Good Eats and Railroad Treats

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I am looking for your favorite restaurants with a railroad view. If possible, give a rating in the # of trains seen in a typical hour of dining along with the restaurant’s location and railroad name. Hopefully we could use this in our travels.

Along CSX’s Atlanta to Chattanooga/Knoxville Main:

  1. Doug’s (in a 75+ year old converted country store), Emerson,GA(between Marietta and Cartersville) Rating: 1-5 trains

  2. Trackside Grill, Kennesaw, GA Rating: 1-5 trains

  3. Caper’s, Kennesaw, GA Rating: 1-5 trains

  4. Dalton Depot, Dalton, GA Rating: 1-6 trains

And one that is no longer with us (and my personal all-time favorite even though it closed in the late 1980’s) :

Racheal’s Cafe, Camak, GA (was attached to the Georgia RR depot) Rating: 1-4 trains(in the 1980’s)

Jay

2

Well cravings in Defiance is a good spot.its seasonal.however order a pizza from dominos and park where an old B&O railyard used to be behind the jr high.amount of trains varies.
stay safe
Joe

3

Joe’s Cafe in Devore, CA. is a great place to eat and watch trains.It is at the foot of Cajon Pass,and has BBQ on Saturday nights in the summer.[:D][:p]

4

If you are ever in New Westminster in British Columbia you should spend a night at the Keg.

They have a triple main line (SRY, BNSF and CP) that runs right into the yard by the New Westminster Quay.

There’s always lots of action and Auto Racks.

5

This is the easiest way and works almost anywhere.

If you’d rather sit in a restaurant, there are several fast-food type places along Orangethorpe Ave. in Yorba Linda, CA. The BNSF double track main is across the street.

In Fullerton, CA there is the Old Spaghetti Factory, in the refurbished UP station right next to the BNSF (Santa Fe)/Amtrak/Metrolink Fullerton station. The restaurant is often crowded, but at slower times you can get a partially obstructed view of the tracks.

There is a burger place at the corner of Norwalk Blvd/Los Nietos Ave in Santa Fe Springs, CA. Just about every seat has a view of the BNSF main line, and it’s right next to the Norwalk Blvd grade crossing.

In Colton, CA, there is a McDonald’s on Valley Blvd. right next to the BNSF-UP shared tracks. There are several UP pictures (only UP pictures) on the wall inside.

MP

6

There is a restaurant whose name I forget right next to the diamond at Plymouth, Michigan.

7

In colorado Springs theres a train themed restaurant called Guissepis ( I dont know how its spelled). And the mainline isnt that busy about 2 or 3 trains an hour. But the week of sept 14th 2004 there was a butt load of MOW going on and plenty of action watching them replace ties. It was pretty cool.

8

I believe the restaurant in Plymouth is Bode’s. It’s been a while since I was there, but my sister moved to that area recently; says it’s still there.

In Elmhurst, Illinois (my favorite train-watching spot), the best “Trains-for-dinner” spot is Two Brothers from Italy. Great food–pizza and Italian specialties–and a couple of good tables by the window The tracks are a short distance away (across the street, a parking lane, and the station platform), but the view is mostly unobstructed. The bad news: they’re open only in the evening. If I’m going to be in Elmhurst for lunch, I grab a sandwich at drink at one of many nearby possibilities and make use of a platform bench.

There’s a McDonald’s in Bensenville sandwiched between York Road and the lead curving northward from the CP’s Bensenville Yard. I’ve only been there once, but it has potential.

In LaGrange, there’s a Chipotle and a Noodles & Co. that are both just across the street from the BNSF “Racetrack”. Chipotle has a counter facing the front window, and also uses outdoor tables in better weather. On the other side, the cafe at the Borders’ Bookstore is up on the second floor, and gives an interesting down-on view of the action.

Cosi, an upscale sandwich chain, has a restaurant in part of the old Burlington station at Hinsdale. Not much indoor seating that would be good for train-watching (their prep area is along the trackside wall), but the outdoor tables are at the west end of the building.

I’m waiting for a good opportunity to check out the Coldstone Creamery outlet in Glen Ellyn. It’s right next to the tracks there and (according to my daughter) has some tables with good views. The diet doesn’t permit me to go within a couple hundred feet of that place, though.

All of these suburbs have many other places to eat that are pretty close to the tracks, but the views from the restaurants are blocked by station buildings, landscaping, or other “enhancements”.

9

This is the former Rio Grande passenger station. The theme is authentic!

10

The Norcross Depot, Norcross GA (just NE of Atlanta) is right on the NS mainline. If you can, eat on the patio out front (after the first train comes through, you will know why there are no tables on the platform near the tracks!) If you don’t get 3-4 trains during your meal, you eat too fast! The station is right between 2 grade crossings, so you do get some warning the train is coming. There is also a nice park across the tracks where you can watch trains and the kids can play. Nice old station too.

11

If your in Victoria, the Station House Pub/Railside Grill is located next to the E&N Railway’s Langford siding.

12

This is a really neat restaurant, I’ve been there a bunch of times myself. And the food there is actually really good too, mostly Italian.

I believe that there is also a deli/restaurant in Palmer Lake, Colorado (just north of the Springs) that is in it’s former depot so it also has a good view of the joint line. I havn’t been there, but I am going to try to get there soon.

13

The last time I was in Garrison, NY there was a restaurant in or near the station building, with outside dining tables near the platform area. The food was pretty good, and the view included all the stuff running on the ex-NYC&HR Hudson line in this area (north of Harmon).

What was interesting is that the Turbos got up to relatively high speed in this area (and perhaps now are even faster), which made for some interesting eatin’ to say the least at those outside tables from time to time.

14

I don’t know if it gets much better than the The Station Inn/Yardmaster Saloon in Cresson, PA, just west of the Horseshoe Curve on NS Pittsburgh Division. Go downstairs, get a burger and Rolling Rock, back up to the porch and watch the trains. Then, stay the night, eat pizza on the porch and watch the parade as long as you can stay awake. I’ve seen three on the mains and one local simultaneously. On the last trip there were almost 60 trains in 18 hours. There are two “sit down” restaurants within a couple of blocks that have some tables where you can see the tracks.

15

There’s an excellent, if a little pricey, restaurant in the former CPR station at Lake Louise, Alberta. Food is terrific as is the service and the view.

I’d also recommend Two Nice Guys in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Good Italian food and windows opening onto the Union Pacific’s ex-MP line to Kansas City. May have changed names, but still open and a good place to eat.

16

IT CHANGED NAMES TO THE CROSSING, VERY UPSCALE NOW, BUT, STILL GOOD FOOD

17

The Full Sail Brewery, Hood River, OR. In addition to all their tasty suds, they have good food. The UP runs right below the window, and BNSF is across the Columbia River.

18

Two places come to mind for me.

CShaveRR, you have good locations in the western suburbs (Chicago) and I will give a great spot in the southern suburbs.

Harolds Chicken is the best chicken in Chicago and possible the world. It is carry out only. There are numerous locations in the Chicago area. My favorite is in the South Holland area. I take the Harolds to Hollandale Park, south of 159th street and east of State Street. There is a picnic table in the park and to the east is the old C&EI mainline (now UP). There is always a train going by at lunch.

Another favorite is in Flagstaff, Az , on the east side of town adjacent to the old US 66 and next to the BNSF mainline is a railroad theme diner. Lots of trains and great food.

MP

19

The Old Spaghetti Factory in Vancouver,BC is right by the tracks,and evenings you can watch the commuter trains leave town.This place is walking distance from the commmuter station(old CP) which is also the end of the Skytrain route.
Also the Spaghetti Factory in Sacramento, is the old WP station which has a great view of the tracks.

20

I’ve only been to one resturant that has railroad action. That is the Station Grill in Jenkintown, PA not far from Philadelphia were I live. They have excellent food and lots of action. The action is SEPTA R5,R3,R2, and R1 (Silverliners, and AME locos). Trains run through there every 30mins. Another place I eat at all the time is a pizza place called Gizeppiees in Willow Grove, PA again not fall fr. Phila. There’s NS and Conrail intermodel traffic on it’s right of way, w/ the resturant overlooking the tracks.