NOW BUY HAM BY SANDWICH.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

Selling hams is the primary business of the Honeybaked Ham chain, as well it should be.

Putting in a small cafe - only 11 tables - on the premises provides some extra money, but it shouldn't - and evidently doesn't - interfere with the primary business.

Consequently, around Thanksgiving the three month-old cafe on Devonshire Street was closed, allowing the staff to concentrate on selling hams.

The same will happen at Christmas.

Meanwhile, Honeybaked's secondary involvement - serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to diners who order at the counter, get a piece of plastic with a number on it and take it to their table where it signifies to a server where the food should be delivered - isn't always impressive.

Especially if items other than ham or turkey are ordered.

And that, in particular, includes entree side dishes at no extra cost.

Ironically, the plastic food replicas on display in the large area adjoining the dining room certainly look a lot better than the real plates presented to diners.

Maybe it's partly because the replicas are on real chinaware. The food you actually get sits on disposable plastic dishes, some of them compartmentalized, reminding of those trays we ate off in an army mess hall.

True, this Honeybaked's isn't expensive, all the meals being ticketed under $9. And true, the portions are quite large.

But the majority of the plates that emanate from this kitchen look and taste so institutional, it's hard to believe that you're sitting in a comfortable, marble-floored cafe in a Northridge shopping center and not in a plant cafeteria in the industrial district.

The words ``pasty'' and ``gluey'' come to mind when you eat the garlic mashers here. To boot, one time they were cold.

The promised ``fresh'' vegetables appear watery and tasteless.

Slightly better are the creamed spinach Alfredo and the cheesy scalloped potatoes, but not much.

And deviled egg potato salad would rate as passable if there weren't pieces of uncooked potato in it.

Seeming almost wonderful in comparison are the creamed corn and yam souffle.

But hey, there are still six untried optional accompaniments on the cafe's menu, and who knows, any one of them could be an improvement.

Perhaps, if Honeybaked Cafe's kitchen didn't try to do so much, it could do things better. I'm referring, of course, to lunch and dinner entrees, not untried breakfast items and sandwiches.

Looking back, I'd pick simple, lean, sliced ham or turkey here, over the overcooked pork, sticky sweet ribs and chewy tri-tip anytime.

In retrospect, it would have made sense to request the pineapple glaze, gravy or any sauce separately, because the kitchen tends to drown its meats in them.

And as a side benefit, the pretty good cranberry cornbread muffin or wedges of cheese bread that have been placed atop each main course plate wouldn't have the opportunity to get partially soaked, either.

HONEYBAKED CAFE

Where: 18540 Devonshire St., Northridge.

When: Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks from 8 a.m. daily to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Recommended items: Sliced ham or turkey, glaze or gravy on the side.

How much: Everything under $9. MC, V.

Wine list: No alcohol. Wine license pending.

Reservations: Not taken. First come, first served policy. Information and takeout orders: [phone].

Our rating: One star for food; two stars for limited service.