Rennie's Landing, Eugene

Rennie's has a long-standing reputation as the bar of choice for University of Oregon Law students. The fact that this is where law students (renowned for their intensely competitive natures, as well as for a tendancy towards alcohol abuse) choose to do their drinking may be interpreted either as a recommendation or a warning. Come in on a weekday afternoon and you will find a relaxed, casual atmosphere, a good burger, and an excellent selection of micros on tap. Come in on a Friday or Saturday night (or on certain Thursdays), and you will find the place packed to the gills with beery louts. The space itself is pleasant, with plenty of private corners on both the first and second floors in which you may hunker to drown your exam sorrows in hefewiesen. Both floors also boast covered patios, sometimes heated by outdoor fireplaces, where smokers may enjoy themselves without being rained on. Unfortunately, the main floor is haunted by a persistant sour reek of spilled beer. Or maybe it's the smell of academic despair. Regardless, it often drives us to the second floor. Our recommendation: Come in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. Have the burger special of the day with the waffle fries. Unless you like beer-soaked college students packed in like sardines, stay away on weekend nights.

drank many a pitcher on the balcony at Rennie's. always a good spot to meet up after classes.