I had a craving for churros, and I wondered where I could find these hot, cinnamon sticks in town. And for how much? Interestingly, the price of churros in C-U is pretty standard. All of the churros in this list are within a dollar in price. The cheapest on the list is $5, and the most expensive is $6. It appears that churros in C-U cost $5-6 pretty much anywhere you go.
Also, I’m not the only one thinking about churros. El Oasis has a churro cheesecake on special right now. I haven’t tried it, but I’d be remiss not to mention it in this churro article.
You definitely need some churros in your life, and here’s a list of five spots in town to get them that I have tried myself.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Cowboy Monkey
For $6, you get this incredible stack of Cowboy Monkey’s version of churros. This is the least traditional of the churros in this list, but it was pretty amazing. More like French toast sticks, this churro dessert was bready with a crisp exterior and a soft, gooey middle. The buttery and cinnamon flavors were on point. The tower was drizzled with a leches sauce and a chocolate syrup that gave extra sweetness. There were eight churro sticks which I thought was a lot and could easiy be shared with a date or a few friends.
The patio seating is plentiful at Cowboy Monkey as well as indoor seating. You can also order these churros to go.
Cowboy Monkey
6 Taylor Street
Champaign
M-Th 4 to 11 p.m.
F 4 p.m. to midnight
Sa 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. + 4 p.m. to midnight
Su 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. + 4 to 9 p.m.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
El Toro II
I ordered these churros to go for $4.99 from El Toro’s new location on Neil Street. There were six mini churros, or three churros sliced in half, in the order. The outside was crunchy like a cookie, and the inside tasted like soft cake. The middle had a very sweet, dark brown filling that was good. Of course, they were dusted with cinnamon sugar. The small serving of caramel sauce provided was not nearly enough for my dipping needs, but I was grateful to have it.
Order yours here.
El Toro II
1005 S Neil St
Champaign
11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Huaraches Moroleon
One morning, I had churros for breakfast at Huaraches Moroleon for $5.75. Six mini churros (or three cut in half) were beautifully plated with drizzles of sauces and poofs of whipped cream. The dessert was made to order and came out so hot. The churros had a crispy exterior, a soft cakey middle, caramel in the very center, covered in cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with chocolate and caramel syrups. It was sugar overload, for sure, but if you are in the mood for a sugar high, this will take you there. Huaraches was the only place that served churros with whipped cream, and I thought it was a fun touch.
Enjoy these at the Urbana restaurant or put in an order for takeout.
Huaraches Moroleon
805 Philo Rd
Urbana
T-Th 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
F+Sa 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Su 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Maize at the Station
Served wrapped in parchment paper, these churros ($6) came with two dipping sauces. These were incredibly hot, right from the fryer, so my friend and I waited a minute, sipping mango margaritas on the patio, for the churros to cool off a little bit. The churros were great: crispy exterior, cinnamon sugar everywhere, and extra tasty because they were so hot and fresh. For two people who had already eaten plates of flautas, we still somehow made room to finish these because they were really yummy. The two dipping sauces that came with the churros were great, and the caramel one was so good that we finished it.
FYI: these churros are not available at the Green Street location, just at the Station location. Make some time to eat these in Downtown Champaign or order them to go.
Maize at the Station
100 N Chesnut St
Champaign
M-Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Su 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Rick’s Bakery
Last but certainly not least, Rick’s Bakery sells churros ($1.75 each, $3.50 for two, $5.25 for three). These churros were sold out the first time I went by to buy some, and it was only noon. I got smart and reserved two over the phone Wednesday of this week after opening, so I could snag some of these very popular churros. When I arrived at the bakery, my churros were waiting for me, and they were wrapped tightly in tin foil to keep them warm.
Oh my goodness, readers, these churros were amazing. There was an audible crunch when I bit into them, and they were so warm. There were three distinct textures to these churros: the crispy exterior with a cinnamon sugar grit, the moist cakey middle, and the silky, sugary filling in the center. The flavor was marvelous: buttery, cinnamon-y, and sweet. I totally get why these sell out regularly, and if you want some hot churros from Rick’s Bakery, you should pop in before noon or call 217-344-9383 to reserve some for a later pick up.
Rick’s Bakery
124 W Main St
Urbana
T-Sa 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Top image by Alyssa Buckley.
