My late, great Uncle Bill used to call biscuits "cat heads."

Rarely have I seen a biscuit that was truly the size of a cat head, but they do exist at Little Chef restaurant, the newly reopened Roanoke icon on Williamson Road.

But it wasn't just the presence of these giant, buttery biscuits there that reminded me of my Southern upbringing. It was the fried chicken, the country ham and the good-natured ribbing that occurred between waitresses and cooks while we chowed.

Folks who are new to Roanoke probably don't know that Little Chef was open for more than 40 years before it went out of business in 1999. From what I'm told, it was one of the best places in the city to grab a hot meal in the wee hours of the night.

Now reopened after thousands of dollars in renovations, the Little Chef serves lunch and breakfast fare from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and all night long on Friday and Saturday nights.

Attention late-night bar hoppers: Here's a place close to downtown where you can score a loaded omelet and hash browns at 2 in the morning.

But I haven't pulled an all-nighter in a while, so my first visit to the Little Chef was for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and we were seated at a booth right away. We went back for lunch at 12:20 p.m. on a Thursday, and the place was so crowded that we decided to sit at the front counter. Still, the service there was quick and personal.

THE MENU

The Little Chef breakfast includes all the typical fare, so it's a good place for a platter of eggs, any style, with choice of meat, potatoes and bread. The restaurant also offers several different omelets, a variety of breakfast biscuits and tons of side orders such as pancakes, grits, corned beef hash and fried apples.

When we were there, a man at the next table dined on a breakfast that included a T-bone steak that hung off the plate. He didn't seem to have any trouble putting it down.

The day we went for lunch, the restaurant offered up two specials: Baked spaghetti and fried chicken. On Friday and Saturday nights, they supplement their regular menu with supper specials, too.

I decided to order the fried chicken to find out just how special it was, and it turned out to be one of the best pieces I've had in a long time - hot and juicy on the inside, crunchy and flavorful on the outside.

Choices of sides include just about everything I miss from my grandma's kitchen: Mashed potatoes, green beans, apples, deviled eggs, potato salad and pinto beans. In my opinion, it's hard to find a good restaurant macaroni and cheese, but the Little Chef's is a deliciously cheesy casserole-style.

My lunch mate had a massive, quarter-pound cheeseburger with two thick slices of tomato and lettuce on a cornmeal-dusted bun. For $2.25, not including the $1 side of fries, he was as full as a tick. Other lunch items on the menu include Philly cheese steak, extra-thick fried bologna sandwiches and salads.

THE GOOD

When the waitress set my breakfast plate in front of me, I thought they had kidnapped my mom and forced her to short-order cook.

That's because everything was so freshly made. The home fries were big chunks of skin-on potato and the bacon was crisp and thick, not the kind you can read your menu through.

In all, the food at Little Chef appears to be homemade. There are no perfectly round biscuits or hamburger patties at this joint. Only the green beans seemed to be canned, and personally, I like canned green beans at a casual diner if they're nicely seasoned.

The prices at the Little Chef probably made everything taste just a little better. For example, my breakfast platter set me back just $3.50 and lunch for two barely topped $10.

Finally, it was the personal feel about the restaurant and staff that completed the homey vibe. From our spot at the lunch counter, we could hear the cooks barking the waitresses' names and we witnessed a fair amount of ribbing among the staffers.

THE NOT SO GOOD

The day we had lunch at Little Chef, two tables waited too long for their food. That might be attributed to the fact that they had a big lunch crowd and were down one waitress. In addition, the Little Chef is definitely not a no-smoking establishment, and while they have two nonsmoking dining rooms, I'd recommend the one to the left if you absolutely do not want to smell smoke.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Overall, the Little Chef is a really down-to-earth home-cooking establishment, where a wide variety of customers can feel at home. And I think it's time for Williamson Road eating establishments to find their place among the downtown lunch crowd - especially because Little Chef now offers delivery.

Sure, there's nothing fancy about this eatery, but neither is there anything fancy about eating a homemade meal at home. It's just plain good. Especially the cat heads.

Little Chef

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Menu: Southern-style breakfast and lunch

Where: 1307 Williamson Road, Roanoke

Hours: 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day and night on Fridays and Saturdays. Closes at 2 p.m. on Sunday

Soda products: Coca-Cola

Adult beverages? Expects an ABC license soon

Plastic? MasterCard and Visa accepted

Smoking? Two nonsmoking dining rooms available

Takeout? Yes

Delivery? Free delivery within a certain radius from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Reservations? No

Live music? No

Call: 982-0779

What the stars mean

***** Excellent. A one-of-a-kind experience.

**** Very good. Memorable menus accompanied by exciting environs and/or savvy service.

*** Good. Solid places that beckon with generally appealing cooking.

** Just OK. A place not worth rushing back to. But, it might have something worth recommending: A view, a single dish, friendly service, lively scene.

* Poor. Don't waste your money here.