We thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. The whole experience was great, from atmosphere to service to menu. The train theme is awesome. Big, lovely bar. The dining rooms are very nice. The service was prompt and attentive. Our dinners were delicious, cooked well and tasty. The portion size was reasonable, not huge. They had a decent wine list. Price was acceptable for the experience. We would definitely eat there again.
Review Source:I always enjoy my visits to OES. Generally eat in the bar as I prefer The atmosphere. They have several menus you can order from. The full dinner menu Or the bar menu. I have never had a bad meal. Sometimes I just build a dinner off the appetizer list. I have always had really excellent service at OES in particular from the bartender named Alex
Review Source:It is a fun unique place. There are two rail cars inside where they have put tables and chairs. It is very nicely decorated. Unfortunately it was a bit dark. You may want to bring a flash light to read the menu. Service was a bit slow, but it was busy. I had the shrimp scampi. The sauce was a bit thin, but flavorful. The shrimp were cooked just right (nothing worse than overcooked shrimp). The rice pilaf was undercooks. The vegies were okay. Mud pie for dessert (hey I was on vacation) was yummy! It is a very large restaurant, I was very surprise there was one toilet for women and I am assuming only one for men.
Review Source:I have lived in Georgia now for the past 17 years and when I took my boyfriend with me to my 20th high school reunion one of the places I wanted to take him was the OES. Â I remembered this place from my child hood as the pinnacle upscale place in Eugene. Â What can I say, I didn't get out much. Â We took my estranged mother there for a nice intimate dinner to get reunited and the night didn't end there. Â My boyfriend (now husband) proposed later that evening and we walked back to the OES for champagne. Â I guess this isn't really a review about the food or OES but my memory of it. Â Sorry.
Review Source:Nice place, cozy booths, very loud but the set up allows for easy conversation. Â Food was nothing special. Real comfort food, but really bland. Had the pork pot roast, very dry even with the gravy that could have used a little spicing up. Daughter had chicken Alfredo, don't know how it is possible in all that cream sauce for the chicken to be too dry, but it was. Â Ambience was great, love the train motif. Â Extra star for the friendly staff, especially out waitress Michelle. She was so sweet and considerate. To be honest we probably wouldn't be in a hurry to try this place again, but she made all the difference and we will be back when we are in town next month for homecoming.
Review Source:this place might be nice for a drink... don't plan on eating here.
i ordered the prime rib (station master's cut) since it seemed like that was their "speciality". Â i requested medium rare, it arrived close to well done. Â in addition to being overcooked, the meat quite bland. Â i might have actually sent the plate back to get one properly cooked, however the cute waitress did not return to check up on us after delivering the entrees.
in general, everything i tasted here lacked seasoning/flavor. Â you may enjoy the ambiance inside or the patio outside, but i doubt you will enjoy the food.
This place is just fine for what it is - an older style, higher-end, family friendly, date friendly restaurant. Large plates of familiar food, a little spendy, and a nice  gimmick - seating in old train cars. I've never had a bad meal here. But I've never had an exciting meal here either. It nearly gets an extra star for two things: the bar is nice, high-ceilinged, wooden-backed, with a decent bar menu and significantly lower prices than the restaurant. And the outdoor courtyard is off the street, has a nice fire pit, especially good when the cherries are in bloom. Halibut fish & chips are particularly tasty and surprisingly reasonably priced, making for a satisfying and enjoyable stop. Burgers good too.
Review Source:Things that are great: Atmosphere, service.
Things that are good: Happy hour menu, fish and chips, most appetizers.
Beer selection: Lacking. No Ninkasi, only Steelhead Brewery. And yes I know why.
My wife and I loved it for a nice dinner, but the boys rarely head here after work for happy hour, mainly due to the beer selection.
I've been here twice to sit in the bar and have appetizers and beer, and once to eat dinner. The dinner was a year or so ago so I can't give details, but it was unexceptional. I went for appetizers for the second and last time this weekend, so I can give details for that.
They have a good selection for draft beer, at least for me. I had good memories of the appetizers so ordered nachos. What I got was a huge heaping mess of commercial corn chips covered with goop: green goop, white goop, and red goop. Oh, also sprinkled with unmelted shredded white and yellow "cheese." I was hungry and reading a book so ate some, but should really have sent it back. How do you mess up nachos, and in the West, no less?
The location and building are cool. We were excited to finally eat here. The highlight of our meal was the garlic bread - SO GOOD (you have to order it as an appetizer but its worth it). The wife ordered the seafood fettuccine and I ordered the ahi tuna. Though the seafood fettuccine sauce was tasty and the fish chunks in it cooked well there was little pasta to accompany all the sauce. The ahi tuna was quite plain and was not worth the $24.
We had good services but it wasn't until after dinner we found out about the happy hour menu & specials. These items weren't available because of where we had been seated (and that was the food that initially caught our eye on the street).
Overall a good meal but... spendy for just good.
The prime rib is exceptional, bottom line. The steak was thick, the way a prime rib should be (forget about these lame ass $12.00 prime rib dinner specials you'll find all over this town. Those steaks are thin boring pieces of crap---you get what you pay for.) These steaks are slow roasted and are phenomenally juicy and tender. I mean, a bite of this steak literally melts in your mouth. The crab cakes are outstanding---the best I've had ever. The garlic mashed potatoes are seasoned perfectly, most places put too much garlic....the drinks were well made too.
Great service and nostalgic atmosphere top it all off. It's hard to yelp about these things though when I am so amazed by the food lol!
My husband and I took his mom to the Electric Station for Mother's Day dinner. Â We both grew up in the area, and love the ambiance of the old dining cars. Â As a longtime user of a wheelchair, I especially love being able to gain access easily - I give them major kudos for this. Â The wait staff was extremely friendly and helpful - quite a professional crew. Â Having said that, I have to say that the food was, well, uninspired, and my husband and I had a horrible time fighting over the bathroom later. Â The only item we ate in common was the green salad. Â Either the vegetables or the preparers' hands weren't properly washed. Â Thus, two stars...regretfully, as this is an iconic Eugene institution.
Review Source:I love the Oregon Electric Station. The wonderful historic ambiance is enough for four stars. I don't understand how people could possibly be upset after sitting in remodeled train cars. The happy hour menu gives it that extra star. Also, surprisingly the Oregon Electric Station has some of the best margaritas in town (and only $5 during happy hour!!).
NB: I haven't eaten here for dinner. Only for wine/dessert in the train cars, and other times in the bar (historic waiting room) for happy hour.
This was my first trip to Eugene and my boss recommended this place. The menu was fairly standard: steak and seafood. The place is impressive-- it's an old rail station remodeled into a restaurant with many rooms and a railcar itself going through the middle. The bar is fantastic-- all wood and goes up to the ceiling, and it had a cozy lounge area in front.
The waiter recommended the house dish, prime rib, so I ordered that rare. It was nothing special, just your basic prime rib with horseradish sauce. It was good, but then I've only once had bad prime rib. My point is, it was perfectly decent, but not memorable. It came with garlic mashed potatoes that were quite good and some steamed veggies.
I got a salad with mustard vinaigrette that I very much enjoyed and probably found to be the highlight of the meal.
We also ordered 3 desserts to share: carrot cake, apple pie, and the special of the day, a mango/blueberry cobbler. The carrot cake was dry and didn't have enough frosting on it, so we picked at it but left it largely intact. The apple pie? Not heated even though we requested this. thumbs down! The cobbler? ALSO NOT HEATED. Crazy to have cold cobbler with ice cream! The cobbler was the best dessert by far though.
Service was really good, no complaints. I love the ambiance and would probably go back for drinks in a heartbeat-- they have one called Fresh and Clean that is the best mixed drink I've had in a long while-- but not necessarily dinner.
Read a lot of negative reviews, but I just didn't see all the bad stuff others were so quick to write. Like most other people said, the ambiance and decor makes it a very unique and enjoyable experience alone. The food was great, as my prime rib was very good -- if anything lacked a little seasoning, but still very good -- and my girlfriend enjoyed the lobster mac n cheese. The only thing really lacking was our server was a little rigid, not terribly friendly, and was rather robotic. But for the important reasons why you go to a restaurant (food and the cost of going) it was delicious and the prices were complementary to the value of the food. We'll be going back again, for sure.
Review Source:I really liked the set-up of the electric train cars as rooms in the restaurant. Â My 13-year old son was sad that we didn't get to sit in one, however. Â We were seated in the center in a larger room between the actual cars. Â Our waitress was quite nice and did a good job of recommending Oregon wines upon request. Â And, the Pinot Gris was excellent!
This restaurant is noted for its seafood and steak, but definitely not for their pasta. Â However, I understand their lobster mac & cheese is an exception to this rule. Â I had a tasty salmon dish, but sadly, I don't remember it's precise name. Â My son loved the shrimp scampi. Â
We had driven up from Crater Lake, where we had hiked all day, so we weren't at our best for being out in a fancy restaurant. Â I woudn't say Oregon Electric Station is fancy, but we certainly felt a bit out of place in our hiking digs. Â And that's a bit funny considering Eugene is a fairly casual town. Â
Would I go again? Â Yes, absolutely, but I would probably make sure I was a bit cleaner first!
Pro(s):
- The interior is really cool and worth seeing at least once: Dine in a remodeled train car!
- I like the bar area, it's a comfortable place to sit with nice chairs
Cons:
- The food is subpar bar food at fine dining prices
- The menu feels a bit like you stepped into the 80s.
I'm glad I saw the interior, but I don't intend to ever dine here again. The food really is grotesquely overpriced for astonishingly bad food.
Lots of mixed reviews here about this place. Â
My dining companions and I ate here last night after seeing Wicked at the Hult Center. Â We had heard good things about the restaurant and wanted to experience it for ourselves.
My partner had the Prime Rib and he said it was cooked just the way he ordered it. Â My Chicken Fried Steak was delicious, and our friends were satisfied with their meals as well with the ONE criticism that the Penne Pasta was a little skimpy on the serving size.
Our wait staff were very attentive and we were served our appetizers and salads within moments of ordering.
The price point for this establishment was right on the money for the food and service received. Â If you are downtown Eugene, you should give it a try.
Really neat restaurant in terms of history and Victorian style decor. We dined in a renovated railway car and enjoyed the historic atmosphere. Food was okay, service was great and I would definitely come back again!
PS I thought the menu would explain the history of the building, but not much; I had to go online to find out about this late 1800's building. You'd think the restaurant would hype this up a bit more.
It is true, we all have one chance to make a first impression. Â In spite of some very desparaging reviews posted on this forum, our party of four dined yesterday evening at OES. Â To a person we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, the wait / buss staff, and atmosphere. Â
Our evening began when we were cordually greeted at the door. Our server (Kelly) was first rate, always near but not hovering or pushy alowing us to visit and order on our time, not hers. We all ordered fish of differing variety, and all were quite happy. Â My seered Ahi was perfectly prepared. Portions were adequate all around and substitutions were accommodated. Â My only small critique was that my food might have been a tad warmer, but I acknowledge it is hard to only seer Ahi and keep it warm without over cooking.
Based on my first impression, I can't quite understand the almost venomous low reviews many seem intent on providing. Â Were prices higher than most Eugene eateries? Sure. Â This is a dining restaurant not a diner, and I think reviewers would do well to appreciate the difference. Â I really don't think something in the mid-twenty dollar range is out of line and there were plenty of sub-twenty dollar menu items too. Â
Being a critic, does not often mean you have to be critical to a fault.
I personally do not feel that the food is as terrible as a lot of reviewers feel. I am not arguing that the food was not better in the past (it was better), I am saying that it is not terrible now. The quality seems to be about average for a restaurant of this type. With the prices slightly above average when compared to the food quality, although I find this to be the case in most of Eugene. This is also one of the few restaurants in Eugene that does have good service. My primary complaint is with the lighting, this restaurant always feels too dark for me, especially in the train cars.
It does not have the best food in town, but it is certainly not the worst.
Just to follow up, have eaten there three more times in the last two months. Â It sucks as much as ever foodwise. Â Their service is still quite good; I'll give them that.
I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day and heard a group of elderly folks raving about how awesome OES is  - and not to be too ageist, but I wonder if they'd been in there any time in the past twenty years...?
Seriously, it's Sizzler in a train car, except it costs 3x as much...
I have to say...I read all the negative reviews on here, and now I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something, because I like the place.
A couple friends and I went to the Electric Station this last weekend for dinner, and we all enjoyed it. Sure, the food wasn't mind-blowing, but it was good. My prime rib had a good amount of fat around the edges, but I'll be damned if it wasn't delicious.
So yeah, it's not the greatest, but it's a cool place, and if you can afford it, go for it. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Crap!
Seriously, I've been to this place probably 10 times and only once was my steak cooked the way it was ordered. Â Way overpriced for what you get. Â All the ingredients are mediocre at best (which is the worst). Â The coffee was disgusting, burnt and stale. Â
What's the deal here? Â How did this place get a reputation as good?
On the upside, the service has always been good (though a bit slow...but I don't mind that too much) and I like the train car thing they've got going on (kind of like Chuck-E-Cheese meets Epcot for railroad-loving grown-ups).
This is the best Prime rib I have ever eaten . It is always perfectly cooked and I have been coming here for 20 years. Great Salads and chowder.Fabulous home made deserts. Try the Apple Pie.
I don't get all the negative reviews .I actually went there twice on this trip and ordered the Scallops one night and they were also very good.
Two friends and I meet in Eugene a couple of times a year to see a production at the Hult. Â We stay at the Hilton, and eat at OES because it is so easy. Â We have had bad experiences the last 3 times and will not go there again. Â The food is mediocre and the staff has an attitude (probably held over from the good old days).
I had the Cashew Chicken salad and the presentation would have been more artistic and appealing if a five year old put it together. Â Not only did it look bad, the cashew chicken mix was a mushy mess.
We are going to see Hair on July 19 and are looking for a spot for dinner near the Hult. Â Any suggestions?
If Eugeneans think this is a Good Food Place, then all I can say is it sucks to be you! Â This is an overrated overpriced joint. Â You can pay much less for the same fare or pay the same for much better. Â Knowng that the Oregon football coaches like to bring recruits here to wine and dine them makes me wonder how the heck the Ducks ever get anyone to play for them? Â If you eat in any other city in America, you'll find much better places than the Oregon Electric Station. Â I wonder if the owner used to have the Yugo franchise for Eugene?
Come eat in Coos Bay instead. Â Even the show $40 A Day came here and they didn't even come close to finding our really good places to eat. Â You'll have a nice drive on 38 to boot instead of looking at a dreary Eugene downtown.
I think this is the ONLY place for fancy / fine dining in Eugene. Â This may not be the case anymore, but it was pretty much the case 8 yrs or so ago. Â
The food was decent, the ambiance is awesome, and I recommend this to anyone who feels they deserve a nice, relaxing dinner. Â
I had the salmon which was awesome. Â
I agree- Eugene locals already know about this place - guaranteed.
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