Horton Road Organics hortonorganics.com. You can catch me walking around Farmers Market eating Horton Road Organics’ “Original Salad Mix” like a bag of Kettle chips. No dressing. No nothing. I can’t put my finger on the perfection they’ve crafted so I had to reach out and ask. What makes this mix magic? Debra Seido Martin,…
Brails 1689 Willamette. 541-343-1542; 395 W. 5th Avenue, #2506, 541-342-2075. BrailsRestaurant.co. I’ve lived in Eugene for a little over a year, and I’d never heard of Brails before. Crazy, right? My editor mentioned that it’s a perennial winner in Eugene Weekly’s Best Of competition, so I decided I had to go and see what it…
The Blanchard Brothers POWProWrestling.com. When the Blanchard Brothers strut their way to the Eugene-based POW! Pro Wrestling ring, you know you’re in for a treat. Jeremy and Bubba Blanchard look and act the way I imagine pro wrestlers in the “territory” days were like, a time before WWE (then-World Wrestling Federation) took over the wrestling industry…
Pleasant Hill Feed and Farm Supply 84841 Edenvale Road, Pleasant Hill. Facebook.com/pleasanthillfeedandfarm. I am going to be honest, I don’t just get dog food at Pleasant Hill Feed. I also get my horse’s feed there. But I figure the average Eugene Weekly reader is more likely looking to buy dog or cat food than they…
TOP SCORE Record Show Facebook.com/TopScoreRecordShow. Since 2015, TOP SCORE Record Show has been providing a record show environment that was geared more to being fun, family-friendly and less competitive. The event quickly became bi-annual with a homebase at Level-Up Arcade. Co-Founders KI Design and André Sirois (aka DJ food stamp) explained that their “goal was…
The Friendly Garden 2758 Friendly Street. TheGardenonFriendly.com. Nestled in one of Eugene’s best neighborhoods, commonly known as the Friendly Area, The Friendly Garden is our 2022 Best of Eugene staff pick for Best Food Cart Pod. Located right on Friendly Street, directly across from the Friendly Market — in this part of town, friendliness can…
Lane 25 1166 State Hwy 99 N. 541-688-9904. EntertainmentEugene.com. If bowling brings to mind cheap hot dogs and watery beer, leave those notions behind at Lane 25, my staff pick for the best place for grownups to go bowling. Located in the Gilbert Center on Highway 99 in the same shopping complex as Strike City…
Art House 492 E. 13th Avenue, 541-686-3229. EugeneArtHouse.com. Art House is an iconic institution promoting independent cinema, art and expansive representation. My love for the Art House location began when it was Bijou Art Cinemas showing quirky film festivals, contemporary indie movies and cult classics. If you’ve been here long enough, you might remember Boo,…
A Beer Club 472 W. 7th Avenue. Ste 5. 541-636-3094. ABeerClub.com. Walking into A Beer Club, located at Washington and 7th, the first thing you’ll probably notice is the massive amount of empty beer cans and bottles decorating the walls. It’s a collection that owner George Keim is proud of. He’s drunk every single one,…
ColdFire Brewing Company 263 Mill St. 541-636-3889. ColdFireBrewing.com. A few weeks ago, while attempting to grab a few things from the farmers’ market, I realized that my toddlers have phased out of age where they attract the generous eye and smiles of strangers. These days I am accustomed to the silent but loud looks from…
The Blue Heron Bistro 100 Commercial Avenue, Coos Bay. BlueHeronBistro.com. Yes, it’s not exactly in Eugene or Springfield. But Coos Bay’s excellent Blue Heron Bistro can satisfy that sudden overpowering desire for wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten or even Hungarian goulash that always seems to come over me when I visit the coast on a blustery day.…
DR/UNK Instagram.com/dr_unkhc. Local band DR/UNK — whose name combines “drag” and “punk” — does exactly what their name describes. Granted, their music has leaned more into heavier genres over time, but the concept is still the same. Going to a DR/UNK concert is like going to a loud, energetic and heavy grindcore concert with the…
1. White Bird/CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets) 341 E. 12th Ave. 541-342-8255. WhiteBirdClinic.org. 2. St. Vincent de Paul 2890 Chad Dr. 541-687-5820. SVdP.us. 3. Eugene Mission 1542 W. 1st Ave. 541-344-3251. EugeneMission.org.
1. Frog Find on Facebook. 2. Mark Frohnmayer, Arcimoto, STAR Voting Arcimoto.com, StarVoting.org. 3. Terry McDonald, St. Vincent de Paul executive director SvDP.us. For the best visionary in Eugene, life is full of jokes. David Henry Miller, better known as Frog, has been selling his joke books on the street here since 1986. He is…
1. White Bird/CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets) 341 E. 12th Ave. 541-342-8255. WhiteBirdClinic.org. 2. St. Vincent de Paul 2890 Chad Dr. 541-687-5820. SVdP.us. 3. FOOD For Lane County 770 Bailey Hill Rd. 541-343-2822. FoodForLaneCounty.org.
1. Greenhill Humane Society 88530 Green Hill Rd. 541-689-1503. Green-hill.org. 2. Cascades Raptor Center 32275 Fox Hollow Rd. 541-485-1320. CascadesRaptorCenter.org. 3. Northwest Dog Project NorthWestDogProject.org.
1. Slutashia (Sam Thrower) Facebook.com/Slutashia 2. Karress Ann Slaughter (Cornel Hardiman) Facebook.com/GlamazonsEugene 3. Lyta Blunt (Deziree Brock) Facebook.com/Lytablunt/ In a post-pandemic lockdown Eugene drag scene where new performers are popping up left and right, Slutashia has maintained her status as one of the town’s most popular queens. This year’s Best of Eugene award marks Slutashia’s…
1. New Zone Gallery 110 E. 11th Ave. 541-683-0759. NewZoneGallery.org. 2. Karin Clarke Gallery 760 Willamette. 541-6847-7963. KarinClarkeGallery.com. 3. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art 1430 Johnson Ln. 541-346-3027. JSMA.UOregon.edu. As it approaches middle age — it was founded in 1983, meaning it’s about to turn 40 — Eugene’s feisty New Zone Gallery is getting not…
1. Chadhurst Sharpe ChadhurstJainlettSharpe.com. 2. Cai Emmons CaiEmmonsAuthor.com. 3. Jeff Geiger JCGeiger.com. Chadhurst Jainlett Sharpe has long held a passion for the written word. He vividly remembers walking into Barnes and Noble when he was 20, and discovering a treasure in the works of Neil Gaiman. “I was there for the whole rest of the…
1. Spoc-3P0 (Shawn DiFiore) Cowfish Dance Club. Find on Facebook. 2. DJ Supa J (Jon Smith) Find on Facebook. 3. DJ Smuve (Bobby Green Jr) Find on Facebook and Instagram. Entering Cowfish Dance Club in downtown Eugene is like entering a colorful club from the 1970s. A wavy wall of glittery tile shines down on…
Inga Wilson OCTheatre.org/staff. Russel Dyball Find on Twitter. Storm Kennedy StormKennedy.com. Inga Wilson, our readers’ choice this year for Best Actor/Actress in town, got her start on stage because she was born a redhead. “I did a whole lot of Annie stuff,” she says, starting as a kid growing up in Minnesota. “At my school,…
1. Suspish Facebook.com/SuspishBiz and Suspish Fish on Facebook.\ 2. Bayne Gardner BayneGardner.com. 3. Ila Rose IlaRoseArt.com. In a city filled with amazing murals and street art, Suspish’s work still manages to stand out. There’s something about those blue-ish fish that delights folks of all ages. Ever since Suspish painted one one of their signature graffiti…
1. Jen Jay Find on Facebook. 2. Seth Milstein Find on Facebook and Twitter. 3. Mike McGowan Find on Facebook and Twitter. After a few false starts in comedy in her teens and 20s, Jen Jay signed up for her first comedy open mic at Luckey’s in downtown Eugene. (That mic still happens each Tuesday).…
1. Cuthbert Amphitheater 2300 Leo Harris Pkwy. 541-762-8099. TheCuthbert.com. 2. WOW Hall 291 W. 8th Ave. 541-687-2746. WowHall.org. 3. Hult Center for the Performing Arts 1 Eugene Ctr. 541-682-5000. HultCenter.org.
1. Nelson’s in the Whit and Nelson’s Taqueria 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404; NelsonsInTheWhit.com; Nelsons-Taqueria.Business.Site. 2. Tacovore 530 Blair Blvd. 541-735-3518. TacovorePNW.com. 3. El Buen Sabor 650 Blair Blvd. 541-653-2517. ElBuenSabor.us. Nelson Lopez’s two restaurants wear many Best Of crowns this year: Best Latin American Food, Best Takeout, Best Server, Best Food Cart, Best New Restaurant.…
1. Sweet Life 755 Monroe St., 1609 E. 19th Ave. 541-683-5676. SweetLifeDesserts.com. 2. Hideaway Bakery 3377 E. Amazon Dr. 541-868-1982. HideawayBakery.com. 3. Noisette Pastry Kitchen 200 W. Broadway, 541-654-5257. NoisettePK.com.
1. Cornucopia 295 W. 17th Ave., 541-485-2300; 207 E. 5th Ave., Ste. 109, 541-485-2676; 521 Main St., Springfield, 541-485-2879. CornucopiaEugene.com. 2. Killer Burger 50 W. Broadway, 541-636-4731. KillerBurger.com 3. NW Burger 5th Street Market 296 E. 5th Ave., #220; Public House 418 A St #4606, Springfield. 541-485-9176. NwBurgers.com.
1. Prince Pückler’s 1605 E. 19th Ave. 541-344-4418. Princepucklers.com. 2. Salt & Straw 139 Oakway Rd. B. 541-521-7708. SaltandStraw.com. 3. Handel’s Ice Cream 550 Pearl St. unit 110. 541-735-3150. HandelsIceCream.com.
1. Rackhouse BBQ 207 Madison St. 541-285-0518. TheRackHouseBBQ.com. 2. Paper Plate BBQ 263 Mill St. 541-606-2130. PaperPlateBBQ.com. 3. Hole in the Wall 3200 W. 11th Ave. 541-683-7378; 1807 Olympic St., Springfield. 541-726-1200. HoleintheWallBBQ.com. The Pacific Northwest isn’t the best place to barbecue year-round. I mean, who wants to hang around a grill drinking PBR when…
1. Kung Fu Bistro 2560 Willamette. 541-968-9258. Facebook.com/KungFuBistroEugene. 2. Izakaya Meiji Co. 345 Van Buren St. 541-505-8804. IzakayaMeiji.com. 3. Akira 359 Mill St. 458-205-8288. AkiraEugene.com.
Nelson’s in the Whit 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404. NelsonsInTheWhit.com. Carlita’s Rooftop 550 Oak St. 541-632-6867. CarlitasTTW.com Tavern on Main 338 Main St., Springfield. 458-201-7936. TavernOnMainSpfd.com.
Thinking Tree Spirits 88 Jackson St. 541-515-6993. ThinkingTreeSpirits.com. Heritage Distilling Company 110 Madison St. 541-357-4431. HeritageDistilling.com. Swallowtail Spirits 111 Main St., Springfield. 541-357-5951. SwallowTailSpirits.com.
1. Spectrum Queer Bar 150 W. Broadway. 541-225-4896. SpectrumEugene.com. 2. Monkey’s Paw Tiki Bar 420 Main St., Springfield. 541-505-7975. Find on Facebook and Instagram. 3. Cowfish Dance Club and Café 62 W. Broadway. 541-683-6319. Find on Facebook and Instagram. Spectrum Queer Bar is more than a bar. It’s a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community…
1. Nelson’s in the Whit and Nelson’s Taqueria 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404; NelsonsInTheWhit.com; Nelsons-Taqueria.Business.Site. 2. Krob Krua 254 Lincoln St. 541-636-6267. KrobKrua.com. 3. Ta Ra Rin Thai Cuisine 1200 Oak St. 541-343-1230; 1410 Mohawk Blvd., Springfield. 541- 505-8987; 1520 Coburg Rd. 541-844-1032 TaRaRinThai.com.
1. Thor Slaughter (Akira) 359 Mill St. 458-205-8288. AkiraEugene.com. 2. Steve Salazar (barTini bistro) 1203 Willamette, ste. 130. 541-359-1235. Facebook.com/bartinibistro/. 3. Abby Young (Nelson’s in the Whit) 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404; NelsonsInTheWhit.com. It’s a packed night at Akira, one of Eugene’s hottest restaurants and cocktail lounges. Finding a tiny nook in the upstairs lounge, my…
1. Oakshire 207 Madison St. 541-654-5520. OakBrew.com. 2. Ninkasi 272 Van Buren St. 541-344-2739. NinkasiBrewing.com. 3. ColdFire Brewing 263 Mill St. 541-636-3889. ColdFireBrewing.com.
1. Abby Young (Nelson’s in the Whit) 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404; NelsonsInTheWhit.com. 2. Dove Greenwood (Cheese Bliss) 110 Madison St. 541-246-5220. YourCheeseBliss.com. 3. Heather Ensign (Ninkasi Better Living Room) 155 Blair Blvd. 541-735-9500.
Cornucopia 295 W. 17th Ave., 541-485-2300; 207 E. 5th Ave., Ste. 109, 541-485-2676; 521 Main St., Springfield, 541-485-2879. CornucopiaEugene.com. Little Big Burger 1404 Orchard St. 541-357-4771. LittleBigBurger.com. Killer Burger 50 W. Broadway, 541-636-4731. KillerBurger.com.
1. Nelson’s Taqueria 394 Blair Blvd. 541-844-8404. Nelsons-Taqueria.Business.Site. 2. Da Nang Vietnamese Eatery 488 Lincoln St. 541-915-0144. Facebook.com/danangeatery. 3. Yardy Eugene 263 Mill St. YardyEugene.com.
House of Records 258 E. 13th Ave. 541-342-7975. HouseOfRecordsEugene.com. Moon Rock Records 443 W. 11th Ave. 458-201-8901. Find on Facebook and Instagram. Epic Seconds 30 E. 11th Ave. 541-302-3045. Find on Facebook and Instagram. Among the businesses along 13th Avenue, you will find the small house-turned-business called House of Records. The house feels cozier and…
1. Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life 556 Charnelton St. 541-344-4105. 2480 Alder St. 541-342-6155. Bicycleway.com. 2. Hutch’s Bicycles 960 Charnelton St. 541-345-7521; 2100 Main St., Springfield. 541-741-2453. Hutchsbicycles.com. 3. Klink Cycles 909 River Rd. 541-221-9961. KlinkCycles.net.
St. Vincent de Paul Find addresses for 12 Oregon locations at SVdP.us. Clothes Horse 295 E. 5th Ave. 541-345-5099. TheClothesHorseEugene.com. Buffalo Exchange 131 E. 5th Ave. 541-687-2805. BuffaloExchange.com.
1. Down to Earth 532 Olive St. 541-342-6820. DownToEarthEugene.com. 2. Gray’s Garden Center 4489 Main St., Springfield, 541-357-5431; 737 W. 6th Ave., 541-345-1569. GraysGarden.com. 3. Jerry’s Home Improvement 2600 Hwy. 99 N, 541-689-1911; 2525 Olympic St., Springfield, 541-736-7000. BetterHeadForJerrys.com.
1. American Traditional Barbershop 390 W. 12th Ave. 541-915-9613. Facebook.com/AmericanTraditionalBarbershop. 2. Tim’s Trims Barbershop 27 W. 5th Ave. 541-515-6936. TimsTrimsBarbershop.com. 3. Analog Barbershop 860 Olive St. 541-510-5668. AnalogBarbershop.com.
1. Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette. 541-345-8986. TsunamiBooks.org. 2. Smith Family 525 Willamette. 541-343-4717. SmithFamilyBookstore.com. 3. Books With Pictures 99 W. Broadway, C. 541-485-1048. BooksWithPictures.com. Whenever I have family in town, one of the first things we do is hit up all the bookstores in town. OK, that sounds boring, but books are serious business in…
1. Cassie Shammel (Northwest Tattoo) 142 E. 13th Ave. 541-393-6570. NWTattoo.com. 2. Damien Thompson (Parlor Tattoo) 1097 Willamette. 541-345-6465. TheParlorTattoo.com. 3. Etzel Leguizamon (Tattoo OM) 1695 Willamette. 541-654-8106. Tattoo-OM.com. Cassie Shammel didn’t always want to be a tattoo artist. As a biology major at the University of Oregon, she thought she wanted to be a…
1. Jared Hill (Area 51 Piercing) 505 Willamette, ste. 100. 541-393-6572. Area51Piercing.com. 2. Kenny Plimpton (High priestess Downtown) 210 west 6th. 541-393-6572. BestStudioEver.com. 3. Samantha Houston (High Priestess Piercing & Tattoo) 525 E. 13th Ave. 541-343-3311; 210 W. 6th Ave. 541-342-6585. BestStudioEver.com. When it comes to piercing, Jared Hill, owner of Area 51 Piercing and…
1. Best Massage Therapy, Synergy Therapeutics 1245 Charnelton St., # 7. 541-505-0232. SynergyLMT.com. 2. Best Local Chef, Andrew Hroza executive chef at Ninkasi Better Living Room. Find on Instagram @chefandrewhroza. 3. Best Burlesque, Siren Society Facebook.com/TheSirenSocietyBurlesque.
1. Kiva Grocery Store 125 W. 11th Ave. 541-342-8666. KivaGrocery.com. 2. Capella Market 2489 Willamette. 541-345-1014. CapellaMarket.com. 3. Market of Choice MarketofChoice.com. Everybody had their pandemic comfort during the height of COVID-19. Mine was The Kiva Grocery. Not only did it feel safe to shop there, thanks to Kiva’s careful protocols, but the little grocery…