Best Cocktails
1. Izakaya Meiji 345 Van Buren St. 531-505-8804.
izakayameiji.com.
2. Rye 444 E. 3rd Ave. 541-653-8509. ryeon3rd.com.
3. The Vintage 837 Lincoln St. 541-349-9181.
thevintageeugene.com.
Best Barbecue
1. Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen 400 Blair Blvd. 541-
342-7500. papassoulfoodkitchen.com.
2. Bill & Tim’s Barbeque 201 E. 13th Ave. 541-654-
0578. westrauntconcepts.com.
3. Hole in the Wall 200 W. 11th Ave. 541-683-
7378; 1807 Olympic St., Spfd. 541-726-1200.
holeinthewallbbq.com.
Meiji has seasonal cocktails with anything from rum to
gin, but let’s face it: Some of us are in it for the whiskey.
And Izakaya Meiji does whiskey (and whisky) right.
For those of you new to the spirit, a mint julep adds just
enough sweetness to soften the bite. For those of us whose
palates yearn for whiskey’s oaky warmth, you can order
your drink neat or go with my favorite, a whiskey ginger.
— Camilla Mortensen
Best Comfort Food
1. Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen 400 Blair Blvd. 541-
342-7500. papassoulfoodkitchen.com.
2. Cornbread Cafe 1290 W. 7th Ave. 541-505-9175.
cornbreadcafe.com.
3. Cornucopia 295 W. 17th Ave. 541-485-2300; 207
E. 5th Ave. 541-485-2300. cornucopiaeugene.com.
Best Grub Under $8
1. Café Yumm Eugene: 730 E. Broadway. 541-
344-9866; 1801 Willamette St. 541- 686-9866; 130
Oakway Center. 541-465-9866; 1005 Green Acres
Rd. 541-684-9866. Springfield: 3340 Gateway St.,
541-747-9866. Corvallis: 2001 N.W. Monroe Ave.
cafeyumm.com.
2. El Super Burrito 2566 Willamette St. 541-485-
0619. elsupereugene.com.
3. Burrito Boy 510 E. Broadway. 541-344-8070.
burritoboy.com.
For less than eight bucks, it doesn’t get any better
for Eugene residents than eating a quick meal at one
of myriad Café Yumm locations. Café Yumm offers
a number of healthy bowls, wraps, bentos (Japanese-
style lunch boxes usually served with rice and
vegetables), sandwiches, soups and salads.
Café Yumm caters not only to the price-conscious
diner but to the health-minded as well, mixing in
avocados, organic beans, salsa and greens with
chicken, tempeh or tofu. Let’s be real here, though:
Café Yumm’s primary draw is its Yumm sauce, an
addicting mix of garbanzo and soy beans, lemon juice,
garlic and basil — sort of a creamy, tangy hummus
that true disciples can buy in separate bottles to bring
home. Café Yumm’s Yumm bowls and Yumm sauce
have been local favorites since 1993, and judging by
the many Yelp adherents, crowded restaurants and EW
staff who have addictions to it, it isn’t going to slow
down anytime soon. — Matthew Denis
Best
Resta ura nt
1. Izakaya Meiji 345 Van Buren St. 541-
505-8804. izakayameiji.com.
2. Marché Restaurant 296 East 5th
Ave. 541-342-3612. marcherestaurant.
com.
3. Mame 541 Blair Blvd. 541-654-4378.
See best cocktails.
photo: Trask Bedortha
Best Meal Over $25
1. Marché Restaurant 296 E. 5th Ave. 541-342-
3612. marcherestaurant.com.
2. Mame 541 Blair Blvd. 541-654-4378.
3. Cafe Soriah 384 W. 13th Ave. 541-342-4410.
cafesoriah.com.
Best Taco
1. Tacovore 530 Blair Blvd. 541-735-3518.
tacovorepnw.com.
2. Belly Taqueria (now closed)
3. Burrito Boy Eugene: 510 E. Broadway; 2511 W.
11th Ave.; 1060 River Rd.; 30 W. 10th Ave.; 1840
Chambers St. Spfd.: 1889 Olympic St. burritoboy.com.
Call them Pacific Northwest tacos. If you are
looking for a “real” Mexican taco, then Tacovore’s
Tex-Mex with a PNW spin may not be for you.
That’s fine, taco purists, because there’s more for
us. Even the plainest-sounding taco on the menu,
the $3 bean and cheese, makes your taste buds sing,
featuring coconut-braised organic Oregon black
beans with queso Oaxaca, pickled onion and cilantro.
And Tacovore earned our respect when it shut its
doors on the national Day Without Immigrants this
past February, calling attention to the importance
of immigrants in our community — and in making
Tacovore’s handmade tortillas. — Camilla Mortensen
PHOTo: Athena Delene
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