The no-gimmick restaurant

As our server took our dinner order (my friend Cindy shuddered at the sight of the dirty cuffs on his shirtsleeves) and I debated between the spicy chicken pasta and a chicken dish stuffed with artichoke hearts, spinach, and Parmesan cheese ($11.95), the mysterious voice blurted out: "He's the reason I lost my inheritance!"

"I'm sure we're missing a very good story," said my friend Bob, ordering the Brie Tenderloin ($16.95). "Should I ask her to join us?"

Join us? She was already there -- in spirit, if not in body. After hearing many snippets of her sad story ("He cheated me out of everything, including Mother's amber brooch. And I won't tell you what he did to the dog!"), I was almost disappointed when she -- and her foghorn voice -- finally left; I never did hear what happened to the poor dog. But by this point, our salads had arrived, each a tidy affair of iceberg lettuce, carrots, cabbage, hard-boiled egg, and bacon bits that could be tarted up with one of seven salad dressings, including the unmemorable buttermilk ranch with which I drenched mine.

Dinner was a brighter note. Bob gobbled down his cheese-stuffed tenderloin, tender and swathed in a bordelaise sauce dotted with mushrooms. Cindy, who can be a fussy eater, was perfectly satisfied with her skewers of grilled chicken, marinated in a tangy teriyaki sauce, and vegetables ($10.95). I used my mobile fork to sample something from every plate, finally deciding that the tenderloin was the best offering on the table, certainly superior to my over-spiced pasta.

We didn't stick around for dessert that night, but on a subsequent visit, I returned to the same table and had a good bacon cheeseburger ($6.95) and a big slab of apple pie. I found myself actually missing that annoying disembodied voice from the previous visit, and even though an oddball musical soundtrack was playing (on one visit we heard everything from Patsy Cline to Sting), the dining room seemed utterly, deafeningly silent.

If generous portions of popular, reasonably priced American dinners are gimmick enough, then J. Riley's should make a name for itself. But if John Riley wants to step ahead of the crowded neighborhood restaurant market, he'll need to take a cue from his loudest customer: Make a dinner experience so memorable, diners will never forget it. But that's not a gimmick, it's an art.

Contact Charles Ferruzza at 816-218-6925 or charles.ferruzza@pitch.com.

J. Riley's Restaurant 7953 State Line Rd., KCMO, 816-333-6363

Hours: Mon.-Thurs, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 4-10 p.m.

FOOD: Two stars

SERVICE: Two stars

ATMOSPHERE: Two stars

PRICE: $-$$

OVERALL: Two StarsInside J. Riley's masculine interior, the food is hearty and reasonably priced, but is that enough?