Saturdays are for the wall.
Illini, Wildcats, Irish, and every other team your table argues about, on a 22-foot LED wall at Fox Haven Square. Brunch from 10 am, no reservation needed, kids welcome all day. This is your Saturday, handled.
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap · Fox Haven Square, St. Charles IL · Updated September 2, 2026
College Football Saturdays
Every Big Game on 22 Feet of LED Wall
The Quick Answer
Where Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap, the family sports restaurant and scratch kitchen at Fox Haven Square, 300 N Kirk Rd, Ste 300A, St. Charles, IL 60174
What’s on Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame every week they play, plus the national game of the day. Out-of-market games available on request when the broadcast allows
The screen A 22-foot LED wall with a stadium-quality sound system, plus screens throughout the room
Saturday hours 10 am to 2 am. Brunch runs 10 am to 2 pm, so noon kickoffs come with brunch on the table. Sunday hours are 10 am to 10 pm
Reservations Not needed. Simple EJ’s is walk-in only. Parties of eight or more, email groups@simpleejs.com ahead
Kids Welcome all day. The room stays family friendly until 8 pm, then leans grown-up for the night games
Parking Free at Fox Haven Square, 320 dedicated stalls plus 148 shared, right outside the door
Fall Saturday in the Fox Valley. Half your house wants the Illini, one kid wants Notre Dame because of a helmet, and your neighbor from Evanston is texting about the Wildcats. Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap in St. Charles is where all of that fits on one wall, with brunch on the table before the first snap.
College football in St. Charles is a scheduling problem more than a viewing problem. Noon kickoffs collide with youth soccer. Night games collide with bedtimes. Streaming exclusives collide with the TV package you actually pay for. This post walks through how a Saturday at Simple EJ’s at Fox Haven Square solves each of those, with the September slate for the three teams the Fox Valley cares about most.
Which College Football Games Does Simple EJ’s Show?
Simple EJ’s in St. Charles shows Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame every week they play, plus the biggest national game in each Saturday window. The 22-foot LED wall carries the main event, and the screens around the room cover the rest of the slate. Alabama fan who married into the Fox Valley? Ask a server. If a game is airing on a network we carry, we will do everything we can to put it up.
The one honest wrinkle is streaming-only games. When a matchup lands exclusively on a streaming service rather than a TV network, whether we can show it depends on the rights that week. Call (630) 999-8988 on the day and we will tell you straight before you drive over.
The September 2026 Slate for Illini, Wildcats, and Irish Fans
Here is every Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame game through the first Saturday of October, with kickoff in Central time. Times marked TBA had not been announced when this post was updated, and get filled in as the networks release them.
| Date | Game | Kickoff (CT) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 3 | UAB at Illinois | 8:00 pm | BTN |
| Sat, Sep 5 | South Dakota State at Northwestern | 7:00 pm | BTN |
| Sun, Sep 6 | Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, Lambeau Field Sunday | 6:30 pm | NBC / Peacock |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Duke at Illinois | 2:30 pm | FS1 |
| Sat, Sep 12 | Rice at Notre Dame | 2:30 pm | NBC / Peacock |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Southern Illinois at Illinois | 1:00 pm | Peacock only |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Colorado at Northwestern | 6:30 pm | FOX / FS1 |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Michigan State at Notre Dame | 6:30 pm | NBC / Peacock |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Northwestern at Indiana Friday | 7:00 pm | FOX |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Illinois at Ohio State | TBA | TBA |
| Sat, Sep 26 | Notre Dame at Purdue | TBA | TBA |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Penn State at Northwestern Friday | 7:00 pm | FOX |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Purdue at Illinois | TBA | TBA |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Notre Dame at North Carolina | TBA | TBA |
Schedule sources: the official Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame athletics schedules as of September 2, 2026. Kickoff times change. Check the Simple EJ’s calendar for what we are featuring each week.
Is Simple EJ’s Open for Noon Kickoffs?
Yes. Simple EJ’s at Fox Haven Square opens at 10 am on Saturdays and Sundays, two hours before the earliest college football window, and stays open until 2 am on Saturday nights. Brunch runs from 10 am to 2 pm both weekend days, so a noon kickoff means chicken and waffles or a breakfast biscuit sandwich on the table at the coin toss, and the smashburger arriving by the second quarter.
Bottomless mimosas are $24.99 during brunch, and Bloody Marys are back on the menu now that football season has arrived. Consider that a public service announcement for anyone whose team plays at 11 am and whose nerves cannot handle it sober.
Brunch Meets Kickoff
Saturdays & Sundays · 10 am to 2 pm
Do You Need a Reservation to Watch College Football at Simple EJ’s?
No. Simple EJ’s in St. Charles is walk-in only, so a college football Saturday works like a real tailgate: show up, find your people, sit down. There is no booking window to miss and no table that quietly went to someone who planned three weeks ahead.
For parties of eight or more, email groups@simpleejs.com before you come and we will get your group sorted. Big alumni groups, fantasy leagues, and birthday tables looking for something more organized can start with our packages page. Everyone else, just walk in. The tables nearest the wall go first on marquee Saturdays, so arriving 30 to 45 minutes before kickoff is the regulars’ move.
22 ft
of LED wall. A goal-line stand is life-sized, the replay is bigger than your first apartment, and the stadium-quality sound means you hear the crowd in Champaign from a booth in St. Charles.
How Big Is the Screen at Simple EJ’s in St. Charles?
The LED wall at Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap stands 22 feet, backed by a stadium-quality sound system, inside a 6,149-square-foot room that seats 200. That combination is the reason a Saturday here feels different from a Saturday at a place with a few TVs over the bar: the main game is not competing with anything, and there is not a bad seat in the building.
Around the wall, additional screens cover the rest of the day’s games, so the Illini fan and the Notre Dame fan at the same table are both taken care of. Ask your server which screen has which game, and ask nicely if you want yours moved closer. We have been known to say yes.
Can You Bring Kids to a College Football Saturday at Simple EJ’s?
Yes. Simple EJ’s in St. Charles is family friendly by default, all day Saturday, and the kids menu is scratch-made like everything else. Chicken tenders here come out of a fryer, not a freezer bag, and the classic kids burger uses the same special blend made exclusively for Simple EJ’s as the grown-up smashburger.
Kids eat free Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm with an adult entree, which does not cover Saturdays but does cover the Thursday and Friday night college games on the slate. Charlie, our fox-in-chief Stephen Charles Foxxe, makes his rounds for high-fives until his strict 8 pm bedtime. Dartsy, our interactive darts game, handles the halftime restlessness that no amount of screen time can.
Family by day, grown-ups after dark. Saturday afternoons at Simple EJ’s belong to the whole family. After 8 pm, Charlie clocks out, the night crowd clocks in, and the 6:30 and 7 pm kickoffs get a slightly louder, slightly later room. Bring the eight-year-old for the noon game. Bring your alumni group for the night game.
What Should You Order During the Game?
Wings, then a smashburger, then whatever the table next to you ordered because it looked better than yours. The wings at Simple EJ’s are brined and slow smoked, then tossed in one of six sauces: Classic Buffalo, Mild Buffalo, House Dr. Pepper and Bacon BBQ, Blueberry-Scotch Bonnet Pepper, BBQ Chip Rub, or Calabrian Chili Chimichurri, with the Saucy AF falafel option for the friend who insists.
The smashburger is built on a special blend made exclusively for Simple EJ’s, smashed thin with crispy lacy edges, American cheese, Coca-Cola onions, and house pickles. The Tomahawk Pork Chop is the order for a fan whose team is up three scores and feeling generous. Everything is scratch-made, and you can browse the whole lineup on our menu.
Simple EJ’s vs. the Couch vs. the Road Trip: Where Should You Watch?
For a Big Ten Saturday with a mixed group, some kids, some die-hards, some people there for the food, Simple EJ’s at Fox Haven Square is the practical pick in St. Charles: brunch covers the noon window, the room stays family friendly until 8 pm, every major game is on, and nobody needs a reservation. Here is the honest comparison, including where the other options win.
| What matters | Your couch | Drive to the stadium | Simple EJ’s, St. Charles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | Whatever is on your wall | The real thing, from your seat | 22-foot LED wall plus room screens |
| Every game, every window | Only what your package carries | One game | Illini, Wildcats, Irish, and the national game of the day |
| Food | You cook or you order in | Stadium concessions | Scratch kitchen, brunch until 2 pm, wings in six sauces |
| Kids | Easy, but you are still on duty | Long day, big ticket cost | Welcome until 8 pm, Charlie and Dartsy on hand |
| Planning required | None | Tickets, parking, hours in the car | None. Walk in. Email ahead for eight or more |
| Atmosphere | Quiet | Unbeatable | Stadium sound, full room, no sunburn |
| Cost | Lowest | Highest | Dinner and drinks, plus free parking |
The stadium wins on atmosphere, and it always will. The couch wins on cost. Simple EJ’s wins on the Saturday most Fox Valley families actually have: two games you care about in different windows, a kid who needs to eat, and a group that cannot agree on anything except that somebody else should do the dishes.
What Time Should You Arrive for a Big Game?
Thirty to 45 minutes before kickoff for a marquee game, and any time you like for the rest. Because Simple EJ’s is walk-in only, the tables closest to the wall are first come, first served, and on a Saturday with Notre Dame under the lights or the Illini against a top-five team, the room fills. Here is how regulars run their college football Saturday at Fox Haven Square:
1
Arrive Early, Eat Brunch
Doors open at 10 am. Noon kickoff crowds land around 11:15. Brunch keeps going until 2 pm.
2
Claim Your View
Tell the host which game you are here for. The wall carries the headliner, the room screens carry the rest.
3
Roll Into the Night Game
Wings at 3, smashburgers at 6, the 6:30 kickoff on the wall, and Saturday hours until 2 am.
Is There Outdoor Seating for Fall Game Days?
Yes. The patio at Simple EJ’s has a retractable pergola and looks out over the Fox Haven Square piazza, which makes September and early October Saturdays the best patio weather of the year in St. Charles. It is the closest thing to a tailgate that comes with table service. Once the Fox Valley weather turns, the room inside has 200 seats and a wall that does not care about the wind chill.
Patio Tailgate
Over the Fox Haven Square Piazza
How Far Is Simple EJ’s From Geneva, Batavia, and South Elgin?
Simple EJ’s sits at Fox Haven Square off Route 64 and Kirk Road on the east side of St. Charles, an easy drive from Geneva, Batavia, South Elgin, Wayne, and Elgin, and a fraction of the trip to Champaign, Evanston, or South Bend. Parking at Fox Haven Square is free, with 320 dedicated stalls and 148 shared, so a full house on a big Saturday still means a one-minute walk from the car.
What Happens When College Football Saturday Turns Into Bears Sunday?
Simple EJ’s shows every Bears game on the same 22-foot LED wall, and the NFL regular season kicks off the week after Labor Day, so from mid-September on, Fox Haven Square runs a two-day football weekend. Saturday belongs to the Illini, Wildcats, and Irish. Sunday belongs to the Bears, with Sunday hours from 10 am to 10 pm and brunch until 2 pm. If you want your table locked for all 15 Bears games in the program, the Bears Season Table program has its own post.
Make It Your Home Field for the Season
If you find yourself at Simple EJ’s more Saturdays than not, make it official. Founders Club is our 21-and-up membership at $14.99 a month, and your second drink is included on every visit, which over a twelve-Saturday college football season pays for itself in about the time it takes to sing the fight song. Charlie’s Crew is the family membership at $24.99 a month: kids under 12 eat free on weekday evenings, two personalized gifts a year, and two Crew-only events. Both live on our loyalty page.
College Football in St. Charles: Quick Questions
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap at Fox Haven Square, 300 N Kirk Rd in St. Charles, shows Illinois, Northwestern, and Notre Dame games every week they play, plus the top national matchup in each window, on a 22-foot LED wall with stadium-quality sound. It opens at 10 am on Saturdays, serves brunch until 2 pm, and is walk-in only.
Yes. Simple EJ’s shows every Illinois game that airs on a television network it carries, including Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, CBS, and NBC. Games that stream exclusively on Peacock depend on that week’s rights, so call (630) 999-8988 on game day to confirm before you come.
Yes. Notre Dame home games air on NBC and are a regular feature on the LED wall at Simple EJ’s in St. Charles, including the Sunday, September 6, 2026 game against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field at 6:30 pm Central. Road games are shown whenever the broadcast is on a network we carry.
No. Simple EJ’s is walk-in only. Parties of eight or more should email groups@simpleejs.com ahead so the host stand can plan for the group. For marquee games, arriving 30 to 45 minutes before kickoff is the best way to land a table close to the wall.
Simple EJ’s opens at 10 am on Saturdays and stays open until 2 am. Brunch is served from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday hours are 10 am to 10 pm.
Yes. Ask a server or the host about putting your game on one of the screens and the team will do everything it can when the game is airing on a network the restaurant carries. The 22-foot LED wall carries the featured game of each window, and the other screens cover the rest of the slate.
Yes. Simple EJ’s is family friendly until 8 pm every day, the kids menu is scratch-made, and Charlie the mascot visits tables until his 8 pm bedtime. Kids eat free Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm with an adult entree, which covers weeknight college games but not Saturdays.
Parking at Fox Haven Square is free, with 320 dedicated stalls and 148 shared, right outside Simple EJ’s at 300 N Kirk Rd, Ste 300A, St. Charles, IL 60174.
Saturday Is Coming. Just Walk In.
No reservation, no app, no waitlist to game. Show up at Fox Haven Square, find the wall, and let the scratch kitchen handle the rest. Eight or more? Email groups@simpleejs.com and we will set you up.
Next time someone in the Fox Valley asks where to watch college football in St. Charles, you have the answer. We are at Fox Haven Square, brunch is on at 10, and we saved you a seat under the wall. Come hungry, leave happy.