Steaks like this should become available again by April 15 at Doe's Eat Place.

Doe’s Eat Place doesn't intend to keep its customers — local, state and national politicians, lobbyists and lovers of fine steak, tamales, and gumbo  — waiting long. Although it was forced to close in the aftermath of a grease fire in the kitchen March 19, owner George Eldridge plans to have the place up and running again by April 15.

On the night of the fire, the restaurant had closed for the evening, with a couple of diners still seated, according to Eldridge. One of the diners noticed flames shooting up in the kitchen and alerted the wait staff, who grabbed fire extinguishers. They were not able to control the blaze, so the Little Rock Fire Department was called.

The Fire Department “got there almost lickety-split,” Eldridge said in a recent interview, “and did a wonderful job containing the fire.” The blaze was confined primarily to the kitchen. “There was not hardly any structural damage except to the ceiling,” Eldridge said.

Smoke damage was sustained throughout the restaurant, which will require having the eatery “de-smoked,” Eldridge said. “We’ll have to take all the pictures and the memorabilia down; it will be a pretty good-sized job.”

Despite the damage, Eldridge said he “is shooting for” Doe’s to reopen on April 15. “We have the contractors and the equipment people lined up and the insurance is taken care of.”