Best Bar grub

1. Jackalope Lounge, 453 Willamette St., 541-485-1519, JackalopeLounge.com.

2. Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd., 541-431-6603, SamBonds.com.

3. Old Nick’s Pub, 211 Washington St., 541-844-1280, OldNicksPub.com.

Just like our readers, we love some food to go along with our libation. With a full bar and a full menu until 2 in the am, it comes at no surprise to us that Jackalope Lounge takes the gold for Best Bar grub in Eugene. “This place feels like home,” says Bryan Dominguez, a bartender at the lounge. “No, we’re not just pushing random crap Cisco products out there,” he adds. “Cooks take a lot of care that they put into the recipes, and they’re very proud of them. And you should come down and get drunk,” he says. Whether it’s the chili, a hot pile of nachos or Jack sliders — the Jackalope Lounge has something we will be eating while we drink the pain away. — Bentley Freeman

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!