Fly Inn

• 626 10th Street
• Plainwell, MI 49080
• (269) 685-1554
• No Known Website
• Menu

My day was whacked.  I got home from work Sunday morning at about 12:30.  I fell asleep around 2:00 then was woken up to come back to work around 4:00.

When I got back home around 8:00, J and L were just starting to stir.  I crawled in bed with them and we played with L who seems to be super happy when she wakes up in the morning.

We had talked about just going back to sleep, but then, almost in unison, our tummies growled.  Breakfast sounded better than sleep at that point.

A few months ago, we tried to go to the Fly Inn in Plainwell on a Sunday for breakfast.  What we didn’t know is that they close at noon on Sunday.  We pulled in at about 11:55, so we ended up at Player’s Grill for lunch instead.

We decided to try again since it was 8:30 meaning we would get there in plenty of time.

The Fly Inn sits right next to the Plainwell Municipal Airport near the corner of 10th and 106th Avenue to the north of the city limits.  The restaurant sits north of the corner and is sort of surrounded by the airport. You can arrive either by car or airplane. 

We thought we were doing pretty well getting to the restaurant around 9:00, but the place was already full.  The very small restaurant only has about a dozen tables and all were full when we got there.  We stepped through the door and the cook, who I believe was also the owner, asked us how many.  You see, as you walk in, you damn near walk in to the kitchen.   The small cook top is separated from you only by a wall that is about chest high.

A large table in the back opened up first, but J and I didn’t want to take up a table that is more suited for a large group.  We could see there were a couple of tables finishing up as the large table was being cleared, so we offered to wait a little longer, but they were more than willing and had ever started to set the table up to seat us at the large eight top.

A few minutes later, a four top near the door was cleared and a waitress came over with a high chair for L and menus for us.  J started with a small OJ and a glass of water.   I didn’t see pop as an option on the menu nor did I see anyone else drinking it so I just ordered a large Orange Juice.

The menu isn’t very large.  It’s pretty basic breakfast staples with a handful of specials…including, what I’m told, are delicious Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes.

J bit on one of the specials.  She ordered a scramble that came with asparagus, yellow squash, onion, tomato, bacon, and cheese.  For the most part, the scrambles are omelets, but instead of the non-egg ingredients being folded in to the middle, the ingredients are mixed in with the eggs.  J said the scramble was delicious.  She loved the fresh, seasonal ingredients that made this something more unique than a typical breakfast plate.

I also jumped in on a scramble, but I ordered off the menu.  My choice was #11 which is called George’s Scramble.  The three eggs are mixed with sausage, bacon, ham, and cheese.  The large scramble is loaded with the meats.  It was literally bursting at the seams.  There are large pieces of ham and sausage as well as crispy strips of bacon.  The scramble is topped with cheese and served with choice of toast.

All three of us got wheat toast.  L’s we get dry (always makes me think of the Blues Brothers…”Don’t you blaspheme in here! Don’t you blaspheme in here! This is my man, this is my restaurant, and you two are just gonna walk right out that door without your dry white toast, without your four fried chickens, and without Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy!”)

The bill was just a tad over $18 and the Fly Inn only accepts cash.  I think when we walked in to the Fly Inn, we were both a little worried.  I had no doubt we were going to get a solid breakfast, but this is the kind of joint where the regulars really are regulars.  The wait staff was incredibly friendly and even though we were basically outsiders, we were treated like we had been coming to the place every week for years.  I really enjoyed breakfast at this quaint little diner and would love to become a regular, but alas, it’s a little bit of a drive from Kalamazoo to do it every week.

Asparagus, Yellow Squash, Onion, Tomato, Bacon, and Cheese Scramble w/Wheat Toast

#11 George’s Meat Scramble w/Wheat Toast