the Jameson whiskey mixed drink ($6.50) was quite strong. And my server told me she did that on purpose since the bar didn’t have any ginger, which was really sweet of her. I liked the dominating taste of Jameson and thought the Sprite-Coke mix was interesting and kind of tasty.
My internet friend said Pia’s has “the best wings in town,” so I ordered ten chicken wings ($15.95) with three sauces. And damn, these bone-in wings were delicious. Crisped to golden perfection, the naked wings had a crisp, crinkly crunch on the skin like the delicate, crisp top of crème brûlée but with a deliciously savory oily flavor. As I ate the wings, my fingers stained reddish-orange a bit from the seasoning, but overall, the taste was mild, not spicy. Pia’s yummy chicken pulled easily from the bone, and because the sauces were served on the side, the crispy exterior stayed super crispy. And that juicy fried chicken dipped in the zesty sauce hit so hard that I definitely want to eat Pia’s wings again sometime.
Notice the ratio of flats to drums, too, in my order of chicken wings. It had a heavenly uneven distribution of mostly flats, and I did not take that blessing for granted.
I ordered three sauces with the wings: zesty, barbecue, and ranch. The barbecue and ranch were fine, but the zesty sauce was straight up amazing. It had a super creamy texture with a delicious flavor like taco seasoning mixed up in sour cream. With no regrets, I put that zesty sauce over the chicken wings, and when my server saw that I was running out of delicious zesty sauce, she brought another little zesty for no extra charge.
I also ordered mac bites ($9.95), which came in a basket of ten. Soft macaroni noodles in a creamy cheese sauce were encased in a pocket of fried crispy batter and just the right size for popping. Pia’s mac bites tasted like fair food and came out exactly as advertised: bite-sized, deep-fried macaroni and cheese. They were pretty simple on their own, but a dip in that yummy zesty sauce took them to another level.
A few days later, I went back for lunch again. Though there was a whole different crew working the bar, it was the same casual vibe as before but with more tv volume and less playlist.
Knowing what I knew about the ginger situation at Pia’s, I ordered a rum and Coke ($5) this time. Served in a branded Pia’s cup, the rum and Coke was a totally fine rum and Coke.
Though tempted to have the wings again, I was determined to try something different, so I got fried pickles on my second visit.
My order of fried pickles ($9.95) had eight pickles covered in a gritty batter, deep-fried, and served with ranch. These fried pickles were straight fire. Under the seasoned breadcrumbs, the hot pickle had a good snap and briny flavor, and that crispy coating added texture and saltiness, making every bite taste so delicious. I have no idea how the breading stuck to the dewy pickle, but it did. And because the pickles were long slices instead of discs, it was a lot of pickle to a little bit of salty, crunchy edge, making the pickle the prominent taste. I swapped the ranch for zesty sauce, and that zesty sauce made the yummy fried pickles even yummier.
Lastly, I ordered a real meal from Pia’s menu: the Pia melt ($10.95). Served with a steak knife and a side of fries included, the sandwich had three slices of melty Swiss, sliced green olives, strips of bacon, one beef patty, and grilled onions on buttery, toasted rye bread. The cheese, olives, bread, and onions were good. I especially liked the addition of olives in the melt, but unfortunately, I didn’t care for the bacon or beef patty. Sadly not that crispy, the melt’s bacon strips were underwhelmingly thin, and the beef patty was dense and plain.
There were no secrets to the food Pia’s Sports Bar & Grill. It was an open kitchen, so I heard the fries frying and saw servers get frozen food from the freezer behind the bar. But there’s not a whisper of farm-to-table philosophy or chef-driven food here. Pia’s calls the place a sports bar and grill, and that they are. And to me, this Champaign spot was the epitome of what we want in a townie sports bar.
Overall, Pia’s wings and fried pickles were impressively delicious. The bar’s servers were attentive despite having multiple other people to take care of. Both times, I never once felt rushed, and I enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere of the place.
Stick with the blue side of the menu which features Pia’s fried appetizers. I’d absolutely recommend the wings or the bar’s amazing fried pickles. Doesn’t really matter which as long as there’s some of that delicious zesty sauce.
Pia’s Sports Bar
1609 W Springfield Ave
Champaign
M-Th 7 a.m. to midnight
F+Sa 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Su 8 a.m. to midnight
