Very small, very quaint! This seems to be a very quaint bistro type restaurant serves very eclectic type food. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. We were greeted by many staff members and help us to our table. We were able to order very quickly we ordered the fried duck eggs, perfectly cooked very tasty who would've thought! Also ordered the stuff beet pasta, not very visually appealing however the taste was spot on. I would highly recommend this bistro for date nights or adult family gatherings. Hope to see you again soon! SCRC
(3)
Kate F.
After reading the reviews I expected much more. It was a warm Friday evening but the place was only 2/3 full while the creamery had a line out the door. The fried gnocci had a crispy coating & was perfectly cooked but was way too salty. The burger was very rare, tasteless & the bun disintegrated. Never tasted the cheese. Potato chips were great, the best I've had. No complaints on the service & the decor was very pretty. We won't be back.
(3)
Ashleigh M.
Um. Omg. Hands down, the pour over style service of Wandering Goat coffee is the highlight. I haven't had coffee that good in *years*, people! Then add to it the holy-ish delicious breakfast casserole (what I personally ordered) and omfg it was a food-gasm. It's difficult to describe the extraordinary flavors of the food. Just trust me, try it *all* for yourself. Congratulations, Eugene, you've *finally* risen to culinary standards of larger metropolises like Portland or Seattle. Now if you could open another dozen places as excellent as this, I might move back to you...
(5)
Amber S.
Until this week I had never heard of Party Downtown (or Party Cart) but one of my friends posted something on facebook about it this week and urged everyone to try it out. So last night, my Husband and I did just that. We walked in through the Ice Cream parlor entrance and first came to the adorable tiny bar area. We noticed it had a couple open tables there but proceeded to the Main dining room. It was very full (and therefore very noisy) so we decided to head back to the bar area since it was date night for us and we wanted a bit more of an intimate setting. The bar area was perfect for that. We actually didn't realize that you are supposed to order your food at the counter or get your own utensils or water like other reviewers had said. A waiter came over and did say that the full menu was at the front dining area but we knew that we didn't even need to look at it because we wanted to try to Kitchen's Choice. He put in the order and brought us water and utensils. So maybe that had changed or maybe it is different in the bar vs. the dining room? The bartender came over to take our drink order and we decided to keep the theme of letting them choose what we would be receiving. He made me a bourbon drink, a Scofflaw, which was so delicious. I'm not gonna lie, I had three of them they were so good. My Husband enjoyed his Vodka drink as well. I will say that the drink size was very small and normally I'd have quite the buzz after three, but I didn't. They were really good though. And the bartender was very attentive and knowledgeable. We went with the $30 per person Kitchen's Choice (they also have a $20 option that offers less plates). I'll try to list them all. It was about 12 dishes in all. I was a little scared to have the kitchen decide what I would be eating because I am normally a very picky eater and really don't consider ourselves to be big 'foodies'. They did ask if we had any food allegories or dietary restrictions so they could adjust as needed. Despite my fears, I was very pleasantly surprised that I ate nearly everything that was served. Our server was very good about explaining everything that was on the plate. (I had not tried many of the things served and was glad that they explained what things were even though I didn't retain most of the information) 1) We started off with a lamb & vegetable dish. It has all sorts of tiny vegetables, some of which I had no idea what they were but they were all delicious. It was actually probably my favorite dish of the night. 2) Next we had the Gnocchi tot breakfast casserole. This was actually the first time I have ever had Gnocchi and this dish was so good. I want to go back for Brunch for this dish. 3) Then was a Kale salad which they explained should have been served first but we didn't mind the order. My Husband loved this one but I wasn't a huge fan. Just my preference though. 4) Then they served us deep fried hard boiled eggs. I am thinking those must be called the Son-In-Law eggs on their menu and these little things are SO good. Get them. 5) Then we had some little biscuit sliders with rabbit Canadian bacon and cheese. Those were really good as well. 6) Next we were served Charred asparagus on a sesame toast. This was good. Nothing too spectacular, but good. 7) Then we received the Goat slides and these were amazing. Slightly spicy. Full of flavor. I would order these again for sure. 8) Next it was the purple sprouting broccoli with chili garlic. These were also very good but hard to cut and eat so it was a little messy. 9) Then we received my least favorite dish of the night. The Duck Confit Pappardelle. This was a spicy but very salty noddle dish with Bok Choy and a mint chili sauce. To me it was pretty spicy but also so salty that I really didn't taste much else. The Duck was very tough (jerky-like). Just not my cup of tea. 10) Lastly we received the Braised Rabbit leg with wild rice and lentils. This dish was ok. I am not a fan of lentils. I wouldn't order this dish again but I didn't mind having it in the overall dinner experience. 11) and 12) were two different desserts. We received chocolate chip cookies with some sort of creamy spread on them. Those were so good and I wanted to order more. Just one cookie each wasn't enough. The next dessert was a lemon custard. It was good. Not something I would order again, but good. My husband really liked it though. Our bill totaled $98 for the two of us which is more than we normally spend on an average night of dining out. Which unfortunately means that it won't be one that we get to dine at as frequently as we do other places, but we will get to look forward to going for the occasion date night. We do often have clients who come from other States/Countries and I think it will be a good place to take them for business dinners. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.
(5)
Shannon D.
I absolutely live this restaurant! The menu is creative and the staff are very pleasant. Kudos to the chef for keeping things interesting!
(5)
Michael D.
Dining should be fun and Party has a great reasonably priced menu that is great tasting and great fun. With a trip to Eugene.
(4)
Judy A.
What a wonderful dining experience! The service was superb, the atmosphere was delightful, and the food was extraordinarily delicious! We had the heritage flatiron steak which burst with flavor in your mouth. I cannot wait to go back here to try something else. I have found my new favorite restaurant!
(5)
Sam R.
The crisp, white, nearly empty restaurant was a great compliment to my leftover nausea from a night of drinking at Eugene's club (yea, just the one). I was surprised that the spot was empty because farm-fresh food on a Sunday morning usually attracts a long line in the bay-area, where I live. At any rate, we had a great breakfast--a mushroom empanada-esque "pie", some totally ratchet deviled eggs, some sausage-y breakfast sandwiches (with which my friends were not impressed) and some FANTASTIC tiny little biscuits! The ingredients, menu, vibe were all great. For the price, it's a solid 3 stars, but for the convenience, and the fact that they are a part of the United MileagePlus dining program that gives me airline miles, I'm gonna go with a solid 4. Armed with a little menu back-knowledge, I bet I could easily have an even better meal here next time. Party on, brunch-goers.
(3)
Raychel K.
Don't believe the haters -- this place is great! That is, unless you like big portions and boring food. This is one of our favorite places to dine in Eugene, and we eat out a lot. The food is always creative, ingredients are locally sourced (in fact, we've seen the owners buying ingredients at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays), dishes seasonal, and the smaller portion size just means you get to try more items! Their cocktails are also delish. One of my most favorite things I've ever eaten I had at Party Downtown -- pork "noodle" with bay shrimp. It wasn't a noodle at all, but was julienned pork skin that had been soaked in some sort of liquid as to make it pliable like a noodle. I will be back. Again and again.
(4)
J H.
This is an interesting little place. Located in the back on an ice cream shop (see my review for Red Wagon Creamery), this restaurant boasts a 5 star menu at a 4 star price, and much, much less pretentiousness. I ordered some (forget what kind of potato) tater tots, that came with an apple ketchup and a creamy white sauce (again, forgetting the names here, sorry). I also ordered the "Son in Law Egg," on which I was sold by the time the waiter said, "fried hard boiled egg with..." A friend ordered a good bacon arugula sandwich. We both paid around $10. So for a nice upscale meal in a laid back environment at a decent price, try this spot.
(4)
Jeremy A.
Been a huge fan of Party Cart. Party Downtown is just as good but with drinks!
(5)
Tianyi S.
Saturday mornings always present an agonizing "first-world problems" mental trial about where to brunch. This past Saturday, as I lay in bed moaning with hunger & abject sadness ("Why is Addi's so far away? Where is bacon when you need it?"), a hopeful thought popped into my head- "Wait- didn't Party Downtown recently open their new location? You think they're open for brunch?" AND INDEED THEY WERE. I enjoyed a wonderful wild rice "congee" with smoky shredded grilled pork, garlic, and soft boiled egg. The "son in law" egg was equally yummy and thought-provoking: it was hardboiled, fried & served with crispy shallots, rhubarb sauce and fresh cilantro. The "biscuits & (turkey porcini) gravy" came with a mouthgasmy turkey leg confit that was prepared & fried to ridiculous perfection. My coffee came in ware that would make avid Pinteresters' minds explode with adoration (see picture) and the overall decor of the restaurant was correspondingly eye-pleasing. Raw copper, silver, turquoise & wood tones are beguilingly found in all the restaurant's little details- recycled water glasses & tiny vases, mason jars, copper pitchers, ceramic turquoise sconces, old polished silverware & a be-pennied bathroom floor add a certain vintage charm that is hard to pull off IRL. It's an added bonus that after your meal, you can walk straight back to Red Wagon Creamery (which I did & you will do as well) & enjoy a cone in more vintage style. In fact, I enjoyed brunch so much that a few hours later, I came back for dinner. (Don't judge me.) Dinner-- which consisted of housemade bread & butter, Ling cod with pickled rhubarb, braised greens and fried corn cakes, a perfectly executed pot-au-feu (Kimchi braised beef with parsnips and radish and scallions), shrimp salad with wild watercress on brioche (I would eat this forever), and an inexplicably mouthwatering Filipino sausage with wild 'dirty rice'-- was just as good as brunch, though I'm more partial to the prices & sense of well-being (mostly from rolling out of bed and into Party Downtown) that I derived from brunch. Aside from PD's allegiance to sourcing organic & locally (and keeping the menu interesting in a groundbreaking 'big-city' way), it also consistently achieves this great contrast of flavors in all its dishes- every other bite yields some yin-yang harmony of savory, sweet, acidic, full, fresh & floral flavor. This is magic. This is downtown revitalization. This is why I'm going to live in Eugene forever. (Sigh...) Anyway, TL;DR. I'm so glad the Party Cart has an official indoor dining space. Makes me so much more willing to make it rain for food. =) Thanks, Tiffany & Mark! Bottom Line: PARTY.
(5)
Spencer M.
Mark and Tiffany are some of the most creative and inventive chefs in Oregon that put out incredibly tasty food. Ever since they were slingin' Korean poutine out of the Party Cart, I've been a huge fan. I've been in several times and am never disappointed. Last time some highlights were the smoked oyster and onion dip (like french onion dip but 1000x tastier); pork vindaloo sliders, and candy cap mushroom everything! (from a delightful cocktail to a pot de creme). The only downside is that most of these items won't be on the menu for long (except the oyster dip!), but it also means the menu is never stale. And they also walk the talk when sourcing from the finest local farms, ranches and fishermen. Which means their menu is seasonal and ultra fresh. Party Downtown is my favorite restaurant in Eugene hands down. My only wish is that they had a Portland location.
(5)
Marsha B.
Eight of us had dinner in a mostly empty Party Downtown last night. If our experience was typical, this restaurant won't last out the year. First of all, for a restaurant with fairly high prices, there is absolutely no atmosphere or fine dining ambiance. Lighting can only be called "daylight," tables are long and narrow and appear to have been purchased at IKEA: Think high school cafeteria in a high-end public school district. Waiter seemed overwhelmed at having to take orders from eight people. One of the diners ordered a burger and, when asked how she wanted it prepared, she clearly said she wanted it well-done. When her order finally arrived--after everyone but one other burger order had been served, an order or two at a time so that none of us were served all together--her hamburger was medium-rare, at best, so she sent it back. Wine pours were skimpy and our dinner for two with one glass of wine and a beer came to about $50. On the slight plus side, the waiter brought a glass of wine "on the house" for the rare-burger diner, and a couple of the small plate sides were tasty. The blackened salmon was done well, but the smoked chicken with gnocchi and "sweet-and-sour" spinach that was bland was a disappointment. This "Party" fizzles as a restaurant and maybe should have remained a cart.
Party Downtown is certainly a cute eatery. Once beginning as PartyCart, a local food cart operated by creators Mark and Tiffany serving organic and creative dishes for reasonable prices, Party Downtown has since opened their official restaurant on Broadway in Downtown Eugene. There, you will find an assortment of creative dishes all made with local ingredients. You can find everything from Duck Confit, Pork chops with Delacata squash, Kimchi beef, to even the more unusual items such as a smoked Albacore melt pancake. Combining a variety of cooking styles and flavors, Party Downtown certainly has a lot of creativity and fun with their menu surprises. After just opening their restaurant, the ballet studio I work for contacted Party Downtown in hopes of having them cater one of our seasonal events. Despite being extremely busy with their new establishment, they graciously provided us with an assortment of cute and yummy ourderves that were very much a hit with our guests. The event featured the following menu items... - Deviled Eggs - FlufferNutter Bites (essentially, a hazelnut and peanut butter cookie with a dollop of marshmallow icing) - Pigs in a Blanket - Celery Bacon Cream Cheese Bites Certainly all packed with flavor and catering to those with an appetite for slightly more rich and salty foods, the items were quite a success. The portions were perfect and we certainly had plenty to go around, by the end of the night there were hardly any leftovers. The food was delivered promptly, serving dishes and heating equipment were provided, and last minute presentation adjustments were applied on site. Personally, my only complaint would have had to been the presentation of the cookies. The marshmallow icing was applied minutes before serving and had a tendency to fall off the rather small cookies. The run-off created more of a messy look which wasn't an ideal presentation for guests. If you're a fan of creative and slightly odd combinations, Party Downtown will certainly show you how to have fun with food!
(3)
Raven C.
My first time here after my friends ranted and raved was not a disappointment. The restaurant itself is set up in an open way that allows you to see what they are doing in the kitchen, which I always appreciate. The bar in the back is tucked away with dim lighting which is better if you want to hide away. Everyone who works here obviously loves their job and it excited to be making local fresh artisan foods that you can't get anywhere else. Contrary to what almost everyone says, Party isn't that expensive considering the quality of the food and service you are getting. The best cocktails downtown, hands down. If you're worried about price, consider going during happy hour. I went with a friend and we shared four plates of out of this world food and each had two cocktails. All of it came out to be about $20 a person and we were each pleasantly full. I would highly recommend Party Downtown to anybody, you absolutely have to go here if you want to try something that you couldn't make yourself at home.
(5)
Peter O.
We are down visiting our Eugenian friends from Seattle and stopped by this place last night for dinner. How surprised we were to find this hidden treasure behind the ice cream parlor. The food and service was excellent and we really appreciated the locally sourced and homemade dishes on the menu. Everything cooked with pride, quality and creativity. It reminded us a lot of Seattle's well known Porkchop and Co. in Ballard. Chef/owners who really care!
(5)
Mark P.
Food: Delicious! Price: Too expensive. When we walked in, they told us it was "family style". Me and a 5 of my friends shared $125 worth of food and drinks, and none of us felt like we had more than a light snack afterward. The rum punch is served in a cup slightly larger than a shot glass, and costs $9. You can't defend that, you just can't. Decor: Decent. It's kind of a strange lighting, but I think they're working with what they have. Service: Very nice. The lady was always checking in on us at the right times, constantly giving us water refills, and was pleasant overall. Conclusion: A great place with great service that could do with larger servings. I suppose if you're a foodie with a trust fund, it's a great spot to hit up.
(3)
Alieta T.
Crazy good brunch. Non standard food profil3s. Extr3mely good food. Way cool service. Gluten free options. Pour over coffee was a mega plus. Non-pretentious brunch spot. Eugene needs more zones like this.
(5)
Katherine W.
My new favorite Sunday morning spot. And, if i can find a way to make it happen, my new favorite every day spot. The food is amazing. Always surprising in the most delicious way. I've been coming here weekly since they opened, and I always order something new. Last Sunday, I went for the albacore. It came with wild rice mixed with fresh herbs AND a stuffed red pepper to boot. The fish itself was perfect - seared on one side and ... just ... perfect. I watch a pretty hefty amount of cooking shows, so I should have a better food vocabulary. So, I'll say the albacore, along with everything I've ever ordered, is "stunning," "vibrant," and "beautifully balanced." Eating here is like choosing the mystery flavor airhead, and never being disappointed. Or, what about this ... eating here is like sticking your hand in to one of those spooky halloween boxes, and coming up with gold every time. Or, in this case, albacore. Either way, eat here. Take a chance. The menu changes every week. Service is friendly and wonderful - if you don't know what a menu item is ... try asking someone. I do every week and I'm always grateful that I did.
(5)
Joe L.
I remember a Eugene where if you wanted cornmeal-crusted fried kimchi, you had to get in your car and head north to Portland. Those days are gone. Eugene downtown has been developing like crazy and Party Downtown is one of the best additions. We stopped in for lunch with my brother and, honestly, I don't even remember what we got. There was pork belly and lots of different, interesting salads. Something was braised. Something else was deep fried. Everything was unbelievably delicious. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is comfortable. Nothing was too expensive. Portions were decent. Everybody wins.
(4)
Amy P.
i started a detailed review of our experience after our last visit here, but then decided to delete it as I was very disappointed to the point of being almost angry. After months have gone by, I still have very little good to say. The service was at most fair. The food and beverage was mediocre, small portions & quite overpriced. I am glad that they are using high quality, locally sourced ingredients, but unfortunately they are not doing those ingredients much justice. It really is too bad, I thought that they had a lot of potential. My previous visit here had been pretty good, but I certainly will not be returning.
(1)
Jennifer S.
Wonderful service and wine recommendations. The barley carbonara was suberb. The salmon dish was creative and among the best ever.
(5)
Jon S.
With a couple of excellent exceptions, the dishes were surprisingly bland and over-salted. The cocktails were weak and syrupy. I liked the creativity of menu, but I don't think they've quite pulled it off. Pros: The beet tart and the kimchi soup were perfectly offbeat and delicious. Those dishes are worth going for. Cons: Food and cocktails are (generally) boring, especially given the price and portion size.
(2)
heather f.
5 Star Food. I loved every bite. YES, the portions are small compared to other restaurants but people, these are healthy portions for anyone wanting to maintain a healthy weight. Sorry America, we are so off the mark in this category and our health suffers! The service lacked so much and managed to make minor errors consistently all night long. I am not sure they have any professional mentorship in this department. Again, the food was incredible. I had a burger, they nailed it. Service was what I may expect at a cheap eats place on campus from an 18 year old with no dining experience or serving training. If they can address that aspect, i would return and recommend.
(3)
Katlin L.
My boyfriend and I had a late dinner at Party Downtown Friday evening and had a WONDERFUL experience. I decided on Wildcraft Cider to drink and we shared the charcuterie plate, that had a few different house made meats and was delicious. Our main courses were both prepared efficiently and beautifully! We had the steak and the goat chop. Our service was also great! Brandon was more than helpful and polite. We will definitely be back.
(4)
Isabelle M.
Very bummed. Met up with some friends on Friday night. Only one server for whole place. We were given a menu, that's. After waiting almost 20 minutes, we went up to cashier to order a couple of drinks. Waited another 15-20 minutes to receive drinks. Since that took so long we decided to leave. We had to pay 20% gratuity on the two drinks since we met with a group of people, even though we didn't get any service. Our friends also asked for separate checks when ordering, but server said no, it would be easier at the end, and then was a little irritated when we asked for checks and made us spend another 20 minutes splitting the bill. It seemed like a cool place, but I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)
Matt S.
I almost feel like I'm too friendly with Tiffany and Mark to write an objective review of Party Downtown. But here's the thing: they are both super socially-intelligent and outgoing and, going back to the cart days, I always feel like they are talking to people that know them way better than I do. You just get a warm feeling being around them. Oh yeah, here's the real thing compelling me to write this objective review: they make the best food in Eugene. Some things to know and think about if you haven't been, or if you have been and maybe need to reassess your perspective: ~ Order at counter during lunch time, table service for dinner. ~ Get 3 or 4 plates per 2 people. Share. Compare your bill to other restaurants. Really, you are doing okay. ~ Go by yourself. Order just one plate. Contemplate the average American diet versus a European diet. Get a big fat ice cream cone next door (attached) if you need to fill in the difference. ~ Fish preparation is stellar. ~ Anytime they have shrimp salad, order it. Send me a message to let me know it's on the menu. I wrote the following (I'm abridging it now) two years ago after eating at the cart, and nothing has changed except the location and the sheer number of times I have eaten their food and walked away feeling better about life: "PartyCart is single-handedly changing how I think about food. I don't know how else to put this, but the food at this cart actually tastes fresher than just about anything I've ever had. The folks making this happen are deeply committed to, and enthusiastic about, local sourcing. The menu changes every week. . .they aren't strictly vegetarian but always have at least one item in both large and small categories that is flesh-free. I'm not even going to mention specific things that I have eaten, since it depends on what ingredients they have, except to tell you that I've tried a handful of items and every single one has been 5-star worthy in my book." Bottom line: If I had 12 hours left in Eugene, this is where I would go for my last meal.
(5)
Kahlil N.
Mark and Tiffany I love you guys! You guys make amazing food, and if it weren't for the small portion sizes I'd with out a doubt give ya five stars. With that said I truly feel your price to portion ratio is wayyyy off the mark, even for locally sourced and organic ingredients. I've been in twice to your new location, and both times felt like I only received a rather light snack. The first time was for brunch, believe I spent around 17 dollars and it still really wasn't a full meal. The second time was for lunch, I had a very tasty 10 dollar chicken sandwich, again though not even close to enough food! If you're trying to appeal to the downtown business crowd you need to feed them a reasonable sized lunch!
(3)
C. A.
Incredibly disappointing...especially after all the hype this place has received. WAY EXPENSIVE for simply mediocre food!! Order at the counter, pour your own water and pick up your own silverware - then items are brought to your table. Food is not innovative and simply not very nicely presented either. Not impressed and will not be returning!
(1)
Dawn C.
Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, folks, the Party Carters ( yelp.com/biz/partycart-e… ) have taken over downtown! Mark and Tiffany have opened their doors, and are serving dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch downtown. (Just behind their buddies, Red Wagon Creamery!) If you are a fan of farm to table, then make sure to put this place on your list. They are re-writing the rules and updating the notion to a '10s level. They actually opened for dinner about a week and a half ago, but tonight was my first trip. I absolutely love the space--they're right in the thick of things on Broadway, across the alley from First National and the Bijou. The street-facing shop is Red Wagon and the back area is the restaurant. Menu items are listed on a board on the main wall, and many meal choices have both small-plate and entree-sized options available--perfect for sharing. And related to the sharing piece I have to tell you--it's important to be up for that style. Plates come out when they're ready, so if you're hungry, it's best to put forth the sharing attitude so that it's reciprocated back to ye. I love this kind of eating, but I do think it's something you should know before going in. There will be no basket of rolls, with pats of butter, and a straightforward progression of items. But isn't it time we (and our waistlines) moved beyond that idea anyway? *steps down from soapbox* Tonight I was with a large group of about 10, so we got to sample lots of wares. My personal favorite was the Gravlax on flatbread, which is basically a house-cured salmon (Gravlax) served with a horseradish cream cheese, pickled scallion, and dill fronds. It was just what my body needed. Other table favorites were the son-in-law egg (I'll let them explain), the chorizo-stuffed pickled prunes, flank steak with sesame and broccoli, and the confit turkey leg. The spring crop "salad" was also a winner--I had this for my dessert! With Oregon strawberries (in addition to the veg), olive oil, and dukkah (basically chopped hazelnuts with Egyptian spices) I thought it a fine end to a delicious meal. The Partiers offered a modest selection of dessert items (e.g., sweet pea and honey pot de creme) but, really, who needs dessert when you're going to walk by an ice cream parlor on your way out the door? I remember the first person I met as I sauntered up to the 'Cart those near two years ago... "These guys are changing the world, I tell you! Changing. The. World." Well, I'd have to say I agree with them. Head on down and #partydowntown and tell me you don't think differently about food.
(5)
Sharon L.
Really innovative and delicious menu. Great prices and GREAT service, which is far too rare in Eugene. I'd list the highlights of our meal but its an ever changing menu. The plates are small so you can order a bunch of different things to try which is my favorite way to eat. PARTY!
(4)
Bill J.
Despite all the stars the parking lot was empty at noon on a Sunday for brunch. This place takes itself way too seriously. Don't ask for something slightly different than on the menu, they won't do it. The fried gnocchi tastes like it was soaked in grease. There is no salt or pepper on the table, likely because they think their food is perfect. Will not be back.
We went here for lunch on Sunday. I used to DJ in this space when it was SNAFU and you wouldn't recognize it now! It is light and airy and the huge front window makes it into a whole new space. The staff were really sweet and attentive, although they sat us down without pointing out the menu on the wall, directly above and behind me, so I was a little confused when our server asked if we were ready to order, as I had not been given a menu. But it was truly no big deal. The menu is varied and the thing that brought me here was learning that as much of their food as possible is locally sourced. My companion had the adorable tiny biscuits with bacon honey-butter, smashed potatoes with "apple ketchup" that was really more "apple sauce/butter" and a side of bacon. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We both had the house made sodas, Strawberry and Grenadine which were super tasty. I had the shrimp salad in lettuce, which was yummy. Everything looked as if it had been lovingly prepared, not just slopped together. The prices are pretty decent, especially considering the quality of the food.
(4)
Mason G.
I've only had food this good in Eugene once before (that I didn't make, haha!). It seemed like the prices were a little steep until I was told that everything but the salt and pepper were local and seasonal. I was still a little skeptical. I haven't known very many places that can really work a seasonal menu. The grilled padron peppers were amazing. Okay, stop. Everything was amazing. Here's what we got: chicken liver pate with pickled fennel, seared albacore with mashed cauliflower, some kind of scrambled egg on wheat berries, a kimchi scotch egg, and a sausage and fried egg with a black bean gravy. Never could I imagine that someone could make a gravy out of black beans. It was inspiring food. A little on the spendy side. With drinks and full bellies it came out to $20 per person. And that was brunch. Next time I'm in Eugene and don't want to get the rice omelet at Brail's, Party Downtown is gettin my business.
(5)
Jenny J.
Love, love, love this place! It's tapas for the culinarily adventurous. Sign us up! We're vegetarian and have eaten here several times now. About 40% of their menu is vegetarian or can be made vegetarian, and they are very accommodating about doing this. My favorite thing on the menu is a blue cheese "pancake", which is more of a fluffy souffle cake, with kimchee on top. Sounds strange, I know, but the tastes work together so well. Lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the menu is constantly changing, which makes it even more fun. Their tortilla pie was also fabulous, as were the brunch dishes with lots of pancake and egg dishes. If you've got kids in tow, they'll be very happy to learn that the restaurant shares a floor with an ice cream shop (Red Wagon Creamery). And the space is huge and beautiful - very modern, hip and spacious. The owners, Mark and Tiffany, are super nice. I'm really glad to see them succeed, and grateful to them for making Eugene's restaurant scene a more interesting, delicious place!
(5)
Roman S.
strange mesh-up that feels like it belongs in a different city where people don't mind paying $$$ for small american inspired and worldly tapas. at first i liked what they were doing. unique cuisine, changes frequently, natural good quality ingredients. however, their pricing is hard to justify for what they are offering. yes, it's fancy, trendy, popular perhaps because it is Eugene and it's hard to find chefs who can experiment and make interesting food, but unless you have deep pockets and don't care about bite sized portions you should look elsewhere. if they readjust their pricing or up portion sizes it can easily be a 4 star place.
(3)
Fawn C.
Four of us for dinner, and we were all very disappointed. We all meet once a month to try a new restaurant in Eugene. We all ordered the "Kitchen" which is the chef's choice. We each were able to have a bite of each dish they brought out and that was it. For $80.00 we expected a whole lot more. We left hungry and very dissatisfied. The food, also, was not very appetizing. I would not recommend this restaurant at all. The only thing good was the service.
(1)
Deezy D.
Creative, tasty and well prepared dishes. We had a large group and they were short a cook, so it took awhile but they were so nice. We did $20 per person and chef decided what to serve. They brought small plates for 2.5 hours (this is the short a chef on a Friday night part). It was so fun to try so many different items and they were awesome. Definitely go for adventuresome food. It is also attached to a creamery, we only tried the goat coffee one and it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted!
(4)
Alice G.
We went for brunch on a weekend, and found the place dead empty. Yes, it was empty for a good reason - it was bloody expensive! The food was imaginative, but two small breakfast items and coffee came to $40. This is not the Four Seasons, or even Marche. Although I welcome the downtown revival, with their high prices and awkward, tucked-behind-an-ice cream parlor location, I don't see the Party lasting too long.
(2)
Aaron C.
Mark and Tiffany are amazing! Never let down by what they do. Chose this place for my birthday they were accommodating and wonderful!
(5)
Jennifer M.
Party Downtown has become our "go to" place for a grown-up evening, date night, friends, whatever. Its delicious every time! Of all our visits, we've only disliked one drink and they promptly made us something else. The staff is knowledgable, and friendly. Just the right amount of service to make sure you're happy. I can't imagine ordering anything but the "kitchens choice". It's an adventure and i love not thinking about choosing my food. I just know that my taste buds will be happy with whatever they bring. Bon appetite!
(5)
Rosquete B.
4* Party Downtown 55 W. Broadway Eclectic menu Casual atmosphere Loved the tomato apple gnocchi The goat chop was tasty The burger with bacon was superb Friendly food service by Brandon
(4)
Maki D.
Late to the party, so I hear! (me, not the restaurant). Lol, finally made it to Party Downtown with another frequenter of the establishment my good friend MX. MX and I made it for dinner the other evening was pleased to see that the restaurant was full, but not so full that we couldn't get a cozy little table. For as busy as the restaurant seemed to be on a Friday night we got serviced very quickly and efficiently. First up, the smoked oyster dip. OMG. You might cringe a bit at the thought of an oyster dip, but don't let that fool you. Your first bite is a thick, creaminess then you get the taste of a slight smokiness with a bite of something....shallots I think? Spread that on a house made potato chip and you are good to go. Next up, gnocchi tots! Deep fried house made potato gnocchi with a house apple ketchup and white barbecue sauce. The tots were so light, airy and absolutely scrumptious. The accompanying sauce was reminiscent of an apple butter and paired quite surprisingly well with the tots. MX got the special of the day, the beet borscht which was an incredibly soul warming soup for a rainy night. I think there was pork in it...which I thought interesting since the board made no indication of meat in the soup. But the fatty makeup of the pork really lent itself well to the overall soup, I thought. Moving right along, I ordered the petrale sole with parsnips, bacon jam and parsley. Now I must have read the menu wrong (which I felt sheepish about after speaking with our server about it) and didn't see that the parsley was not a garnish but was meant to be more of a salad that accompanied the sole. I absolutely did not like the whole leafed parsley atop the fish and instantly picked them all out. It was my bad for not reading the menu closely. The sole was interesting, it was well cooked, slightly crispy and caramelized on the edges, there was a slight sweet acidity to the fish that was nice, but I really wished for more seasoning. I've also discovered that I am not a big fan of parsnips..another lesson for me in dining out.. And because MX and I stuffed ourself beyond belief, we ordered our desserts to go. I ordered the bay leaf panna cotta with strawberry compote and hazelnut cookie crumbles. I did read that one correctly. lol. OMG. I love panna cotta, but this panna cotta took the cake. The mix of the strawberry compote and the hazelnut cookie crumbles were beyond heavenly. Creamy, sweet, and oh so light with the nuttiness of the cookie...divine! Overall I adore this quirky little spot with it's unusual dishes and flavors and hope to come back for more.
(3)
Bonnie B.
Typically when I go out to eat, I'm accompanied by my mother now in her 70s, and my teen, and I'm in my 40s. The trick is always finding a restaurant where we all like the food. Party Downtown has delivered and then some! We have enjoyed the ever changing menu, the casual decor, and the fact that Red Wagon Ice Cream is just on the other side. If you are looking for gigantic mass quantities of food, this would likely be a challenging restaurant for you to visit. If you are looking for appropriately sized portions of extremely tasty food, this is the place. What I found most interesting, as I tend to be a very ahem hearty eater--truly flavorful food fills me up quickly. That's exactly what happens when I eat at Party Downtown.
(4)
Bondito H.
So happy to have found this place since moving to Eugene from Southern California. Not gonna waste time talking about how off-base the negative reviews are. Experienced Yelpers know that Yelp draws a certain group of people who are never gonna be happy with anything. It seems that several of them are represented on this page. So! I have had several dinners at Party Downtown. I have always found the service to be professional while living up to their fun name. Party! I've also eaten some of the most surprising flavor combinations and have only been disappointed once--when a cauliflower dish was a little too salty. It's my understanding that this business started as a food cart that specialized in lunches. That would be my one change--they currently are not open for lunch. Their casual sort of Euro decor would lend itself well to a hearty but simple "peasant lunch" of soup and bread for the winter. I would be there every day, if such a thing existed. If you're looking for food that will impress out of town foodie guests, or you just want to know that the source of you food is local and organic, this place should be your go-to. It's definitely mine.
(5)
Laura F.
This place is fabulous! Clever decor, creative and delicious menu, and great service. We had Sunday Brunch and ordered 9 of the 13 items on the menu (we ordered two and three orders each of a couple items). There wasn't a bummer in the bunch. After the first couple plates, we just asked our server, James, to keep bringing things to us - we didn't even specify what. The son-in-law egg and the deviled duck egg were both sublime. The cocktails were also great. The chefs are ahead of the culinary curve in this town and I've told all my friends to check out this gem.
(5)
Jessica F.
We did the $20 a head, chef's choice: The son-in-law egg was something new to me, and really good, the shrimp salad FRESH (definitely not served with enough brioche, though), the spinach pie was buttery and the crust to die for, and the chicken pot pie, while on the surface nothing special, WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN, OH GOD. So hearty. So savory. They've definitely got something going on with that crust. For dessert we had a pea and honey creme pot. Probably the best borderline baby food dish i've ever had, and that's not sarcasm- it was really good. The menu changes daily, and I'm looking forward to returning. Congrats on the new place, guys!
(5)
Joe S.
The good: excellent, quality, locally sourced, gourmet food, personable atmosphere, great coffee from Wandering Goat, amazing bacon. The bad: small portions, no ice in water, no butter or jam for toast with the Great American breakfast, and just one egg! Out of ketchup and a few other things. A bit warm when filled with people.
(3)
Cee D.
I don't get to come here nearly as often as I would like, sadly, but each return visit shows me that the folks at Party are on a great course. The place just keeps getting better, and while I miss character of the rotating chalk menu, they didn't lose a thing in moving to the printed menu format. (and, frankly, it makes deciding on an order that much easier / less awkward). The food here is rich and the flavors are strong. It's comfort food, without being too heavy. Perfect for the name. It really is a party IN YOUR MOUTH. The serving sizes are perfect for this type of dining experience. It's easy to share with friends, or to gorge selfishly on a plate that is not so big as to fill you up before your next delicious plate arrives (and you should order as much as possible or do the chef's tasting/choice menu). Local, good value, very friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, great cocktails. All the superlatives are belong to them.
(5)
Mindy S.
Love this place! We just found this place (it is a mystery if you are driving down Broadway, looking for a big sign). It is actually on the backside of Red Wagon Creamery and you go in their front door to walk back...through the bar area past the kitchen pass through window area to the main dining room. We chose to eat in the bar area which is a bit more romantic and dark. We were there before 6 pm so we were there during "Happy Hour" so we tried the gnocchi tots for an appetizer. So delicious :) Then we both had the burger which was.....YUM!!!!! The brioche bun they make is perfect (not a big HUNK of bread to mask the size of the meat). The meat...FABULOUS! cooked medium rare. It was so tasty and tasted so familiar. Later, when I came home I found out that Party Downtown uses "Deck Family Farm" organic/pasture raised beef! We get their meat all the time. The lettuce was a beautiful wide leaf green w/ purple speck lettuce. The cheese was very nice, not masking the meat, but complimenting it nicely. I ate half of my filling burger and took the other half home. I got chips (they make in house) which were amazing, perfectly salted and not a touch of oil on my fingers or lips. They have perfected the perfect potato chip. My partner had a salad which he said was very nice and looked great. Mixed greens all dark and bright greens/purples, heirloom lettuces with a nice vinaigrette dressing that is house made. All organic food is served here.....very refreshing since we had just come from a "March Against Monsanto" event earlier in the day. I tried a cocktail which was very nice (a strawberry drink) and my partner had a micro-brew beer on tap. We were extremely happy with our food and the server who was also our bartender. We skipped on dessert since we wanted to give Red Wagon a bit of our business, we opted for the ice cream. The dessert menu looked very unique and delicious but we will have to try something next time. No problem....we will be back again and again! We felt the value was very good for the quality of the food we ate.
(5)
Helios L.
The ever-changing menu is always creative, and they use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Presentation of plates is very nice, and the Red Wagon Creamery adjoining is an added bonus. That being said, I haven't been here often enough to appreciate the good food, and should give it another chance. It's been a while (about a year) but the service was pretty bad both times - once I got the wrong order and another time the server forgot to take it when I was sitting at the end of a large table. It WAS busy, but it didn't feel worth it to pay those prices and get subpar service. I'd rather have Party Cart prices and expectations.
(3)
Charlie G.
Has some great talent, young talent maybe. Overall would have been much better if each dish had a little more salt and acid....my opinion. It is still a must try. After all, this is what yelp is for...finding new restaurants and watching them grow. I'll go back and good luck Party Downtown!!
(4)
Ustaza M.
Best service I had in Eugene. Attentive and efficient. The food was interesting. Good change from usual fare and conversation starter.
(4)
DeathandFood H.
Holy Hipster. Portland has come to Eugene and it is good. Surprisingly good. I felt like I was at a more causal State Bird Provisions than in Eugene. I wasn't expecting this much creativity or good food for in Eugene. Sorry Eugene, just saying in the 4 years of visiting Eugene this was by far some of the best and most creative food I've eaten there. I can see how for folks used to a lower price point for food or who like more traditional American food this place could be a miss. The portions are small plates meant to be shared and for a person to get 2-3 plate might be expensive for some locals. Coming from SF, I was happy as can be to spend only 65 for three people for dinner. The larger dishes are over 10 dollars and the smaller ones are under 10. I found all the portions to be the right size for the price. The menu changes everyday but it seems to rotate favourite dishes. Dishes we had: Son in law eggs- lightly fried hardboiled eggs with berry sauce & fried scallions. a very american take on a Chinese dish. not bad all. arugula salad with lots of good things. very tasty. shrimp cocktail was served in a jar with shrimp salad with a cucumber ice over it. Fun and tasty. Pancake-this was rather bland for me, especially after having an insanely good squid pancake in Seattle for lunch that day. Beer spare ribs. With all the local micro brewers this was a no brainer and for only 14 there was enough meat for two of us or one middle American. There was another dish but I can't remember what it was. We didn't do dessert because the ice cream at Red Wagon Creamy which shares a building with them was calling us. There could have been more vegetarian choices. The space is a newly renovated space with wheelchair access, good lighting but they desperately need some sound baffling as it is quite loud. There's a nice alcohol selection with lots of local brews. If it was in San Francisco it would be 4 stars but considering it's in a culinary backwater with folks that don't seem to be willing to pay more than 20 dollars a person to eat. I think it deserves 6 stars. The service was friendly if casual. Our server was well informed about the food. If you have to stop in Eugene, moved there for school or some how ended up there, this is a place you want to eat.
(5)
ponce c.
I eat here once a week, this is the best food in the world! Mark and Tiffany make everything from scratch (curing the bacon, fermenting the kimchi they even churn their own butter!) portions are not huge but the Party is all about quality over quantity and the quality is supreme. if you want LOCAL and delicious this is the best place you will find. Praise the Lard.
(5)
E T.
I have NEVER been angry at a restaurant. But I am now. We went right after opening that day. This being our first time there, we were trying to figure out their dining system. Do we order at the counter, do we bus ourselves? How about utensils, water? The guy at the counter, after studiously not acknowledging our presence in the empty space for some time, then started in with quite the attitude. "Ask if you have any questions," he said. But when any of us asked him questions, he totally ignored it. I think there were owners at the place. A couple guys came out of the kitchen while we were there, talking to a couple of women in the dining room; I am assuming they have some connection to this restaurant. But for some reason they're not interested in serving their paying customers. We ordered from the embarrassingly empty menu (you could count the choices on one hand), found a table, and waited. When the meals came, they were not accompanied by silverware. Or napkins. Apparently for that kind of service, you have to pay more. Our server should pay less attention to the grooming of his mustache and more attention to his customers. Or his job. We waited far too long in the empty restaurant for our three entrees and three coffees, which came to $36. I whole-heartedly support local and sustainable restaurants. I do not mind the higher price and small portions as long as they are worth it. But not here. The coffee we got was acidic, lukewarm and tasted horribly burnt. We love coffee. My husband just took a sip and could not take another. He looked as if he'd be eternally grateful to be magically teleported to Charbucks at that moment. Actually, we all did. My food was inedible. Mind you, I NEVER leave my food on the plate -- especially when that food is pricy. I had the spanish tortilla and it was like eating pure salt. I detected no herbs, no spices, just salt. Maybe they did, but I could not taste anything since my taste buds were burned by salt. My husband and daughter was skeptical when I said "I cannot eat it," because, well, I never say that, so my husband tried a bite. BIG MISTAKE. My hubs has a salt tooth. He COULD NOT eat it. The side of potatoes was salted. That's it. Giant, comically oversize grains big enough to crack a tooth, and exactly no other seasonings. No complementary flavor of any kind. There were more herbs in the sad sprig of rosemary on our table than in all of our meals. Combined. Yes, they were really good potatoes to begin with -- and the people who cooked it care so little, they screw up even that. The house-made ketchup (we assumed that's what they were going for) was so unbalanced and ammoniac no one wanted it. I think they might have used raisins to sweeten it or something, but it was so strangely sweet and tannic at the same time. Sad. On the bright side, eating the over-salted potatoes was a relief after literally gagging on the main course.
(1)
Phil J.
We happened to get the short straw on our waitress but the meal made up for it. So, if you get the short haired girl with the squeaky voice, hang in there. The food is good.
(4)
Dominic I.
So I feel kind of bad writing a 3 star review for this place because I always hear really good things about it and I really want to like it. I have only been once, and I plan on returning and hope to have a better meal. Service was fine, friendly. It was DEAD when we went there, maybe only one other table. I always a little put off by ordering at the counter, but it's fine. The menu was really confusing to me... On the wall, hanging signs in no perticular order, with many things that I have never even heard of, and i've been in the restaurant industry my whole life. We ordered 2 sandwiches and shared... could have eaten about 4 by myself, they were tiny! and they were both over $10 each!!! They tasted okay, but not that incredible, not for the price. One was a mediterannian chicken, the other was like a shrimp salad.... made with bay shrimp! Not impressed. So like I said, I will try it again, but if I have a similar enounter, no more. No party for me.
(3)
Elizabeth C.
Eugene's newest gem. Party Downtown has taken food to a whole new level. The saying "there's a party in my mouth" rings true with every bite! One thing I don't think people have caught on is that these plates are made for sharing. I recommend the salmon, sausage, and beef, the padron peppers with whipped goat cheese are delicious! Also it's the best cocktail list in the city. All ingredients are local and fresh.
(4)
Ms. M.
The food here is delish. Amazing flavors, perfect potions, and adventurous eats. The bar is fun too. Lots of character and great drinks. The only complaint I have is that it is obscenely loud. The ceilings are high and the place echos. It's not the kind of loud that I enjoy. I like a lively place but I honestly had to yell so that my date could hear me. So exhausting. I do hope the owners consider a fix to that.
(4)
Kate B.
Wow. I love the cozy little bar tucked in between the restaurant and ice cream parlor! I've been there a couple times with small groups of friends, and each time everyone has raved about their cocktails. Party Downtown has become my favorite place for early evening drinks and small plates. The food is AWESOME. Super creative, fresh, exciting, delicious, and nutritious. Their ever-changing menu perfectly reflects Eugene's quirky foodie culture.
(5)
Chris F.
Really inventive takes on comfort food. Had a great lunch here and will be back!
(4)
Tricia H.
The dishes were on the small side and lacking flavor. The roasted peppers were a bland variety and needed herbs or salt. I could hardly taste the vinagrette on the bean salad. Disappointing because folks liked their food cart. I would not return.
(2)
Randall C.
Another addition to the downtown core with three more on the way PD will have to revisit their menu as well as pricing structure. Love the locally sourced fresh ingredients however the menu lacks true culinary creativity. Ouch for three with no alcohol for three was nearly $50 pre gratuity. Portions were medium sized appetizers.
(2)
Julie K.
Wow. This place does NOT deserve 4 or 5 stars, not even scaled to Eugene's low quality offerings. Sorry, no. Not even 3. We went here on recommendation of a good place to have brunch. What is brunch? It is two meals in one. It is breakfast-y and lunch-y foods. It is a fill-you-up, satisfy you until dinner meal. Brunch is not a snack. The appearance is nice, if ratings were based simply on looks, I'd give this place a 4. If you want to lick concrete floors and admire tasteful decor, but not actually eat, and be in a clean environment, this is your place. That's where the good points ended for me. The menu is weird. It's posted on the wall, and there are few selections. We were informed when we asked about breakfast food that if we want typical brunch foods, there are other places for that. Ok. Despite that nonsense, we stayed. This place is also absolutely not picky eater or vegetarian friendly - do not take children here. They had exactly one item on the menu that I found potentially appealing. Their meat offerings were primarily pork based, and we were informed this changes, and sometimes another meat is featured. The pancake was strange, and there was nothing else on the menu to offer my 4 year old - or me. I ordered a potato gnocchi dish with black beans and yogurt sauce. The flavor was good, but the serving size? Ridiculous. It might have been filling to someone with a recent gastric bypass who can only eat 3 oz of food at once (which is about the size of what was on my plate) but the portion size was absurd - to give a gauge of what I mean, the plate was maybe 6" in diameter and there was plenty of space left for more food. The price posted was $8 - she asked if I wanted a small or large portion, I said small, figuring that the price was probably for larger portion. Wrong. I paid $8.00 for 3 ozs of food. They charged $8.00 for my daughter's pancake, which she did not like, and $3.00 for my husband's iced tea, which he said did not taste good. My husband did not order any food at all because he found the menu so unappetizing - and he will eat almost anything other than fast food. $23.00, and no one was satisfied. At those prices, the portions are outrageously high. I would be willing to pay $4 or $5 for what I had, but at $8, I felt, frankly, like I'd been mugged. This is the equivalent of $43 for a 1 lb steak (higher quality cuts are around $18 in the store now) - and it was beans, a few gnocchi, and a tiny amount of yogurt. When we left, I was still very hungry, and highly annoyed. The food in this place was self-indulgently, pretentiously idiosyncratic. Note to owners: there is a reason people love omelets,sausage, and potatoes for brunch. There is a reason successful restaurants have items on menus that do not change, or change only seasonally: it gets people through the door and coming back, which we will not be doing. While we were there, one party of four came in, read the menu, and quickly left. Wish we had done the same.
(1)
Jennifer M.
Party Downtown has become our "go to" place for a grown-up evening, date night, friends, whatever. Its delicious every time! Of all our visits, we've only disliked one drink and they promptly made us something else. The staff is knowledgable, and friendly. Just the right amount of service to make sure you're happy. I can't imagine ordering anything but the "kitchens choice". It's an adventure and i love not thinking about choosing my food. I just know that my taste buds will be happy with whatever they bring. Bon appetite!
(5)
Cee D.
I don't get to come here nearly as often as I would like, sadly, but each return visit shows me that the folks at Party are on a great course. The place just keeps getting better, and while I miss character of the rotating chalk menu, they didn't lose a thing in moving to the printed menu format. (and, frankly, it makes deciding on an order that much easier / less awkward). The food here is rich and the flavors are strong. It's comfort food, without being too heavy. Perfect for the name. It really is a party IN YOUR MOUTH. The serving sizes are perfect for this type of dining experience. It's easy to share with friends, or to gorge selfishly on a plate that is not so big as to fill you up before your next delicious plate arrives (and you should order as much as possible or do the chef's tasting/choice menu). Local, good value, very friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, great cocktails. All the superlatives are belong to them.
(5)
Bondito H.
So happy to have found this place since moving to Eugene from Southern California. Not gonna waste time talking about how off-base the negative reviews are. Experienced Yelpers know that Yelp draws a certain group of people who are never gonna be happy with anything. It seems that several of them are represented on this page. So! I have had several dinners at Party Downtown. I have always found the service to be professional while living up to their fun name. Party! I've also eaten some of the most surprising flavor combinations and have only been disappointed once--when a cauliflower dish was a little too salty. It's my understanding that this business started as a food cart that specialized in lunches. That would be my one change--they currently are not open for lunch. Their casual sort of Euro decor would lend itself well to a hearty but simple "peasant lunch" of soup and bread for the winter. I would be there every day, if such a thing existed. If you're looking for food that will impress out of town foodie guests, or you just want to know that the source of you food is local and organic, this place should be your go-to. It's definitely mine.
(5)
Kate F.
After reading the reviews I expected much more. It was a warm Friday evening but the place was only 2/3 full while the creamery had a line out the door. The fried gnocci had a crispy coating & was perfectly cooked but was way too salty. The burger was very rare, tasteless & the bun disintegrated. Never tasted the cheese. Potato chips were great, the best I've had. No complaints on the service & the decor was very pretty. We won't be back.
(3)
Maki D.
Late to the party, so I hear! (me, not the restaurant). Lol, finally made it to Party Downtown with another frequenter of the establishment my good friend MX. MX and I made it for dinner the other evening was pleased to see that the restaurant was full, but not so full that we couldn't get a cozy little table. For as busy as the restaurant seemed to be on a Friday night we got serviced very quickly and efficiently. First up, the smoked oyster dip. OMG. You might cringe a bit at the thought of an oyster dip, but don't let that fool you. Your first bite is a thick, creaminess then you get the taste of a slight smokiness with a bite of something....shallots I think? Spread that on a house made potato chip and you are good to go. Next up, gnocchi tots! Deep fried house made potato gnocchi with a house apple ketchup and white barbecue sauce. The tots were so light, airy and absolutely scrumptious. The accompanying sauce was reminiscent of an apple butter and paired quite surprisingly well with the tots. MX got the special of the day, the beet borscht which was an incredibly soul warming soup for a rainy night. I think there was pork in it...which I thought interesting since the board made no indication of meat in the soup. But the fatty makeup of the pork really lent itself well to the overall soup, I thought. Moving right along, I ordered the petrale sole with parsnips, bacon jam and parsley. Now I must have read the menu wrong (which I felt sheepish about after speaking with our server about it) and didn't see that the parsley was not a garnish but was meant to be more of a salad that accompanied the sole. I absolutely did not like the whole leafed parsley atop the fish and instantly picked them all out. It was my bad for not reading the menu closely. The sole was interesting, it was well cooked, slightly crispy and caramelized on the edges, there was a slight sweet acidity to the fish that was nice, but I really wished for more seasoning. I've also discovered that I am not a big fan of parsnips..another lesson for me in dining out.. And because MX and I stuffed ourself beyond belief, we ordered our desserts to go. I ordered the bay leaf panna cotta with strawberry compote and hazelnut cookie crumbles. I did read that one correctly. lol. OMG. I love panna cotta, but this panna cotta took the cake. The mix of the strawberry compote and the hazelnut cookie crumbles were beyond heavenly. Creamy, sweet, and oh so light with the nuttiness of the cookie...divine! Overall I adore this quirky little spot with it's unusual dishes and flavors and hope to come back for more.
(3)
Bonnie B.
Typically when I go out to eat, I'm accompanied by my mother now in her 70s, and my teen, and I'm in my 40s. The trick is always finding a restaurant where we all like the food. Party Downtown has delivered and then some! We have enjoyed the ever changing menu, the casual decor, and the fact that Red Wagon Ice Cream is just on the other side. If you are looking for gigantic mass quantities of food, this would likely be a challenging restaurant for you to visit. If you are looking for appropriately sized portions of extremely tasty food, this is the place. What I found most interesting, as I tend to be a very ahem hearty eater--truly flavorful food fills me up quickly. That's exactly what happens when I eat at Party Downtown.
(4)
Ashleigh M.
Um. Omg. Hands down, the pour over style service of Wandering Goat coffee is the highlight. I haven't had coffee that good in *years*, people! Then add to it the holy-ish delicious breakfast casserole (what I personally ordered) and omfg it was a food-gasm. It's difficult to describe the extraordinary flavors of the food. Just trust me, try it *all* for yourself. Congratulations, Eugene, you've *finally* risen to culinary standards of larger metropolises like Portland or Seattle. Now if you could open another dozen places as excellent as this, I might move back to you...
(5)
Amber S.
Until this week I had never heard of Party Downtown (or Party Cart) but one of my friends posted something on facebook about it this week and urged everyone to try it out. So last night, my Husband and I did just that. We walked in through the Ice Cream parlor entrance and first came to the adorable tiny bar area. We noticed it had a couple open tables there but proceeded to the Main dining room. It was very full (and therefore very noisy) so we decided to head back to the bar area since it was date night for us and we wanted a bit more of an intimate setting. The bar area was perfect for that. We actually didn't realize that you are supposed to order your food at the counter or get your own utensils or water like other reviewers had said. A waiter came over and did say that the full menu was at the front dining area but we knew that we didn't even need to look at it because we wanted to try to Kitchen's Choice. He put in the order and brought us water and utensils. So maybe that had changed or maybe it is different in the bar vs. the dining room? The bartender came over to take our drink order and we decided to keep the theme of letting them choose what we would be receiving. He made me a bourbon drink, a Scofflaw, which was so delicious. I'm not gonna lie, I had three of them they were so good. My Husband enjoyed his Vodka drink as well. I will say that the drink size was very small and normally I'd have quite the buzz after three, but I didn't. They were really good though. And the bartender was very attentive and knowledgeable. We went with the $30 per person Kitchen's Choice (they also have a $20 option that offers less plates). I'll try to list them all. It was about 12 dishes in all. I was a little scared to have the kitchen decide what I would be eating because I am normally a very picky eater and really don't consider ourselves to be big 'foodies'. They did ask if we had any food allegories or dietary restrictions so they could adjust as needed. Despite my fears, I was very pleasantly surprised that I ate nearly everything that was served. Our server was very good about explaining everything that was on the plate. (I had not tried many of the things served and was glad that they explained what things were even though I didn't retain most of the information) 1) We started off with a lamb & vegetable dish. It has all sorts of tiny vegetables, some of which I had no idea what they were but they were all delicious. It was actually probably my favorite dish of the night. 2) Next we had the Gnocchi tot breakfast casserole. This was actually the first time I have ever had Gnocchi and this dish was so good. I want to go back for Brunch for this dish. 3) Then was a Kale salad which they explained should have been served first but we didn't mind the order. My Husband loved this one but I wasn't a huge fan. Just my preference though. 4) Then they served us deep fried hard boiled eggs. I am thinking those must be called the Son-In-Law eggs on their menu and these little things are SO good. Get them. 5) Then we had some little biscuit sliders with rabbit Canadian bacon and cheese. Those were really good as well. 6) Next we were served Charred asparagus on a sesame toast. This was good. Nothing too spectacular, but good. 7) Then we received the Goat slides and these were amazing. Slightly spicy. Full of flavor. I would order these again for sure. 8) Next it was the purple sprouting broccoli with chili garlic. These were also very good but hard to cut and eat so it was a little messy. 9) Then we received my least favorite dish of the night. The Duck Confit Pappardelle. This was a spicy but very salty noddle dish with Bok Choy and a mint chili sauce. To me it was pretty spicy but also so salty that I really didn't taste much else. The Duck was very tough (jerky-like). Just not my cup of tea. 10) Lastly we received the Braised Rabbit leg with wild rice and lentils. This dish was ok. I am not a fan of lentils. I wouldn't order this dish again but I didn't mind having it in the overall dinner experience. 11) and 12) were two different desserts. We received chocolate chip cookies with some sort of creamy spread on them. Those were so good and I wanted to order more. Just one cookie each wasn't enough. The next dessert was a lemon custard. It was good. Not something I would order again, but good. My husband really liked it though. Our bill totaled $98 for the two of us which is more than we normally spend on an average night of dining out. Which unfortunately means that it won't be one that we get to dine at as frequently as we do other places, but we will get to look forward to going for the occasion date night. We do often have clients who come from other States/Countries and I think it will be a good place to take them for business dinners. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.
(5)
Shannon D.
I absolutely live this restaurant! The menu is creative and the staff are very pleasant. Kudos to the chef for keeping things interesting!
(5)
Michael D.
Dining should be fun and Party has a great reasonably priced menu that is great tasting and great fun. With a trip to Eugene.
(4)
Judy A.
What a wonderful dining experience! The service was superb, the atmosphere was delightful, and the food was extraordinarily delicious! We had the heritage flatiron steak which burst with flavor in your mouth. I cannot wait to go back here to try something else. I have found my new favorite restaurant!
(5)
Tianyi S.
Saturday mornings always present an agonizing "first-world problems" mental trial about where to brunch. This past Saturday, as I lay in bed moaning with hunger & abject sadness ("Why is Addi's so far away? Where is bacon when you need it?"), a hopeful thought popped into my head- "Wait- didn't Party Downtown recently open their new location? You think they're open for brunch?" AND INDEED THEY WERE. I enjoyed a wonderful wild rice "congee" with smoky shredded grilled pork, garlic, and soft boiled egg. The "son in law" egg was equally yummy and thought-provoking: it was hardboiled, fried & served with crispy shallots, rhubarb sauce and fresh cilantro. The "biscuits & (turkey porcini) gravy" came with a mouthgasmy turkey leg confit that was prepared & fried to ridiculous perfection. My coffee came in ware that would make avid Pinteresters' minds explode with adoration (see picture) and the overall decor of the restaurant was correspondingly eye-pleasing. Raw copper, silver, turquoise & wood tones are beguilingly found in all the restaurant's little details- recycled water glasses & tiny vases, mason jars, copper pitchers, ceramic turquoise sconces, old polished silverware & a be-pennied bathroom floor add a certain vintage charm that is hard to pull off IRL. It's an added bonus that after your meal, you can walk straight back to Red Wagon Creamery (which I did & you will do as well) & enjoy a cone in more vintage style. In fact, I enjoyed brunch so much that a few hours later, I came back for dinner. (Don't judge me.) Dinner-- which consisted of housemade bread & butter, Ling cod with pickled rhubarb, braised greens and fried corn cakes, a perfectly executed pot-au-feu (Kimchi braised beef with parsnips and radish and scallions), shrimp salad with wild watercress on brioche (I would eat this forever), and an inexplicably mouthwatering Filipino sausage with wild 'dirty rice'-- was just as good as brunch, though I'm more partial to the prices & sense of well-being (mostly from rolling out of bed and into Party Downtown) that I derived from brunch. Aside from PD's allegiance to sourcing organic & locally (and keeping the menu interesting in a groundbreaking 'big-city' way), it also consistently achieves this great contrast of flavors in all its dishes- every other bite yields some yin-yang harmony of savory, sweet, acidic, full, fresh & floral flavor. This is magic. This is downtown revitalization. This is why I'm going to live in Eugene forever. (Sigh...) Anyway, TL;DR. I'm so glad the Party Cart has an official indoor dining space. Makes me so much more willing to make it rain for food. =) Thanks, Tiffany & Mark! Bottom Line: PARTY.
(5)
Spencer M.
Mark and Tiffany are some of the most creative and inventive chefs in Oregon that put out incredibly tasty food. Ever since they were slingin' Korean poutine out of the Party Cart, I've been a huge fan. I've been in several times and am never disappointed. Last time some highlights were the smoked oyster and onion dip (like french onion dip but 1000x tastier); pork vindaloo sliders, and candy cap mushroom everything! (from a delightful cocktail to a pot de creme). The only downside is that most of these items won't be on the menu for long (except the oyster dip!), but it also means the menu is never stale. And they also walk the talk when sourcing from the finest local farms, ranches and fishermen. Which means their menu is seasonal and ultra fresh. Party Downtown is my favorite restaurant in Eugene hands down. My only wish is that they had a Portland location.
(5)
Raven C.
My first time here after my friends ranted and raved was not a disappointment. The restaurant itself is set up in an open way that allows you to see what they are doing in the kitchen, which I always appreciate. The bar in the back is tucked away with dim lighting which is better if you want to hide away. Everyone who works here obviously loves their job and it excited to be making local fresh artisan foods that you can't get anywhere else. Contrary to what almost everyone says, Party isn't that expensive considering the quality of the food and service you are getting. The best cocktails downtown, hands down. If you're worried about price, consider going during happy hour. I went with a friend and we shared four plates of out of this world food and each had two cocktails. All of it came out to be about $20 a person and we were each pleasantly full. I would highly recommend Party Downtown to anybody, you absolutely have to go here if you want to try something that you couldn't make yourself at home.
(5)
Rosquete B.
4* Party Downtown 55 W. Broadway Eclectic menu Casual atmosphere Loved the tomato apple gnocchi The goat chop was tasty The burger with bacon was superb Friendly food service by Brandon
(4)
Jessica F.
We did the $20 a head, chef's choice: The son-in-law egg was something new to me, and really good, the shrimp salad FRESH (definitely not served with enough brioche, though), the spinach pie was buttery and the crust to die for, and the chicken pot pie, while on the surface nothing special, WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN, OH GOD. So hearty. So savory. They've definitely got something going on with that crust. For dessert we had a pea and honey creme pot. Probably the best borderline baby food dish i've ever had, and that's not sarcasm- it was really good. The menu changes daily, and I'm looking forward to returning. Congrats on the new place, guys!
(5)
Joe S.
The good: excellent, quality, locally sourced, gourmet food, personable atmosphere, great coffee from Wandering Goat, amazing bacon. The bad: small portions, no ice in water, no butter or jam for toast with the Great American breakfast, and just one egg! Out of ketchup and a few other things. A bit warm when filled with people.
(3)
Lauren L.
Party Downtown is certainly a cute eatery. Once beginning as PartyCart, a local food cart operated by creators Mark and Tiffany serving organic and creative dishes for reasonable prices, Party Downtown has since opened their official restaurant on Broadway in Downtown Eugene. There, you will find an assortment of creative dishes all made with local ingredients. You can find everything from Duck Confit, Pork chops with Delacata squash, Kimchi beef, to even the more unusual items such as a smoked Albacore melt pancake. Combining a variety of cooking styles and flavors, Party Downtown certainly has a lot of creativity and fun with their menu surprises. After just opening their restaurant, the ballet studio I work for contacted Party Downtown in hopes of having them cater one of our seasonal events. Despite being extremely busy with their new establishment, they graciously provided us with an assortment of cute and yummy ourderves that were very much a hit with our guests. The event featured the following menu items... - Deviled Eggs - FlufferNutter Bites (essentially, a hazelnut and peanut butter cookie with a dollop of marshmallow icing) - Pigs in a Blanket - Celery Bacon Cream Cheese Bites Certainly all packed with flavor and catering to those with an appetite for slightly more rich and salty foods, the items were quite a success. The portions were perfect and we certainly had plenty to go around, by the end of the night there were hardly any leftovers. The food was delivered promptly, serving dishes and heating equipment were provided, and last minute presentation adjustments were applied on site. Personally, my only complaint would have had to been the presentation of the cookies. The marshmallow icing was applied minutes before serving and had a tendency to fall off the rather small cookies. The run-off created more of a messy look which wasn't an ideal presentation for guests. If you're a fan of creative and slightly odd combinations, Party Downtown will certainly show you how to have fun with food!
(3)
Julie K.
Wow. This place does NOT deserve 4 or 5 stars, not even scaled to Eugene's low quality offerings. Sorry, no. Not even 3. We went here on recommendation of a good place to have brunch. What is brunch? It is two meals in one. It is breakfast-y and lunch-y foods. It is a fill-you-up, satisfy you until dinner meal. Brunch is not a snack. The appearance is nice, if ratings were based simply on looks, I'd give this place a 4. If you want to lick concrete floors and admire tasteful decor, but not actually eat, and be in a clean environment, this is your place. That's where the good points ended for me. The menu is weird. It's posted on the wall, and there are few selections. We were informed when we asked about breakfast food that if we want typical brunch foods, there are other places for that. Ok. Despite that nonsense, we stayed. This place is also absolutely not picky eater or vegetarian friendly - do not take children here. They had exactly one item on the menu that I found potentially appealing. Their meat offerings were primarily pork based, and we were informed this changes, and sometimes another meat is featured. The pancake was strange, and there was nothing else on the menu to offer my 4 year old - or me. I ordered a potato gnocchi dish with black beans and yogurt sauce. The flavor was good, but the serving size? Ridiculous. It might have been filling to someone with a recent gastric bypass who can only eat 3 oz of food at once (which is about the size of what was on my plate) but the portion size was absurd - to give a gauge of what I mean, the plate was maybe 6" in diameter and there was plenty of space left for more food. The price posted was $8 - she asked if I wanted a small or large portion, I said small, figuring that the price was probably for larger portion. Wrong. I paid $8.00 for 3 ozs of food. They charged $8.00 for my daughter's pancake, which she did not like, and $3.00 for my husband's iced tea, which he said did not taste good. My husband did not order any food at all because he found the menu so unappetizing - and he will eat almost anything other than fast food. $23.00, and no one was satisfied. At those prices, the portions are outrageously high. I would be willing to pay $4 or $5 for what I had, but at $8, I felt, frankly, like I'd been mugged. This is the equivalent of $43 for a 1 lb steak (higher quality cuts are around $18 in the store now) - and it was beans, a few gnocchi, and a tiny amount of yogurt. When we left, I was still very hungry, and highly annoyed. The food in this place was self-indulgently, pretentiously idiosyncratic. Note to owners: there is a reason people love omelets,sausage, and potatoes for brunch. There is a reason successful restaurants have items on menus that do not change, or change only seasonally: it gets people through the door and coming back, which we will not be doing. While we were there, one party of four came in, read the menu, and quickly left. Wish we had done the same.
(1)
Aaron C.
Mark and Tiffany are amazing! Never let down by what they do. Chose this place for my birthday they were accommodating and wonderful!
(5)
Jeremy A.
Been a huge fan of Party Cart. Party Downtown is just as good but with drinks!
(5)
Marsha B.
Eight of us had dinner in a mostly empty Party Downtown last night. If our experience was typical, this restaurant won't last out the year. First of all, for a restaurant with fairly high prices, there is absolutely no atmosphere or fine dining ambiance. Lighting can only be called "daylight," tables are long and narrow and appear to have been purchased at IKEA: Think high school cafeteria in a high-end public school district. Waiter seemed overwhelmed at having to take orders from eight people. One of the diners ordered a burger and, when asked how she wanted it prepared, she clearly said she wanted it well-done. When her order finally arrived--after everyone but one other burger order had been served, an order or two at a time so that none of us were served all together--her hamburger was medium-rare, at best, so she sent it back. Wine pours were skimpy and our dinner for two with one glass of wine and a beer came to about $50. On the slight plus side, the waiter brought a glass of wine "on the house" for the rare-burger diner, and a couple of the small plate sides were tasty. The blackened salmon was done well, but the smoked chicken with gnocchi and "sweet-and-sour" spinach that was bland was a disappointment. This "Party" fizzles as a restaurant and maybe should have remained a cart.
(1)
Sam R.
The crisp, white, nearly empty restaurant was a great compliment to my leftover nausea from a night of drinking at Eugene's club (yea, just the one). I was surprised that the spot was empty because farm-fresh food on a Sunday morning usually attracts a long line in the bay-area, where I live. At any rate, we had a great breakfast--a mushroom empanada-esque "pie", some totally ratchet deviled eggs, some sausage-y breakfast sandwiches (with which my friends were not impressed) and some FANTASTIC tiny little biscuits! The ingredients, menu, vibe were all great. For the price, it's a solid 3 stars, but for the convenience, and the fact that they are a part of the United MileagePlus dining program that gives me airline miles, I'm gonna go with a solid 4. Armed with a little menu back-knowledge, I bet I could easily have an even better meal here next time. Party on, brunch-goers.
(3)
Mindy S.
Love this place! We just found this place (it is a mystery if you are driving down Broadway, looking for a big sign). It is actually on the backside of Red Wagon Creamery and you go in their front door to walk back...through the bar area past the kitchen pass through window area to the main dining room. We chose to eat in the bar area which is a bit more romantic and dark. We were there before 6 pm so we were there during "Happy Hour" so we tried the gnocchi tots for an appetizer. So delicious :) Then we both had the burger which was.....YUM!!!!! The brioche bun they make is perfect (not a big HUNK of bread to mask the size of the meat). The meat...FABULOUS! cooked medium rare. It was so tasty and tasted so familiar. Later, when I came home I found out that Party Downtown uses "Deck Family Farm" organic/pasture raised beef! We get their meat all the time. The lettuce was a beautiful wide leaf green w/ purple speck lettuce. The cheese was very nice, not masking the meat, but complimenting it nicely. I ate half of my filling burger and took the other half home. I got chips (they make in house) which were amazing, perfectly salted and not a touch of oil on my fingers or lips. They have perfected the perfect potato chip. My partner had a salad which he said was very nice and looked great. Mixed greens all dark and bright greens/purples, heirloom lettuces with a nice vinaigrette dressing that is house made. All organic food is served here.....very refreshing since we had just come from a "March Against Monsanto" event earlier in the day. I tried a cocktail which was very nice (a strawberry drink) and my partner had a micro-brew beer on tap. We were extremely happy with our food and the server who was also our bartender. We skipped on dessert since we wanted to give Red Wagon a bit of our business, we opted for the ice cream. The dessert menu looked very unique and delicious but we will have to try something next time. No problem....we will be back again and again! We felt the value was very good for the quality of the food we ate.
(5)
Helios L.
The ever-changing menu is always creative, and they use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Presentation of plates is very nice, and the Red Wagon Creamery adjoining is an added bonus. That being said, I haven't been here often enough to appreciate the good food, and should give it another chance. It's been a while (about a year) but the service was pretty bad both times - once I got the wrong order and another time the server forgot to take it when I was sitting at the end of a large table. It WAS busy, but it didn't feel worth it to pay those prices and get subpar service. I'd rather have Party Cart prices and expectations.
(3)
SoCalRestaurantCritic ..
Very small, very quaint! This seems to be a very quaint bistro type restaurant serves very eclectic type food. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. We were greeted by many staff members and help us to our table. We were able to order very quickly we ordered the fried duck eggs, perfectly cooked very tasty who would've thought! Also ordered the stuff beet pasta, not very visually appealing however the taste was spot on. I would highly recommend this bistro for date nights or adult family gatherings. Hope to see you again soon! SCRC
(3)
Katherine W.
My new favorite Sunday morning spot. And, if i can find a way to make it happen, my new favorite every day spot. The food is amazing. Always surprising in the most delicious way. I've been coming here weekly since they opened, and I always order something new. Last Sunday, I went for the albacore. It came with wild rice mixed with fresh herbs AND a stuffed red pepper to boot. The fish itself was perfect - seared on one side and ... just ... perfect. I watch a pretty hefty amount of cooking shows, so I should have a better food vocabulary. So, I'll say the albacore, along with everything I've ever ordered, is "stunning," "vibrant," and "beautifully balanced." Eating here is like choosing the mystery flavor airhead, and never being disappointed. Or, what about this ... eating here is like sticking your hand in to one of those spooky halloween boxes, and coming up with gold every time. Or, in this case, albacore. Either way, eat here. Take a chance. The menu changes every week. Service is friendly and wonderful - if you don't know what a menu item is ... try asking someone. I do every week and I'm always grateful that I did.
(5)
Charlie G.
Has some great talent, young talent maybe. Overall would have been much better if each dish had a little more salt and acid....my opinion. It is still a must try. After all, this is what yelp is for...finding new restaurants and watching them grow. I'll go back and good luck Party Downtown!!
(4)
Joe L.
I remember a Eugene where if you wanted cornmeal-crusted fried kimchi, you had to get in your car and head north to Portland. Those days are gone. Eugene downtown has been developing like crazy and Party Downtown is one of the best additions. We stopped in for lunch with my brother and, honestly, I don't even remember what we got. There was pork belly and lots of different, interesting salads. Something was braised. Something else was deep fried. Everything was unbelievably delicious. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is comfortable. Nothing was too expensive. Portions were decent. Everybody wins.
(4)
Amy P.
i started a detailed review of our experience after our last visit here, but then decided to delete it as I was very disappointed to the point of being almost angry. After months have gone by, I still have very little good to say. The service was at most fair. The food and beverage was mediocre, small portions & quite overpriced. I am glad that they are using high quality, locally sourced ingredients, but unfortunately they are not doing those ingredients much justice. It really is too bad, I thought that they had a lot of potential. My previous visit here had been pretty good, but I certainly will not be returning.
(1)
Jennifer S.
Wonderful service and wine recommendations. The barley carbonara was suberb. The salmon dish was creative and among the best ever.
(5)
Jon S.
With a couple of excellent exceptions, the dishes were surprisingly bland and over-salted. The cocktails were weak and syrupy. I liked the creativity of menu, but I don't think they've quite pulled it off. Pros: The beet tart and the kimchi soup were perfectly offbeat and delicious. Those dishes are worth going for. Cons: Food and cocktails are (generally) boring, especially given the price and portion size.
(2)
heather f.
5 Star Food. I loved every bite. YES, the portions are small compared to other restaurants but people, these are healthy portions for anyone wanting to maintain a healthy weight. Sorry America, we are so off the mark in this category and our health suffers! The service lacked so much and managed to make minor errors consistently all night long. I am not sure they have any professional mentorship in this department. Again, the food was incredible. I had a burger, they nailed it. Service was what I may expect at a cheap eats place on campus from an 18 year old with no dining experience or serving training. If they can address that aspect, i would return and recommend.
(3)
Katlin L.
My boyfriend and I had a late dinner at Party Downtown Friday evening and had a WONDERFUL experience. I decided on Wildcraft Cider to drink and we shared the charcuterie plate, that had a few different house made meats and was delicious. Our main courses were both prepared efficiently and beautifully! We had the steak and the goat chop. Our service was also great! Brandon was more than helpful and polite. We will definitely be back.
Don't believe the haters -- this place is great! That is, unless you like big portions and boring food. This is one of our favorite places to dine in Eugene, and we eat out a lot. The food is always creative, ingredients are locally sourced (in fact, we've seen the owners buying ingredients at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays), dishes seasonal, and the smaller portion size just means you get to try more items! Their cocktails are also delish. One of my most favorite things I've ever eaten I had at Party Downtown -- pork "noodle" with bay shrimp. It wasn't a noodle at all, but was julienned pork skin that had been soaked in some sort of liquid as to make it pliable like a noodle. I will be back. Again and again.
(4)
J H.
This is an interesting little place. Located in the back on an ice cream shop (see my review for Red Wagon Creamery), this restaurant boasts a 5 star menu at a 4 star price, and much, much less pretentiousness. I ordered some (forget what kind of potato) tater tots, that came with an apple ketchup and a creamy white sauce (again, forgetting the names here, sorry). I also ordered the "Son in Law Egg," on which I was sold by the time the waiter said, "fried hard boiled egg with..." A friend ordered a good bacon arugula sandwich. We both paid around $10. So for a nice upscale meal in a laid back environment at a decent price, try this spot.
(4)
Laura F.
This place is fabulous! Clever decor, creative and delicious menu, and great service. We had Sunday Brunch and ordered 9 of the 13 items on the menu (we ordered two and three orders each of a couple items). There wasn't a bummer in the bunch. After the first couple plates, we just asked our server, James, to keep bringing things to us - we didn't even specify what. The son-in-law egg and the deviled duck egg were both sublime. The cocktails were also great. The chefs are ahead of the culinary curve in this town and I've told all my friends to check out this gem.
(5)
Peter O.
We are down visiting our Eugenian friends from Seattle and stopped by this place last night for dinner. How surprised we were to find this hidden treasure behind the ice cream parlor. The food and service was excellent and we really appreciated the locally sourced and homemade dishes on the menu. Everything cooked with pride, quality and creativity. It reminded us a lot of Seattle's well known Porkchop and Co. in Ballard. Chef/owners who really care!
(5)
Mark P.
Food: Delicious! Price: Too expensive. When we walked in, they told us it was "family style". Me and a 5 of my friends shared $125 worth of food and drinks, and none of us felt like we had more than a light snack afterward. The rum punch is served in a cup slightly larger than a shot glass, and costs $9. You can't defend that, you just can't. Decor: Decent. It's kind of a strange lighting, but I think they're working with what they have. Service: Very nice. The lady was always checking in on us at the right times, constantly giving us water refills, and was pleasant overall. Conclusion: A great place with great service that could do with larger servings. I suppose if you're a foodie with a trust fund, it's a great spot to hit up.
(3)
Alieta T.
Crazy good brunch. Non standard food profil3s. Extr3mely good food. Way cool service. Gluten free options. Pour over coffee was a mega plus. Non-pretentious brunch spot. Eugene needs more zones like this.
(5)
Ustaza M.
Best service I had in Eugene. Attentive and efficient. The food was interesting. Good change from usual fare and conversation starter.
(4)
DeathandFood H.
Holy Hipster. Portland has come to Eugene and it is good. Surprisingly good. I felt like I was at a more causal State Bird Provisions than in Eugene. I wasn't expecting this much creativity or good food for in Eugene. Sorry Eugene, just saying in the 4 years of visiting Eugene this was by far some of the best and most creative food I've eaten there. I can see how for folks used to a lower price point for food or who like more traditional American food this place could be a miss. The portions are small plates meant to be shared and for a person to get 2-3 plate might be expensive for some locals. Coming from SF, I was happy as can be to spend only 65 for three people for dinner. The larger dishes are over 10 dollars and the smaller ones are under 10. I found all the portions to be the right size for the price. The menu changes everyday but it seems to rotate favourite dishes. Dishes we had: Son in law eggs- lightly fried hardboiled eggs with berry sauce & fried scallions. a very american take on a Chinese dish. not bad all. arugula salad with lots of good things. very tasty. shrimp cocktail was served in a jar with shrimp salad with a cucumber ice over it. Fun and tasty. Pancake-this was rather bland for me, especially after having an insanely good squid pancake in Seattle for lunch that day. Beer spare ribs. With all the local micro brewers this was a no brainer and for only 14 there was enough meat for two of us or one middle American. There was another dish but I can't remember what it was. We didn't do dessert because the ice cream at Red Wagon Creamy which shares a building with them was calling us. There could have been more vegetarian choices. The space is a newly renovated space with wheelchair access, good lighting but they desperately need some sound baffling as it is quite loud. There's a nice alcohol selection with lots of local brews. If it was in San Francisco it would be 4 stars but considering it's in a culinary backwater with folks that don't seem to be willing to pay more than 20 dollars a person to eat. I think it deserves 6 stars. The service was friendly if casual. Our server was well informed about the food. If you have to stop in Eugene, moved there for school or some how ended up there, this is a place you want to eat.
(5)
Isabelle M.
Very bummed. Met up with some friends on Friday night. Only one server for whole place. We were given a menu, that's. After waiting almost 20 minutes, we went up to cashier to order a couple of drinks. Waited another 15-20 minutes to receive drinks. Since that took so long we decided to leave. We had to pay 20% gratuity on the two drinks since we met with a group of people, even though we didn't get any service. Our friends also asked for separate checks when ordering, but server said no, it would be easier at the end, and then was a little irritated when we asked for checks and made us spend another 20 minutes splitting the bill. It seemed like a cool place, but I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)
Matt S.
I almost feel like I'm too friendly with Tiffany and Mark to write an objective review of Party Downtown. But here's the thing: they are both super socially-intelligent and outgoing and, going back to the cart days, I always feel like they are talking to people that know them way better than I do. You just get a warm feeling being around them. Oh yeah, here's the real thing compelling me to write this objective review: they make the best food in Eugene. Some things to know and think about if you haven't been, or if you have been and maybe need to reassess your perspective: ~ Order at counter during lunch time, table service for dinner. ~ Get 3 or 4 plates per 2 people. Share. Compare your bill to other restaurants. Really, you are doing okay. ~ Go by yourself. Order just one plate. Contemplate the average American diet versus a European diet. Get a big fat ice cream cone next door (attached) if you need to fill in the difference. ~ Fish preparation is stellar. ~ Anytime they have shrimp salad, order it. Send me a message to let me know it's on the menu. I wrote the following (I'm abridging it now) two years ago after eating at the cart, and nothing has changed except the location and the sheer number of times I have eaten their food and walked away feeling better about life: "PartyCart is single-handedly changing how I think about food. I don't know how else to put this, but the food at this cart actually tastes fresher than just about anything I've ever had. The folks making this happen are deeply committed to, and enthusiastic about, local sourcing. The menu changes every week. . .they aren't strictly vegetarian but always have at least one item in both large and small categories that is flesh-free. I'm not even going to mention specific things that I have eaten, since it depends on what ingredients they have, except to tell you that I've tried a handful of items and every single one has been 5-star worthy in my book." Bottom line: If I had 12 hours left in Eugene, this is where I would go for my last meal.
(5)
Kahlil N.
Mark and Tiffany I love you guys! You guys make amazing food, and if it weren't for the small portion sizes I'd with out a doubt give ya five stars. With that said I truly feel your price to portion ratio is wayyyy off the mark, even for locally sourced and organic ingredients. I've been in twice to your new location, and both times felt like I only received a rather light snack. The first time was for brunch, believe I spent around 17 dollars and it still really wasn't a full meal. The second time was for lunch, I had a very tasty 10 dollar chicken sandwich, again though not even close to enough food! If you're trying to appeal to the downtown business crowd you need to feed them a reasonable sized lunch!
(3)
C. A.
Incredibly disappointing...especially after all the hype this place has received. WAY EXPENSIVE for simply mediocre food!! Order at the counter, pour your own water and pick up your own silverware - then items are brought to your table. Food is not innovative and simply not very nicely presented either. Not impressed and will not be returning!
(1)
Jenny J.
Love, love, love this place! It's tapas for the culinarily adventurous. Sign us up! We're vegetarian and have eaten here several times now. About 40% of their menu is vegetarian or can be made vegetarian, and they are very accommodating about doing this. My favorite thing on the menu is a blue cheese "pancake", which is more of a fluffy souffle cake, with kimchee on top. Sounds strange, I know, but the tastes work together so well. Lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the menu is constantly changing, which makes it even more fun. Their tortilla pie was also fabulous, as were the brunch dishes with lots of pancake and egg dishes. If you've got kids in tow, they'll be very happy to learn that the restaurant shares a floor with an ice cream shop (Red Wagon Creamery). And the space is huge and beautiful - very modern, hip and spacious. The owners, Mark and Tiffany, are super nice. I'm really glad to see them succeed, and grateful to them for making Eugene's restaurant scene a more interesting, delicious place!
(5)
Dawn C.
Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, folks, the Party Carters ( yelp.com/biz/partycart-e… ) have taken over downtown! Mark and Tiffany have opened their doors, and are serving dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch downtown. (Just behind their buddies, Red Wagon Creamery!) If you are a fan of farm to table, then make sure to put this place on your list. They are re-writing the rules and updating the notion to a '10s level. They actually opened for dinner about a week and a half ago, but tonight was my first trip. I absolutely love the space--they're right in the thick of things on Broadway, across the alley from First National and the Bijou. The street-facing shop is Red Wagon and the back area is the restaurant. Menu items are listed on a board on the main wall, and many meal choices have both small-plate and entree-sized options available--perfect for sharing. And related to the sharing piece I have to tell you--it's important to be up for that style. Plates come out when they're ready, so if you're hungry, it's best to put forth the sharing attitude so that it's reciprocated back to ye. I love this kind of eating, but I do think it's something you should know before going in. There will be no basket of rolls, with pats of butter, and a straightforward progression of items. But isn't it time we (and our waistlines) moved beyond that idea anyway? *steps down from soapbox* Tonight I was with a large group of about 10, so we got to sample lots of wares. My personal favorite was the Gravlax on flatbread, which is basically a house-cured salmon (Gravlax) served with a horseradish cream cheese, pickled scallion, and dill fronds. It was just what my body needed. Other table favorites were the son-in-law egg (I'll let them explain), the chorizo-stuffed pickled prunes, flank steak with sesame and broccoli, and the confit turkey leg. The spring crop "salad" was also a winner--I had this for my dessert! With Oregon strawberries (in addition to the veg), olive oil, and dukkah (basically chopped hazelnuts with Egyptian spices) I thought it a fine end to a delicious meal. The Partiers offered a modest selection of dessert items (e.g., sweet pea and honey pot de creme) but, really, who needs dessert when you're going to walk by an ice cream parlor on your way out the door? I remember the first person I met as I sauntered up to the 'Cart those near two years ago... "These guys are changing the world, I tell you! Changing. The. World." Well, I'd have to say I agree with them. Head on down and #partydowntown and tell me you don't think differently about food.
(5)
Sharon L.
Really innovative and delicious menu. Great prices and GREAT service, which is far too rare in Eugene. I'd list the highlights of our meal but its an ever changing menu. The plates are small so you can order a bunch of different things to try which is my favorite way to eat. PARTY!
(4)
Bill J.
Despite all the stars the parking lot was empty at noon on a Sunday for brunch. This place takes itself way too seriously. Don't ask for something slightly different than on the menu, they won't do it. The fried gnocchi tastes like it was soaked in grease. There is no salt or pepper on the table, likely because they think their food is perfect. Will not be back.
strange mesh-up that feels like it belongs in a different city where people don't mind paying $$$ for small american inspired and worldly tapas. at first i liked what they were doing. unique cuisine, changes frequently, natural good quality ingredients. however, their pricing is hard to justify for what they are offering. yes, it's fancy, trendy, popular perhaps because it is Eugene and it's hard to find chefs who can experiment and make interesting food, but unless you have deep pockets and don't care about bite sized portions you should look elsewhere. if they readjust their pricing or up portion sizes it can easily be a 4 star place.
(3)
Fawn C.
Four of us for dinner, and we were all very disappointed. We all meet once a month to try a new restaurant in Eugene. We all ordered the "Kitchen" which is the chef's choice. We each were able to have a bite of each dish they brought out and that was it. For $80.00 we expected a whole lot more. We left hungry and very dissatisfied. The food, also, was not very appetizing. I would not recommend this restaurant at all. The only thing good was the service.
(1)
Deezy D.
Creative, tasty and well prepared dishes. We had a large group and they were short a cook, so it took awhile but they were so nice. We did $20 per person and chef decided what to serve. They brought small plates for 2.5 hours (this is the short a chef on a Friday night part). It was so fun to try so many different items and they were awesome. Definitely go for adventuresome food. It is also attached to a creamery, we only tried the goat coffee one and it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted!
(4)
Kitte K.
We went here for lunch on Sunday. I used to DJ in this space when it was SNAFU and you wouldn't recognize it now! It is light and airy and the huge front window makes it into a whole new space. The staff were really sweet and attentive, although they sat us down without pointing out the menu on the wall, directly above and behind me, so I was a little confused when our server asked if we were ready to order, as I had not been given a menu. But it was truly no big deal. The menu is varied and the thing that brought me here was learning that as much of their food as possible is locally sourced. My companion had the adorable tiny biscuits with bacon honey-butter, smashed potatoes with "apple ketchup" that was really more "apple sauce/butter" and a side of bacon. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We both had the house made sodas, Strawberry and Grenadine which were super tasty. I had the shrimp salad in lettuce, which was yummy. Everything looked as if it had been lovingly prepared, not just slopped together. The prices are pretty decent, especially considering the quality of the food.
(4)
Mason G.
I've only had food this good in Eugene once before (that I didn't make, haha!). It seemed like the prices were a little steep until I was told that everything but the salt and pepper were local and seasonal. I was still a little skeptical. I haven't known very many places that can really work a seasonal menu. The grilled padron peppers were amazing. Okay, stop. Everything was amazing. Here's what we got: chicken liver pate with pickled fennel, seared albacore with mashed cauliflower, some kind of scrambled egg on wheat berries, a kimchi scotch egg, and a sausage and fried egg with a black bean gravy. Never could I imagine that someone could make a gravy out of black beans. It was inspiring food. A little on the spendy side. With drinks and full bellies it came out to $20 per person. And that was brunch. Next time I'm in Eugene and don't want to get the rice omelet at Brail's, Party Downtown is gettin my business.
(5)
Randall C.
Another addition to the downtown core with three more on the way PD will have to revisit their menu as well as pricing structure. Love the locally sourced fresh ingredients however the menu lacks true culinary creativity. Ouch for three with no alcohol for three was nearly $50 pre gratuity. Portions were medium sized appetizers.
(2)
Kate B.
Wow. I love the cozy little bar tucked in between the restaurant and ice cream parlor! I've been there a couple times with small groups of friends, and each time everyone has raved about their cocktails. Party Downtown has become my favorite place for early evening drinks and small plates. The food is AWESOME. Super creative, fresh, exciting, delicious, and nutritious. Their ever-changing menu perfectly reflects Eugene's quirky foodie culture.
(5)
Chris F.
Really inventive takes on comfort food. Had a great lunch here and will be back!
(4)
Tricia H.
The dishes were on the small side and lacking flavor. The roasted peppers were a bland variety and needed herbs or salt. I could hardly taste the vinagrette on the bean salad. Disappointing because folks liked their food cart. I would not return.
(2)
E T.
I have NEVER been angry at a restaurant. But I am now. We went right after opening that day. This being our first time there, we were trying to figure out their dining system. Do we order at the counter, do we bus ourselves? How about utensils, water? The guy at the counter, after studiously not acknowledging our presence in the empty space for some time, then started in with quite the attitude. "Ask if you have any questions," he said. But when any of us asked him questions, he totally ignored it. I think there were owners at the place. A couple guys came out of the kitchen while we were there, talking to a couple of women in the dining room; I am assuming they have some connection to this restaurant. But for some reason they're not interested in serving their paying customers. We ordered from the embarrassingly empty menu (you could count the choices on one hand), found a table, and waited. When the meals came, they were not accompanied by silverware. Or napkins. Apparently for that kind of service, you have to pay more. Our server should pay less attention to the grooming of his mustache and more attention to his customers. Or his job. We waited far too long in the empty restaurant for our three entrees and three coffees, which came to $36. I whole-heartedly support local and sustainable restaurants. I do not mind the higher price and small portions as long as they are worth it. But not here. The coffee we got was acidic, lukewarm and tasted horribly burnt. We love coffee. My husband just took a sip and could not take another. He looked as if he'd be eternally grateful to be magically teleported to Charbucks at that moment. Actually, we all did. My food was inedible. Mind you, I NEVER leave my food on the plate -- especially when that food is pricy. I had the spanish tortilla and it was like eating pure salt. I detected no herbs, no spices, just salt. Maybe they did, but I could not taste anything since my taste buds were burned by salt. My husband and daughter was skeptical when I said "I cannot eat it," because, well, I never say that, so my husband tried a bite. BIG MISTAKE. My hubs has a salt tooth. He COULD NOT eat it. The side of potatoes was salted. That's it. Giant, comically oversize grains big enough to crack a tooth, and exactly no other seasonings. No complementary flavor of any kind. There were more herbs in the sad sprig of rosemary on our table than in all of our meals. Combined. Yes, they were really good potatoes to begin with -- and the people who cooked it care so little, they screw up even that. The house-made ketchup (we assumed that's what they were going for) was so unbalanced and ammoniac no one wanted it. I think they might have used raisins to sweeten it or something, but it was so strangely sweet and tannic at the same time. Sad. On the bright side, eating the over-salted potatoes was a relief after literally gagging on the main course.
(1)
Phil J.
We happened to get the short straw on our waitress but the meal made up for it. So, if you get the short haired girl with the squeaky voice, hang in there. The food is good.
(4)
ponce c.
I eat here once a week, this is the best food in the world! Mark and Tiffany make everything from scratch (curing the bacon, fermenting the kimchi they even churn their own butter!) portions are not huge but the Party is all about quality over quantity and the quality is supreme. if you want LOCAL and delicious this is the best place you will find. Praise the Lard.
(5)
Dominic I.
So I feel kind of bad writing a 3 star review for this place because I always hear really good things about it and I really want to like it. I have only been once, and I plan on returning and hope to have a better meal. Service was fine, friendly. It was DEAD when we went there, maybe only one other table. I always a little put off by ordering at the counter, but it's fine. The menu was really confusing to me... On the wall, hanging signs in no perticular order, with many things that I have never even heard of, and i've been in the restaurant industry my whole life. We ordered 2 sandwiches and shared... could have eaten about 4 by myself, they were tiny! and they were both over $10 each!!! They tasted okay, but not that incredible, not for the price. One was a mediterannian chicken, the other was like a shrimp salad.... made with bay shrimp! Not impressed. So like I said, I will try it again, but if I have a similar enounter, no more. No party for me.
(3)
Elizabeth C.
Eugene's newest gem. Party Downtown has taken food to a whole new level. The saying "there's a party in my mouth" rings true with every bite! One thing I don't think people have caught on is that these plates are made for sharing. I recommend the salmon, sausage, and beef, the padron peppers with whipped goat cheese are delicious! Also it's the best cocktail list in the city. All ingredients are local and fresh.
(4)
Ms. M.
The food here is delish. Amazing flavors, perfect potions, and adventurous eats. The bar is fun too. Lots of character and great drinks. The only complaint I have is that it is obscenely loud. The ceilings are high and the place echos. It's not the kind of loud that I enjoy. I like a lively place but I honestly had to yell so that my date could hear me. So exhausting. I do hope the owners consider a fix to that.
(4)
Alice G.
We went for brunch on a weekend, and found the place dead empty. Yes, it was empty for a good reason - it was bloody expensive! The food was imaginative, but two small breakfast items and coffee came to $40. This is not the Four Seasons, or even Marche. Although I welcome the downtown revival, with their high prices and awkward, tucked-behind-an-ice cream parlor location, I don't see the Party lasting too long.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot, Validated Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster, Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
SoCalRestaurantCritic ..
Very small, very quaint! This seems to be a very quaint bistro type restaurant serves very eclectic type food. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. We were greeted by many staff members and help us to our table. We were able to order very quickly we ordered the fried duck eggs, perfectly cooked very tasty who would've thought! Also ordered the stuff beet pasta, not very visually appealing however the taste was spot on. I would highly recommend this bistro for date nights or adult family gatherings. Hope to see you again soon! SCRC
(3)Kate F.
After reading the reviews I expected much more. It was a warm Friday evening but the place was only 2/3 full while the creamery had a line out the door. The fried gnocci had a crispy coating & was perfectly cooked but was way too salty. The burger was very rare, tasteless & the bun disintegrated. Never tasted the cheese. Potato chips were great, the best I've had. No complaints on the service & the decor was very pretty. We won't be back.
(3)Ashleigh M.
Um. Omg. Hands down, the pour over style service of Wandering Goat coffee is the highlight. I haven't had coffee that good in *years*, people! Then add to it the holy-ish delicious breakfast casserole (what I personally ordered) and omfg it was a food-gasm. It's difficult to describe the extraordinary flavors of the food. Just trust me, try it *all* for yourself. Congratulations, Eugene, you've *finally* risen to culinary standards of larger metropolises like Portland or Seattle. Now if you could open another dozen places as excellent as this, I might move back to you...
(5)Amber S.
Until this week I had never heard of Party Downtown (or Party Cart) but one of my friends posted something on facebook about it this week and urged everyone to try it out. So last night, my Husband and I did just that. We walked in through the Ice Cream parlor entrance and first came to the adorable tiny bar area. We noticed it had a couple open tables there but proceeded to the Main dining room. It was very full (and therefore very noisy) so we decided to head back to the bar area since it was date night for us and we wanted a bit more of an intimate setting. The bar area was perfect for that. We actually didn't realize that you are supposed to order your food at the counter or get your own utensils or water like other reviewers had said. A waiter came over and did say that the full menu was at the front dining area but we knew that we didn't even need to look at it because we wanted to try to Kitchen's Choice. He put in the order and brought us water and utensils. So maybe that had changed or maybe it is different in the bar vs. the dining room? The bartender came over to take our drink order and we decided to keep the theme of letting them choose what we would be receiving. He made me a bourbon drink, a Scofflaw, which was so delicious. I'm not gonna lie, I had three of them they were so good. My Husband enjoyed his Vodka drink as well. I will say that the drink size was very small and normally I'd have quite the buzz after three, but I didn't. They were really good though. And the bartender was very attentive and knowledgeable. We went with the $30 per person Kitchen's Choice (they also have a $20 option that offers less plates). I'll try to list them all. It was about 12 dishes in all. I was a little scared to have the kitchen decide what I would be eating because I am normally a very picky eater and really don't consider ourselves to be big 'foodies'. They did ask if we had any food allegories or dietary restrictions so they could adjust as needed. Despite my fears, I was very pleasantly surprised that I ate nearly everything that was served. Our server was very good about explaining everything that was on the plate. (I had not tried many of the things served and was glad that they explained what things were even though I didn't retain most of the information) 1) We started off with a lamb & vegetable dish. It has all sorts of tiny vegetables, some of which I had no idea what they were but they were all delicious. It was actually probably my favorite dish of the night. 2) Next we had the Gnocchi tot breakfast casserole. This was actually the first time I have ever had Gnocchi and this dish was so good. I want to go back for Brunch for this dish. 3) Then was a Kale salad which they explained should have been served first but we didn't mind the order. My Husband loved this one but I wasn't a huge fan. Just my preference though. 4) Then they served us deep fried hard boiled eggs. I am thinking those must be called the Son-In-Law eggs on their menu and these little things are SO good. Get them. 5) Then we had some little biscuit sliders with rabbit Canadian bacon and cheese. Those were really good as well. 6) Next we were served Charred asparagus on a sesame toast. This was good. Nothing too spectacular, but good. 7) Then we received the Goat slides and these were amazing. Slightly spicy. Full of flavor. I would order these again for sure. 8) Next it was the purple sprouting broccoli with chili garlic. These were also very good but hard to cut and eat so it was a little messy. 9) Then we received my least favorite dish of the night. The Duck Confit Pappardelle. This was a spicy but very salty noddle dish with Bok Choy and a mint chili sauce. To me it was pretty spicy but also so salty that I really didn't taste much else. The Duck was very tough (jerky-like). Just not my cup of tea. 10) Lastly we received the Braised Rabbit leg with wild rice and lentils. This dish was ok. I am not a fan of lentils. I wouldn't order this dish again but I didn't mind having it in the overall dinner experience. 11) and 12) were two different desserts. We received chocolate chip cookies with some sort of creamy spread on them. Those were so good and I wanted to order more. Just one cookie each wasn't enough. The next dessert was a lemon custard. It was good. Not something I would order again, but good. My husband really liked it though. Our bill totaled $98 for the two of us which is more than we normally spend on an average night of dining out. Which unfortunately means that it won't be one that we get to dine at as frequently as we do other places, but we will get to look forward to going for the occasion date night. We do often have clients who come from other States/Countries and I think it will be a good place to take them for business dinners. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.
(5)Shannon D.
I absolutely live this restaurant! The menu is creative and the staff are very pleasant. Kudos to the chef for keeping things interesting!
(5)Michael D.
Dining should be fun and Party has a great reasonably priced menu that is great tasting and great fun. With a trip to Eugene.
(4)Judy A.
What a wonderful dining experience! The service was superb, the atmosphere was delightful, and the food was extraordinarily delicious! We had the heritage flatiron steak which burst with flavor in your mouth. I cannot wait to go back here to try something else. I have found my new favorite restaurant!
(5)Sam R.
The crisp, white, nearly empty restaurant was a great compliment to my leftover nausea from a night of drinking at Eugene's club (yea, just the one). I was surprised that the spot was empty because farm-fresh food on a Sunday morning usually attracts a long line in the bay-area, where I live. At any rate, we had a great breakfast--a mushroom empanada-esque "pie", some totally ratchet deviled eggs, some sausage-y breakfast sandwiches (with which my friends were not impressed) and some FANTASTIC tiny little biscuits! The ingredients, menu, vibe were all great. For the price, it's a solid 3 stars, but for the convenience, and the fact that they are a part of the United MileagePlus dining program that gives me airline miles, I'm gonna go with a solid 4. Armed with a little menu back-knowledge, I bet I could easily have an even better meal here next time. Party on, brunch-goers.
(3)Raychel K.
Don't believe the haters -- this place is great! That is, unless you like big portions and boring food. This is one of our favorite places to dine in Eugene, and we eat out a lot. The food is always creative, ingredients are locally sourced (in fact, we've seen the owners buying ingredients at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays), dishes seasonal, and the smaller portion size just means you get to try more items! Their cocktails are also delish. One of my most favorite things I've ever eaten I had at Party Downtown -- pork "noodle" with bay shrimp. It wasn't a noodle at all, but was julienned pork skin that had been soaked in some sort of liquid as to make it pliable like a noodle. I will be back. Again and again.
(4)J H.
This is an interesting little place. Located in the back on an ice cream shop (see my review for Red Wagon Creamery), this restaurant boasts a 5 star menu at a 4 star price, and much, much less pretentiousness. I ordered some (forget what kind of potato) tater tots, that came with an apple ketchup and a creamy white sauce (again, forgetting the names here, sorry). I also ordered the "Son in Law Egg," on which I was sold by the time the waiter said, "fried hard boiled egg with..." A friend ordered a good bacon arugula sandwich. We both paid around $10. So for a nice upscale meal in a laid back environment at a decent price, try this spot.
(4)Jeremy A.
Been a huge fan of Party Cart. Party Downtown is just as good but with drinks!
(5)Tianyi S.
Saturday mornings always present an agonizing "first-world problems" mental trial about where to brunch. This past Saturday, as I lay in bed moaning with hunger & abject sadness ("Why is Addi's so far away? Where is bacon when you need it?"), a hopeful thought popped into my head- "Wait- didn't Party Downtown recently open their new location? You think they're open for brunch?" AND INDEED THEY WERE. I enjoyed a wonderful wild rice "congee" with smoky shredded grilled pork, garlic, and soft boiled egg. The "son in law" egg was equally yummy and thought-provoking: it was hardboiled, fried & served with crispy shallots, rhubarb sauce and fresh cilantro. The "biscuits & (turkey porcini) gravy" came with a mouthgasmy turkey leg confit that was prepared & fried to ridiculous perfection. My coffee came in ware that would make avid Pinteresters' minds explode with adoration (see picture) and the overall decor of the restaurant was correspondingly eye-pleasing. Raw copper, silver, turquoise & wood tones are beguilingly found in all the restaurant's little details- recycled water glasses & tiny vases, mason jars, copper pitchers, ceramic turquoise sconces, old polished silverware & a be-pennied bathroom floor add a certain vintage charm that is hard to pull off IRL. It's an added bonus that after your meal, you can walk straight back to Red Wagon Creamery (which I did & you will do as well) & enjoy a cone in more vintage style. In fact, I enjoyed brunch so much that a few hours later, I came back for dinner. (Don't judge me.) Dinner-- which consisted of housemade bread & butter, Ling cod with pickled rhubarb, braised greens and fried corn cakes, a perfectly executed pot-au-feu (Kimchi braised beef with parsnips and radish and scallions), shrimp salad with wild watercress on brioche (I would eat this forever), and an inexplicably mouthwatering Filipino sausage with wild 'dirty rice'-- was just as good as brunch, though I'm more partial to the prices & sense of well-being (mostly from rolling out of bed and into Party Downtown) that I derived from brunch. Aside from PD's allegiance to sourcing organic & locally (and keeping the menu interesting in a groundbreaking 'big-city' way), it also consistently achieves this great contrast of flavors in all its dishes- every other bite yields some yin-yang harmony of savory, sweet, acidic, full, fresh & floral flavor. This is magic. This is downtown revitalization. This is why I'm going to live in Eugene forever. (Sigh...) Anyway, TL;DR. I'm so glad the Party Cart has an official indoor dining space. Makes me so much more willing to make it rain for food. =) Thanks, Tiffany & Mark! Bottom Line: PARTY.
(5)Spencer M.
Mark and Tiffany are some of the most creative and inventive chefs in Oregon that put out incredibly tasty food. Ever since they were slingin' Korean poutine out of the Party Cart, I've been a huge fan. I've been in several times and am never disappointed. Last time some highlights were the smoked oyster and onion dip (like french onion dip but 1000x tastier); pork vindaloo sliders, and candy cap mushroom everything! (from a delightful cocktail to a pot de creme). The only downside is that most of these items won't be on the menu for long (except the oyster dip!), but it also means the menu is never stale. And they also walk the talk when sourcing from the finest local farms, ranches and fishermen. Which means their menu is seasonal and ultra fresh. Party Downtown is my favorite restaurant in Eugene hands down. My only wish is that they had a Portland location.
(5)Marsha B.
Eight of us had dinner in a mostly empty Party Downtown last night. If our experience was typical, this restaurant won't last out the year. First of all, for a restaurant with fairly high prices, there is absolutely no atmosphere or fine dining ambiance. Lighting can only be called "daylight," tables are long and narrow and appear to have been purchased at IKEA: Think high school cafeteria in a high-end public school district. Waiter seemed overwhelmed at having to take orders from eight people. One of the diners ordered a burger and, when asked how she wanted it prepared, she clearly said she wanted it well-done. When her order finally arrived--after everyone but one other burger order had been served, an order or two at a time so that none of us were served all together--her hamburger was medium-rare, at best, so she sent it back. Wine pours were skimpy and our dinner for two with one glass of wine and a beer came to about $50. On the slight plus side, the waiter brought a glass of wine "on the house" for the rare-burger diner, and a couple of the small plate sides were tasty. The blackened salmon was done well, but the smoked chicken with gnocchi and "sweet-and-sour" spinach that was bland was a disappointment. This "Party" fizzles as a restaurant and maybe should have remained a cart.
(1)Mark A.
Party Downtown is tapas. You better know that going in, or you will complain about the portions. Eugene didn't have a small plates restaurant before this, so some reviewers here are dinging PD for not giving enough food per order. But this is what tapas are, appetizer sized plates meant to be sampled. For the diner it's a chance to try lots of different things instead of having one big steak and potato. To be good a tapas restaurant needs to be innovative, and give people something different than what they can get, in larger portions, at other places. PD does have some entrée sized dishes available, but small is the way to go. DLW and I sampled four plates: shrimp cocktail, potted chicken, son-in-law egg and crab Rangoon pancake, along with a couple of aperitif cocktails. I would probably skip the potted chicken, nothing too exceptional there, but the others were winners. We especially liked the crab dish, which can more accurately be called a dutch baby, an eggy pancake/soufflé hybrid with Dungeness crab mixed in, topped with an odd but effective vinegar honey butter. The menu changes with the seasons and whatever is local (they make a large show of being locavore), so rather than printing menus they post it on a series of hanging blackboards on the wall. Yes, it was not a cheap night out, but that's the price point of tapas. You pay for variety rather than quantity. If you're still hungry afterward go next door to Red Wagon Creamery and get some cones, like we did.
(4)Lauren L.
Party Downtown is certainly a cute eatery. Once beginning as PartyCart, a local food cart operated by creators Mark and Tiffany serving organic and creative dishes for reasonable prices, Party Downtown has since opened their official restaurant on Broadway in Downtown Eugene. There, you will find an assortment of creative dishes all made with local ingredients. You can find everything from Duck Confit, Pork chops with Delacata squash, Kimchi beef, to even the more unusual items such as a smoked Albacore melt pancake. Combining a variety of cooking styles and flavors, Party Downtown certainly has a lot of creativity and fun with their menu surprises. After just opening their restaurant, the ballet studio I work for contacted Party Downtown in hopes of having them cater one of our seasonal events. Despite being extremely busy with their new establishment, they graciously provided us with an assortment of cute and yummy ourderves that were very much a hit with our guests. The event featured the following menu items... - Deviled Eggs - FlufferNutter Bites (essentially, a hazelnut and peanut butter cookie with a dollop of marshmallow icing) - Pigs in a Blanket - Celery Bacon Cream Cheese Bites Certainly all packed with flavor and catering to those with an appetite for slightly more rich and salty foods, the items were quite a success. The portions were perfect and we certainly had plenty to go around, by the end of the night there were hardly any leftovers. The food was delivered promptly, serving dishes and heating equipment were provided, and last minute presentation adjustments were applied on site. Personally, my only complaint would have had to been the presentation of the cookies. The marshmallow icing was applied minutes before serving and had a tendency to fall off the rather small cookies. The run-off created more of a messy look which wasn't an ideal presentation for guests. If you're a fan of creative and slightly odd combinations, Party Downtown will certainly show you how to have fun with food!
(3)Raven C.
My first time here after my friends ranted and raved was not a disappointment. The restaurant itself is set up in an open way that allows you to see what they are doing in the kitchen, which I always appreciate. The bar in the back is tucked away with dim lighting which is better if you want to hide away. Everyone who works here obviously loves their job and it excited to be making local fresh artisan foods that you can't get anywhere else. Contrary to what almost everyone says, Party isn't that expensive considering the quality of the food and service you are getting. The best cocktails downtown, hands down. If you're worried about price, consider going during happy hour. I went with a friend and we shared four plates of out of this world food and each had two cocktails. All of it came out to be about $20 a person and we were each pleasantly full. I would highly recommend Party Downtown to anybody, you absolutely have to go here if you want to try something that you couldn't make yourself at home.
(5)Peter O.
We are down visiting our Eugenian friends from Seattle and stopped by this place last night for dinner. How surprised we were to find this hidden treasure behind the ice cream parlor. The food and service was excellent and we really appreciated the locally sourced and homemade dishes on the menu. Everything cooked with pride, quality and creativity. It reminded us a lot of Seattle's well known Porkchop and Co. in Ballard. Chef/owners who really care!
(5)Mark P.
Food: Delicious! Price: Too expensive. When we walked in, they told us it was "family style". Me and a 5 of my friends shared $125 worth of food and drinks, and none of us felt like we had more than a light snack afterward. The rum punch is served in a cup slightly larger than a shot glass, and costs $9. You can't defend that, you just can't. Decor: Decent. It's kind of a strange lighting, but I think they're working with what they have. Service: Very nice. The lady was always checking in on us at the right times, constantly giving us water refills, and was pleasant overall. Conclusion: A great place with great service that could do with larger servings. I suppose if you're a foodie with a trust fund, it's a great spot to hit up.
(3)Alieta T.
Crazy good brunch. Non standard food profil3s. Extr3mely good food. Way cool service. Gluten free options. Pour over coffee was a mega plus. Non-pretentious brunch spot. Eugene needs more zones like this.
(5)Katherine W.
My new favorite Sunday morning spot. And, if i can find a way to make it happen, my new favorite every day spot. The food is amazing. Always surprising in the most delicious way. I've been coming here weekly since they opened, and I always order something new. Last Sunday, I went for the albacore. It came with wild rice mixed with fresh herbs AND a stuffed red pepper to boot. The fish itself was perfect - seared on one side and ... just ... perfect. I watch a pretty hefty amount of cooking shows, so I should have a better food vocabulary. So, I'll say the albacore, along with everything I've ever ordered, is "stunning," "vibrant," and "beautifully balanced." Eating here is like choosing the mystery flavor airhead, and never being disappointed. Or, what about this ... eating here is like sticking your hand in to one of those spooky halloween boxes, and coming up with gold every time. Or, in this case, albacore. Either way, eat here. Take a chance. The menu changes every week. Service is friendly and wonderful - if you don't know what a menu item is ... try asking someone. I do every week and I'm always grateful that I did.
(5)Joe L.
I remember a Eugene where if you wanted cornmeal-crusted fried kimchi, you had to get in your car and head north to Portland. Those days are gone. Eugene downtown has been developing like crazy and Party Downtown is one of the best additions. We stopped in for lunch with my brother and, honestly, I don't even remember what we got. There was pork belly and lots of different, interesting salads. Something was braised. Something else was deep fried. Everything was unbelievably delicious. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is comfortable. Nothing was too expensive. Portions were decent. Everybody wins.
(4)Amy P.
i started a detailed review of our experience after our last visit here, but then decided to delete it as I was very disappointed to the point of being almost angry. After months have gone by, I still have very little good to say. The service was at most fair. The food and beverage was mediocre, small portions & quite overpriced. I am glad that they are using high quality, locally sourced ingredients, but unfortunately they are not doing those ingredients much justice. It really is too bad, I thought that they had a lot of potential. My previous visit here had been pretty good, but I certainly will not be returning.
(1)Jennifer S.
Wonderful service and wine recommendations. The barley carbonara was suberb. The salmon dish was creative and among the best ever.
(5)Jon S.
With a couple of excellent exceptions, the dishes were surprisingly bland and over-salted. The cocktails were weak and syrupy. I liked the creativity of menu, but I don't think they've quite pulled it off. Pros: The beet tart and the kimchi soup were perfectly offbeat and delicious. Those dishes are worth going for. Cons: Food and cocktails are (generally) boring, especially given the price and portion size.
(2)heather f.
5 Star Food. I loved every bite. YES, the portions are small compared to other restaurants but people, these are healthy portions for anyone wanting to maintain a healthy weight. Sorry America, we are so off the mark in this category and our health suffers! The service lacked so much and managed to make minor errors consistently all night long. I am not sure they have any professional mentorship in this department. Again, the food was incredible. I had a burger, they nailed it. Service was what I may expect at a cheap eats place on campus from an 18 year old with no dining experience or serving training. If they can address that aspect, i would return and recommend.
(3)Katlin L.
My boyfriend and I had a late dinner at Party Downtown Friday evening and had a WONDERFUL experience. I decided on Wildcraft Cider to drink and we shared the charcuterie plate, that had a few different house made meats and was delicious. Our main courses were both prepared efficiently and beautifully! We had the steak and the goat chop. Our service was also great! Brandon was more than helpful and polite. We will definitely be back.
(4)Isabelle M.
Very bummed. Met up with some friends on Friday night. Only one server for whole place. We were given a menu, that's. After waiting almost 20 minutes, we went up to cashier to order a couple of drinks. Waited another 15-20 minutes to receive drinks. Since that took so long we decided to leave. We had to pay 20% gratuity on the two drinks since we met with a group of people, even though we didn't get any service. Our friends also asked for separate checks when ordering, but server said no, it would be easier at the end, and then was a little irritated when we asked for checks and made us spend another 20 minutes splitting the bill. It seemed like a cool place, but I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)Matt S.
I almost feel like I'm too friendly with Tiffany and Mark to write an objective review of Party Downtown. But here's the thing: they are both super socially-intelligent and outgoing and, going back to the cart days, I always feel like they are talking to people that know them way better than I do. You just get a warm feeling being around them. Oh yeah, here's the real thing compelling me to write this objective review: they make the best food in Eugene. Some things to know and think about if you haven't been, or if you have been and maybe need to reassess your perspective: ~ Order at counter during lunch time, table service for dinner. ~ Get 3 or 4 plates per 2 people. Share. Compare your bill to other restaurants. Really, you are doing okay. ~ Go by yourself. Order just one plate. Contemplate the average American diet versus a European diet. Get a big fat ice cream cone next door (attached) if you need to fill in the difference. ~ Fish preparation is stellar. ~ Anytime they have shrimp salad, order it. Send me a message to let me know it's on the menu. I wrote the following (I'm abridging it now) two years ago after eating at the cart, and nothing has changed except the location and the sheer number of times I have eaten their food and walked away feeling better about life: "PartyCart is single-handedly changing how I think about food. I don't know how else to put this, but the food at this cart actually tastes fresher than just about anything I've ever had. The folks making this happen are deeply committed to, and enthusiastic about, local sourcing. The menu changes every week. . .they aren't strictly vegetarian but always have at least one item in both large and small categories that is flesh-free. I'm not even going to mention specific things that I have eaten, since it depends on what ingredients they have, except to tell you that I've tried a handful of items and every single one has been 5-star worthy in my book." Bottom line: If I had 12 hours left in Eugene, this is where I would go for my last meal.
(5)Kahlil N.
Mark and Tiffany I love you guys! You guys make amazing food, and if it weren't for the small portion sizes I'd with out a doubt give ya five stars. With that said I truly feel your price to portion ratio is wayyyy off the mark, even for locally sourced and organic ingredients. I've been in twice to your new location, and both times felt like I only received a rather light snack. The first time was for brunch, believe I spent around 17 dollars and it still really wasn't a full meal. The second time was for lunch, I had a very tasty 10 dollar chicken sandwich, again though not even close to enough food! If you're trying to appeal to the downtown business crowd you need to feed them a reasonable sized lunch!
(3)C. A.
Incredibly disappointing...especially after all the hype this place has received. WAY EXPENSIVE for simply mediocre food!! Order at the counter, pour your own water and pick up your own silverware - then items are brought to your table. Food is not innovative and simply not very nicely presented either. Not impressed and will not be returning!
(1)Dawn C.
Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, folks, the Party Carters ( yelp.com/biz/partycart-e… ) have taken over downtown! Mark and Tiffany have opened their doors, and are serving dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch downtown. (Just behind their buddies, Red Wagon Creamery!) If you are a fan of farm to table, then make sure to put this place on your list. They are re-writing the rules and updating the notion to a '10s level. They actually opened for dinner about a week and a half ago, but tonight was my first trip. I absolutely love the space--they're right in the thick of things on Broadway, across the alley from First National and the Bijou. The street-facing shop is Red Wagon and the back area is the restaurant. Menu items are listed on a board on the main wall, and many meal choices have both small-plate and entree-sized options available--perfect for sharing. And related to the sharing piece I have to tell you--it's important to be up for that style. Plates come out when they're ready, so if you're hungry, it's best to put forth the sharing attitude so that it's reciprocated back to ye. I love this kind of eating, but I do think it's something you should know before going in. There will be no basket of rolls, with pats of butter, and a straightforward progression of items. But isn't it time we (and our waistlines) moved beyond that idea anyway? *steps down from soapbox* Tonight I was with a large group of about 10, so we got to sample lots of wares. My personal favorite was the Gravlax on flatbread, which is basically a house-cured salmon (Gravlax) served with a horseradish cream cheese, pickled scallion, and dill fronds. It was just what my body needed. Other table favorites were the son-in-law egg (I'll let them explain), the chorizo-stuffed pickled prunes, flank steak with sesame and broccoli, and the confit turkey leg. The spring crop "salad" was also a winner--I had this for my dessert! With Oregon strawberries (in addition to the veg), olive oil, and dukkah (basically chopped hazelnuts with Egyptian spices) I thought it a fine end to a delicious meal. The Partiers offered a modest selection of dessert items (e.g., sweet pea and honey pot de creme) but, really, who needs dessert when you're going to walk by an ice cream parlor on your way out the door? I remember the first person I met as I sauntered up to the 'Cart those near two years ago... "These guys are changing the world, I tell you! Changing. The. World." Well, I'd have to say I agree with them. Head on down and #partydowntown and tell me you don't think differently about food.
(5)Sharon L.
Really innovative and delicious menu. Great prices and GREAT service, which is far too rare in Eugene. I'd list the highlights of our meal but its an ever changing menu. The plates are small so you can order a bunch of different things to try which is my favorite way to eat. PARTY!
(4)Bill J.
Despite all the stars the parking lot was empty at noon on a Sunday for brunch. This place takes itself way too seriously. Don't ask for something slightly different than on the menu, they won't do it. The fried gnocchi tastes like it was soaked in grease. There is no salt or pepper on the table, likely because they think their food is perfect. Will not be back.
(1)J B.
The atmosphere was very modern and clean fresh feeling, entrées definitely beautifully presented! The duck breast was very moist and flavorful.
(5)Kitte K.
We went here for lunch on Sunday. I used to DJ in this space when it was SNAFU and you wouldn't recognize it now! It is light and airy and the huge front window makes it into a whole new space. The staff were really sweet and attentive, although they sat us down without pointing out the menu on the wall, directly above and behind me, so I was a little confused when our server asked if we were ready to order, as I had not been given a menu. But it was truly no big deal. The menu is varied and the thing that brought me here was learning that as much of their food as possible is locally sourced. My companion had the adorable tiny biscuits with bacon honey-butter, smashed potatoes with "apple ketchup" that was really more "apple sauce/butter" and a side of bacon. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We both had the house made sodas, Strawberry and Grenadine which were super tasty. I had the shrimp salad in lettuce, which was yummy. Everything looked as if it had been lovingly prepared, not just slopped together. The prices are pretty decent, especially considering the quality of the food.
(4)Mason G.
I've only had food this good in Eugene once before (that I didn't make, haha!). It seemed like the prices were a little steep until I was told that everything but the salt and pepper were local and seasonal. I was still a little skeptical. I haven't known very many places that can really work a seasonal menu. The grilled padron peppers were amazing. Okay, stop. Everything was amazing. Here's what we got: chicken liver pate with pickled fennel, seared albacore with mashed cauliflower, some kind of scrambled egg on wheat berries, a kimchi scotch egg, and a sausage and fried egg with a black bean gravy. Never could I imagine that someone could make a gravy out of black beans. It was inspiring food. A little on the spendy side. With drinks and full bellies it came out to $20 per person. And that was brunch. Next time I'm in Eugene and don't want to get the rice omelet at Brail's, Party Downtown is gettin my business.
(5)Jenny J.
Love, love, love this place! It's tapas for the culinarily adventurous. Sign us up! We're vegetarian and have eaten here several times now. About 40% of their menu is vegetarian or can be made vegetarian, and they are very accommodating about doing this. My favorite thing on the menu is a blue cheese "pancake", which is more of a fluffy souffle cake, with kimchee on top. Sounds strange, I know, but the tastes work together so well. Lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the menu is constantly changing, which makes it even more fun. Their tortilla pie was also fabulous, as were the brunch dishes with lots of pancake and egg dishes. If you've got kids in tow, they'll be very happy to learn that the restaurant shares a floor with an ice cream shop (Red Wagon Creamery). And the space is huge and beautiful - very modern, hip and spacious. The owners, Mark and Tiffany, are super nice. I'm really glad to see them succeed, and grateful to them for making Eugene's restaurant scene a more interesting, delicious place!
(5)Roman S.
strange mesh-up that feels like it belongs in a different city where people don't mind paying $$$ for small american inspired and worldly tapas. at first i liked what they were doing. unique cuisine, changes frequently, natural good quality ingredients. however, their pricing is hard to justify for what they are offering. yes, it's fancy, trendy, popular perhaps because it is Eugene and it's hard to find chefs who can experiment and make interesting food, but unless you have deep pockets and don't care about bite sized portions you should look elsewhere. if they readjust their pricing or up portion sizes it can easily be a 4 star place.
(3)Fawn C.
Four of us for dinner, and we were all very disappointed. We all meet once a month to try a new restaurant in Eugene. We all ordered the "Kitchen" which is the chef's choice. We each were able to have a bite of each dish they brought out and that was it. For $80.00 we expected a whole lot more. We left hungry and very dissatisfied. The food, also, was not very appetizing. I would not recommend this restaurant at all. The only thing good was the service.
(1)Deezy D.
Creative, tasty and well prepared dishes. We had a large group and they were short a cook, so it took awhile but they were so nice. We did $20 per person and chef decided what to serve. They brought small plates for 2.5 hours (this is the short a chef on a Friday night part). It was so fun to try so many different items and they were awesome. Definitely go for adventuresome food. It is also attached to a creamery, we only tried the goat coffee one and it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted!
(4)Alice G.
We went for brunch on a weekend, and found the place dead empty. Yes, it was empty for a good reason - it was bloody expensive! The food was imaginative, but two small breakfast items and coffee came to $40. This is not the Four Seasons, or even Marche. Although I welcome the downtown revival, with their high prices and awkward, tucked-behind-an-ice cream parlor location, I don't see the Party lasting too long.
(2)Aaron C.
Mark and Tiffany are amazing! Never let down by what they do. Chose this place for my birthday they were accommodating and wonderful!
(5)Jennifer M.
Party Downtown has become our "go to" place for a grown-up evening, date night, friends, whatever. Its delicious every time! Of all our visits, we've only disliked one drink and they promptly made us something else. The staff is knowledgable, and friendly. Just the right amount of service to make sure you're happy. I can't imagine ordering anything but the "kitchens choice". It's an adventure and i love not thinking about choosing my food. I just know that my taste buds will be happy with whatever they bring. Bon appetite!
(5)Rosquete B.
4* Party Downtown 55 W. Broadway Eclectic menu Casual atmosphere Loved the tomato apple gnocchi The goat chop was tasty The burger with bacon was superb Friendly food service by Brandon
(4)Maki D.
Late to the party, so I hear! (me, not the restaurant). Lol, finally made it to Party Downtown with another frequenter of the establishment my good friend MX. MX and I made it for dinner the other evening was pleased to see that the restaurant was full, but not so full that we couldn't get a cozy little table. For as busy as the restaurant seemed to be on a Friday night we got serviced very quickly and efficiently. First up, the smoked oyster dip. OMG. You might cringe a bit at the thought of an oyster dip, but don't let that fool you. Your first bite is a thick, creaminess then you get the taste of a slight smokiness with a bite of something....shallots I think? Spread that on a house made potato chip and you are good to go. Next up, gnocchi tots! Deep fried house made potato gnocchi with a house apple ketchup and white barbecue sauce. The tots were so light, airy and absolutely scrumptious. The accompanying sauce was reminiscent of an apple butter and paired quite surprisingly well with the tots. MX got the special of the day, the beet borscht which was an incredibly soul warming soup for a rainy night. I think there was pork in it...which I thought interesting since the board made no indication of meat in the soup. But the fatty makeup of the pork really lent itself well to the overall soup, I thought. Moving right along, I ordered the petrale sole with parsnips, bacon jam and parsley. Now I must have read the menu wrong (which I felt sheepish about after speaking with our server about it) and didn't see that the parsley was not a garnish but was meant to be more of a salad that accompanied the sole. I absolutely did not like the whole leafed parsley atop the fish and instantly picked them all out. It was my bad for not reading the menu closely. The sole was interesting, it was well cooked, slightly crispy and caramelized on the edges, there was a slight sweet acidity to the fish that was nice, but I really wished for more seasoning. I've also discovered that I am not a big fan of parsnips..another lesson for me in dining out.. And because MX and I stuffed ourself beyond belief, we ordered our desserts to go. I ordered the bay leaf panna cotta with strawberry compote and hazelnut cookie crumbles. I did read that one correctly. lol. OMG. I love panna cotta, but this panna cotta took the cake. The mix of the strawberry compote and the hazelnut cookie crumbles were beyond heavenly. Creamy, sweet, and oh so light with the nuttiness of the cookie...divine! Overall I adore this quirky little spot with it's unusual dishes and flavors and hope to come back for more.
(3)Bonnie B.
Typically when I go out to eat, I'm accompanied by my mother now in her 70s, and my teen, and I'm in my 40s. The trick is always finding a restaurant where we all like the food. Party Downtown has delivered and then some! We have enjoyed the ever changing menu, the casual decor, and the fact that Red Wagon Ice Cream is just on the other side. If you are looking for gigantic mass quantities of food, this would likely be a challenging restaurant for you to visit. If you are looking for appropriately sized portions of extremely tasty food, this is the place. What I found most interesting, as I tend to be a very ahem hearty eater--truly flavorful food fills me up quickly. That's exactly what happens when I eat at Party Downtown.
(4)Bondito H.
So happy to have found this place since moving to Eugene from Southern California. Not gonna waste time talking about how off-base the negative reviews are. Experienced Yelpers know that Yelp draws a certain group of people who are never gonna be happy with anything. It seems that several of them are represented on this page. So! I have had several dinners at Party Downtown. I have always found the service to be professional while living up to their fun name. Party! I've also eaten some of the most surprising flavor combinations and have only been disappointed once--when a cauliflower dish was a little too salty. It's my understanding that this business started as a food cart that specialized in lunches. That would be my one change--they currently are not open for lunch. Their casual sort of Euro decor would lend itself well to a hearty but simple "peasant lunch" of soup and bread for the winter. I would be there every day, if such a thing existed. If you're looking for food that will impress out of town foodie guests, or you just want to know that the source of you food is local and organic, this place should be your go-to. It's definitely mine.
(5)Laura F.
This place is fabulous! Clever decor, creative and delicious menu, and great service. We had Sunday Brunch and ordered 9 of the 13 items on the menu (we ordered two and three orders each of a couple items). There wasn't a bummer in the bunch. After the first couple plates, we just asked our server, James, to keep bringing things to us - we didn't even specify what. The son-in-law egg and the deviled duck egg were both sublime. The cocktails were also great. The chefs are ahead of the culinary curve in this town and I've told all my friends to check out this gem.
(5)Jessica F.
We did the $20 a head, chef's choice: The son-in-law egg was something new to me, and really good, the shrimp salad FRESH (definitely not served with enough brioche, though), the spinach pie was buttery and the crust to die for, and the chicken pot pie, while on the surface nothing special, WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN, OH GOD. So hearty. So savory. They've definitely got something going on with that crust. For dessert we had a pea and honey creme pot. Probably the best borderline baby food dish i've ever had, and that's not sarcasm- it was really good. The menu changes daily, and I'm looking forward to returning. Congrats on the new place, guys!
(5)Joe S.
The good: excellent, quality, locally sourced, gourmet food, personable atmosphere, great coffee from Wandering Goat, amazing bacon. The bad: small portions, no ice in water, no butter or jam for toast with the Great American breakfast, and just one egg! Out of ketchup and a few other things. A bit warm when filled with people.
(3)Cee D.
I don't get to come here nearly as often as I would like, sadly, but each return visit shows me that the folks at Party are on a great course. The place just keeps getting better, and while I miss character of the rotating chalk menu, they didn't lose a thing in moving to the printed menu format. (and, frankly, it makes deciding on an order that much easier / less awkward). The food here is rich and the flavors are strong. It's comfort food, without being too heavy. Perfect for the name. It really is a party IN YOUR MOUTH. The serving sizes are perfect for this type of dining experience. It's easy to share with friends, or to gorge selfishly on a plate that is not so big as to fill you up before your next delicious plate arrives (and you should order as much as possible or do the chef's tasting/choice menu). Local, good value, very friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, great cocktails. All the superlatives are belong to them.
(5)Mindy S.
Love this place! We just found this place (it is a mystery if you are driving down Broadway, looking for a big sign). It is actually on the backside of Red Wagon Creamery and you go in their front door to walk back...through the bar area past the kitchen pass through window area to the main dining room. We chose to eat in the bar area which is a bit more romantic and dark. We were there before 6 pm so we were there during "Happy Hour" so we tried the gnocchi tots for an appetizer. So delicious :) Then we both had the burger which was.....YUM!!!!! The brioche bun they make is perfect (not a big HUNK of bread to mask the size of the meat). The meat...FABULOUS! cooked medium rare. It was so tasty and tasted so familiar. Later, when I came home I found out that Party Downtown uses "Deck Family Farm" organic/pasture raised beef! We get their meat all the time. The lettuce was a beautiful wide leaf green w/ purple speck lettuce. The cheese was very nice, not masking the meat, but complimenting it nicely. I ate half of my filling burger and took the other half home. I got chips (they make in house) which were amazing, perfectly salted and not a touch of oil on my fingers or lips. They have perfected the perfect potato chip. My partner had a salad which he said was very nice and looked great. Mixed greens all dark and bright greens/purples, heirloom lettuces with a nice vinaigrette dressing that is house made. All organic food is served here.....very refreshing since we had just come from a "March Against Monsanto" event earlier in the day. I tried a cocktail which was very nice (a strawberry drink) and my partner had a micro-brew beer on tap. We were extremely happy with our food and the server who was also our bartender. We skipped on dessert since we wanted to give Red Wagon a bit of our business, we opted for the ice cream. The dessert menu looked very unique and delicious but we will have to try something next time. No problem....we will be back again and again! We felt the value was very good for the quality of the food we ate.
(5)Helios L.
The ever-changing menu is always creative, and they use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Presentation of plates is very nice, and the Red Wagon Creamery adjoining is an added bonus. That being said, I haven't been here often enough to appreciate the good food, and should give it another chance. It's been a while (about a year) but the service was pretty bad both times - once I got the wrong order and another time the server forgot to take it when I was sitting at the end of a large table. It WAS busy, but it didn't feel worth it to pay those prices and get subpar service. I'd rather have Party Cart prices and expectations.
(3)Charlie G.
Has some great talent, young talent maybe. Overall would have been much better if each dish had a little more salt and acid....my opinion. It is still a must try. After all, this is what yelp is for...finding new restaurants and watching them grow. I'll go back and good luck Party Downtown!!
(4)Ustaza M.
Best service I had in Eugene. Attentive and efficient. The food was interesting. Good change from usual fare and conversation starter.
(4)DeathandFood H.
Holy Hipster. Portland has come to Eugene and it is good. Surprisingly good. I felt like I was at a more causal State Bird Provisions than in Eugene. I wasn't expecting this much creativity or good food for in Eugene. Sorry Eugene, just saying in the 4 years of visiting Eugene this was by far some of the best and most creative food I've eaten there. I can see how for folks used to a lower price point for food or who like more traditional American food this place could be a miss. The portions are small plates meant to be shared and for a person to get 2-3 plate might be expensive for some locals. Coming from SF, I was happy as can be to spend only 65 for three people for dinner. The larger dishes are over 10 dollars and the smaller ones are under 10. I found all the portions to be the right size for the price. The menu changes everyday but it seems to rotate favourite dishes. Dishes we had: Son in law eggs- lightly fried hardboiled eggs with berry sauce & fried scallions. a very american take on a Chinese dish. not bad all. arugula salad with lots of good things. very tasty. shrimp cocktail was served in a jar with shrimp salad with a cucumber ice over it. Fun and tasty. Pancake-this was rather bland for me, especially after having an insanely good squid pancake in Seattle for lunch that day. Beer spare ribs. With all the local micro brewers this was a no brainer and for only 14 there was enough meat for two of us or one middle American. There was another dish but I can't remember what it was. We didn't do dessert because the ice cream at Red Wagon Creamy which shares a building with them was calling us. There could have been more vegetarian choices. The space is a newly renovated space with wheelchair access, good lighting but they desperately need some sound baffling as it is quite loud. There's a nice alcohol selection with lots of local brews. If it was in San Francisco it would be 4 stars but considering it's in a culinary backwater with folks that don't seem to be willing to pay more than 20 dollars a person to eat. I think it deserves 6 stars. The service was friendly if casual. Our server was well informed about the food. If you have to stop in Eugene, moved there for school or some how ended up there, this is a place you want to eat.
(5)ponce c.
I eat here once a week, this is the best food in the world! Mark and Tiffany make everything from scratch (curing the bacon, fermenting the kimchi they even churn their own butter!) portions are not huge but the Party is all about quality over quantity and the quality is supreme. if you want LOCAL and delicious this is the best place you will find. Praise the Lard.
(5)E T.
I have NEVER been angry at a restaurant. But I am now. We went right after opening that day. This being our first time there, we were trying to figure out their dining system. Do we order at the counter, do we bus ourselves? How about utensils, water? The guy at the counter, after studiously not acknowledging our presence in the empty space for some time, then started in with quite the attitude. "Ask if you have any questions," he said. But when any of us asked him questions, he totally ignored it. I think there were owners at the place. A couple guys came out of the kitchen while we were there, talking to a couple of women in the dining room; I am assuming they have some connection to this restaurant. But for some reason they're not interested in serving their paying customers. We ordered from the embarrassingly empty menu (you could count the choices on one hand), found a table, and waited. When the meals came, they were not accompanied by silverware. Or napkins. Apparently for that kind of service, you have to pay more. Our server should pay less attention to the grooming of his mustache and more attention to his customers. Or his job. We waited far too long in the empty restaurant for our three entrees and three coffees, which came to $36. I whole-heartedly support local and sustainable restaurants. I do not mind the higher price and small portions as long as they are worth it. But not here. The coffee we got was acidic, lukewarm and tasted horribly burnt. We love coffee. My husband just took a sip and could not take another. He looked as if he'd be eternally grateful to be magically teleported to Charbucks at that moment. Actually, we all did. My food was inedible. Mind you, I NEVER leave my food on the plate -- especially when that food is pricy. I had the spanish tortilla and it was like eating pure salt. I detected no herbs, no spices, just salt. Maybe they did, but I could not taste anything since my taste buds were burned by salt. My husband and daughter was skeptical when I said "I cannot eat it," because, well, I never say that, so my husband tried a bite. BIG MISTAKE. My hubs has a salt tooth. He COULD NOT eat it. The side of potatoes was salted. That's it. Giant, comically oversize grains big enough to crack a tooth, and exactly no other seasonings. No complementary flavor of any kind. There were more herbs in the sad sprig of rosemary on our table than in all of our meals. Combined. Yes, they were really good potatoes to begin with -- and the people who cooked it care so little, they screw up even that. The house-made ketchup (we assumed that's what they were going for) was so unbalanced and ammoniac no one wanted it. I think they might have used raisins to sweeten it or something, but it was so strangely sweet and tannic at the same time. Sad. On the bright side, eating the over-salted potatoes was a relief after literally gagging on the main course.
(1)Phil J.
We happened to get the short straw on our waitress but the meal made up for it. So, if you get the short haired girl with the squeaky voice, hang in there. The food is good.
(4)Dominic I.
So I feel kind of bad writing a 3 star review for this place because I always hear really good things about it and I really want to like it. I have only been once, and I plan on returning and hope to have a better meal. Service was fine, friendly. It was DEAD when we went there, maybe only one other table. I always a little put off by ordering at the counter, but it's fine. The menu was really confusing to me... On the wall, hanging signs in no perticular order, with many things that I have never even heard of, and i've been in the restaurant industry my whole life. We ordered 2 sandwiches and shared... could have eaten about 4 by myself, they were tiny! and they were both over $10 each!!! They tasted okay, but not that incredible, not for the price. One was a mediterannian chicken, the other was like a shrimp salad.... made with bay shrimp! Not impressed. So like I said, I will try it again, but if I have a similar enounter, no more. No party for me.
(3)Elizabeth C.
Eugene's newest gem. Party Downtown has taken food to a whole new level. The saying "there's a party in my mouth" rings true with every bite! One thing I don't think people have caught on is that these plates are made for sharing. I recommend the salmon, sausage, and beef, the padron peppers with whipped goat cheese are delicious! Also it's the best cocktail list in the city. All ingredients are local and fresh.
(4)Ms. M.
The food here is delish. Amazing flavors, perfect potions, and adventurous eats. The bar is fun too. Lots of character and great drinks. The only complaint I have is that it is obscenely loud. The ceilings are high and the place echos. It's not the kind of loud that I enjoy. I like a lively place but I honestly had to yell so that my date could hear me. So exhausting. I do hope the owners consider a fix to that.
(4)Kate B.
Wow. I love the cozy little bar tucked in between the restaurant and ice cream parlor! I've been there a couple times with small groups of friends, and each time everyone has raved about their cocktails. Party Downtown has become my favorite place for early evening drinks and small plates. The food is AWESOME. Super creative, fresh, exciting, delicious, and nutritious. Their ever-changing menu perfectly reflects Eugene's quirky foodie culture.
(5)Chris F.
Really inventive takes on comfort food. Had a great lunch here and will be back!
(4)Tricia H.
The dishes were on the small side and lacking flavor. The roasted peppers were a bland variety and needed herbs or salt. I could hardly taste the vinagrette on the bean salad. Disappointing because folks liked their food cart. I would not return.
(2)Randall C.
Another addition to the downtown core with three more on the way PD will have to revisit their menu as well as pricing structure. Love the locally sourced fresh ingredients however the menu lacks true culinary creativity. Ouch for three with no alcohol for three was nearly $50 pre gratuity. Portions were medium sized appetizers.
(2)Julie K.
Wow. This place does NOT deserve 4 or 5 stars, not even scaled to Eugene's low quality offerings. Sorry, no. Not even 3. We went here on recommendation of a good place to have brunch. What is brunch? It is two meals in one. It is breakfast-y and lunch-y foods. It is a fill-you-up, satisfy you until dinner meal. Brunch is not a snack. The appearance is nice, if ratings were based simply on looks, I'd give this place a 4. If you want to lick concrete floors and admire tasteful decor, but not actually eat, and be in a clean environment, this is your place. That's where the good points ended for me. The menu is weird. It's posted on the wall, and there are few selections. We were informed when we asked about breakfast food that if we want typical brunch foods, there are other places for that. Ok. Despite that nonsense, we stayed. This place is also absolutely not picky eater or vegetarian friendly - do not take children here. They had exactly one item on the menu that I found potentially appealing. Their meat offerings were primarily pork based, and we were informed this changes, and sometimes another meat is featured. The pancake was strange, and there was nothing else on the menu to offer my 4 year old - or me. I ordered a potato gnocchi dish with black beans and yogurt sauce. The flavor was good, but the serving size? Ridiculous. It might have been filling to someone with a recent gastric bypass who can only eat 3 oz of food at once (which is about the size of what was on my plate) but the portion size was absurd - to give a gauge of what I mean, the plate was maybe 6" in diameter and there was plenty of space left for more food. The price posted was $8 - she asked if I wanted a small or large portion, I said small, figuring that the price was probably for larger portion. Wrong. I paid $8.00 for 3 ozs of food. They charged $8.00 for my daughter's pancake, which she did not like, and $3.00 for my husband's iced tea, which he said did not taste good. My husband did not order any food at all because he found the menu so unappetizing - and he will eat almost anything other than fast food. $23.00, and no one was satisfied. At those prices, the portions are outrageously high. I would be willing to pay $4 or $5 for what I had, but at $8, I felt, frankly, like I'd been mugged. This is the equivalent of $43 for a 1 lb steak (higher quality cuts are around $18 in the store now) - and it was beans, a few gnocchi, and a tiny amount of yogurt. When we left, I was still very hungry, and highly annoyed. The food in this place was self-indulgently, pretentiously idiosyncratic. Note to owners: there is a reason people love omelets,sausage, and potatoes for brunch. There is a reason successful restaurants have items on menus that do not change, or change only seasonally: it gets people through the door and coming back, which we will not be doing. While we were there, one party of four came in, read the menu, and quickly left. Wish we had done the same.
(1)Jennifer M.
Party Downtown has become our "go to" place for a grown-up evening, date night, friends, whatever. Its delicious every time! Of all our visits, we've only disliked one drink and they promptly made us something else. The staff is knowledgable, and friendly. Just the right amount of service to make sure you're happy. I can't imagine ordering anything but the "kitchens choice". It's an adventure and i love not thinking about choosing my food. I just know that my taste buds will be happy with whatever they bring. Bon appetite!
(5)Cee D.
I don't get to come here nearly as often as I would like, sadly, but each return visit shows me that the folks at Party are on a great course. The place just keeps getting better, and while I miss character of the rotating chalk menu, they didn't lose a thing in moving to the printed menu format. (and, frankly, it makes deciding on an order that much easier / less awkward). The food here is rich and the flavors are strong. It's comfort food, without being too heavy. Perfect for the name. It really is a party IN YOUR MOUTH. The serving sizes are perfect for this type of dining experience. It's easy to share with friends, or to gorge selfishly on a plate that is not so big as to fill you up before your next delicious plate arrives (and you should order as much as possible or do the chef's tasting/choice menu). Local, good value, very friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, great cocktails. All the superlatives are belong to them.
(5)Bondito H.
So happy to have found this place since moving to Eugene from Southern California. Not gonna waste time talking about how off-base the negative reviews are. Experienced Yelpers know that Yelp draws a certain group of people who are never gonna be happy with anything. It seems that several of them are represented on this page. So! I have had several dinners at Party Downtown. I have always found the service to be professional while living up to their fun name. Party! I've also eaten some of the most surprising flavor combinations and have only been disappointed once--when a cauliflower dish was a little too salty. It's my understanding that this business started as a food cart that specialized in lunches. That would be my one change--they currently are not open for lunch. Their casual sort of Euro decor would lend itself well to a hearty but simple "peasant lunch" of soup and bread for the winter. I would be there every day, if such a thing existed. If you're looking for food that will impress out of town foodie guests, or you just want to know that the source of you food is local and organic, this place should be your go-to. It's definitely mine.
(5)Kate F.
After reading the reviews I expected much more. It was a warm Friday evening but the place was only 2/3 full while the creamery had a line out the door. The fried gnocci had a crispy coating & was perfectly cooked but was way too salty. The burger was very rare, tasteless & the bun disintegrated. Never tasted the cheese. Potato chips were great, the best I've had. No complaints on the service & the decor was very pretty. We won't be back.
(3)Maki D.
Late to the party, so I hear! (me, not the restaurant). Lol, finally made it to Party Downtown with another frequenter of the establishment my good friend MX. MX and I made it for dinner the other evening was pleased to see that the restaurant was full, but not so full that we couldn't get a cozy little table. For as busy as the restaurant seemed to be on a Friday night we got serviced very quickly and efficiently. First up, the smoked oyster dip. OMG. You might cringe a bit at the thought of an oyster dip, but don't let that fool you. Your first bite is a thick, creaminess then you get the taste of a slight smokiness with a bite of something....shallots I think? Spread that on a house made potato chip and you are good to go. Next up, gnocchi tots! Deep fried house made potato gnocchi with a house apple ketchup and white barbecue sauce. The tots were so light, airy and absolutely scrumptious. The accompanying sauce was reminiscent of an apple butter and paired quite surprisingly well with the tots. MX got the special of the day, the beet borscht which was an incredibly soul warming soup for a rainy night. I think there was pork in it...which I thought interesting since the board made no indication of meat in the soup. But the fatty makeup of the pork really lent itself well to the overall soup, I thought. Moving right along, I ordered the petrale sole with parsnips, bacon jam and parsley. Now I must have read the menu wrong (which I felt sheepish about after speaking with our server about it) and didn't see that the parsley was not a garnish but was meant to be more of a salad that accompanied the sole. I absolutely did not like the whole leafed parsley atop the fish and instantly picked them all out. It was my bad for not reading the menu closely. The sole was interesting, it was well cooked, slightly crispy and caramelized on the edges, there was a slight sweet acidity to the fish that was nice, but I really wished for more seasoning. I've also discovered that I am not a big fan of parsnips..another lesson for me in dining out.. And because MX and I stuffed ourself beyond belief, we ordered our desserts to go. I ordered the bay leaf panna cotta with strawberry compote and hazelnut cookie crumbles. I did read that one correctly. lol. OMG. I love panna cotta, but this panna cotta took the cake. The mix of the strawberry compote and the hazelnut cookie crumbles were beyond heavenly. Creamy, sweet, and oh so light with the nuttiness of the cookie...divine! Overall I adore this quirky little spot with it's unusual dishes and flavors and hope to come back for more.
(3)Bonnie B.
Typically when I go out to eat, I'm accompanied by my mother now in her 70s, and my teen, and I'm in my 40s. The trick is always finding a restaurant where we all like the food. Party Downtown has delivered and then some! We have enjoyed the ever changing menu, the casual decor, and the fact that Red Wagon Ice Cream is just on the other side. If you are looking for gigantic mass quantities of food, this would likely be a challenging restaurant for you to visit. If you are looking for appropriately sized portions of extremely tasty food, this is the place. What I found most interesting, as I tend to be a very ahem hearty eater--truly flavorful food fills me up quickly. That's exactly what happens when I eat at Party Downtown.
(4)Ashleigh M.
Um. Omg. Hands down, the pour over style service of Wandering Goat coffee is the highlight. I haven't had coffee that good in *years*, people! Then add to it the holy-ish delicious breakfast casserole (what I personally ordered) and omfg it was a food-gasm. It's difficult to describe the extraordinary flavors of the food. Just trust me, try it *all* for yourself. Congratulations, Eugene, you've *finally* risen to culinary standards of larger metropolises like Portland or Seattle. Now if you could open another dozen places as excellent as this, I might move back to you...
(5)Amber S.
Until this week I had never heard of Party Downtown (or Party Cart) but one of my friends posted something on facebook about it this week and urged everyone to try it out. So last night, my Husband and I did just that. We walked in through the Ice Cream parlor entrance and first came to the adorable tiny bar area. We noticed it had a couple open tables there but proceeded to the Main dining room. It was very full (and therefore very noisy) so we decided to head back to the bar area since it was date night for us and we wanted a bit more of an intimate setting. The bar area was perfect for that. We actually didn't realize that you are supposed to order your food at the counter or get your own utensils or water like other reviewers had said. A waiter came over and did say that the full menu was at the front dining area but we knew that we didn't even need to look at it because we wanted to try to Kitchen's Choice. He put in the order and brought us water and utensils. So maybe that had changed or maybe it is different in the bar vs. the dining room? The bartender came over to take our drink order and we decided to keep the theme of letting them choose what we would be receiving. He made me a bourbon drink, a Scofflaw, which was so delicious. I'm not gonna lie, I had three of them they were so good. My Husband enjoyed his Vodka drink as well. I will say that the drink size was very small and normally I'd have quite the buzz after three, but I didn't. They were really good though. And the bartender was very attentive and knowledgeable. We went with the $30 per person Kitchen's Choice (they also have a $20 option that offers less plates). I'll try to list them all. It was about 12 dishes in all. I was a little scared to have the kitchen decide what I would be eating because I am normally a very picky eater and really don't consider ourselves to be big 'foodies'. They did ask if we had any food allegories or dietary restrictions so they could adjust as needed. Despite my fears, I was very pleasantly surprised that I ate nearly everything that was served. Our server was very good about explaining everything that was on the plate. (I had not tried many of the things served and was glad that they explained what things were even though I didn't retain most of the information) 1) We started off with a lamb & vegetable dish. It has all sorts of tiny vegetables, some of which I had no idea what they were but they were all delicious. It was actually probably my favorite dish of the night. 2) Next we had the Gnocchi tot breakfast casserole. This was actually the first time I have ever had Gnocchi and this dish was so good. I want to go back for Brunch for this dish. 3) Then was a Kale salad which they explained should have been served first but we didn't mind the order. My Husband loved this one but I wasn't a huge fan. Just my preference though. 4) Then they served us deep fried hard boiled eggs. I am thinking those must be called the Son-In-Law eggs on their menu and these little things are SO good. Get them. 5) Then we had some little biscuit sliders with rabbit Canadian bacon and cheese. Those were really good as well. 6) Next we were served Charred asparagus on a sesame toast. This was good. Nothing too spectacular, but good. 7) Then we received the Goat slides and these were amazing. Slightly spicy. Full of flavor. I would order these again for sure. 8) Next it was the purple sprouting broccoli with chili garlic. These were also very good but hard to cut and eat so it was a little messy. 9) Then we received my least favorite dish of the night. The Duck Confit Pappardelle. This was a spicy but very salty noddle dish with Bok Choy and a mint chili sauce. To me it was pretty spicy but also so salty that I really didn't taste much else. The Duck was very tough (jerky-like). Just not my cup of tea. 10) Lastly we received the Braised Rabbit leg with wild rice and lentils. This dish was ok. I am not a fan of lentils. I wouldn't order this dish again but I didn't mind having it in the overall dinner experience. 11) and 12) were two different desserts. We received chocolate chip cookies with some sort of creamy spread on them. Those were so good and I wanted to order more. Just one cookie each wasn't enough. The next dessert was a lemon custard. It was good. Not something I would order again, but good. My husband really liked it though. Our bill totaled $98 for the two of us which is more than we normally spend on an average night of dining out. Which unfortunately means that it won't be one that we get to dine at as frequently as we do other places, but we will get to look forward to going for the occasion date night. We do often have clients who come from other States/Countries and I think it will be a good place to take them for business dinners. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.
(5)Shannon D.
I absolutely live this restaurant! The menu is creative and the staff are very pleasant. Kudos to the chef for keeping things interesting!
(5)Michael D.
Dining should be fun and Party has a great reasonably priced menu that is great tasting and great fun. With a trip to Eugene.
(4)Judy A.
What a wonderful dining experience! The service was superb, the atmosphere was delightful, and the food was extraordinarily delicious! We had the heritage flatiron steak which burst with flavor in your mouth. I cannot wait to go back here to try something else. I have found my new favorite restaurant!
(5)Tianyi S.
Saturday mornings always present an agonizing "first-world problems" mental trial about where to brunch. This past Saturday, as I lay in bed moaning with hunger & abject sadness ("Why is Addi's so far away? Where is bacon when you need it?"), a hopeful thought popped into my head- "Wait- didn't Party Downtown recently open their new location? You think they're open for brunch?" AND INDEED THEY WERE. I enjoyed a wonderful wild rice "congee" with smoky shredded grilled pork, garlic, and soft boiled egg. The "son in law" egg was equally yummy and thought-provoking: it was hardboiled, fried & served with crispy shallots, rhubarb sauce and fresh cilantro. The "biscuits & (turkey porcini) gravy" came with a mouthgasmy turkey leg confit that was prepared & fried to ridiculous perfection. My coffee came in ware that would make avid Pinteresters' minds explode with adoration (see picture) and the overall decor of the restaurant was correspondingly eye-pleasing. Raw copper, silver, turquoise & wood tones are beguilingly found in all the restaurant's little details- recycled water glasses & tiny vases, mason jars, copper pitchers, ceramic turquoise sconces, old polished silverware & a be-pennied bathroom floor add a certain vintage charm that is hard to pull off IRL. It's an added bonus that after your meal, you can walk straight back to Red Wagon Creamery (which I did & you will do as well) & enjoy a cone in more vintage style. In fact, I enjoyed brunch so much that a few hours later, I came back for dinner. (Don't judge me.) Dinner-- which consisted of housemade bread & butter, Ling cod with pickled rhubarb, braised greens and fried corn cakes, a perfectly executed pot-au-feu (Kimchi braised beef with parsnips and radish and scallions), shrimp salad with wild watercress on brioche (I would eat this forever), and an inexplicably mouthwatering Filipino sausage with wild 'dirty rice'-- was just as good as brunch, though I'm more partial to the prices & sense of well-being (mostly from rolling out of bed and into Party Downtown) that I derived from brunch. Aside from PD's allegiance to sourcing organic & locally (and keeping the menu interesting in a groundbreaking 'big-city' way), it also consistently achieves this great contrast of flavors in all its dishes- every other bite yields some yin-yang harmony of savory, sweet, acidic, full, fresh & floral flavor. This is magic. This is downtown revitalization. This is why I'm going to live in Eugene forever. (Sigh...) Anyway, TL;DR. I'm so glad the Party Cart has an official indoor dining space. Makes me so much more willing to make it rain for food. =) Thanks, Tiffany & Mark! Bottom Line: PARTY.
(5)Spencer M.
Mark and Tiffany are some of the most creative and inventive chefs in Oregon that put out incredibly tasty food. Ever since they were slingin' Korean poutine out of the Party Cart, I've been a huge fan. I've been in several times and am never disappointed. Last time some highlights were the smoked oyster and onion dip (like french onion dip but 1000x tastier); pork vindaloo sliders, and candy cap mushroom everything! (from a delightful cocktail to a pot de creme). The only downside is that most of these items won't be on the menu for long (except the oyster dip!), but it also means the menu is never stale. And they also walk the talk when sourcing from the finest local farms, ranches and fishermen. Which means their menu is seasonal and ultra fresh. Party Downtown is my favorite restaurant in Eugene hands down. My only wish is that they had a Portland location.
(5)Raven C.
My first time here after my friends ranted and raved was not a disappointment. The restaurant itself is set up in an open way that allows you to see what they are doing in the kitchen, which I always appreciate. The bar in the back is tucked away with dim lighting which is better if you want to hide away. Everyone who works here obviously loves their job and it excited to be making local fresh artisan foods that you can't get anywhere else. Contrary to what almost everyone says, Party isn't that expensive considering the quality of the food and service you are getting. The best cocktails downtown, hands down. If you're worried about price, consider going during happy hour. I went with a friend and we shared four plates of out of this world food and each had two cocktails. All of it came out to be about $20 a person and we were each pleasantly full. I would highly recommend Party Downtown to anybody, you absolutely have to go here if you want to try something that you couldn't make yourself at home.
(5)Rosquete B.
4* Party Downtown 55 W. Broadway Eclectic menu Casual atmosphere Loved the tomato apple gnocchi The goat chop was tasty The burger with bacon was superb Friendly food service by Brandon
(4)Jessica F.
We did the $20 a head, chef's choice: The son-in-law egg was something new to me, and really good, the shrimp salad FRESH (definitely not served with enough brioche, though), the spinach pie was buttery and the crust to die for, and the chicken pot pie, while on the surface nothing special, WAS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN, OH GOD. So hearty. So savory. They've definitely got something going on with that crust. For dessert we had a pea and honey creme pot. Probably the best borderline baby food dish i've ever had, and that's not sarcasm- it was really good. The menu changes daily, and I'm looking forward to returning. Congrats on the new place, guys!
(5)Joe S.
The good: excellent, quality, locally sourced, gourmet food, personable atmosphere, great coffee from Wandering Goat, amazing bacon. The bad: small portions, no ice in water, no butter or jam for toast with the Great American breakfast, and just one egg! Out of ketchup and a few other things. A bit warm when filled with people.
(3)Lauren L.
Party Downtown is certainly a cute eatery. Once beginning as PartyCart, a local food cart operated by creators Mark and Tiffany serving organic and creative dishes for reasonable prices, Party Downtown has since opened their official restaurant on Broadway in Downtown Eugene. There, you will find an assortment of creative dishes all made with local ingredients. You can find everything from Duck Confit, Pork chops with Delacata squash, Kimchi beef, to even the more unusual items such as a smoked Albacore melt pancake. Combining a variety of cooking styles and flavors, Party Downtown certainly has a lot of creativity and fun with their menu surprises. After just opening their restaurant, the ballet studio I work for contacted Party Downtown in hopes of having them cater one of our seasonal events. Despite being extremely busy with their new establishment, they graciously provided us with an assortment of cute and yummy ourderves that were very much a hit with our guests. The event featured the following menu items... - Deviled Eggs - FlufferNutter Bites (essentially, a hazelnut and peanut butter cookie with a dollop of marshmallow icing) - Pigs in a Blanket - Celery Bacon Cream Cheese Bites Certainly all packed with flavor and catering to those with an appetite for slightly more rich and salty foods, the items were quite a success. The portions were perfect and we certainly had plenty to go around, by the end of the night there were hardly any leftovers. The food was delivered promptly, serving dishes and heating equipment were provided, and last minute presentation adjustments were applied on site. Personally, my only complaint would have had to been the presentation of the cookies. The marshmallow icing was applied minutes before serving and had a tendency to fall off the rather small cookies. The run-off created more of a messy look which wasn't an ideal presentation for guests. If you're a fan of creative and slightly odd combinations, Party Downtown will certainly show you how to have fun with food!
(3)Julie K.
Wow. This place does NOT deserve 4 or 5 stars, not even scaled to Eugene's low quality offerings. Sorry, no. Not even 3. We went here on recommendation of a good place to have brunch. What is brunch? It is two meals in one. It is breakfast-y and lunch-y foods. It is a fill-you-up, satisfy you until dinner meal. Brunch is not a snack. The appearance is nice, if ratings were based simply on looks, I'd give this place a 4. If you want to lick concrete floors and admire tasteful decor, but not actually eat, and be in a clean environment, this is your place. That's where the good points ended for me. The menu is weird. It's posted on the wall, and there are few selections. We were informed when we asked about breakfast food that if we want typical brunch foods, there are other places for that. Ok. Despite that nonsense, we stayed. This place is also absolutely not picky eater or vegetarian friendly - do not take children here. They had exactly one item on the menu that I found potentially appealing. Their meat offerings were primarily pork based, and we were informed this changes, and sometimes another meat is featured. The pancake was strange, and there was nothing else on the menu to offer my 4 year old - or me. I ordered a potato gnocchi dish with black beans and yogurt sauce. The flavor was good, but the serving size? Ridiculous. It might have been filling to someone with a recent gastric bypass who can only eat 3 oz of food at once (which is about the size of what was on my plate) but the portion size was absurd - to give a gauge of what I mean, the plate was maybe 6" in diameter and there was plenty of space left for more food. The price posted was $8 - she asked if I wanted a small or large portion, I said small, figuring that the price was probably for larger portion. Wrong. I paid $8.00 for 3 ozs of food. They charged $8.00 for my daughter's pancake, which she did not like, and $3.00 for my husband's iced tea, which he said did not taste good. My husband did not order any food at all because he found the menu so unappetizing - and he will eat almost anything other than fast food. $23.00, and no one was satisfied. At those prices, the portions are outrageously high. I would be willing to pay $4 or $5 for what I had, but at $8, I felt, frankly, like I'd been mugged. This is the equivalent of $43 for a 1 lb steak (higher quality cuts are around $18 in the store now) - and it was beans, a few gnocchi, and a tiny amount of yogurt. When we left, I was still very hungry, and highly annoyed. The food in this place was self-indulgently, pretentiously idiosyncratic. Note to owners: there is a reason people love omelets,sausage, and potatoes for brunch. There is a reason successful restaurants have items on menus that do not change, or change only seasonally: it gets people through the door and coming back, which we will not be doing. While we were there, one party of four came in, read the menu, and quickly left. Wish we had done the same.
(1)Aaron C.
Mark and Tiffany are amazing! Never let down by what they do. Chose this place for my birthday they were accommodating and wonderful!
(5)Jeremy A.
Been a huge fan of Party Cart. Party Downtown is just as good but with drinks!
(5)Marsha B.
Eight of us had dinner in a mostly empty Party Downtown last night. If our experience was typical, this restaurant won't last out the year. First of all, for a restaurant with fairly high prices, there is absolutely no atmosphere or fine dining ambiance. Lighting can only be called "daylight," tables are long and narrow and appear to have been purchased at IKEA: Think high school cafeteria in a high-end public school district. Waiter seemed overwhelmed at having to take orders from eight people. One of the diners ordered a burger and, when asked how she wanted it prepared, she clearly said she wanted it well-done. When her order finally arrived--after everyone but one other burger order had been served, an order or two at a time so that none of us were served all together--her hamburger was medium-rare, at best, so she sent it back. Wine pours were skimpy and our dinner for two with one glass of wine and a beer came to about $50. On the slight plus side, the waiter brought a glass of wine "on the house" for the rare-burger diner, and a couple of the small plate sides were tasty. The blackened salmon was done well, but the smoked chicken with gnocchi and "sweet-and-sour" spinach that was bland was a disappointment. This "Party" fizzles as a restaurant and maybe should have remained a cart.
(1)Sam R.
The crisp, white, nearly empty restaurant was a great compliment to my leftover nausea from a night of drinking at Eugene's club (yea, just the one). I was surprised that the spot was empty because farm-fresh food on a Sunday morning usually attracts a long line in the bay-area, where I live. At any rate, we had a great breakfast--a mushroom empanada-esque "pie", some totally ratchet deviled eggs, some sausage-y breakfast sandwiches (with which my friends were not impressed) and some FANTASTIC tiny little biscuits! The ingredients, menu, vibe were all great. For the price, it's a solid 3 stars, but for the convenience, and the fact that they are a part of the United MileagePlus dining program that gives me airline miles, I'm gonna go with a solid 4. Armed with a little menu back-knowledge, I bet I could easily have an even better meal here next time. Party on, brunch-goers.
(3)Mindy S.
Love this place! We just found this place (it is a mystery if you are driving down Broadway, looking for a big sign). It is actually on the backside of Red Wagon Creamery and you go in their front door to walk back...through the bar area past the kitchen pass through window area to the main dining room. We chose to eat in the bar area which is a bit more romantic and dark. We were there before 6 pm so we were there during "Happy Hour" so we tried the gnocchi tots for an appetizer. So delicious :) Then we both had the burger which was.....YUM!!!!! The brioche bun they make is perfect (not a big HUNK of bread to mask the size of the meat). The meat...FABULOUS! cooked medium rare. It was so tasty and tasted so familiar. Later, when I came home I found out that Party Downtown uses "Deck Family Farm" organic/pasture raised beef! We get their meat all the time. The lettuce was a beautiful wide leaf green w/ purple speck lettuce. The cheese was very nice, not masking the meat, but complimenting it nicely. I ate half of my filling burger and took the other half home. I got chips (they make in house) which were amazing, perfectly salted and not a touch of oil on my fingers or lips. They have perfected the perfect potato chip. My partner had a salad which he said was very nice and looked great. Mixed greens all dark and bright greens/purples, heirloom lettuces with a nice vinaigrette dressing that is house made. All organic food is served here.....very refreshing since we had just come from a "March Against Monsanto" event earlier in the day. I tried a cocktail which was very nice (a strawberry drink) and my partner had a micro-brew beer on tap. We were extremely happy with our food and the server who was also our bartender. We skipped on dessert since we wanted to give Red Wagon a bit of our business, we opted for the ice cream. The dessert menu looked very unique and delicious but we will have to try something next time. No problem....we will be back again and again! We felt the value was very good for the quality of the food we ate.
(5)Helios L.
The ever-changing menu is always creative, and they use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Presentation of plates is very nice, and the Red Wagon Creamery adjoining is an added bonus. That being said, I haven't been here often enough to appreciate the good food, and should give it another chance. It's been a while (about a year) but the service was pretty bad both times - once I got the wrong order and another time the server forgot to take it when I was sitting at the end of a large table. It WAS busy, but it didn't feel worth it to pay those prices and get subpar service. I'd rather have Party Cart prices and expectations.
(3)SoCalRestaurantCritic ..
Very small, very quaint! This seems to be a very quaint bistro type restaurant serves very eclectic type food. Staff is very friendly and very helpful. We were greeted by many staff members and help us to our table. We were able to order very quickly we ordered the fried duck eggs, perfectly cooked very tasty who would've thought! Also ordered the stuff beet pasta, not very visually appealing however the taste was spot on. I would highly recommend this bistro for date nights or adult family gatherings. Hope to see you again soon! SCRC
(3)Katherine W.
My new favorite Sunday morning spot. And, if i can find a way to make it happen, my new favorite every day spot. The food is amazing. Always surprising in the most delicious way. I've been coming here weekly since they opened, and I always order something new. Last Sunday, I went for the albacore. It came with wild rice mixed with fresh herbs AND a stuffed red pepper to boot. The fish itself was perfect - seared on one side and ... just ... perfect. I watch a pretty hefty amount of cooking shows, so I should have a better food vocabulary. So, I'll say the albacore, along with everything I've ever ordered, is "stunning," "vibrant," and "beautifully balanced." Eating here is like choosing the mystery flavor airhead, and never being disappointed. Or, what about this ... eating here is like sticking your hand in to one of those spooky halloween boxes, and coming up with gold every time. Or, in this case, albacore. Either way, eat here. Take a chance. The menu changes every week. Service is friendly and wonderful - if you don't know what a menu item is ... try asking someone. I do every week and I'm always grateful that I did.
(5)Charlie G.
Has some great talent, young talent maybe. Overall would have been much better if each dish had a little more salt and acid....my opinion. It is still a must try. After all, this is what yelp is for...finding new restaurants and watching them grow. I'll go back and good luck Party Downtown!!
(4)Joe L.
I remember a Eugene where if you wanted cornmeal-crusted fried kimchi, you had to get in your car and head north to Portland. Those days are gone. Eugene downtown has been developing like crazy and Party Downtown is one of the best additions. We stopped in for lunch with my brother and, honestly, I don't even remember what we got. There was pork belly and lots of different, interesting salads. Something was braised. Something else was deep fried. Everything was unbelievably delicious. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is comfortable. Nothing was too expensive. Portions were decent. Everybody wins.
(4)Amy P.
i started a detailed review of our experience after our last visit here, but then decided to delete it as I was very disappointed to the point of being almost angry. After months have gone by, I still have very little good to say. The service was at most fair. The food and beverage was mediocre, small portions & quite overpriced. I am glad that they are using high quality, locally sourced ingredients, but unfortunately they are not doing those ingredients much justice. It really is too bad, I thought that they had a lot of potential. My previous visit here had been pretty good, but I certainly will not be returning.
(1)Jennifer S.
Wonderful service and wine recommendations. The barley carbonara was suberb. The salmon dish was creative and among the best ever.
(5)Jon S.
With a couple of excellent exceptions, the dishes were surprisingly bland and over-salted. The cocktails were weak and syrupy. I liked the creativity of menu, but I don't think they've quite pulled it off. Pros: The beet tart and the kimchi soup were perfectly offbeat and delicious. Those dishes are worth going for. Cons: Food and cocktails are (generally) boring, especially given the price and portion size.
(2)heather f.
5 Star Food. I loved every bite. YES, the portions are small compared to other restaurants but people, these are healthy portions for anyone wanting to maintain a healthy weight. Sorry America, we are so off the mark in this category and our health suffers! The service lacked so much and managed to make minor errors consistently all night long. I am not sure they have any professional mentorship in this department. Again, the food was incredible. I had a burger, they nailed it. Service was what I may expect at a cheap eats place on campus from an 18 year old with no dining experience or serving training. If they can address that aspect, i would return and recommend.
(3)Katlin L.
My boyfriend and I had a late dinner at Party Downtown Friday evening and had a WONDERFUL experience. I decided on Wildcraft Cider to drink and we shared the charcuterie plate, that had a few different house made meats and was delicious. Our main courses were both prepared efficiently and beautifully! We had the steak and the goat chop. Our service was also great! Brandon was more than helpful and polite. We will definitely be back.
(4)Mark A.
Party Downtown is tapas. You better know that going in, or you will complain about the portions. Eugene didn't have a small plates restaurant before this, so some reviewers here are dinging PD for not giving enough food per order. But this is what tapas are, appetizer sized plates meant to be sampled. For the diner it's a chance to try lots of different things instead of having one big steak and potato. To be good a tapas restaurant needs to be innovative, and give people something different than what they can get, in larger portions, at other places. PD does have some entrée sized dishes available, but small is the way to go. DLW and I sampled four plates: shrimp cocktail, potted chicken, son-in-law egg and crab Rangoon pancake, along with a couple of aperitif cocktails. I would probably skip the potted chicken, nothing too exceptional there, but the others were winners. We especially liked the crab dish, which can more accurately be called a dutch baby, an eggy pancake/soufflé hybrid with Dungeness crab mixed in, topped with an odd but effective vinegar honey butter. The menu changes with the seasons and whatever is local (they make a large show of being locavore), so rather than printing menus they post it on a series of hanging blackboards on the wall. Yes, it was not a cheap night out, but that's the price point of tapas. You pay for variety rather than quantity. If you're still hungry afterward go next door to Red Wagon Creamery and get some cones, like we did.
(4)Raychel K.
Don't believe the haters -- this place is great! That is, unless you like big portions and boring food. This is one of our favorite places to dine in Eugene, and we eat out a lot. The food is always creative, ingredients are locally sourced (in fact, we've seen the owners buying ingredients at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays), dishes seasonal, and the smaller portion size just means you get to try more items! Their cocktails are also delish. One of my most favorite things I've ever eaten I had at Party Downtown -- pork "noodle" with bay shrimp. It wasn't a noodle at all, but was julienned pork skin that had been soaked in some sort of liquid as to make it pliable like a noodle. I will be back. Again and again.
(4)J H.
This is an interesting little place. Located in the back on an ice cream shop (see my review for Red Wagon Creamery), this restaurant boasts a 5 star menu at a 4 star price, and much, much less pretentiousness. I ordered some (forget what kind of potato) tater tots, that came with an apple ketchup and a creamy white sauce (again, forgetting the names here, sorry). I also ordered the "Son in Law Egg," on which I was sold by the time the waiter said, "fried hard boiled egg with..." A friend ordered a good bacon arugula sandwich. We both paid around $10. So for a nice upscale meal in a laid back environment at a decent price, try this spot.
(4)Laura F.
This place is fabulous! Clever decor, creative and delicious menu, and great service. We had Sunday Brunch and ordered 9 of the 13 items on the menu (we ordered two and three orders each of a couple items). There wasn't a bummer in the bunch. After the first couple plates, we just asked our server, James, to keep bringing things to us - we didn't even specify what. The son-in-law egg and the deviled duck egg were both sublime. The cocktails were also great. The chefs are ahead of the culinary curve in this town and I've told all my friends to check out this gem.
(5)Peter O.
We are down visiting our Eugenian friends from Seattle and stopped by this place last night for dinner. How surprised we were to find this hidden treasure behind the ice cream parlor. The food and service was excellent and we really appreciated the locally sourced and homemade dishes on the menu. Everything cooked with pride, quality and creativity. It reminded us a lot of Seattle's well known Porkchop and Co. in Ballard. Chef/owners who really care!
(5)Mark P.
Food: Delicious! Price: Too expensive. When we walked in, they told us it was "family style". Me and a 5 of my friends shared $125 worth of food and drinks, and none of us felt like we had more than a light snack afterward. The rum punch is served in a cup slightly larger than a shot glass, and costs $9. You can't defend that, you just can't. Decor: Decent. It's kind of a strange lighting, but I think they're working with what they have. Service: Very nice. The lady was always checking in on us at the right times, constantly giving us water refills, and was pleasant overall. Conclusion: A great place with great service that could do with larger servings. I suppose if you're a foodie with a trust fund, it's a great spot to hit up.
(3)Alieta T.
Crazy good brunch. Non standard food profil3s. Extr3mely good food. Way cool service. Gluten free options. Pour over coffee was a mega plus. Non-pretentious brunch spot. Eugene needs more zones like this.
(5)Ustaza M.
Best service I had in Eugene. Attentive and efficient. The food was interesting. Good change from usual fare and conversation starter.
(4)DeathandFood H.
Holy Hipster. Portland has come to Eugene and it is good. Surprisingly good. I felt like I was at a more causal State Bird Provisions than in Eugene. I wasn't expecting this much creativity or good food for in Eugene. Sorry Eugene, just saying in the 4 years of visiting Eugene this was by far some of the best and most creative food I've eaten there. I can see how for folks used to a lower price point for food or who like more traditional American food this place could be a miss. The portions are small plates meant to be shared and for a person to get 2-3 plate might be expensive for some locals. Coming from SF, I was happy as can be to spend only 65 for three people for dinner. The larger dishes are over 10 dollars and the smaller ones are under 10. I found all the portions to be the right size for the price. The menu changes everyday but it seems to rotate favourite dishes. Dishes we had: Son in law eggs- lightly fried hardboiled eggs with berry sauce & fried scallions. a very american take on a Chinese dish. not bad all. arugula salad with lots of good things. very tasty. shrimp cocktail was served in a jar with shrimp salad with a cucumber ice over it. Fun and tasty. Pancake-this was rather bland for me, especially after having an insanely good squid pancake in Seattle for lunch that day. Beer spare ribs. With all the local micro brewers this was a no brainer and for only 14 there was enough meat for two of us or one middle American. There was another dish but I can't remember what it was. We didn't do dessert because the ice cream at Red Wagon Creamy which shares a building with them was calling us. There could have been more vegetarian choices. The space is a newly renovated space with wheelchair access, good lighting but they desperately need some sound baffling as it is quite loud. There's a nice alcohol selection with lots of local brews. If it was in San Francisco it would be 4 stars but considering it's in a culinary backwater with folks that don't seem to be willing to pay more than 20 dollars a person to eat. I think it deserves 6 stars. The service was friendly if casual. Our server was well informed about the food. If you have to stop in Eugene, moved there for school or some how ended up there, this is a place you want to eat.
(5)Isabelle M.
Very bummed. Met up with some friends on Friday night. Only one server for whole place. We were given a menu, that's. After waiting almost 20 minutes, we went up to cashier to order a couple of drinks. Waited another 15-20 minutes to receive drinks. Since that took so long we decided to leave. We had to pay 20% gratuity on the two drinks since we met with a group of people, even though we didn't get any service. Our friends also asked for separate checks when ordering, but server said no, it would be easier at the end, and then was a little irritated when we asked for checks and made us spend another 20 minutes splitting the bill. It seemed like a cool place, but I won't be going back anytime soon.
(2)Matt S.
I almost feel like I'm too friendly with Tiffany and Mark to write an objective review of Party Downtown. But here's the thing: they are both super socially-intelligent and outgoing and, going back to the cart days, I always feel like they are talking to people that know them way better than I do. You just get a warm feeling being around them. Oh yeah, here's the real thing compelling me to write this objective review: they make the best food in Eugene. Some things to know and think about if you haven't been, or if you have been and maybe need to reassess your perspective: ~ Order at counter during lunch time, table service for dinner. ~ Get 3 or 4 plates per 2 people. Share. Compare your bill to other restaurants. Really, you are doing okay. ~ Go by yourself. Order just one plate. Contemplate the average American diet versus a European diet. Get a big fat ice cream cone next door (attached) if you need to fill in the difference. ~ Fish preparation is stellar. ~ Anytime they have shrimp salad, order it. Send me a message to let me know it's on the menu. I wrote the following (I'm abridging it now) two years ago after eating at the cart, and nothing has changed except the location and the sheer number of times I have eaten their food and walked away feeling better about life: "PartyCart is single-handedly changing how I think about food. I don't know how else to put this, but the food at this cart actually tastes fresher than just about anything I've ever had. The folks making this happen are deeply committed to, and enthusiastic about, local sourcing. The menu changes every week. . .they aren't strictly vegetarian but always have at least one item in both large and small categories that is flesh-free. I'm not even going to mention specific things that I have eaten, since it depends on what ingredients they have, except to tell you that I've tried a handful of items and every single one has been 5-star worthy in my book." Bottom line: If I had 12 hours left in Eugene, this is where I would go for my last meal.
(5)Kahlil N.
Mark and Tiffany I love you guys! You guys make amazing food, and if it weren't for the small portion sizes I'd with out a doubt give ya five stars. With that said I truly feel your price to portion ratio is wayyyy off the mark, even for locally sourced and organic ingredients. I've been in twice to your new location, and both times felt like I only received a rather light snack. The first time was for brunch, believe I spent around 17 dollars and it still really wasn't a full meal. The second time was for lunch, I had a very tasty 10 dollar chicken sandwich, again though not even close to enough food! If you're trying to appeal to the downtown business crowd you need to feed them a reasonable sized lunch!
(3)C. A.
Incredibly disappointing...especially after all the hype this place has received. WAY EXPENSIVE for simply mediocre food!! Order at the counter, pour your own water and pick up your own silverware - then items are brought to your table. Food is not innovative and simply not very nicely presented either. Not impressed and will not be returning!
(1)Jenny J.
Love, love, love this place! It's tapas for the culinarily adventurous. Sign us up! We're vegetarian and have eaten here several times now. About 40% of their menu is vegetarian or can be made vegetarian, and they are very accommodating about doing this. My favorite thing on the menu is a blue cheese "pancake", which is more of a fluffy souffle cake, with kimchee on top. Sounds strange, I know, but the tastes work together so well. Lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the menu is constantly changing, which makes it even more fun. Their tortilla pie was also fabulous, as were the brunch dishes with lots of pancake and egg dishes. If you've got kids in tow, they'll be very happy to learn that the restaurant shares a floor with an ice cream shop (Red Wagon Creamery). And the space is huge and beautiful - very modern, hip and spacious. The owners, Mark and Tiffany, are super nice. I'm really glad to see them succeed, and grateful to them for making Eugene's restaurant scene a more interesting, delicious place!
(5)Dawn C.
Party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, folks, the Party Carters ( yelp.com/biz/partycart-e… ) have taken over downtown! Mark and Tiffany have opened their doors, and are serving dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch downtown. (Just behind their buddies, Red Wagon Creamery!) If you are a fan of farm to table, then make sure to put this place on your list. They are re-writing the rules and updating the notion to a '10s level. They actually opened for dinner about a week and a half ago, but tonight was my first trip. I absolutely love the space--they're right in the thick of things on Broadway, across the alley from First National and the Bijou. The street-facing shop is Red Wagon and the back area is the restaurant. Menu items are listed on a board on the main wall, and many meal choices have both small-plate and entree-sized options available--perfect for sharing. And related to the sharing piece I have to tell you--it's important to be up for that style. Plates come out when they're ready, so if you're hungry, it's best to put forth the sharing attitude so that it's reciprocated back to ye. I love this kind of eating, but I do think it's something you should know before going in. There will be no basket of rolls, with pats of butter, and a straightforward progression of items. But isn't it time we (and our waistlines) moved beyond that idea anyway? *steps down from soapbox* Tonight I was with a large group of about 10, so we got to sample lots of wares. My personal favorite was the Gravlax on flatbread, which is basically a house-cured salmon (Gravlax) served with a horseradish cream cheese, pickled scallion, and dill fronds. It was just what my body needed. Other table favorites were the son-in-law egg (I'll let them explain), the chorizo-stuffed pickled prunes, flank steak with sesame and broccoli, and the confit turkey leg. The spring crop "salad" was also a winner--I had this for my dessert! With Oregon strawberries (in addition to the veg), olive oil, and dukkah (basically chopped hazelnuts with Egyptian spices) I thought it a fine end to a delicious meal. The Partiers offered a modest selection of dessert items (e.g., sweet pea and honey pot de creme) but, really, who needs dessert when you're going to walk by an ice cream parlor on your way out the door? I remember the first person I met as I sauntered up to the 'Cart those near two years ago... "These guys are changing the world, I tell you! Changing. The. World." Well, I'd have to say I agree with them. Head on down and #partydowntown and tell me you don't think differently about food.
(5)Sharon L.
Really innovative and delicious menu. Great prices and GREAT service, which is far too rare in Eugene. I'd list the highlights of our meal but its an ever changing menu. The plates are small so you can order a bunch of different things to try which is my favorite way to eat. PARTY!
(4)Bill J.
Despite all the stars the parking lot was empty at noon on a Sunday for brunch. This place takes itself way too seriously. Don't ask for something slightly different than on the menu, they won't do it. The fried gnocchi tastes like it was soaked in grease. There is no salt or pepper on the table, likely because they think their food is perfect. Will not be back.
(1)J B.
The atmosphere was very modern and clean fresh feeling, entrées definitely beautifully presented! The duck breast was very moist and flavorful.
(5)Roman S.
strange mesh-up that feels like it belongs in a different city where people don't mind paying $$$ for small american inspired and worldly tapas. at first i liked what they were doing. unique cuisine, changes frequently, natural good quality ingredients. however, their pricing is hard to justify for what they are offering. yes, it's fancy, trendy, popular perhaps because it is Eugene and it's hard to find chefs who can experiment and make interesting food, but unless you have deep pockets and don't care about bite sized portions you should look elsewhere. if they readjust their pricing or up portion sizes it can easily be a 4 star place.
(3)Fawn C.
Four of us for dinner, and we were all very disappointed. We all meet once a month to try a new restaurant in Eugene. We all ordered the "Kitchen" which is the chef's choice. We each were able to have a bite of each dish they brought out and that was it. For $80.00 we expected a whole lot more. We left hungry and very dissatisfied. The food, also, was not very appetizing. I would not recommend this restaurant at all. The only thing good was the service.
(1)Deezy D.
Creative, tasty and well prepared dishes. We had a large group and they were short a cook, so it took awhile but they were so nice. We did $20 per person and chef decided what to serve. They brought small plates for 2.5 hours (this is the short a chef on a Friday night part). It was so fun to try so many different items and they were awesome. Definitely go for adventuresome food. It is also attached to a creamery, we only tried the goat coffee one and it was the best ice cream I have ever tasted!
(4)Kitte K.
We went here for lunch on Sunday. I used to DJ in this space when it was SNAFU and you wouldn't recognize it now! It is light and airy and the huge front window makes it into a whole new space. The staff were really sweet and attentive, although they sat us down without pointing out the menu on the wall, directly above and behind me, so I was a little confused when our server asked if we were ready to order, as I had not been given a menu. But it was truly no big deal. The menu is varied and the thing that brought me here was learning that as much of their food as possible is locally sourced. My companion had the adorable tiny biscuits with bacon honey-butter, smashed potatoes with "apple ketchup" that was really more "apple sauce/butter" and a side of bacon. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We both had the house made sodas, Strawberry and Grenadine which were super tasty. I had the shrimp salad in lettuce, which was yummy. Everything looked as if it had been lovingly prepared, not just slopped together. The prices are pretty decent, especially considering the quality of the food.
(4)Mason G.
I've only had food this good in Eugene once before (that I didn't make, haha!). It seemed like the prices were a little steep until I was told that everything but the salt and pepper were local and seasonal. I was still a little skeptical. I haven't known very many places that can really work a seasonal menu. The grilled padron peppers were amazing. Okay, stop. Everything was amazing. Here's what we got: chicken liver pate with pickled fennel, seared albacore with mashed cauliflower, some kind of scrambled egg on wheat berries, a kimchi scotch egg, and a sausage and fried egg with a black bean gravy. Never could I imagine that someone could make a gravy out of black beans. It was inspiring food. A little on the spendy side. With drinks and full bellies it came out to $20 per person. And that was brunch. Next time I'm in Eugene and don't want to get the rice omelet at Brail's, Party Downtown is gettin my business.
(5)Randall C.
Another addition to the downtown core with three more on the way PD will have to revisit their menu as well as pricing structure. Love the locally sourced fresh ingredients however the menu lacks true culinary creativity. Ouch for three with no alcohol for three was nearly $50 pre gratuity. Portions were medium sized appetizers.
(2)Kate B.
Wow. I love the cozy little bar tucked in between the restaurant and ice cream parlor! I've been there a couple times with small groups of friends, and each time everyone has raved about their cocktails. Party Downtown has become my favorite place for early evening drinks and small plates. The food is AWESOME. Super creative, fresh, exciting, delicious, and nutritious. Their ever-changing menu perfectly reflects Eugene's quirky foodie culture.
(5)Chris F.
Really inventive takes on comfort food. Had a great lunch here and will be back!
(4)Tricia H.
The dishes were on the small side and lacking flavor. The roasted peppers were a bland variety and needed herbs or salt. I could hardly taste the vinagrette on the bean salad. Disappointing because folks liked their food cart. I would not return.
(2)E T.
I have NEVER been angry at a restaurant. But I am now. We went right after opening that day. This being our first time there, we were trying to figure out their dining system. Do we order at the counter, do we bus ourselves? How about utensils, water? The guy at the counter, after studiously not acknowledging our presence in the empty space for some time, then started in with quite the attitude. "Ask if you have any questions," he said. But when any of us asked him questions, he totally ignored it. I think there were owners at the place. A couple guys came out of the kitchen while we were there, talking to a couple of women in the dining room; I am assuming they have some connection to this restaurant. But for some reason they're not interested in serving their paying customers. We ordered from the embarrassingly empty menu (you could count the choices on one hand), found a table, and waited. When the meals came, they were not accompanied by silverware. Or napkins. Apparently for that kind of service, you have to pay more. Our server should pay less attention to the grooming of his mustache and more attention to his customers. Or his job. We waited far too long in the empty restaurant for our three entrees and three coffees, which came to $36. I whole-heartedly support local and sustainable restaurants. I do not mind the higher price and small portions as long as they are worth it. But not here. The coffee we got was acidic, lukewarm and tasted horribly burnt. We love coffee. My husband just took a sip and could not take another. He looked as if he'd be eternally grateful to be magically teleported to Charbucks at that moment. Actually, we all did. My food was inedible. Mind you, I NEVER leave my food on the plate -- especially when that food is pricy. I had the spanish tortilla and it was like eating pure salt. I detected no herbs, no spices, just salt. Maybe they did, but I could not taste anything since my taste buds were burned by salt. My husband and daughter was skeptical when I said "I cannot eat it," because, well, I never say that, so my husband tried a bite. BIG MISTAKE. My hubs has a salt tooth. He COULD NOT eat it. The side of potatoes was salted. That's it. Giant, comically oversize grains big enough to crack a tooth, and exactly no other seasonings. No complementary flavor of any kind. There were more herbs in the sad sprig of rosemary on our table than in all of our meals. Combined. Yes, they were really good potatoes to begin with -- and the people who cooked it care so little, they screw up even that. The house-made ketchup (we assumed that's what they were going for) was so unbalanced and ammoniac no one wanted it. I think they might have used raisins to sweeten it or something, but it was so strangely sweet and tannic at the same time. Sad. On the bright side, eating the over-salted potatoes was a relief after literally gagging on the main course.
(1)Phil J.
We happened to get the short straw on our waitress but the meal made up for it. So, if you get the short haired girl with the squeaky voice, hang in there. The food is good.
(4)ponce c.
I eat here once a week, this is the best food in the world! Mark and Tiffany make everything from scratch (curing the bacon, fermenting the kimchi they even churn their own butter!) portions are not huge but the Party is all about quality over quantity and the quality is supreme. if you want LOCAL and delicious this is the best place you will find. Praise the Lard.
(5)Dominic I.
So I feel kind of bad writing a 3 star review for this place because I always hear really good things about it and I really want to like it. I have only been once, and I plan on returning and hope to have a better meal. Service was fine, friendly. It was DEAD when we went there, maybe only one other table. I always a little put off by ordering at the counter, but it's fine. The menu was really confusing to me... On the wall, hanging signs in no perticular order, with many things that I have never even heard of, and i've been in the restaurant industry my whole life. We ordered 2 sandwiches and shared... could have eaten about 4 by myself, they were tiny! and they were both over $10 each!!! They tasted okay, but not that incredible, not for the price. One was a mediterannian chicken, the other was like a shrimp salad.... made with bay shrimp! Not impressed. So like I said, I will try it again, but if I have a similar enounter, no more. No party for me.
(3)Elizabeth C.
Eugene's newest gem. Party Downtown has taken food to a whole new level. The saying "there's a party in my mouth" rings true with every bite! One thing I don't think people have caught on is that these plates are made for sharing. I recommend the salmon, sausage, and beef, the padron peppers with whipped goat cheese are delicious! Also it's the best cocktail list in the city. All ingredients are local and fresh.
(4)Ms. M.
The food here is delish. Amazing flavors, perfect potions, and adventurous eats. The bar is fun too. Lots of character and great drinks. The only complaint I have is that it is obscenely loud. The ceilings are high and the place echos. It's not the kind of loud that I enjoy. I like a lively place but I honestly had to yell so that my date could hear me. So exhausting. I do hope the owners consider a fix to that.
(4)Alice G.
We went for brunch on a weekend, and found the place dead empty. Yes, it was empty for a good reason - it was bloody expensive! The food was imaginative, but two small breakfast items and coffee came to $40. This is not the Four Seasons, or even Marche. Although I welcome the downtown revival, with their high prices and awkward, tucked-behind-an-ice cream parlor location, I don't see the Party lasting too long.
(2)