I grew up in Des Plaines, which is famous for trains and it’s train-themed restaurant. Ever since we published our article on train-themed restaurants in Lake County, I have wanted to take my youngest train-obsessed son to check out Caboose Restaurant (Mundelein). I’ve eaten their food (take out) and it was delicious, but I needed the full experience of dining-in with my tiny train conductor.
Caboose is a small restaurant in downtown Mundelein just down the road from the Metra station. Now in its sixth year, it is known for fresh home cooking, comfort food and community.
Cheryl says:
Caboose is a favorite for our family. The food is delicious and the menu is extremely family friendly. My children always seem to order the French toast. My husband is actually the reason we eat there so much. He is infatuated with their skillets. My favorite meal, hands down, is the corned beef hash attack. Yum!
When you enter Caboose, you will be greeted by cheerful staff and walls of colorful chalkboard menus. This is a fast-food restaurant with the quality of a home-cooked meal. Order, pay and take your number around the corner and find a seat. There is ample seating from tables, to extra-large booths and bar seating that lines the window–which allows for one whole wall looking over the train tracks. I went with two preschoolers who delighted in watching the cars and trains while they waited for their meal.
If the traffic isn’t interesting enough, there is a mural of a train along an entire wall and countless model cabooses and train memorabilia scattered throughout the restaurant. The booths are spacious, as we sat two adults, a pile of coats and a squirmy preschooler on one side and a car seat with baby, adult and preschooler — plus coats, on the other side, and still had room.
The food was, as Cheryl said, delicious! I had the Philly cheese steak and fries, the kids both had cheeseburgers and my friend had the chicken Philly. Since we were there in March, it was recommended that my husband try their corned beef Reuben. Word to the wise –if the restaurant employee tells you to try it, try it… notice I only got a picture of half… I had to snap pictures in between bites.
Honestly, for me, the best part was that when the toddler was ready to go, we could just leave. There were to go boxes on the side if we needed to pack up (there was nothing he ate the whole burger! And it was big!). You pay when you order so you don’t have to wait for a check, a big win when you are dinning with kids. I can’t wait to come again when the weather is nice and we can try out the patio!
Caboose Restaurant
320 E. Hawley St., Mundelein | (847) 388-3530
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