Attention freshmen and transfer students: The thought of getting tired of the typical college student diet of pizza, beer and challenging dorm food may seem laughable. However, one day soon a change will likely be needed. Fortunately, the campus neighborhood in and around 13th Avenue features a couple dozen choice inexpensive eateries.
A college breakfast is generally a hot cup of coffee or a frothy smoothie. There are a handful of places near campus to score blender drinks and lattes, including Kokoloco for smoothies and Starbucks, the Duck Stop and Espresso Roma for java.
“I prefer Espresso Roma because they’re the only smoker-friendly place on 13th Avenue,” said Eric Qualheim, junior journalism major. “Not only is their coffee cheaper than, well, Starbucks, but it tastes better, too.”
If actual food is more to your liking early in the day, The Glenwood (next to 7-11) has an extensive breakfast menu, including the well-known home fries. Cafe Sienna is tasty as well, notable for its huge helpings of huevos rancheros. For something a bit faster, there’s MacAfee’s bagel shop, where one can have cream cheese and lox on a seemingly endless variety of flavored bagels.
Eugene is vegetarian-friendly, and campus area bistros have many meatless options. Hodgepodge offers pitas, rice dishes and banana bread with Middle Eastern and Hawaiian influences. The Caspian cafe serves a wide array of Mediterranean entrees with or without meat, such as falafel and potato concoctions
“Our food is Mediterranean so we have everything from burritos to gyros,” said Phil Pfanner, who works at the Caspian. “I’m a vegetarian, so I’d say the pitas and hummus are pretty tasty.”
But there’s more to the campus cuisine scene than vegan pitas and eggs with onions. Several cheap fast food favorites are in the area, including toasted subs at Quizno’s, the ever-popular gorditas at Taco Bell Express and massive turkey subs at Big Town Hero and Sub Shop. For dessert, there are the cleverly named ice cream flavors of Ben and Jerry’s.
Just like in New York, some of the best places to eat are the food carts. Students can find spicy polish dogs at the Good Dawg, usually parked near Gilbert Hall. About fifteen feet away is a Greek foods booth that sells pita sandwiches, falafel and fresh lemonade. Homemade hot soups are available from a red wagon camped out on Alder Street near Prince Lucien Campbell Hall.
On a cold autumn night, a Ducks football loss or a bad performance on a midterm may create the craving for belly-filling comfort food. Taylor’s Bar and Grill, more than just a drinking hole, offers a menu of sandwiches and hamburgers. Down the block, Rennie’s Landing has daily lunch specials and shareable bar foods like nachos and mozzarella sticks. One of the oldest campus area establishments is Bubba’s, a sit-down, feel-good diner with big hamburgers and bigger baskets of fries.
“It’s all-American food: burgers, fries, shakes, salads,” said Bubba’s waiter Gary Bertelsen. “The French fries are incredible, they’re all hand-made.”
If the fancy for something more exotic strikes, 13th Avenue is home to several restaurants where one can try something new. China Blue and the Maple Garden cook up traditional Chinese food favorites, while Ana’s Restaurant has an array of Thai, Korean and Japanese entrees. Sakura boasts Japanese fare, vegetarian noodle plates and yaki soba.
“We have a complete sushi bar, teriyaki chicken dishes, pan-fried noodles, ramen,” said Sakura waitress Kelly Ochoco. “It’s Americanized Japanese food.”