In case you haven't heard, Charlotte's Eats & Sweets Shoppe, a 13-year presence in the tiny, southeast-of-Little Rock community of Keo, has some wonderful desserts.
   Those of you who haven't heard are probably few. Owner Charlotte Bowls doesn't advertise ; she doesn't need to. Word of mouth travels fast. The restaurant has been featured in Southern Living and several other magazines.
   But in case you haven't heard, here goes.
   Settling in a former drugstore to which Bowls came as a young girl, she began her business as a pie shop -- "and it just took off," she says. She now offers a headspinning, lip-smacking array of made-from-scratch pies, cobblers and cakes.
   Most customers come from elsewhere -- Little Rock, nearby England and even as far away as Memphis. Many church groups come through and sample the wares, which also include plate and other lunches from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 to 3 on Saturday and catfish, chicken, shrimp dinners from 5-8 p.m. Saturdays.
   Not surprisingly, Bowls gets more older customers. "They're the ones that really know about homemade desserts" like burnt sugar pie, she says. And many a customer has told Bowls that her desserts are better than what Mom used to make. Here, fans don't care about presentation. Desserts may fall over; they may break apart, but customers still want them.
   Charlotte's offers 25 flavors of pie, plus cakes and puddings. All desserts are $3.50 per slice. Whole pies can be ordered in advance for $18; walk-in orders are $21. Whole cakes are not available to the public. Bowls says, explaining that she and her crew could not keep up with the orders.
   Among the popular selections are the coconut pie, the almond chocolate bar cake and the Italian cream cake. Seasonal desserts include the strawberry pie (summers ), the pecan pie (winters). Additional specialties include the lemon meringue pie, the epitome of its name -- light, lemony and yummy; and the aforementioned burnt sugar pie, a backslidingly rich pie version of the Sugar Daddy caramel lollipop. Servings are generous.
   Special days bring special desserts at Charlotte's, which is closed Sundays and Mondays: Every Tuesday is custard day. Each Wednesday is lemon meringue pie day. Each Thursday is fruit cobbler day. Each Friday is pecan pie or strawberry pie day. Saturday's specialty is apple or cherry pie; banana pudding is also served that day. Sweet potato pie turns up on Saturdays and "at different times," Bowls says. "It's one of my favorite pies." Coconut, chocolate and caramel pies are served each day.
   Other dessert flavors include cheesecake, German chocolate, orange and strawberry cakes.
   The restaurant is open for dessert only from 3-5 p.m. Saturdays. Bowls urges customers to call on Saturday morning and pre-order their favorite dessert, as she may run out of it and has heard protests of " ... But I drove all the way from... " a few too many times. Checks are welcome; no credit cards accepted.
   Charlotte's Eats & Sweets Shoppe, 290 Main St., Keo, (501) 842-2123. Just Desserts sorts through the sugar and spice. E-mail divine dessert recommendations to:
   

hwilliams@arkansasonline.com

This story was published Friday, October 06, 2006