Mike and Molly’s

January 14, 2008
A ’dive’ in pretty much every sense of the term, but an enjoyable one. Decent number of handles, but a large selection of bottles. Has a real local feel to it. Service can be somewhat aloof at times. Much more enjoyable now that Illinois has gone smoke-free.

June 1, 2007
A great place to finish our crawl, Mike and Molly’s had rather a dark, dank feel to it and felt as homey and artsy as Delilah’s. Nice beer selection, but I should mention that I was simply focusing on the bottle-list at this point of the day. I think. Regardless, Mike & Molly’s is a good place to kick back and put your feet up. I’d like to hear some really loud music in here.

May 20, 2007
This place has the look and feel of a southside Chicago bar, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Nice and comfortably smokey. The staff was friendly and attentive and they had one hekkuva beer list, both bottles and tap. Definitely worth a repeat visit.

June 29, 2006
stopped in here with Philip and htsprint while in Champaign one night last winter. good bottle selection, but when I was there they had Kulmbacher Eisbock and Rogue Oyster Cloyster Stout on tap. For a Thursday night, this place was packed and unfortunately very smokey. A great place to stop when bar hopping in the C-U area.

February 13, 2006 [ Updated April 17, 2007 ]
Mike & Molly’s has the best bottled beer selection in C-U. Though it’s draft selction is limited due to only ten taps, you’ll always find a treat: Salopian Entire Butt Porter, Kulmbacher Eisbock, Bell’s seasonals, DFH to name a few. The beer garden allows escape for those who don’t enjoy the cramped space and sometimes loud music.

January 6, 2006
Our local beer club meets here occasionally. Beer selection varies, but aside from the many bottles, they always have some good specials on tap. Like so many places the smoke can be overwhelming at times. I really enjoy their outdoor seating in good weather. Can be cold in winter inside. Not too much seating.

December 16, 2005
I always hit this place when I am back home in C-U. A nice, not huge, selection of good draft and bottled beer. Any beer enthusiast should find something enjoyable. A few kegs rotate so there is usually a few new beers every time I visit. However, when there is music, there is a cover...which stinks when all you want to do is have a beer. This place can also get smoky, but what do you expect from a college town? If you are visiting ratebeerian, this place is a must along with the Blind Pig, which happens to be around the corner.

October 5, 2005 [ Updated April 24, 2008 ]
Nice pub atmosphere with a beer garden and live music on occasion. Good selection of beer and well handled. Often have some rare or unusual beer on tap. Sampled Rogue Oyster Stout here. Denfinitely worth a stop. Murph is a great host. Endorsed by the Champaign-Urbana Beer Club which meets there for Happy Hour on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 PM.

August 11, 2005
One of the better places to sit, drink, and hear live music in the summertime. (Note you’ll be charged a cover on weekend evenings.) The area inside is crowded and smokey, and so I avoid the place in the winter. The bottle selection is decent with an emphasis on European beers. Their tap selection can occassionally feature the unique; I enjoyed the Flying Dog Gonzo Imp. Porter on my last trip, and Rogue’s Oyster Stout the time before.

August 8, 2005
Their selection is mostly European. They advertise this by categorizing their beers by country. Limited selection of any good American microbrews. In fact, you won’t find Three Floyds, Great Lakes, Victory, Goose Island, etc. They have random beers on tap most of which are constant and undesirable. The best that I’ve seen is Anchor Liberty ale and Rogue Oyster stout. They don’t even have good European beers. Delirium Tremens might be the best. Where this place beats the rest is its environment. Inside area is a little bigger than Blind Pig but they have a very large beer garden that has a stage where bands play on Fridays or Saturdays, I can’t remember. It’s a little easier to get a non-good-beer drinking friend to have fun here than the Blind Pig.