Allann Bros. Coffee -- The Beanery

The Basics:

541-342-3378
5th Street Beanery

Where is it?
152 W. 5th St.
Eugene, OR

When are they open?
Mon-Sat: 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Sun: 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Is there parking?
Yes, limited 2-hour parking in the parking lot, plus street parking.

Is there wi-fi?
Yes, and it's free!

What's the price range?
The cheapest item I saw was a single Espresso or Americano for $1.80; a 12 oz. latte was $2.35. And since it's Oregon, no tax!

The Experience
Allan Bros. is generally considered to be Eugene's premier coffee supplier, and today, at least, it lived up to its reputation. I ordered an iced almond Americano, and discovered that, while they don't have 12 oz. iced cups, they don't charge extra for the 16 oz. with a single shot. My drink was the perfect blend of almond and coffee flavor, without tasting too watered down, even with just the one shot in the 16 oz. cup. The coffee itself wasn't bitter, and while it wasn't quite dark-roasted enough for my taste, the superior quality of the beans came through in the final taste.

I visited the 5th. Street Beanery around 2:00 pm, and with a few people in line, service was adequately quick--nothing too exceptional, but not so slow you'd notice, unless you were looking for it. Probably as a result of the hour, most people getting coffee were staying and chatting, so speed of service wasn't exactly a keystone issue. As a result of this particular Beanery's location downtown, too, this is definitely a sit-and-stay coffee shop.

So far as atmosphere goes, it's important to note that the Beanery is a chain--albeit a small one--and this review concerns only the 5th Street location in Eugene. This location has an interesting amalgamation of old-time farmer's market and modern hipster coffee shop; everything is made of weathered wood which give the place a very genuine feel.

I would not recommend the Beanery if you need a quiet place to read, do homework, or have an important conversation: while I was there, at least, the atmosphere was jovial, but with joviality necessarily comes a great deal of noise. My phone rang twice while I was getting coffee, and I couldn't hear it at all, despite the fact that the volume was set to high. Unless you're someone like me who likes to have a great deal of background noise to fully focus, I'd consider this primarily a social, rather than working, coffee shop.

This is not my favorite Eugene coffee shop, but it is definitely up there if you need quality espresso and a fun atmosphere.

{Review by Bekah}