“Our burgers primal cuts; it’s sirloin, chuck and brisket, so it’s essentially a steak burger — none of that ground beef.”

By Brandi Makuski

While it took a lot of renovation and elbow grease, Tommy’s American Grill is now open at 5110 Main Street.

The large dining room at Tommy’s American Grill. (City Times photo)

Owner Tommy Mandeville, along with partner Scott Kontney, opened the doors on July 1. Both have a background in food: Kontney has 15 years behind the grill of Hilltop Pub, and Mandeville ran a large pizza franchise in both Stevens Point and Janesville.

“We did $65,000 [in sales] our first week,” Mandeville said of the pizza chain. “That gave me some perspective into how much money you can make in this business if you do it right. Ever since that moment, I knew I wanted to open my own place and give it a shot.”

The restaurant is attached to Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, along with the hotel lounge, Dago’s New 51-10, and has labored under a slew of owners and names over the years. When Mandeville did a brief stint as a hotel employee, he had the opportunity to take the reigns in the attached restaurant.

“It’s been really great, lots of great reviews — 99.9 percent it’s been awesome,” Mandeville said.

The two serves traditional American food: burgers, ribs, prime rib, steaks and pulled pork, along with fish fry and other items.

“Our burgers primal cuts; it’s sirloin, chuck and brisket, so it’s essentially a steak burger — none of that ground beef,” Mandeville said. The quality…you can tell it’s a step up. We don’t freeze our burgers, and we cook it one a flat top so it’s nice and juicy.”

The restaurant has its own smoker, he added, and brisket will soon be added to the menu.

“We’re doing a lot of cool stuff you can’t really get around here,” he said.

The restaurant is split into two rooms; a primary room for tables and booths for four or less, where the restaurant will play music and feature sporting events. The larger dining space has been earmarked for larger groups and what Mandeville calls “date night, or other situations where you want to make a good impression”.

The entire dining space had to be renovated, Mandeville said, and now boasts a blue and brown color scheme with new furniture.

Tommy’s American Grill, 5110 Main St., is open daily for lunch from 11 AM to 2 PM and for dinner from 4 PM to 10 PM.