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By: Gretchen Henderson
Eugene is known for its mellow hippy vibes and earthy hole-in-the-wall businesses. The Eugene food culture is an experience within itself, able to satisfy every type of foodie from vegan to carnivore. Among the hypnotic donuts and cheesy tater tots lies the unique Cornbread Cafe, which features an entirely vegan comfort food menu. Want the comfort of your mom’s mac and cheese without the lactate pills? The Cornbread Cafe satisfies the restricted diets and appetites of adventurous foodies. Located on 7th and Polk, this vegan oasis is one of Eugene’s prized culinary spots.

Owner Sheree Walters, after working in the restaurant industry for over 25 years opened the Cornbread Cafe’s diner doors about six years ago to a very welcoming community that was hungry for the vegan dining experience. Walters gained the inspiration and love of food from her grandparents who have lived a vegetarian lifestyle since the 1950’s in Canada. The immensely positive influence from her grandparents and their cooking created the template for Walters to create the 1950’s nostalgic dining experience at Cornbread Cafe.  Walters says, “Long before I became a vegetarian, I was going to open up a vegetarian restaurant and then when I became vegan, I started veganizing recipes.”She believes her heart and soul belong in the era of Grease even though she never lived in the decade. Taking her love of the 50’s and strong desire to recreate a day in her grandma’s kitchen, she opened the doors of Eugene’s first and only all-vegan comfort food restaurant. Walters lovingly says,

“I set out to create a community space where everyone feels welcome no matter what their background, their age, whatever…everybody feels comfortable in here and that makes me feel really happy when I look out and see a variety of people, it makes me want to cry.”

Without any meat or animal products on the menu, the Cornbread Cafe offers a wide variety of comfort food that will satisfy even the most carnivorous appetites. Ninety percent of the menu is made in-house, and most of the sauces she features at the restaurant took her years to perfect while others were staples in her grandparent’s vegetarian kitchen.  Preparing an overwhelming majority of their food products in-house has allowed Walters to eliminate unwanted allergens and low quality additives in her loved dishes. Not only do they take pride in creating tasty food, they also make sure to eliminate as much waste as possible and food scraps are composted. The signature and most requested dish remains the Eugenewich, which after being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri has made them add it to their breakfast only menu on Sundays because of the amount of hungry travelers stopping off I-5 just to taste the famous vegan masterpiece. It consists of a “southern-fried Surata tofu patty topped with melted Daiya cheddar, deep-fried carrot slices, hand-breaded onion rings, lettuce, tomato and a smoky sauce on a grilled bun.” Is your mouth watering yet? Their Mac Uncheese, which is smothered in their cashew-based “cheese,” remarkably tastes like the lactose original. The store-bought vegan alternative does not compare to the thoughtful recipes found at the Cornbread Cafe.
On Saturday and Sundays, the Cornbread Cafe opens its doors for the hungry morning breakfast crowds looking to find yummy bacon and sausage substitutes to start off their days. Walters is very proud of her breakfast menu, touting the omelette as one of her favorite morning creations. It comes with a variety of fixings that successfully taste like the egg protein original. The morning menu is filled with the classics like French toast, biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles and even an Egg McMuffin for those who enjoy the traditional McDonald’s staple without the high caloric price tag.  
If you resolved to be vegan for the new year or just want to embrace the unique Eugene food culture, Cornbread Cafe is the place for all appetites.
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