For first-year students at the University, finding late-night dining options can be more difficult than studying on a Friday evening. However, there are a few places in Eugene open to satisfy late-night hunger for those who have to wait a couple more years to hit the bar scene.
If lack of transportation limits your options, then nearby places like Sy’s Pizza, which is open until 12 a.m. seven days a week, could do the trick.
Brian Crabaugh, who has worked at Sy’s Pizza for four months, said being right on campus and staying open late attracts many of the business’s patrons. Sy’s, at 1211 Alder St., serves New York-style pizza by the slice ($2.25 for a slice of cheese) as well as whole pies.
“Everything is hand-made, [and the New York style’s] thin crust is really filling, because the slices are so big,” Crabaugh said.
Burrito Boy Taqueria, located at 510 Broadway, is open every night until 1 a.m. and specializes in burritos, tacos and enchiladas. The prices for burritos range from $4 for a regular burrito to $5.75 for a “wet” burrito — one doused with mole sauce.
Longtime Burrito Boy employee Lupe Valenzuela said the restaurant takes pride in its good Mexican food and fast service.
During the fall and winter,
when the weather starts to cool, Espresso Roma caters to students because it is only half a block from campus on East 13th Avenue and is open until midnight.
Espresso Roma Manager Miguel Cortez , who said he’s been in the coffee business for 25 years, said Espresso Roma is popular with
students because of the good coffee, which is roasted in California by his brother and then shipped to
Eugene. Cortez said students often come to study because the
music and the shop in general is
not too loud.
If transportation isn’t a limiting factor, The Pita Pit, located at 1087 Willamette St. across from the downtown bus station, might be an option.
“It’s kind of like Subway, but cooler,” employee Debbie Lieberman said. Her reason: It’s open until 4 a.m. on weekends and Thursdays; on other nights it closes at 3 a.m.
Prices range from $3.25 for a Garden Pita to $5.75 for a Steak Pita. An added bonus is its nutritional value.
“We’re a healthy alternative to fast food,” The Pita Pit employee Jon Elliot said.
Assistant manager Nick Brummet agreed, saying, “It’s fast, but
you get fresh vegetables that we prep ourselves.”
West of downtown, at 755 Monroe St., sisters Catherine and Cheryl Reinhart provide late night eating too, but their specialty is sweets. Their business, Sweet Life Patisserie, is Eugene’s top dessert eatery, according to Eugene Weekly’s Summer Restaurant Guide.
“Between Seattle and San Francisco, this is the best dessert place,”said David Clark, who will be a University student in the fall. “The sisters that run this place know their sugar.”
The patisserie is open until 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and until 10 p.m. other nights. The average price for a slice of cake is $4.50. Reinhart said Sweet Life is an alternative for those who can’t hit the bar scene yet.
“It’s just a great thing to do after going to a movie instead of a bar,” she said.
If you’re feeling all-American, then Turtles Bar and Grill, located at 2690 Willamette St., may do the trick. It’s open until 12 a.m. every night.
“We specialize in BBQ baby back ribs, and our salads are what set us apart. We keep getting the best salad [restaurant] in the Eugene Weekly,” owner and manager Katie Bonéy said.
The restaurant received first place in the categories of “Best Salad” and “Best American” and third place in “Best BBQ.” Bonéy said the average meal price is only $10 to $11, and it serves a full menu after 10 p.m.
“Serving a full menu till midnight has really made a mark, where
most restaurants don’t do that,” Bonéy added.
“I love the food and atmosphere; it’s casual but kind of classy,” Lane Community College student Kristen Danevicza said.

For a more city-like feel, Café Zenon is located near the heart of downtown on the corner of Pearl Street and Broadway. A colorful mural of a restaurant scene decorates the back wall and with plenty of windows and outside seating that looks out onto Broadway, Café Zenon offers a big-town feel.
David Counter, one of the three owners who have run Café Zenon for the past 23 years, said the menu, which changes at every meal throughout the day, allows for a wide variety of choices.
“There are choices that ethnically range all over the planet … We have fresh seafood … We have duck, [and] sometimes we have venison,” he said.
Open until midnight Thursday through Saturday and until 11 p.m. other nights, Café Zenon is known for its salads and desserts. It received second place in Eugene Weekly’s rankings for “Best Salad” and third place for “Best Sweet Tooth Indulgence.”
Churchill High School senior Megan Flom and a group of her friends spent a Friday evening there chatting and drinking coffee.
Flom said Zenon gives customers free bread toward the end of
the evening to take home if there is any left after the business day, which is one of the reason she
enjoys coming.

Kit Myers is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.