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Papa Soul food has always been my feel good stop for yummy bbq chicken, cornbread and Papa's Music. I love walking into the warm building on a cold day. Instantly my mouth waters from the smells of deliciousness all around me. The back deck is also beautiful and a great place for families to come together.
Service has always been good considering how busy they tend to be.
R.I.P Papa! You will be missed dearly!
By far the best soul food one can have in Eugene.
The fried chicken and brisket are to die for. Always get the cornbread, it's best $1 one can spend.
R.I.P. Papa! You will be missed.
For a change I'm gonna start with the downers. Service is debatable, sometimes they're friendly and attentive and other times they make you not want to come back ever again. I've had a few experiences of when our waitress was just downright rude and openly ignored us. The drinks are expensive, most definitely, and the booyah sauce is not as spicy as it used to be (this is based off of other's comments, I myself am a whimp when it comes to heat haha) Oh and if, for some reason, you actually have leftovers.....they really don't keep well so they don't taste good at all when reheated.... :(
Other than those things, the food here is GREAT! Try anything you want! I've tried every menu item (except for the gumbo I think) and have loved every bite. I'd say the best dinner option would be the fried chicken with mac n cheese and corn on the side. The mac n cheese is the best you'll ever get in Eugene! Very cheesy, but not too thick. Pasta's done just right, and it's a little creamy.....melts in your mouth kind-o-good! Since it's soul food, there's lots of deep frying and grilling and everything is so flavorful and finger-lickin good you'll easily clear your plate and be completely full.
P.S. that big ass piece of cake that you'll see sitting in the fridge, you'd think that it's never been tried and that it's stale. Believe me it's not. Haha, I went in just once to try that piece of cake and not order anything else. Daaaaaayum it's yummy! Good luck eating a piece after eating dinner there, haha.
This very well might be the best restaurant in Oregon! Certainly the best my wife and I have ever patronized. We had heard great things, and it did not disappoint.
I had the fried cat fish, black eyed peas, and potato salad and I have been dreaming about it ever since. The atmosphere perfectly matched the fantastic food, and nothing beats grooving to some dirty blues while eating fried cat fish.
I will be looking for every excuse I can to visit Eugene and stop for some delicious grub.
I've been going here since it started as a hole in the wall on W. 11th. Amazing southern BBQ, have the mojito and the pulled pork or brisket. Go early and get on the list for a table. Great outdoor seating and live jazz and blues music constantly.
Recently in a big group, they informed us of a "no more than 3 forms of payment rule". I've never heard of this rule and I've been there in big groups before recently. I'd prefer if they tell us that prior to the meal or put it on the menu.
One disappointing experience out of seven years of good times won't defer me from going back.
Leave room for the cupcakes or take one home; they are better than Sweet Life.
A fantastic destination, worth the trip just to glance over the cleverly designed menu that claims, "So good it'll make you slap yo mama". Their menu boasts hush puppies, fried okra, catfish, black-eyed peas, collard greens, the BBQ standards (all done well), sweet tea and Kool Aid.
I recommend any of the $6 sanwiches. For the price and quantity, nothing in Eugene can beat it! Wash it all down with a PBR Tall Boy.
I've never been to the South, so I can't judge on authenticity, only on my fond memories of Southern Kitchen in Tacoma and Catfish Corner in Seattle. I went for lunch and had the Beef Brisket with Mac & Cheese and the Cole Slaw. The Beef brisket was good, a nice generous portion, and the mac & cheese was tasty. I was disappointed by the cole slaw - it looked like it came out of a bag. Diet cokes were in mason jars, which were a nice touch, and the staff were quick and friendly. I look forward to swinging by the next time I'm in Eugene to sample their other items.
Delicious soul food in the heart of the Whiteaker. I love this place--though I have never had "authentic" soul food, this food is delicious. I often get the brisket, which is fatty, but it melts in your mouth and makes your tummy feel excellent. Their Fried Chicken and Waffles blew my mind--I have often heard of this treat, but never believed it would be as interesting as when I finally tried it.
Over/Under: Try this place out; if you want some comfort food you won't be dissapointed.
I have going been to Papa's since the shop by the laundry mat. I love the newer location. Atmosphere is great. Love the back patio in the summer. The servers are are pretty attentive considering they are always swamped. Papa should sell that bbq sauce cause it is so YUMMY!!! I have had a few things that I would not order again, but the things I love are well worth it. I frequent this place and will continue to :)
Okay, so until just recently I had only found one place in Oregon that served a decent piece of catfish. And I LOVE catfish, so I'm always on the lookout.
And then Papa's found a place in my heart and in my stomach. Mom wanted something "different" for dinner, so hubby and I tossed her in the car and we headed to Papa's. Parking was horrific. Seriously, all street.
There was no wait, even on a Saturday night. We walked in and got a nice cozy table in the corner where we could admire the art work. Server came over and we ordered some sweet tea. Mom wanted to order everything on the menu, but we ultimately settled on catfish platters for her and I. And the hubby went for the ribs.
Food came and I immediately dug into my Mac and Cheese. YUM! Next, the cat fish. Seasoning was amazing, fish was super fresh, and the portion was HUGE. Potato salad was just alright, but with how good everything else was, I can overlook that. Also got a couple bites of hubby's ribs, which were totally fall of the bone amazing.
Huge portions and some decent food. Definitely worth the trip.
Overall I was pretty happy with Papa's. The atmosphere outside was great and we were seated pretty quickly. Food was a little wait but well worth it. I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was fantastic, loved every messy drippy bite. The potato salad that came with it was passable but nothing special. Also tried the fried Okra (delicious), Hush Puppies (at $4 probably not worth it), Mac and Cheese (decent but not exciting) and Corn Bread (amazing and a steal at $1 a loaf). Overall good stuff, although somewhat hit or miss, but it was probably the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had.
I've been to Papa's only once, hence the 4 stars. I'll probably give it 5 if and when I go back and get the same excellent service and food as the first time.
I had their Fried Catfish and it was delicious. My dad was raised country, and we have always been looking for a spot that serves this classic dish. My buddy ordered the Jerk Chicken sandwich which I sampled as well. Very good! I ordered an Oakshire ESB with my fish and it only added to the wonderful experience.
I love the setting. Very basic "down south" style with lots of woodwork and beverages served in small mason jars. The menu is a work of art (i.m.o.) and the servers were prompt and cordial. I'll definitely be coming back in!
Papa was actually playing the guitar in the corner when I went here and I felt like life couldn't get much better after eating this southern food and drinking purple kool-aid from a mason jar while listening to him play. I'm not even a huge fan of comfort food, but even a vegetarian can't help but want to dig into one of their dishes. My fried chicken was amazing, and you can never go wrong with sides of mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese. This is going on my list of places to bring out-of-town guests for sure. Everyone I know who's been here recommends it, and now I know why. Can't wait to go back...just need to make sure I can fast for about a day so I can finish my plate this time.
imagine getting invited to a BBQ in the deep south. its a BBQ shack and a damb good one. pulled pork and corn bread with beans, great meal. just go , you cant be disipointed
DON'T. PASS. THIS. PLACE. UP! If your in Eugene it is a must that you check this place out. I would put it at the top of my list for a BBQ Joint. The Food was awesome, The vibe was happen'n, The service was great and our order came up quick, factoring the amount of people that were crammed in that little place. There was a 30 min wait on a Wednesday night. We did miss out on the live music. I got the pulled pork and it was to the best. I love the BBQ Sauce that they serve there. It is slightly sweet with a lot of heat. The Sweet tea was served in a Mason Jar, just like the beers, and was worth the price. I also recommend the Hot Links and the Corn Bread. See you next time I am in Eugene Papa!
a FUN experience! I wish I went when the live jazz was on. to be honest, the soul food isn't exceptional but the atmosphere makes up for the somewhat weak food offerings.
I really only went once the entire time I lived in Eugene.
Great BBQ ! Fast service,large portions and a variety of delicious choices at resonable prices. Leave your blazer and high heels at the office, this is Eugene at it's best on Blair Blvd. Small but homey. Get there early in the winter if you don't want to wait for a table. Extra seating outside in the summer. Live Music!
I'm from North Carolina, and I went to college in Georgia, so I feel as though I bring a certain gravitas to the review of a Southern food establishment, no matter where it lies in the world.
And Papa's Soul Food Kitchen is absolutely no exception. Told by my dining companion that I would have to verify for her that Papa's is indeed as good as she thought it was, and not a figment of her imagination after being away from Waffle Houses for three years, I ventured in with a hearty bit of skepticism and the belief that nowhere on the west coast could equal that of Weaver D's or Dreamland.
I now admit I was wrong.
Excellent mac n' cheese, great cornbread and soda and tea served in mason jars all contributed to this country-home-feeling establishments claims to be an authentic Southern restaurant. I had the fried catfish, which was just the perfect combination of falling-apart but not completely shredded.
My dining companion had the friend chicken, which was overcooked and not meaty enough (hence the lost star) but wasn't what I'd call 'bad.'
All-in-all, a great place for lunch.
Remember the cardinal rule of Southern food, though -- always nap after lunch here. If you don't, the brick of food on your stomach will just weigh you down all day.
Also? Free refills on soda! Oh how I love venturing outside of New York.
Eugene's best restaurant. Awesome BBQ southern style. Don't miss the ribs, mac and cheese, and black eyed peas. Aldo serve Ninkasi on tap
Papa's Soul Food could have been better. But on the other hand it's as close as you can come to soul food in Oregon. The wait staff was so slow (practically ignored us), the food came very fast (YEAH), portion size was very big, and you had to park on the street (didn't bother me). It was a fun experience overall.
I sometimes wonder if reviewers are generous with their stars because we don't have many options in Eugene. This is, of course, the only soul food kitchen that I know of in town, so I think Papa's sometimes gets by being average because people are hungry for soul food. Last time I was there, the portions seemed to be shrinking, they were out of collards (my favorite thing on the menu) and there were feathers in my fried chicken that only illicited a shoulder shrug from my waitress. The place can get very, very loud, but at least it's alive.
Edited:
No longer a tiny storefront, but now an actual restaurant, Papa continues to improve his game. I'm still going to stand by the pulled pork--the sauce itself isn't very sweet, contrary to what the guy from Tarzana says, and more importantly, Papa doesn't oversauce his pork--he lets the porky goodness shine through. Still high one my list. I guess I should clarify, I've had some pretty great pulled pork elsewhere in our great nation, but this is the best I've found in Eugene. As for "12th whitest city"--I don't know where that statistic comes from, but I'd have guessed 3rd whitest. Yay, diversity! For the record, the Whiteaker neighborhood, where Papa's is located, is easily the most ethnically and racially diverse in the city, though that's not saying very much at all.
The fried chicken here is freakin' good too. Good lemonade. Nice specials. They do a chicken and waffle night every week now (I think). Haven't been, but mean to.
ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW--
A tiny storefront nestled next to a grungy laundromat, Papa's is easy to miss. You best not.
Pulled pork. Best I've had. EVER. Sandwich-style, with coleslaw. Or try the platter, with two sides.
Jerk chicken, fried catfish, bbq chicken, ribs, hot links, etc.
Sides include blackeyed peas, collards, red beans & rice, corn, yams, and the best potato salad this side of wherever they make it better.
Best "fast" food in town.
this place is good! i had the brisket which was tender, juicy and topped with a perfect amount of bbq sauce, served with potato salad and baked beans. it was delicious! i asked the waitress for some bread and she brought out two slices of white bread. awesome!
i grew up in texas where brisket and sweet tea are plentiful and papa's was just as good, if not better then some of the bbq joints around san antonio.
i was so STUFFED dessert was not an option. loved it!
Kinda soulless as far as soul food goes, but I suppose I should expect as much from the 12th whitest city in America. "Best pulled pork?" No way. The sauce was much too sweet, and the side dishes tasted watered down. The hush puppies are apparently the popular thing to get--maybe next time.
One thing to their credit: they serve sweet tea, which is frustratingly hard to find in California.
A fun place to eat when you're in Eugene, but more for the neighborhood and atmosphere than the actual food.
The address has changed at Papa's, but not the food. This is one of my favorite places to eat on a hot summer night. You can knosh on fried chicken, listen to music and sit under the stars on the deck as you sip sweet tea.
My favorite menu item is the fried chicken dinner. It sells out quite often, so you may have to choose another fabo meal on the menu.
One warning, the Jerk Chicken will bring tears to your eyes and fire to your mouth. If you don't like hot food, specify so they can tone it down for you.
We always start with the hush puppies and okra. I think it's the only place in town you can even find okra. I am from the midwest and that is a staple in the summer at our place.
They serve both beer and liquor. The service is good, considering how busy they always seem to be,
Word has it they are opening a sandwich shop this spring. Location hasn't been determined but I know I will be there!
Overall, great southern food in Eugene. Let's be real, you're not at your grandma's house, or a bbq shack in Nashville. But it's pretty damn close! Besides, when is the last time your grandma served you kool-aid in a mason jar? Yep, thought so!
I was immediately skeptical of the quality of the meal ahead upon initial reading of the menu. Papa's Soul Food Kitchen is a soul food kitchen in name only, and is in reality a Eugene -slanted pan-southern theme restaurant, complete with live blues music and affected Southern aesthetic including sweet tea served in mason jars. Even contemplating vegetarian collard greens would be sacrilege to any soul food chef/cook worth their salt, but we are in Eugene, and not Mississippi. In addition to collard greens there were at most 2 or 3 other soul food dishes on the menu, with the remainder of the menu composed of various stereotypical Louisiana, Texas and general Southeastern cuisine. That said, the food was half-decent, even if it was not, for the most part, soul food. Dish specific authenticity aside (some hits, some misses in that regard - and I stress again, ALMOST NONE OF IT IS SOUL FOOD), I enjoyed almost everything I tasted. The fried okra, fried chicken and fried catfish were above average if not excellent. The fried oysters were overcooked and the collard greens, aside from being vegetarian (?!), were way too salty, but still tasty. The live music was a nice touch to the already lively environment, though if one's been to a true soul-food kitchen, might be viewed as a tad gimmicky or cheesy. The wait staff, aside from one surly bartender, were excellent and friendly and the prices were fair to excellent. I will probably return when the craving for southern fried catfish hits again, but I wasn't impressed enough for Papa's to become a regular destination.
So good and a fun atmosphere! I love this area of Eugene.
oh papa's, your fried oysters have me all atwitter. i can't get enough of your tender, juicy collard greens, and your cinnamon-y sweet yams. nor can i stop myself from commenting on the deliciousness of your fried chicken and pulled pork (the sweet and spicy sauce really hits the spot). not to mention the fried okra, cornbread, mac & cheese and all the other delicious sides and entrees, very few of which i have not tried (but rest assured, i will). and aside from all that, i must also commend you for your wonderful weekend jam sessions. eagle park slim has opened my eyes.
As a former vegetarian, I had not ventured into Papa's Soul Food Kitchen since I moved to Eugene since I was fairly sure the highly-recommended soul food was authentic, i.e. cooked with lard and all the trimmings. Plus, the only things I could really eat there were collards (probably cooked with bacon) and mac and cheese. Since I've ventured back towards the omnivore side of the eating spectrum, we decided that Papa's was just the place to fill our empty tummies tonight. And boy howdy... did I ever get stuffed! I got the itis infact (the itis: Drowsy or sleepy effect linked to digesting large meals, usually high in fat or salt content.) I had the "plate of BBQ chicken" with red beans and rice and potato salad as my sides, as well as the freakishly huge and neverending mason jar of lemonade. My sweetie ordered the fried chicken with sides of mac and cheese and "soul" slaw... all phenomenal. The food took a while to get to us, but the server (the service was good... friendly and attentive) warned him that the chicken would take about 20 minutes. The portions were ginormous, the atmosphere funky and cool... I'll definitely be back! But give my arteries about 3 months to clear themselves out... ;)
On the plus side, Papa's shells out some very healthy portions. I ordered the pork bbq ribs plate, and was full by the time I got to my second rib. Yes, second rib. Good atmosphere. I'd heard great reviews for this rib joint, and was very much looking forward to this meal. I'd had Papa's bbq when it was in Joe's. There was something special about it then. But now, I think something's changed. I think Papa himself must not have been working the night I came in, 'cause the food wasn't all that special. The ribs were hearty, and the meat did fall off the bone, but some parts were a bit charred and dry. The sides were the most disappointing. The beans were a little too watery for my taste, and the mac 'n cheese had this slightly grainy texture like the cheese was from a powder. And the coleslaw was dry. It felt more like a salad. Dry slaw with dressing drizzled on top. Weird. By the time we got to the bottom of the bowl, it wasn't really slaw anymore, just straight up cabbage. I'd come back for the portions, down home atmosphere, and good value, but for me it didn't live up to the hype.
Papa ("I was named after my daddy," he explains) is a great young guy who brings all of his loves together in this restaurant -- his wife (who works there with him), music, art, and of course food. Music? Yes, this is a stone blues place. Live blues, no cover, on weekends and some weekdays. The music happens early, 7-9 p.m., so you can listen as you dine. And it's fabulous blues, often of the acoustic, downhome variety. When there's no live music, there is terrific old-fashioned blues on the sound system. The food quality varies from excellent to OK (depending on what you order). The trouble is, Papa tries to offer EVERY Southern staple: ribs, pulled pork, gumbo, fried chicken, catfish, etc. And all the sides. In the South, you would usually go to one place for good ribs, another for good pulled pork, certainly a whole 'nother place for catfish or gumbo. One place just can't do everything to perfection. But Papa sure gives it a go! And since there's no place else to get these delicacies in Eugene, he might as well offer 'em all. I'll let you have the fun of trying a bunch of different items (go with a group and try everybody's) to decide which are great and which are just pretty good. Oh, there also are several varieties of Eugene's excellent microbrew, Ninkasi, on tap.
Eugene, OR
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