McMenamin's

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  We have only been to this one location so our review is not as thorough as others. It is a great place to eat and drink while watching the river flow by. You can sit outside by the firepit or under the covered porch if it is raining. We went on a Saturday night and surprisingly the resturant was only half full. The server was very attentive and helpfull with suggestions. The food was good though a little overpriced. They have a good sized bar with bg screen TV's if you want to watch a game. We would go back.

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  Posted on 11.10.12 Mark H.

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  One of he few places in Eugene where you can eat and watch the river go by - which is astounding to me since there are 2 large rivers that come together here.  I can't understand why the city doesn't embrace the rivers more.
  
  Foods decent.  Ambiance is great.  They do have a special happy hour menu with good prices.  Food is good to decent, not great.  I do love the Cajun Tater Tots.

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  Posted on 10.17.12 Chris L.

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  I went here with my girlfriend for my birthday a while back.  Sadly, the beer I ordered was flat and warm.  I didn't have much to complain about my entree, however, my girlfriend said her ravioli was devoid of any kind of flavor.  Also, the garlic bread we ordered tasted like it had an entire shaker of salt poured over it.  I can at least say the service was decent.

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  Posted on 03.16.12 Greg H.

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  Much better than the McMenamin's on High Street, haven't been to 19th street café yet.
  The location on the river is superb, and the restaurant seems to be laid out well so that even if you're not dining on the patio you can still enjoy the view from many tables inside.
  Service was good, though it was a lazy summer weekday afternoon. Since it was a seat-yourself time of day, we accidentally ended up in the smoking section on the patio. A table next to us lit up, and the waitress was very amiable & understanding when we asked to move.
  The daily appetizer was figs wrapped in bacon with blue cheese. Sounded promising, and the figs were fresh...but the whole thing was rather poorly put together. The cheese was just crumbled on top, not stuffed inside, and the strips of bacon were way too large and fatty, and the whole thing fell apart and I ended up eating it in pieces with knife and fork.
  The halibut fish & chips I had, while not cheap, were quite excellent. Crispy, juicy, fresh. Fries were okay, but my friends and I split a giant bowl of tater tots, which were delicious.
  Overall, a nice pub lunch experience. But if I wanted a burger, I'd probably go to Rogue downtown.

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  Posted on 08.01.11 Derrick D.

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  Of all the McMenamin's I have been to this one is the best.  Friendliest service, best drinks, best food.  I have been here for hangover breakfast, retirement lunch, and dinner with friends.  Outdoor seating is not to be missed if the weather is permitting.  There is a wide selection of drinks available and the food is tasty and good portions for the money.

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  Posted on 06.26.10 Pani L.

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  Best excuse to take a walk along the river, ever! Located along the Williamette River, the North Bank is a great stop along the path.
  The outdoor seating is great on a nice day, but there isn't a lot of shade if that is an issue for you.
  Nice place to enjoy a microbrew and watch the people as they go by. Sure, you could run out on the path and join the exercise junkies..or you could order another drink. Waiter?!?!?
  There seems to be a lot of group parties going on here every time I go. There is often a wait for a table and we end up eating in the bar out of desperation and hunger.
  Still, for all the waiting, a cold beer in the sunshine is worth it.

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  Posted on 05.29.08 Amy P.

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  Good food and good brews understate the case for McMenamin's.  Matter of fact, the worst thing I can say about them is that parking on the 19th Avenue McMenamin's is hard to find and it's completely crowded for lunchtime.  That means it's a Popular Place To Eat folks and that's a Good Thing!
  
  As a person who travels with a friend to the Eugene-Springfield area on a monthly business supply run and then throw in 4+ decades of visiting the cities of the Willamette Valley, my perspective is that of the visitor who is hungry and shopping.  When someone makes me happy on the road, they make me very happy!  When they disappoint me, I'm hurtin' for certain as I'm a long ways away from home in Coos Bay.  
  
  Now onto the review!
  
  The menus are identical but the locations are as different as night and day.  McMenamin's is not a cookie cutout company that puts their businesses in the same kind of building.  They can show up in anything from a theater to a hotel to a big old house to a train station and who knows what other locations they have in mind for their wonderful transformations!  Once you see a place get the McMenamin's treatment, you'll marvel at how such good food can be served at such reasonable prices with good service to boot!  You'd swear you'd have to pay twice as much to eat at such unique and fine places.
  
  The 19th Avenue McMenamin's appears to have been a large house or apartment at one time.  Located close to UO, it's tough to drive to as so many pedestrians are on the narrow street (Agate) that leads from 99 to McMenamin's.  Be careful!  However for those who live in the UO area, this McMenamin's is as pedestrian-friendly as a location could get.  Perhaps another Yelper from Eugene or a McMenamin's fan can give a history of the building.
  
  The McMenamin's on 22 Club Road is more about the car than the pedestrian.  Called the North Bank McMenamin's, it sits on the north bank of the Willamette River.  Multiple interior rooms at various levels combine with an outdoor patio with a smoking section to offer any sort of setting one desires to eat their meal at, whether alone, with a friend or in a group.  If the weather is temperate to warm, I recommend eating on the outdoor patio as that really brings the river close to the dining, with an unparalleled ambience and beauty.  If you eat outdoors on the Oregon Coast, the winds and cool weather usually make oceanside or bayside dining tough but being in the Valley means you'll have more good days for outdoor dining.  Take advantage of them and the view when you go to the North Bank McMenamin's.
  
  The car-friendly/pedestrian hostile environment is due to the location,  which is off of Coburg Road, a main thoroughfare packed to the brim with businesses, plazas, auto dealers, complexes and such.  It's very urban needless to say as you approach it but once you figure out how to loop underneath the bridge, you find yourself transported to a world you would never suspect existed from the way things look on Coburg Road and the bridge.  Lush, green, shadowed, full of trees, modern low slung buildings of dark tones that blend into the scene instead of garishly contrasting with it make this place worth driving around to find.  Believe me, it's a tricky one to get to but you'll know you're there for sure as it stands out as an island of beauty in the urban jungle.
  
  The brews: We don't drink and drive.  Matter of fact I don't drink except on the rarest occasions since 1992 after many years of going up and down with alcohol.  However that does not mean I can't appreciate the huge variety of microbrews this company produces.  You want somethng special and you'd find yourself able to get plastered with class for the better part of the year if you got drunk every night.  If you just are enjoying a meal out and want a brew to go with the eats, you'll be able to finish off the beer list in about 20 years if you eat there once a month and by then there will be more brews to try.  If you find a particular brew to your taste, chances are good you can get a keg of it to take home with you and you'd better do it as you don't get McMenamin's carefully crafted beers and ales in the store.  Wines featuring the best of Oregon and Washington are also served for those who wish to indulge in their alcohol that way.
  
  My personal drink at McMenamin's is root beer, a root beer they make themselves.  Some McMenamin's serve it flatter and others with more fizz (I prefer flatter myself) but one thing they all have in common is serving it in HUGE glasses.  You also get refills.  You will not be disappointed in the taste if you are a root beer lover!  The sheer size of the glass will astound you and the flavor will make you drink it all up.
  
  Whatever you wish to drink at McMenamin's will be Good Stuff, so feel free to experiment as your appetite allows.
  
  I'd review the food but the box only allows 5000 characters, so I'll close by saying It's Grrreat!  Yelp, fix this limitation.

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  Posted on 09.15.07 R.A. P.

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