Surrounded by music memorabilia, Sugar Pine Cafe cook Joe Britton, of Fall River, talks to servers Kathi Russel, left, and Joy Tedrow, both of La Pine, as they pick up orders at the cafe in La Pine on Sunday.

La Pine is not the gourmet capital of Central Oregon. The town of 1,500 people, a half hour’s drive south of Bend, has a mere handful of small dining establishments that cater to residents and U.S. Highway 97 travelers.

Having no knowledge of the respective merits of any of these restaurants, I took an impromptu survey: I left my dining decision in the hands of La Pine locals by counting cars in cafe parking lots.

The winner was a tiny building in the heart of town, with an American flag flying high above a tall cafe sign on the east side of the highway: the Sugar Pine Cafe.

Drivers didn’t steer me wrong. I found a charming establishment where the server and cook greet regulars by name, where the comfort food is solid if unspectacular, and which I’m pleased to recommend to anyone fighting hunger pangs on the drive south.

Eclectic decor

The Sugar Pine is long and narrow; it seats about 45, including nine at bar stools, and another 20 on an enclosed rear patio. Décor is eclectic, to say the least. It was decorated by owner (and executive chef) Jeffery Cater, a former rock-and-roll musician and for eight years a luthier at Breedlove Guitars.

Look around and you’ll see a gun collection, a largemouth bass snagged by a giant lure, antique tools and a variety of musical instruments, including a large accordion. There are black-and-white photos of e_SSRq60s bands, including the Beatles, behind the cash register, and movie stills of such stars as Clark Gable and Steve McQueen toward the rear of the restaurant.

Cater bought the cafe four years ago. It’s been a challenge, he said, to build its good name in the La Pine community; under previous ownership, Cater said, it had a less-than-sparkling reputation.

He’s succeeded with a combination of good food and service; prime-rib dinners every Friday and Saturday night; and “all-you-can-eat” specials including barbecue riblets Wednesdays, spaghetti and meatballs Thursdays and fish and chips Fridays.

Prime rib Friday

I arrived for the prime rib on a recent Friday night. My medium (12-ounce) cut was not particularly lean — I had to cut off a substantial amount of fat — but it was tender and tasty, cooked medium rare. It doesn’t stand with the best prime rib I’ve had in the greater Bend area, but I would certainly order it again.

My accompanying baked potato was medium-size, and it came with butter, sour cream and chives.

I started with a house salad, a mix of iceberg lettuce with fresh baby greens, along with cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and green peppers, croutons and a sprinkle of cheddar, dressed with a light vinaigrette. It was much more than I might have expected at a small-town cafe.

The meal also came with a small loaf of warm bread, something I don’t often even see at urban eateries.

T’s Favorite

At a subsequent dinner, I started with the soup of the day, an unusual cheddar tortellini blend. The tortellini was doughy, but the soup was cool-weather comfort food: a creamy cheese soup with freshly cooked, chopped bacon. The loaf of dinner bread was the perfect tool for sopping up the last of the soup.

My entrée in this occasion was a pasta dish called T’s Favorite. A bed of fettucine, cooked just past al dente, was tossed with a creamy, buttery alfredo sauce. It came with both jumbo prawns and medallions of beef, as well as sautéed mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, and was sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese.

The prawns had been frozen, but they were thawed and cooked perfectly. The beef steak was medium rare, but it was tough and fatty and not my favorite item. The mushrooms, on the other hand, were fresh and sliced thin. I’ll take fresh veggies over the canned variety every day of the week.

At both meals, service was friendly and attentive. My server was as quick with a menu and a glass of water as she was with a smile, and she checked back a couple of times to make sure I was satisfied with my meal.

Next time around

There are a few other dishes I’ll look forward to trying on return visits to the Sugar Pine. Cater’s own halibut Jeffery — a flame-broiled filet, sautéed in a rosemary-garlic butter with white wine — is calling my name.

Lunch has a nice choice of salads and sandwiches, including a Cordon Bleu Burger with ham and Swiss cheese. And should I make it by for breakfast, I might have to try the Kitchen Sink Omelet with ham, bacon, sausage, onion, green pepper, tomato, mushrooms and cheese.

A limited selection is available of domestic and imported beers and wines, and there are several desserts, including a house mud pie.

RECENT REVIEWS

Hong Kong Restaurant (C-). The food is subpar, both at the mediocre lunch buffet and on the dinner menu. Service is dour and unresponsive. Perhaps, after more than 30 years in business in Bend, the Hong Kong is getting tired. If you must go, try the Szechuan chicken. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 530 S.E. Third St., Bend. 389-8880. Greg’s Grill (B-). Greg’s is beautiful, with cathedral-like wood architecture and floor-to-ceiling windows. But the quality of food and service don’t keep pace with the pricey menu. In such a big restaurant, kitchen and service staff are unable to offer the personal attention that diners might expect. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. 395 S.W. Powerhouse Drive (Old Mill District), Bend. 382-2200. www.gregsgrill.com McKay Cottage Restaurant (A-). The boyhood home of Sen. Gordon McKay, relocated from Drake Park, is a 1916 Craftsman with fine breakfast and lunch dining indoors and out, on a spacious lawn. Service is genuinely friendly, and you can’t go wrong with marscapone-stuffed croissant French toast to start your day. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. 62910 O.B. Riley Rd., Bend. 383-2697, www.themckaycottage.com Lodge Dining Room at Black Butte Ranch (A-). The Cascade view is the finest from any restaurant in Central Oregon. It’s almost a bonus that the food and service keep pace. A classic Northwest steak-and-seafood menu is strong in meat and wild game, accented by select seafood choices. A professional wait staff attends diners seated on four tiers. Open 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to close daily. 12930 Hawks Beard, Black Butte Ranch (8 miles west of Sisters off U.S. Highway 20). 595-1260.

SUGAR PINE CAFE

Location: 51392 U.S. Highway 97, La Pine

Hours: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday

Price range: Breakfast $4.25-$10.95, lunch $4.95-$10.75, dinners $8.95-$16.95

Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa

Children’s menu: On request

Alcoholic beverages: Wine and beer

Reservations: No

Contact: 541-536-2539

SCORECARD

OVERALL: B+

Food: B. Comfort food cooked just right for a small-town crowd.

Service: A. Very informal but friendly and attentive.

Atmosphere: B. Curious, eclectic and decidedly male.

Value: B+. The prices are more than fair for the portions.