Bates Steak House & Catering

Address:	433 E Broadway, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
Phone:	+1 541-683-3108
Site:	eugenecater.com
Rating:	3.4

Location

Photos 96

Reviews 5

Amanda Fitzgerald

My boyfriend and I were severely disappointed. The food was way overpriced and lacked in quality. We each did the full meals for $30, which include soup, a salad, rice, potatoes, the main entree, and a root beer float. Sound like a lot, right? Well, not really. The soup was very mediocre, and definitley didnt seem fresh. All the vegetables had that grayish appearance that theyd been in the pot for a few days too long. The salad was good, but very small. Probably gone in about 6 bites. As for the main dish, I got 3 types of shrimp, and was surprised that there were only 14 shrimp on the whole plate. One type of shrimp was incredibly bland and didnt taste like they had used any seasoning. The coconut shrimp was alright, but definitely overcooked. And the bacon-wrapped shrimp was alright, except that the bacon was wrapped around the tail, so you had to pull it off the shell to eat it. I thought that wed at least get our own servings of rice and potatoes, but they brought one little pan for my boyfriend and I to share. When we looked over at a family of 4, it appeared that they also received the same amount, so it must be one pan per table, regardless of how may people. The service thoughout the night was very sparce - I ran out of water halfway through the meal and never did get my glass filled. When we finally got our bill and I put in a $40 certificate and a credit card to cover the rest, she neglected to use the certificate and charged the entire balance to my card and I had to wait a long time again to flag her down to come and fix it. The worse part came during the night. Both my boyfriend and I (at our separate residences) had severely upset stomachs that evening, which woke us up during the night and still hurt into the next day. I dont know what they did to their food, but it did not agree with either of us, and we ordered different meals (he had a steak). To sum it up, the price was too high, the food wasnt very good, the service was poor, and we got sick from eating there. Definitely wont be back.

Anonymous User

8/7/09 My husband and I ate here for our anniversary. He had one of the specials of the night which was a rib eye in peppercorn and mushroom cream sauce and I had the 8oz prime rib. To start the meal they bring you this vegtable soup in a cast iron pot, the soup was very bland and only luke warm. For dressing up the soup they bring black beans and salsa, these were on a wood plank that was disgusting it had dried food all over it. Then with your steaks they bring you rice and potatoes, also very bland. It was a small scoop of rice pilaf (Ive had rice a roni that tastes better) and less than one potato sliced and fried for us to share. Their menu says dont be discouraged by the prices because you get a four course meal, what they fail to mention is that everything but your steak is intended to be shared. In the end the small portions didnt really matter because the food was just bad and tasted so bland that we didnt want to eat it anyways. We both ordered our steaks medium. My husbands was done correctly, mine was completely done w/o any pink. The meal also comes with dessert and the waiter handed us our check and told us to have a good night so we had to request the desserts ourselves. I feel bad for anyone thiinking this is a good steakhouse. We buy farm raised beef locally, and know what a good steak should taste like. We will never go back.

Lauren Boyer

My husband and I live in Salem, but were planning a wedding in Eugene. We had initially wanted to serve soft tacos at our big day but slowly turned away from the idea as it approached and fall weather took hold. It was difficult to book a caterer so close to our wedding, it was about three weeks away at that point, and we were almost laughed at by a few local caterers for our late notice. However, Bates Catering was not one of them. They were always confident and ready to help. They took our event (of 135) with ease. We gave them a final count 10 days before the wedding, they showed up an hour before serving (while it rained) and had the food displayed well when the time came. We choose the BBQ chicken, top sirloin, garlic mashed potatoes and mixed tossed salad. I was nervous, since we hadnt sampled the food before the day, but was more than happy to find out the food was delicious. All of our guests enjoyed the meal and the bridal party raved about it. As those who were served early ate, I saw the remaining guest get served steaming hot food. I was glad to see no one ate a cold meal. I would absolutely recommend to any local family and friends who needed to book a caterer for an event in the area. Thank you, Bates Catering!!

Anonymous User

My husband and I really liked this place! When I looked at the menu online I thought it was a bit pricey, but after I realized all the food you get I discovered it was a good value. We were greeted with a friendly hello right when we walked in and we were seated right away. Our server (his name was Allen) was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the marinated flank steak and my husband got one of the specials which was steak (I cant recall the cut) that was blackened with Cajun seasonings and topped with blue cheese. Both of our steaks were cooked perfectly. With your meal you get the following: unlimited tasty veggie soup that comes with black beans and salsa to top it with (the "cowboy" way of eating it), a salad, cowboy spuds and rice pilaf, and a root beer float or liqueur for dessert. They also have a decent wine list and we got a $24 red from Spain that was quite nice. The only reason I dont give it 5 stars is that there were quite a few tables available but we were sat right by their swinging doors to part of the kitchen. Supposed we could have asked to be moved, though. Overall this is a great spot!

Anonymous User

Superb, tasty, and different! I went to the Electric Station for my steak & prime rib for years, but had to try this new "best of Eugene" steak house. I WAS DELIGHTED! The meal was healthy, the side dishes served "family style" were well chosen to complement the entree, and the steak and prime rib were among the best Ive ever had anywhere in the country. Certainly a surprise for Eugene! Extremely well aged for huge, rich flavor and perfect texture. Expensive but worth it! I have recommended this place to many business friends. Especially those who, like me, will enjoy the comfortable, personal service in a cozy atmosphere that is all Texas -- big change from Eugenes often chilly, gray restaurants that are working so hard to all be like each other. Dont get me wrong, I love vegetarian food and funky ethnic too! But a real Plains-style steak house is to be treasured, anywhere, especially in the cold rainy Willamette Valley in wintertime! Dont miss this place, any time of the year.