Viking Braggot
visited on 10/14/22
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to try Swedish inspired foods from local Eugene restaurant/brewery Viking Braggot. After spending this past summer in Sweden, I feel like I have a decent sense of what kinds of foods Swedes eat and the key components of their style of cuisine. I went in attempting to have no expectations, but as you’ll read I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the quality and authenticity of the food. Enjoy!
The Establishment
I briefly want to take a moment to speak about well thought out and inviting the actual establishment itself was, as there was a plethora of wooden details throughout the entire restaurant. As you can see from the photo from above, there was plenty of space both inside and out for customers to sit and enjoy their meals, with proper lighting hitting every inch of the interior creating a warm and inviting sensation. The bar was definitely the highlight of the restaurant, as it had a wooden covering that made you feel like you were at an outside bar. All of this being said, I was a little disappointed in the location choice. Even though I clearly don’t know why they chose this particular space, it’s a bit removed from where the action in Eugene tends to be. It’s in South Eugene close to Amazon park, which doesn’t really make sense in my opinion as it’s not only far away from the University, but is also not too close to downtown Eugene where most of the higher end restaurants in the area are located. Unfortunately, the restaurant was not too busy when I visited around 6 pm, so I ended up getting takeout instead and opting to eat at home. I’m sure on certain days the atmosphere is much more active as the restaurant itself might be one if the nicest I’ve seen in Eugene. Besides the location of the restaurant, I have no complaints about the restaurant itself. 8.75/10
The Beer
Of course I had to get beer during my visit. Viking Braggot is the only brewery in Oregon to offer a full range of braggots, which their website describes as “one of the oldest fermented drinks, pioneered by the Vikings that takes elements of beer and fermented honey (or mead).” I opted for the Fenrir Stout, as pictured above. I’m not going to act like I know much about beer in general, as I usually buy cheap beer that will get the job done. However, the Viking Braggot website describes this particular beer as an American style stout with “rich notes of coffee and chocolate, complimented by a regional blend of honey consisting of mainly wildflowers and orange blossoms.” This was a very complex brew for an amateur like myself, but I definitely enjoyed the contrast of bitterness from the coffee and sweetness of the honey. It also wasn’t as heavy as I was expecting, which made it easier to consume the entire 32 ounce can the beer came in. Although the beer was on the more expensive side, costing $11, I can say that I was satisfied with the purchase. Overall, the beer was pretty good, but it wasn’t a something I’d rave about or even order again. If I go back I’ll definitely try a different brew. 8.1/10
The Food
As it should be, the food was the best part of Viking Braggot. I opted to get the Skagenröra (pictured above, to the right), a classic Swedish dish dating back to the 1950’s, where it was invented by a man named Tore Wretman in Stockholm. The dish is comprised of a mixture of shrimp, mayonnaise, creme fraiche, and dill.
Although the fresh capers and salmon roe are often optional in Sweden, Viking Braggot decided to include it in their version, and I’m definitely not complaining. The salad is commonly eaten on some form of toast, whether it’s rye or in this case classic toast points. Eating this dish took be back to Stockholm, where I couldn’t get enough of this simple yet elegant dish. It was really well made and was balanced properly; I tried some Skagenröra in Sweden that was just overloaded with creme fraiche, making it hard to have more than a few bites. The portion was also very fair, as the filling was enough to cover all of the toast points included. I almost felt full after devouring the appetizer! 8.7/10
For my main course, I went with the Berserker Burger, which had crisp romaine lettuce, mushrooms, onion jam, tomatoes, peppered bacon, and havarti cheese. The name Berserker comes from pre-medieval Norwegian folklore and is a term used to describe unruly warriors who fought with intense fury. Although the name has Scandinavian relevance and connection, the burger itself unfortunately does not. That being said, the burger itself was fresh and satisfying; you could tell the ingredients had been sourced locally and filled with real nutrients. Every bite felt like a sneak peak into heaven, sending me into an orgasmic-like trance. 8.1/10
Overall Review
Although the food, beer, and actual establishment at Viking Braggot was great, I was disappointed at their lack of entree selections for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, they only had burgers and pizza, which was frustrating since I was expecting a more Nordic style course selection. I was hoping to see a variety of seafood and other classic dishes common in Scandinavian restaurants, but instead was left with bar food. Although the burger was good, it was lacking an authentic feel. The appetizer selection included more traditional dishes such as Frikadeller, a Danish style meatball dish, and Skagenröra, but these dishes would not satisfy as complete meals. The price point of Viking Braggot was also slightly higher than it should’ve been, as the burger cost me $18, the beer $11, and the appetizer $13. If it wasn’t for the sake of trying something new and searching for a new experience in Eugene, I would not be dropping $42 on a meal for myself. You would find me eating at a nice steakhouse enjoying some filet mignon with some red wine for that kind of money. However, setting the price aside I really enjoyed the food and would go back (if my parents were paying).
Overall: 8.35/10
Review by Nima Nasri (10/18/21)