Fatz Cafe in Dublin has launched an array of new lunch specials including soups, salads and sandwiches as well as more substantial fare such as its World Famous Calabash Chicken paired with either popcorn shrimp or ribs or perhaps fish and chips.

One of the most visually unique items is its Angus Beef Slider Tower (pictured), which includes three mini burgers on buttered, grilled buns complete with cheddar cheese, dill pickles, tomato slices, and “special sauce.”

I had the pleasure to sit down over lunch with Fatz Cafe Operating Parnter Rob Keyes to talk to him about the new specials and the restaurant in general.

Keyes said the Dublin restaurant had been offering the new lunch menu since June and it was proving to be quite popular. “We have our share of regulars who come in for lunch and it gives them a good variety of items for a reasonable price,” Keyes said.

I enjoyed the Calabash and Popcorn Shrimp along with some sweet tea. In addition to the three Calabash chicken tenders and bevy of shrimp, the meal comes with an order of fries along with some honey mustard and cocktail sauce. The honey mustard was so good that I kept finding myself dipping the fries and shrimp into it.

Fatz Cafe opened for business in Dublin just off I-81 at Exit 98 back in March, about the time the chain began offering a new selection of specialty drinks and desserts. As I chatted with Keyes and finished my last fries, I then enjoyed the carrot cake, which offers two layers of cake filled frosted with homemade cream cheese icing and finished with toasted crushed walnuts and powdered sugar.

The new lunch specials are available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and range from $5.99 to $7.99. But Keyes said one of the things that he hopes separates Fatz Cafe from other similar chains is their willingness to please the customer. “If we have someone who wants to substitute something or even if they want something not on the menu, we will accommodate them if we can,” Keyes said. “Part of the culture here is to get to know the customers and make sure they are satisfied. The managers spend more time in the dining room. We limit the tables that each server has. We cook the vast majority of our food fresh. We do our best to guarantee a great experience.”

Apparently the Fatz formula for customer service is working. Lines were long to get into the restaurant when it first opened this spring, and Keyes said typically during peak dinner time, customers can still expect a brief wait. This summer, he said, you can usually beat the crowd if you come in early. “About 5:30 is a good time on summer weekdays,” Keyes said. And if you want to miss the lunch rush, it’s better to come in just as the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. or after 1 p.m. “It’s rare that we have a wait at lunchtime, though,” Keyes said.

As for which of the new lunch menu items Keyes prefers, he said he has a tough time deciding between the Calabash and Popcorn Shrimp or the Southern Gold Ribs and Calabash. “Both are very good,” he said.

Visit the New River Valley’s (and Virginia’s, for that matter) only location of Fatz Cafe at 4586 Alexander Farm Rd. in Dublin or call 540.674.8046 for information. NRV residents who travel often to the Charlotte area might notice a new Fatz Cafe has opened in Concord, N.C. The new Concord restaurant is located at 6081 Bayfield Parkway and marks the 44th Fatz Cafe existing in the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and just the one in Virignia.

Tim W. Jackson enjoys food. Just one look at him will clue you in on that.