In 1991, Steelhead Brewing Company opened its doors on the corner of Fifth and Pearl streets in downtown Eugene. Since then, Steelhead has been a popular place to sit down and have a meal or a pint, or most likely both. The beer is freshly brewed at each of Steelhead’s three locations, Eugene, Burlingame, Calif. and Irvine, Calif.
Steelhead has at least four regular ales on tap at all times: Hairy Weasel Hefeweizen, Barracuda Blonde, Raging Rhino Red — which won the gold at the Great American Beer Festival in 1991 — and Bombay Bomber IPA. Prices of these ales range from $2.75 to $5.25. Steelhead also offers plenty of seasonal and dark beers, such as the Strawberry Blonde, the Pacific Crest Porter and McFaddin’s Oatmeal Stout. For those who like to stick to the domestic beers, Bud Light and Michelob Ultra are also available. But not even teetotalers are left out — Steelhead also specializes in two flavors of freshly brewed root beer.
For those more concerned with the environment of Steelhead rather than the specialty drinks, Steelhead offers a friendly, lively, outdoorsy atmosphere great for dinner parties, casual get-togethers and dates. The only real drawback to the whole scene is the lack of diversity found inside. The servers were friendly when they had time to come by the tables, which was pretty rare but understandable on a busy Saturday night — so busy in fact, that my boyfriend and I were never once carded as we drank our Crown and Coke and Appletini.
Big, comfy armchairs pepper the large, one-room dining area, mixed in with tall tables and barstools . Sitting up high gives patrons the ability to scan the whole room, while the armchairs provide a more private and intimate setting.
Overall, the crowd tended to be a bit older than the typical Eugene
bar scene. The people inside included a bachelor out with “the boys”, aged women getting together to share salad and laughs, people on dates and friends enjoying time with each other.
Steelhead is definitely more of a restaurant than a bar, and the menu supports this claim further. For lunch, burgers and sandwiches range from
$7 to $10, with fries for $1.50 extra. Pastas are also available but quite pricey, especially for the typical lunch menu. The dinner menu is similar to the lunch menu, with prices rising by about $1. On weekends, Steelhead serves breakfast until 3 p.m., and pizza all day — as opposed to just after 5 p.m. on weekdays — for around $10.
For those in the mood to cut loose, Steelhead isn’t the first place to check out, but when meeting close friends or going out with that special someone, Steelhead can be the
perfect spot.
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