The Barn Light — a spot in Eugene where the neighborhood meets, where people pick up coffee in the morning and a drink after work. There are few places out there that have endured the hardship of the current times. So much can happen to a restaurant, its location and the people around the area. Not to mention the strange feeling of seeing a local favorite all of a sudden change, or worse shutting down due to economic or personal reasons. Despite changing owners in the midst of the pandemic, The Barn Light has survived and remains a favorite cocktail bar and coffee house among locals that have kept its originality throughout the years.
“You better keep it the same,” new owner Jason Alansky said he remembers a regular customer telling him. He said that some of the locals still come by for beer and coffee, and say they liked the place just the way it was — and encouraged him not to change too much of a good thing. However, the changes that Alansky has brought to the Barn Light do not impact the physical appearance or ambiance but instead the nightlife and the team he collaborates with.
Under Alansky’s management there are now new comedy shows every Sunday from a group called Eugene Comedy Crescendo — hosted by Eric Sparks. In addition to the comedy nights there are also weekly karaoke nights on Wednesday hosted by a member of staff.
Another exciting addition are Sunday brunches, on the last Sunday of every month, where they collaborate with House of Beards to do a beards and mimosas themed drag brunch. The event features live music and drag performances from different artists. The next drag brunch will be held on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. and tickets can be found on the House of Beards website.
Alansky bought the Barn Light about three months ago, when the mask laws in Oregon first came back into effect. With Alansky’s experience in finances and managing another restaurant he owns with his wife in Veneta, he has been able to maintain the Barn despite the pandemic.
As for the inside of The Barn Light, it lends itself as a place to find a cozy ambiance at any time of day, whether a craft coffee tickles your morning from Union Farmers or if you prefer some of the Eugene craft beers with a chaser at dusk. There is no shortfall or limit to what these bartenders and baristas can master. The big windows and yearbook walls invite visitors to different times with beautiful images, perhaps those of history and future days to come. Old billboards featuring sport memorabilia along with childhood kick-knacks scattered throughout provide the comfort of old designs in the modern world.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting to find such a casual spot downtown,” said Nicole Rodriguez, having a drink while waiting for her daughter to finish her ballet class down the street. She sipped on a Rome Beauty cider from Wildcraft Brewers, one of many local beers they keep on tap.
“We try to always buy local and keep things local,” says Alansky. Along with the beer, the coffee is also another local commodity that is sold at the Barn Light from Farmers Union, a place down the street that once owned Barn Light but still sells to them. Alansky seems to maintain a good environment for both his customers and vendors, bringing the two together to support each other and the community.
You can get these drinks any time of day and the place has happy hour from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. every day ($4 for well drinks and $1 off all beers), along with food and house specialties like homemade chili and quiches available throughout the week. They also have paired drink specials that offer a beer and chaser of different varieties, like the four-leaf clover (Guinness with Jameson) for $9 or Vitamin R (Rainier with 4 Roses) for $8.
I personally enjoy places like The Barn Light to learn what makes it tick and move and to find out its roots and the people that help mold such institutions. If you do happen to catch yourself in the downtown area of Eugene, make sure to stop by and capture the essence of the place. Have a drink — maybe an Espresso martini or a Roamin Buffalo — speak the lingo and kick back, let the heels loose and talk to someone who just ordered a coffee.
