Barry’s Espresso Bakery & Deli Blog

Barry’s Espresso Bakery & Deli

As I entered Barry’s on an early Wednesday morning, I was immediately greeted by warm welcomes from the staff behind the counter and an assortment of freshly baked pastries and goods on display. A closer look revealed to me an array of unique pastries, some inspired by Jewish culture, such as hamantaschen cookies, kugel and challah bread, and others not typically found in most bakeries, such as a lemon poppy puff pastry and fruit accented coffee cakes. In my visit, I went for the classic combo of a Reuben sandwich and a roll of Challah on the side.

Service

The service I received while at Barry’s was fantastic, as I was immediately invited to order and my food was freshly prepared. Only an hour after opening, I was quickly handed my Challah roll, which tasted as if recently baked, and my sandwich came out in under 5 minutes, freshly toasted and neatly wrapped up in tin foil and packaged safely in a to-go bag. It was quite efficient and I was very satisfied with the speed and quality of my purchase. 

Food Review

The challah roll I ordered was easily one of my favorites I’ve had in Eugene. It had a lovely sweet egg and yeast flavor to it, with a pillowy-soft texture. There was a perfectly light crunch from the egg-washed crust, which is typically done to provide the iconic and beautiful golden color that is traditional for the classic challah loaf. Overall the flavor was perfect and I was very pleased with the fluffy and chewy consistency of the dough. 

For my sandwich, the Reuben is always my go-to, and Barry’s deli always delivers on presentation, quality and quantity of the pastrami. Layered between two slices of toasted Rye bread is a perfect amount of meat, partnered with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and mustard. The flavors compliment each other perfectly and the savoriness of the meat is cut by the pickled sauerkraut on top. The sandwich itself was toasted, which provided a nice crunch to the bread and balanced out the softness of the meat and sauerkraut.

Price and Value

Between my challah bread roll and whole Reuben sandwich (of which only half is pictured above), the total came to around 12.50, which is a fantastic deal when considering the portion size of the sandwich and the quality of the meal. Compared to other sandwich deli’s in Eugene that are often chain restaurants, Barry’s offers a great alternative sandwich at around the same price, but for better value ingredients.

Community

Barry’s deli offers Eugene a slice of jewish culture through food. During the holidays, they sell special challah rolls and Matzo ball soups for customers to indulge in. In my early morning visit to the store, I was able to watch regular customers chat as they waited for their breakfast orders, and discuss their plans for the day. With this, not only does Barry’s create a space to feed one’s interests about jewish food, but they also foster relationships with the community where people have a space to meet with food as a motivator, and fuel to engage with one another. As the only jewish restaurant in Eugene, Barry’s is significant and allows people to explore authentic and quintessential jewish foods. As someone who grew up in that culture and religion, they do a fantastic job bringing a taste of that community to Eugene with their deli and bakery, and I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is interested in trying Jewish treats or searching for a new lunch spot.