Izakaya Meiji Co.

Well. It starts with the fairy lights and becomes an experience of illuminated moments that elevate the evening. This was my second time coming. My first visit happened with the love of my life...so I had not expectations that this visit could match that. Yet when we walked in and we're lead to the bar as requested, it began with the inevitable personality of our bartender Jean. He carried himself with the charm of Vanna White and the confident if rascally flirtatiousness of a court jester who secretly doubles as the monarch... The bar was accentuated by lights placed strategically to help move the eye up through the several shelves. My friend started with a delicious sparkling Vouvray Brut from Domaine du Petit (? forgot) that came in a gorgeous coupe. It was chilled and delicious but I swear the coupe they poured it in also enhanced the experience because of its elegance. I ordered the painkiller, which was wonderfully frothy and having been shaken with ice, garnished with a piece of fresh pineapple, and sprinkled with a dusting of no nonsense nutmeg. We ordered the Ikura Onirigi for each of us -- which was as delicious as I remembered! Don't kill yourself, it's so good you really won't want to share. We also ordered the Japanese sweet potato which came smothered in a miso sauce. If you don't like salty ask for it on the side, it allows you to enjoy the sauce without feeling like the potato loses itself. The garlic steamed broccoli with black pepper was very on point and disappeared quickly. The miso butter shiitake mushroom caps were a favorite for my friend as was the spicy tuna poke. What I loved about that dish was the balance of avocado chunks and minced green onion. But it does really have a kick so be prepared… Perhaps my favorite dish was the agadashi tofu -- if I'm honest I always judge a Japanese restaurant by this signature appetizer. I had ordered it on my first Meiji: It was delicious then and it was delicious tonight. Highly recommend. My friend ran into another singer while we were there, and we made friends with our bar mates readily bc it was a friendly bar, with Jean creating a conversational culture of engagement. Super cool experience the second time here, too. Looking forward to returning again.

Yup, another new fav. Our friends introduced us to this classic Izakaya. Every bite was a gem. We tried to order one of everything on the menu, but loved what we initially tried so ended up getting about three of the initial key items, including pork belly, smoked salmon salad, sashimi, steak skewers, curry soba, firecracker shrimp skewers - all thoughtfully prepared and delicious. We’ll be going back to try what we missed before.

An excellent dining, drinking and socializing experience modeled after traditional Japanese-style pubs. First, the service is professional, authentic and kind - from the host, bartenders, servers, food runners, and beverage runners. Sam was awesome and knowledgeable, and took the time to provide a little guidance and make some suggestions. The patrons spanned a range of ages and vibes, all in comfort. The menu has a wide variety of options that would appeal to a broad audience, from meat-eaters to veggie lovers, with reasonable price ranges. The food quality is awesome. We tried about nine different dishes and each was fantastic. The drink & cocktail menu is fun and interesting. Food comes out promptly and consistently, and is well-presented. Super fun eating establishment - I almost came back the next night for more! But the number one reason I want to come back is because of the positive first impression made by the staff, who say "welcome" instead of, well, using a particularly unnecessary trailing preposition. 😀 Looking forward to coming here again.

We love everything about this restaurant!! Tasty food, great prices , atmosphere and service!! The miso soup is so flavorful and the curry udon is just perfect!!

Always amazing food, great service and tasty drinks. One of Eugene's best restaurants, hands down. The librarian ladder for each bar is quite fitting. The Meji Burger with cheese and side of wasabi mayo for the fries is luscious.

Phenomenal all-around. Delicious bergamot iced tea. Loved the special ahi burger, and the wasabi mayo brought tears to my eyes. Literally. The atmosphere is transportative. Will be back to try all the foods!

If fresh is your flavor, visit Izakaya Meiji Co.!When your order is ready, it’s on your table! We always enjoy the locally sourced Rockfish. The cocktails are wonderful. Since I always go with my family, we order a variety of plates. We visit Izakaya’s when the Slice has live music or karaoke and sit outside. Last night (Saturday) there was about an hour wait for Izakaya’s so we waited at the Slice and listened to a band that played in the style of the Grateful Dead. This dining experience at Izakaya’s is magical - and a great way to experience the vibrancy of the Whit with upscale food.

Never been to a place quite like this, I went with a friend and we had drinks that were top-notch, and a variety of food that was all very well. Done most remarkably the calamari, I was under the impression that calamari was chewy, this place showed me how calamari is supposed to be cooked for the first time in my life! I was surprised by the old country music playing in the restaurant, Bob Wills and the Texas playboys sort of western swing . I will definitely be back and I would recommend this place to a friend !

Seriously. Do I really need say more? Seriously. Do I really need say more? Seriously. Do I really need say more? Seriously. Do I really need say more? Really?

Look. So here's the skinny. I'm not going to waste time, I'm not going to wax all philosophical about this place and the decor and the menu and the ambiance. Yeah yeah yeah. All that stuff is great. The service is immaculate. Now that I hit all of the "markers". Get the rock fish. That's the whole review. Get the damn Rock fish. It's that good. It'll make you come back to try everything else. And even when you come back for your 47th time, get the rock fish. Two orders. Because you'll want one for the car ride home while you're reminiscing about how good it was in the store.

A chill Japanese tavern with friendly neighborhood vibes, this spot offers up small plates and a wide variety of cocktails, beer, sake, and more. No reservations needed (or taken), so just walk in and enjoy. Service is casual - servers will take your order, drop off food/drinks, and take your bill. Food comes out "as it's ready" so you can start with some things and continue ordering more as needed, which is what we did. Overall, the food was just okay to me. Pricy for what it is in my opinion. Decent flavor but nothing stood out except maybe the onigiri. I enjoyed it but it wasn't the favorite restaurant we tried on our trip! FOOD RATINGS (some not pictured): - Ahi onigiri (4/5): The most flavorful and yummy item I ordered, although I wish it was raw fish vs. cooked. The lemon salt was the best part haha. - Gyu-don (3/5): This wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped it would be. It was okay, but I wouldn't order it again, especially for the price. I'd stick to the onigiri. - Steak skewer (4/5): $7 for 3 small bites. Inconsistent on well done-ness (more medium). Tasty with the yuzu kosho and great to eat with rice ($3 for steamed rice).

I had a great dinner at Meiji, although the service was a bit odd. We were seated quickly, ordered drinks first, then our small plates when the waiter came back. Our small plates started coming out before drinks, and the restaurant wasn't particularly busy. All the small plates were yummy and well executed. We had either 3 or 4 waiters, I'm not sure if our table was dropped or if there was a shift transition, but it was confusing for the table. We didn't receive one dish we ordered, but it was fine because the person who ordered it ended up not being hungry. It was still on our bill so we had our new waiter take it off. The restaurant had filled up by the time we left. The AC is a little lackluster but otherwise it's cute.

OMG why have I not tried this before! This place is amazing. All of the dishes we tried were so good I think we over indulged just a bit. You have to try this place and let me know what think.

We ended up here because Tiger Mama next door was closed for the July 4th weekend. Not complaining, Izakaya has been on my list to try for awhile. We luckily got in just ahead of the Saturday night dinner rush and were able to sit outside which is a nice, shaded area that still gets a breeze and you can do some great people watching on the street. Chairs could be a bit more comfortable but anyway, to the food! It's a small plate affair, meaning servings are for 1-2 people. Glad it was just the two of us, would have been hard to share beyond that. We tried a few different things - Potato Salad, Edamame, Kushiyaki -Chicken Breast, Steak and Pork Belly, Chicken Kara-Age, Hot Garlic Shrimp and Spicy Tuna Cocktail. We each ordered two drinks. This all came to about $95 (without tip), for those of you who are concerned about cost. Small dishes do add up fast. My favorite items were the hot garlic shrimp and the spicy tuna cocktail. So good! So much flavor. The shrimp actually had 6 pieces so that was probably the largest serving of anything. The cocktail was so original, literally coming out in a cocktail glass. I say original - really everything here is pretty original, this one just stood out. Everything tasted very good and we truly didn't have to wait too long for anything, except the drinks. I had the house made lemonade and it was probably the best lemonade I've ever had. Our server was nice and checked in just the right amount. Overall it was a really nice experience. Would I go out of my way to come back? I'm not sure. There's nothing wrong here except that I don't think I or my husband are "small plate" types. I worry we don't have refined enough palates to do this type of dining very often.

Great food great service Sierra the best only good spot in town open late what the frick i need 85 characters to post this review jeez

Cuteeee spot for a late night drink and snacks. We sat at the bar and were well taken care of. The food came out promptly as well and everything was delicious! There's plenty of space in the restaurant but we didn't venture out of the bar area to see. It's a cozy space in the bar!

Year after year this is still one of my favorite places in Eugene! They are now open starting at 4pm so for the early diners it's a bit easier to get in. Go-tos are: Rockfish karaage, miso egg, garlic broccoli, spinach gomae. But really, I like it all. Today I tried their preparation of Japanese sweet potato and I loved it. Cocktails are also great. My go-to is the bourbon ginger as they make their own ginger mix and it's delicious. They also have house made n/a drinks like limeade that are awesome too.

Tons of gluten free options, my favorites include the rock fish, hot garlic shrimp, & chicken wings. Spicy tuna cocktail is pretty good (quality of fish can be hit or miss). Last time I went they said they got rid of the chicken wings, which was truly devastating for me to hear. Pleeease bring them back, they were the best thing on your menu (in my opinion)!

They have a great late night menu! I wish I took pics but everything was so good that I didn't even think about it. We sat at the bar and were well taken care of. The food came out quickly. The bar area is small and quaint but there's a larger area with more tables that I didn't get to see on the other side. I'd come back here again when I'm in town.

This place is more like a 3.5 than a 4 but Yelp doesn't allow it. Some dishes were very good, some were very meh (like the ramen). Cocktails and bar menu were great. Service while dining was OK. Would come back if I was in the area but would not seek it out. After a bunch of small plates (chicken wings were the best), got the Wednesday's special ramen which was bland and flavorless.

Evan took great care of us. The ginger whiskeys were on point, as were the spicy tuna cocktail, the hot garlic shrimp, sashimi, chicken tikka kushiyaki, steak kushiyaki, fries with wasabi mayo, and the ice cream sandwich. It was the kind of meal I could roll around in, and the server was attentive, friendly, engaging, and entertaining. High marks for a fabulous evening out at a Eugene institution. Thank you, Meiji! Evan made the whole experience top notch.

What an absolute delight it was to dine here. I've had a lot of Japanese food in my life, and have dreamed of trying certain dishes that aren't usually available to me here in the west, so today I got to try some of those dishes. We had the seaweed salad, two onigiri (salted plum and salmon), the rock fish karaage, chicken thigh skewer, and the pork belly donburi. Every element was wonderful and savory. If you are looking for umami, you'll get it here. For dessert we had the whisky and cookies. Whomever decided to put a neat pour of whisky with warm, perfectly baked (soft in the middle, set and a little crispy on the outside), dark-chocolatey cookies is a damn genius. I don't even care that it isn't Japanese. It was so good. The standouts of the night for us were the salted plum onigiri (umeboshi), chicken thigh skewer, and the karaage. We had kind service that didn't smother our table. We felt no rush, but also felt looked-after, which we appreciated greatly. It was also just a lovely place to sit and dine - it feels cozy but social. The wine was also quite lovely and I'm impressed, especially for only having one by-the-glass option for each (red, white, sparkling, rose) I will certainly be back!

This place has a wonderful menu with lots of drinks to choose from and lots of small dishes. Dishes like the chicken karaage only cost $7 and have a hefty serving. The Japanese sweet potato was amazing. The skewer was perfectly soft with a nice green onion topping for a different flavor. I definitely want to try more items here. The drinks were fantastic and the painkiller was perfect.

Unique food, drinks, servers. Casual experience which is typical for Eugene ... ery tasty and would definitely go back.

Super good vibe inside the restaurant and very extensive drink menu. Food was overall really good but portions were super small, I shared 4 plates with my friend we both went home and warmed up some panda express to fully fill ourselves up. Next time imma just order the burger and have some more cool looking cocktails.

We ate here last week. All 4 of us thought everything was overly salty. Food was good, just very salty. They bring out dishes as they are cooked, not by the table, so you end up eating in turns. I don't think I would eat there again, too many better options in Eugene.

Well crafted cocktails, fresh food, excellent service and a cute outside patio! They are even open late if you are walking the Whit area after a show

Izakaya Meiji has a really cute ambiance. There's a small bar area and plenty of seats both inside and outside. We were seated pretty quickly and it was nice that they offered drinks while we were waiting. The food here is good, I like the idea of small tapas style plates. However these are very small plates and if you have a table for 4 you are really only getting one bite of each. We tried a large variety of things and then went back and reordered items. I am sure I missed some photos of things that came out as they all came out as the kitchen made them so it was just appearing on the table every couple of minutes. The staff are really nice, and it's definitely a spot to visit if you are in Eugene

I visited Meiji for a quick snack after work. The server was very nice, and the patio was quiet and enjoyable in the crisp fall air. We ordered the hamachi salad, which had fresh grapefruit that added a nice citrus hint. The spicy tuna cocktail was smooth, with a great finishing touch of oils and salt. The rockfish karaige was tender and flaky. The miso soft-boiled egg was a unique experience with spot-on flavor. We ended the meal with Curry udon, and the broth was exceptional. The cocktails, especially the Japanese whiskey flight, were excellent. We plan to return to try more of their seasonal specials!

Creative cocktail list and a diverse Japanese fusion menu. Attentive and friendly staff. Interior needs a refresh.

Came in wanting some food items posted on the Yelp images, turns out they didn't have ANY of the foods posted since their menu changes, so misleading!! All items came in a singular portion. Everything we ordered was so disappointing. Will not be coming back. Fried Enoki: 2/10 VERY oily and spicy Salmon Onigiri: 2/10 plain, barely any salmon Vegetable Onigiri: 1/10 SALTY, do not recommend! Chicken breast: 5/10 pretty good with the yuzu kosho finishing Chicken karage: 5/10 tasted like normal fried popcorn chicken

The food here is creative and very fresh. Small plates to share. We had the gomae spinach, smoked steelhead salmon and grapefruit salad and the salmon doburi. The whole menu looked interesting and many GF, LF and vegetarian options.

Came on a Saturday night for a solo date and it was cute! The servers and bartenders were very nice! The food was delicious! I only wish the servings were bigger! I got the tofu, salad, and the umeboshi! It was delicious!

We came here after a wedding reception so we just ordered drinks and appetizers. The bartenders are engaging and welcoming. I was not fond of the Meiji Mule since it was very spicy so I switched with my boyfriend's drink. But I also didn't like the Lion's Tail since it was very tart. For apps, they took longer than expected. Their yakitori was pretty bland and the meat had a weird texture. The fries were tasty and their wasabi mayo was fantastic. Even though I was not pleased with the drinks somehow I still like to come back. I love the vibe and they seemed to have a good whiskey menu that we like to try.

So disappointing. This place sounded great, we love japanese food and sharing plates. First of all, don't be even slightly hungry. The amount of food in each serving is scandalous. Half of a small yam for $9. For that price you could at least get the whole yam. It was tasty but only 3 bites each. The Gyu-don was sold as classic donburi with thinly sliced beef. I've lived in Japan and there is nothing classic about this. There was also no sliced beef. It was a small mound of rice with what looked like a pile of tiny shreds of beef on top. It did not come with a soft boiled egg, it was hard boiled, and to add insult to injury there was only half an egg. So much for sharing. Flavor profile was meh. Not worth $17. We decided to quit at that. Our server was sweet and very enthusiastic and the menu description sold me on a cocktail (fresh squeezed juices! she said). Nope, just coconut milk with very little liquor. The tables are small, and the seating is extremely uncomfortable. No idea how this place could get the reviews it does. I gave two stars because the yam was flavorful, but just barely because the donburi was ridiculously bad.

Small and intimate setting. Portions are tapas style so go with a group and order one of everything. The curry udon was smooth, deep umami flavor and thick chewy noodles. Lots of mushrooms, so if that's not your thing, you might reconsider. Shrimp and poke were fresh and the jammy egg was jammy!

What a great ambience! This place is all the bells and whistles. The food comes out when it's ready, and they don't course meals out here. The food is top notch! Japanese fusion. Full of flavor! The Japanese whiskey selection is great, and the other cocktails are fantastic. Prepare to have a wait at the door, or in their standup drink lounge until your table is ready. They will give you a text when your table is ready. I prefer sitting at the bar. I think it has a fun vibe because they have great cocktails in the bartenders are nice! Most of their menu is small plates, so I recommend ordering several things. They do have a couple larger plates, their burger is exceptional! The shitaki mushrooms, and meatball skewers are an absolute must. The edamame is very spicey!!! You've been w

Delicious small plates, good drinks, excellent service, and fun decor and ambience. "Where East Meets Country Western" perfectly sums it up. We enjoyed the Oakshire Watershed IPA and almost everything we ordered: rockfish karaage (so fresh and crunchy), salmon onigiri, edamame, ebi furai, spicy tuna cocktail, and fries with wasabi mayo. The shiitake burger looked beautiful and tasted fine, but fell apart on the first bite. We had only 25 minutes to eat since minors aren't permitted after 10pm and we arrived with our kids at 9:35, but it was 100% worth it. We'll definitely return the next time we're in Eugene, and maybe come without our kids so we can experience the late night menu.

I was a bit intrigued with this place identifying as a Japanese cowboy-like restaurant; an izakaya by definition is a local tavern/pub to hangout. We met up with a few local friends at their recommendation. This is great pub food--small bites, Japanese tapas. Their menu accommodates meat eaters, vegetarians & vegans. The food goes well with the alcohol. It's cozy--you can choose to sit at the bar or at a table. If the weather was better, I'm sure they offer outdoor seating, but not during our visit. Our servers, we had more than one, were very helpful and prompt with taking and serving our orders. We ordered both alcohol and food for our meals. We started with a sake flight, ginger patch (vodka with gingerade), Japanese whiskey. With that we ordered the rockfish karaage, potato & pea korokke, french fries (w/wasabi mayo); fried chicken teriyaki burger, buta kimchi (pork belly & kimichi) spinach goma-ae, hot garlic shrimp & tonkatsu. The meal was definitely an East meets West theme and every bit delicious. My only comment was that I thought the buta kimchi was too salty (for me) and the hot garlic shrimp could have packed more eat. It was a great experience and a very enjoyable meal and definitely worth checking out--there's a great vibe! I just wish I would be able to go on a Tuesday, when they feature cowboy karaoke.

We saw little Remy from ratatouille running around while we ate our finger food. I will say the food tickled my tastebuds rather nicely but little Remy was concerning.

Big rat near the kitchen and employees didn't seem to care about it. Food was good though.

Everything we are was really good and so were the drinks. Rockfish, Sashimi and the Ahi Onigiri were the favorites. Lived up to the hype.

Great drinks and good Izakaya! The staff is service experience oriented and professional! Tends to get lively around dinner. Abiance reminds me a a back Street in Osaka small restaurant.On the more expensive side.

Meiji is my favorite restaurant in Eugene and has been for years. I start with their Ginger Patch cocktail and then order a smattering of small dishes. Spinach goma ae, Rockfish Kara-age with their incredible ponzu sauce, spicy tuna cocktail, any donburi, and my kiddos never miss ordering the ikura onigiri. You just can't go wrong.

This hip spot serves Japanese food in a cowboy themed interior, which is popular in Japan. Trust me, I wasn't expecting to hear George Strait while perusing the appetizer menu, but there he was, followed by a lengthy music catalog straight out of Texas. And this combination seems to be popular in Eugene, as well, because the place was packed. And the food is interesting too. Not just sushi, but Onigiri, ramen, skewers, soups, noodle and rice dishes, and lots of small a la carte dishes that can add up quickly. The menu includes some fusion dishes that feature the local flavors as well. The full bar includes a variety of whiskies and Japanese and regional beers, and features a variety of creative cocktails. Parking is on the street as you can find it. Minors are welcome until 10pm. It's super busy so make reservations if they're available.

Had to visit Meiji after its reopening and it didn't disappoint! Our waitress was very attentive and nice. We ordered the house made gingerade and limeade, they were both great. The vegetable miso onigiri was good, but the salmon was lacking. It barely had any filling. We also ordered the spicy tuna cocktail which was fresh and perfectly seasoned. Lastly, the seared chicken curry which was one of the best curries I have had.

Not a very pleasant experience. The staff was very inattentive and the food was not good. The pork belly with mustard greens was barely edible and made my stomach grumble after eating the very fatty pork belly but the greens were too bitter and way overcooked.

They used to have the best bourbon ginger cocktail, but they changed the recipe. Not as good. I keep reordering it hoping for the frothy goodness, but falls short and I'm disappointed. It was a highlight of the restaurant as well as the spicy tuna cocktail. I looked so forward to these things. But, they both are no longer it. The service feels like you are inconveniencing them by being there. This used to be one of my main stops but finally had to stop going. So sad, it was so good for so long.

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Eugene. I loved it so much that I actually came here 4 times this week - just take my money okay! Everything here taste fresh and authentic. I love how they are pretty adventurous with their flavor combinations. The ambience is great. It is a good date spot. I have tried mostly everything on the menu and narrowed down my favorites: Drinks: Pain Killer (super sweet and tropical like you are sitting on a beach in Hawaii) and Dusty Rose (Lavender cocktail with egg white). Food: Ahi Onigiri, Fried shrimp skewer, garlic shrimp, broccoli and garlic, katsu, and the massaman curry.

The food was fine, but horrendously overpriced. The miso egg, for example, is 5 dollars. That's one egg. For 5 dollars. If they slashed their prices in half I'd go back, but honestly the food was not worth it at their prices. The thing we enjoyed most was the atmosphere. Very cozy.

Came to visit Eugene Oregon during the USATF Olympic trials on June 28 and 29, 2024, which made the restaurant pretty packed as well as the entire town. Ordered the Curry Udon, miso soup, ahi unigiri, the spinish and Calamari. I ordered that much for 1 person (myself) since the dishes were a bit small. But food was amazing and the vibes here were great. The staff was very attentive and checked in on me frequently as well. Great place to come by if you're visiting town!

DELISH! Our server, Jean - just gonna fold 'em up and put 'em in my back pocket - the best! Food: everything was delish. My friend and I ordered nearly the entire menu and had multiple cocktails that were all phenomenal. So impressed with the gluten free options - most everything was GF and many DF options as well. As for the sweet potatoes - PLEASE Izakaya Meiji please jar this up and sell this bc I need it for Thanksgiving!

This place has the BEST sashimi in the area, hands down! Such a warm, friendly atmosphere and the drinks are incredible too. The pork belly donburi was so savory and comforting. Can't wait to come back.

Neat ambiance. Sat at the bar and shared a bunch of small plates with my friend. Honestly one of the best meals I've had in a long time! So many layers of flavor in everything. Do yourself a favor and get the miso egg (if you like soft boiled). I woke up the next morning thinking of the miso egg, tofu, spinach goma ae, fried octopus and calamari! The hot garlic shrimp was just OK. Also, solid bartender the cocktails were on point. Bourbon & ginger has house pressed ginger!Ended with the banana split, the bourbon flambéed banana didn't disappoint.

What a gem! This is one of my favorite restaurants in town because of the ambiance and food selection. It is a very cozy and intimate spot with small details to make it a great space for a romantic evening out. You order small plates and share amongst one another which is ideal because all of their dishes are full of flavor and you won't want to miss out on any of the flavor profiles. In each dish there are depths of seasoning and sometimes spice- which you can follow up with their craft cocktails. They have a full bar with cocktails that have unique ingredients and service that has always been spectacular.

Amazing food and amazing service. It's a wonderful place to eat and have a drink. Went there for Valentine's Day and arrived at exactly 4 o'clock when they opened. Had a wonderful time seated at the back bar.

Be honest the food is super salty in this place. We liked the atmosphere and their great customer service...In everything, they added tone of black salts which normally is saltier than regular salt...