Of all the brewpubs in this fair metropolis, The Rogue Ales Eugene City Brewery skips the superfluous foamy head and gets right to the filling malt.
The downtown outlet of the Rogue brewing empire represents the best of both worlds: every type and style of beer on tap and restaurant-quality eats.
It’s not that I don’t love the trio of apostrophe-challenged McMenamins, or the faux-hometown charm of Steelhead Brewery, but for the most part these suds dealers have been supplanted in my mind. Eugene City has no faux English-pub or Americana charm – either in decor or libations. This is a bar with neon.
As far as appetizers go, everything I’ve sampled has exceeded my expectations. The pervasive warm, brown and yeasty hazelnut bread (yes, with beer baked right in) is especially good when served up with a fresh coat of bubbling cheese. The Idaho Buffalo Chips, which are actually disk-shaped French fries, are spicy and crispy and wonderful to gobble down as the steaming hot, fluffy inside burns the roof of your mouth.
There’s an impressive list of entree-sized salads (Greek, chicken Caesar, Cobb, and the exotic Kobe taco salad) ranging in price from $10.95 to $11.95. The Cobb was decent, but the poached chicken was overcooked and dry, and the avocados were like green slices of rock.
There’s also a host of gourmet-updated deli sandwiches and pizzas, a short list of entrees and number of new added seafood dishes. One starring component is the Kobe beef, which pops up time and time again on the menu at startlingly affordable prices.
And then there’s the beer.
Rogue is, after all, a brew pub, and in this arena there are no failures. You know you’ve hit microbrew heaven when each table comes equipped with a binder of beer styles on tap. The two in-house specialties, Honey Orange Wheat and Track Town IPA, personify what is really great about this pub. The wheat beer is uniquely sweet and refreshing, and the IPA is a deliciously fruity hop masterpiece.
Friday is surely one of the best nights to drop in because of the added attraction of Mr. Bill’s traveling trivia show. Even the slightest of trivia fans can get into the act and possibly knock a few dollars off their tab or win a free Rogue T-shirt.
First timers should also ask their server to sign up for the Rogue Nation. The benefits, which include discounts, freebies and a giant beer on your birthday, are very substantial for a free service.
[email protected]

Rogue Ales Eugene City Brewery

844 Olive Street, Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 345-4155
A wide variety of domestic microbrews are on tap, with a full bar and Rogue distilled liquors. Food fare is eclectic American with an emphasis on seafood, beef and secondarily poultry and vegetarian.