By Beth Wade

Friday, 02 December 2011

Owner keeps up the family business

ROUND ROCK — Along one of the busiest stretches of RM 620 just west of I-35 and across the street from Round Rock High School sits a restaurant that has been serving diners classic dishes for almost 20 years.

Owner recommendations

Fajita Skillet (.99): House-smoked fajita meat layered with three scrambled eggs, home fries, onions, green and red bell peppers, mushrooms and covered with chili con queso; served with toast, biscuit, English muffin or tortillas

Big Burrito (.99): A choice of chicken, beef fajita or pork carnitas stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, refried beans and covered with chili con queso and enchilada sauce; served with Spanish rice and refried beans

Liver and Onions (.89): Served with a choice of two sides

Chicken-fried steak (.89): Served with a choice of two sides

Two Chic’s Catering

While 620 Café and Bakery has always offered catering, owner Brandy Jones said about two years ago she began taking an aggressive approach to the catering side of the business. In 2011, she started Two Chic’s Catering out of the restaurant. The catering business now has two vans and is the exclusive caterer for several event centers in Round Rock, including Fountain Glen and Bella Notte on Main Street. Jones said she caters all around the Austin area from Georgetown, Cedar Park and Taylor to South Austin.

Owner Brandy Jones grew up in the restaurant business and worked as a waiter and manager for 620 Café and Bakery while in high school when it was still under her parents’ ownership. After graduating from college and returning to the restaurant business, Jones decided to purchase the restaurant from her parents, Scotty and Jeri Stroup, in 2007.

“My parents had restaurants since before I was born, so I was raised in restaurants,” Jones said. “We went and did school; we went and did our extracurricular; and we went to the restaurant. I just like it. I’m at home here.”

Her parents also own other local favorite establishments Main Street Grill in Round Rock and 1431 Café in Leander.

For a brief period in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Stroups leased the building to Serranos, which later moved to La Frontera shopping center. The Stroups then decided to reopen 620 Café and Bakery in 2003.

Though they no longer own the restaurant, Jones said her parents still offer their services. Even her grandmother will still come in and roll silverware, and her own children, now 4 and 8 years old, will hang out in the restaurant.

“This has been in my family [for years], which I think is really cool,” Jones said. “It’s very family [oriented]. Everybody treats everybody like family here, even the customers.”

The restaurant also features several unique takes on standard American fare, including the Red Neck Benedict ($9.29), which replaces English muffins with a biscuit, a poached egg with scrambled eggs and hollandaise sauce with sausage gravy.

“All our food is a little different,” Jones said. “Everything is just a little twist off the norm, and our portions are huge.”

Jones also recommended the Fajita Skillet, which comes with smoked fajita meat on scrambled eggs with home fries, onions, peppers and mushrooms, all covered with chilli con queso. The breakfast is served on a choice of toast, biscuit, English muffin or tortillas.

Along with a mix of breakfast entrees, the restaurant also offers Mexican dishes, salads, burgers, sandwiches and chicken-fried steak.

The restaurant offers diners a wide selection of dessert and bakery items ranging from bread by the loaf to muffins, quiches and kolaches to pies and cakes. Customers can also order custom cakes for birthdays, weddings and other events.

620 Café and Bakery also features a meeting room that seats about 50 people for banquets, parties and other events. Jones said the venue has also served as the site of three weddings through the years.

620 Café and Bakery
910 Round Rock Ave.
244-1009
www.620cafeandbakery.com

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