Cheerleaders Grill
Location: 3081 N. U.S. Highway 97 (at The Riverhouse), Bend.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day
Price range: Breakfast $3.50 to $12.50, lunch $4 to $10
Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club
Kids’ menu: Meals $4.50 and $5 include a drink
Vegetarian menu: Limited choices include salads and a veggie omelet
Alcoholic beverages: Bottled beer and wine
Outdoor seating: Seasonal patio
Reservations: Welcomed for larger groups
Contact: 541-330-0631
Scorecard
OVERALL: A-
Food: A-. Simply prepared but solid diner-style breakfasts and lunches.
Service: A. Patrons are warmly greeted; orders are quickly taken and delivered.
Atmosphere: B. Nothing fancy, but sports memorabilia collection adds interest.
Value: A. Reasonable prices for food and service provided. (Bulletin article)

A little info from The Bulletin article:

Brett Favre’s autographed Green Bay Packers football jersey hangs from one wall at Cheerleaders Grill.

Nearby, a banner commemorates the six basketball championships won by the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls.

There is a framed baseball-card collection from the ’70s and ’80s. Softball trophies stand in niches beside hockey and cycling jerseys and photos of local youth sports teams.

But don’t expect a sports bar atmosphere. And don’t look for servers dressed like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. That’s not what Cheerleaders Grill is about.

This family-friendly establishment succeeds because it doesn’t try to do too much. Owners Al and Linda Larson serve simple but solid diner-style breakfasts and lunches to a regular clientele that has followed them from a former location to a new one. The Larsons are glad to have found a niche, even now that Cheerleaders has moved next to The Riverhouse.

“Ninety percent of our clientele is repeat,” said Al Larson, taking a break from his duty as head chef. And he pointed out that Cheerleaders’ service team, headed by Linda, knows much of that clientele by name. “We’re like a big family,” Al said.

Breakfast all day

When the Larsons bought Cheerleaders in 2001, the restaurant was located on Third Street just south of Greenwood Avenue, in a building now occupied by Taylor’s Sausage Deli & Pub. A previous owner had dressed his servers in striped referees’ shirts with miniskirts, Al Larson said, but that was not his style.

Within a few years, despite having a full liquor license and substantial bar seating, Cheerleaders had begun closing after the lunch hour. That left the Larsons’ evenings free for passions like bowling and softball leagues.

The restaurant’s move last June to a new, smaller location on North U.S. Highway 97 enabled it to refocus on food and service without any suggestion of a bar scene. Today bottled beer and wine are available on request, but patrons are more likely to enjoy a good cup of coffee or a “double slam” milk shake.

Breakfast is available any hour Cheerleaders is open, daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The morning menu ranges from biscuits and gravy to Amaretto French toast, with eggs Benedict and Mexican-style huevos rancheros tossed in for good measure.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Philly steak omelet. Thin, tender slices of beef were wrapped into the omelet with grilled onions, mushrooms and green bell pepper. Swiss cheese was melted inside and outside the eggs, which were served with hash browns and buttered whole-wheat bread.

Filling lunches

I returned twice for separate lunches, and each time — never having identified myself — I felt that I was becoming more a part of the Larsons’ “big family.” The servers remembered my face, greeted me warmly, and were prompt in taking my orders and delivering my meals.

The lunch menu is one of soups, salads and sandwiches. There’s no fancier meal than homemade meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. And Al Larson is especially proud of his chili, which he’ll serve in a bowl or on top of a burger.

But I went with some different directions in my orders, and I wasn’t disappointed.

On my first visit, I had a grilled-chicken club sandwich. Layered between three slices of white toast was an ample meal. The bottom level was a BLT — a classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich — with processed American cheese and slices of yellow onion. The upper layer had a tender grilled chicken breast with a leaf of romaine lettuce.

In lieu of french fries, I chose to complement the sandwich with cole slaw. Thanks to the addition of a touch of horseradish in the light mayonnaise blend with white cabbage and carrots, it was one of the best slaws I’ve had in Bend.

When I again returned for lunch, I opted for a hot pastrami sandwich. There was no shortage of peppery meat in this meal: 10 slices stacked upon dark marbled rye, grilled with two pieces of Swiss cheese and served with sliced dill pickles. And the accompanying fries, served with ranch dressing for dipping, were excellent.

The sports collection

Al Larson confessed that most of his restaurant’s sports memorabilia collection is not his own. He purchased some of it, he said, along with the business 10 years ago. The softball trophies and youth team photos are his own, symbolic of his own amateur-league success and of the ongoing support that Cheerleaders has lent as an organizational sponsor through the years.

But most of the collection belongs to patrons who are glad to share their prized possessions — such as the Favre jersey and the Bulls banner — in easy view of an audience of sports lovers.

“If someone has something to display, I’m glad to do it,” Larson said. “It will always belong to them, whenever they want it back.”

It’s a family attitude. That’s just how Cheerleaders rolls.

Terry Coon serves a beverage to a customer while working at Cheerleaders Grill in Bend.
Ryan Brennecke / The Bulletin

John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com.

 

We run a restaurant that puts out good food to the greatest customers you could ask for.  We truly love and appreciate them, and know that they are the backbone of our company and why we are still around to serve.

We also know that the employees we have, who for the most part have been with us since 2002, are also a very important factor in our success equation.  The consistency we have built over the last 10 years shows.  We are a well-oiled machine that needs a bit of oil now and then.  Nothing and noone is perfect.  I truly believe in the human factor.  It makes us real.

We do our best everyday, and are grateful for the opportunity to keep on doing!

Linda

We took over Cheerleaders Grill on January 15, 2002 after mulling it over for a while.  The owner before us, Marvel Hustead, would refer to us being “great for this place” and asked us several if not multiple times if we wanted to take it over.  We, of course, said ”no” several if not multiple times.  I, Linda, was a server for Marvel for a little under 2 years and Al,my husband, worked at a plumbing supply warehouse here in Bend.  Things being what they were Al’s position hit a ceiling and we truly did discuss if buying Cheerleaders  was for the best.  We decided to take a try at it.  Marvel said “OK” and we were off to the races.  Or to the carnival specifically the Merry-go-round that we could never find the off button for.   Marvel stood shoulder to shoulder with Al for 3 months until he was comfortable in the kitchen.  She also made sure I knew the accounting end of the business.  All that was important to her was our success.  It was a wonderful way to begin.  Without any hoopla or grand openings we got the first year under our belt before our customers started asking if we were the owners.  It was great knowing the transition was seamless and we didn’t rock too many boats.
Our regulars back then, for the most part, are still our regulars today.

Our children were 7 and 11 when we bought Cheerleaders and are 17 and 21 now.  They have grown up to be wonderful adults with boque experience and fantastic work ethic. They both still work with us today.

We have gained so much over the years.  So many friends we can’t count them all.  Our regulars sustained us through the latest recession and we were able to stay afloat long enough to make the move to our new location.  We were and still are so grateful for the opportunity to move to a smaller location.  Downsizing was the smartest thing we could have done.  This community has been good to us and of all the years Cheerleaders has been around I feel we have been in the position to give back to our community as well.

We would love to meet you if you have not tried our place yet.  It might give you a good feeling when you leave.  I am sure it will give you a full belly and a smile or two.

Al and Linda Larson
Cheerleaders Grill