An eatery filled with baked treats, sandwiches and breakfast foods opened last August in Elm Springs.

The Red Hen Bakery & Cafe is owned by Nan Payne, a Cave Springs resident who has worked in the food industry for more than 30 years. She previously owned a restaurant in Berryville and describes the Red Hen’s menu as homecooked food.

Lunch items are the cafe’s main focus. The Red Hen burger ($6.50) is the most popular and is grilled to order on a home-baked bun and served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and grilled onions with chips on the side. Other popular items are the “Perfect Grilled Cheese,” which is made with Swiss, American and cheddar cheeses, stone groundmustard and fresh baked cranberry bread, and Mom’s Chicken Salad, consisting of oven-roasted chicken, diced apples and red onions in a creamy dressing on cranberry bread. Both of these are $6 and served with chips.

The restaurant’s daily lunch specials, such as meatloaf or pot roast, are also very popular.

Side items offered at Red Hen are $1.95 and include fruit salad, hashbrown casserole, baked potatoes and potato wedges.

The cafe recently started a soup and salad bar. One trip for soup and salad is $3.50, and all you can eat is $6.75.

Cookies are the best-selling dessert items, Payne says.

She typically has two types of cookies available, along with brownies, pie, turnovers and cobbler served in a mason jar with ice cream. Turnover flavors offered are peach, apple and cherry.

Breakfast is served only on Saturday and runs until 10:30 a.m. Quick breakfast items include sausage rolls and biscuits and gravy.

Full sit-down breakfasts are also offered, such as a $6breakfast special that includes eggs, sausage or bacon and hashbrowns, grits or toast.

Other breakfast foods available are pancakes and French toast.

Whats Up, Pages 19 on 01/11/2013