Downtown Eugene has become a mini-Portland. It includes your local food trucks, your hip restaurants and drinks, the well-known VooDoo Donuts, and of course, your homeless population. Here’s one of many unique stops you can visit in downtown “little Portland”.
What: Townshend’s
Where: 41 W Broadway Ave
Known for: Tea/Kombucha/Bubble Tea
Tea. Probably third on the list of drinks associated with university students besides coffee and of course, alcohol. I don’t know of many places around Eugene that specifically serve tea. However, if you need your tea fix, Townshend’s is the place to go.
Here you can get a variety of teas: black, green, white, oolong, chai, mate, and more. These are made from the leaves themselves and are carefully made. There are 32 oz that can serve four comfortably, a 20 oz that can serve two, or you can get it to go. Or if you choose to go there just to have the experience, I would recommend sitting in one of their couches (watch out, they sink in!). They will bring you your tea in a pot with two little handmade pottery cups.
The best part of the experience is on a wall; they have each tea in view for your smelling pleasure. In this area, you can look through a book and read the written description of what the tea should smell like. As you do so, you can look for the number associated with the tea and smell to see if that’s the one for you. I personally love my chai and will get #50 Kashmiri Chai, #53 Dark Forest Chai, and # 56 Pumpkin Spice Chai, but each time I go there, I always try to get a different one. If that kind of tea isn’t your cup of tea, you can always order bubble tea that comes in a variety of fruity flavors.
Another thing that they’re known for is Brew Dr. Kombucha. On their website, they say it is “fermented tea that is often imbibed for medicinal purposes.” It’s also 100% raw.
It’s that time of the year for hot drinks in Eugene so check it out for yourself!
You can find the website here.