Mid-Michigan Dining

• 619 E. Green Street
• Champaign, IL 61820
• (217) 365-9500
• No Known Website
• Menu

Antonio's Pizza on Green Street in Champaign, IL

You should know me by now.  When I’m on the campus of a large university, I go looking for pizza-by-the-slice.  I was in Champaign to witness one of the worst basketball games I have ever seen.  If you happened to watch the Penn State vs. Illinois basketball game, you know what I’m talking about.  Before that atrocity, I needed to find dinner.  Most of my co-workers went to a Mexican place, but I wanted pizza, so I headed to Green Street and started walking.

Antonio’s Pizza is in the 600 Block of Green Street which is U of I’s big restaurant district.  They’ve got everything from Asian to chains to bars to pizza.  I walked by a few places that looked good, but didn’t do anything for me.  From the corner of 6th and Green, I could see a green, white, and red striped awning.  I knew it had to be a pizza place, soI crossed the street and kept walking.

When I got up a little closer, I realized my guy feeling was right.  The awning painted like the flag of Italy was a pizza joint and even better, it was a pizza by the slice joint. 

Antonio’s isn’t that big.  You walk in through the dining room to the order area.  They’ve actually got little feet stickers on the floor to guide you along the way.  You make your way past the pizza case then double back to order.  There wasn’t anyone else in line, so I didn’t have to worry about getting in someone’s way.  I started looking at the pizza when the kid behind the counter proclaimed “That’s all we have plus pepperoni or cheese.”  Um.  Ok.  That’s pretty much what I figured.  The speciality pizzas looked good, but I didn’t know what was what, so I just asked for two slices of pepperoni.

Antonio's Pizza near the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL

Like all the other slice places I’ve been to, the kid picked two pieces off the tray which were already cooked and threw them in to the oven to reheat.  While the slices were warming, he got me a drink and took my six bucks.  Not much longer after that, my pizza was done.  I grabbed my two slices and loaded up on the parmasean cheese and red pepper flakes then took a seat.

Even though it was a Wednesday afternoon, most of the tables were taken.  There’s only four or five tables actually in the dining room plus a couple bar counters.   I was heading towards one of the bars in the window alcove when I noticed a two top open.  Instead of letting passersby watch me eat, I grabbed “The Daily Illini” and sat down to enjoy my pizza.

The slices are New York style.  They’re big, floppy pieces of pizza with lots of toppings.  The slices were warm, but not really hot.  The pizza was good and exactly what I was craving.  I don’t expect these places to be the best pizza I’ve ever had, but I do like it when they have a little bit of a unique taste.  These slices tasted pretty standard for a college pizza joint.  Nothing special, but not bad either.

Antonio’s Pizza is everything I could hope for from a college campus pizza place.  My bill for two pieces of pizza and a pop was exactly six bucks and I was back at Assembly Hall in about a half hour.