Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 70

Dining Diner recalls happy days of '50s If you go By Michael Senft michael.senftarizonarepublic.com ukeboxes playing Elvis tunes, neon Pepsi signs on the aluminum walls, friendly waitresses serving hearty meals. Chase's Diner mixes '50s nostal 5 1 Chase's Diner WHERE: 2040 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. HOURS: 6 a.m.-lO p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 6 a.m.-ll p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays. DETAILS: (480) 855-3663. yigiX a '4 General manager Andre James supervises steaks on the massive grillsmoker In front of Chase's Diner. S3 -r 1 gia with a family atmosphere for a fun dining experience. Whether you go for the massive breakfasts or the freshly grilled burgers, you are sure to get your fill at the little diner at Alma School and Warner roads in Chandler.

Chase's serves typical American fare hamburgers and fries, biscuits and gravy, a Friday night fish fry in generous portions at reasonable prices. That's not to say you can't eat healthfully. The restaurant also offers a variety of options for dieters, from the hog-heavenly low-carb breakfast of bacon, sausage and eggs ($5.39) to the grilled chicken breast salad And what trip to a diner is complete without a milkshake? Finish off your meal with a cold, freshly blended shake, available in various flavors Chase's does put a unique spin on its home cooking. Every night, the cooks are outside, barbecuing on a massive grillsmoker. Try the tri-tip smoked over pecan wood and slathered in barbecue sauce.

"That sets us apart from other diners," manager Bonnie Reese says of the smoker. According to Reese, however, "it's the family atmosphere that Photos by Suzanne StarrThe Arizona Republic cheap eats brings people back" to Chase's, a staple in the Southeast Valley for seven years. "Most of our employees have been here for a long time. And we have a lot of regulars who have been coming since we opened. They know all of our names.

They even know our birthdays and bring us gifts." Reach the reporter at (602) 444-8489. In the spirit of the '50s, dishes available at Chase's Include the Bacon Cheeseburger Extreme (left) and barbecued ribs (right). Behind them are (from left) gelatin with whipped cream, chicken-fried steak and onion rings. J' No mirage: Hawaiian Barbecue brings the islands to Mesa If you go tucked away in a sprawling East Valley shopping center; two more Arizona branches are planned in far-north Phoenix and Yuma. What's the attraction? Despite to the clean, tidy sur- 11 roundings and cheerful 13SIG d6cor bright tropical of the colors, tiled walls, a tOWn hanging surfboard and I illuminated palm trees Hawaiian Barbecue WHERE: 1641 S.

Stapley Drive (Mesa Grand Shopping Center). HOURS: 10 a.m.-lO p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. DETAILS: (480) 539-1328.

By Howard Seftel howard.seftelarizonarepublic.com wr- you see azure waves gently rolling )i 4 onto gleaming white-sand beaches? i Do you see palm fronds fluttering in the tropical breeze? Do you see Diamond Head looming at the end of Waikiki? No doubt the Valley's summer heat can make you see things that aren't there. But if you order right, so can a visit to Hawaiian Barbecue. Started in 1976, this growing, wildly popular Hawaiian chain, with more than 50 outlets on the islands and close to 50 more on the mainland, has just moved to town, 'A A oN 1 DO ftSH etched into glass it's not the ambience. is, after all, a fast-food outlet where you order at the counter, pick up your own food and fill your own drink. What turns people on is a potent one-two-three combination: appealing food, huge portions and budget prices.

See ENTREES Page 27 Corl Takemoto WilliamsThe Arizona Republic Slabs of musubl feature Spam and rice wrapped In norl (seaweed)..