‘Tis the season for freshmen to descend upon campus, begin the transition into dorm life, live away from home and, of course, search for restaurants in their new town. The Emerald asked freshmen and upperclassmen alike what places they would recommend and where they want to explore.
Thirteenth Avenue boasts a wide variety of food and shops with everything from pizza, burritos and burgers to Asian cuisine and gyros. When students crave a break from dorm food, there are plenty of great options to explore.
If you’re looking for tasty, affordable Thai food, try Sweet Basil Cafe. “Sweet Basil is great for Thai. They’re good and cheap,” said sophomore Christina Joseph. The environment in Sweet Basil is calm and casual. It is the perfect place to read and dine.
Be sure to head to Dough Co. to satisfy your late night pizza cravings with a made-from-scratch calzone. Dough Co. delivers ’til 3 a.m., making it the perfect place to call after campus and downtown restaurants have closed. If you are craving something sweet, Dough Co. has you covered with oven-warm cookies and milk. “Peanut butter cookies from Dough Co. are great,” senior Mike O’Dell said.
Thirteenth Avenue has some great cafes and places to get your caffeine buzz on, but what about pastries? If you’re searching for a great flaky croissant, try Espresso Roma.“Espresso Roma has great pastries; they are fantastic. I am a baker, so it is very important to me,” said freshman Amber Cecil.
As students from across the country and around the world settle into life in Eugene, the differences in culture may come as a surprise to some and a welcome change for others. “Thirteenth has many hippies,” Rodolfo Ruela of Brazil said. “They are very interesting to talk to because they come from all over the U.S.”
Once you feel ready to go explore off-campus, don’t worry about the social scene. “It’s clean and not as busy and everyone in the community is very friendly,” said Erin Dolan, a freshman from Philadelphia. While dorm food is comparable to restaurant quality, going out to eat can be a great way to change scenery and familiarize yourself with the culture of Eugene.