NOT NICE OWNER! We went here with a coupon for lunch and it was really quite sad how dead it was and how rude the owner who served us was. Maybe she's sad because she knows her days are limited? Maybe it's because she lost her former cooks who actually made real, good thai food? Maybe it's because of something personal? I don't know and won't be back to find out! The tempura we got was ok, but the pad thai was some of the worst I've ever had just drenched in lime juice with no other real flavors. I have a lot of compassion for pad thai, I really do, but this was just NOT good at all and her service was appalling! I know from past trips she's the owner and did try to cut her some slack as her restaurant is dying, but she was just so rude to us the whole time, never asked how we were, never brought more water, nothing. when I went to pay and she saw I had a coupon she got the nastiest smirk on her face and said, " you know this does not include gratuity". UMMMMM, yeah I think I know how to tip but you don't deserve one! I am that customer who left you 2 dollars on a 20 dollar tab...because you were a nasty, judgmental, rude ass! I always tip at least 15 percent, but you are lucky you got anything at all from me and we are not at all surprised that you are going under lady! But good luck with that!
Review Source:Consider what others have said: Expensive, average taste, commonly a deal on Groupon, and that's about all you need to know. The groupon aspect demonstrates that they're not BAD food (but just not really that great) and are mass marketed, but it also portrays that they've upped their prices to try to compensate against their marketing/sales.
There are better Thai options in Eugene (supposed it used to be better), and there are definitely CHEAPER ones, but if you've got a groupon, I suppose it might just be worth it. Otherwise, for roughly $20/person or plate, and expensive (not great either) drinks, it just isn't worth it.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Â Once the pinnacle of thai food in the greater Eugene area, they've apparently decided to morph into an overpriced, underwhelming experience that has befallen so many restaurants that either rest on their laurels instead of continuing to innovate and stay ahead of the food curve.
Admittedly, I found the service to be without flaw, but when you charge $14+ for a noodle dish or $16-20 for curry/stir-fry, it better be a generous helping of the best damn thai food you've ever had with the freshest, local, organic ingredients....or you've been had.
Honestly, the dishes tasted ok (the "seafood storm" was disappointing with only a couple prawns and clams in the whole dish), and the portions were decent, and if they were priced similar to other thai places it would be acceptable (I'm thinking a good curry/noodle/stir-fry dish of equal size/portion is usually no more than $8-12)...but yeah, I noticed nothing that justified the increased price. Â :-/
Make it a bit cheaper or bump up the quality and it'll be a solid 3, maybe even 4 stars, but not yet.
So sadly disappointed. I used to eat here when it was the best Thai food in town. I can only guess that there are new owners and they really don't care.
Everything about it has changed. Rather than making a special trip when I am in town, I will find a new favorite.
And as for our server, sorry no one at the table could give you a specific reason the Phad Thai tasted horrible. It just DID. And no its not illegal for you to taste it!!!! Hahaha! Gave us a good laugh though!!!! Just a little clue, you probably should have offered a replacement dish. Customer service 101.
Won't come back again.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Â All I could think during the meal was "****, I miss the old Mekala's in 5th public market where the chefs cooked with heart and the owners gave a rats @$$."
My friend asked me if I tasted the ginger in the Jungle Beef and my response was "What ginger?!?"
The chicken dish we had was beyond over cooked and flavorless to boot.
The spring rolls are lacking and all the good stuff that used to be inside is now a garnish on the plate. Â *face palm*
The old menu had a tapas style section on little plates and then larger dishes for curries, etc. Â Now the menu is tiny by comparison and the portions are gargantuan, but more does not equal better or even the same quality as before.
This just reinforces the fact that title of the best Thai food in town now belongs to a lady in a yellow cart on HWY 99. Â She has everything Mekala's is lacking, heart and flavor.
If you require further data to inform you that Mekala's is both crappy and overpriced, consider this:
Mekala's is the only established restaurant in the EUG/SPFLD area that regularly offers itself on Groupon. Â By regularly, I mean consistently and constantly. Â Mekala's might even be in a perpetual state of Groupon.
Open for years and years and still needing to get people in the door? Â Willing to take cents on the dollar to do so? Â Hmmmm...
My advice: Â don't eat at Mekala's but, if you are going to anyway, you might as well save a few bucks and get the Groupon deal.
Food was pretty decent, though a bit over priced for the quality. Â It certainly wasn't anything that I couldn't get at one of the competing Thai restaurants around town. Â
Definite room for improvement on the service. Â Waitress was attentive... when we actually saw her. Â Though, after waiting close to a half an hour for our bill (including getting up TWICE to track down someone who could help us), I can't say that I was overly impressed. Â When our waitress DID finally bring the bill, her response was, "I totally forgot you were here! Â Sorry!" Â Obviously... Â
Overall, nothing spectacular that would drive my business back, with exception to the proximity to Matt Knight Arena. Â I certainly remember a far greater experience 10 years ago. Â I wouldn't hold my breath on this patron returning any time soon.
The last time I went to Mekala's, before tonight, was probably 5 or 6 years ago. I seem to remember it being a very nice restaurant with great food. So when a LivingSocial deal appeared for Mekala's, I picked it up right away. This despite the fact that we tend to get Thai food as take-out/delivery, not dine-in (take out wasn't allowed with the coupon). Fast forward a year to tonight, when we finally decide to use our coupon before it expires.
Mekala's seemed reasonably busy for 5.30pm on a Friday, though it's hard for me to judge. Had I not uncharacteristically gotten up at 7am instead of 11am, I would've never seen the inside of a restaurant at such an early dinner time. We went in and stood in the entrance for a couple of minutes, unacknowledged, before decided to hop down to the Underground Lounge instead, where the waitress promptly sat us.
We ordered cocktails (I got something sweet, forget what it was called, fruity) and then put in an order for a Panang curry and a red mango curry with prawns. We also got some curried potato spring rolls for an appetizer. They came out pretty quickly and were excellent: hearty, spicy like samosas, and crispy on the outside. I can definitely recommend them. The other curries took a while, and when they finally arrived, it suddenly occurred to me that the waitress hadn't asked us anything about the spice level. Now, I don't mind fairly spicy food, but generally prefer to order mild foods because they're more flavorful to me. My curry ended up being fairly spicy (3/5?) which was okay, but the flavors really lacked complexity, which is surprising for something like a curry. The mango in the curry was way overcooked and disintegrated when my fork touched it. Should've been added afterwards, not cooked with the dish. And for $19.95, I received only four small, overcooked prawns. (grossly mischaracterized on the menu as JUMBO prawns). That is really not NEARLY enough protein for $20. My husband's Panang curry was fine but unremarkable.
Now while the food was underwhelming and seriously overpriced compared to Eugene's better Thai restaurants, I may have rated it two or three stars if not for the restaurant itself. The lounge was incredibly depressing. I sat on a large, hard bench that was sufficiently wide that I couldn't comfortably lean my back against the wall without really slouching. Furthermore, the bench was very cold, as was our stone table, I spent the first fifteen minutes waiting for my behind to heat the bench, and not touching the stone tabletop. I should add that I'm ALWAYS the person complaining that it's too warm everywhere, so when I say it was cold, it was really cold.
The atmosphere was bad too. Aside from the two loud women with superhuman squeeling power, and a bar lined with retirees, there was something else bugging me. It took me a while to put my finger on what was so weird/uncomfortable about the lounge, only to finally realize that there was no music playing whatsoever, which is very strange in an underground bar...
The only really good thing I could say was that the waitress was very friendly. She was overworked though, dealing with all the people at the bar, so at times it took a while to get her attention. Definitely not her fault however.
Total bill for uncomfortable, unsatisfying experience? $85 (including 15% tip) Even with a LivingSocial coupon that was too much for what we got. So farewell, Mekala's, our ways part here.
PS: I'm grossed out even mentioning this, but I swear to god the bottom bit of my cocktail tasted like armpit sweat. I wanted to vomit, but managed to restrain myself by repeating over and over in my head that it couldn't possibly actually be armpit sweat, especially since the rest of the cocktail was fine, if totally bland and lacking in acidity. Needless to say I did not order a second cocktail.
I echo all the comments that say how much Mekala's has declined in recent years. Â The menu was minimal and poorly written, the quality of the ingredients was poor, and the service was terrible. It sure was expensive, though. Â It used to be a great restaurant, but this is an embarrassment. Never again.
Review Source:Went for lunch today and boy has it changed! Â This used to be one of my favorite Thai restaurants in town but not any longer. Â Per our waitress they changed owners (and menus) about 3 years ago. Â Food was bland and the lunch menu was very vague in description - and not very much choice. Â Also - the prices for the non-lunch special entrees was super high $15-20! Wow.... Â Anyway - won't go there again....
Review Source:Thai food has become our favorite over the past 3 years and we have tried many of the Thai restaurants in Eugene and Springfield. I bought a Groupon for this restaurant and thought we would give it a try. There was nothing to distinguish the food here. It was simply OK and not something that you walk away from remembering how good it was. I feel the menu prices are higher than a couple of our other favorites. For two including tip, we paid around $5-$10 more than we usually pay elsewhere for much the same food items.
It is across the street from Mathew Knight Arena and parking is impossible during Knight arena events. We were there on a Duck basketball game and circled the small parking lot twice and were about ready to leave before someone came out and left a space open. The restaurant was nearly empty but their parking lot was packed.
It's been a while since I have dined here and things have changed for the worse. Â New menu? Â Yup and higher prices too. Â $4 for tea? Â Gee whiz, no wonder the Tea Party is so ticked...LOL! Â Meats are overcooked so they are tough to chew and it's not that plentiful in portion size in any case. Â What was the best place in the Euge is now just overpriced Oriental slop. Â Get your bad food far cheaper at an all you can eat buffet or go eat at PF Chang's for the same price and get better food!
Review Source:Visited Mekala's today with an employee and a customer and thoroughly enjoyed the lunch.  We ordered the Cashew Gai,  Stir Fried Veg w/chicken and the Chicken Panang Curry and overall, good times.  Food was excellent for all  of us with me especially enjoying the Panang Curry.  What a great combination of spice, heat, and sweet/creaminess with peppers and chicken.  If I could've licked the plate without creating a scene, I might have.  Good Eats Fo-Sure!
Review Source:I was in Eugene visiting friends and had an unbearable craving for Thai food. Â We decided to check out Mekalas and wow! Â I've eaten at Thai restaurants all over the country and this place, by far, had the best service I have experienced yet! Â Our waitress was extremely friendly and helpful. Â She not only allowed to nearly custom design my plate, but offered suggestions! Â I love my curries ultra spicy, and was sooo pleased with my dish! Â Next time I am in town, I will be sure to come back! Â What a great experience!
Review Source:I love Thai food and have had the pleasure of living in some Thai food hotspots in the US. Mekala's is ok but doesn't compare to what you can get in NY, DC, or even Cary, NC (where I live now). The overall atmosphere is nice, service was ok (although I've only been late at night) and the food is decent but not remarkable. I've had two or three of their curries and I wouldn't rank any as great. The coconut ice cream is nice on a hot summer day though.
Review Source:Siam Jungle Platter ($11.95) appetizer
Panang curry was good. Heat just right.
Sticky rice over cooked.
Reasonable helpings, but barely enough to split with my wife.
Clean atmosphere . Moderately busy on Fri evening 7-8pm.
Server friendly but rushed. Gave us wrong order (chicken, nit tofu).
Dishes $12-18
Drinks $2
My husband and I had high hopes for this place, needless to say it ranks up there with one of the worse meal  EVER.  I ordered the tofu salad..BIG mistake, the tofu were crispy little fried cubes, totally inedible and defeats the whole purpose of ordering tofu! Secondly, this is not a hungry man friendly place or for that matter, anybody with an appetite at all.  My husband ordered the tiger prawns...what came to our table was a SORRY excuse for prawns, more like little shrimp.  A measly six little shrimp lined the edge of the plate. poor guy, I saw the intense hunger in my husband's eyes and he wolfed down my fried tofu in desperation. As I write, he is scrounging the kitchen making up another meal.
On top of this, the waitress sighed, huffed, and rolled her eyes at every request, until it was time to pay the bill, of course.
Don't go, really...
The food here is dreadful. Â Truly dreadful. Â I'm not sure what sort of fusion attempt is being made in the kitchen, but it falls somewhere in the neighborhood of 'Take Foods Native to Asia and Make Something Not Asian Out of Them'. Â
We ordered Pad See Ew with pork. What came out were overcooked soba noodles, pan fried into husks of what used to be soba noodles, with a rancidly sweet, slug-like glaze slathered upon them.  The pork?  Like bits of rubber.  I tried two bites.  One because I was hungry, two because I needed confirmation that I really was about to pay for the  worst noodles I've ever eaten.
We also ordered the Panang Curry with Beef. Â I'm not sure who is at the helm of the Curry Ship here, but turmeric, coconut milk, and 3 lbs of sugar do not a Panang make. Â Also sickeningly sweet, this dish tasted nothing like curry.
It's worth mentioning that the satay appetizer was fine. Â Not great, not awful. Â But palatable.
The lone star is for the good natured server who had to pretend she wasn't serving us Dreck-On-A-Plate and did so convincingly.
This is very fake Thai food, that's about it. Somebody is very nicely serving a con to the local folks, earning quite a bit of money. But the king has no clothes. Â
I've been through Eugene while on vacation and had to eat somewhere. Being very familiar with Thai food since California has plenty of it.
"Jasmine" tea had no hint of Jasmine (couldn't they buy real Jasmine tea, it's not really expensive?). "Thai salad" was precut chunks of raw veggies somewhere from Costco, served with a salad dressing, not anywhere Thai. "Tom Yum soup" was mostly slices of mushrooms abundantly mixed with lemon juice. Why should they bother to put *lemon grass* if "lemon" starts from the same word? I have good stomach, and I just felt acid poured into me, but somebody else could've got heart burn. The third dish was a bit better, may be because it was Burmese, not Thai. It was another serving of Costco vegetables, but the rice had real curry in it, not some red pepper powder, and meat was actually meat, although too dry. Overall, the bill was higher that any good authentic Thai restaurant in California. What a con! I noticed that many people in the restaurant were drinking alcohol quite a bit, probably helps.
If a Thai restaurant doesn't have any Thai person seen around, like this place, it's unlikely to be authentic. Once I visited a Thai restaurant run by Mexicans. It wasn't good, but at least they were trying to put ingredients together by some recipes.
I had the peanut sauce curry. I get the sense that it was authentic, and that fans of authentic Thai would love it, but I didn't enjoy it terribly much. The vegetables were piled high and a bit unwieldy. The sauce tasted nice but wasn't so good that I'll dream about it. I went with a friend to use up a GroupOn, and we agreed that the food was acceptable but not exhilarating.
To their credit, I'll say the place looks very nice, and that the waitstaff are courteous and attentive. There's a lot to like about Mekala. The food just doesn't strike my fancy that much.
So, I've been here several times. Â The first couple times I was here and had some of their appetizers like the spring rolls, chicken skewers, and egg rolls. Â I was please with the appetizers as they were tasty and I came back for more.
I decided to try entrees. Â I got tofu pad thai. Â I was quite excited for it. Â Upon my first taste, I was surprised. Â Not in a good way, but in a disappointing way. Â Not wanting to believe the unappetizing first bite, I took another. Â It was affirmed that the pad thai was just no bueno. Â To be frank, the sauce used for my pad thai seemed like McDonald's sweet and sour sauce. Â My friend ordered pad thai as well, but with chicken and hers tasted just as bad. Â
Bottom line, I may be back for appetizers, but not any of their entrees. Â The service was whatevers too.
Mekala's heyday is over. Â Or so I declare. Â Mekala's was once a go-to Thai place for me, and when my folks would visit from Chicago it was the fun "parentals are paying" place. Â Fast forward 10 years, and Mekala has lost it's touch. Â I hadn't been in a long time, mostly because of location and because I think Ta Ra Rin is so great. Â However, I couldn't pass up a Living Social deal to Mekala's and last night was the night to cash it in. Â
Hubby got the pepper steak stir fry and it was just mediocre - no real kick of anything flavorwise, and tough meat. Â My pad kee mao (drunken noodles) was the saddest excuse for kee mao I've ever had. Â They opted for skinnier noodles, rather than the broad noodles I love. Â The dish was oily and worse, it tasted of old oil. Â There was an unusual "tang" of something that none of us could identify other than "blech, old oil". Â The salad rolls were huge, expensive and a waste. Â They were totally dry because of the dry noodles that comprised most of the filling. Â They only had one slice of basil per roll, not sufficent in my mind because I think salad rolls are interesting precisely because of their simiplicity and bright herbs.
To be fair, my friend got the panang curry and it was rich and flavorful, though she really wished they'd sprung for more veggies in the dish. Â She also had a beef salad that had more flavor than all of the other dishes combined. Â
The wait staff was sweet, but slightly road-hardened, and very attentive because the place was pretty empty. Â Ironically, there is another Living Social deal for Mekala's today that I won't be buying. Â I'd like to say that I'd give them another try but with the burgeoning Thai competition in town I really dont' have the motivation. Â If you can't get kee mao right...
been here about 3 times. i dont make it down to Eugene that much but when i do we always stop here.
the people working there are very nice and are always on top of the drinks.
the food is very very good. we got the Thai spring rolls and they were soooooooooooo good. i got the peanut chicken curry and the person i was with got the panang curry. both dishes were very good and we finished our meal with coconut ice cream.
Wow. Tonight my wife and I went to the Elton John concert, so we thought we'd go to Mekalas since it's literally across the street from the new arena. I had called the day before to make a reservation since I knew that they'd be super busy the night of the concert. I had made reservations for 6pm, but we were running a few mintues late due to traffic so I called the restaurant for the second time to make sure that would be okay. I was told "that will be fine" and thanks for letting them know.
When we arrived at the restaurant there must have been 70+ people waiting in the tiny lobby. I tried to make my way to the front so I could let them know we were there, but there were a lot of pissed off people and it took me a few mintues to even make it up there. When I finally got there I was told that they had not taken any reservations! So I had called twice, talked to a live person each time and was still denied.
Look I understand that the crush of the crowd was overwhelming, I get that. What I don't get is taking reservations and then blowing me off. How utterly unprofessional can you get? If they had simply said sorry we're going to be too busy to take reservations I would have said thanks and made alternative plans. But this whole episode was one of rank amateurs and was inexcusable. Trying to scramble for another place to eat an hour and half before a major show where 13,000 people are was impossible.
So thanks Mekalas, you may have decent food, but I will never step foot in your establishment ever again.
Perhaps it is because being spoiled by the diversity of Seattle that the dishes here seemed bland and underwhelming. Although the service was excellent, the courtesy of the staff could not overcome the lack of flavor in the food and is likely to be the reason that there is a buffet during lunch. It is hard for me to give this restaurant such a low rating because the staff there was quite social and welcoming, but my reputation for being a harsh critic of curry is rather concrete.
Ordered a dish of massaman curry which is supposed to be one of the spicier dishes on the menu, but it seems that the kitchen decided to make this dish rather mild. The coconut seemed almost overwhelming and the potatoes were rather rough which is probably attributed to being undercooked. As for the chicken within the dish, the pieces were rather hard to find in the seemingly endless assortment of onions. A few people seem to rave about this place, but for authentic Thailand dishes, you may have better luck elsewhere. Hope this place does get better though as the area already lacks a diverse selection of Asian cuisine.
Mekala's was the first spot that helped me satiate my constant craving (seriously, it is becoming a problem:) for sticky rice after moving to this town. Â I ordered my usual, fresh rolls, Panang curry, and enough sticky rice to do a Scrooge McDuck dive into, back stroke and all. Â My husband ordered the Pepper steak and raved about it all night. Â He did try to steal some of mine, but don't worry, I proceeded to stick him with my fork. Â My Panang curry was indeed quite rich and perfect for dipping my sticky rice into (noticing a theme?). Â The coconut was not overwhelming as it tends to be in the US, with the flavors balancing themselves on the tongue really nicely with just the perfect amount of spice. Â They seemed to be very accommodating with the level of requested spiciness. Â I did not love the spring rolls, however (they appeared to have been previously made with the rice paper being a little chewy). Â The portions were also large enough, I could share an order of a main course with someone and leave full. Â If only my husband and I had similar tastes in Thai food.
The service was very kind and even engaged me in the 3 Thai phrases I picked up from my backpacking through SEA days. Â The ambiance seems to be similar to many restaurants in Eugene that I have noticed. Â Large and could be any cuisine, depending on the wall hangings, like an old large greasy-spoon restaurant. Â Not dirty or offensive or anything, just rather generic. Â
Overall, I will be returning to Mekala, especially since thy offer delivery... I know, thats quite lazy of me. Â I am excited to try out more of their specials which might raise or lower their rating in my book. Â Pig out!
I have always enjoying dining at Mekala's while I'm visiting Eugene. Â The other night it was just my mom, my 2 year old, and myself. Â Fabulous service, quick, friendly, and the server was VERY knowledgable on little kids. Â But no kiddie menu. Â Why can't ethnic places ever have a rice-chicken-veggie plate for little appetites? Â That said, we ended up having enough with just two entrees to share with her, so it worked out.
I had a wonderful marinated chicken breast over wild rice (had to order mildly for the little kiddo). Â It was perfect; my only gripe is that the rice was more like white with a few grains of the black wild rice thrown in.
I must recommend what my mom had, though. Â She ordered the lettuce chicken wraps at the top of the menu (I wish I could remember names of the dishes!). Â A HUGE platter of food was presented, and it cost less than $12. Â Marinated chicken breast strips, large leaves of crispy romaine, beans sprouts, shredded cabbage and carrots, two dipping sauces, noodles, AND a spicy cucumber salad. Â Most definitely enough for two people, and would also make a great appetizer for 4-6. Â I was expecting premade wraps rolled in lettuce leaves, but it was a surprise to make our town. Â Very tasty, and easy to share with the toddler.
I was VERY disappointed with dessert, however, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Â I ordered the fried bananas with hazelnuts and homemade coconut ice cream, but I think our server misunderstood or something. Â I received fred bananas, yes, but they were plain except a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a scoop of...vanilla. Â It was a good quality vanilla ice cream, but not even comparable to what I was expecting. Â At that point we just ate, paid, and left because the little one had had enough and time was past due. Â But that was a big disappointment for me.
Without a doubt the best Panang Curry I have eaten, and I have had this dish at several of the highest rated Thai places in Portland. The fried rice was very good as well, nice flavor with lots of chicken and vegetables. The deep fried spring rolls were good too however I would have preferred the plum sauce to be a little thicker. I did not like the hot and sour soup, to me it had a strong mushroom flavor. If you like this sort of dish however I'm sure it would be good, it appeared to be made with quality ingredients. I enjoyed the Thai iced tea, strong enough tea flavor and properly sweetened.
The decor inside was aesthetically pleasing, with plants all over the place, very pleasant atmosphere. The server was friendly and helpful as well. The bottom line on this place is they use quality ingredients and make well thought out flavorful dishes (based on the items I tried). I will absolutely return and try more of the menu.
I had a lovely meal here last evening. Thai food is always sketchy for a person allergic to everything in the water (yes, I am a landivore), but they were more than accomodating to my needs!
The food arrived quickly and was very flavorful. Quite often when one uses too much lemongrass it taste like pledge, but their chef had the perfect touch in adding this tasty ingredient to the soup.
Unlike many thai resteraunts, the interior isn't traditional or cheesy. Rather, it's modern and comfortable.
Decently priced, worth the 10 minute wait we had.
Pricey for a broke-ass like me, but worth every penny. Everything on the menu is amazing and the service is always great. As a former waitress, I know that large parties seated on back patios get ignored a lot. Mostly because they tend to be fairly self-involved. But they were very attentive to us when I went out with a big group of friends that was seated in such a manner.
I love their fish and seafood dishes. I confess, I have had dreams about Mekala's calamari and spicy plum sauce.
Their signature cocktails are to die for, as well. When I was there, they had a mango caipirinha that kicked my ass six ways from Sunday.
Located on Franklin boulevard in Eugene, Mekala's is always a popular destination for would be Thai lovers and curious culinary personalities like myself. The food is decent for Eugene standards, the service is very professional, and the decor is quite tasteful. Parking is abundant but always full and the menu features an array of items that make anyone's tastebuds water. The prices are average, it may be a bit pricy for students across the street but surely worth splurging once in awhile for a fine meal.
Review Source: