Story and Photos by Meaghan Morawski
Every year, thousands of freshmen come to campus, and every year, they make terrible decisions about where to eat in Eugene. I’ve got nothing against Subway or Qdoba, but if you’re going to eat in Eugene, why not experience the best we have to offer? For instance…
1) The ‘Wich House:
Let me see if I can accurately describe how amazing this place is…I would sell my second-born child for a lifetime supply of their sandwiches freshly made for me every day. (My first-born child is already being sold for the power of teleportation.) The ‘Wich House makes all of their food completely fresh, every day. That means fresh bread, meat, veggies, soup, and more. Who knew that something so basic could be so completely, utterly amazing? They are conveniently located downtown, and when you get there, incredibly and genuinely friendly people greet you at the counter! Who knows, you might even get to eat there while Dungeons and Dragons is going on; then you get dinner and a show for the price of one! What a steal, considering you can get a delicious and fresh sandwich for under $10. I recommend the Turkey Caper ‘Wich.
2) Cornucopia:
Their fries make me salivate like I’m one of Pavlov’s dogs. It’s their fries that keep me going back, though Cornucopia is mostly known for their burgers. Their burgers are AWESOME (Big Baby Bleu—do it) and made from all hormone-free, beer-fed beef they get from the Knee Deep Cattle Company. What’s so great about Cornucopia is that, not only do they have three locations around town, but they are also open pretty late—and, really, what’s better than late-night orders that you can call in and quickly pick up? The locations are strategically placed about, and at the 5th street location there is even a wheel that you might be able to spin to win free food and drinks. The menu can be cheap or expensive depending on what you’re getting, as well as on your financial situation, but I never regret a cent I spend at Cornucopia.
3) El Super Burrito
This was very recently introduced to me, but I feel like it has to make the list because, a. Where would this list be without burritos, and, b. It’s so delicious and inexpensive! El Super Burrito is out a bit further (on Willamette St.) than most university students normally venture, but it is such a perfect place to eat that I felt very inclined to let the world know about it. Their menu is filled with enchilada plates, burrito specials, tortas, and more. Mostly, as implied by the name, their main menu items are burrito-related, but trust me, the burrito centric menu does not make any of the other dishes any less amazing. Have I mentioned they are so reasonably priced I almost throw myself into a tizzy thinking about it? A typical burrito plate—meaning burrito, beans, and rice—costs $7 and some odd change. Compare that to the $7 or more you pay at Burrito Boy, Qdoba, or Chipotle for JUST a burrito. Sold yet?
4) Evergreen Indian Cuisine:
It is difficult for me to ever feel like there is enough Indian food in my life, but Evergreen never seems to fail in terms of providing for me. They are right across the street from campus, so if you’re on a break from classes or just want to get away from dorm food for once it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away. It is also a really great place for if you want to call in an order and maybe do a movie night with a friend or significant other. You can find menu items that range from mild to so insanely spicy you don’t know how you will ever recover. Their prices top off at about $16 for the entrées (though of course there are cheaper options), which include your choice of meat in a curry, rice, naan, and more… basically you get a ton of food and leave feeling like Violet Beauregarde.
5) Off the Waffle:
This is actually located a shop or two down from El Super Burrito, and it makes you think twice about the times of day you may find it acceptable to eat waffles. Off the Waffle prides itself on making authentic Liège waffles (which, if you don’t know, is in Belgium, and the Belgians are known for their waffles), and if you don’t believe me you can read the awesome history of how the owners came to own a waffle shop in Eugene while you wait for your food to come out. They have sweet waffles, savory waffles, waffles with fruit, waffles with cheese, waffles with typical breakfast toppings, and waffles without any toppings at all. This is seriously waffle central. The atmosphere is really laid back and welcoming, especially if you like drinking water out of mason jars and watching small children play their waffle arcade game—yes, such a thing really exists. Once again, this is a place that can either be pretty cheap or a little bit more expensive with a student budget, but I highly recommend going at least twice.
6) Voodoo Doughnut:
Okay, okay, so it’s not really a restaurant, but COME ON! Who doesn’t love doughnuts? Even better yet, who doesn’t love the convenience of knowing that you can get delectable and esoteric doughnuts 24/7? Yeah, because Voodoo never closes. Well, maybe on select holidays, but we will pretend that doesn’t happen for the sake of this blurb. Their doughnuts are cheap, they are well made, and they are as addicting as bad reality television. Last summer for a month straight my roommate and I actually went every day. I don’t know how neither of us got diabetes or gained a solid 10-15 lbs., but that’s not the point. The point is you can bond over doughnuts, drink coffee, play and/or listen to the conveniently placed piano in the lobby, and even get A WHOLE FREAKING BUCKET OF DOUGHNUTS FOR $5. That’s right, $5 day olds, baby. I will always love Oregon for producing this sugary goodness.
7) Empire Buffet:
This is another restaurant close to campus, and the prices are perfect for a college student’s budget. I know that people normally have reservations about buffets, but I have been here a number of times and have never felt sick afterwards (well, unless I go way overboard and eat too much). Generally I come here if I am broke and haven’t eaten very much in the past week or so. I go with friends and we spend a couple of hours slowly working our way through various Chinese cuisine. If $6.49 for a lunch buffet and $9.99 for a dinner buffet doesn’t sound like an awesome deal, I really don’t know what you’re definition of “awesome deal” is. Also, if you’re one of those people who doesn’t want to gorge yourself too much or would prefer to eat in the comfort of your own home, they allow you to make boxes filled with as much as you want and anything you want from the buffet, then they weigh it and charge accordingly. The only thing that could make this place more heavenly would be a nap area for after you finally finish eating and are ready to hit the food coma stage of the digestion process.
Hours, location, and all that other good stuff:
The ‘Wich House
840 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97401
(541)434-9424
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-3:00pm
Friday 7:30am-8:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm-5:00pm
Cornucopia (5th street one)
207 E 5th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401
(541)485-2676
Monday-Sunday 10:00am until 2:00am
El Super Burrito
2566 Willamette Street
Eugene, OR 97405-3133
(541) 485-0619
Monday-Thursday, Saturday 8:30am-8:30pm
Friday, Sunday 9:00am-8:30pm
Evergreen Indian
1525 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97403
(541)343-7944
Monday-Sunday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-9:30pm
Off the Waffle
2540 Willamette Street
Eugene, OR 97405
(541) 515-6926
Monday-Thursday,Sunday 7:00am-8:00pm
Friday, Saturday 7:00am-11:00pm
Voodoo Doughnuts
20 East Broadway
Eugene, OR 97401-3135
(541) 868-8666
24/7
Empire Buffet
1933 Franklin Boulevard
Eugene, OR 97403
(541)343-9966
Monday-Thursday, Sun 11:00am-9:30pm
Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:30pm
