The building is showing its age but the pizza is still the best around. I always stop when in or near Champaign.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andy Ehrlich
This is not the Garcia's of yore, but it is the last bastion of a once mighty pizza empire. There's been a surge lately to get people's attention about Garcia's and I went back recently to have it again. Overall good pizza that you are not going to find at Pizza Hut/Dominos/etc. But it isn't quite the same as it was 20 years ago. Don't let the outside fool you as the inside still holds on to some of that classic decor from Green Street. Come and have a slice by the Flying Tomato Brothers and I know you won't walk away hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster Slice of Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza, Sausage, Breadsticks
Chuck Kelly
A tired old building, but gutbusters I loved 55 years ago and loved yesterday!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Taylor Danenhower
Nostalgia is huge here just like the deep dish pizza. I wish Ralph and Joe would drop their songs from back in the day! Look up my soap wont float by the regiment! That is THE tomatoe brothers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Don Preston
The Flying Tomato Brothers, Garcia’s Pizza, is a nostalgic trip back more than 40 years to my college days. Many spent at Garcia’s. So anytime that I pass through Champaign must include 1 or 2 slices of Gutbuster pizza. It’s as good as always! Fly high brothers!
By the way, when will you bring back the $1.25 pitchers of bear?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster
Brian Fritz
Just not as.good as it used to.
Food: 3
Dan Tharp
Ah...I loves me some Garcia's Pizza! I ordered online, and the folks at Garcia's called me back to let me know there were some issues with the way the online ordering system worked and if I canceled my order, they'd process it correctly and they saved me some money! Thanks guys! ?
Pizza was wonderful. Garcia's is one of my favorite pizza places.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Utterback
We used to order Garcias pizza from Rantoul when stationed at Chanute AFB IN '77 and never forgot how. Delicious those pizzas were! Happy to see they are still around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deep Dish Pizza, Gutbuster
Barb Keil-Burton
Best Pizza !! Wish it would come back to Rantoul but it's in Champaign,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster
Bonaventure Cemetery Journeys
The Gutbuster (stuffed) was a delicacy from that legendary tangy tomato sauce to the flaky buttery sweet crust, it was a true time warp of foodie goodness for my mouth and soul. Full disclosure but have not dined on Garcia's Pizza since The 1980s when school life in Rantoul took me there for lunch like a treat most days or later in high school, their location on Green Street became synonymous with both food, sidewalk loitering and car cruising. They set a certain kind of food standard and obviously a pizza one that led to my own chef life and eventually the publishing of a foodie zine in Savannah, GA. Nevermind their sense of fun and making it all "rock star." I recall getting their pizzas delivered by those geometric pyramid looking electric cars and seeing them sadly junk heaped later and my childhood was made braver by exactly 1 ride in their epic, if not beautiful, hot air tomato balloons complete with stem top I seem to recall? How the kids of Rantoul absolutely thrilled when we caught sight of that balloon coming over our neighborhoods! All of it was real life Willy Wonka stuff and their pizza very much The Everlasting Gobstopper or something really close to it! Did we come to take it all for granted? Yes but only in our realization that the rest of the world past Garcia's was not nearly up to standard and some part of us got jaded and the world around us more commercialized. But the Spirit of Garcia's never really left us as they'd forged so much in us right down to our sophisticated taste buds. In some ways, that's a flavor beyond flavor that cannot be defined or equaled and certainly not imitated. That's food made spiritual. Now, I did approach eating this recent Gutbuster with full objectivity and to some degree, had no true memory but only association with it that was more sentimental. Firstly I'd forgotten how beautiful it was and something out of a Carpaccio painting - pure Renaissance! The scintillating mix of onion and green peppers was so hauntingly familiar in my nostrils. My childhood returning to me! The true wave of remembrance was when that peppery, tangy sauce flooded my mouth I floated 10 feet upwards! Just divinity in a pizza folks pure and simple! Will Dave Portnoy come around and rate it? Who gives a Flying Tomato Brother! This is the pie of the Ancients that knew nothing of the internet or such characters but we'll invite him anyway! Last but not least, I could not resist thinking that the gentlemanly soul who took our order and served it up with such grace and thoughtfulness, looked every bit like a modern day Frank Zappa yet physically flattered both Garcia's founders Ralph and Joe in their wilder 1970s heyday looks but more than that, was very evident in the same passion and pride for the work and the pizza they'd gifted to the world so long ago which was proof the Garcia's legacy being intact and alive as ever and that's good because my youthfulness depends on it!
Parking: Wide open & easy for small to trailers, campers buses and occasional semi by the looks of it!
Kid-friendliness: Fun joint and every kid should be made if not forced to eat Garcia's. It's a rite of passage!
My favorite is the crust, the lite pizza sauce, and tasting sausage in every bite.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sausage
Chris Schiller
Absolutely disgusting. Burnt pizza and chemical taste on the bottom. Getting ready to order Monical's. Usually good but after this I'm never going back to Garcia's when they leave cleaner in the oven and try to poison me.
Food: 1
Bill Butler
Garcia’s is an old and tired restaurant. But it’s all about the food. Got a stuffed Gutbuster pizza that was as good as I remember it from college. Go for the pizza, not the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Deep Dish Pizza
Michelle Ervin
If you’re looking for authentic deep dish, this is not the place. Pizza crust was doughy and not cooked long enough, no flavor. Not much toppings. Thin crust was not thin at all. Service was terrible. Restaurant was dirty. Will not go back. Total waste.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Margie Bolton
I worked at the Rantoul shop in 1977 and wanted to drop in. I am sad how run down and dirty the restaurant was. The fellow at the register was nice. But that will be the only nice thing I will say. Wish I hadn't stopped and spoiled my memories.
The building is showing its age but the pizza is still the best around. I always stop when in or near Champaign.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is not the Garcia's of yore, but it is the last bastion of a once mighty pizza empire. There's been a surge lately to get people's attention about Garcia's and I went back recently to have it again. Overall good pizza that you are not going to find at Pizza Hut/Dominos/etc. But it isn't quite the same as it was 20 years ago. Don't let the outside fool you as the inside still holds on to some of that classic decor from Green Street. Come and have a slice by the Flying Tomato Brothers and I know you won't walk away hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster Slice of Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza, Sausage, Breadsticks
A tired old building, but gutbusters I loved 55 years ago and loved yesterday!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Nostalgia is huge here just like the deep dish pizza. I wish Ralph and Joe would drop their songs from back in the day! Look up my soap wont float by the regiment! That is THE tomatoe brothers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
The Flying Tomato Brothers, Garcia’s Pizza, is a nostalgic trip back more than 40 years to my college days. Many spent at Garcia’s. So anytime that I pass through Champaign must include 1 or 2 slices of Gutbuster pizza.
It’s as good as always!
Fly high brothers!
By the way, when will you bring back the $1.25 pitchers of bear?
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster
Just not as.good as it used to.
Food: 3
Ah...I loves me some Garcia's Pizza!
I ordered online, and the folks at Garcia's called me back to let me know there were some issues with the way the online ordering system worked and if I canceled my order, they'd process it correctly and they saved me some money!
Thanks guys! ?
Pizza was wonderful. Garcia's is one of my favorite pizza places.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We used to order Garcias pizza from Rantoul when stationed at Chanute AFB IN '77 and never forgot how. Delicious those pizzas were! Happy to see they are still around!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deep Dish Pizza, Gutbuster
Best Pizza !! Wish it would come back to Rantoul but it's in Champaign,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gutbuster
The Gutbuster (stuffed) was a delicacy from that legendary tangy tomato sauce to the flaky buttery sweet crust, it was a true time warp of foodie goodness for my mouth and soul. Full disclosure but have not dined on Garcia's Pizza since The 1980s when school life in Rantoul took me there for lunch like a treat most days or later in high school, their location on Green Street became synonymous with both food, sidewalk loitering and car cruising. They set a certain kind of food standard and obviously a pizza one that led to my own chef life and eventually the publishing of a foodie zine in Savannah, GA. Nevermind their sense of fun and making it all "rock star." I recall getting their pizzas delivered by those geometric pyramid looking electric cars and seeing them sadly junk heaped later and my childhood was made braver by exactly 1 ride in their epic, if not beautiful, hot air tomato balloons complete with stem top I seem to recall? How the kids of Rantoul absolutely thrilled when we caught sight of that balloon coming over our neighborhoods! All of it was real life Willy Wonka stuff and their pizza very much The Everlasting Gobstopper or something really close to it! Did we come to take it all for granted? Yes but only in our realization that the rest of the world past Garcia's was not nearly up to standard and some part of us got jaded and the world around us more commercialized. But the Spirit of Garcia's never really left us as they'd forged so much in us right down to our sophisticated taste buds. In some ways, that's a flavor beyond flavor that cannot be defined or equaled and certainly not imitated. That's food made spiritual. Now, I did approach eating this recent Gutbuster with full objectivity and to some degree, had no true memory but only association with it that was more sentimental. Firstly I'd forgotten how beautiful it was and something out of a Carpaccio painting - pure Renaissance! The scintillating mix of onion and green peppers was so hauntingly familiar in my nostrils. My childhood returning to me! The true wave of remembrance was when that peppery, tangy sauce flooded my mouth I floated 10 feet upwards! Just divinity in a pizza folks pure and simple! Will Dave Portnoy come around and rate it? Who gives a Flying Tomato Brother! This is the pie of the Ancients that knew nothing of the internet or such characters but we'll invite him anyway! Last but not least, I could not resist thinking that the gentlemanly soul who took our order and served it up with such grace and thoughtfulness, looked every bit like a modern day Frank Zappa yet physically flattered both Garcia's founders Ralph and Joe in their wilder 1970s heyday looks but more than that, was very evident in the same passion and pride for the work and the pizza they'd gifted to the world so long ago which was proof the Garcia's legacy being intact and alive as ever and that's good because my youthfulness depends on it!
Parking: Wide open & easy for small to trailers, campers buses and occasional semi by the looks of it!
Kid-friendliness: Fun joint and every kid should be made if not forced to eat Garcia's. It's a rite of passage!
Wheelchair accessibility: No issues. Great patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deep Dish Pizza, Gutbuster
Restaurantji Recommends
My favorite is the crust, the lite pizza sauce, and tasting sausage in every bite.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sausage
Absolutely disgusting. Burnt pizza and chemical taste on the bottom. Getting ready to order Monical's. Usually good but after this I'm never going back to Garcia's when they leave cleaner in the oven and try to poison me.
Food: 1
Garcia’s is an old and tired restaurant. But it’s all about the food. Got a stuffed Gutbuster pizza that was as good as I remember it from college. Go for the pizza, not the atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Deep Dish Pizza
If you’re looking for authentic deep dish, this is not the place. Pizza crust was doughy and not cooked long enough, no flavor. Not much toppings. Thin crust was not thin at all. Service was terrible. Restaurant was dirty. Will not go back. Total waste.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I worked at the Rantoul shop in 1977 and wanted to drop in. I am sad how run down and dirty the restaurant was. The fellow at the register was nice. But that will be the only nice thing I will say. Wish I hadn't stopped and spoiled my memories.
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