Fans of specialty hamburgers, ice cream and breakfast any time of day have a place to go in downtown Houston.
Swingle’s Grand Avenue Café began operation in late May on Grand Avenue, and is run by Eric and Amy Swingle, who offer a variety of unique items.
Eric is a Pennsylvania native who has been a military police officer at Fort Leonard Wood for close to 20 years. Amy is a Houston native who has for 14 years worked as a secretary at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking.
Highlighting Swingle’s menu is an assortment of hand-pressed specialty burgers (all made with ground-round on toasted buns), including a sauerkraut burger (topped with sauerkraut and onions that are grilled together), jalapeno burger (for patrons who like the heat), mushroom and swiss burger and the tall and tasty ranchero burger (piled high with cheese, bacon, pickle, a big batter-fried onion ring, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise).
“We didn’t want to be just another place where you can get a greasy burger,” Amy said. “We wanted to go beyond that and offer specialty and custom-built items – at an affordable price.”
A previous business at the same location left behind several pieces of frozen-treat-making equipment, so there are many choices of ice cream, shakes and other cold selections. Breakfast choices include a build-your-own burrito and made-from-scratch biscuits and gravy, and specialty soups could soon be added to the winter menu.
“We try to give everybody a decent meal at a decent dollar,” Eric said.
Swingle’s often offers chances to help fellow citizens and get discount on food at the same time – like a school supplies drive and an upcoming coat drive.
“We’ve tried different things to get the community to come together in more ways,” Amy said. “I think there needs to be a lot more of that here – not enough people are caring.”
Discounts are available to members of any branch of law enforcement or military, and to senior citizens (over 60).
“We have some ideas for offering more to the community,” Amy said. “We have five kids, and I grew up here and I kind of like the place, and I think if you don’t put enough focus on the kids and people in your community, you really don’t have anything.”
Swingle’s current hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The phone number is 417-967-2020, and the business can be found on Facebook.
“If you want a good burger, come out and try us out,” Eric said. “We would love to hear feedback from as many people as possible, whether it’s ways we can improve or why you loved something.”