Walls dotted with posters from past exhibits, chatter of professors, professionals and students, tasty sandwiches and an espresso bar, Marché Museum Café is the best kept lunch secret on the University of Oregon campus.
Photo by Hannah Giardina
Sitting in the café, I forget that I am smack dab in the middle of campus and instead easily escape and imagine I am in a Seattle or San Francisco art museum café. When it’s sunny and warm, good luck finding a table in the café’s oh-so-popular courtyard. If it’s your lucky day, you may find a table to enjoy delicious French food in the gorgeous Oregon weather.
Photo by Hannah Giardina
Located in the same building as the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMOA) and just north of the library, Marché Museum Café is a great spot to grab a bite to eat and quick iced tea or latté in between classes and studying in the library. Serving Wandering Goat coffee, Marché’s coffee and lattes are your best bet for on campus coffee. It is so much tastier than the hot brown liquid served in all other campus cafes.
Photo by Hannah Giardina
Hungry? Thirsty? The food is delicious and not what you would expect to find on a college campus. After studying the menu, I decided on trying the apple-brie panini. The sandwich consisting buttery crunchy bread, crisp apples and gooey melted brie disappeared way too quickly. I would buy the blackberry lavender iced tea by the gallon if I could. It is fruity and refreshing without being overly sweet. When it’s cold and gloomy, I love to stop in and order a salted caramel latte. And the added bonus to eating here is student members of the JSMOA receive a 10% discount on all food and drink purchases when they show their red membership sticker.
Photo by Hannah Giardina
The one minus is that it does run out of ingredients by the afternoon. When I went for lunch this past week, the café was out of pesto, beets, and carrot slaw, making some of the items on the menu unavailable.
Location: 1470 Johnson Lane, Eugene, OR 97401
Hours of operation: Mon-Fri: 8:30am-4pm, Wed: 8:30am-7pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm