Sportcation Food and Fun!

When the games are over for the day and players and families are ready for food and some sportcation fun, the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region of Oregon offers plenty of outstanding options. We've rounded up restaurants and things to do in the area that are sure to make memorable experiences for athletes and fans alike.

Sit-down restaurants in the Eugene/Springfield area

If your tournament is hosted in the Eugene area, there are a plethora of restaurants that are team-friendly and offer up great group grub.

The beautiful University of Oregon campus is home to iconic sports venues and iconic campus restaurants.

One campus favorite is right across the street from Matthew Knight Arena and is appropriately named Wild Duck Café. UO memorabilia covers the walls including an original scoreboard from Mac Court, a 22 foot tribute image of Steve Prefontaine, and a giant Heisman duck signed by beloved QB Marcus Mariota (a great photo opportunity)! Offering delicious, contemporary Northwest Cuisine, the Wild Duck Cafe is a perfect gathering place for large groups of up to 30. Two special tables grace the dining room: a Koa table made from a singular slab of ancient Koa wood from the Big Island of Hawaii will seat up to 16 guests; a Juniper table, made from a single juniper tree from Eastern Oregon and will seat up to 12.

Another local legend also located near Matthew Knight Arena is Track Town Pizza, a staple Eugene pizza joint that has been slinging amazing pizza since 1978. The 100-seat restaurant is adorned with photos of the University of Oregon and many collegiate and Olympic athletes. Many athletes, families, and students have enjoyed eating at this classic pizzeria over the years.

Another popular restaurant in close proximity to downtown Eugene and the University of Oregon is Chula’s Restaurant and Cantina. Stop here for fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, street tacos and other classic Mexican food!

The great restaurants don’t stop at the UO campus and more delicious food options can be found near downtown Eugene. Is the team in the mood for pizza? With two locations in Eugene and one in Springfield, Mezza Luna Pizzeria sells pizza slices all day long and offers small gluten-free pizzas as well as diverse vegetarian options. Just five minutes away from Mezza Luna and with a tagline that offers “A slice of family fun,” Papa's Pizza Parlor on West 11th offers all the classic pizzas as well as specialty options like taco pizza! Designed with an open concept setting, Papa’s Pizza Parlor encourages a warm and friendly environment that teams are sure to love.

Burgers are always a player favorite and Five Guys Burgers and Fries-Eugene makes delicious burgers in a fresh, casual dining space. Designed to be quick and easy as well as delicious, Five Guys is the perfect place for a quick hamburger or hotdog before or after a sports event. For an alternative burger option, Dickie Jo’s Burgers is located at the Valley River Center and specializes in griddle-pressed burgers, hot dogs and other classic American fare. Their premium soft-serve shakes will brighten up any athlete's day and can be enjoyed in their event room which can host up to 75 people. Dickie Jo’s is also available for catering so you can have these classic burgers at your sports event. If street food is more appealing, Tacovore is a popular taqueria that serves up Mexican food made from local and sustainable ingredients. From fish tacos to chorizo, your team's new favorite taco can be found here. 

Just a four-minute drive from the iconic Autzen Stadium, Oakway Center is home to two delicious restaurants -- Pastini, Chapala Mexican Restaurant. Pastini was made for the true pasta lover, serving up meals made from scratch including 20 kinds of pasta, antipasto and handcrafted desserts. Athletes will be able to fuel up for their next tournament on Pastini’s classic Italian flavors. Just a few feet away from Pastini, Chapala Mexican Restaurant is a locally owned and operated restaurant that serves Mexican homemade-style meals in their family-friendly dining environment. Reservations can be made for 6+ people so everyone on the team can enjoy Chapala’s traditional Mexican dishes. 

Just up the road from Oakway Center is Café 440 where athletes can enjoy meals that are made of locally grown products. Featuring a Northwest-style comfort food menu with a modern twist, Café 440 serves classics such as meatloaf, local grass-fed organic beef burgers, fresh seafood and more. With daily food specials, athletes and their families are sure to find something special at Café 440.

Hosting your tournament in Springfield? There are many restaurants that serve everything from pizza to barbecue to fit any team’s fancy. 

Pizza is great tournament fuel and Springfield has many options to choose from. If teams are playing at the Bob Keefer Center for Sports and Recreation, there are five great pizzerias all within a ten-minute drive of the venue. One of Springfields’ most popular pizzerias, the Coburg Pizza Company, brings family traditions all the way from Italy. With over 50 kinds of gourmet pizza available, athletes are able to explore the flavors of the world through their pizza and enjoy a great sit-down environment. The Springfield Papa’s Pizza Parlour is another great, family-friendly place that can host any post-tournament gathering. All of the pizzas at Mezza Luna Pizzeria’s Springfield location can be catered so teams can have hot pizza waiting for them right off the playing fields. Bartolotti’s Pizza Bistro specializes in authentic New York style pizza and also offers pasta, stromboli and delicious garlic knots. Bartolotti’s also has a food truck that can be brought to the playing field making it great for a mid-tournament bite. Just a mere ten minutes from the fields at Lane Community College and seven minutes from Bob Keefer, Roaring Rapids Pizza Company offers great pizza, great atmosphere and great fun! Teams can reserve either the indoor Great Bear Hall (which can host groups of up to 80 people) or the outdoor covered Riverside Landing (which can host groups of up to 200 people). As groups are their specialty, Roaring Rapids also offers catering, a vintage merry-go-round, as well as other games and entertainment for their guests.

Discover Springfield’s best-kept secret and give your team a taste of authentic slow-smoked barbecue when you go to Hole in the Wall BBQ-Springfield. Hole in the Wall BBQ has served Lane County for over 15 years and offers a full line of catering services that can fit any sports event needs.

Cornucopia Main Street prides itself on its natural, hormone-free burgers and comfortable atmosphere. Consistently voted as the “Best Burger in Eugene,” teams can try their award-winning burgers, snack on their delicious mac and cheese or chow down on their Papa Phil’s Philly Steak.  

Grab and Go Food Options

Looking for a mid-tournament snack? There are several great food options for families on the go between games.

Sub Shop West Eugene offers delicious handmade sub sandwiches made with fresh ingredients. Sub Shop’s sandwiches can fit any day or event as they offer everything from steaming hot subs and soups to refreshing cold sandwiches and salads. Sub Shop can also cater for your sports event so why not treat your team to the best sub shop in town! 

If you are looking for more of a breakfast grab-and-go option, The Daily Bagel offers athletes made-from-scratch bagels, sandwiches, desserts and salads as well as soups and espresso. The Daily Bagel can cater and will deliver right to your sporting event!

With the new expansion of the 5^th St. Market Alley, Eugene has added two new food options to the grab & go scene - Café Yumm! & Handel’s Ice Cream. Café Yumm! offers athletes uniquely Northwest dishes made with organic and locally sourced ingredients. Each order can be personalized to fit any athlete's dietary needs and can be made vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free. Café Yumm! prides itself on making fresh food served fast. If the team is looking for a yummy treat, Handel’s Ice Cream prides itself on its ice cream made fresh daily in-store. Often recognized as the number one ice cream in the world, teams can either purchase their delicious ice cream in-store or have it catered at their next sports event with options such as a sundae bar, pints, scoops or Handle Pops. 

Fun Stuff to Do

The region has so much fun stuff to do to make every family’s sportcation one to remember. 

Right next to Roaring Rapids Pizza, Camp Putt Adventure Golf Park offers the best miniature golf experience in Lane County. This golf park has two 18-hole courses and offers discounts to groups. However, the mini-golf park is just the beginning of adventures available in the Springfield/Eugene area. Just ten minutes away from the Bob Keefer Center is Splash! at Lively Park, Oregon’s premier indoor water park. Offering year-round fun, athletes can have a refreshing post-game soak and bond with their teammates while surfing the waves, riding the waterslide or playing water basketball. The fun can be continued outside as there are picnic areas and a large playground available. 

There are many options for post-event entertainment at Valley River Center. Adventure! Children’s Museum is the perfect indoor play option for smaller youths. Featuring many interactive exhibits such as an Oregon State Park, a Japanese house and garden and an express train engine, Adventure! Children’s Museum is both entertaining and educational. Adventure! Children’s Museum is located on the second floor of the Valley River Center.  Also at the Valley River Center is Round1 Entertainment. Bringing back the magic of arcade games, Round1 Entertainment offers a plethora of games such as claw machines, driving games as well as exclusive games imported straight from Japan. Classic games such as bowling, billiards and ping pong are available as well. 

Just eight minutes away from the Valley River Center, DEFY Eugene is an extreme air sports park that encourages everyone who comes inside to leave gravity at the door. With 40 trampolines, freestyle obstacle courses, ziplines, slacklines, dodgeball and more, DEFY Eugene can create a custom rental package of the facility for planners so athletes can fly high after their sports tournament.

Combine education with sports and book a tour at the Cascades Raptor Center, Eugene’s nature center and wildlife hospital. Specializing in birds of prey, Cascades Raptor Center has one of the largest collections of native raptor species and allows its visitors to get up close with over 30 birds. Schedule a field trip or educational program either onsite or offsite for athletes of all ages. 

Groups will want to explore all the natural beauty in the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region of Oregon and here are five easy hikes that are short, fun and close to the city. For more ideas, check out our family fun page here.

Plan your sporting event in the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region for endless activities after the final whistle. From great family-friendly restaurants to fun experiences, there’s plenty of options for everyone. Families will want to come early and stay after their event and make it a sportcation to remember!