The Purple Cow proves quality can be served at a good price.(Business Lunch Review)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A VENTURE TO THE PURPLE Cow on Cantrell Road confirms our belief that quality can be affordable.

The lively and colorful dairy bar has the feel of a converted house. We received a prompt greeting on entering and chose to sit on the newly built patio. The outdoor dining area, skirted by a waist-high sandstone wall, was spacious and a pleasant alternative to the rather cramped interior.

Our server immediately greeted our party, returning quickly with our drink order. After reading the lengthy list of playfully described burger and sandwich combinations, which takes several minutes, we ordered.

One of our more courageous diners chose the Five Alarm Burger ($6.25), which evidently promised to be hot enough to set off not one alarm, not two alarms, not ... well, you get the idea. The spicy burger arrived with pepper jack cheese, jalapeno peppers, salsa and chipotle mayonnaise.

Another diner selected the bleu cheese burger ($6.25), a traditional beef patty topped with a generous portion of zesty bleu cheese. All Purple Cow burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions and mayo on the side. We think that to achieve a truly delicious balance of flavors in a bleu cheese burger, both mayo and mustard are required, so we requested the extra condiment. Mustard made the necessary difference.

One of our party enjoyed her grilled turkey sandwich ($5.15), though she called it standard. The fries ($1.50), for which she substituted the potato chips, were more impressive than the sandwich. The seasoning on the crisp, flavorful and freshly cut fries made ketchup unnecessary.

The last of our group ordered the French Philly steak sandwich ($8.25), thinly sliced roast beef topped with Swiss cheese and sauteed onions and peppers, with a side of au jus.

The reasonably priced entrees satisfied all of us. Our party of four, however, waited about 25 minutes before receiving our order. Although that was our only complaint, the delay was frustrating.

With the dessert offerings taking up about a fourth of the menu, we thought it our duty to sample something sweet.

The Purple Ice Cream Pie ($3.50) stole the show. The purple vanilla ice cream came atop an Oreo-cookie crust and was topped with whipped cream and Oreo crumbles. It was sweet but, somehow, not cloying. The Purple Vanilla Shake ($4.15) is always a good choice, and the root beer float served its purpose.

The patio might make a decent spot for a small business meeting, but the bustling indoor dining area can be loud.

The quality of Purple Cow's food paired with appealing prices makes it a destination that deserves more than the occasional visit.

The Purple Cow

8026 Cantrell Road, Little Rock

(501) 221-3555

Cuisine: American Dress Code: None Noise Level: Moderately high Price Range: $1.75-$9.25 Credit Cards: All major Reservations: None Receipts: $896,800 (May 2008-April 2009)

**** = Outstanding *** = Good ** = Fair * = Poor

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