Hours
Daily
- 11:30am - 9:30pm
Profile
$$ - average
Pizza
Vegetarian and Vegan Pizza
Pizza Research Institute is a family owned vegetarian and vegan pizza restaurant where vegan doesn't just mean omitting the cheese (they make their own vegan tofu sauce). It has a fun, cozy, and often loud atmosphere. Pizza toppings are interesting with choices such as the chef choice, which is usually topped with ten to fifteen different veggies included small pieces of corn on the cob(seasonal), squash, mushrooms, peppers, sliced potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, etc. Also delicious is the 3P which includes potatoes, pear, and pesto. In the summer try the spicy tofu, green pepper and pineapple pizza. PRI also offers fresh salads, organic beer and wine, and vegan and as well as non vegan cookies as dessert.
- Kid-Friendly
- Large Group-Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
Added by Lindsay Riddell on Jan 16 06 (updated Oct 25)
Reviews
The best vegan pizza I've had anywhere. Their vegan chef's choice is scrumptious.
The "terrible" is for the service, not the food.
We liked getting pizza from the PRI at it's old location, and always knew that if you wanted PRI pizza, to be prepared to wait. We did not go there if we were already hungry, and got it to go due to limited space.
I like the new location. Lots of light and space.
I thought surely the service must have improved since the last time, esp with all the new staff.
However, we waited an hour before the waitress let us know that they forgot to put our pizza in. We waited another half hour before the pizza finally arrived. Good pizza, but we were hungry when we walked in, and famished by the time the pizza came.
We arrived right before the big dinner rush, so I thought for sure we would not have to wait more than 30 minutes.
After all that, the bill was $30 for one small salad and the smallest pizza, and two drinks.
I hate to say this, because I love their pizza, and love to support local business, but it was far to long to wait and we will not go again.
PRI is the only place I'll go for vegan pizza in Eugene. And, its difficult to get away from the P3, which what I end of ordering pretty much every time I go. Personally, the huge veggie chucks on the chef's choice are just not that appealing to me.
PRI opened at a new location recently, and though the decor and ambiance get a bit better everytime I'm there, I have to say I kind of miss the funky intimacy of the old PRI. The new space has a lot of potential(to serve more people, offer live music, large patio, etc) but I think it will just take some time for it to develop its own vibe.
After a weekend backpacking trip on the Oregon coast, a stop at Pizza Research Institute was pretty satisfying. My partner and I chose the vegan P3 (pears, pesto, potatoes). I loved the thinner, chewy crust and the abundance of toppings. The sauce could have been a bit sweeter, but it was still delicious with all the other elements of the pizza. We ate outside on a nice big patio. The staff was incredibly friendly. Sure, you have to wait a bit for your order, but why go out to eat if you are in a rush? It's nice to sit and enjoy your dining companions, the warm weather, and your surroundings. The slices are very filling, you will most likely have leftovers, which makes lunch the next day easy! Hooray for vegan options!!!!
If you're in a rush, go to Pizza Hut. But if you're willing to have a little patience, your reward will be one of the best and most creative pizzas in the Northwest. The vegan Chef's Choice is outstanding in every way. One of the most unique pizza experiences you will ever have, in one of the most unique cities in the world.
This is the most creative pizza I have ever had! I ordered the vegan - chef's choice. I must say, if you don't have an adventurous pallet, you'll probably want to create your own pizza. Mine had broccoli (and not little pieces - they were trees!), sliced potatoes, dried apricots, cranberry sauce, cinnamon, etc. How fun! I chuckled the whole time I was eating it - btw, two slices were plenty. The artwork on the box was so cool! I've been told that some folks collect the boxes and hang them on their walls.
I had take-out, so I haven't actually waited inside PRI for a pie. But it's been recommended NOT to go hungry. Not that it's necessary, but sometimes when you have a product that is so ridiculously good and unique, you can get away with slow service and sometimes, and not-so-clean establishment.
I'll most definitely go back!
I'd say terrible because the staff never got me my pizza. I waited really patiently for 45 minutes and asked them a couple of times what was going on. I asked twice, and the last time I asked the lady at the counter said, "you ask me again and you just might not get anything." So I asked for my money back and they hassled me about giving my money back saying my pizza was already made and then tried to make me feel guilty about wasting food.
Maybe the pizza is supposed to be good, but the staff is rude. Also, as a side note, they need to clean their restaurant every once in a while. There was dust everywhere with little dustballs under chairs, in corners, etc. I am a pretty tolerant guy, but come on.
I used to think this was the best place for vegetarian pizza; however, all I requested was to have no artwork drawn on the pizza box and the lady said that we "have to put our name on it." Fine, but I needed to have the artwork omitted so that I could bring this to my mother. She is schizoprhneic and would not eat the pizza with the artwork. They made a big issue about this and I remarked: "some people's taste are different." I will never go there again.
I am a vegetarian, but as I told her: "Intolerance is a two way street." she had no right to question why I didn't want the artwork that they are know for on the pizza box. All i wanted was to bring a vegetarian pizza for my mentally ill mother. One must ask why are they so rude to talk out lout about a "quirky" request. I even left a $3.00 tip for a small pizza.
I will never go there again. They need to understand that there are reasons behind quirky requests. If you had to deal with mental illness, then you would understand why such "simple" requests are so difficult fot those you are trying to care for.
If you want vegtetarian, then I recomend Steelhead, they will accomodate your tastes.
I had been longing to try PRI for quite a while, so was happy to finally get there a week or two ago. I decided to try a slice of the vegan Chef's Choice since I had heard a lot about it, and I was really hungry so I figure a slice is the way to go... well I think I was wrong on that, because I waited for over an hour to get my slice of pizza and only got it after I asked the lady about it. I could tell food was taking a while to come out since people who were there before I was didn't get there orders for quite a while, but man, an hour for a slice?? That said, it was a damn good slice of pizza. Like really really good. So I would probably give it a 9 or 10, but that hour wait really soured me. Plus I thought I saw a small stray strand or two of cheese on my vegan slice, causing me to remove bits of veggies to make sure it was all off...
This hole-in-the-wall is unique because it is a vegetarian/vegan pizza restaurant. The menu has several options to create your own pizza with a cheese base or their vegan tofu ricotta. I ordered the vegan and the chef's choice vegan and they were really rich and delicious. Two slices was definitely a satisfying meal at this spot! They also offer vegan oatmeal cranberry cookies, homemade honey lemonade, and divine dinner rolls. I had a roll with a cup of black bean soup and it was full of flavor and texture. Since pizza is a classic food in our culture, this restaurant is a must. I wish I lived in Eugene so I could get a slice every Saturday night before going to the movies!
Oh my, BEST vegan pizza EVER!!! You should taste the cheesy sauce they put on their vegan pizza! It always makes me sad when I go to a place where their idea of vegan pizza is simply to omit cheese (that's no fun!). I'm also not a fan of most of the vegan cheeses out there on the market, in the context of pizza (where cheese plays such a big role). The cheesy vegan sauce that they've created at Pizza Research Institute is so incredibly delicious, I wish I could have it hooked up into my arm with an IV. And the rest of the pizza ingredients (crust, tomato sauce, toppings) are amazing too. I've never had a bad pizza there. The reason I rated PRI as a 9 and not a 10 is because their restaurant is the size of a bathroom. It's tiny, cramped, dark, and kind of gross. They have some tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk, so that's definitely preferable if weather permits. But you're better off just ordering out. Oh, and they're not too strict about keeping their hours, so many a time I've gone there and they've closed early or opened late (we're talking hours, not minutes).
So fabulous. Get the vegan chef's choice and you will not be sorry. Innovative and just really tasty.
Chef's choice vegan pizza ftw. I have never had pizza this amazing before. And cheap! Holy hella goodness.