Agate Alley’s Laboratory

I really, really, REALLY wanted to love this place; I like the idea, the décor, the menu looks appealing and I love the recent fad of Prohibition-​era/​old-​style cocktails. Unfortunately I’ve never really had a great experience here, and I’ve been more than a few times. The service isn’t terrible although it tends to be a bit slow; two major instances in that realm were one time when my friend’s food was forgotten (apparently the chef never saw the order) and another time when the bartender and some of the waitstaff were drinking with customers — not at all professional and i’m pretty sure it gets you fined if you get caught).
Just looking at the menu one would think that it’s going to be great: it changes frequently, uses unique ingredients and new takes on classic dishes… basically it has foodie-​appeal. I think what we have here is a great concept with poor implementation. I’ve had a lot of their appetizers and they are usually pretty decent but pretty small for the prices; the Roasted Beet Salad is really good but to be honest it has become so standard to have a beet salad at every New American restaurant that I don’t really feel like that’s a saving grace. I make beet salad at home, it has the same ingredients, it tastes just as good, it costs less, I eat more. Dinner-​wise I’ve never really had a meal that I was happy with, as much as I wanted to be: the homemade ravioli of the day — a sweet variation with some kind of white chocolate and raspberry — was completely flavorless; the beet gnocchi was a crazy small portion served on a huge empty plate with about 9 gnocchi, 6 pearl onions, a few beets and maybe a sprig of garnish; the Reuben was literally dripping with oil and sitting in a huge puddle on the plate next to the soggy fries; one time the pork loin came out with a meat: fat ratio of 1:3.That one was particularly awkward since the chef came out to inquire about our food and my fellow diner had to point out that she was unhappy with it. He offered to get her something else (she declined since everyone else was nearly finished) but made it a point to tell her that the cut of meat was supposed to have that much fat. I realize that it is a fattier cut but this was literally a chunk of fat the size of my fist — which is an average-​sized lady fist, not some small baby fist. Either way, not really the thing to say to a customer who isn’t satisfied (I don’t really think that «the customer is always right» thing is really in effect these days, but sometimes I like to try for it anyways). So, while I really did try to give this place a chance I just don’t think I’ll be going back, at least not for food. Maybe drinks sometime.
Side notes: there is more seating in the place than it appears, if you manage to get in the back room they often project movies on one of the walls which is nice entertainment for the potentially long wait time; the ladies room is the first bathroom on your left, which might be nice to know since they are marked only with the gender symbols for male and female and if you don’t know that kind of thing it could get weird; the cocktails change frequently but they have a lot of nice regular ones and the specials are always unique and interesting.

Agate Alley’s Laboratory catered our wedding and did a fabulous job! They were so great to work with and really conscientious of our budget. Spencer was really responsive to our phone calls and emails, and even got us the blackberry cider we wanted at the last minute.
They were great at coordinating everything the day of, got all our rentals together without charging anything on top of what Parties to Go charged, and our guests said it was the best food they’d ever had at a wedding (we enjoyed the leftovers they packaged up for us while we were on our honeymoon).
We really appreciate everything they did for us and would definitely recommend working with them!

I had the Ahi Niçoise and it was spot on with what a Niçoise is supposed to be. Props to the Chef, it was fresh, properly seared Ahi, great flavor, and our waiter on a Wednesday was very professional. I was very happy with everything. I highly suggest dinner @TheLab on a Wednesday.
:-) P. S. — the Habenaria Martini there is as good or better than the jalapeño martini at Taco Loco. I had two, they have to be better.
I’ll be back again, and again.

The drinks here are so amazing and even if you don’t have the money to spare for extra fancy concoctions, there’s a 5 $ cocktail menu with a fantastic selection. The main bartender is one of my favorites and he is truly good at mixing drinks!
Food is good too, but a little pricy in my opinion.

Sunday evening looking for a place for dinner and had seen the sign before but never went in.
SO glad we did! We ordered the Black bean burger, The Crab Rangoon, Sweet potato fries and an Agate lemonade. The staff was super friendly and they had MST3K on the projector, whats not to like? Everything came out phenomenal. Flavor wise the black bean burger was the best I’ve ever had but a little runny. We would have liked to have been offered a desert menu but it wasn’t really necessary. Great atmosphere.
Edit: Went back again everything was just as good and then some! Updating ^_^

My boyfriend and I went here on a whim for Valentines day dinner, and absolutely loved it! As a somewhat picky eater, I was excited for an adventurous meal, and the Laboratory was just what I was looking for.
We started with the Crab Rangoon for an appetizer and couldn’t get enough, it was perfectly rich and creamy and unexpected. For entrees, he got the herb crusted salmon and I got the Quail Egg Ricotta Ravioli. Again, I can be picky, but I absolutely adored this dish. The one large ravioli rested on a bed of sauteed spaghetti squash– heaven for a veggie loving girl!
We finished our dinner with a complimentary desert of sorbet covered in sweet chocolate and caramel, accompanied by a port wine! With tasty and unique drinks, we left Agate Alley Lab with a scrumptuous gourmet meal at a totally affordable price.

Had my second visit yesterday for brunch that ended up being a 5 hour visit with one of my besties and the staff was perfect and gracious even though we spent all day there. The chef even came out to see how everything was, and like the first time, it was perfect.
My first experience was last summer for a wedding party and I ordered Pumpkin Pancakes that were mind bogglingly delicious with hardening carmely-​toffee goodness drizzled over the top, praline crumble (I think…) and ginger infused maple syrup. Truly genius.
This time I ordered the Veggie Bennie and it was Eggs Benedict with wild mushrooms, spinach, tomato, and artichoke hearts and it was SO GOOD. The eggs were cooked to perfection for Benedict, but I forgot to order them hard like I like ‘em so I sadly didn’t eat much of the egg, but it was still wonderful.
Killer Bloody Mary bar.
Prices are very reasonable for the thoughtful effort and quality that goes into their dishes. Their décor is a mash up of local artists and vintage fixtures and I LOVE IT! I’d like to swipe some of those hanging lamps!

Brunch: Salmon boxtys (Irish style, sort of like potato pancakes).
Volume: nice portions, filling. Thick, hash-​browny/​potato pancake-​y, thick, cooked well.
Execution: perfectly poached eggs. Awkward flavor profile: sun-​dried tomatoes completely overpowered the salmon.
Ambiance: at 9am on a Saturday, empty and freezing. Dark.
Service: Average.
Overall: Found a hair baked into the food; hostess removed the item from our bill. Yikes.

Went there for an early dinner with a group of friends. We were celebrating the end of finals week, as well as the December birthday. It was a bit pricy for the dinner, the food didn’t exactly blow my mind. Good presentation wise, but in taste, I was not exactly swept off my feet. The drinks are a different story, I had a Stone Roses, a rather pretty presentation. Both tart and fruity, very refreshing.
Personally, I’d go back to the lab for their drinks and bar food. The theme is fun and quirky. So yeah, I think I’d go back. If you go, I recommend a serving of their sweet potato fries.

I only ended up here for breakfast because the place next door was full, but let me tell you it out shined the other in all aspects — quality of food, service, and atmosphere. The Bloody Mary bar is a must and the Harris St. (a sausage and egg scramble) is the bomb!

I’ve been in Eugene for almost 11 years now and about 3 weeks ago was the first time I stepped foot in the Laboratory. I had a great experience there. It was a bit busy so my friends and I decided to sit at the bar. It didn’t take long for a table to open at all. I had the seafood melt and it was pretty tasty. I also had the truffle fries and the ginger lemonade… DELICIOUS.
I also loved the décor and the ‘lab’ look and feel. But it is called the Laboratory right, so why not have lab type décor.
I would visit this restaurant again.

I was hoping this was going to be our new brunch spot, I really was. After a bit of back and forth, my mom and I went here to test it out.
There was only a couple tables taken and yet the service was quiet slow and rather inattentive. We were told to choose whichever seat we’d like, so we grabbed at able near the door and waited for menus. The wait seemed unnecessary given the few people in the establishment and the girl had not just seen us but spoken to us upon entering.
It took awhile to order, the menu made me happy in print. I got the Herbivore Bennie, since Eggs Benedict is my brunch go-​to, no I don’t like mixing it up that much but I’m a fan of veggie options whenever possible.
My mom got the Neptune omelet, which she enjoyed. My dish left much to be desired. The eggs weren’t over cooked, so that’s a huge plus but the rest was just ‘blah’. The hollandaise wasn’t good, it was edible at least, which you can’t always say about some places at least. They use canned pickled artichokes and what seemed to be canned mushrooms, so they have that overly salty gritty taste to them.
I tried ordering a drink but it was forgotten, thankfully it didn’t magically find its way on the bill though, which is the biggest peeve of them all.
Maybe another day but probably not.

The appetizers and cocktails are decent: The baked Brie needs more fruit. Crab Rangoon was good as were the shiitake cigars. Salads are good, but a bit overpriced. I really like the beet salad.
The scallops were terrible, sandy, in a weird gloppy mustard sauce, and the catch muscles had not been removed. It sounds amazing on the menu but I’d advise that you avoid this dish.

Love the laboratory. I could live off the roasted beet salad with truffle oil vinegarette. That and they almost always have some form of dungeoness crab on the menu. Yum!
The staff is always polite, but if you want the most attentive servers grab a booth in the bar area.
Oh, and they serve their drinks in beakers, how cool is that?

Well it’s several months later. What’s different? Brunch! Have been there twice for brunch, both times very happy camper. Perfectly poached eggs (no small thing), wide choice of good sides (smoky bacon; apple sausage delish). Like this place; we are locals and keep coming back.

Delightful!
I’m a fan. Service can be a tad hit or miss, but the wait staff is always friendly (just occasionally hard-​to-​find). But the food is (almost 100% of the time) great!
I love the custom butter with the bread. It’s honestly probably one of my favorite parts – the bread is crusty and a tiny bit sweet, and the butter is always amazing (different every day. So far we’ve had truffle oil, sundried tomatoes, red pepper, and honey butter – all were great!
The dinner entrees and drinks are great, too. I love how there’s lots of experimental dishes and drinks, it’s definitely much more than your average pub food. They work new things in all the time, and the specials are worth checking out too!
All in all, great atmosphere, awesome food, and great drinks. A tad spendy for every night (especially because it’s hard to only have one drink!), but the sandwich menu is pretty reasonable for the quality and creativity.

I think the best parts of the ‘Lab include their location and their bar area. Case in point: I went here for my birthday a year ago, and they forgot about our party of TWELVE (upstairs) multiple times – so be forewarned.
On my last trip, though, we sat at a booth in the bar and had top-​notch service. Pints and wells are $ 3 for three whole hours (3 — 6). The bar snacks are sort of ‘fusion gone wild,’ but there is a commitment to source organically and sustainably when possible. I’ve been eyeing up their brunch menu recently, too. Ever since Three Square left, Southtown (e) just ain’t been the same. Will update this review accordingly if I do get there for morning eating anytime soon.

«Meh» really is a pretty good descriptor of our experience. 4 dined for dinner and drinks on a Tuesday night. I’ll save you the precise details, but trust me when I say service was pretty terrible, even for Eugene standards, and the food was really average. Sysco-​y I’d say. My hungry husband didn’t even finish his Po Boy sandwich, which is really saying something.
Icing on the cake is that for average food they are charging really premium prices. Plastic water glasses, Lab?
I didn’t get this place.

The Laboratory was a fun visit. We got here at 7 and the place seemed to be rather busy. James and Claire already had a booth held for us. Doug was our waiter and he did a good job. I cant say awesome or fantastic… but I can say good. You forgot my Manhattan Doug! I was really looking forward to that… but I digress…
James ordered some onion straws for the table, I got some truffle french fries. Both were pretty good, but we all had to admit the fries were kick ass. They’re thiner, which i’m not a big fan of… I like the steak fry style. On the other hand, they were AWESOME. So they get the big thumbs up for that.
I sipped on some Hop Valley Alphadelic and ordered a Ocean Melt! Not usually an item I would go for, but this would tell me just how good this place was. And? It was OK. The sandwich had crab and scallops etc… with parmesan melted on top. It also had maters on it. I like maters, but on the sandwich it was nasty. They had to go. My dinner salad was pretty good. It was a little sparse, but the dressing was a champagne vinagarette and it really stood out.
They did a pretty good job on taking care of us, it did take a little bit waiting on the food, and especially drinks. But on the other hand, we were a bit louder than the other tables, laughing and joking of course.
it was great company, great drinks, great fries, good service.
Doug. Next time… Dont forget my Manhattan! I was completely bummed! But i’ll let it slide this time.

I recommend this place mostly because they dare to create innovative plates instead of sticking only to safe menu items. And all of those I tried worked out very nicely.
I have been to Agate Alley (I mean, the original restaurant on Agate Alley) several times, and I like the fact that their menu has a few options that go a out of the beaten paths, compared to other places in Eugene. They have nice drinks, and there is always a way to eat something good and healthy (or not so healthy if you are not in the mood for that!). They use good quality ingredients, but overall most of the menu is relatively conventional.
This new place, in contrast, is called the «laboratory» for a good reason. They try new things, like you would find in bigger cities (usually not in a college town). Several items on the menu present original variations on more conventional items they offer at the original restaurant. It was great to discover new combinations of ingredients, and I would go there again to try something else.
I had the lamb burger with beets and goat cheese; my husband had the mushroom crepes, and we shared the crab guacamole. All those plates were good, and my drink (I forgot the name) was quite good as well.