Oregon daily emerald., January 11, 1985, THE Friday EDITION, Image 9

Oregon daily emeraia
—
arxs & entertainmeni
—
....■■■■■.. ..
...
January 11, 1985
Quackers Cafe
like goin’ home
The breakfast experience at
Quackers Cafe near campus is
a lot like taking a trip back to
Grandmother’s kitchen.
The cafe’s windows are
decorated with cheery curtains
bordered in blue and white
gingham, and there is a dif
ferent picture on every wall.
Toward the back is a nook that
houses self-serve coffee, tea,
ketchup, telly and so on, as
well as rack of well-read
papers and magazines.
Story by Julie Shipped
Photos by Brian Erb
From the cozy tables tucked
into each comer, to the heap
ing plates of good, “honest”
cooking dished up, the at
mosphere this home-style
restaurant exudes is, in every
way, the sensory delight of
Grandma’s.
The only difference here is
that "Grandma” wears a
mustache, sports a button
down cap and goes by the
name of “Bob” — Bob Hager,
that is.
Hager started the small
business, a little more than a
year ago, he says, under the
theory that a cafe that is com
fortable, reasonably priced and
health-conscious would be suc
cessful in attracting the local
folk.
So far his theory seems to be
paying off, as Hager claims he
now has more than 300 regular
customers, many of whom are|
happy to wait if all of the five
tables are occupied — and they
usually are.
“I go there a lot because it’s
comfortable, inexpensive and
you get huge portions of
food,” says Bob Webb, a
regular at Quackers. “Bob
(Hager) creates a very relaxed
atmosphere. Even in the rush
times, there’s never a feeling
of pressure there.”
The most popular item on
Quackers’ menu is undoubted
ly the “Morning Breakfast
Special,” an almost overflow
ing plate of eggs, toast,
“home-fries” and fruit for the
mere sum of $1.25. Add to that
a “never empty” cup of coffee
for 30 cents, and you’ve got a
bargain that Hager serves all
day.
* *1 know a lot of people who
are looking for a good deal
come here,” he admits. “A lot
of them say they couldn’t eat if
it wasn’t for Quackers.”
Hager estimates between 60
and 70 percent of his
customers are students and the
remaining number are local
business people. Although he
appears somewhat shy at first,
Hager says it is his priority to
get to know his customers and
make them feel welcome.
“It seems like we have a
mixture of about every kind of
person coming in. Most of
them are very friendly — just
like family,” he says. “We can
usually break the ice around
here.”
Continued on Page 4B
More places to hide
A roommate is practically an inevitable element of stu
dent life — sort of like Top Ramen and textbooks. Roommates
are great; I have two and I think they’re both pretty ter
rific... most of the time.
Of course, there are those hours when I just need to get
away from THOSE TWO, just as they, I’m sure, need to get
away from me. A great neighborhood place to meet a non
roommate friend and do some of this healthy getting-away is
Arnold’s Hideaway, next to the Hair Loft at 1461V2 East 19th
Ave.
The Hideaway is run by the same folks that own Arnold’s
Sandwich Shop just around the corner. It’s decorated in a
comfortable, though definitely not chic, manner (great for
conversation) and has outdoor tables for warmer evenings.
The specials are great: on Mondays the second pitcher of
beer ordered is half-priced; on Tuesday free pretzels are
within hand’s reach; on Wednesday a small order of nachos
is free with a pitcher; on Thursday there are 25 cent hot dogs;
and on Friday bottled beer is marked down 20 percent. Satur
day’s special is half-priced draft beer from 6-8 p.m., with
half-priced house wine from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Arnold’s Hideaway is open from 4-11 p.m. daily, except
on Fridays and Saturdays when it stays open until midnight.
Kim Carlson
Back in the dorm days I sometimes ventured to Sambo’s
out on Franklin Boulevard to drink coffee and read Dickens or
someone (and to give my roommate a break). Now Sambo’s is
gone, but there is another good hideaway in the same
neighborhood: On the northeast end of campus in the
McKay’s Market area is an inconspicuous eatery, formally
known as The Butcher Block Delicatessen and Sandwich
Shoppe.
Since opening up a few years ago, the Butcher Block has
catered to the local dorm population — mostly because of its
proximity to campus. Also students can take advantage of the
deli’s featured campus-area delivery for orders totaling $3 or
more.
The deli’s “Hide-A-Way Dining Room” is a suitable
place to study (nothing heavy, of course) or to simply do
nothing. With its roomy “hanging basket decor,” the Butcher
Block provides unobtrusive surroundings along with a
relatively comprehensive and reasonably priced deli faire;
most of the sandwiches are priced between $2 and $4 and are
made with a choice of four cheeses, lettuce, tomato, mustard
and mayonnaise to the customer’s request.
The Butcher Block is open from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Monday through Saturday, and from noon until 1 a.m. on
Continued on Page 5B