Close quarters packed with history, this little gem contains within itself one of the best burgers Ive had. Not only this city, but ever. Tried their bacon cheddar melt on rye with choo choo sauce. BOOM! Excellent fries and potato salad, quick service with a smile. The type of place Id like to be a regular.
Just found this little gem down the street from work. I think I found my favorite lunch spot! It reminds me of the little breakfast joint I used to eat at in Evanston years ago.
A great place for easy to eat chili and burgers. Give it a go if you're in the area. I don't enjoy eating hot spicy chili and theirs is really good.
Everything Burger. I just asked for everything with cheese... They made it for me and it was amazing.
Burger with magical olive sauce. So this is definitely not a date night spot as seating is extremely limited (you should be prepared to take your food to go if need be). However, if you don't mind pulling up a seat at the counter and watch the juicy burger creation sizzle before your eyes, get your butt over here.
I'm not sure if the olive sauce on my burger was a mistake as they literally have an Olive Burger on the menu and I had ordered a Cheeseburger Deluxe but here is how my thought process went.:
First bite is delicious burger magic. The meat is juicy and flavorful.
Second bite: "Oh....I will be back. There is something different about this burger."
Third bite: "Ok, no really, there is something different but what the heck is it?!"
Fourth bite: "Are those olives I'm tasting? Oh my gosh, there are minced green olives in my sauce! Ok, I officially love olive burgers."
I can't say much for the fries but definitely check this local spot out!
Great food, good people and crazy conversation, rick, kathy and annette will make sure u get a seat when it is jam packed with customers.
Neighborhood Classic. Best bugers, fries and malts in GR. Try the homemade chili too, it's delicious. The atmosphere is cozy and the staff never forgets a face. Large portions and low prices make the Choo Choo a regular stop for most northenders.
Historical and Cool. The choo choo grill is one of the oldest operating burger joints in the town with a great historical story! It is literally located next to a rail road track and it was built in 1946 for rail road workers. It is very cute and is one of the smallest restaurants I've ever been inside! It seats aprox 12 people. When you walk in it has a long wrap around bar with stools and 3 booths. So if you don't like people you might not want to dine here because you will be very close in proximity lol They sell huge hamburgers, fries, and breakfast.
Awesome breakfast and fantastic, friendly service. Can't wait to go back again.
Funky little place great service
The burgers in the top five
One of the best burgers in Grand Rapids. It might just be my favorite. This is the old 1930s style lunch counter where the cook and waitress know everyone's name. The cook is three feet away from the counter and it's fun to watch her perform cheeseburger perfection. The patty melt is tops, as well and possibly more unique than their regular burger. It's gritty with lots of character. A Grand Rapids must stop that lives up to its reputation.
Best in Show. The cheddar bacon melt is easily my favorite burger in town. About ten seats at the counter and two booths, that's it. Thick cut steak fries. Food is cooked to order, plated and served piping hot. The sausage scramble is outstanding. (No skimping on the sausage!). Family run biz has been around for years. Highly recommended for relatively cheap diner-type chow.
A Grand Rapids gem that we had not been to so we tried their breakfast. It was a great experience that we will enjoy again. Friendly staff and customers, good food and a nostalgic atmosphere all rolled up into one small space.
If you're tired of McDonald's breakfast....READ THIS! Today I stopped in the choo choo grill because of an article I read about this place coming to an end. I drive past this small shack daily and wondered what their food tastes like. Well I can wonder no more! The conductors omelette is what you're looking at, and let me tell you, it's beyond incredible! The portions are bigger than I expected, and the flavor has my taste buds dancing. I was skeptical at first but everyone in the restaurant said that I wouldn't be disappointed. The chef clearly has mastered the art of seasoning food to perfection. There's all sorts of old historical photos of locomotives on their walls. Needless to say I'm so glad I stopped in this morning. I did learn that the owner for the property is selling the building. So I will gladly continue to stop in and support the choo choo grill on Plainfield Ave until they close their doors. And as everyone said to me this morning, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
I've been wanting to stop in here since I moved to the area more than a decade ago, and only just made it over this week. It was a delightful experience. Everyone was friendly, personable, and real. It felt like a true neighborhood/community vibe. And the food was great! I had a chocolate malt and the Patty melt and would definitely recommend both. Besides that, the prices are more than reasonable. I hope whoever buys this place aims to keep the spirit of the Choo Choo Grill alive.
We stopped here for some breakfast before heading home. The place is small and quaint. The atmosphere is inviting. We took the food for take out because I had to go to work. We had the omelette’s. They were delicious. This is a good place to eat. If you want time away from all those corporate greedy restaurants try this place. Small inviting quiet place that makes great food. I would definitely recommend
This is an amazing little place. The people are friendly and the food is good. Gives you that old style diner where they cook in front of you. The menu isn't huge but the portions are generous. The bacon double cheeseburger is one of my favorites.
Best malts on the planet. Been coming here since. I was a kid and have loved it every time. The diner is brimming with character and the multitude of train memorabilia on the walls is a delight. Be it breakfast or lunch the food being cooked on the griddle right in front of you is bound to taste fantastic. Hope this place is able to keep providing amazing food and memories for years to come.
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A member of our group said there was the best paddy melt he's ever had.
Another member said the burger awesome.
I had fish and onion rings. Truth be told wasn't happy about the Onion rings. They look perfect but I don't believe the grease was hot enough and the grease was caught behind the batter. The fish sandwitch was great, but it is the flat fish type.
I still give it five stars as they are known for their Burgers and not the onion rings. It was 12:00 and grease gets cool because of the high number of orders.
The atmosphere is authentic, It is an extremely old building that is one of the core historical landmarks that made grand rapids great.
Built in 1924 next to the railroad tracks and closed in 1946 because the Shipman Coal office moved.
It looks like an old railroad switch house but it was the old coal office to sell coal that arrived by rail. Without coal to homes Grand Rapids could not have been a big city it is today.
I really hope that this remains a restaurant when sold and would love to return.
This is a historical landmarks and the cost of administration is the cost of a meal.
Small place. No bathroom. Crowded. But very homey. It's closing soon so have a sit before it's gone.
Simple diner style food. But delicious. Especially the breakfasts. Lunch is okay based well. Engineer's Special is a must with a heaping bowl of chili. Great onion rings as well.
Go taste some history before it's gone.
This place is a gem. Reasonable prices and a friendly staff. The seating is very limited. My omelet was light with plenty of meat and veggies inside. The sausage Patties had a really good sage taste. The food goes from the griddle to your plate. My food stayed hot until I finished. There were plenty of blueberries in the blueberry pancakes. I added onions to my American fries. I would definitely go back for lunch.
Easily one of the better burgers in Michigan. It’s got that old flat iron grill that churns out the juiciest burger you can imagine. Onion rings are incredible and the food is just perfect!
There’s not a lot of seating room, maybe 15 total chairs/spots to sit. So don’t bring a big group unless you plan for take out!
The owners are super friendly and nice as well!
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