Joe Kline / The BulletinPatrons eat dinner at Bend Burger Co. in downtown Bend.

There is a good reason why I visit a restaurant at least twice before I write a review. And there has been no better example recently than my lunch and dinner stops, less than a week apart, at the Bend Burger Co.

When I first stopped by with my dining companion in the early evening, the cafe was frankly a mess. This casual diner — its large windows facing Franklin Avenue, just west of Wall Street — was less than half full, but it cried out for attention.

Several vacated tables had been left unattended, littered with crumbs and spilled soda. They were ignored for the entire 45 minutes we sat in the restaurant, even though one of the two servers found time to clean the glass windows, while the other replaced napkins on one of the filthy tables, somehow ignoring the fact that it needed to be wiped down.

We were flabbergasted. If a restaurant is not clean and well maintained, it affects the entire dining experience. The food just doesn’t taste as good.

So when I returned several days later, my expectations were low. This time, however, there was an older staff in the restaurant. The difference in service and cleanliness were night and day.

Not only were the mustard-yellow tables impeccably clean; they were perfectly tidy, their condiments and seasonings aligned with the napkin holders, so different from the lack of order I previously witnessed.

Different days

Sometimes, even before there is food in front of me, my opinion of a restaurant may be colored by other factors. These were such occasions.

There was a short line waiting to order at the counter on both of my visits. The first time, that line kept getting longer, as the order taker dallied with the young men in front of me. The second time, the line remained consistently small, as this server acted quickly and professionally in taking orders and delivering them promptly to the cooks.

While the food didn’t race from the kitchen to the table on either occasion — when you order, you’re given a number for servers to find you — the wait allows time to watch a slide show of Central Oregon events and scenery. When this restaurant opened in September 2008, it also displayed framed photos and jerseys from local high school sports teams; today the decor is more modest.

I was pleased to find Jon Hayes, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Kristy, bussing tables — especially as I was able to relate to him my negative experience from my prior visit. His concern was obvious: “I’m clearly going to have to talk to some people about that,” he said.

About the food

For the most part, the food is good. Bend Burger Co. specializes in all-American sandwiches with Central Oregon names like the Mirror Pond burger, the Bachelor Brat, the High Desert Chicken sandwich and the Cascade Reuben. There’s even a Drake Park Salad for lovers of greens.

On that first visit, I was disappointed in my Phil’s Trail Philly. I found the meat — thin-sliced, smoked tri-tip — to be quite fatty, as if it had been thrown into the same grease used to grill the onions and mushrooms with wide slices of red bell pepper. The bakery French roll was excellent, however, accompanied by a delicious provolone cheese sauce.

My companion was very pleased with her Broken Top burger. Cooked medium, it was served on a bakery bun with blue cheese, smoky bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. A rich fry sauce was equally good with rather ordinary French fries and with heavily seasoned sweet-potato tots.

My friend’s chocolate milkshake was thick, but not unmanageably so. There was far too much whipped cream dolloped on top, however.

When I made my solo return visit, I opted for a Paulina Peak Chicken sandwich with a small house salad. Both were outstanding.

The salad was simple, with tomato, sweet onions and shredded cheddar cheese on mixed greens, but everything was crisp and fresh.

The sandwich featured a chicken breast, smoked and grilled, with bacon, lettuce and tomato. I enjoyed every bite. What really made it special was a spread of mayonnaise, blended with basil and feta cheese, which enhanced the rich egg bun.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com