Round’s serves hometown from scratch

May 3, 2015

A domed roof, a rounded bar, and tables along a circular outer wall – what else would you call it, but Round’s?

As it turns out, the name is more than just a comment on the architecture. The diner on Eighth Street just west of Garfield started out as Jeff ’s Grill in 1947, then it became the Circle Inn. When Bill Round bought it in 1957, he renamed it Round’s Circle Inn.

By the time Toni and Kevin Whiting bought it from Toni’s parents 19 years ago, it was simply known as Round’s, and it has been ever since.

THE SCENE

Kevin Whiting spends the majority of his time at Round’s cooking. He says the key to the restaurant’s appeal is that virtually everything is made fresh.

"We cook from scratch," he says. "We do things the old-fashioned way."

That includes getting the freshest meats and other staples, like potatoes and vegetables.

Whiting says they work hard to make sure that the food is both tasty and reasonably priced.

"We have a steady clientele," he says.

THE MENU

Round’s kicks things off with an array of morning favorites: pancakes, French toast, omelets and eggs your way. One side noticeably missing is hash browns, but Round’s offers American fries in their stead and satisfies cravings for the breakfast staple with Toni’s Breakfast, a baked cheesy hash brown casserole topped with ham and eggs – served in the round.

Other special breakfast choices include steak and eggs, country fried steak, and homemade biscuits and gravy.

Lunch options include a bevy of sandwiches. On the cool side, there’s egg salad, roast beef, tuna and turkey. On the hot side, roast beef, burgers, grilled honey ham and Swiss, and French dip lead the way.

Those with a sweet tooth can opt for cinnamon or nutty rolls, homemade pie, strawberry shortcake, or a malt or shake.

THE BEST

Whiting says Stan’s Big Breakfast has long been a menu staple. With two eggs, American fries, your choice of toast or pancakes, and ham, bacon or sausage, it’s plenty big enough to kick off your day.

Raspberry French toast is perfect for those with a hankering for something sweet. Bread slices are dipped in egg and coated in crushed corn flakes before hitting the grill. Before serving, they’re adorned with dollops of raspberry cream cheese and raspberry syrup.

If it’s lunch you’re after, Whiting cites the Reuben as a favorite.

"We use a quarter-pound of corned beef," he says.

Round’s famous chili is another item customers request over and over. It’s mildly spiced and full of flavor.

"We simmer the pots on the stove for five hours," says Whiting.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Whiting says the restaurant has changed with the times. One change is the clientele, which led to a technology adjustment.

Round’s used to be a favorite place for delivery drivers to stop and grab a cup of coffee and something to eat. The advent of GPS tracking for many of those companies meant the drivers weren’t as free and flexible with their schedules, and that portion of the business dropped accordingly.

Whiting says that at about the same time, the restaurant began picking up college traffic, but had to make some adjustments to accommodate that segment.

"It changed things. We didn’t do credit cards and we’d send the college kids across the street to the ATM," he says.

In order to satisfy this new portion of their customer base, Round’s soon added the ability to pay with plastic.

THE SKINNY

Breakfasts (served all day) start at $3.59, omelets at $6.69. Sandwiches start at $4.39, burgers at $5.19. Salads start at $2.69, soup at $3.09.

Round’s is open 5:30am-3:30pm Monday through Friday, 5:30am-2pm Saturday, and 7am-2pm Sunday. They are located at 1033 E. Eighth St. For more information, call (231) 941-4124 or visit their Facebook page.