By Judy Halone

Contributing Writer

Diners won’t find gum-chewing waitresses or greasy-spoon menus at Ken’s Restaurant in North Bend.

But they will find a full-service truck stop that serves an all-you-can-eat menu 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The idea to serve an all-you-can-eat menu came six months ago from its Ohio-based owner, Travel Centers of America. Manager Larry Martinez said it’s become a hit with the regulars as well as first-time guests.

“We changed it to an all-you-can-eat menu in April of this year because of the economy,” he said. “They decided to help lots of people, so they could eat all they wanted. “

The restaurant has been around since the early-1940s and was already known for serving bottomless portions of its signature biscuits and gravy.

“It’s complimentary and if people are really hungry, we’ll offer them while their food is getting ready,” Martinez said.

That kind of hospitality comes from employees who know how to make their customers feel as if they were right at home at mom’s kitchen table.

“Our staff is very friendly, very experienced,” Martinez said. “We have a lot of locals come in here — a lot of our waitresses know them by name and their orders; they don’t even have to ask.”

Service isn’t limited to just long-haul truckers or folks ready to head up toward the pass; Ken’s prides itself on catering to families.

“We have a very family-friendly environment,” he said. “We love kids.” He added the only thing that isn’t all-you-can-eat is the children’s menu. “They usually don’t eat very much.”

Offering 50-plus menu items in generous portions might seem like a daring gamble to some, but it’s a business principle that appears to be working well, Martinez said.

“At first, we looked at the food costs but (now) we look at it as a positive move,” he said.

And a positive move it’s been: from the pancakes and omelets to the hamburgers, steaks, pastas, seafoods and salads, Ken’s offers just about something for everybody.

“We pride ourselves in putting out the best quality foods we can,” he said. “All our products are tested in our main corporation to make sure it’s the highest quality and the best price possible.”

Martinez said the restaurant plans on offering a soup and salad bar, a fresh fish program and fried chicken in the near future.

“We get a lot of requests for that,” he said of the latter.

Customer favorites for the road include barbeque ribs, pork chops and catfish, a grilled shrimp platter and country-fried steak, he said.

And when the pass closes due to inclement weather, Martinez said the employees are ready and eager to serve.

“It’s a very cozy, warm, atmosphere,” he said. “The restaurant has been here for a long time and it has a lot of character to it; they’ve tried to keep it as original as possible for the community.”

Ken’s Restaurant is located at 14429 468th Ave. S.E. in North Bend off exit 34 on I-90, and can be reached at 425-888-3322.