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Cheddar's shepherd’s pie and santa fe spinach dip. + Enlarge

There is busy and then there is lines-at-the-door-after-three-months-in-business busy. Central Arkansas’ only access to chain eatery Cheddar’s Casual Cafe, located just north of Interstate 630 on University Avenue, is the latter.

Seriously. At five minutes to open you’d have thought there were Jimmy Buffett tickets going on sale indoors. Or maybe tickets to an eventual Razorback national championship appearance. Either way, on a recent Tuesday the crowd was already assembled well before the doors were thrown open to welcome them in.

And that appears to be the case fairly often. A call placed another day around 11:30 a.m. to get a name on the table waiting list before departing downtown resulted in being told that request could not be accommodated. The answering party was willing to let us know the expected wait was 45 minutes, though. Given the drive time, that would have left approximately zero minutes to actually eat during the lunch hour.

What I’m saying is that Cheddar’s is a popular place. In the restaurant world, that’s typically a good sign — if you can get a table. Or a parking place. The lot seems expansive, but don’t be surprised to see it packed, with plenty of folks playing the waiting game if they see diners headed out. It is an exercise in patience.

The payoff is a dining experience that changes depending on when your little pager lights up and starts buzzing. More specifically, it depends on where you end up seated. There’s a bar, and it’s ... well, a bar, though of the swank and modern variety. The central dining room is a little dark, but not closed in thanks to a high ceiling with a rotating, frond-sporting propeller-like thing. The tables in the farther reaching dining areas are brighter thanks to big windows on the exterior walls. All throughout, the décor is dotted with large pots, some with plants and some without. The woodwork is dark and the brickwork is light. Combined with staff wearing white button-ups and dark bottoms, it feels a little more upscale than the “casual” in the name might imply, but it’s not a place you’d feel uncomfortable in a T-shirt.

And speaking of staff, they were all smiles during my visit. While the server’s mood is not generally a reason to love or hate a restaurant in my opinion (anyone can have a bad day, even wait staff), I note it because the positive vibe came despite being slammed before the doors even opened. And that looks to be a daily occurrence. For the past three months. That, too, takes patience.

So what kind of food is it that draws in all these crowds? The quick answer seems to be “a little bit of everything.” Burgers and sandwiches, soups and salads, steaks and seafood ... it pretty much all gets a place on Cheddar’s rather extensive menu. And the variety really runs the gamut, from a classic chicken fried steak ($7.99) to a house creation “baked spasagna” or spaghetti lasagna ($7.99) to trendy healthier alternatives like grilled tilapia with mango salsa, which includes shrimp on top ($8.99). The same sort of range seems to apply all over the place. Eight varieties of sandwiches, for instance, run from a good ol’ fashioned Philly cheesesteak ($6.99) to the decadent Monte Cristo ($6.99, more on this below) to the more sensible grilled portabello ($6.79). And that doesn’t even count the burgers. Want something soul food? There’s chicken and waffles ($8.69). How about international? There’s shepherd’s pie ($7.49). It really does take some reading — and more room than I have here — to appreciate all there is.

And, as you might have noticed from the examples cited above, it’s hard to find much here north of the $10 mark unless you venture into steak territory. But even those only go up to $13.99, and that’s for the steak and ribs combo (yeah, they have ribs, too). Considering the massive portions Cheddar’s slings out, it’s good value.

So, lots of variety and affordable prices with big portions? I suppose it’s no wonder they’ve stayed packed since Halloween.

THE DISH: OUR REVIEW

Monte Cristo ($6.99): So rare is this sandwich, I find I have to order it when I see it. It’s a beauty to behold, and Cheddar’s is no exception. Ham and turkey with two kinds of cheese (yellow and white) piled up on a sandwich and then battered and deep fried. Served the traditional way dusted in powdered sugar with a raspberry jam. It’s a crazy good way to invite a heart attack, but at least you can go out with a smile on your face. Cheddar’s misses nothing, with a fine batter, ample powdered sugar and a sweet preserve that balances out the salty flavors in the sandwich just right. It’s like a grilled sandwich inside a funnel cake, and it is delicious. (sw)

Santa Fe spinach dip ($4.99): Not being big on sour cream, I was a little dismayed to see a big dollop of it in the middle of this dish (though the menu does note its inclusion). Well, color me pleasantly surprised. The sour cream had a unique note to it, something that blended really well with the mix of cheeses and loads of spinach in this rich but very pleasant dip. As a bonus, the order comes with the house salsa. I generally prefer fiery hot, but this mild mix didn’t disappoint. All told, it’s easily enough for two, and maybe more. (sw)

Shepherd’s Pie ($7.49): The waiter persuasively endorsed this dish when I expressed an interest and that was enough for me. It was probably the most artistic presentation of shepherd’s pie I’ve seen in a long time. Served on a giant plate with a broad mashed potato topping dusted with season salt and garnished with a few twists of onion rings, the dish looked almost too pretty and organized to eat. But I did anyway. It was hearty, meaty and every bit as filling as the waiter promised. Also, not too salty, despite the liberal sprinkling of seasoning. (mt)

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RESTAURANT INFO:

LOCATION: 400 S. University Ave., Little Rock

PHONE: (501) 614-7578

WEBSITE: cheddars.com

DINING HOURS: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.- midnight Friday-Saturday

PRICES: $5.99-$13.99

ALCOHOL: Full bar

IN A NUTSHELL: Cheddar’s has the sort of menu that appeals to the masses with dishes ranging from burgers to Philly cheesesteak to grilled tilapia with mango salsa. And the masses have shown up in droves to dine at the new location on University in Midtown, with wait times close to 45 minutes for a weekday lunch. The appeal can be found not only in the variety of dishes, but also in the massive portions at nice prices. Oh, and the food tastes good, too.