As diners go, Brothers Family Diner in Prineville is really pretty good.

Despite a few shortcomings, Tom and Charlie Moore’s spacious restaurant on the Madras Highway offers generous portions of predictable food, service that is honest and friendly if not always efficient, and a homespun ambience that somehow seems perfect for the bustling hub of Crook County.

Located on the west side of U.S. Highway 26, Brothers is actually a complex that includes the Outback Pizzeria and Sports Bar at the rear of a large parking area behind the family restaurant, which has a full-service lounge of its own.

But I focused my attention on the roadside diner, where I was greeted at the front door by a 7-foot statue of a fanciful chef and a hand-scrawled notice advertising for a waitress and bartender.

An evening meal

When we arrived for an evening meal, my dining companion and I waited a couple of minutes at the hostess stand before a server emerged from the kitchen.

We were seated in a booth with big windows to look out at the highway traffic. Inside the well-lit restaurant, a light purple dominated the color scheme in Formica tabletops and upholstery. Framed prints of Americana and wildlife hung on the walls, and two big knickknack cabinets offered a variety of home crafts for sale.

I ordered a steak. For her entree, my friend chose chicken Parmesan, which the menu indicated would be served with fettucine Alfredo. “We may be out of Parmesan,” the server regretfully told my companion. “Ever since I started working here, there have been items on the menu that we’re out of.” Shouldn’t she let us know what’s lacking before we order? In fact, she assured us soon after, the kitchen had just purchased more Parmesan cheese.

We had a salad and a soup as we waited for our orders. My friend’s salad was generous but conventional: iceberg lettuce with slivers of red cabbage and carrots, along with pickled beets and garbanzo beans.

There were a couple of slices of cucumber and beefsteak tomato, croutons and blue-cheese dressing.

My cup of soup showed a touch of kitchen creativity. The creamy chicken-dumpling soup had more dumplings and almost more minced carrots than chicken. It was sprinkled with herbs and served with Saltine crackers.

Entrees and dessert

Then the main courses arrived. My 10-ounce Cajun-style New York steak, though cooked a little more than the medium-rare I had requested, was a passable meal, even though the Cajun spices were very mild.

I could have done without the canned corn, but the baked potato, wrapped in aluminum foil and served with sour cream and butter, was fine. I wondered, however, why a slice of cinnamon-apple, perhaps a garnish, was hiding beneath the cup of sour cream.

My companion was disappointed in her chicken Parmesan. It was served not WITH fettucine Alfredo, but UPON a bed of fettucine. There was no rich white Alfredo sauce; instead, a ladle of marinara sauce covered the poultry. “Like spaghetti with a piece of chicken in the middle” is how my friend described her meal.

She compensated by ordering dessert: a warm “brownie supreme.” And she certainly got her money’s worth here. The delicious fudge-like cake was served with several scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Although our server failed to offer a refill on our water glasses, she went the extra mile in finding a wine that would please me. The vintage selection at Brothers is limited — few wine drinkers visit the restaurant, she said — but I was pleased with a glass of Fort Rock Red from the Maryhill Winery in the Columbia Gorge.

A breakfast visit

I returned alone to Brothers a week or so later, dropping in for a late-morning breakfast. This time, two sisters provided service with a smile, and they were very good at their jobs.

I chose a “house specialty omelet.” As with my previous experience, the portion was very generous. My omelet was folded onto half of my plate; a charitable serving of pan-fried hash-brown potatoes filled the other half.

I loved the filling in the omelet — ham, bacon, sausage, sauteed onions and sliced mushrooms — but regretted my choice of Swiss cheese. (On the other hand, neither cheddar nor Monterey Jack might have been any better.) The egg was folded around the cheese, which was of the processed variety, and I found the taste disagreeable. I wished that I had ordered the omelet with no cheese at all.

Toast accompanied the meal; I enjoyed my dark rye with jam.

A surprise topping was a fortune cookie, broken in half atop the omelet to reveal my fortune: “You will have a comfortable retirement.” I’m not ready yet for that step in my life; when I am, I hope to still be able to enjoy fine-dining restaurants.

But I could do worse than regular patronage of Brothers, as long as I keep my expectations reasonable.

SMALL BITE

The annual Sagebrush Classic feast, scheduled July 17 at the Broken Top Club, has announced its chef lineup. Traveling to Bend from overseas will be Maria Diem and Anna Truong (Vietnam), Jean-Pierre LeLievre (Paris), Bill Marinelli (Bangkok) and Nigel Viet (Vietnam).

Coming from out of state will be Roberto Donna (Washington, D.C.), John Finger and Terry Sawyer (San Francisco), Tom Fleming (Dallas, Texas), Ken Frank (Napa, Calif.), Mark Kiffin (Santa Fe, N.M.), Jackie Lau (Honolulu), Charles Phan (San Francisco), Michael Smith (Kansas City, Mo.), Greg and Mary Sonnier (New Orleans) and Johnathan Sundstrom (Seattle).

Visiting from Portland will be Scott Neuman, Vitaly Paley and Cory Schreiber. Local participants will be Gavin McMichael of The Blacksmith, Matt Mulder of the Broken Top Club and Matt Neltner of the Deschutes Brewery.

The event, a fundraiser for Deschutes Children’s Foundation and other charities, includes gourmet small-plate dishes from each chef and expert beer pairings from Deschutes Brewery.

Black Butte Ranch plans to open a new casual restaurant Saturday at its Big Meadow Golf Course. Food-and-beverage manager Dean Ecker said the daytime menu at Robert’s Pub will feature sandwiches, salads and soups, as well as pasta dishes and clams steamed in Three Creeks Brewing Co. ale from Sisters. Dinner entrees will be served after 5 p.m. Big Meadow Clubhouse, Hawks Beard Road, Sisters; 541-595-1240, www.blackbutteranch .com/robertspub.

RECENT REVIEWS

Sparrow Bakery (A-): Reminiscent of a European bakery cafe, the intimate Sparrow has often-slow service but wonderful pastries and house-smoked meats at budget prices. The croissant sandwiches and quiches have no peer in Central Oregon. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday. 50 S.E. Scott St. (between Second Street and Colorado Avenue), Bend; 541-330-6321, www.thesparrowbakery.com.

Abbey Pub (C+): A small, modern neighborhood pub with a thoughtful selection of unusual beers, the Abbey is made for serious beer drinkers. Neither the limited budget menu nor the distracted service are anything special, however. If you go, the spinach Parmesan dip is a fine complement to a custom ale. 3 to 10 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. 1740 N.W. Pence Lane (at College Way off Newport Avenue), Bend; 541-323-2337.

Longboard Louie’s (B-): Mexican-styled dishes at these two surf-themed cafes are bland and uninspired, although a salsa bar adds interest. Counter orders are quickly prepared and delivered to tables; nothing is priced over $10. The newer east-side restaurant is spacious and more colorful than the west-side spot. Open 7 a.m. to close Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to close Saturday and Sunday. 1254 N.W. Galveston Ave., Bend (541-383-2449) and 62080 Dean Swift Road at Greenwood Avenue, Bend (541-383-5889).

The Phoenix (A-): Reborn in the old Kayo’s Roadhouse on Bend’s east side, the spacious Phoenix offers gourmet comfort food by chef Curtis Whitticar. Service is attentive and knowledgeable, decor contemporary and neo-industrial. Some entree prices are high, but budget-conscious families find plenty to keep them happy. 11:30 a.m. to close Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to close Sunday. 594 N.E. Bellevue Drive (off 27th Street and Highway 20 East), Bend, 541-317-0727, www .phoenixcafe.biz.

Brothers Family Diner

Location: 1053 N.W. Madras Hwy. (U.S. Highway 26), Prineville

Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day

Price range: Breakfast $5.25 to $12.75, lunch $6.95 to $11.95, dinner $9.50 to $17.95

Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Kids’ menu: Yes

Vegetarian menu: Not much besides salads

Alcoholic beverages: Full bar

Outdoor seating: No

Reservations: No

Contact: 541-447-1255 or www.prinevillecommunity.com/brothersfamilydiner.html

Scorecard

OVERALL: B

Food: B-. Predictable meals lack creativity and quality ingredients

Service: B+. Friendly and honest, if unsophisticated and not always efficient

Atmosphere: B. Bright and spacious, but without any distinctive element of decor

Value: A-. Portions are generous and prices are very moderate

Next week: Five Spice

Visit www.bendbulletin.com /restaurants for readers’ ratings of more than 150 Central Oregon restaurants.