After a short-lived fried chicken joint recently closed, a new restaurant called Eats — their slogan is “real food fast” — is now serving inside the Phillips 66 Miller Mart at 3300 W. Sixth St.

Owner Anthony Cannon, a Lawrence High School grad, said he’s worked in a number of restaurants around town over the past 10 years, including WheatFields Bakery Cafe and Merchants Pub and Plate. Eats is the first restaurant he’s opened, Cannon said, and he liked the gas station’s track record — while D-Lux Southern Fried Chicken didn’t last, Biemer’s BBQ, Tortas Jalisco and Basil Leaf Cafe all found success there before expanding to bigger locations in town.

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The Eats menu features burgers, sandwiches, grinders, salads, pastas and a few kids items (including peanut butter and honey sandwiches). Cannon said the menu is likely to change as he determines what’s popular with customers — offerings are displayed on a chalkboard wall, which not only looks cool but should make updates convenient.

Cannon said his goal is to use fresh ingredients and that he’s chosen menu items that can be prepared in five minutes. “It’s just about doing things right every time, and doing it fast,” he said.

Just like past gas station restaurants, the dishwasher-less kitchen means everything’s served in to-go containers with plastic utensils. Eats opens at 11 a.m. daily and has been closing around 6 or 7 p.m., though Cannon said he’s hoping for more dinner business and may eventually stay open later.

I grabbed lunch there today. The kids peanut butter and honey sandwich was tempting (I’ve always loved those!), but I went grown-up instead with the Spicy Avocado BLT. It’s served with grilled jalapeno halves and sliced avocado — both excellent ideas.

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Tips welcome!

Try something unusual or know of something interesting going on at a Lawrence restaurant? Send me an email at sshepherd@ljworld.com or contact me on Twitter @saramarieshep. For more local food and restaurant news, click here.