You’ve scoured our guide to Eugene’s best restaurants and our perfect 36-hour eating itinerary, looking for tips. But now that you’re here for the races — or even to race in them — you find you can’t break free from Hayward Field, even if it’s just for a quick trip over to nearby pizzeria Hey, Neighbor, eclectic bistro Agate Alley or old-school Italian joint Beppe & Gianni’s.
Well, we’ve got you covered for that as well.
After checking out the food and drink options at Hayward Field, the Eugene Riverfront Festival and restaurants and bars throughout the city, here’s a quick guide to what to eat when time and location are of the essence.
In and around Hayward Field
Eugene’s jewel of a track venue, capable of seating 25,000 for the World Athletics Championships and other special events, is limited when it comes to food. While events are underway, the doors open to a handful of in-house vendors with punny names along the concourse, including Ashton’s Eatins, home to hot dogs ($5), nachos ($8), pretzels ($6) and popcorn ($5), and English’s Garden, with a similar menu plus Caesar salads ($9). While the food prices seemed reasonable, beer and wine did not — a nearby beer cart was pouring IPA from the Molson Coors-owned Hop Valley for $14. Canned wines were $20.
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The smart play is to head out to Agate Street, where a dozen trucks and stands are lined up within the competition grounds, some representing local carts, others vendors on the summer festival circuit. Options include Bangers & Brews sausages and beer, Viva! Vegan sandwiches and tacos, Happy-Go-Lucky Crêpes, samosas and wraps from Spice of Africa, local jerk chicken truck Irie Jamaican Kitchen (which was instantly popular with Jamaican athletes and their fans), the original Oregon Wood-Fired Pizza, a beer and cider cart from Ninkasi and Wildcraft (with $10 pints ... better) and a kiosk from Portland-based Cajun-Creole restaurant PoBoyz, where you might find former Oregon Ducks football player Randall Willhite working the fryer himself.
At the Eugene Riverfront Festival
This lively festival along the Willamette River boasts live music, a bounce house for kids and a massive projector screen for watching the games. We arrived just in time to hear people politely clap for the thrilling conclusion to the women’s 20k race walk airing on the TV. Eugeneans — ever polite!
Lining one wing of the festival are another dozen carts with a similarly eclectic mix including plenty of locals. We stopped by Black Market BBQ for a pulled pork sandwich, Za Cart Pizza for a cheese slice and Bali Kitchen for some fair-style lumpia, chicken and yellow rice (nasi kuning). Other options included Makeda’s Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, Just Ice shave ice, Hayward’s Kitchen’s fried chicken and fish and chip baskets, Red Five hot dogs, Vanilla Jill’s ice cream and doughnuts, Delicias Tiki Tiki tacos and aguas frescas, The Mac gourmet mac and cheese and Aida’s tamales and burritos.
Greater Eugene
Skillet-fried chicken and Trinidadian-style doubles from Yardy, a new Eugene cart specializing in Caribbean food from former San Francisco chef Isaiah Martinez.Michael Russell | The Oregonian
Assuming you don’t have a qualifying heat coming up, chances are you should have some time to explore what we recently called Oregon’s second-best food city (after Portland, naturally). In addition to the trio of stadium-adjacent restaurants mentioned above, the intersection of Agate Street and 19th Avenue is home to a very busy McMenamin’s and the beloved local ice cream shop Prince Pückler’s.
And if you’re checking out the festival, you’re steps from some of Eugene’s best-known restaurants, including Marché and its adjacent Provisions Market Hall, omakase sushi spot and upstairs cocktail bar Akira, and several high-level carts parked at Coldfire Brewing, including the Caribbean-inspired fried chicken truck Yardy.
Still stumped? Check out more of our guides to where to eat, play, drink and visit in Eugene. And if you happen to be driving down today, pop on our latest Peak Northwest podcast, where, among other things, I break down my top 5 Eugene restaurants.
A guide to Eugene’s essential restaurants, can’t-miss food carts, and other delicious destinations
A perfect 36-hour eating itinerary in Eugene
Where are Eugene’s best breweries and tap houses? Right here
Eugene’s wine scene is ready for summer games and fun
A guide to concerts, vendors, and activities at Eugene Riverfront Festival
15 things to see and do in Eugene during breaks from the World Athletics Championships
— Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com @tdmrussell
Where to eat at Hayward Field, the Eugene Riverfront Festival and beyond during the 2022 World Athletics Cham - OregonLive
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