Restaurant
Unclaimed profileThe Ribeye
Champaign, IL · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The beverage program at The Ribeye is built for range rather than specialization. Cocktails span ten house drinks plus nine ice cream cocktails, with top-shelf upgrades available. The spirits list is deepest in bourbon, with fourteen pours including Blanton's and Eagle Rare. Wine runs from $6 Canyon Road house pours to $145 Caymus, and beer covers local craft and non-alcoholic options. Prices are listed clearly, and the lineup is consistent across the food and drink menus.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Old Fashioned made with Bulleit Bourbon, or the Dirty Martini with Wheatley Vodka and a bleu cheese olive. For a spirit pour, Blanton's at $18 or Eagle Rare at $12 are the strongest bourbon options. The Mudslide ice cream cocktail is a distinct dessert-style choice at $9.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Groups wanting a broad, clearly priced drink list with classic cocktails, bourbon pours, and wine by the glass or bottle. Anyone seeking a non-alcoholic option will find iced tea, lemonade, milkshakes, and O'Doul's.
- When should I go?
- The ice cream cocktails and milkshakes make this a reasonable stop for a dessert drink, while the bourbon and wine lists suit a full meal. The top-shelf cocktail upgrades are available whenever the bar is serving.
- What should I expect to spend?
- House cocktails are $9–$11, with top-shelf upgrades at $11–$13. Wine by the glass runs $6–$18, bottles $18–$145. Spirit pours are $6–$18. Draft beer is $5–$6. Non-alcoholic drinks are $3–$6.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The combination of a ten-drink house cocktail list, nine ice cream cocktails made with soft serve vanilla ice cream, and a fourteen-bourbon spirits list with allocated labels like Blanton's sets the beverage program apart from a standard restaurant lineup.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Ten house cocktails cover martinis, classics, tropical drinks, and dessert drinks, with nine ice cream cocktails made from soft serve vanilla ice cream. Several drinks offer a named premium spirit upgrade for an upcharge. The lineup is broad and priced clearly.
Menu strengths
- — Ten house cocktails with named ingredients and prices, spanning martinis, classics, tropical, and dessert styles
- — Nine ice cream cocktails made with soft serve vanilla ice cream at $9 each
- — Top-shelf upgrade options with named premium spirits for an upcharge
Standout selections
- — Old Fashioned — Bulleit Bourbon, sliced orange, maraschino cherry, simple syrup, bitters; top-shelf upgrade with Buffalo Trace, $11
- — Dirty Martini — Wheatley Vodka, dry vermouth, olive brine, bleu cheese olive; top-shelf upgrade with Ketel One, $11
- — Mudslide — ice cream cocktail with vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, and ice cream, $9
Pricing: House cocktails $9–$11; top-shelf upgrades $11–$13; ice cream cocktails $9
Wine
The wine list spans house, red, white, sparkling, and fortified categories across multiple price tiers. Canyon Road house wines are $6 a glass, while Napa Cabernets like Stag's Leap and Caymus anchor the top end. Half carafes and Harvey's Bristol Crème Sherry add range.
Menu strengths
- — Multiple price tiers from $6 Canyon Road house pours to $145 Caymus
- — Eight red wines, eight white and rosé wines, plus Prosecco and Moscato d'Asti
- — Half carafes at $12 and Harvey's Bristol Crème Sherry at $5
Standout selections
- — Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa Valley, bottle only, $145
- — Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa Valley, bottle only, $95
- — Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa Valley, glass $18 / bottle $65
Pricing: Glass $6–$18; bottles $18–$145; half carafes $12; sherry $5
Beer
Three draft beers include local Triptych Dank Meme and Riggs Hefeweizen, alongside Michelob Ultra. Bottled options cover seven domestic labels and nine premium imports and crafts, with O'Doul's as a non-alcoholic choice. The list is functional rather than deep.
Menu strengths
- — Three draft beers including local Triptych Dank Meme and Riggs Hefeweizen
- — Nine premium bottled beers including Goose Island IPA, Shiner Bock, and Stella Artois
Standout selections
- — Triptych Dank Meme — local craft draft beer, $6
- — Riggs Hefeweizen — draft beer, $6; O'Doul's — non-alcoholic bottled beer
Pricing: Draft $5–$6; bottles vary
Nonalcoholic
Non-alcoholic options span sodas, teas, an energy drink, lemonade, and milkshakes. Columbia Street Roastery iced tea is $3 with free refills, and milkshakes come in four flavors at $6. The tea and milkshake options give the list more range than a standard soda selection.
Menu strengths
- — Columbia Street Roastery fresh brewed iced tea with free refills at $3
- — Milkshakes in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or mint at $6
- — Multiple categories including sodas, teas, energy drink, lemonade, and milkshakes
Standout selections
- — Columbia Street Roastery Fresh Brewed Iced Tea — sweet or unsweetened, free refills, $3
- — Milkshakes — vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or mint, $6
Pricing: Tea $3 with free refills; lemonade $4; Red Bull $4; milkshakes $6
Spirits
The spirits list is deepest in bourbon and whiskey, with fourteen bourbons carrying individual pour prices including Blanton's, Eagle Rare, and Weller. Scotch, tequila, vodka, gin, rum, and cordials round out the range, and six coffee preparations with Irish, rum, brandy, or liqueur are listed at $8 each.
Menu strengths
- — Fourteen bourbons with individual pour prices including Blanton's ($18), Eagle Rare ($12), and Weller ($12)
- — Spirit pours across bourbon, whiskey, Scotch, tequila, vodka, gin, rum, and cordials, $6–$18
- — Six Irish, rum, brandy, or liqueur coffee preparations at $8 each
Standout selections
- — Blanton's — bourbon pour, $18; Eagle Rare — bourbon pour, $12
- — Blanton's — $18 — Bourbon, pour.; Eagle Rare — $12 — Bourbon, pour.
Pricing: Pours $6–$18
How it sits with the food
The food menu lists the same house cocktail and ice cream cocktail lineup with prices, so the beverage list is designed to pair directly with the restaurant's menu.
Inebrious does not score kitchens, food or the restaurant overall. We review the beverage program only.
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