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Order lunch and watch the customers buy cars

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The Jeep Grill is a cheap thrill. This modest but pleasant cafe is tucked inside the Central Jeep Chrysler Dodge showroom on the Auto Mile, an area that's generally bereft of places to get a decent bite to eat. Somewhat surprisingly, the Jeep Grill provides a better-than-decent meal: creative sandwiches, meat loaf, crabcakes, homemade soups, and more. The surprise diminishes upon learning that the Fiat sales manager is longtime Boston restaurateur Ronnie Catanese, who once ran the Rat Pack, Go Fish, and St. Botolph restaurants. After switching over to car sales at Central Automotive, where his brother Peter is president, Catanese created the cafe to serve employees and customers. But everyone is welcome, if you can find it (signage is minimal). "It's not five-star fine dining," says Catanese, "but it's quick casual that exceeds expectations." The restaurant veteran sees certain similarities between food service and auto sales. "We're both . . . making people happy." Jeep Grill, 56 Boston-Providence Highway, Norwood, 781-769-5337.
JANE DORNBUSCH