1. Izakaya Meiji 345 Van Buren St. 541-505-9349. IzakayaMeiji.com.

2. Cornucopia 295 W 17th Ave. 541-485-2300; 207 E 5th Ave. Ste. 109, 541-485-2676; 521 Main St., Springfield, 541-485-2879. CornucopiaEugene.com.

3. Public House 418 A St., Springfield. 541-246-8511. PublicHouseHub.com.

Relying heavily on to-go during the pandemic, Izakaya Meiji has allowed outside seating on the patio. “It’s been hard to predict anything, but to-go has been pretty steady,” Manager Rick Jones says. “For now we’re doing more ramens, but as far as food goes it’s ultimately up to chef and part owner Joel Poston.”

The food is delicious, and the cocktails hit the spot perfectly. Eugene Weekly sat down for a meal and was not disappointed. If you’re sitting outside, the warm rye and cider will make you comfy real quick. The shiitake skewers are incredibly complex, buttery, tangy and savory; perfectly seasoned and delicious, they have the exact amount of salt. The fried chicken teriyaki burger is quite simply the best chicken sandwich ever made (at least in the opinion of this EW writer). The simplicity and comfort of the English muffin as the bun, the pickled veggies mixed with the teriyaki, and whatever magic they use to fry the chicken to such perfection, creates nothing short of an exuberance that isn’t normally associated with food. In addition, the staff is kind, the energy is calming, and the ambiance is peaceful.

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