Although it’s not a great deal compared to the all-you-can-eat lunch buffets in the area, this converted house on the north end of the U-District is always packed with UW students. A short menu of Middle Eastern standards such as falafel, gyros, and kebabs complements a much longer menu of Indian staples: vindaloo, butter chicken, tandoori meats. The Indian food is better, and it’s what makes the place so popular.

There’s nothing really novel here, just well-done versions of the well-known dishes. And if you like your food spicy, Cedars will deliver. We’re impressed by the beer selection, but puzzled by the lengthy but almost adorably clueless wine list. But no biggie—when our mouths are on fire, we want a can of crappy beer, not a bottle of crappy wine. And crappy it is here—Cedar’s list is pretty anemic. All the wines are big obvious super-power wineries that everyone knows. They carry every big name brand, homogenized wines crafted for maximum approachability. They’re chosen lazily, but priced well—$5 makes a lot of people happy to drink.

Aside from its nice deck, Cedars is fairly forgettable décor-wise, but it has a good vibe, happy patrons, and a friendly waitstaff.