1. St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County Thrift store and organization headquarters at 2890 Chad Drive, 541-687-5820. Fifteen retail outlets in western Oregon include several thrift stores and a used-car lot in Eugene. SVDP.us. 2. Buffalo Exchange 131 E. 5th Avenue. 541-687-2805. 3. SARA’s Treasures (Shelter Animal Resource Alliance) 871 River Road. 541-607-8892. SARAsTreasures.org.
It’s the one and only Best of Eugene — no, seriously, there are imitators but Eugene Weekly’s got the original reader-survey “Best of” in this town. Every year we ask you to tell us about your favorite things in the area, and for some categories it’s clear that the more things change, the more things stay…
1. Eugene Yoga 245 E. Broadway. 541-520-8771. 3575 Donald Street. 458-205-8378. EugeneYoga.us 2. Everyday People Yoga 352 W. 12th Avenue. 541-513-0180. EpYogaEugene.com. 3. Wild Light Yoga 820 Charnelton Street. 541-349-9642. WildLightYogaCenter.com. Getting fit can take different avenues. For me, there’s nothing like spending some quality time in the Eugene YMCA’s squat cage or the mindfulness…
1. Down to Earth 532 Olive Street. 541-342-6820. DowntoEarthEugene.com. 2. Berg’s Ski & Snowboard Shop 367 W. 13th Avenue. 541-683-1300. BergsSkiShop.com. 3. Backcountry Gear 1855 W. 2nd Avenue. 1-800-953-5499. BackCountryGear.com. We have to be honest here, we were thinking of hiking, skiing and sports-type stores when we named the category “Best Outdoor Store.” But you,…
1. Shanna Trumbly ShannaTrumbly.com. 2. ila rose ilaroseart.com. 3. Wayde Love Facebook.com/wayde.art. Eugene, by actual count, has more artists per square mile than any other city in the universe. At least you’d think so from the city’s motto, “A Great Place for the Arts and Outdoors.” So how is it that these three artists —…
1. Cody Murray Amazon Organics, 3443 Hilyard Street. 541-636-4100. AmazonOrganics.net. 2. Rosie Amorose Moss Crossing, 2751 Friendly Street. 541-636-3724. MossCrossing.com. 3. Tyler Banks Moss Crossing, 2751 Friendly Street. 541-636-3724. MossCrossing.com. Cody Murray knows a lot about weed. He’s been growing it for 12 years since he got his medical card when he was 18. He…
1. Kendra Northam nurse, cardiology team at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. 541-686-7300. PeaceHealth.org. 2. Meredith Blair surgical nurse, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. 3. Kendall Thornton clinical psychologist, 132 E. Broadway, Suite 500. 541-359-2528. Behind each health care worker is a whole team, according to Kendra Northam, nurse at PeaceHealth…
1. Andrea Goering LMT Healing By Hand, 1505 Lincoln Street. 913-530-1062. HealingByHand.net. 2. Rebecca Heisen Modern Betty, 132 E. Broadway, Suite 102. 541-343-3820. ModernBettySalon.com. 3. Casey Phaigh LMT 581 W. 17th Avenue. 541-954-8904.
Best Group Activity Board and Brush 303 S. 5th Street, Ste. 153, Springfield. BoardandBrush.com/SpringfieldOR. “This is not your Mama’s DIY,” according to Kelly Warren, the primary instructor at Board & Brush. Sip on a glass of wine, a cold beer or bring your own alcohol of choice as you put your hands to work creating…
1. Hole in the Wall 3200 W. 11th Avenue. 541-683-7378. HoleintheWallBBQ.com. 2. Bill & Tim’s 201 E. 13th Avenue. 541-654-0578. WestrauntConcepts.com/Welcome-Bill-and-Tims. 3. Rackhouse BBQ 207 Madison Street. 541-285-0518. TheRackHouseBBQ.com
Best Place to Drink Ciders Ciderlicious 675 River Road. Facebook.com/Ciderlicious. Have you ever been to beergarden and wondered what it would be like if there were a similar place for cider lovers? With 20 ciders on tap, Ciderlicious fulfills that dream. Ciderlicious food truck owner Randy Nelson says he likes to have a range of…
1. Smith Family Bookstore 525 Willamette Street. 541-343-4717. SmithFamilyBookstore.com. 2. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette Street. 541-345-8986. TsunamiBooks.org. 3. Black Sun Books 2467 Hilyard Street. 541-484-3777. BlackSunBooks.net. Smith Family Bookstore is a longtime stalwart for those of us who love to wander through aisles piled high with tomes, musty or otherwise. We will no longer be…
Best Spiritual Leader Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein TBIeugene.org. Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein of Eugene’s Temple Beth Israel is our idea of a great spiritual leader and political activist. Whether its her participation in Rev. William Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign, her work for T’ruah: the Rabbinical Call for Human Rights, or her recent letter…
Rick Dancer Rickdancer.com. Meerah Powell Eugene Weekly. Rick Levin Eugene Weekly. In an alternate world, Rick Dancer defeated Gov. Kate Brown for secretary of state. In this world, when former Gov. John Kitzhaber resigned due to scandal, it would’ve been Dancer who would be in the governor’s seat now. Dancer says when the scandal happened,…
Very Little Theatre 2350 Hilyard Street. 541-344-7751. TheVLT.com. Actors Cabaret of Eugene 996 Willamette Street. 541-683-4368. Actorscabaret.org. The Shedd Institute 868 High Street. 541-434-7000. TheShedd.org. You’re not getting older, VLT, you’re getting better. At the ripe old age of 89, Very Little Theatre is the venerable grandpa of local theater — and one of the…
Slutashia Facebook.com/Slutashia. Karess Ann Slaughter Facebook.com/glamazonseugene. Monique La Faye Facebook.com/missmoniquelafaye. In the past few years, the drag scene in Eugene has exploded, opening the door for new performers and events to make their way on to the scene. Slutashia has quickly become a Eugene household name, hosting The Slutashia Exxxperience at Cowfish several times a…
Downtown Deb Trist Dead Air, KLCC 89.7 Billy Dyball No Pants Party, KWVA 88.1 Al Scott Afternoon Drive, KNRQ 103.7 You won’t find much that’s closer to the cultural heart of Eugene than the Grateful Dead, so it makes perfect sense that Eugene Weekly readers have chosen Deb Trist, aka “Downtown Deb,” as their favorite…
DJ Food Stamp Facebook.com/DJ-food-stamp. Jon Smith Facebook.com/DJ-Jon-Supa-J-Smith-398091873734699/ Connah Jay (Connor J. Sullivan) Soundcloud.com.connahjay.
Ila Rose Ilaroseart.com Shanna Trumbly Shannatrumbly.com Wayde Love Facebook.com/wayde.art Ila Rose has always been compelled to draw and paint, even as a kid. And, she says, nature is a big part of her inspiration. “We would be tanning hides as kids,” she says of her upbringing in Eugene. “It was part of this connection, which…
Last week, the Best of Eugene winners were revealed for our Eats and Civics categories (make sure to check those out below if you missed them). This week we’re diving into the best of Spending and Live Action in the Eugene area. Keep on reading to see who you voted as best artist, local band,…
Storm Kennedy Stormkennedy.com. Colin Gray Facebook.com/colintheroo. Evynne Hollens Evynnehollens.com. You might say that Lisa Wilken has taken Eugene theater by storm — by “Storm Kennedy,” that is, Wilken’s professional and stage name around town for most of three decades. A 1981 graduate of South Eugene High School, Kennedy headed to the Big Apple to pursue a…
Tyler Banks (Moss Crossing) 2751 Friendly Street. 541-636-3724. Mosscrossing.com. Darien McCartney (Moss Crossing) 2751 Friendly Street. 541-636-3724. Mosscrossing.com. Biff Miller (Eugene OG) 2045 Franklin Boulevard. 541-505-7575. Eugeneog.com. Tyler Banks is a budtender at Moss Crossing who has worked there since its inception on the Winter Solstice three years ago. Moss Crossing is a clean and…
Athena Delene Athenadelene.com. Bob Williams 541-914-8683. Bobwilliamsphotographer.com. Bradley Cook Bradleycookphotography.com. Athena Delene’s photography is fun, colorful and beautiful. And she isn’t shy about the eccentricity that comes across in her work. “I will do and have done everything from weddings, families, aspiring rappers, seniors, yacht parties, Tinder bio headshots, SLUG queens, professional corn dog eaters, grandpas…
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County Thrift store and organization headquarters at 2890 Chad Drive, 541-687-5820. Fifteen retail outlets in western Oregon include several thrift stores and a used-car lot in Eugene. SVDP.us. Buffalo Exchange 131 E. 5th Avenue, 541-687-2805. Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties Eleven locations in western Oregon,…
Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life 556 Charnelton Street. 541-344-4105. 2480 Alder Street. 541-342-6155. Bicycleway.com. Hutch’s Bike Shop 960 Charnelton Street. 541-345-7521. 2100 Main Street, Springfield. 541-741-2453. Hutchsbicycles.com. Arriving by Bike 2705 Willamette Street. 541-484-5410. Arrivingbybike.com. It’s hard to imagine a future without bicycles. And as long as people ride bikes, there will be a need…
Lane County Farmer’s Market Oak Street & E. 8th Avenue. 541-431-4923. Lanecountyfarmersmarket.org. Kiva 125 W. 11th Avenue. 541-342-8666. Kivagrocery.com. Sundance 748 E. 24th Avenue. 541-343-9142. Sundancenaturalfoods.com.
Smith Family Bookstore 525 Willamette Street, 541-343-4717; 768 E. 13th Avenue, (541) 345-1651. Smithfamilybookstore.com. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette Street, 541-345-8986. Tsunamibooks.org. Black Sun Books 2467 Hilyard Street, 541-484-3777. Blacksunbooks.net. It’s a sad commentary on the state of the book business that all three finalists for Best Indie Bookstore in town sell used books. Yes, they…
Eugene Yoga 245 E. Broadway Street. 541-520-8771. 3575 Donald Street. 458-205-8378. Eugeneyoga.us. Everyday People Yoga 352 W. 12th Avenue. 541-513-0180. Epyogaeugene.com. Yoga West Eugene 3635 Hilyard Street. 541-357-3667. Yogawesteugene.com. Feeling stressed? Come take a load off with this years’ winner for Best Yoga Studio: Eugene Yoga. The studio aims to be accessible to everyone, opening…
Best Underrated Mexican Food Mama Mayra’s 764 Blair Boulevard Apparently, not enough people know in Eugene know about Mama Mayra’s. This gem of an eatery is located in the West Jeff neighborhood of Eugene. Mama Mayra’s delivers authentic Mexican cuisine at a very affordable price, and is a favorite of all of the staff here at…
Outdoors Eugene YMCA 2055 Patterson Street. 541-686-9622. EugeneYMCA.org. Downtown Athletic Club 999 Willamette Street. 541-484-5410. DowntownAC.com. For a city that calls itself Track Town, USA, it’d better have a plethora of running trails. In fact, there are more than 42 miles of shared-use running paths in the Eugene-Springfield area, so we won’t complain about scarcity.…
Pearl Day Spa 1375 Pearl Street. 541-683-3377. Thepearldayspa.com. Gervais Salon & Day Spa 248 E. 5th Avenue. 541-334-6533. 1473 Willamette Street. 541-334-6533. Gervaiseugene.com. Footloose Massage Center 35 W. 8th Avenue. 541-686-4461. Footloosemassage.com.
Fortune’s Folly Fortunesfollyband.com. Sol Seed Solseedmusic.com. High Step Society Highstepsociety.com. Described as “the love-child of Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt” on their Facebook page, Fortune’s Folly has been tearin’ up the Eugene music scene since 2015. The group, fronted by Calysta Cheyenne (also the winner of our best singer/songwriter category), has an undeniably…
Da Nang 488 Lincoln Street. 541-915-0144. Danangeatery.com. Buck Buck 207 Madison Street. Facebook.com/buckbuckeug. Chaiyo 44 E. 7th Avenue. 541-206-0934. Facebook.com/chaiyofoodtruck. First of all, if you haven’t been to any one of these food carts, you are missing out big time. Da Nang, in front of Oregon Wine LAB, has a simple menu — you pick…
Frog Lefty Tim Lewis Not many rabblerousers can say they fought the law and won like good ol’ Frog (David Miller). The city of Eugene tried to kick him off the streets with their pesky laws that prohibited selling anything other than food, beverages, balloons and flowers. The law would’ve prevented him from selling the…
Blairally Vintage Arcade 245 Blair Boulevard. 541-683-1721. Izakaya Meiji 345 Van Buren Street. 541-505-8804. Izakayameiji.com. Sam Bond’s 407 Blair Boulevard. 541-431-6603. Sambonds.com. The nerds have had their revenge, as this year’s winner for Best Bar is none other than Blairally Vintage Arcade, a pinball hall and bar located in the heart of the Whiteaker. Known for…
Mezza Luna 933 Pearl Street, 541-684-8900; 2776 Shadowview, 541-743-2999; 115 S. 5th Street, Springfield, 541-653-8661. Mezzalunapizzeria.com Sizzle Pie 910 Willamette Street, 541-683-7437. Sizzlepie.com Coburg Pizza Company 90999 S. Willamette Street, Coburg; 1710 Centennial Boulevard, Springfield, 541-484-6600. Coburgpizza.com I had never eaten at Mezza Luna until a restaurant opened on Main Street in Springfield. Its Springfield location sits on…
Mame 541-654-4378. Currently closed. Sushi PURE 296 E. 5th Avenue #220. 541-654-0608. Pureeugene.com. Sushi Domo 1020 Green Acres Road, 541-343-0935; 2835 Oak St., 541-484-7008. Sushidomoeugene.com.
Café Yumm! 730 E. Broadway, 541-344-9866; 1801 Willamette St., 541-686-9866; 130 Oakway Center; 541-465-9866. Cafeyumm.com. Laughing Planet 760 Blair Boulevard, 541-868-0668; 2864 Willamette Street, 541-505-5399. Laughingplanet.com. Morning Glory Café 450 Willamette Street. 541-687-0709. Morninggloryeugene.com. Every year we try to shake up the categories a little. Sometimes readers don’t notice, and sometimes they completely freak out. One year we…
Black Wolf Supper Club 454 Willamette Street. 541-687-8226. The Wheel Apizza Pub 390 Lincoln Street #101. 541-735-3860. Thewheelapizzapub.com. Party on Friendly 2757 Friendly Street. 541-683-2079. I’m always on the lookout for more restaurants in Eugene with good ambiance. Far too many in town are either too brightly lit, too casual or on the other end…
It’s that time of year — Best Of Eugene! You’ve done it again, readers. You’ve picked your favorite politicians, eateries, hairdressers, advocates and more. And, this year you also got the chance to test out STAR (Score Then Automatic Runoff) voting. As in the voting rounds, we’re splitting Best Of into two separate issues. This…
Planned Parenthood 3579 Franklin Boulevard. 541-344-9411. Plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-southwestern-oregon. FOOD for Lane County 270 W. 8th Avenue. 541-284-1340. Foodforlanecounty.org. White Bird 341 E. 12th Avenue. 541-342-8255. Whitebirdclinic.org. In a country where health care has been typically seen as more of a commodity than a human right, we’re extremely lucky to have organizations like Planned Parenthood. And you…
Peter DeFazio Jeff Merkley Kitty Piercy We don’t love politics lately, but there’s a lot to appreciate in this year’s top three for best local politician. First of all, Rep. Peter DeFazio is back again as the area’s top politico. Is it his no-holds-barred demeanor? Is it how hard he’s worked to turn Congress from…
Prince Pücklers 1605 E. 19th Avenue. 541-344-4418. Princepucklers.com. I Scream for Waffles 1412 W. 7th Avenue. 541-729-1732. Iscreamforwaffles.com. Coconut Bliss 725 W. 1st Avenue. 541-345-0020. Coconutbliss.com. Prince Pücklers is one of the only businesses in Eugene that can genuinely say, “Thanks, Obama.” While campaigning for the Democratic nomination in 2008, he and Michelle stopped at…
Papa’s Soul Food (The Memory) Bill & Tim’s 201 E. 13th Avenue. 541-654-0578. Westrauntconcepts.com/welcome-bill-and-tims Hole in the Wall 3200 W. 11th Avenue. 541-683-7378. Holeinthewallbbq.com. Gone but not forgotten is how the old saying goes, but when it comes to Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen and BBQ, the sentiment is alive and well. Death came twice to…
Izakaya Meiji Company 345 Van Buren Street. 541-505-8804. Izakayameiji.com. Café Soriah 384 W. 13th Avenue. 541-342-4410. Cafesoriah.com. Marché 296 E. 5th Avenue. 541-342-3612. Marcherestaurant.com. Described as a Japanese tavern, Izakaya Meiji Company combines Japanese food with American westerns, churning out delicious meals and exotic cocktails. It has quickly become a local favorite since opening its…
Tacovore 530 Blair Boulevard. 541-735-3518. Tacovorepnw.com. Café Yumm! 730 E. Broadway, 541-344-9866; 1801 Willamette, 541-686-9866; 130 Oakway Center; 541-465-9866. Cafeyumm.com. Laughing Planet 760 Blair Boulevard, 541-868-0668; 2864 Willamette Street, 541-505-5399. Laughingplanet.com. Going to ‘fess up here. Some of us never leave Tacovore paying less than $8, so at first we were confused at the win. Ah, but wait.…
Wandering Goat 268 Madison Street. 541-344-5161. Wanderinggoat.com. Café Mam 4000 E. 22nd Avenue. 541-338-9585. Cafemam.com. Full City 842 Pearl Street. 541-344-0475; 295 E. 13th Avenue. 541-468-9270; 3850 Janisse Street #A. 541-344-4829. Full-city.com. How do you even choose the best coffee roaster in a town like Eugene, where there’s good coffee on almost every street…
CAHOOTS341 E. 12th Avenue. 541-342-8255. Whitebirdclinic.org/cahoots. White Bird 341 E. 12th Avenue. 541-342-8255. Whitebirdclinic.org. St. Vincent de Paul 555 High Street. 541-344-2115; 100 E. 11th Avenue. 541-868-0200. Svdp.us. You might call the police non-emergency number to get ahold of Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, but as CAHOOTS employee Brenton Gicker tells us, the…
Leah and Rena Dunbar Courageous Conversations Jason Tracy, Churchill High School Daniel Gallo, Sheldon High School Leah and Rena Dunbar share more than a last name. The two are identical twins, and, by the looks of their immaculate “Rate my Teachers” profiles, they are each beloved by their students — Leah Dunbar teaches language arts…
Brail’s 1689 Willamette Street. 541-343-1542. Brailseugene.com. Glenwood 1340 Alder Street. 541-687-0355. 2588 Willamette Street. 541-687-8201. Glenwoodrestaurants.com. Morning Glory Café 450 Willamette Street. 541-687-0709. Morninggloryeugene.com. I mean, is it any surprise that Brail’s wins Best Hangover Breakfast every single year? They literally have a “Hangover Special” on the menu (a half order of biscuits and gravy…
Cascade Raptor Center 32275 Fox Hollow Road. 541-485-1320. Cascaderaptorcenter.org. Greenhill Human Society 88530 Green Hill Road. 541-689-1503. Green-hill.org. S.A.R.A.’s Treasures 871 River Road. 541-607-8892. Sarastreasures.org. If you Google “things to do in Eugene,” you will see Cascades Raptor Center as a top-tier search result. For those of you who have not made the small trek…
Cornucopia 295 W. 17th Avenue. 541-485-2300; 207 E. 5th Avenue. 541-485-2676. Cornucopiaeugene.com. Glenwood 1340 Alder St. 541-687-0355; 2588 Willamette Street. 541-687-8201. Glenwoodrestaurants.com. Black Wolf Supper Club 454 Willamette Street. 541-687-8226.