I take my place at the bar with a Gap-clad frat boy to my right and a Pabst-drinking fashionista in women’s jeans to my left – when describing Indigo District, I can’t make up a better anecdote than this.
An important feature in any nightspot is personality, and Indigo District has a lot of it, at least on the inside. Located in the building that once housed Field’s Brewery, Indigo District resides inconspicuously on the corner of 13th Avenue and Oak Street. There is no sign, no outside decor, and if you were just driving by, you might think it was vacant. However, as soon as you walk through the massive front doors, it is a different story altogether. To your immediate left is the monstrous and extremely cheesy waterfall known colloquially by frequent patrons as “Awesome Mountain.” Across the walkway from this monolith of kitsch is a palm tree that reaches to the ceiling.
The decor is centered around eastern art, tapestries and statues, all of it broken up by the kind of furniture you dream of finding at St. Vincent DePaul. The bar itself has a classic feel to it, with lots of wood and brass, and at the rear of the establishment are two pool tables.
The two most striking elements of Indigo District, however, are also the most subtle: the tasteful lighting and incredible use of space. All the elements come together to create something unique, not simply call eclectic. It’s more like a perfectly orchestrated identity crisis, and it really works.
Offering a range of features that includes a full bar, wireless Internet, an organic coffee bar and a restaurant that serves a full menu of quality food on weekends, Indigo District defies categorization. It’s more like the old L&L Market than a bar.
“I wanted to create a place that accommodates a full lifestyle, not just a place to party,” 24-year-old owner Justin Gibbs said. “A place to study during the day and to have fun at night.”
During the day, Indigo District assumes the persona of a quiet cafe where a student can read, have a cup of coffee or order a reasonably priced lunch. During the night, it becomes a lively night club, highly prone to impromptu dance parties. Unlike many other bars in town, Indigo District avoids weekly events in favor of a more sporadic events calendar.
“We were originally thinking about weekly and nightly events,” assistant manager Geoff Bradbury said. “But the way it works now keeps things from getting redundant.”
Indigo District is perhaps best known for its musical selection. While most bars in town pump out the college jams such as Dave Matthews, The Grateful Dead and Jack Johnson, Indigo District adds a little flair to the night with indie rock, electronica and punk rock.
Indigo District also offers a full bar, with what I believe to be the best Manhattan in town. From single-malt scotch to the quintessential Pabst Blue Ribbon, Indigo District is the only bar in Eugene where I have never heard the words, “Sorry, we can’t make that.”
The restaurant serves quality lunch and dinner at reasonable prices, and the menu is as eccentric as the rest of the establishment. The selection includes everything from typical bar fare such as french fries, chicken strips and jalapeo poppers, to coconut curry chicken and grilled salmon in a caper olive garlic sauce. The best part is that the restaurant serves the full menu until 2 a.m. on weekends; Gibbs would eventually like to extend that to weekdays as well.
-Ryan Murphey