Food for Less

Part of college life culture is the hunt for cheap meals. Since University of Oregon students are heading back to Eugene and Lane Community College classes start soon, Eugene Weekly compiled a list of often forgotten but great places to grab a bite for a low price.

The Dough Co.

Probably the most well-known low-cost restaurant, The Dough Co. is famous for late night bites, especially the cookies. They stay open until 3 am, which is great for when you’re leaving the bars or pulling an all-nighter. Dough Co. also serves 30 options of calzones with a side of dipping sauce. Whether you want the cookies early or late, they will always be warm, and you can even get a pint of milk with your order.

The Dough Co.: 1337 Hilyard Street, Eugene, 541-485-7459. Open 11 am to 3 am daily.

Addi’s Diner

Also a delicious bite, Addi’s Diner serves all-American breakfast food from 4 am until 2 pm. Addi’s is known for its huge pancakes and considerably big portions of food. And the best part, you won’t need to spend much to eat a whole lot. Addi’s is a good call to grab breakfast in the morning. Most importantly, Addi’s has great hangover food. Make sure you arrive early for breakfast because it gets crowded very quickly. Out of all the things in the menu, be sure to try the orange juice; it’s delicious.

Addi’s Diner: 207 S. A Street, Springfield, 541-747-9482. Open 4 am to 2 pm Wednesday to Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Dos Banderas

Right in the heart of Eugene’s downtown is Dos Banderas, a food cart that sells delicious Mexican food. Just like Addi’s, Dos Banderas serves big portions for cheap. A large quesadilla will keep you full for a long time, and you’ll only pay $10. The food cart also sells amazing tortas and burritos. The tacos, however, are more expensive, and I don’t find them as great as the other options. A big plus for Dos Banderas is that it stays open until 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Be sure to bring cash. Dos Banderas doesn’t take plastic.

Dos Banderas: 94 W. Broadway, Eugene, 541-868-4047. Open 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 3 am on Friday and Saturday and closed on Sunday.

Track Town Pizza

Though a Eugene classic, and seldom forgotten, Track Town deserves a place on this list. Beyond the delicious chicken BBQ pizza are a couple of deals that you can use to get soma pizza for cheap. If you’re eating by yourself, the individual pizza is a good idea. It’s $5.50 for a cheese pizza and $.50 for each topping. So if you’re pulling an all-nighter, getting a $6 pepperoni pizza for yourself is a great option. Besides the individual pizza, Track Town has a deal that not many people know about: every day between 10 and 11 pm, the medium pizza with two toppings is $11. If you don’t mind gorging yourself with unlimited pizza from noon to 2 pm Monday through Friday, for $7.50 (or $6.50 for students) you can eat as much pizza as you want.

Track Town Pizza: 1809 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, 541-284-8484. Open 11 am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 11 am to 1 am on Friday and Saturday.

Honorable mentions

If late-night bites, breakfast food, Mexican food and pizza are still not enough, you can still get some delicious sweet bites in Eugene and Springfield. A great place to go is Public House, in Springfield, where you can get an edible (no, not cannabis) cookie dough that’s served like an ice cream scoop. As delicious, and definitely safer, as sneaking up to eat cookie dough before it goes in the oven at home.

Public House: 4606, 418 A Street, Springfield, 541-246-8511. Open 11 am to 10 pm Sunday to Thursday and 11 am to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Another note-worthy sweet tooth joint is Insomnia Cookies. Close to the Duck Store on 13th Avenue by the UO campus, Insomnia is quickly becoming a Eugene classic. Just like Dough Co., Insomnia also serves warm cookies until 3 am. Yet, it stands out from Dough Co. for the wider variety of cookies and a cookie-only menu.

Insomnia Cookies: 632 E. 13th Avenue, Eugene, 541-209-6681. Open 10 am to 3 am Monday to Friday and 11 am to 3 am on Saturday and Sunday.

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