Burrito Heaven - Corvallis, OR

It might be too good to be true but I think I'm in Burrito Heaven!!! At least that's the name of the restaurant that I'm reviewing. Located in south town in Corvallis, OR just off 3rd St. From the outside it is a very unassuming place, what some might describe as a "hole in the wall". Inside the decor is not much better, with unfinished concrete floors the decor could be improved. The menu is fairly simple with the regular items you would see at a Mexican restaurant.

I ordered the carne asada burrito, medium sized. It comes with a few chips on the side. The burrito was excellent, it had a great taste and was very large.

I thought the food was good but the price could be improved. This burrito was $5.75, which isn't bad but if it was under $5 that would make this a great deal.

The food and service were great, but there could be improvement on the price and ambiance.

Sushi Hana - Portland, Oregon happy hour

I was in Portland this weekend and had the chance to go out to Sushi Hana near Washington Square. This restaurant had a conveyor belt serving style, where everything is placed on a conveyor belt and you just grab what you want. The majority of the plates were $1.75 a piece with a few being $1.25 and others $3. Each plate comes with a different item and had three or four pieces on the plate; so for example one of the plates had a Vegas roll on it and that included three pieces. There was a variety of food including sushi, calamari, tempura and even desserts. We went around 8:00 pm and the place was packed. My friend and I both had plenty to eat and we only spent $20 total. Not bad for a sushi dinner. I'd recommend checking this place out if you're ever near Washington Square.
http://www.sushihanaus.com/

Izumi Sushi and Grill - Eugene, Oregon happy hour

Izumi Sushi and Grill, Eugene, Oregon

It seems like Japanese restaurants/sushi bars always have great happy hours. This is definitely the case with Izumi in Eugene, Oregon. I had the pleasure of visiting Izumi on Friday afternoon and I can see why it is so popular. The happy hour menu was great. With most items under $5 it allows you to get lots of food for a low price, just what I like to see in a happy hour. My wife and I ordered 5 different dishes and I checked was only $20.

We started with the basic California roll for only $3. We then got the shrimp tempura roll. Both rolls were very good. We decided to order the gyoza and kalbi tacos. I wasn't that impressed with the gyoza as they were a little on the chewy side; I like mine with a good crisp to them. The kalbi tacos were awesome. Kalbi is a Korean style beef, it was served with a salsa, onions and cabbage and were delicious. I was still hungry so we decided to end with the shrimp nachos which were also very good.

The only downside the experience was that the service was a little slow. We had to wait around a while to order our food but once we got our in the food came out fairly quickly. On this Friday night it seemed like it was the happening place to be as all the tables were filled and there were people waiting. The happy hour is served from 4 to 6 so if you decide to check it out I'd recommend going in as early as you can because there will be a wait the later you go.

Check out their menu here: http://www.izumisushieugene.com/happy_hour.html

Eugene, Oregon happy hour

Best Eugene, Oregon happy hour

It's early afternoon on a drizzly Eugene, Oregon afternoon. I'm currently hanging out in the Starbucks and dreaming up plans for this evening and what better way to start the weekend than going out for an awesome Eugene, Oregon happy hour. The question now is where? As always the criteria for a good happy hour is...good deal, cheap food, cheap drinks.

I haven't had a chance to try Izumi Sushi and Grill but have heard good things. I tried to go a couple of weeks ago and the line was out the door, however the tables weren't all filled. When we went it they said that they were down on servers so they weren't filling the tables. Not a good thing on a Friday night. We decided to go elsewhere. We'll see tonight how it goes. There menu here http://www.izumisushieugene.com/happy_hour.html looks fairly reasonable so hopefully we have better luck getting a table this time.

If you have any suggestions for happy hours in Eugene, Oregon comment below.

Tidal Raves - Depoe Bay, Oregon restaurant

Tidal Raves - Depoe Bay, Oregon restaurant 

It's spring time in Oregon and what better way to spend a sunny Oregon weekend than a stay at the Oregon coast. You never quite know what the weather is going to be like when visiting the Oregon coast, but we were the lucky ones this time with sunny weather the whole weekend.

I spent the weekend at the Oregon coast for this Easter weekend where we did plenty of eating out. On Friday we drove from Yachats, Oregon to Lincoln City, Oregon. On our way we stopped for lunch at a small eatery called Tidal Raves, located right off highway 101 in Depoe Bay. The location was great with views overlooking a cove and the natural beauty of the Oregon coast line.

For lunch I had fish tacos, served with black beans and white rice. The tacos were really good, they had a cilantro dressing on them that made the dish. The fish was grilled perfectly and tasted great. The rice was topped with a red chile sauce that went really well with the cilantro dressing of the tacos. The cost of the fish tacos was $12.50 which is a little spendy compared to what I'd want to spend on a typical lunch, but with views overlooking the ocean it might be a good place to grab a lunch if you're ever driving up the central Oregon coast.

Overall, the food tasted great and you really can't beat the location and ambiance of this Oregon coast restaurant, I'd typically like to see a little lower prices for lunch but I guess sometimes you have to pay for a great view.

You can check out their menu online: http://www.tidalraves.com/

welcome to oregoneateries - a guide to dining out in Oregon

A guide to dining out at Oregon restaurants

What do you look for when going out to eat? Three things come to mind for me…food, price and ambiance. You can’t enjoy a dining experience without good food, knowing you didn’t pay an exorbitant amount for your meal makes the meal taste even better. The quantity of the food for the price is also important, you want to be sure that you’re not still hungry after you're done eating. The ambiance of the restaurant can change your experience and can cater your decision when choosing a place to eat at. In my mind when I eat out I want great tasting food for a decent price and I want to be full at the end of the meal.

Baugette Vietnamese Sandwiches - Corvallis, Oregon

Baguette Vietnamese Sandwiches - Corvallis, Oregon

Baguette vietnamese sandwiches, downtown Corvallis, OR

Looking for a place to get some ethnic food in Corvallis, Oregon? Check out Baguette in downtown right on 4th St. It’s a little sandwich shop with a minimalist menu. There are maybe a dozen options for different styles of Vietnamese sandwich. I believe all the sandwiches were under $5, which in my book is a great price for a cheap meal. Inside the eatery is very clean and the employees are all friendly and helpful.
I elected to get the “original” which consisted of Vietnamese ham and Asian style BBQ pork on a baguette and topped with cucumber, carrots, cilantro and an excellent tasting sweet chili sauce. The sauce really made the difference in the sandwich.
If you’re looking for a good tasting sandwich and you’re tired of eating at Subway I’d recommend checking this place out.

Baazar - Mediterranean food in Corvallis, Oregon

Baazar - Corvallis, Oregon Mediterranean food

Located in south town Corvallis, Oregon on third street there lies a small market dedicated to middle-eastern foods. Toward the rear of the market lies an unsuspecting restaurant that serves middle-eastern cuisine. I have seen it driving by and always wanted to check it out so I finally had the opportunity to go in today. I went there for lunch and was delightfully surprised. It's not a huge space but there was plenty of tables available. I was greeted by helpful attendant at the counter and immediately seated. I was hoping to not spend a lot so after browsing the menu I decided on a falafel sandwich, that included falafel wrapped in pita bread with cucumber, lettuce and dressing; and to drink I couldn't resist trying the moroccan tea, a green tea with a hint of mint. Both the sandwich and tea were great as well as the service. The attendant was very courteous and was quick to respond anytime I needed something. For my whole meal I paid around $10 and it was enough food to keep me happy. Overall, I'd say I had a good experience and will probably go there again. They have a mango lassi for $2.50 that I'd like to try some time. If you're looking for Mediterranean food in the mid-Willamette Valley I would definitely recommend trying this place out.

The average price for the entrees are around $10

http://www.oregonbazaar.com/about-us.html