Champs Downtown — Restaurant in State College

Nice pool tables and okish environment however the girls behind the bar are rude, ignorant, and entitled. I understand they have to deal with drunken students every night but they choose to do that. And they do not have to act like every person they serve is belligerent or is not worth their time. On top of not listening they will charge you different amounts for the same thing. I do not know how I can get 2 beers and walk out paying $10 or less after tip but I have gotten 3 beers and was charged over $30. And when I pay my tab and go to leave, trying to avoid causing issues because I know they are busy, the head bartender with a bouncer behind her comes after me, stops me from leaving, and asks me why I did not leave a tip on a over $30 tab for three beers that were not even poured. One round of three beers, all the bartender did was pick them up, twist off the cap, and slide them across the counter. After she came after me I was verbally harassed and belittled and told not to come back again. I have gone back and it is the same thing. You can politely get the bartender's attention, ask her politely to break a $10 into $5s so you can get some quarters from the machine and she will roll her eyes at you and go serve the next customer. Additionally if you order food downstairs they will not tell you when it will be ready, you just gotta stand around and hope you can get there attention if you see it come out, otherwise it will sit there till it is cold. And after you get your cold food you have to guard it because if you blink someone will come take your plate away even if it has the food on it. It is not often that I go out to have a few drinks and play a few games of pool, but everytime that I have chosen to do this at Champs Downtown I receive a bad attitude from the bar staff when most of the basement is a bar and pool tables. I do not understand what their issue is, if you hate it, go work somewhere else. If you think you deserve a tip for treating patrons like they are a problem for coming to a place and doing what the place was meant for then you need a fat reality check or...

UPDATED on July 10, 2025

State College Boys, aka S.C. Boys, Inc.'s Jeff Chen, who usually works the door - Line Leap on the weekends, got his feelings hurt. I met him in July 2017, and he usually does not allow me to skip the line. I'm OK with that.

On September 16, 2023, I waited in line, got a seat at the bar, and ordered an adult beverage because I was meeting a friend there for the Colorado vs. Colorado State football game.

I mentioned to the nineteen-year-old bartender that the turnover was high at the sports bar. I asked if the turnover was due to Jeff Chen. Quote: She said that people who work there cannot handle it. She said it was too much for them. In leading up to why I asked the question, previous employees told me Jeff was challenging to work for, so I mentioned his name.

Five minutes later, the bartender told Jeff what I said, and he approached me extremely mad. He told me, what if he went to my job and said I wasn't nice? I'm cordial at my job with customers and colleagues. It appeared I hurt Uncle Chen's feelings, but it was based on hearsay, so I am unsure what the bartender told him.

Jeff Chen wanted the names of former employees, and I was not going to give him the names of the numerous employees who have spoken badly about him and his management style. It's a good thing it's a college bar, so the kids are just trying to make a buck, and then they graduate.

Anyway, I was not disruptive and peacefully having a drink. I decided to leave and am now banned from the business, and that's ok. Many others, including myself, are prohibited from participating in Uncle Chen's Champs in State College, PA, home of Penn State Football.

Being banned at Champs is equivalent to being banned from Russia. Don't go there!

NOTE: Mr. Jeff Chen at 139 S. Allen Street in State College, Pennsylvania: It is against the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to deny entry due to one's race, religion, gender, or disability....

I can honestly say this is the first review I’ve ever left for a restaurant before. My experience was so awful that this is warranted.

Visiting with my family and girlfriend for a football weekend and decided to watch the second half of the game here and order food. My girlfriend leaves the table (and her phone with me) to use the bathroom. This was her first time ever at champs, an extremely crowded college bar with hundreds and drunk people. She accidentally lines up outside the mens restroom downstairs and is then harassed by a staff member who accuses her of trying to use the mens bathroom. This staff member then decides to kick her out for absolutely no reason (instead of kindly showing her where the womens restroom is) and call the cops!? She is then forced outside the bar by staff members and stand outside in the pouring rain with state college police officers with zero way to contact me or my family. We were searching the bar for 45 minutes and asking staff members if they can help locate a missing girl (no one willing to help or care whatsoever). Eventually I’m contacted by the state college police and they calmly explained that Champs called the cops and she’s not allowed back in for some reason. My girlfriend was so upset and crying outside because she was literally traumatized by this experience.

I called Champs and asked to speak with a manager (Jeff) to understand what exactly happened and why they would treat someone this way who was simply just trying to use the restroom and enjoy watching a psu football game with her boyfriend and his family. He was extremely aggressive on the phone, wouldn’t let me speak or hear any of my concerns, and hung up the phone. How can you treat customers this way? I’ll never go...