For nine years, Sam Bond’s Garage has added spice to Eugene’s nightlife. With live bands playing everything from European gypsy music to Irish rock to traditional music from the
Andes almost every night of the week, Sam Bond’s is the place to see
eclectic entertainment in a chill, friendly environment.
Sam Bond’s Garage is a rather small neighborhood bar on Fourth Avenue and Blair Boulevard that cradles the smiling faces of people visiting with old friends, those making new ones and others dancing to the music. On the night I went, the music was provided by Shandi and the Re-clines, a tribute band to country music singer Patsy Cline. Shandi and the Re-clines were simply superb, I must add. I even caught my country-music-despising boyfriend tapping his feet and cheering loudly with the crowd. Their perfect rendition of “Crazy” garnered whistles and applause, and their “Shake, Rattle and Roll” got people to dance between the packed tables that fill the small barn-type bar.
Cut-out stars and open umbrellas hung from the ceiling, along with a disco ball that created the right atmosphere for boogying. Groups of friends sat and played cards, stopping only to take drinks and applaud Shandi and the Re-clines, while
other groups chitchatted or simply appreciated the music.
Prices at Sam Bond’s Garage are reasonable and the variety of beers, wines, hard liquors and cocktails are abundant. A normally practicing teetotaler, I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty my Cosmopolitan was, which was one of the bartender’s personal, special concoctions. It cost me $6, and my boyfriend’s glass of Crown Royal cost $5.25, which he insisted was a good price. Pints go for around $3 to $4 and both Guinness and Sierra Nevada are on tap. Sam Bond’s prides itself on having a wide selection of microbrewed pale ales, ambers and seasonal beers, all of which vary throughout the year.
Sam Bond’s Garage also offers a variety of appetizers and meals,
including salads, garlic bread,
hummus, chips and salsa, organic soups and their specialty organic and vegan pizzas.
There’s also
curry and jambalaya, and all prices are reasonable.
The type of patrons were just as varied as Sam Bond’s offerings. Alongside the student crowd were parents escaping from home life and regulars just coming around for a drink on a Friday night.
“There’s a wide range of people that come in,” bartender Taurmini Fentress said. “A lot of local people from around the neighborhood come in for happy hour and we have music at night, so it depends on the band.
It really depends on the day. We see people who just turned 21 to much older to people who just sit at the bar and chitchat with us.”
Overall, going to Sam Bond’s Garage was a good experience. The chill environment made everything feel more relaxed and the friendly faces all around helped make the evening much more enjoyable.
“It’s a great place, a great environment around here,” Fentress said. “The people that work here and the people that own it really care about the community a lot and they work hard to put out the products and create a comfortable environment.”

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