Pastini — Restaurant in Eugene

I went here on 2/23/24 for a friend’s birthday dinner. The staff were friendly enough and the atmosphere wasn’t unpleasant, just mediocre. The decor (random plates stuck on an all) looked like it came from the pottery barn in the same strip mall.

The fried mozzarella came out really hot and fresh tasting and this was the highlight of my night. I also enjoyed the 2 gin Citros I ordered, no complaints. However the waiter grabbed my second drink off the table before I was finished when I was in the bathroom. That was my first issue. Another gripe is they never brought any water or offered any. If people order cocktails, it’s nice to offer water as well. Water was never offered and I had to flag someone randomly down to bring me one.

My main issue was with the chicken Cesar salad I ordered for my entree- it was gross. The lettuce was soggy and tasted like it’d been sitting for a few hours. The croutons were chewy, another sign of sitting and age. The chicken as dry, and very cold. It tasted like it came out of a plastic bag of pre cut store bought chicken- not good at all. My friend ordered the braised rib raviolis and some of them were cold in the middle which is gross- seriously yuck.

I’ve ordered from this place countless times on DoorDash and the quality varies. You never know what you’ll get- sometimes it’s was good, sometimes it’s sub par. These days it’s been tilting towards mediocrity and not worth my money. Olive Garden is comparable and cost the same if not a little more expensive but honestly does a better job. I thought I’d never sing Olive Garden praises.

Eugene has way better Italian restaurant offerings than these chain restaurants. If you want good Italian food steer clear of this spot. If you like basic reheated food, you’ll love this place. I could only recommend the appetizers...

Both dishes I ordered had very dry Noodles with an extreme lack of sauce, especially on the Macaroni & Cheese. A Lady at our table; who I had not met until that day, told me that the only way to not get dry noodles & the correct amount of sauce at Pastini, is to specifically ask for extra sauce. She said she has to do that each time she goes to Pastini. Now, the issue I have with that is, am I going to have to pay extra $, to get enough sauce on my noodles for them not to be dry? Also, shouldn't there be enough sauce on my noodles already, without having to ask for or pay for extra sauce? Anyhow, this was my experience & I will go back & see if it happens to occur again. The flavor as far as my Broccolini, Filbert & Garlic Aoli dish was quite delicious, just dry noodles. The TEENY bit of Sauce (one tsp of sauce) in the bottom right hand corner of my Macaroni & Cheese to go was tasty, just dry noodles. What I did taste, has me definitely curious enough to want to go back. The server Scott I think his name was, is SUPER nice & the place is very pleasant. I saw that they have Spumoni Ice Cream as a dessert offering, so when I go back I will be having that too. The wait wasn't long at all & the place is clean & inviting. I will update on the dry noodle issue once I return. If you look at the photos, you may be able to see the lack of wetness on the noodles. Please do give them your patronage & form your own conclusions, because the flavors were great. I & others in my family have had other dishes here previously, such as Salad, Soup, Garlic Bread, Meatballs, Calamari, Bruschetta & Scampi, which were all...

Edit: after a few visits, this is probably my favorite dine-in restaurant in Eugene.

Love the wine selection too.

Food was delicious, atmosphere was relaxed but low-key fancy, and the service was pleasant. Price point seemed nice for the environment & food.

Seriously the girl who served me had a great attitude and demeanor, even though I was just a single guest.

The portion sizes are just enough to get you past full & satisfied, but not so much that you end up with a food comma. (Second photo is how much was left by the time I was satisfied)

The lasagna was a little sweeter than I preferred, but it didn't feel like they just added sugar; More likely that they used cucumber or carrot, to add sweetness. The cheese was wonderful and savory, and melted just the right amount. The food wasn't too hot so that it would burn my mouth. The lasagna noodles themselves were cooked perfectly, so they weren't soggy or falling apart.

The salad was FRESH A.F. and the tomatoes were ripe and delicious.

The wait time was a little long (around 20 min) but I'm hoping that's likely because they don't simply premake & reheat the food. (It might also be so you drink the first glass of wine, and end up ordering more when the food arrives)

I'll give it 5/5* if i keep coming back, and getting a...