Oregon daily emerald., March 08, 1983, Page 8, Image 8

Curbin’
the munchies
\
Cheap eats abound in Eugene
Some restaurant guides feature the best
food, damn the cost. Other guides tell you where
to find decent food at a decent price.
On the other hand, the following survey
won’t pretend to provide a unique and definative
insight on the quality of eating establishments in
this city. Instead, we’re going to tell you where
to get the cheapest food in Eugene — damn the
quality.
Toward that goal, we've set the purely ar
bitrary amount of $2.50 as the maximum cost of
meals. Because of the relatively low price range
used in selecting establishments, consumers
should in some cases be willing to accept a little
less flavor and a few more rodent hairs per gram
of vegetable matter. Again, the emphasis is on
quantity, not quality.
HICKERY FARMS of OHIO — 218
Valley River Center. It doesn’t cost anything to eat
a^ Hickery Farms, and the vittles, generally
crackers, smoked meat and cheeses, are high
quality stuff. Dress up In your best clothes and
cruise through the place like you’re actually going
to buy something. If the clerks are derelict in keep
ing the sample plates adequately stocked, don’t be
afraid to furrow your brow and insist that they slice
you off a chunk of that expensive sausage, just like
rich people do. It should be mentioned that at
some point the clerks will catch on to the fact that
you’re not going to buy anything and give you the
bums’ rush. Nothing is free.
LYON’S RESTAURANT — 1933
Franklin Blvd. Forget the restaurant and go straight
to the lounge, which offers frequently restocked
reserves of popcorn, tortilla chips and hot sauce to
anyone making a pretense at purchasing
beverages. Unfortunately, the price of a pitcher of
beer recently shot up to $3.75, but if you have a lit
tle self-control you can recoup your Investment In
net junk-food consumption. The service is above
average and the atmosphere is quiet, comfortable
and conducive to conversation, which is a good
thing since the picture on the blg-screen television
has metre capacity for distortion than a WiSTEC
laser show.
HARD TIMES LUNCHES — 1236
Kincaid St., next to University Bookstore. Hard
Times Lunches are sponsored by the Eugene Coun
cil for Human Rights in Latin America. The small
profits the organization realizes from the lunches
are sent to El Salvador and Guatemala to aid '
refugees. A typical lunch costs $1.50 and might
consist of a bowl of vegetable or beef soup, a bean
tortilla, a few slices of fruit and a glass of punch.
The food is simple, edible and filling. Meals are
served on Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30
a.m. to 2 p.m.
HARRYS ON THE CANAL — 3300
Centennial Boulevard. Monday through Friday hors
d’oeuvres are served from 5 to 7 p.m. in conjunc
tion with happy hour. A draft beer costs 75 cents
and a glass of house wine is $1. Clever low-budget
diners can nurse a single drink until they've had
their fill of the free stuff on the menu, which
changes every night. Monday is pizza night, Tues
day is taco night and Thursday is chili night.
Wednesday and Friday is the chef’s choice.'
EAST BROADWAY PIZZERIA —
652 E. Broadway. Like most pizza establishments,
East Broadway's normal prices are prohibitive to
the lower classes. But every Wednesday you can
purchase a small pizza with three ingredients and a
pitcher of beer or soft drink for $5.00. The package
will feed one pig or two normal people.
PADDOCK TAVERN —- 3355 E.
Amazon Dr. Tuesday night is hot dog night at “The
Pad," where the best low-budget 'dogs in town can
be had for 25 cents apiece. Count on waiting in
line, and a long time customer notes that reserves
of ketchup dwindle to dangerously low levels as
the evening progresses Pitchers of Rainier beer go
for $2 25 on Tuesdays and whenever there is an
event on the quality big screen, which attracts The
Pad's sports-oriented clientele.
BEER GARDEN —> South end of first
fioor, EMU. On the other hand, if you're into
marginal hot dogs, go to the Beer Garden in the
EMU, usually held on Fridays. Hot dogs sell for 25
cents, except on those rare occasions when the
law of supply and demands whittles the price down
to nothing. When that situation occurs, they
become an excellent bargain.
EMU FOUNTAIN COURT CAFE —
South end of first floor, EMU. Monday through Fri
day, the Fountain Court offers hot, four-course
meals with real meat for $1.75. Main entries are
reputed to be Salisbury Steak, German Sausage,
Italian Veai Steaks and Seafood Flatters. Despite
the worldly titles, the food often has that generic,
bland flavor geared to appeal to the lowest com
mon denominator. On the othe' hand, it is unlikely
that you will find a better-balanced meal in Eugene
for a lower price unless you're in the habit of dress
ing like a wino and begging for food outside
religious establishments. The Fountain Court also
has a variety of breakfasts available for less than
$2,00.
PEKING MANDARIN — Corner of
Hilyard Street and 13th Avenue. Like most Chinese
restaurants, the Peking Mandarin charges $5.00 and
up for full-course meals. But Monday through Fri
day, the restaurant offers luncheon specials for
$1.95. The meals consists of a main course, tea or
coffee and the obligatory fortune cookie. Main
courses change each day. Lunch is served from
11:30 a m. to 2 p.m.
UNIVERSITY DORMS — University
campus. Lunch and dinner at the dorms are too ex
pensive to be considered a real bargain, but for
$2.50, waik-ins can have all the breakfast they can
stomach. Most cafeterias begin serving breakfast
at 7 a.m. and stop at 10:30 a.m. That’s three and a
half hours of non-stop, mmm-mmm good eating.
KONA CAFE — 853 E. 13th Ave. Every
Saturday morning the Kona Cafe has a breakfast
special for $2.15, which includes two eggs, hash
browns and toast. On Wednesdays, from 5 to 8
p.m., it sponsors an all-you-can-eat "Beggar’s Ban
quet” for a varying price depending on the main en
tree. The Kona is known for the earthy intellectuals
that frequent the place, both in front of and behind
the counter.
Story by Sean Meyers
Photo by Bob Baker