100 feet from the two United gates, and actually cheap
McKenzie River Pizza sits on the United side of Eugene Airport, roughly 100 feet from the two UA gates, so you can keep an eye on boarding groups while you eat. It’s past security, in the small United gate cluster, which makes it a rare near-gate option you can reach in under a minute.
Prices land in the cheap tier for an airport, a big part of why a FlyerTalk regular called the restaurant “excellent and cheap” near the United gates. Think more like in-town casual pricing than the usual $20 airport burger. With the airport’s compact layout, you can order, eat, and walk back to your gate in under 10 minutes if needed.
The menu leans on pizza first, so order a personal pie and avoid anything that sounds like it sat under a heat lamp. At a rating of about 3 out of 5, expectations should sit around solid small-airport bar food, not destination dining. Portions tend to run generous for the price, which helps on long United hops to Denver, Chicago, or beyond.
Regulars on the United side treat this as a staging point: grab a quick slice and a drink once they see the inbound aircraft on the screen, then head to boarding at the first “now boarding Group 1” call. Because you’re only about 100 feet from the two United gates, you can wait to pay until group names start scrolling and still make it.
One tip: if your connection at EUG is under 30 minutes, walk straight to the United gates first, check the exact boarding time on the monitor beside the gate, then double back to McKenzie River Pizza only if you see a delay or a long boarding window.