Getting back into the swing of things at school can be difficult. To help, here are some great restaurants to relax that are only a block or two away from the Knight Law Center.
Prince Puckler’s Gourmet Ice Cream — 1605 E. 19th Ave.
If you’re looking for a little sugar to reward yourself for all your work fighting for truth and justice, Prince Puckler’s is your answer. Loved by locals for its tasty hand-made ice cream, Prince Puckler’s has been around since 1975 and is a great spot for a delicious treat. Prince Puckler’s also serves espresso and has eight different coffee-flavored ice creams to choose from, making this spot a great place to satisfy your caffeine fix before tests and exams.
“Eat a big bowl of ice cream, sit back and relax.” said manager Lance Shendel.
Agate Alley Bistro —1461 E. 19th Ave.
Thursday nights here are known as “Drink Wheel” days. Starting at 10 p.m., there’s a wheel — based on the Wheel of Fortune — that is spun every hour. But unlike Pat Sajak’s wheel, Agate Alley’s has the names of various alcoholic drinks printed on it. Whatever drink it lands on is $2.50 until the wheel is spun again.
Chris Kohen graduated from the UO last year and lived near by in the apartments down the alley. He would visit Agate Alley at least a few times a month, sometimes twice a week.
“I think it’s better then Rennie’s,” he said. “I know Rennie’s is fairly popular but if you want to get something decent to eat you don’t want to go to Rennie’s.”
Another thing Agate Alley Bistro is known around campus for is Taco Tuesdays. Seven dollars buys two tacos — chicken, beef or bean — with pickled veggies, sour cream, guacamole and salsa. The dishes are served with a Pacifico beer.
McMenamins East 19th Street Café — 1485 E. 19th Ave.
McMenamins is the ideal spot for graduate students to de-stress from a long week of classes. Outfitted with three pool tables, an indoor wood fire place, a couple of pinball machines, a dart board and even a jukebox, there are plenty of ways to get your mind off school.
“It’s air conditioned with nice booths inside and you can have your own privacy,” former UO student Jenna Stewart said.
Stewart graduated from the UO last spring and would visit McMenamins at least once a month. Stewart said the cheap happy hour was what brought her to McMenamins and the $2.50 Cajun tots are one of the reasons she kept coming back. During happy hour all the available meals are under an affordable $6.
“Happy hours are good times to come if you’re trying to just study and drink a beer,” UO graduate Brandon Yeh said.