Our Story

Brien’s Bistro, LLC didn’t start in a restaurant—it started with a dream, a food truck, and a whole lot of heart.

In the beginning, we took a leap of faith and built something from the ground up. The opportunity to start our food truck came during a deeply meaningful time in our lives, and in honor of that, we placed a message right on the truck itself:
“In Loving Memory of Phil Hall.”
That reminder has been with us every step of the way—fueling our work, our purpose, and our commitment to making something special.

From there, we hit the road.

We spent long days and late nights serving at Illinois Football home games, parked in the Horseshoe at Memorial Stadium, surrounded by energy, pride, and a whole lot of orange and blue. Those early days taught us what it really means to hustle—and how powerful it is to bring people together over great food.

As we grew, new doors opened.

We were given the opportunity to serve fans inside the State Farm Center—a place many of us will always know as Assembly Hall—during Illinois Men’s Basketball games. From there, we expanded into a concession stand at Memorial Stadium, where we introduced burgers, fries, and chicken strips to our menu—items that would later become staples of what we do today.

But behind all of it—every long shift, every busy game day, every step forward—has been family.

Steph, my wife, is the backbone of this business. While I focus on the food, the kitchen, and the day-to-day operations, she handles the accounting, HR, and everything behind the scenes that keeps us running. More importantly, she keeps me grounded and reminds me why we started this journey in the first place.

And our daughter Jayla has been right there with us from the beginning—working alongside us in the summer heat, helping serve customers, and growing up as part of this dream. Watching her be part of this journey has meant everything.

What started as a food truck has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined.

Today, Brien’s Bistro Grille has a home in the Underground at the Illini Union—an incredible opportunity that represents years of hard work, belief, and support from our community.

But no matter how much we grow, we’ll never forget where we came from.

This business was built on love, family, and the belief that food can bring people together. Every burger we serve, every order we make, and every guest we welcome is a continuation of that story.

And we’re just getting started.

For information about our food truck or off-site events, please contact us at info@briensbistro.com.