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Freddie's presents a menu of smiles

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

While the meat slowly roasts on the vertical spit, Freddie Greer uses the grill to make the final preparations to the gryo ingredients for two sandwiches at the restaurant in the Five Points gas station.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

As the final ingredient, Freddie Greer ads tomato chunks to a pair of gyro sandwichs at the resaurant in the Five Points gas station.

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Freddie Greer

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Denise St. Clair

JANESVILLE — Freddie Greer and Denise St. Clair are living their version of the American Dream in a corner of a gas station convenience store at Janesville's Five Points intersection.

Their path to prosperity involves long hours, creativity and putting a unique twist on a traditional product.

Their basic ingredient: the meat that goes into a gyros sandwich.

Greer is the culinary creator in this business partnership. He slices the gyros meat from the spit and makes the standard version of the Greek delicacy. But he also offers alternatives, incorporating ideas from other cuisines, to the delight of his customers.

Freddie's Gyros & More offers gyros nachos and gyros quesadillas, for example.

Greer invented Gyros Bites, which is gyros meat, cabbage, nacho cheese and hint of jalapeno pepper in an egg-roll wrapper, deep fried. The bites can be dipped in a spicy cucumber sauce or a sweet-and-sour cherry sauce, also Greer inventions.

Gyros Bites appear to be habit-forming.

"We can't keep 'em in the store," Greer said.

Freddie Fries are layers of nacho cheese, gyros meat and tzatziki sauce on top of a boat of fries and topped with "Comeback Seasoning."

Greer won't reveal the recipe for this blend of herbs and spices, saying only, "It's the seasoning that makes you come back."

Greer and St. Clair offer nine gyros-based dishes, and they're working on more. Greer said his goal is 50.

Freddie's been luring customers back for about a year at the former Subway store, located inside Campbell's Five Points Mobil, 600 W. Milwaukee St.

"My idea is to create food that everybody has but make it different," he said.

Currently, he's considering a stack of three meats with cheese and other ingredients on Texas toast. He might call it The Huh.

A burly man stepped up to the counter recently and testified that Freddie's dishes out something special.

Chad Stacy of Janesville said he was introduced to gyros in Rockford, Ill., and Freddie's is the only place in the area he has found good gyros.

"Some are gross, and some are perfect. There's nothing in between," Stacy said.

Another customer is Diane Stratton, a clerk at the gas station.

"I like that I can feed my entire family for less than $20," Stratton said.

Greer said part of the secret is that the meat spends time on the grill before its served. "It just locks in the flavor."

St. Clair was a customer before she became a partner. Her kids couldn't get enough of Greer's chicken.

Greer was thinking of closing the business when St. Clair joined him and gave the enterprise new energy. Greer credits her for solving the problem of getting the food out fast enough during the noon rush.

"Denise came along and gave us 100 percent, and here we are today, pushing out the best gyros on the planet," said Greer, who doesn't miss an opportunity to promote.

The pair run the restaurant, with help, seven days a week. They find time to cater and to dish out gyros at the Repeat Retreat Flea Market on Center Avenue.

If you want, chat with Greer or St. Clair. They welcome good-natured banter.

"It's almost like a bar here. You hear stories. You're thoroughly entertained," St. Clair said.

Greer has been working in restaurants for about 20 years, starting in his native Mississippi. He didn't know much about gyros until a few years ago, when he worked for his former probation officer, the Rev. Danny Evans, who ran a gyros place in Beloit.

Evans sold the business to Greer, who moved it to Janesville.

"He's a great guy. His wife is my wife's best friend," said Evans, who is pastor of the House of God in Janesville.

Evans, by the way, has reopened his gyros place in Beloit, Danny Boy's Gyros and Wings.

Greer said he got into trouble some years back, and Evans helped him get right with God and the law. Later, Evans hired him, and Greer taught Evans his technique of grill-treating the meat before serving.

Greer said he loves doing what he does.

"I like seeing my customers smile. That's the main thing," he said.

"Here we try to treat you like family—food that makes you smile when you take a bite out of it, so you're happy when you leave."

Greer continues to create new dishes, but he has greater dreams of owning his own sit-down restaurant some day, maybe serving soul food, and he's considering franchising the Freddie's brand.