Choo Choo Restaurant

We love this place! So fun for the kids & You don’t have to sacrifice for the experience, the burgers are delicious. We come here every year for my sons birthday, it’s so great to have pictures & videos of him at every age enjoying the trains in new ways. Thanks to the Choo Choo for great memories with my son!

This is a classic choo-​choo café perfect for the kids. I hate to admit it, but I’ve actually been here without the kids (-: Their burgers and shakes are really good.
The wait can be long if you really want to sit rail side where the food is delivered by train. I would say its worth the wait. I have a 2 and 5 year old and they love it.

Awesome atmoshpere and customer service. took family for lunch and get in ahead of closing. enjoyed my hamburger. Kids loved the train theme!

I really can’t say enough good things about this unique, fun-​filled restaurant! It’s not only our son’s favorite restaurant, but my husband and I love it also. The food is delicious — freshly pressed and grilled hamburgers, gooey grilled cheese, crispy fries and onion rings, thick shakes (we love strawberry!) and homemade cupcakes with train whistles for the birthday boys and girls. The food delivered on the train is a lot of fun, our son is mesmerized by it. The music is always in season and there’s even a kids’ birthday club to sign up for! The restaurant in spotless. The service is so sincere and friendly. It’s a family run affair and we always feel right at home here. Think 50’s nostalgia paired with good diner food — Toot! Toot! What’s not to like?

This restaurant delivered on their promise. The ambience was excellent and the service was attentive and the food was flavorful.

Great fun, very basic menu but the burgers, hot dogs, fries, milk shakes and ice cream are top notch. The egg salad and onion rings were more so so,
But does that really matter if it get delivered to you on a model train?!? Snood the booths by the windows I’d you want train delivery service.

Although it is a bit small, the staff was great and most importantly my kids loved it.

Great food and amazing service. Burgers and fries are to die for and shakes are crafted to perfection. They don’t take reservations so be sure to come early to get a seat.

Arrived at 10:30 a.m. (opening) on Saturday and enjoyed a lively lunch with my sons for one of their birthdays. I wish they took credit card and I wish it was more clear the burgers come with fries already as I ordered a side of onion rings in addition to the burger basket. So we had four containers of leftovers! The waitresses were super friendly and sweet and food came quickly and very hot. It was a very good burger and we will definitely go back near everyone’s birthdays since we signed up for the Birthday Club! Lots of cool railroad memorabilia and a fun choo choo whistle. The birthday cupcake and song was a great treat for my 2 year old. Thanks for being in business and giving us a local family owned option instead of that silly chain over in Naperville! :)

The first restaurant I have been to that has a train running on a track carrying food to customers. Yes, they only take cash, but that is their 1950’s theme.
I am a child at heart and I love trains. I love the 1950’s music they play. They even have a special birthday song they play for children’s birthdays.
For those who do not wish to
sit at the counter and have the train deliver their food, there are tables to sit at.
They have wonderful milk shakes with real fruit in them. I went to a hot dog place the other day and the milk shake their was more like flavored milk.
You can get a healthy chili over there made with turkey and sloppy joes which most places do not offer.
The staff even dresses in fifties type outfits.
They even have a little moving car the children can sit and play in.

Brought my husband here since our son has been here. Very small place but it’s very cute. All the kids faces light up once the train brings the food. The prices are a little higher then normal diners. There is not a lot of parking and I am sure it’s always full. The waitress’s are all very nice :)

Small building and small menu but the burgers and fries were really good and the waitresses were very friendly.
If you go, know that you might not get to sit at the counter and have your food brought to you on the train. The booths don’t get the train service at their tables. It’s still a cute little place with good burgers and kids will enjoy it

My little guy LOVES trains so for his 2^nd bday party we made the longish drive to the Choo Choo restaurant in Des Plaines. It did not disappoint. I highly recommend celebrating your bday here. That is if you’re under 5 yrs old.
We arrived before 5:30pm and just in record time. There’s only a few booths that the trains deliver food to and we were lucky enough to score one of them. Just 10 minutes later we would have «missed the train» because the restaurant filled up fast.
We were greeted by lovely woman who placed orders for 2 kids grilled cheese and a turkey chili for my husband. Fancy bday dinner! I decided I’d nibble on the kids food and eat later at home. Any excuse to nibble on grilled cheese.
It couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes when the train pulled up to our table with all of our food. The kids were oh so excited! And everything tastes better when it’s delivered by a train so they gobbled up their grilled cheese and fries, which were quite good. My husband seemed to be a fan of his chili as well.
Once everyone finished their meals the real fun began. We placed an order for a bday cupcake and an ice cream sundae for the bday boy’s big sister. The ice cream was just hand delivered by our waitress (boring), but the delivery of the cupcake made up for it. They started playing a happy bday song and everyone in the restaurant started cheering. Then came the train… with a cupcake (complete with a candle and train whistle). If possible, I think my son was even more excited for the train than the cupcake because he could not keep his eyes off it.
All this bday fun for under $ 25! However, it may being even more affordable next time because we signed up for the bday club (oh yes we did) where kids eat for free on their bdays. On the way way out we treated our kids for a rides on the play train up front and then headed home. I’ve already promised both my kids that we can go back again for their next 10 bdays. While I can’t say I want to celebrate my own bday at the Choo Choo, I can’t think of a better place to celebrate a kid’s bday.

Great time for the family. Basic diner food. Great desserts! Okay prices. Loved watching the train go by.
Bring CASH!

Wow is this an awesome place, back to the 70’s! We were there on a Saturday around noon and boy was it hopping! All the tables and counter chairs were filled, we did get lucky that one booth was empty and everyone in line wanted to sit at the counter. We settled for the booth and got our food delivered by a human, if you sit at the counter the train brings your food.
We both had burgers and the turkey chili, all was good! If your not a fan and kids at a restaurant or happy birthday playing every 5 minutes this is not the place for you, but if you like a great atmosphere and good food go!

Rude staff. These people were only nice during their «save the choo choo» campaign when the city was going to take their lot for a police station. Looks like they forgot to save their customer service!
Dirty.
They try to kick you out at 30 minutes. If you get your food late they still try and kick you out in 30 minutes.
They only take cash.
Always an obscene wait. 45 min minimum. There have been about 10 – 12 people pushed up against the door way and lining the counter space half way up the shoebox size restaurant. Everyone loves hungry people grumbling at their backs, complaining how long the wait is and sometimes trying to bribe other patrons or worse guilt trip them to get ahead.
Booths starting to crack and be uncomfortable. Parking can suck and the lot has huge potholes.
Filled with screaming kids. Plays the same birthday song every ten minutes and blows a train whistle.
The kid ride remains broken for a year.
They charge a few dollars for a box cake mix cupcake that’s stale.
They give you sh*t about sharing food.
They give you shi*t about any question or food allergy.
The free birthday meal is sort of a scam. There’s a minimum purchase to sit down.
The fries are obviously those generic crinkle cut things from a Sams Club.
No longer putting up with this crap for the kid.
Did I mention gross tiny tiny bathroom?

A little electric choo choo train delivers your food! The train cars carry baskets of food as the cook stops the train right in front of you (granted that you’re sitting at the counter). This place is very small so you have a good chance to sit right next to the train tracks. If not, there are a few tables along the windows. Since it can get very busy, they enforce a 30 minute dining limit if people are waiting. Lots of families with kids come here and love it because of that neat train feature. You can’t help but feel happy when their faces light up with joy. Children can also eat for free on their birthdays. Just fill out a little card and give it to the staff. A birthday song plays and if someone is available they will toot the horn along with the tune!
Choo Choo has an old-​timey burger joint feel. There’s a simple menu that consists of various sandwiches, desserts, soft drinks, and milkshakes. Burgers are handcrafted, which is visually apparent since it isn’t perfectly round. A nice touch knowing they’re not frozen, generic patties. Ingredients are simple (lettuce, tomato, pickle) and it reminds me of making burgers at home or for a cookout. Strawberry milkshakes are bursting with flavor and even has chunks of actual strawberry in them. Prices are reasonable (cash only btw) and the staff is great. All of these things create a wonderful experience that you can’t get at many places. A must-​try for everyone. Oh, I’ve also heard the Space Jam theme song play here. Where else do you get that?!

Don’t mistake the Choo Choo Restaurant as a kids place only. Yes, it has kid appeal with a little train car seat and the model train track that circles the dining counter, bringing food to customers. They got serious food that appeals to both kids and adults.
First off, their burgers are great. They are pressed thin, grilled crisp around the edges, and a rich meaty flavor you’d expect from Smashburger or Meatheads. Want bacon or other toppings? You can request them and customize it to your liking. Not in the mood for burgers? Try their turkey chili. I never thought turkey chili, which is usually more bland than beef chili, could taste so good.
Fries are plentiful, which is a good thing with my younger son. And if that’s not enough, try their apple pie. It’s a huge slice with a small scoop of ice cream. Sugar sprinkled on top gives it the home-​made touch and in the words of my 10 year old, it was «the best apple pie ever.»
And did I mention hey have ice cream sundaes and cupcakes too? Check it out. Got no kids? Come for the food. By the way, it is best to come early (11 AM) or closer to 1 PM and beat the crowds that can line up past the door.
If you got kids, be sure to sign them up for their birthday meal with the Choo Choo during your visit.

Not only did I willingly go to a restaurant filled with little kids, it was actually my idea & I actually enjoyed myself! I’ve never seen children squeal with such delight as at the Choo Choo Restaurant… everyone was cracking up over how happy all the kids were.
We surprised Busia & took her there for lunch. Her & Grandpa used to take the Hubs there when he was just a wee tot & she was so excited when we pulled up. It was 11 a.m. on a Sunday so there wasn’t a wait and we actually snagged the last booth along the counter — SCORE! If you sit along the counter your food is delivered on the little train. Now, you don’t have to be a little kid to understand that is totally AWESOME!
Their burgers are similar in style to Steak & Shake but far superior, in my opinion. They were bigger & more flavorful, with that perfect crispy crunchy edge to the patty. Their onion rings are the beer battered style & oh-​so-​good. And the malt… oh the chocolate malt! At least one person in your party should get one and share if they are feeling generous. They don’t have a huge menu, but you can check out their offerings on their website. There’s certainly enough to please the kids & the kid-​at-​heart. Also, they are CASH ONLY & they will ring up your bill on their ancient cash register. And speaking of ancient… they have a gigantic old air conditioner that still works! I just had to take a pic of it; it’s floor to ceiling & bigger around than a refrigerator.
It’s a tiny place & there is probably one or two people cooking in the back & there were two sweet girls working the front. It might not be the fastest service as far as taking your order or bringing over your check but the food was ready pretty quick & being delivered on a train certainly speeds things up. ;-)
Oh, one last thing… it was one child’s birthday while we were there and they had the train deliver her a cupcake with a candle on it and they played the Happy Birthday song over the speakers, complete with the server tooting their train whistle along with the tune. It was very cute!

How cute is this place! ALL ABOARD!
I was looking for a fun place to take my visiting niece and nephews, and my non-​Yelper friend (shudder the thought) steered me to this location. I’m so glad she did! It’s simply adorable. And I also have to thank Eduardo E for his great review and tips. :-) I agree– sit at the counter so the mini train delivers its food directly to you and there’s more train interaction for the kids. No touching! ;)
It’s a small diner so you better like who you’re with or be able to handle them for at least a half hour, but the décor, staff and train make it super fun. The burgers and dogs were good and tasty, no complaints from the kiddos, but nothing too special, though very fresh! I loved me those hot, fresh, crisp yet tender fries, which they happily accommodated my request of no salt. Kids loved their root beer floats and since I’d been spoiling them with sugar all week, I opted to split their floats, with minor protests, but it was just the right amount. Even better, it came with a whistle for each child. Yup, that’s fun all the way home, boys and girls. Yikes. Lol Oh, and adults don’t skip that amazing apple pie. Omg, classic and yummy.
The prices are fairly affordable (CASH ONLY) but probably a definitely more than your average dog/​burger joint, but I’m willing to put in a few bucks more for the ambience, experience and smiles on those faces. I think we paid $ 60 for 5 meals with beverages, and 3 desserts, plus I tipped heftily, as it was well-​earned. We even traversed the Des Plaines flooding (spring 2013) to find the joint and I’d do it again.
I love the retro checkered décor and appreciate how sweet, patient and friendly the lovely servers were as we decided on our meals. I mean, if I had to wait on screaming kids all day, I’d want these people out of there ASAP– not that mine were screaming; proudly, they all did very well for Aunt Tina. Yay! But even when busy, the servers took our pic and without prompting, called the train back over in front of us. Nice touch!
Thanks for a great experience, Choo Choo! When my Dad visits next, you can bet we will be making that stop again. You will know it’s him cuz he will be wearing his conductor hat. No, he was never a conductor, but yes, he owns the hat. :-)