Given the choice, who would opt to have a Giant Mess for breakfast?

According to Janelle Kiss, owner of Janelle’s Diner in Pemberville, plenty of people choose to start their mornings with J.D.’s Giant Mess, a breakfast special that includes two, three or four eggs scrambled together with green peppers, onions, tomatoes, home fries, mushrooms, cheese and bacon, ham or sausage. Toast is served on the side.

If that just doesn’t sound quite filling enough, there’s the Pemberville Pleaser – a five-egg omelet with potatoes, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, bacon, sausage, and cheese smothered with sausage gravy.  “I’ve learned the farm guys around here like homemade food and big portions,” Kiss said, adding that the diner’s menu includes many smaller-sized meals too.

Every morning, Kiss makes her way to the diner, arriving as early as 4 a.m. on weekdays for her “dream job.” The diner opens at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, at 6 a.m. Saturday and at 7 a.m. Sunday.

“I love mornings, and when you love your job, it makes it easier – plus the place is mine,” the Oregon native said.

“I have been working in restaurants for 25 years. I started waitressing when I was 15 at Tom’s on Woodville Road,” she said. “I told my mom I wanted to own a restaurant and I gave myself until the time I was 40. I turned 39 in March.”

After 25 years of restaurant experience, Janelle Kiss, owner of Janelle’s Diner, wanted to open her own mom-and-pop diner where good food and good people could come together. (Press photo by Tammy Walro)

She had considered purchasing The Skillet in Walbridge, where she worked as the manager, until fate and an unexpected “pit stop” brought her to Pemberville.

“Two summers ago, my husband and I were on a motorcycle ride and stopped at Cherry’s Bar because I had to use the restroom,” she said.

“We found we really liked Pemberville and the people here,” she said. “We started coming to Pemberville on the bike for our Monday-night date night.”

About a year later, the couple decided they wanted to make Pemberville their home. “Our Realtor, Denny Henline, was showing us homes, and he asked my husband and I what we did for a living.

“When I told him what I did and about my goal to own my own restaurant he said Pemberville could use a little diner, he brought me here,” Kiss said. “And that was it. I really liked the location”

At the time, the location was being used as a daycare, but it had previously been the home to Marcia’s Kitchen.

The daycare subsequently moved down the street.

From the outset, she knew she wanted a diner – a “mom-and-pop” place with homemade breakfast and lunches a homelike atmosphere.

For the décor’ she chose a mix of antiques and memorabilia from different decades, to appeal to diners of all ages – including a small library of antique books from 1836, her husband’s first camera and old record albums, etc.

The menu was the easy part. “I took what I had learned all of my experiences over the years and put it in one menu,” she said.

She hired Lou Zeisler to cook the menu items up. “Everybody knows Lou. She is awesome,” Kiss said.

In addition to the aforementioned J.D.’s Giant Mess and the Pemberville Pleaser, the breakfast menu includes all the typical favorites including eggs in all their delicious forms, assorted pancakes, French toast and a number of sides. Popular favorites include Bobby’s Breakfast Club (named for her husband) and Janelle’s Breakfast Bowl – a biscuit cut in half, two sausage patties, two scrambled eggs, hash browns, homemade gravy and cheese.

For lunch, diners may choose from various sandwiches (BLT, burgers, tuna melt, grilled chicken or tuna, chicken or egg salad, among others), plus chicken tender, chicken nugget or shrimp baskets.

Daily specials are posted on the sandwich board outside.

“We have Lake Erie perch every Friday and every Tuesday is Mexican Day, with homemade tacos and beef and bean burritos, and also a Mexican omelet for breakfast,” Kiss said.

Soup lovers will want to check out the daily offering. “We have beef barley, chicken noodle, split pea, stuffed green pepper soup, beef noodle, cheesy broccoli – I could keep going,” Kiss said. “Lou also makes a delicious Parisian soup and a cheeseburger soup.” Chili is available every day.

What would lunch at the diner (or breakfast, for that matter) be without dessert? Janelle’s offers an assortment of homemade pies , including an apple crumb top, pecan, sweet potato and more. “I have four guys that come in here when they know Lou is making chocolate peanut butter and they will eat the whole pie,” Kiss said.

Diners who don’t see something on the menu are urged to ask, she said. “I like to wait the tables myself because I really welcome input from the diners – what they like, what they want,” Kiss said. “I added a fried bologna sandwich  at the request of one of our regulars.”

Janelle’s winter hours are Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kiss also caters parties, and hosts daytime and evening parties at the restaurant.

The diner has a kids’ menu  featuring assorted breakfast and lunch favorites.

Cash and checks are accepted. Carryouts are available by calling 419-287-7043. 

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