Downtown Champaign’s Neil St. Blues has really good fried chicken. On Monday, the Southern restaurant hosted a Beer Dinner with five Triptych beer pairings, and the highlight (for me) was the fried chicken course, served with Triptych’s Wag! brown ale. It was cool to see Triptych Brewing and Neil St. Blues collaborate for an event; they recently met at the Tourism Awards this May where both businesses were recognized for their positive impact on Champaign-Urbana.
The fried chicken’s batter was crispy and deliciously salty, and the chicken juicy and hot. The fried main was yummy with Triptych’s brew and Neil St. Blues’ trifecta of Southern sides: macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and collared greens — and I loved it so much. I also love NSB’s fried chicken as a platter, as part of the restaurant’s incredible Sunday brunch buffet, and on the Yardbird sandwich, too.
Since it’s back-to-school season, let’s see a show of hands, class. Who loves Neil St. Blues’ fried chicken?
Neil St. Blues
301 N Neil St
Champaign
T-Th 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
F+Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Su 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
