My son had the best lunch of his little life here! - The food was great! - The trains are constantly moving, not just when they're delivering meals. - The staff was friendly and attentive. - The theming and decor was clean, fresh, and had tons of trains! Tip: Arrive early! Every table/both is against the train tracks but it's a pretty small place. It fills up quickly!
(5)
Alicia T.
Just went last night after being not having gone in for awhile apparently management has changed. Waited at the door, was not greeted, watched two booths get cleaned off and then just sat there for several minutes before we were given ok to sit down. Only one high chair had working seatbelt buckle for our almost 2 yr old. Never got menus, had to call waitress over to order while our child melted down. Toy machines were almost completely empty, nobody told us bye/ thank you. So sad, this use to be a great place.
(1)
D R.
Great place to come with kids. Food is good and delivered by a train! The staff is awesome. The place is a good size and decorated with a lot of cool stuff from trains to an ammo can, oorah! Love it.
(5)
S. B.
will never do this place again~the $7.50 cheese burger was tiny 1/8 inch thick and literaly burnt TO A CRISP around the edge =crunchy beef !! not good greasy fries=then to make matters worse a RODENT was spotted by the customers running around so the owner was walking around looking for him under tables ------AND the train whistle was broken only 3 booths so if u have very little kids they need to sit on a stool ~~~~will never do this place again
(1)
Bre S.
We brought our daughter here for her second birthday this past Wednesday. I know this place is under new management and I've read the mixed reviews but overall we were happy with our experience-some things can be tweaked so that's why I'm writing this review. When we arrived the place was very busy but the line moved fast and we were seated quickly. My daughter loved the 25¢ horsey ride in the front! We were seated at a booth and the wait staff greeted us promptly. The train decor and the train serving the food thrilled my daughter so that's a win! The food was good-my husband and I ordered cheeseburgers and my daughter had a grilled cheese. My husband also had a strawberry shake which was excellent! They sent a cupcake out for my daughters birthday that had a train whistle in it-she loved the whistle and mom and dad helped her eat the cupcake which was really good. A couple of things: 1. It's odd for the wait staff to ask for us to hand over our empty baskets of food. I think 2 toots needs to hire some people to help bus tables. 2. Our burgers came out with out any toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle) which was remedied when I told our server about it. 3. It seems like the staff is rushed to get people in and out which I can understand but I think this lead to some oversights. All in all this place was cute and the food was good so I plan on coming back!
(4)
Kris L.
2 stars for the food, 4 for the excitement my 3yo gets from the train. It's a great place to bring the kids for lunch or dinner. Every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the train. The decor is very cute and the oldies playing adds to the ambiance. She also loves the .25 mechanical horse ride. The food is something left to be desired. Last time I was here, I ordered the BLT. Like another reviewer mentioned it was very dry and my bacon seemed like it was cooked in the morning or the day before. Meh. Ordered a root beer float and that was very good. My suggestion, come for the dessert (shakes, floats). They have a groupon often. I'd look for that before coming to save some $. Also sign your kid up for their birthday club where they receive a free meal in the month of their bday.
(3)
Brandy W.
Great place. My kids loved it and it's much more chill than some of the other train joints around town. I personally loved that the only ride on toy they had was only a quarter! Everyone sits on the tracks and that's awesome. The only complaint (which is what makes me torn on which train place is better) is that the food is just not that great and majority is frozen...
(5)
Diane V.
Love this place to bring our grandkids to and other kiddo guests! They play 50's & 60's pop songs, have a super friendly all-female crew, and the train that delivers the food orders is a delight for the little ones. TV screens play Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons, silently. I love the genuine train whistle. Food's not bad, actually, and the milk shakes are good! Only issue I have is that the wait staff seem to want to rush you to finish.
(5)
Rich W.
We just recently went back with some friends, we all have 5 year olds so we caved. The burgers were decent this time around, the service was slow but good and the staff were friendly. The fries still suck, but a kid doesn't care. My son and his friend had fun and can't wait to go back. Much improved over last visit.
(3)
Toni T.
We took our daughter here for the first time. So many of our friends bring their children here. I guess you pay for the ambiance. It's a cute concept and, contrary to some of the reviews on here, our service was fine. Not excellent. Just ok. My biggest issue is the food. It was absolutely awful. I had the BLT. It was dry and flavorless. There were barely any fries with my order and they were stale and bland. My husband has the double-decker burger and asked for it medium. It came out burnt to a crisp. My daughter had a grilled cheese and it was also bland and flavorless. We each had dessert and our bill was $40, which I found expensive for 3 people and awful food. I'm glad we went here once just to see what it was all about, but we will not be going back.
(1)
Og B.
this is my fav choo choo diner. kids love it! food is diner-licious
(5)
Jerry D.
This is of my favorite places to visit when I come to visit my friends. I always have to stop here at least twice during my visits and get one of their Bacon burgers and their chilli. The burgers are amazing and better than any of the other big burger chains around and I love the fact they use grass feed beef and glutin free products. Their chilli is always great, especially on top of their burgers. The staff is very friendly and you always receive prompt service. Food is always fresh and arrives quickly and made the way you ordered it. This is a great place to bring the whole family, especially the little ones. I love how the food comes on the trains and you always see the excitement in the kids faces as they watch the trains deliver the food and the fact they are right next to a train station, makes the place that more authentic. Without a doubt this is my place to bring my friends and family and hopefully they open one in Florida as I would be a regular. I love the fact the owners are there and a part of the daily operations and are very friendly people. The staff they have are amazing and friendly and feels like a family when you walk into the place.
(5)
Christopher F.
Honestly not thrilled, even by kids' standards. Super friendly staff and priced just fine, but the quality of the food was mediocre. It's a diner, so my expectations were low, but the burgers were charred at the sides and still a little pink in the middle. Fresh beef was great, way better than a frozen patty, but some greater care could be given in the cooking process. They were busy, but they don't seem to have the kitchen capacity to handle their own crowds. Food orders seemed rushed and any one little mistake threw the kitchen into disarray. Wait times were horrible for not great food just so the kids could have a little thrill. 3 stars because I like the idea even if it could use some work still.
(3)
Ray M.
Delicious healthy beef . Nice place to visit if you little one . I love their chicken sandwich very friendly staff Service was very good and the food didn't take that long. I would definitely visit this place more often
(5)
Whitney O.
This place is fun! The food isn't great but the kids loved the atmosphere! Great to check out atleast once!
(4)
Janet N.
Went here with our 6, 4 and 2 year olds. We missed the sign saying "wait to be seated" and took a spot at the mostly empty counter (our fault). No one was waiting ahead of us. We were ignored for 10 minutes. Guess this was our punishment for not waiting to be seated. Once we did get menus our order was taken care of pretty quickly. The burger was actually really good! The BLT was also excellent! Bacon had great flavor. The little train brings your food to the table which is adorable. But between the train whistles, music and squeaky horse ride behind us I wanted to put in ear plugs! Way to noisy. We tried to use our groupon which led to being ignored for a while. A woman who appears to be the manager finally came over and took care of the groupon and let us pay the rest of the bill. She was friendly but at that point it was too little too late. Overall the kids loved the trains and the food was better than expected, but we probably won't be back due to poor service and noise.
(2)
Dan L.
It saddens me to the core to write a review like this. My only hope is that somebody in control of this place will take it to heart and do something before 2Toots is no more. We used to LOVE this place. We literally took our son there 3x week for years. But ever since Dale (the franchise owner) decided to scale the business and sold this particular restaurant to a new owner, it has spiraled out of control down the tubes. The entryway is rarely clean, the bathrooms are unsanitary w/ broken locks, and the place looks generally unkept. The trains are broken and rarely working at full steam, the tv's with train shows for the kids have been turned off, and nearly all of the 25¢ bubblegum & toy machines are empty. The servers are clearly not as happy as they once were, and the cops even showed up the other day to break up a fight in the kitchen (I heard btwn the owner and the cook - but it is unclear). The serving time is twice what it used to be, with tables not being turned properly and long lines at the door continue to turn away kids and customers alike. They are regularly out of menu items and the new owner just seems to be asleep at the wheel and over his skiis a bit. It is just so so sad to watch this place tank. When Dale was the principal owner, things were always under control and smiles were everywhere. Most everyone in Glen Ellyn knew this was b/c Dale's top employee, Becky, was running the ship. But ever since her departure, and the exodus of so many others, our beloved 2Toots feels more like a train wreck than anything else. After so many years as a customer, and so many $$$ happily spent inside the four walls, I turned to my spouse and said, "No more. It's over. I can't stomach this any longer." I hope somebody reads this and maybe takes the new owners aside to help mentor them a bit. Or, I hope Dale sees what is happening and stops focusing on franchise sales for a moment and concentrates on getting 2Toots back on the rails. With a bit of TLC , it can once again be the place that used to deliver so much happiness to so many families. Just my 2¢ -a humble customer
(1)
Jason M.
We stopped in for a late dinner with the kids and were not impressed. The menu is very basic. Not a lot of options, just boring stuff like burgers, hot dogs, club sandwich, tuna sandwich. A salad at the end as an afterthought. Kids ordered hot dogs and we had a burger and grilled cheese. Food tastes fine, nothing special. The music was BLASTING ridiculously loud, you could not even hear the person next to you. The floors were filthy and soaking wet in spots. And the train motif kind of seemed like an afterthought. We have been to All Aboard in Downers Grove, and this place doesn't even compare. The kids didn't even like this place. The little trinket machine even ate my daughters quarter.
(2)
Bryan T.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Yes, you buy more for the food because it comes via train, but isn't that what kid centered restaurants are all about? Paying more for food because it comes with an experience for the kid?!? Food was decent enough, sort of like a Steak n' Shake burger, but grass feed beef. Really people who wrote negative yelp reviews, what did you expect, Michelin Star food? It's a kid restaurant, I don't go to chuck e cheese and expect giordano's deep dish. My 2 year old had a blast and that's what counts to me.
(4)
Tobin h.
A HUGE gimmick and over-rated. Possibly the biggest nightmare a health inspector may ever have to place a "pass" grade on. This could easily be the dirtiest restaurant I've ever patronized. I actually saw a fuzzy fry on the floor. Though I appreciate the nostalgia and fun of an electric train delivery system, I can't believe as I gazed the floor and sanitary conditions, I allowed my daughter and me to eat here. My hot dog tasted like cigar smoke and my daughter's chicken dino's were actually part frozen in the middle. The service was awful and the "big guy" on the toot-toot campus seemed more interested in goofing with his High school somethings than providing a quality meal. If I ever visit this ces-pool of dirty, it is my own fault. If you go here...it is also your own fault. Don't buy into the "happiness" of a train delivering your food. There are several other train themed restaurant's in Chicagoland that have bought into the concept of a broom and a mop that this hole has yet to discover. There is nothing about this joke of a concept that would ever make me go back...even if you were buying. I'd say you are better off eating your fingernails and tooting your car horn to mirror this experience.Awful. Awful. Awful!
(1)
Missy M.
I have been here before - the only redeeming quality is the train that brings your food. When we walked in there was garbage covering the entire floor. Do these kids working there know how to sweep after the clean off a table? It was disgusting. The wait staff is a joke. The girl who took our order today clearly didn't understand what a sundae with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup meant. We explained it three times!! My stepdad had ordered the sundae instead of a meal, which obviously confused the staff beyond oblivion! Another waitress came up and asked if we wanted our sundae after the meal, to which we explained that he had gotten it instead of a meal, so bring it out with our food. She replies, "So, bring it out afterward?" Um, no... They also completely forgot to bring out my mom's cupcake that she ordered. I never jumped up and down about this place, but today did me in. I'm embarrassed that I was the one who suggested it since my folks were in from out of town. Will NEVER go there again.
(1)
Al L.
One bite was more than enough. The food is disgusting. Even the smell was nauseating. Bought a groupon for 2toots because we wanted to try the food. I couldn't dine in so I ordered to go. I ordered two cheeseburgers with onion rings and a walnut brownie ($22!). It was expensive for the size of the burgers. The burger patties were similar to steak and shake patties, but not good at all. But the worst part was the grease. I couldn't believe how greasy the burger and onion rings were. It was like biting into a balloon filled with oil...gross! Unfortunately, I had to waste the food and threw it all away - just couldn't eat it. I can't believe parents take their kids there. I would never recommend the food, especially for kids.
(1)
Lindsay D.
Fun place for the kiddos.
(4)
Sam P.
This is not a good place to come if you aren't dining with young children. It's not a good place to come if you're looking for a peaceful meal. It's not a good place to come if you're a 2 month old baby who'd rather sleep through dinner. However, it IS a GREAT place to come if you're a train-loving toddler or preschooler, or a parent who wants to dine out without stressing too much over their kids' behavior. It's loud, probably overpriced, and the food is just okay. But small children are super amused by the train delivering food to the tables. I give it three stars for the novelty factor, and the food is better than most fast food or concession stands. A note about food handling, since I read another review regarding the absence of gloves in the kitchen: this is pretty common practice, and the thinking behind it makes sense to me. Would you rather have someone touching your food who has paid careful attention to thoroughly clean their hands with soap and hot water, or someone with poor hygiene who came in to work and just put on a pair of gloves? I'd go for the clean hands, myself. I bet if you looked in the kitchens of most restaurants, you'd find the staff free of gloves, and instead trained in proper hand washing. Just thought I'd share since I'm a bit of a germaphobe myself :)
(3)
Erin L.
My husband and i were very insulted and disappointed with our experience. we walked in and were not greeted by anyone or directed to sit anywhere specific. So we took one of the open tables so we could get settled in with our 2 year old twins and infant. Apparently this wasn't ok because no one came to our table. We waited 10 minutes and my husband had to ask for menus, which they didnt seem pleased to give us. Meanwhile, while we were waiting for those menues and sevice, the waitresses stood around chatting. Our poor sevice continued with a reluctant waitress takinf our order and barely paying any attention to our needs. What made this all so much worse is 3 other families came in and were warmly greeted, waoted on, all with a nice smile and speedy service. Getting thr check was also an issue, along with paying. By now my kids were melting down, but once again, the wair staff didn't seem to hurry with our bill but waited on everyone else with a smile and soeed. We will be finding another location to go to, which is a shame because it's a local business and my kids loved the trains.
(2)
M G.
Took my kids here because my nephew was in out of town. The food is amazing! Love love love the chicken sandwich. My kids rave over the chicken nuggets and cheese frys...but my oldest daughters favorite is the root beer floats! This place is a awesome and very wallet friendly! Our servers Alex Jen and Dani were great. Definitely on top of everything even though they were slammed!
(5)
Glenda C.
I've gone 2 times for the toddler in my life ...and that's really the only reason anyone would go here. The food is basic diner food that clogs the arteries. The advertised grassfed beef is a slight bonus, but the end result is still just tasteless fried stuff. My son loves watching the train go around, but whoever maneuvers the train never stops it correctly in front of our table. The servers do need to work on etiquette a bit more...or maybe just hostessing knowledge. The Downers Grove location has it much more together.
(2)
Janice C.
I am so very sad after our visit today! We took my grand daughter to celebrate her birthday, as we always do for our grandkids' birthdays. 2 Toots has become a beloved place to take our grandchildren to for years. It was a place that was so much fun for the children and families. The staff that worked there were friendly and they kept the place running smoothly. Our grandkids loved "Miss Becky." I am sorry to hear that she's gone. I couldn't believe how filthy the place was when we entered. There was litter and dropped pieces of food everywhere. When we ordered, the order was filled and put on a counter and forgotten! When we inquired about it, they found the order and wanted to give it to us after it had been sitting on the counter for 20 minutes! Good grief. When we finished, my grand daughter looked forward to her birthday treat. Once again, we waited and had to ask at least 3 different times about her treat. The poor thing kept watching the train, thinking it was going to come soon. When it did, it looked like they had taken a frosted brownie and heated it in the microwave. The frosting was melted all over the brownie. It was obvious that the wait staff had no experience or proper training. It appeared that everyone was doing there own thing, with no sense of direction. If you were lucky you could get one of them to take your order and good luck if it came. We saw several families walk out because of this. The bathroom door's lock didn't work and the list went on. The visit felt like an episode from "The Twilight Zone." I hope that someone can revive this business. I'd hate to see it continue in this way.
(1)
Raymond D.
This is coming from a Dad of two (6 and 3 years old) who has been to 2Toots dozens of times and has always been pleased with the food and the staff! This will be the last time we go there as well. Apparently, they changed management and sadly that meant the quality and experience changed. We got in and it smelled of old oil throughout, the staff was new and did not get our order right, and when the food did come, the fries for my wife and I were under cooked and our burgers and the food has now left us both on the couch feeling pretty sick. I understand things change, that is just life, but when people accept the challenge of taking over and establishment that was historically great food and a solid experience - they should take the time to understand what brought families out here to start with.... The food and the experience!! Even the trains that delivered the food just seemed different sad and slow moving... I wish the new owners good luck in their endeavor with 2Toots, and I truly hope they give the neighborhood families that have come to love this place - a place to love again.
(1)
Joyce B.
Great food! Only reason they get one star. Awful service. Very unfriendly and unhappy. The staff obviously did not want to be there. I told our sever that it was our first time there and she just looked at me blankly. Fun for the kids, but don't expect much.
(1)
Dan B.
Downtown Glen Ellyn is a typical suburban downtown. A train track separates one side of the downtown from the other, there's lots of strange boutiques run by elderly ladies with curiously peculiar merchandise. And there's unusual themed restaurants, and 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is exactly that. 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is not called 2 Toots because they have lots of bean based dishes, instead it's a whimsical railroad themed hot dog and burger joint located right across the street from the Glen Ellyn train station. The big attraction being that your food is delivered to your seat via a model train that goes around the restaurant. There are a handful of coin-operated machines there as well from a horse for little kids to ride on, to various other vending machines. In visiting 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill I decided to try the hot dog. This was a jumbo dog and they bragged about the Cows this beef is coming from being 100% grass fed. Within just a few minutes of ordering the model train had stopped at my seat with my hot dog and fries. First off let me review the hot dog. The hot dog I received was a jumbo dog with no condiments. The waitress brought me some packets of sweet relish and a cup of diced onions to add to it. Near my table was a mustard bottle with a nozzle to apply it. Overall the hot dog I received was pretty good considering it was plain. It had a nice beefy flavor, was well heated and tasty. It came on a poppy seed bun that was fairly soft as well. The fries included were crinkle cut fries. They were a bit salty and a bit mushy but pretty tasty overall with a nice potato paste inside. I've had better crinkle cut fries than these, but overall I was pretty happy with the fries here. The only major complaint I have with 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is that you're paying a premium on your food for the garish atmosphere. It would be a great place to take little kids, but not necessarily a great place to have a fine meal. My hot dog and fries was around 7.00 with tax, a high price to pay for such items. Overall if you have little kids (3 to 7 year olds) this might be a good place to take them. The whole place has a cute atmosphere to it and I would definitely have liked to have gone there when I was a kid. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place if you're just stopping to eat, but as a unique place to bring little ones it definitely has a purpose. Three stars for 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill.
(3)
Juan P.
What a cool place! The service was amazing and the burgers taste amazing. I think the atmosphere is really great and friendly.
(5)
Soul G.
I've been here twice with my son for his birthday. I should've known better than to come a second time. The first time I paid with my debit card and used cash for the tip. When I checked my bank acct, the cashier charged me an extra $13! I called the restaurant and they pulled up my receipt. Indeed, the cashier had charged an additional tip! The second time, huge disappointment with the food and service!! The fries were brown and the burger patties were burnt! The cupcake that my son got was probably days old! So stale! I'm glad he didn't eat it and only wanted the train whistle. I refrained from complaining to the waitress only because I didn't want to ruin my son's birthday. I will not be back to this place again!
(1)
Jared W.
We had a really good time here the other day, mostly because our 2 year old son is obsessed with trains. So being able to see the Metra go by periodically, along with the train that delivers the food was a lot of fun for him. The only trouble is if you sit close to where the train goes by, most of the kids can't help but want to touch it, so you have to watch yours pretty closely. Obviously you probably wouldn't eat here if you didn't have kids, and unfortunately the food is kind of hit or miss. I liked my burger, but my wife's chicken sandwich was pretty blah. The servers weren't blatantly unfriendly, but probably need to learn the art of customer service just a little bit better. In all, we might go again because our son enjoyed it so much, but it's not high on our list. This is the sort of place you experience once, and that's probably enough.
(3)
Becky S.
5 stars for watching my 18-month old son lose his mind in happiness. He is obsessed with trains, and this was straight up heaven on earth for him. The restaurant is so fun -- I highly recommend it! It has the feel of a 50's diner and plays fun 50's music that my son loved dancing to in his chair. They have booster seats for the little guys so that they can sit on the swivel chairs at the counter, also very exciting for my little man. But the BEST part of all is that there is a toy train that goes around the restaurant delivering everyone's food. And every.single.time my son would point at it and say "traaaaain!" with such happiness! There is the added benefit that the restaurant is located right by a real train station and so there were real trains going by out the window regularly while we were there, which also resulted in "traaaaaain!" pointing from my son. He was having so much fun there and was so distracted that it took over an hour for him to eat his kid's meal! :) Yes, the food is just okay and the service is just okay, but seriously that's not why we came. I will happily deal with anything if it means I get to spend an hour watching my son experience such pure joy! :)
(5)
Navin J.
This place is absolutely awesome for little kids. They are absolutely amazed and enthralled by the little train going around the tracks. I think that the takes a second place to everything else, but so long as the kids are engaged I think that this place is a definitive win.
(4)
L F.
This place is an all time favorite for my son. Especially because you can ride the train to the restaurant (even if it's a few stops away and maybe faster to drive)! The menu is limited but who doesn't love a greasy burger and fries. We've had several things on the menu, burgers, salads, chicken sandwich, BLT which all have been good. My kids have also tried the burgers and grill cheese. The kids meals come with a drink, carrots and either fruit or fries. Everyone here is very friendly. I would recommend getting there right when it opens because it can fill up quickly and has limited counter seating (which is our favorite place). Another bonus is the food comes out quickly. If you order dessert you get a train whistle which is fun but the desserts really aren't that great and if you don't plan on ordering one you kids have to watch the trains pull along other kids desserts with train whistles which can be hard for a 2 year old to understand (but also a good lesson).
(4)
Sharon R.
We came here right before dinner time with my grand children who love Thomas. It is a perfect kid place. I had heard the owner created this restaurant when he was trying to create a family diner where kids did not eat across the table from their parents while on a cell phone. If this is the case, then he succeeded. This is a diner from the 60's which has a train theme. Along the booths and at the soda fountain bar trains go by and bring the food to the table. My grandkids age 3 and 6 were in rapt attention as the train speeded by every few minutes. As the place becomes more busy more trains are added and the excitement intensifies. The menu is limited to basically burgers, but the meat is grass-fed beef and there is the ability to order gluten free buns. All in all a lovely experience.
(4)
Jaime G.
Tall grass beef burgers brought out by a toy train? 2 Toot train whistle grill baby! I dug this place with for their really good burgers (i added thick cut bacon) and your kids will too. Toy train track runs through the center of the restaurant that hauls the food out. Order their special cupcakes and get a free toy train whistle. Quite a hike from the city but worth it for a special occasion.
(5)
Julie J.
Had lunch here today and the boys loved it. Yes it's loud, yes the food is plain - it's for kids! I like that the they put some carrots sticks in with the fries and have a fruit cup option for the kiddie plates. Our burgers were OK - kind of bland. Servers were very nice. The wait in line for a seat got a little dicey with the toddler but we made it. Boys can't wait to go back.
(4)
Ron S.
This place is a blast and I don't even have kids! You walk in and half the crowd is under the age of 10 with Grandma & Grandpa or Mom & Dad. It's like one big party. Normally, I'm not into "kiddie" restaurants but this one had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat from the moment we walked in. I must have sang the Happy Birthday song at least a half dozen times and was probably the loudest kid in the restaurant. Oh... wait a minute, this is supposed to be a restaurant review. Sorry, got a little carried away there. I see all of the lukewarm reviews here but have to say that my burger and fries were pretty darn good. I took one bite and thought, "This is a cut above standard diner fare". They use Tallgrass beef in their burgers and all-beef hot dogs which raises the quality level. The crinkle-cut fries were done perfectly and not greasy at all. Service was just fine for our party of eight that were sandwiched into a booth with a few chairs pulled up to the end. We were having as much fun as the 6-year old birthday girl. Release the kid inside you and pay a visit to 2TOOTS. Happy Birthday to you, TOOT TOOT!!
(4)
Vincent J.
Just a great place to take you kid if they love trains. Unlike other places, every booth or bar stool is on the track, so your little one gets to see the train up close. On top of that they picked a great location as its right on the Metra-Union Pacific line, so kids can see real trains go by as well. My little guy loves trains so I double down and we take the train in from downtown instead of driving (the station is kiddie corner from 2Toots). The grass fed beef they use (along with other healthy choices) puts this place a step ahead of other restaurants that are for kids. The whistle on the cup cakes are a nice little bonus that works out well as an incentive for your child to finish eating all their food first.
(5)
L M.
We live an hour away and drove up yesterday to celebrate our train obsessed 3 year old's bday. We went in the early afternoon on a weekday so it wasn't crowded. My kid could not get enough of the train passing by him. We usually have to be armed with toys and a charged phone streaming youtube if we want to finish a meal but not this time. He was loving every minute of it. The food is simple: burgers, hot dogs, fries. BUT the beef is grass fed..so for this momma it was a HUGE plus. I felt good about eating the food there. The burgers were awesome and hit the spot. We got the shakes too and they were delicious. After, he got a cute cupcake with a lit candle and a train whistle. My kid was thrilled! The owner or manager came out and even brought out a large train for him to play with and the waitress gave him a sticker. What i loved is they both told him he could have it AFTER he took a bite of food..so appreciated as a mom of a picky eater and easily distracted kid! They played 50's music in the background and my kid was hopping around, it made for such cute pics and a memorable day. A couple of TVs played thomas the train episodes. The metra train stops right in front of the place so he loved seeing that. We'd love to try to take the train in again from the city sometime. We were treated wonderfully and it was a great way to celebrate his bday. Wish there was something like this in the city!
(5)
Demi G.
The only reason I took one star off is because I don't understand why they do not wear rubber gloves here. I can clearly see them making food in the back from the little window where the train goes in... why don't they wear gloves? They ARE after all handling FOOD.
(4)
Kim M.
The premise of this place is that your food is delivered to you by a train that goes around the counter on train tracks. That's it. Go into this place expecting nothing more, and you won't be disappointed. My kids are 5 and 3, and they liked it alot. When you get dessert, they pull the train horn on the wall, and my kids got really excited about that. The Burgers to me were decent. Think Steak N Shake type patties, but larger. The problem with them is that they kind of implode and turn into this mound of beef, vs a patty. Nonetheless, it still tastes good. My only complaint would be about the service. However, I do note that on the 2 times we've gone here, the girls were probably in high school. So I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. As long as it keeps my kids entertained, I'll be a repeat customer.
(3)
Barry F.
Reading the reviews for this place I can't help but shake my head. The low scores come from people who either a) are applying an adult restaurant mentality to a place that is all about kids or b) don't understand that this place is about the kids not the adults. So if you are coming here expecting "haute cuisine" you are going to be disappointed. Similarly if you are coming here expecting professionally trained wait staff with decades of experience, you aren't going to walk away happy. Folks, this is a fricken restaurant you take kids in order to watch them smile and be filled with wonder. Slow down, take some time and enjoy the ride. (That said, the burgers are pretty damn good).
(4)
Renita M.
Your rating of this probably depends on whether you have kids or not. We don't, and we had no kid with us, so 3 stars. For parents or kids, it's probably 4. For train-obsessed kids, 5. We came here around 5 on a Saturday -- being in Glen Ellyn and having run out of other things to do -- and felt slightly out of place, as we were the only non-parent adult customers. But we sat, we ate, and enjoyed our meal. My cheeseburger was done well, a smaller version of Schoop's, with crispy grilled edges and pickles, lettuce & tomato. The fries were your standard crinkle-cut like you'd get at Portillo's. My husband's chili dog was a large, tasty dog; the chili on top was quite good. Onion rings were a bit too few for the order, but good anyway. And yes, it's all very train oriented, with a little electric train to deliver your baskets. Service was adequate. By the time we left, the place was filling up, with moms, dads and lots of under-12 kids. Lots. We felt a little out of place, but departed having had a good diner-y meal, at a decent price. We may well be back, but only if we have a young relative in tow.
(3)
Shannon M.
We took my visiting little cousins, who love trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, to this restaurant, where your meal is served in baskets on an electric train that comes around the counter where you sit. Novel idea, and the kids were entranced. Train stuff is EVERYWHERE: old ads for the Hiawatha line and photographs on the walls, and yes, Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs playing on loop on flat-screens in the corners, but the food-delivering model train that intermittently passes through the dining room is the star of the show. A previous reviewer said the baskets looked dirty, but everything involving the train and counter appeared clean to me. The servers (high-school-age girls) were sweet and very tolerant considering the amount of hyper kids they must deal with per day. They helped set up booster chairs for the two little ones upon our arrival as well. The food was quite tasty; mostly diner fare is on offer, with some healthier options like a grilled chicken breast sandwich (my choice, which was plump, flavorful and juicy), a salad with Newman's Own dressing or a veggie burger for those who don't care for the hot dog and hamburger fare. Onion rings were varnish brown, with the batter welded onto the piece of onion, crispy and delicious. My chocolate milkshake was creamy and thick (but still drinkable). Overall, much more than I expected from a kid-centric place, where it's usually about atmosphere and food is secondary. The kids have classic options of grilled cheese, hot dogs and the like, and when it comes to dessert, a cupcake with a train whistle! The wait for food was not long, and there's so much to look at that the kids weren't too restless. They were in love with "Champion," the coin-operated horse near the door (the type that used to be in front of every Kmart). The only thing I might suggest was a swab of the decks; at the end of the trip, the littlest one (who'd had her fill of sensory stimuli and needed a break) threw herself on the floor, which I noticed was not too clean. This location has much better hours than its compatriot in Downers Grove, which is only open til 4:30 on week-ends -- ?? The Glen Ellyn restaurant was open til 7, which makes more sense; at least they're open through the dinner hour. Overall, a fun restaurant for kids with a retro flair.
(4)
Don N.
The staff is very friendly, the food is good -shakes are outstanding. We are lucky to keep our 2-year-old in a chair for 10 minutes. He sat for over an hour and was just as excited to see the train go by on the 100th time as he was the first time.
(4)
Rachael M.
The food was typical and greasy- what was to be expected. Staff was extremely friendly. I have been to a lot of these train-type places and it is a typical fun place for kids. The cleanliness of the place however could use some work. The worst was the restroom is "gas station dirty"- seriously everything in the place needed to be washed off. The changing table in the women's is old and broken- glad I didn't have a baby to change. I think if they could clean up the restaurant it would be wonderful.
(3)
Calbee M.
Service was terrible and the food made me sick for three days. Not to mention dinner for my son, my wife and myself came to over $30 dollars. I will never step foot inside this place ever again.
(1)
Joy M.
This would have been a two star review but they were docked a star for the fact that they charge the same price for tap water as they do for soda (I guess that's their prerogative but I was always under the impression that restaurants were supposed to provide free access to tap water upon request). The burgers were average, the fries were cold and the wait staff was inattentive. They left the bill with us when they brought the food and they never bothered to come back to see if we wanted dessert or needed any refills. Also, for a train themed restaurant there was a distinct lack of trains. They had some pictures on the walls and the train that brought the food and that was about it- my daughter (who loves trains) didn't seem to enjoy the ambiance at all. Next time we'll stick with the All Aboard Diner in Woodridge. They have a much better menu, better prices, tons of trains and staff that actually pays attention.
(1)
Vince A.
I'm with Kimmerlee on this place. The burgers are fine yet pricey (new menu = new prices). Burgers are steak n' shake/johnny rockets like. The kids meals are fine choosing from a hot dog or nuggets or PB&J. The kids enjoy the trains whirring around the joint while parents just want to finish eating. Some advice: Get there as they open. If you miss that 11-11:15 AM window, you will wait for the next available seat.
(3)
Joe G.
Continuing with previous outings, we're slowly making the rounds of the Chicago area train themed restaurants this summer. Situated near the Glen Ellyn Metra station, 2Toots would seem ideally located for train-loving kids. Being on a Union Pacific mainline, we saw several freight trains and a Metra rumble on by while we were at 2Toots. This location is fairly large and has a nice open feel to it, along with two trains (on the same track!) delivering food. A television (maybe two?) is playing Thomas the Tank Engine for kids of that persuasion. There's a large amount of counter seating and some tables, and the place is generally laid out better than the DG location. However, my remaining comments are very similar to DG: I think they might have missed out a bit by not doing a few more things. Both All Aboard and Choo Choo Johnny's have functioning train layouts and a train running overhead as well, which helps to provide something for kids to look at when food isn't currently being delivered. The food itself was average to below-average. I would like to see them work on that a bit. I feel that this is a fine idea, and that they have some elements that could put them a step above their competition, particularly in terms of location with those real trains whizzing by outside, but as it stands, I have to call it as being a bit below average.
(2)
Elizabeth K.
Nice concept. All they need now is decent and friendly service. My husband and I took our two toddlers in here for an early lunch. We were seated fairly quickly; however, it then took our waitress nearly 15 mins to take our drink order. Our food orders were taken 10-15 mins after that. Our food and drinks arrived maybe 10 mins after that. Add that together, and it took nearly 40 mins from when we got there to get our food and drinks. The bill came right after the food. Drinks refills were hard to come by. The food was okay. The only reason I'm not screaming for zero stars here was because my husband loved his burger. The kids and I were less than impressed. Please don't go here if you want good food, good service, and have anything less than an hour to spend waiting for service. Btw, when your server does arrive, don't expect to ask any questions. They'll be gone as soon as they think you're done ordering. Talk quick.
(1)
Erik H.
Train-themed restaurant where all of the seats are "trackside" and the train brings the food out to the kids. The kids had a ball with the train, the decor, the $0.25 mechanical horse ride, and the kid-friendly food. The restaurant looks out on the real trains going by as well. The kids' joy was the one redeeming factor for me. The menu is very limited, the quality of the food was mediocre, prices were relatively high, and the staff seemed less-than-thrilled to be there. The concept is a winner, but given the poor execution here, I would recommend "All Aboard Diner: in Downers Grove.
(2)
Christina S.
If you have (or are in the temporary possession of) a toddler, 2Toots is where it's at. When my itty bitty nieces were in town recently, we made an afternoon of it by filling up on burgers and PB&J and then running 'em off at the playground down the street. They had fun at the playground, but I'm telling you . . . they simply couldn't stop talking about that little train. And whereas I normally cringe when I see a bunch of teenagers minding the store, the high school girls who work at 2Toots are perfection. It's like the Babysitter's Club opened a diner. In all honesty, the food is a few steps down from Steak 'n Shake. But the kids will be so well behaved, you won't even care.
(4)
Karen W.
FORGET THE KIDS!!!! My friend and I totally got a kick out of this place. We work in transportation, so we have no problem admitting we are dorks, but we totally got a kick out of having our food delivered on the train. Simple menu, burgers and fries, food was good and inexpensive.
(3)
Mike V.
second 2toots in a week, food was good but cooked HARD! my burger which still had a great taste was crispy (inedible) on some of the edges. staff was great. but ill stick to the Bartlett one based off the cooking.
(3)
Mike S.
I'm not sure if everyone here gets the concept of 2toots. If you don't like kids in general, then don't bother. 2toots is always filled with kids, it's ok, that's their thing. Teen and tweens will probably not like this place either because it has adults AND kids, the bane of all teenagers. Come here for a great diner experience, and for a brief menu of items made well. I stopped in for lunch and had the burger. You can really tell the difference in taste between the grass-fed beef and what you get from any other place. The fries were hot and crisp and all were served with a smile. The burgers ARE thin, but that's because they're smashed, to give the edges a bit of crisp. You really gotta be into that type of burger to appreciate them. The bun was fluffy and toasted, perfect. Looking forward to a chili dog on my next visit.
(4)
Mary J.
I saw a big improvement on the food on this visit! Nothing was burnt, the hot dog was bigger, the fries were better and the service was very attentive. Maybe we were experiencing starting up challenges when we were there last time.
(4)
Joel G.
This is a great place to take your kids. It was fun to see them bring the food in on a train. My son just loved it. The food was actually decent for it being a small diner type restaurant. The place is just full of train stuff. Great.
(3)
Gina L.
Love this place! They now serve Tall Grass Beef burgers AND hotdogs. Now THIS is the type of meat we should all eat. Grass fed and finished :) Its healthy and most of all, DELICIOUS! The price is extremely fair for the quality and what you get (comes with fries). The place is very kid friendly and its set in the 50's style complete with root beer floats and music. All your meals are served via the choo choo track which runs along the entire counter and in to the kitchen. THANKS 2 TOOTS, we will be back!!!
(4)
janice m.
For those of us who have kids or grand kids who love trains, this is a great place to visit. Sitting next to the tracks, both in the restaurant, and the restaurant itself, is the ultimate joy for a four year old. The food is average for this style restaurant, however the BLT was damn tasty. Our server, Parks, was friendly, nice and very patient when our grandson couldn't decide on chocolate or vanilla...so kudos for that. The annoying children behind us who wouldn't sit down were about the only thing we didn't enjoy. All in all a good experience, but a word of warning, go after two, when the lunch rush is over., you will find it a much more pleasurable experience
(3)
Jennifer B.
Let me begin with a disclaimer: I do not have children. I do, however, have an English husband who is obsessed with diners and trains. After months of fending him off I agreed to go here with him. If you have a little boy, they will love this place, and you won't mind it. But if you are a 20 something there with her weirdo husband you will just feel out of place. They also only serve food in a bun.
(2)
John S.
Honestly I went to this place expecting soo much more. Ok so I will start with the positives. The staff here was very friendly and the trains will entertain your out of control little boy for maybe all of two minutes. That is about were the good parts of this place stop. First of all the menu here is limited. Seriously they have maybe 5 things to choose from. So i decided to get the burger. When my burger came I wanted to ask if it was just a joke. The beef patty was so thin Paris Hilton would leave this place starving. Seriously it was like a crispy cracker of beef on the bun. I mean it seriously made a crunch sound when I bit into it. I don't think Burgers are supposed to do that. While the fries tasted good I was also left wanting more as I felt like I had to beg to get any food here. Over all not what i was expecting. Ya the train is cute and may be a good baby sitter for 5min but if you are looking to actually eat here you will leave disappointed. Be prepared to stop at mcdonalds on your way home because you will be hungry.
(2)
Chester R.
the food here is pretty bad.........but the atmosphere is good for about 15 minutes if you have kids under 5.
(1)
Gary F.
Took my 3 and 8 year old son there. They liked it which is what counted. I didn't see any issues with the train or dirty baskets. Yes, the floor could have been a little cleaner, but I've definitely seen worse. The three of us ate for $22.00 Food was good. We'll be back.
(4)
J M.
This is a new, cute place for the kids where a train delivers your food to you. If you don't like kids or chaos, you better stay out, because it's full of both. The food is good, but a little overpriced. Their chili rocks, but $3.95 for a tiny bowl that isn't even filled? Other than that, cute little palces to bring the little ones.
(4)
Vin R.
My (4 year old) son loves trains=My (4 year old) son loves this restaurant. 'Nuff said. The food is pretty good and the service is very friendly and helpful. As an added bonus, this restaurant is right next to a Metra stop, so my son got to see his food delivered by a train and see the commuter train make a stop at the same time. He's been talking about this for a couple of hours. If we lived in the Chicago 'Burbs we'd be coming here every week.
(4)
Steve W.
Went here on 8/30/14 for the first time and it will be last time. Would have expected much better service and quality of food for the price. Charging almost $8.00 for a hot dog & fries is ridiculous considering they pull a hot dog out of boiling water and the bun out of the package. Our server was not attentive and had her back to us almost the entire time. Never asked us for drink refills or how our meal was.
(2)
Annabelle L.
First off I'd like to start by saying this place is down right horrible. I took my daughter here twice and on one occasion my waitress was flat out rude. It was not a busy day at all and my waitress Becky just kept ignoring us to talk to the other workers. She came by like twice that's it. She looked like the oldest one there but doesn't take her job seriously. The food is alright but very over priced. It was not the best expirence. And on the other occasion it was so busy you have to stand and wait they don't even have a waiting area. It was unable organized on how they sat all the costomers. They just asked who was first they need to organize it better. It's like it's ran by 12 year old kids. Just an over all expirence.
(1)
Alvina C.
I really want to like this place because my kiddies love em---but really the service and the food are pretty eh---yep just eh--- We went this past week when I received an email from them for free lunch for the kiddies---first off--you would think that if you were a business and decided that you were going to run a special---you would be prepared for the onslaught off people expected to come in----not so much--the place was packed even at 4PM--and there were only 2 teenage girls waitressing--yikes----attentiveness is definitely not their forte. Our cups were empty on more than one occasion. I'm in agreement with other yelpers, they have a great concept but execution could be a lot better. I actually think steak and shake burgers taste better. Also really there are a lot of kids that just go for the cupcake with the plastic train whistle---cupcakes are not that good for the price and taste worse than coming out of a box. My tip for you is to sign up for their emails so at least when you do go you're not paying full price.
(2)
Eric B.
Ok, so my friend took me here and I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I walked in. All I saw were kids and a choo-choo train on the counter, LOL. I have been to MANY burger places and let me tell you, this place has the best burger around BY FAR in my opinion. The beef is from grass fed cows and you can taste the difference, very fresh tasting. It also has a nice crispy outer edge. The bun is simple, very soft and works well with the burger. Kids or no kids, you should give this place a try, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)
Erin L.
My husband and i were very insulted and disappointed with our experience. we walked in and were not greeted by anyone or directed to sit anywhere specific. So we took one of the open tables so we could get settled in with our 2 year old twins and infant. Apparently this wasn't ok because no one came to our table. We waited 10 minutes and my husband had to ask for menus, which they didnt seem pleased to give us. Meanwhile, while we were waiting for those menues and sevice, the waitresses stood around chatting. Our poor sevice continued with a reluctant waitress takinf our order and barely paying any attention to our needs. What made this all so much worse is 3 other families came in and were warmly greeted, waoted on, all with a nice smile and speedy service. Getting thr check was also an issue, along with paying. By now my kids were melting down, but once again, the wair staff didn't seem to hurry with our bill but waited on everyone else with a smile and soeed. We will be finding another location to go to, which is a shame because it's a local business and my kids loved the trains.
(2)
M G.
Took my kids here because my nephew was in out of town. The food is amazing! Love love love the chicken sandwich. My kids rave over the chicken nuggets and cheese frys...but my oldest daughters favorite is the root beer floats! This place is a awesome and very wallet friendly! Our servers Alex Jen and Dani were great. Definitely on top of everything even though they were slammed!
(5)
Janice C.
I am so very sad after our visit today! We took my grand daughter to celebrate her birthday, as we always do for our grandkids' birthdays. 2 Toots has become a beloved place to take our grandchildren to for years. It was a place that was so much fun for the children and families. The staff that worked there were friendly and they kept the place running smoothly. Our grandkids loved "Miss Becky." I am sorry to hear that she's gone. I couldn't believe how filthy the place was when we entered. There was litter and dropped pieces of food everywhere. When we ordered, the order was filled and put on a counter and forgotten! When we inquired about it, they found the order and wanted to give it to us after it had been sitting on the counter for 20 minutes! Good grief. When we finished, my grand daughter looked forward to her birthday treat. Once again, we waited and had to ask at least 3 different times about her treat. The poor thing kept watching the train, thinking it was going to come soon. When it did, it looked like they had taken a frosted brownie and heated it in the microwave. The frosting was melted all over the brownie. It was obvious that the wait staff had no experience or proper training. It appeared that everyone was doing there own thing, with no sense of direction. If you were lucky you could get one of them to take your order and good luck if it came. We saw several families walk out because of this. The bathroom door's lock didn't work and the list went on. The visit felt like an episode from "The Twilight Zone." I hope that someone can revive this business. I'd hate to see it continue in this way.
(1)
Rachael M.
The food was typical and greasy- what was to be expected. Staff was extremely friendly. I have been to a lot of these train-type places and it is a typical fun place for kids. The cleanliness of the place however could use some work. The worst was the restroom is "gas station dirty"- seriously everything in the place needed to be washed off. The changing table in the women's is old and broken- glad I didn't have a baby to change. I think if they could clean up the restaurant it would be wonderful.
(3)
Calbee M.
Service was terrible and the food made me sick for three days. Not to mention dinner for my son, my wife and myself came to over $30 dollars. I will never step foot inside this place ever again.
(1)
Dan B.
Downtown Glen Ellyn is a typical suburban downtown. A train track separates one side of the downtown from the other, there's lots of strange boutiques run by elderly ladies with curiously peculiar merchandise. And there's unusual themed restaurants, and 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is exactly that. 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is not called 2 Toots because they have lots of bean based dishes, instead it's a whimsical railroad themed hot dog and burger joint located right across the street from the Glen Ellyn train station. The big attraction being that your food is delivered to your seat via a model train that goes around the restaurant. There are a handful of coin-operated machines there as well from a horse for little kids to ride on, to various other vending machines. In visiting 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill I decided to try the hot dog. This was a jumbo dog and they bragged about the Cows this beef is coming from being 100% grass fed. Within just a few minutes of ordering the model train had stopped at my seat with my hot dog and fries. First off let me review the hot dog. The hot dog I received was a jumbo dog with no condiments. The waitress brought me some packets of sweet relish and a cup of diced onions to add to it. Near my table was a mustard bottle with a nozzle to apply it. Overall the hot dog I received was pretty good considering it was plain. It had a nice beefy flavor, was well heated and tasty. It came on a poppy seed bun that was fairly soft as well. The fries included were crinkle cut fries. They were a bit salty and a bit mushy but pretty tasty overall with a nice potato paste inside. I've had better crinkle cut fries than these, but overall I was pretty happy with the fries here. The only major complaint I have with 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is that you're paying a premium on your food for the garish atmosphere. It would be a great place to take little kids, but not necessarily a great place to have a fine meal. My hot dog and fries was around 7.00 with tax, a high price to pay for such items. Overall if you have little kids (3 to 7 year olds) this might be a good place to take them. The whole place has a cute atmosphere to it and I would definitely have liked to have gone there when I was a kid. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place if you're just stopping to eat, but as a unique place to bring little ones it definitely has a purpose. Three stars for 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill.
(3)
Juan P.
What a cool place! The service was amazing and the burgers taste amazing. I think the atmosphere is really great and friendly.
(5)
Soul G.
I've been here twice with my son for his birthday. I should've known better than to come a second time. The first time I paid with my debit card and used cash for the tip. When I checked my bank acct, the cashier charged me an extra $13! I called the restaurant and they pulled up my receipt. Indeed, the cashier had charged an additional tip! The second time, huge disappointment with the food and service!! The fries were brown and the burger patties were burnt! The cupcake that my son got was probably days old! So stale! I'm glad he didn't eat it and only wanted the train whistle. I refrained from complaining to the waitress only because I didn't want to ruin my son's birthday. I will not be back to this place again!
(1)
Raymond D.
This is coming from a Dad of two (6 and 3 years old) who has been to 2Toots dozens of times and has always been pleased with the food and the staff! This will be the last time we go there as well. Apparently, they changed management and sadly that meant the quality and experience changed. We got in and it smelled of old oil throughout, the staff was new and did not get our order right, and when the food did come, the fries for my wife and I were under cooked and our burgers and the food has now left us both on the couch feeling pretty sick. I understand things change, that is just life, but when people accept the challenge of taking over and establishment that was historically great food and a solid experience - they should take the time to understand what brought families out here to start with.... The food and the experience!! Even the trains that delivered the food just seemed different sad and slow moving... I wish the new owners good luck in their endeavor with 2Toots, and I truly hope they give the neighborhood families that have come to love this place - a place to love again.
(1)
Joyce B.
Great food! Only reason they get one star. Awful service. Very unfriendly and unhappy. The staff obviously did not want to be there. I told our sever that it was our first time there and she just looked at me blankly. Fun for the kids, but don't expect much.
(1)
Glenda C.
I've gone 2 times for the toddler in my life ...and that's really the only reason anyone would go here. The food is basic diner food that clogs the arteries. The advertised grassfed beef is a slight bonus, but the end result is still just tasteless fried stuff. My son loves watching the train go around, but whoever maneuvers the train never stops it correctly in front of our table. The servers do need to work on etiquette a bit more...or maybe just hostessing knowledge. The Downers Grove location has it much more together.
(2)
Eric B.
Ok, so my friend took me here and I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I walked in. All I saw were kids and a choo-choo train on the counter, LOL. I have been to MANY burger places and let me tell you, this place has the best burger around BY FAR in my opinion. The beef is from grass fed cows and you can taste the difference, very fresh tasting. It also has a nice crispy outer edge. The bun is simple, very soft and works well with the burger. Kids or no kids, you should give this place a try, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)
Og B.
this is my fav choo choo diner. kids love it! food is diner-licious
(5)
Jared W.
We had a really good time here the other day, mostly because our 2 year old son is obsessed with trains. So being able to see the Metra go by periodically, along with the train that delivers the food was a lot of fun for him. The only trouble is if you sit close to where the train goes by, most of the kids can't help but want to touch it, so you have to watch yours pretty closely. Obviously you probably wouldn't eat here if you didn't have kids, and unfortunately the food is kind of hit or miss. I liked my burger, but my wife's chicken sandwich was pretty blah. The servers weren't blatantly unfriendly, but probably need to learn the art of customer service just a little bit better. In all, we might go again because our son enjoyed it so much, but it's not high on our list. This is the sort of place you experience once, and that's probably enough.
(3)
Becky S.
5 stars for watching my 18-month old son lose his mind in happiness. He is obsessed with trains, and this was straight up heaven on earth for him. The restaurant is so fun -- I highly recommend it! It has the feel of a 50's diner and plays fun 50's music that my son loved dancing to in his chair. They have booster seats for the little guys so that they can sit on the swivel chairs at the counter, also very exciting for my little man. But the BEST part of all is that there is a toy train that goes around the restaurant delivering everyone's food. And every.single.time my son would point at it and say "traaaaain!" with such happiness! There is the added benefit that the restaurant is located right by a real train station and so there were real trains going by out the window regularly while we were there, which also resulted in "traaaaaain!" pointing from my son. He was having so much fun there and was so distracted that it took over an hour for him to eat his kid's meal! :) Yes, the food is just okay and the service is just okay, but seriously that's not why we came. I will happily deal with anything if it means I get to spend an hour watching my son experience such pure joy! :)
(5)
L F.
This place is an all time favorite for my son. Especially because you can ride the train to the restaurant (even if it's a few stops away and maybe faster to drive)! The menu is limited but who doesn't love a greasy burger and fries. We've had several things on the menu, burgers, salads, chicken sandwich, BLT which all have been good. My kids have also tried the burgers and grill cheese. The kids meals come with a drink, carrots and either fruit or fries. Everyone here is very friendly. I would recommend getting there right when it opens because it can fill up quickly and has limited counter seating (which is our favorite place). Another bonus is the food comes out quickly. If you order dessert you get a train whistle which is fun but the desserts really aren't that great and if you don't plan on ordering one you kids have to watch the trains pull along other kids desserts with train whistles which can be hard for a 2 year old to understand (but also a good lesson).
(4)
Sharon R.
We came here right before dinner time with my grand children who love Thomas. It is a perfect kid place. I had heard the owner created this restaurant when he was trying to create a family diner where kids did not eat across the table from their parents while on a cell phone. If this is the case, then he succeeded. This is a diner from the 60's which has a train theme. Along the booths and at the soda fountain bar trains go by and bring the food to the table. My grandkids age 3 and 6 were in rapt attention as the train speeded by every few minutes. As the place becomes more busy more trains are added and the excitement intensifies. The menu is limited to basically burgers, but the meat is grass-fed beef and there is the ability to order gluten free buns. All in all a lovely experience.
(4)
Jaime G.
Tall grass beef burgers brought out by a toy train? 2 Toot train whistle grill baby! I dug this place with for their really good burgers (i added thick cut bacon) and your kids will too. Toy train track runs through the center of the restaurant that hauls the food out. Order their special cupcakes and get a free toy train whistle. Quite a hike from the city but worth it for a special occasion.
(5)
Ron S.
This place is a blast and I don't even have kids! You walk in and half the crowd is under the age of 10 with Grandma & Grandpa or Mom & Dad. It's like one big party. Normally, I'm not into "kiddie" restaurants but this one had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat from the moment we walked in. I must have sang the Happy Birthday song at least a half dozen times and was probably the loudest kid in the restaurant. Oh... wait a minute, this is supposed to be a restaurant review. Sorry, got a little carried away there. I see all of the lukewarm reviews here but have to say that my burger and fries were pretty darn good. I took one bite and thought, "This is a cut above standard diner fare". They use Tallgrass beef in their burgers and all-beef hot dogs which raises the quality level. The crinkle-cut fries were done perfectly and not greasy at all. Service was just fine for our party of eight that were sandwiched into a booth with a few chairs pulled up to the end. We were having as much fun as the 6-year old birthday girl. Release the kid inside you and pay a visit to 2TOOTS. Happy Birthday to you, TOOT TOOT!!
(4)
Navin J.
This place is absolutely awesome for little kids. They are absolutely amazed and enthralled by the little train going around the tracks. I think that the takes a second place to everything else, but so long as the kids are engaged I think that this place is a definitive win.
(4)
Vincent J.
Just a great place to take you kid if they love trains. Unlike other places, every booth or bar stool is on the track, so your little one gets to see the train up close. On top of that they picked a great location as its right on the Metra-Union Pacific line, so kids can see real trains go by as well. My little guy loves trains so I double down and we take the train in from downtown instead of driving (the station is kiddie corner from 2Toots). The grass fed beef they use (along with other healthy choices) puts this place a step ahead of other restaurants that are for kids. The whistle on the cup cakes are a nice little bonus that works out well as an incentive for your child to finish eating all their food first.
(5)
Julie J.
Had lunch here today and the boys loved it. Yes it's loud, yes the food is plain - it's for kids! I like that the they put some carrots sticks in with the fries and have a fruit cup option for the kiddie plates. Our burgers were OK - kind of bland. Servers were very nice. The wait in line for a seat got a little dicey with the toddler but we made it. Boys can't wait to go back.
(4)
Vin R.
My (4 year old) son loves trains=My (4 year old) son loves this restaurant. 'Nuff said. The food is pretty good and the service is very friendly and helpful. As an added bonus, this restaurant is right next to a Metra stop, so my son got to see his food delivered by a train and see the commuter train make a stop at the same time. He's been talking about this for a couple of hours. If we lived in the Chicago 'Burbs we'd be coming here every week.
(4)
Steve W.
Went here on 8/30/14 for the first time and it will be last time. Would have expected much better service and quality of food for the price. Charging almost $8.00 for a hot dog & fries is ridiculous considering they pull a hot dog out of boiling water and the bun out of the package. Our server was not attentive and had her back to us almost the entire time. Never asked us for drink refills or how our meal was.
(2)
Annabelle L.
First off I'd like to start by saying this place is down right horrible. I took my daughter here twice and on one occasion my waitress was flat out rude. It was not a busy day at all and my waitress Becky just kept ignoring us to talk to the other workers. She came by like twice that's it. She looked like the oldest one there but doesn't take her job seriously. The food is alright but very over priced. It was not the best expirence. And on the other occasion it was so busy you have to stand and wait they don't even have a waiting area. It was unable organized on how they sat all the costomers. They just asked who was first they need to organize it better. It's like it's ran by 12 year old kids. Just an over all expirence.
(1)
Alvina C.
I really want to like this place because my kiddies love em---but really the service and the food are pretty eh---yep just eh--- We went this past week when I received an email from them for free lunch for the kiddies---first off--you would think that if you were a business and decided that you were going to run a special---you would be prepared for the onslaught off people expected to come in----not so much--the place was packed even at 4PM--and there were only 2 teenage girls waitressing--yikes----attentiveness is definitely not their forte. Our cups were empty on more than one occasion. I'm in agreement with other yelpers, they have a great concept but execution could be a lot better. I actually think steak and shake burgers taste better. Also really there are a lot of kids that just go for the cupcake with the plastic train whistle---cupcakes are not that good for the price and taste worse than coming out of a box. My tip for you is to sign up for their emails so at least when you do go you're not paying full price.
(2)
L M.
We live an hour away and drove up yesterday to celebrate our train obsessed 3 year old's bday. We went in the early afternoon on a weekday so it wasn't crowded. My kid could not get enough of the train passing by him. We usually have to be armed with toys and a charged phone streaming youtube if we want to finish a meal but not this time. He was loving every minute of it. The food is simple: burgers, hot dogs, fries. BUT the beef is grass fed..so for this momma it was a HUGE plus. I felt good about eating the food there. The burgers were awesome and hit the spot. We got the shakes too and they were delicious. After, he got a cute cupcake with a lit candle and a train whistle. My kid was thrilled! The owner or manager came out and even brought out a large train for him to play with and the waitress gave him a sticker. What i loved is they both told him he could have it AFTER he took a bite of food..so appreciated as a mom of a picky eater and easily distracted kid! They played 50's music in the background and my kid was hopping around, it made for such cute pics and a memorable day. A couple of TVs played thomas the train episodes. The metra train stops right in front of the place so he loved seeing that. We'd love to try to take the train in again from the city sometime. We were treated wonderfully and it was a great way to celebrate his bday. Wish there was something like this in the city!
(5)
Demi G.
The only reason I took one star off is because I don't understand why they do not wear rubber gloves here. I can clearly see them making food in the back from the little window where the train goes in... why don't they wear gloves? They ARE after all handling FOOD.
(4)
S. B.
will never do this place again~the $7.50 cheese burger was tiny 1/8 inch thick and literaly burnt TO A CRISP around the edge =crunchy beef !! not good greasy fries=then to make matters worse a RODENT was spotted by the customers running around so the owner was walking around looking for him under tables ------AND the train whistle was broken only 3 booths so if u have very little kids they need to sit on a stool ~~~~will never do this place again
(1)
D R.
Great place to come with kids. Food is good and delivered by a train! The staff is awesome. The place is a good size and decorated with a lot of cool stuff from trains to an ammo can, oorah! Love it.
(5)
Lindsay D.
Fun place for the kiddos.
(4)
Bre S.
We brought our daughter here for her second birthday this past Wednesday. I know this place is under new management and I've read the mixed reviews but overall we were happy with our experience-some things can be tweaked so that's why I'm writing this review. When we arrived the place was very busy but the line moved fast and we were seated quickly. My daughter loved the 25¢ horsey ride in the front! We were seated at a booth and the wait staff greeted us promptly. The train decor and the train serving the food thrilled my daughter so that's a win! The food was good-my husband and I ordered cheeseburgers and my daughter had a grilled cheese. My husband also had a strawberry shake which was excellent! They sent a cupcake out for my daughters birthday that had a train whistle in it-she loved the whistle and mom and dad helped her eat the cupcake which was really good. A couple of things: 1. It's odd for the wait staff to ask for us to hand over our empty baskets of food. I think 2 toots needs to hire some people to help bus tables. 2. Our burgers came out with out any toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle) which was remedied when I told our server about it. 3. It seems like the staff is rushed to get people in and out which I can understand but I think this lead to some oversights. All in all this place was cute and the food was good so I plan on coming back!
(4)
Kris L.
2 stars for the food, 4 for the excitement my 3yo gets from the train. It's a great place to bring the kids for lunch or dinner. Every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the train. The decor is very cute and the oldies playing adds to the ambiance. She also loves the .25 mechanical horse ride. The food is something left to be desired. Last time I was here, I ordered the BLT. Like another reviewer mentioned it was very dry and my bacon seemed like it was cooked in the morning or the day before. Meh. Ordered a root beer float and that was very good. My suggestion, come for the dessert (shakes, floats). They have a groupon often. I'd look for that before coming to save some $. Also sign your kid up for their birthday club where they receive a free meal in the month of their bday.
(3)
Brandy W.
Great place. My kids loved it and it's much more chill than some of the other train joints around town. I personally loved that the only ride on toy they had was only a quarter! Everyone sits on the tracks and that's awesome. The only complaint (which is what makes me torn on which train place is better) is that the food is just not that great and majority is frozen...
(5)
Diane V.
Love this place to bring our grandkids to and other kiddo guests! They play 50's & 60's pop songs, have a super friendly all-female crew, and the train that delivers the food orders is a delight for the little ones. TV screens play Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons, silently. I love the genuine train whistle. Food's not bad, actually, and the milk shakes are good! Only issue I have is that the wait staff seem to want to rush you to finish.
(5)
Rich W.
We just recently went back with some friends, we all have 5 year olds so we caved. The burgers were decent this time around, the service was slow but good and the staff were friendly. The fries still suck, but a kid doesn't care. My son and his friend had fun and can't wait to go back. Much improved over last visit.
(3)
Toni T.
We took our daughter here for the first time. So many of our friends bring their children here. I guess you pay for the ambiance. It's a cute concept and, contrary to some of the reviews on here, our service was fine. Not excellent. Just ok. My biggest issue is the food. It was absolutely awful. I had the BLT. It was dry and flavorless. There were barely any fries with my order and they were stale and bland. My husband has the double-decker burger and asked for it medium. It came out burnt to a crisp. My daughter had a grilled cheese and it was also bland and flavorless. We each had dessert and our bill was $40, which I found expensive for 3 people and awful food. I'm glad we went here once just to see what it was all about, but we will not be going back.
(1)
Jerry D.
This is of my favorite places to visit when I come to visit my friends. I always have to stop here at least twice during my visits and get one of their Bacon burgers and their chilli. The burgers are amazing and better than any of the other big burger chains around and I love the fact they use grass feed beef and glutin free products. Their chilli is always great, especially on top of their burgers. The staff is very friendly and you always receive prompt service. Food is always fresh and arrives quickly and made the way you ordered it. This is a great place to bring the whole family, especially the little ones. I love how the food comes on the trains and you always see the excitement in the kids faces as they watch the trains deliver the food and the fact they are right next to a train station, makes the place that more authentic. Without a doubt this is my place to bring my friends and family and hopefully they open one in Florida as I would be a regular. I love the fact the owners are there and a part of the daily operations and are very friendly people. The staff they have are amazing and friendly and feels like a family when you walk into the place.
(5)
Christopher F.
Honestly not thrilled, even by kids' standards. Super friendly staff and priced just fine, but the quality of the food was mediocre. It's a diner, so my expectations were low, but the burgers were charred at the sides and still a little pink in the middle. Fresh beef was great, way better than a frozen patty, but some greater care could be given in the cooking process. They were busy, but they don't seem to have the kitchen capacity to handle their own crowds. Food orders seemed rushed and any one little mistake threw the kitchen into disarray. Wait times were horrible for not great food just so the kids could have a little thrill. 3 stars because I like the idea even if it could use some work still.
(3)
Ray M.
Delicious healthy beef . Nice place to visit if you little one . I love their chicken sandwich very friendly staff Service was very good and the food didn't take that long. I would definitely visit this place more often
(5)
Whitney O.
This place is fun! The food isn't great but the kids loved the atmosphere! Great to check out atleast once!
(4)
Janet N.
Went here with our 6, 4 and 2 year olds. We missed the sign saying "wait to be seated" and took a spot at the mostly empty counter (our fault). No one was waiting ahead of us. We were ignored for 10 minutes. Guess this was our punishment for not waiting to be seated. Once we did get menus our order was taken care of pretty quickly. The burger was actually really good! The BLT was also excellent! Bacon had great flavor. The little train brings your food to the table which is adorable. But between the train whistles, music and squeaky horse ride behind us I wanted to put in ear plugs! Way to noisy. We tried to use our groupon which led to being ignored for a while. A woman who appears to be the manager finally came over and took care of the groupon and let us pay the rest of the bill. She was friendly but at that point it was too little too late. Overall the kids loved the trains and the food was better than expected, but we probably won't be back due to poor service and noise.
(2)
Dan L.
It saddens me to the core to write a review like this. My only hope is that somebody in control of this place will take it to heart and do something before 2Toots is no more. We used to LOVE this place. We literally took our son there 3x week for years. But ever since Dale (the franchise owner) decided to scale the business and sold this particular restaurant to a new owner, it has spiraled out of control down the tubes. The entryway is rarely clean, the bathrooms are unsanitary w/ broken locks, and the place looks generally unkept. The trains are broken and rarely working at full steam, the tv's with train shows for the kids have been turned off, and nearly all of the 25¢ bubblegum & toy machines are empty. The servers are clearly not as happy as they once were, and the cops even showed up the other day to break up a fight in the kitchen (I heard btwn the owner and the cook - but it is unclear). The serving time is twice what it used to be, with tables not being turned properly and long lines at the door continue to turn away kids and customers alike. They are regularly out of menu items and the new owner just seems to be asleep at the wheel and over his skiis a bit. It is just so so sad to watch this place tank. When Dale was the principal owner, things were always under control and smiles were everywhere. Most everyone in Glen Ellyn knew this was b/c Dale's top employee, Becky, was running the ship. But ever since her departure, and the exodus of so many others, our beloved 2Toots feels more like a train wreck than anything else. After so many years as a customer, and so many $$$ happily spent inside the four walls, I turned to my spouse and said, "No more. It's over. I can't stomach this any longer." I hope somebody reads this and maybe takes the new owners aside to help mentor them a bit. Or, I hope Dale sees what is happening and stops focusing on franchise sales for a moment and concentrates on getting 2Toots back on the rails. With a bit of TLC , it can once again be the place that used to deliver so much happiness to so many families. Just my 2¢ -a humble customer
(1)
Jason M.
We stopped in for a late dinner with the kids and were not impressed. The menu is very basic. Not a lot of options, just boring stuff like burgers, hot dogs, club sandwich, tuna sandwich. A salad at the end as an afterthought. Kids ordered hot dogs and we had a burger and grilled cheese. Food tastes fine, nothing special. The music was BLASTING ridiculously loud, you could not even hear the person next to you. The floors were filthy and soaking wet in spots. And the train motif kind of seemed like an afterthought. We have been to All Aboard in Downers Grove, and this place doesn't even compare. The kids didn't even like this place. The little trinket machine even ate my daughters quarter.
(2)
Bryan T.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Yes, you buy more for the food because it comes via train, but isn't that what kid centered restaurants are all about? Paying more for food because it comes with an experience for the kid?!? Food was decent enough, sort of like a Steak n' Shake burger, but grass feed beef. Really people who wrote negative yelp reviews, what did you expect, Michelin Star food? It's a kid restaurant, I don't go to chuck e cheese and expect giordano's deep dish. My 2 year old had a blast and that's what counts to me.
(4)
Al L.
One bite was more than enough. The food is disgusting. Even the smell was nauseating. Bought a groupon for 2toots because we wanted to try the food. I couldn't dine in so I ordered to go. I ordered two cheeseburgers with onion rings and a walnut brownie ($22!). It was expensive for the size of the burgers. The burger patties were similar to steak and shake patties, but not good at all. But the worst part was the grease. I couldn't believe how greasy the burger and onion rings were. It was like biting into a balloon filled with oil...gross! Unfortunately, I had to waste the food and threw it all away - just couldn't eat it. I can't believe parents take their kids there. I would never recommend the food, especially for kids.
(1)
Mandy M.
My son had the best lunch of his little life here! - The food was great! - The trains are constantly moving, not just when they're delivering meals. - The staff was friendly and attentive. - The theming and decor was clean, fresh, and had tons of trains! Tip: Arrive early! Every table/both is against the train tracks but it's a pretty small place. It fills up quickly!
(5)
Alicia T.
Just went last night after being not having gone in for awhile apparently management has changed. Waited at the door, was not greeted, watched two booths get cleaned off and then just sat there for several minutes before we were given ok to sit down. Only one high chair had working seatbelt buckle for our almost 2 yr old. Never got menus, had to call waitress over to order while our child melted down. Toy machines were almost completely empty, nobody told us bye/ thank you. So sad, this use to be a great place.
(1)
Sam P.
This is not a good place to come if you aren't dining with young children. It's not a good place to come if you're looking for a peaceful meal. It's not a good place to come if you're a 2 month old baby who'd rather sleep through dinner. However, it IS a GREAT place to come if you're a train-loving toddler or preschooler, or a parent who wants to dine out without stressing too much over their kids' behavior. It's loud, probably overpriced, and the food is just okay. But small children are super amused by the train delivering food to the tables. I give it three stars for the novelty factor, and the food is better than most fast food or concession stands. A note about food handling, since I read another review regarding the absence of gloves in the kitchen: this is pretty common practice, and the thinking behind it makes sense to me. Would you rather have someone touching your food who has paid careful attention to thoroughly clean their hands with soap and hot water, or someone with poor hygiene who came in to work and just put on a pair of gloves? I'd go for the clean hands, myself. I bet if you looked in the kitchens of most restaurants, you'd find the staff free of gloves, and instead trained in proper hand washing. Just thought I'd share since I'm a bit of a germaphobe myself :)
(3)
Kim M.
The premise of this place is that your food is delivered to you by a train that goes around the counter on train tracks. That's it. Go into this place expecting nothing more, and you won't be disappointed. My kids are 5 and 3, and they liked it alot. When you get dessert, they pull the train horn on the wall, and my kids got really excited about that. The Burgers to me were decent. Think Steak N Shake type patties, but larger. The problem with them is that they kind of implode and turn into this mound of beef, vs a patty. Nonetheless, it still tastes good. My only complaint would be about the service. However, I do note that on the 2 times we've gone here, the girls were probably in high school. So I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. As long as it keeps my kids entertained, I'll be a repeat customer.
(3)
Barry F.
Reading the reviews for this place I can't help but shake my head. The low scores come from people who either a) are applying an adult restaurant mentality to a place that is all about kids or b) don't understand that this place is about the kids not the adults. So if you are coming here expecting "haute cuisine" you are going to be disappointed. Similarly if you are coming here expecting professionally trained wait staff with decades of experience, you aren't going to walk away happy. Folks, this is a fricken restaurant you take kids in order to watch them smile and be filled with wonder. Slow down, take some time and enjoy the ride. (That said, the burgers are pretty damn good).
(4)
Renita M.
Your rating of this probably depends on whether you have kids or not. We don't, and we had no kid with us, so 3 stars. For parents or kids, it's probably 4. For train-obsessed kids, 5. We came here around 5 on a Saturday -- being in Glen Ellyn and having run out of other things to do -- and felt slightly out of place, as we were the only non-parent adult customers. But we sat, we ate, and enjoyed our meal. My cheeseburger was done well, a smaller version of Schoop's, with crispy grilled edges and pickles, lettuce & tomato. The fries were your standard crinkle-cut like you'd get at Portillo's. My husband's chili dog was a large, tasty dog; the chili on top was quite good. Onion rings were a bit too few for the order, but good anyway. And yes, it's all very train oriented, with a little electric train to deliver your baskets. Service was adequate. By the time we left, the place was filling up, with moms, dads and lots of under-12 kids. Lots. We felt a little out of place, but departed having had a good diner-y meal, at a decent price. We may well be back, but only if we have a young relative in tow.
(3)
Shannon M.
We took my visiting little cousins, who love trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, to this restaurant, where your meal is served in baskets on an electric train that comes around the counter where you sit. Novel idea, and the kids were entranced. Train stuff is EVERYWHERE: old ads for the Hiawatha line and photographs on the walls, and yes, Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs playing on loop on flat-screens in the corners, but the food-delivering model train that intermittently passes through the dining room is the star of the show. A previous reviewer said the baskets looked dirty, but everything involving the train and counter appeared clean to me. The servers (high-school-age girls) were sweet and very tolerant considering the amount of hyper kids they must deal with per day. They helped set up booster chairs for the two little ones upon our arrival as well. The food was quite tasty; mostly diner fare is on offer, with some healthier options like a grilled chicken breast sandwich (my choice, which was plump, flavorful and juicy), a salad with Newman's Own dressing or a veggie burger for those who don't care for the hot dog and hamburger fare. Onion rings were varnish brown, with the batter welded onto the piece of onion, crispy and delicious. My chocolate milkshake was creamy and thick (but still drinkable). Overall, much more than I expected from a kid-centric place, where it's usually about atmosphere and food is secondary. The kids have classic options of grilled cheese, hot dogs and the like, and when it comes to dessert, a cupcake with a train whistle! The wait for food was not long, and there's so much to look at that the kids weren't too restless. They were in love with "Champion," the coin-operated horse near the door (the type that used to be in front of every Kmart). The only thing I might suggest was a swab of the decks; at the end of the trip, the littlest one (who'd had her fill of sensory stimuli and needed a break) threw herself on the floor, which I noticed was not too clean. This location has much better hours than its compatriot in Downers Grove, which is only open til 4:30 on week-ends -- ?? The Glen Ellyn restaurant was open til 7, which makes more sense; at least they're open through the dinner hour. Overall, a fun restaurant for kids with a retro flair.
(4)
Don N.
The staff is very friendly, the food is good -shakes are outstanding. We are lucky to keep our 2-year-old in a chair for 10 minutes. He sat for over an hour and was just as excited to see the train go by on the 100th time as he was the first time.
(4)
Joy M.
This would have been a two star review but they were docked a star for the fact that they charge the same price for tap water as they do for soda (I guess that's their prerogative but I was always under the impression that restaurants were supposed to provide free access to tap water upon request). The burgers were average, the fries were cold and the wait staff was inattentive. They left the bill with us when they brought the food and they never bothered to come back to see if we wanted dessert or needed any refills. Also, for a train themed restaurant there was a distinct lack of trains. They had some pictures on the walls and the train that brought the food and that was about it- my daughter (who loves trains) didn't seem to enjoy the ambiance at all. Next time we'll stick with the All Aboard Diner in Woodridge. They have a much better menu, better prices, tons of trains and staff that actually pays attention.
(1)
Vince A.
I'm with Kimmerlee on this place. The burgers are fine yet pricey (new menu = new prices). Burgers are steak n' shake/johnny rockets like. The kids meals are fine choosing from a hot dog or nuggets or PB&J. The kids enjoy the trains whirring around the joint while parents just want to finish eating. Some advice: Get there as they open. If you miss that 11-11:15 AM window, you will wait for the next available seat.
(3)
Joe G.
Continuing with previous outings, we're slowly making the rounds of the Chicago area train themed restaurants this summer. Situated near the Glen Ellyn Metra station, 2Toots would seem ideally located for train-loving kids. Being on a Union Pacific mainline, we saw several freight trains and a Metra rumble on by while we were at 2Toots. This location is fairly large and has a nice open feel to it, along with two trains (on the same track!) delivering food. A television (maybe two?) is playing Thomas the Tank Engine for kids of that persuasion. There's a large amount of counter seating and some tables, and the place is generally laid out better than the DG location. However, my remaining comments are very similar to DG: I think they might have missed out a bit by not doing a few more things. Both All Aboard and Choo Choo Johnny's have functioning train layouts and a train running overhead as well, which helps to provide something for kids to look at when food isn't currently being delivered. The food itself was average to below-average. I would like to see them work on that a bit. I feel that this is a fine idea, and that they have some elements that could put them a step above their competition, particularly in terms of location with those real trains whizzing by outside, but as it stands, I have to call it as being a bit below average.
(2)
Elizabeth K.
Nice concept. All they need now is decent and friendly service. My husband and I took our two toddlers in here for an early lunch. We were seated fairly quickly; however, it then took our waitress nearly 15 mins to take our drink order. Our food orders were taken 10-15 mins after that. Our food and drinks arrived maybe 10 mins after that. Add that together, and it took nearly 40 mins from when we got there to get our food and drinks. The bill came right after the food. Drinks refills were hard to come by. The food was okay. The only reason I'm not screaming for zero stars here was because my husband loved his burger. The kids and I were less than impressed. Please don't go here if you want good food, good service, and have anything less than an hour to spend waiting for service. Btw, when your server does arrive, don't expect to ask any questions. They'll be gone as soon as they think you're done ordering. Talk quick.
(1)
Erik H.
Train-themed restaurant where all of the seats are "trackside" and the train brings the food out to the kids. The kids had a ball with the train, the decor, the $0.25 mechanical horse ride, and the kid-friendly food. The restaurant looks out on the real trains going by as well. The kids' joy was the one redeeming factor for me. The menu is very limited, the quality of the food was mediocre, prices were relatively high, and the staff seemed less-than-thrilled to be there. The concept is a winner, but given the poor execution here, I would recommend "All Aboard Diner: in Downers Grove.
(2)
Christina S.
If you have (or are in the temporary possession of) a toddler, 2Toots is where it's at. When my itty bitty nieces were in town recently, we made an afternoon of it by filling up on burgers and PB&J and then running 'em off at the playground down the street. They had fun at the playground, but I'm telling you . . . they simply couldn't stop talking about that little train. And whereas I normally cringe when I see a bunch of teenagers minding the store, the high school girls who work at 2Toots are perfection. It's like the Babysitter's Club opened a diner. In all honesty, the food is a few steps down from Steak 'n Shake. But the kids will be so well behaved, you won't even care.
(4)
Karen W.
FORGET THE KIDS!!!! My friend and I totally got a kick out of this place. We work in transportation, so we have no problem admitting we are dorks, but we totally got a kick out of having our food delivered on the train. Simple menu, burgers and fries, food was good and inexpensive.
(3)
Mike V.
second 2toots in a week, food was good but cooked HARD! my burger which still had a great taste was crispy (inedible) on some of the edges. staff was great. but ill stick to the Bartlett one based off the cooking.
(3)
Mike S.
I'm not sure if everyone here gets the concept of 2toots. If you don't like kids in general, then don't bother. 2toots is always filled with kids, it's ok, that's their thing. Teen and tweens will probably not like this place either because it has adults AND kids, the bane of all teenagers. Come here for a great diner experience, and for a brief menu of items made well. I stopped in for lunch and had the burger. You can really tell the difference in taste between the grass-fed beef and what you get from any other place. The fries were hot and crisp and all were served with a smile. The burgers ARE thin, but that's because they're smashed, to give the edges a bit of crisp. You really gotta be into that type of burger to appreciate them. The bun was fluffy and toasted, perfect. Looking forward to a chili dog on my next visit.
(4)
Mary J.
I saw a big improvement on the food on this visit! Nothing was burnt, the hot dog was bigger, the fries were better and the service was very attentive. Maybe we were experiencing starting up challenges when we were there last time.
(4)
Joel G.
This is a great place to take your kids. It was fun to see them bring the food in on a train. My son just loved it. The food was actually decent for it being a small diner type restaurant. The place is just full of train stuff. Great.
(3)
Gina L.
Love this place! They now serve Tall Grass Beef burgers AND hotdogs. Now THIS is the type of meat we should all eat. Grass fed and finished :) Its healthy and most of all, DELICIOUS! The price is extremely fair for the quality and what you get (comes with fries). The place is very kid friendly and its set in the 50's style complete with root beer floats and music. All your meals are served via the choo choo track which runs along the entire counter and in to the kitchen. THANKS 2 TOOTS, we will be back!!!
(4)
janice m.
For those of us who have kids or grand kids who love trains, this is a great place to visit. Sitting next to the tracks, both in the restaurant, and the restaurant itself, is the ultimate joy for a four year old. The food is average for this style restaurant, however the BLT was damn tasty. Our server, Parks, was friendly, nice and very patient when our grandson couldn't decide on chocolate or vanilla...so kudos for that. The annoying children behind us who wouldn't sit down were about the only thing we didn't enjoy. All in all a good experience, but a word of warning, go after two, when the lunch rush is over., you will find it a much more pleasurable experience
(3)
Jennifer B.
Let me begin with a disclaimer: I do not have children. I do, however, have an English husband who is obsessed with diners and trains. After months of fending him off I agreed to go here with him. If you have a little boy, they will love this place, and you won't mind it. But if you are a 20 something there with her weirdo husband you will just feel out of place. They also only serve food in a bun.
(2)
John S.
Honestly I went to this place expecting soo much more. Ok so I will start with the positives. The staff here was very friendly and the trains will entertain your out of control little boy for maybe all of two minutes. That is about were the good parts of this place stop. First of all the menu here is limited. Seriously they have maybe 5 things to choose from. So i decided to get the burger. When my burger came I wanted to ask if it was just a joke. The beef patty was so thin Paris Hilton would leave this place starving. Seriously it was like a crispy cracker of beef on the bun. I mean it seriously made a crunch sound when I bit into it. I don't think Burgers are supposed to do that. While the fries tasted good I was also left wanting more as I felt like I had to beg to get any food here. Over all not what i was expecting. Ya the train is cute and may be a good baby sitter for 5min but if you are looking to actually eat here you will leave disappointed. Be prepared to stop at mcdonalds on your way home because you will be hungry.
(2)
Chester R.
the food here is pretty bad.........but the atmosphere is good for about 15 minutes if you have kids under 5.
(1)
Gary F.
Took my 3 and 8 year old son there. They liked it which is what counted. I didn't see any issues with the train or dirty baskets. Yes, the floor could have been a little cleaner, but I've definitely seen worse. The three of us ate for $22.00 Food was good. We'll be back.
(4)
J M.
This is a new, cute place for the kids where a train delivers your food to you. If you don't like kids or chaos, you better stay out, because it's full of both. The food is good, but a little overpriced. Their chili rocks, but $3.95 for a tiny bowl that isn't even filled? Other than that, cute little palces to bring the little ones.
(4)
Tobin h.
A HUGE gimmick and over-rated. Possibly the biggest nightmare a health inspector may ever have to place a "pass" grade on. This could easily be the dirtiest restaurant I've ever patronized. I actually saw a fuzzy fry on the floor. Though I appreciate the nostalgia and fun of an electric train delivery system, I can't believe as I gazed the floor and sanitary conditions, I allowed my daughter and me to eat here. My hot dog tasted like cigar smoke and my daughter's chicken dino's were actually part frozen in the middle. The service was awful and the "big guy" on the toot-toot campus seemed more interested in goofing with his High school somethings than providing a quality meal. If I ever visit this ces-pool of dirty, it is my own fault. If you go here...it is also your own fault. Don't buy into the "happiness" of a train delivering your food. There are several other train themed restaurant's in Chicagoland that have bought into the concept of a broom and a mop that this hole has yet to discover. There is nothing about this joke of a concept that would ever make me go back...even if you were buying. I'd say you are better off eating your fingernails and tooting your car horn to mirror this experience.Awful. Awful. Awful!
(1)
Missy M.
I have been here before - the only redeeming quality is the train that brings your food. When we walked in there was garbage covering the entire floor. Do these kids working there know how to sweep after the clean off a table? It was disgusting. The wait staff is a joke. The girl who took our order today clearly didn't understand what a sundae with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup meant. We explained it three times!! My stepdad had ordered the sundae instead of a meal, which obviously confused the staff beyond oblivion! Another waitress came up and asked if we wanted our sundae after the meal, to which we explained that he had gotten it instead of a meal, so bring it out with our food. She replies, "So, bring it out afterward?" Um, no... They also completely forgot to bring out my mom's cupcake that she ordered. I never jumped up and down about this place, but today did me in. I'm embarrassed that I was the one who suggested it since my folks were in from out of town. Will NEVER go there again.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No Caters : No
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Mandy M.
My son had the best lunch of his little life here! - The food was great! - The trains are constantly moving, not just when they're delivering meals. - The staff was friendly and attentive. - The theming and decor was clean, fresh, and had tons of trains! Tip: Arrive early! Every table/both is against the train tracks but it's a pretty small place. It fills up quickly!
(5)Alicia T.
Just went last night after being not having gone in for awhile apparently management has changed. Waited at the door, was not greeted, watched two booths get cleaned off and then just sat there for several minutes before we were given ok to sit down. Only one high chair had working seatbelt buckle for our almost 2 yr old. Never got menus, had to call waitress over to order while our child melted down. Toy machines were almost completely empty, nobody told us bye/ thank you. So sad, this use to be a great place.
(1)D R.
Great place to come with kids. Food is good and delivered by a train! The staff is awesome. The place is a good size and decorated with a lot of cool stuff from trains to an ammo can, oorah! Love it.
(5)S. B.
will never do this place again~the $7.50 cheese burger was tiny 1/8 inch thick and literaly burnt TO A CRISP around the edge =crunchy beef !! not good greasy fries=then to make matters worse a RODENT was spotted by the customers running around so the owner was walking around looking for him under tables ------AND the train whistle was broken only 3 booths so if u have very little kids they need to sit on a stool ~~~~will never do this place again
(1)Bre S.
We brought our daughter here for her second birthday this past Wednesday. I know this place is under new management and I've read the mixed reviews but overall we were happy with our experience-some things can be tweaked so that's why I'm writing this review. When we arrived the place was very busy but the line moved fast and we were seated quickly. My daughter loved the 25¢ horsey ride in the front! We were seated at a booth and the wait staff greeted us promptly. The train decor and the train serving the food thrilled my daughter so that's a win! The food was good-my husband and I ordered cheeseburgers and my daughter had a grilled cheese. My husband also had a strawberry shake which was excellent! They sent a cupcake out for my daughters birthday that had a train whistle in it-she loved the whistle and mom and dad helped her eat the cupcake which was really good. A couple of things: 1. It's odd for the wait staff to ask for us to hand over our empty baskets of food. I think 2 toots needs to hire some people to help bus tables. 2. Our burgers came out with out any toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle) which was remedied when I told our server about it. 3. It seems like the staff is rushed to get people in and out which I can understand but I think this lead to some oversights. All in all this place was cute and the food was good so I plan on coming back!
(4)Kris L.
2 stars for the food, 4 for the excitement my 3yo gets from the train. It's a great place to bring the kids for lunch or dinner. Every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the train. The decor is very cute and the oldies playing adds to the ambiance. She also loves the .25 mechanical horse ride. The food is something left to be desired. Last time I was here, I ordered the BLT. Like another reviewer mentioned it was very dry and my bacon seemed like it was cooked in the morning or the day before. Meh. Ordered a root beer float and that was very good. My suggestion, come for the dessert (shakes, floats). They have a groupon often. I'd look for that before coming to save some $. Also sign your kid up for their birthday club where they receive a free meal in the month of their bday.
(3)Brandy W.
Great place. My kids loved it and it's much more chill than some of the other train joints around town. I personally loved that the only ride on toy they had was only a quarter! Everyone sits on the tracks and that's awesome. The only complaint (which is what makes me torn on which train place is better) is that the food is just not that great and majority is frozen...
(5)Diane V.
Love this place to bring our grandkids to and other kiddo guests! They play 50's & 60's pop songs, have a super friendly all-female crew, and the train that delivers the food orders is a delight for the little ones. TV screens play Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons, silently. I love the genuine train whistle. Food's not bad, actually, and the milk shakes are good! Only issue I have is that the wait staff seem to want to rush you to finish.
(5)Rich W.
We just recently went back with some friends, we all have 5 year olds so we caved. The burgers were decent this time around, the service was slow but good and the staff were friendly. The fries still suck, but a kid doesn't care. My son and his friend had fun and can't wait to go back. Much improved over last visit.
(3)Toni T.
We took our daughter here for the first time. So many of our friends bring their children here. I guess you pay for the ambiance. It's a cute concept and, contrary to some of the reviews on here, our service was fine. Not excellent. Just ok. My biggest issue is the food. It was absolutely awful. I had the BLT. It was dry and flavorless. There were barely any fries with my order and they were stale and bland. My husband has the double-decker burger and asked for it medium. It came out burnt to a crisp. My daughter had a grilled cheese and it was also bland and flavorless. We each had dessert and our bill was $40, which I found expensive for 3 people and awful food. I'm glad we went here once just to see what it was all about, but we will not be going back.
(1)Og B.
this is my fav choo choo diner. kids love it! food is diner-licious
(5)Jerry D.
This is of my favorite places to visit when I come to visit my friends. I always have to stop here at least twice during my visits and get one of their Bacon burgers and their chilli. The burgers are amazing and better than any of the other big burger chains around and I love the fact they use grass feed beef and glutin free products. Their chilli is always great, especially on top of their burgers. The staff is very friendly and you always receive prompt service. Food is always fresh and arrives quickly and made the way you ordered it. This is a great place to bring the whole family, especially the little ones. I love how the food comes on the trains and you always see the excitement in the kids faces as they watch the trains deliver the food and the fact they are right next to a train station, makes the place that more authentic. Without a doubt this is my place to bring my friends and family and hopefully they open one in Florida as I would be a regular. I love the fact the owners are there and a part of the daily operations and are very friendly people. The staff they have are amazing and friendly and feels like a family when you walk into the place.
(5)Christopher F.
Honestly not thrilled, even by kids' standards. Super friendly staff and priced just fine, but the quality of the food was mediocre. It's a diner, so my expectations were low, but the burgers were charred at the sides and still a little pink in the middle. Fresh beef was great, way better than a frozen patty, but some greater care could be given in the cooking process. They were busy, but they don't seem to have the kitchen capacity to handle their own crowds. Food orders seemed rushed and any one little mistake threw the kitchen into disarray. Wait times were horrible for not great food just so the kids could have a little thrill. 3 stars because I like the idea even if it could use some work still.
(3)Ray M.
Delicious healthy beef . Nice place to visit if you little one . I love their chicken sandwich very friendly staff Service was very good and the food didn't take that long. I would definitely visit this place more often
(5)Whitney O.
This place is fun! The food isn't great but the kids loved the atmosphere! Great to check out atleast once!
(4)Janet N.
Went here with our 6, 4 and 2 year olds. We missed the sign saying "wait to be seated" and took a spot at the mostly empty counter (our fault). No one was waiting ahead of us. We were ignored for 10 minutes. Guess this was our punishment for not waiting to be seated. Once we did get menus our order was taken care of pretty quickly. The burger was actually really good! The BLT was also excellent! Bacon had great flavor. The little train brings your food to the table which is adorable. But between the train whistles, music and squeaky horse ride behind us I wanted to put in ear plugs! Way to noisy. We tried to use our groupon which led to being ignored for a while. A woman who appears to be the manager finally came over and took care of the groupon and let us pay the rest of the bill. She was friendly but at that point it was too little too late. Overall the kids loved the trains and the food was better than expected, but we probably won't be back due to poor service and noise.
(2)Dan L.
It saddens me to the core to write a review like this. My only hope is that somebody in control of this place will take it to heart and do something before 2Toots is no more. We used to LOVE this place. We literally took our son there 3x week for years. But ever since Dale (the franchise owner) decided to scale the business and sold this particular restaurant to a new owner, it has spiraled out of control down the tubes. The entryway is rarely clean, the bathrooms are unsanitary w/ broken locks, and the place looks generally unkept. The trains are broken and rarely working at full steam, the tv's with train shows for the kids have been turned off, and nearly all of the 25¢ bubblegum & toy machines are empty. The servers are clearly not as happy as they once were, and the cops even showed up the other day to break up a fight in the kitchen (I heard btwn the owner and the cook - but it is unclear). The serving time is twice what it used to be, with tables not being turned properly and long lines at the door continue to turn away kids and customers alike. They are regularly out of menu items and the new owner just seems to be asleep at the wheel and over his skiis a bit. It is just so so sad to watch this place tank. When Dale was the principal owner, things were always under control and smiles were everywhere. Most everyone in Glen Ellyn knew this was b/c Dale's top employee, Becky, was running the ship. But ever since her departure, and the exodus of so many others, our beloved 2Toots feels more like a train wreck than anything else. After so many years as a customer, and so many $$$ happily spent inside the four walls, I turned to my spouse and said, "No more. It's over. I can't stomach this any longer." I hope somebody reads this and maybe takes the new owners aside to help mentor them a bit. Or, I hope Dale sees what is happening and stops focusing on franchise sales for a moment and concentrates on getting 2Toots back on the rails. With a bit of TLC , it can once again be the place that used to deliver so much happiness to so many families. Just my 2¢ -a humble customer
(1)Jason M.
We stopped in for a late dinner with the kids and were not impressed. The menu is very basic. Not a lot of options, just boring stuff like burgers, hot dogs, club sandwich, tuna sandwich. A salad at the end as an afterthought. Kids ordered hot dogs and we had a burger and grilled cheese. Food tastes fine, nothing special. The music was BLASTING ridiculously loud, you could not even hear the person next to you. The floors were filthy and soaking wet in spots. And the train motif kind of seemed like an afterthought. We have been to All Aboard in Downers Grove, and this place doesn't even compare. The kids didn't even like this place. The little trinket machine even ate my daughters quarter.
(2)Bryan T.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Yes, you buy more for the food because it comes via train, but isn't that what kid centered restaurants are all about? Paying more for food because it comes with an experience for the kid?!? Food was decent enough, sort of like a Steak n' Shake burger, but grass feed beef. Really people who wrote negative yelp reviews, what did you expect, Michelin Star food? It's a kid restaurant, I don't go to chuck e cheese and expect giordano's deep dish. My 2 year old had a blast and that's what counts to me.
(4)Tobin h.
A HUGE gimmick and over-rated. Possibly the biggest nightmare a health inspector may ever have to place a "pass" grade on. This could easily be the dirtiest restaurant I've ever patronized. I actually saw a fuzzy fry on the floor. Though I appreciate the nostalgia and fun of an electric train delivery system, I can't believe as I gazed the floor and sanitary conditions, I allowed my daughter and me to eat here. My hot dog tasted like cigar smoke and my daughter's chicken dino's were actually part frozen in the middle. The service was awful and the "big guy" on the toot-toot campus seemed more interested in goofing with his High school somethings than providing a quality meal. If I ever visit this ces-pool of dirty, it is my own fault. If you go here...it is also your own fault. Don't buy into the "happiness" of a train delivering your food. There are several other train themed restaurant's in Chicagoland that have bought into the concept of a broom and a mop that this hole has yet to discover. There is nothing about this joke of a concept that would ever make me go back...even if you were buying. I'd say you are better off eating your fingernails and tooting your car horn to mirror this experience.Awful. Awful. Awful!
(1)Missy M.
I have been here before - the only redeeming quality is the train that brings your food. When we walked in there was garbage covering the entire floor. Do these kids working there know how to sweep after the clean off a table? It was disgusting. The wait staff is a joke. The girl who took our order today clearly didn't understand what a sundae with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup meant. We explained it three times!! My stepdad had ordered the sundae instead of a meal, which obviously confused the staff beyond oblivion! Another waitress came up and asked if we wanted our sundae after the meal, to which we explained that he had gotten it instead of a meal, so bring it out with our food. She replies, "So, bring it out afterward?" Um, no... They also completely forgot to bring out my mom's cupcake that she ordered. I never jumped up and down about this place, but today did me in. I'm embarrassed that I was the one who suggested it since my folks were in from out of town. Will NEVER go there again.
(1)Al L.
One bite was more than enough. The food is disgusting. Even the smell was nauseating. Bought a groupon for 2toots because we wanted to try the food. I couldn't dine in so I ordered to go. I ordered two cheeseburgers with onion rings and a walnut brownie ($22!). It was expensive for the size of the burgers. The burger patties were similar to steak and shake patties, but not good at all. But the worst part was the grease. I couldn't believe how greasy the burger and onion rings were. It was like biting into a balloon filled with oil...gross! Unfortunately, I had to waste the food and threw it all away - just couldn't eat it. I can't believe parents take their kids there. I would never recommend the food, especially for kids.
(1)Lindsay D.
Fun place for the kiddos.
(4)Sam P.
This is not a good place to come if you aren't dining with young children. It's not a good place to come if you're looking for a peaceful meal. It's not a good place to come if you're a 2 month old baby who'd rather sleep through dinner. However, it IS a GREAT place to come if you're a train-loving toddler or preschooler, or a parent who wants to dine out without stressing too much over their kids' behavior. It's loud, probably overpriced, and the food is just okay. But small children are super amused by the train delivering food to the tables. I give it three stars for the novelty factor, and the food is better than most fast food or concession stands. A note about food handling, since I read another review regarding the absence of gloves in the kitchen: this is pretty common practice, and the thinking behind it makes sense to me. Would you rather have someone touching your food who has paid careful attention to thoroughly clean their hands with soap and hot water, or someone with poor hygiene who came in to work and just put on a pair of gloves? I'd go for the clean hands, myself. I bet if you looked in the kitchens of most restaurants, you'd find the staff free of gloves, and instead trained in proper hand washing. Just thought I'd share since I'm a bit of a germaphobe myself :)
(3)Erin L.
My husband and i were very insulted and disappointed with our experience. we walked in and were not greeted by anyone or directed to sit anywhere specific. So we took one of the open tables so we could get settled in with our 2 year old twins and infant. Apparently this wasn't ok because no one came to our table. We waited 10 minutes and my husband had to ask for menus, which they didnt seem pleased to give us. Meanwhile, while we were waiting for those menues and sevice, the waitresses stood around chatting. Our poor sevice continued with a reluctant waitress takinf our order and barely paying any attention to our needs. What made this all so much worse is 3 other families came in and were warmly greeted, waoted on, all with a nice smile and speedy service. Getting thr check was also an issue, along with paying. By now my kids were melting down, but once again, the wair staff didn't seem to hurry with our bill but waited on everyone else with a smile and soeed. We will be finding another location to go to, which is a shame because it's a local business and my kids loved the trains.
(2)M G.
Took my kids here because my nephew was in out of town. The food is amazing! Love love love the chicken sandwich. My kids rave over the chicken nuggets and cheese frys...but my oldest daughters favorite is the root beer floats! This place is a awesome and very wallet friendly! Our servers Alex Jen and Dani were great. Definitely on top of everything even though they were slammed!
(5)Glenda C.
I've gone 2 times for the toddler in my life ...and that's really the only reason anyone would go here. The food is basic diner food that clogs the arteries. The advertised grassfed beef is a slight bonus, but the end result is still just tasteless fried stuff. My son loves watching the train go around, but whoever maneuvers the train never stops it correctly in front of our table. The servers do need to work on etiquette a bit more...or maybe just hostessing knowledge. The Downers Grove location has it much more together.
(2)Janice C.
I am so very sad after our visit today! We took my grand daughter to celebrate her birthday, as we always do for our grandkids' birthdays. 2 Toots has become a beloved place to take our grandchildren to for years. It was a place that was so much fun for the children and families. The staff that worked there were friendly and they kept the place running smoothly. Our grandkids loved "Miss Becky." I am sorry to hear that she's gone. I couldn't believe how filthy the place was when we entered. There was litter and dropped pieces of food everywhere. When we ordered, the order was filled and put on a counter and forgotten! When we inquired about it, they found the order and wanted to give it to us after it had been sitting on the counter for 20 minutes! Good grief. When we finished, my grand daughter looked forward to her birthday treat. Once again, we waited and had to ask at least 3 different times about her treat. The poor thing kept watching the train, thinking it was going to come soon. When it did, it looked like they had taken a frosted brownie and heated it in the microwave. The frosting was melted all over the brownie. It was obvious that the wait staff had no experience or proper training. It appeared that everyone was doing there own thing, with no sense of direction. If you were lucky you could get one of them to take your order and good luck if it came. We saw several families walk out because of this. The bathroom door's lock didn't work and the list went on. The visit felt like an episode from "The Twilight Zone." I hope that someone can revive this business. I'd hate to see it continue in this way.
(1)Raymond D.
This is coming from a Dad of two (6 and 3 years old) who has been to 2Toots dozens of times and has always been pleased with the food and the staff! This will be the last time we go there as well. Apparently, they changed management and sadly that meant the quality and experience changed. We got in and it smelled of old oil throughout, the staff was new and did not get our order right, and when the food did come, the fries for my wife and I were under cooked and our burgers and the food has now left us both on the couch feeling pretty sick. I understand things change, that is just life, but when people accept the challenge of taking over and establishment that was historically great food and a solid experience - they should take the time to understand what brought families out here to start with.... The food and the experience!! Even the trains that delivered the food just seemed different sad and slow moving... I wish the new owners good luck in their endeavor with 2Toots, and I truly hope they give the neighborhood families that have come to love this place - a place to love again.
(1)Joyce B.
Great food! Only reason they get one star. Awful service. Very unfriendly and unhappy. The staff obviously did not want to be there. I told our sever that it was our first time there and she just looked at me blankly. Fun for the kids, but don't expect much.
(1)Dan B.
Downtown Glen Ellyn is a typical suburban downtown. A train track separates one side of the downtown from the other, there's lots of strange boutiques run by elderly ladies with curiously peculiar merchandise. And there's unusual themed restaurants, and 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is exactly that. 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is not called 2 Toots because they have lots of bean based dishes, instead it's a whimsical railroad themed hot dog and burger joint located right across the street from the Glen Ellyn train station. The big attraction being that your food is delivered to your seat via a model train that goes around the restaurant. There are a handful of coin-operated machines there as well from a horse for little kids to ride on, to various other vending machines. In visiting 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill I decided to try the hot dog. This was a jumbo dog and they bragged about the Cows this beef is coming from being 100% grass fed. Within just a few minutes of ordering the model train had stopped at my seat with my hot dog and fries. First off let me review the hot dog. The hot dog I received was a jumbo dog with no condiments. The waitress brought me some packets of sweet relish and a cup of diced onions to add to it. Near my table was a mustard bottle with a nozzle to apply it. Overall the hot dog I received was pretty good considering it was plain. It had a nice beefy flavor, was well heated and tasty. It came on a poppy seed bun that was fairly soft as well. The fries included were crinkle cut fries. They were a bit salty and a bit mushy but pretty tasty overall with a nice potato paste inside. I've had better crinkle cut fries than these, but overall I was pretty happy with the fries here. The only major complaint I have with 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is that you're paying a premium on your food for the garish atmosphere. It would be a great place to take little kids, but not necessarily a great place to have a fine meal. My hot dog and fries was around 7.00 with tax, a high price to pay for such items. Overall if you have little kids (3 to 7 year olds) this might be a good place to take them. The whole place has a cute atmosphere to it and I would definitely have liked to have gone there when I was a kid. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place if you're just stopping to eat, but as a unique place to bring little ones it definitely has a purpose. Three stars for 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill.
(3)Juan P.
What a cool place! The service was amazing and the burgers taste amazing. I think the atmosphere is really great and friendly.
(5)Soul G.
I've been here twice with my son for his birthday. I should've known better than to come a second time. The first time I paid with my debit card and used cash for the tip. When I checked my bank acct, the cashier charged me an extra $13! I called the restaurant and they pulled up my receipt. Indeed, the cashier had charged an additional tip! The second time, huge disappointment with the food and service!! The fries were brown and the burger patties were burnt! The cupcake that my son got was probably days old! So stale! I'm glad he didn't eat it and only wanted the train whistle. I refrained from complaining to the waitress only because I didn't want to ruin my son's birthday. I will not be back to this place again!
(1)Jared W.
We had a really good time here the other day, mostly because our 2 year old son is obsessed with trains. So being able to see the Metra go by periodically, along with the train that delivers the food was a lot of fun for him. The only trouble is if you sit close to where the train goes by, most of the kids can't help but want to touch it, so you have to watch yours pretty closely. Obviously you probably wouldn't eat here if you didn't have kids, and unfortunately the food is kind of hit or miss. I liked my burger, but my wife's chicken sandwich was pretty blah. The servers weren't blatantly unfriendly, but probably need to learn the art of customer service just a little bit better. In all, we might go again because our son enjoyed it so much, but it's not high on our list. This is the sort of place you experience once, and that's probably enough.
(3)Becky S.
5 stars for watching my 18-month old son lose his mind in happiness. He is obsessed with trains, and this was straight up heaven on earth for him. The restaurant is so fun -- I highly recommend it! It has the feel of a 50's diner and plays fun 50's music that my son loved dancing to in his chair. They have booster seats for the little guys so that they can sit on the swivel chairs at the counter, also very exciting for my little man. But the BEST part of all is that there is a toy train that goes around the restaurant delivering everyone's food. And every.single.time my son would point at it and say "traaaaain!" with such happiness! There is the added benefit that the restaurant is located right by a real train station and so there were real trains going by out the window regularly while we were there, which also resulted in "traaaaaain!" pointing from my son. He was having so much fun there and was so distracted that it took over an hour for him to eat his kid's meal! :) Yes, the food is just okay and the service is just okay, but seriously that's not why we came. I will happily deal with anything if it means I get to spend an hour watching my son experience such pure joy! :)
(5)Navin J.
This place is absolutely awesome for little kids. They are absolutely amazed and enthralled by the little train going around the tracks. I think that the takes a second place to everything else, but so long as the kids are engaged I think that this place is a definitive win.
(4)L F.
This place is an all time favorite for my son. Especially because you can ride the train to the restaurant (even if it's a few stops away and maybe faster to drive)! The menu is limited but who doesn't love a greasy burger and fries. We've had several things on the menu, burgers, salads, chicken sandwich, BLT which all have been good. My kids have also tried the burgers and grill cheese. The kids meals come with a drink, carrots and either fruit or fries. Everyone here is very friendly. I would recommend getting there right when it opens because it can fill up quickly and has limited counter seating (which is our favorite place). Another bonus is the food comes out quickly. If you order dessert you get a train whistle which is fun but the desserts really aren't that great and if you don't plan on ordering one you kids have to watch the trains pull along other kids desserts with train whistles which can be hard for a 2 year old to understand (but also a good lesson).
(4)Sharon R.
We came here right before dinner time with my grand children who love Thomas. It is a perfect kid place. I had heard the owner created this restaurant when he was trying to create a family diner where kids did not eat across the table from their parents while on a cell phone. If this is the case, then he succeeded. This is a diner from the 60's which has a train theme. Along the booths and at the soda fountain bar trains go by and bring the food to the table. My grandkids age 3 and 6 were in rapt attention as the train speeded by every few minutes. As the place becomes more busy more trains are added and the excitement intensifies. The menu is limited to basically burgers, but the meat is grass-fed beef and there is the ability to order gluten free buns. All in all a lovely experience.
(4)Jaime G.
Tall grass beef burgers brought out by a toy train? 2 Toot train whistle grill baby! I dug this place with for their really good burgers (i added thick cut bacon) and your kids will too. Toy train track runs through the center of the restaurant that hauls the food out. Order their special cupcakes and get a free toy train whistle. Quite a hike from the city but worth it for a special occasion.
(5)Julie J.
Had lunch here today and the boys loved it. Yes it's loud, yes the food is plain - it's for kids! I like that the they put some carrots sticks in with the fries and have a fruit cup option for the kiddie plates. Our burgers were OK - kind of bland. Servers were very nice. The wait in line for a seat got a little dicey with the toddler but we made it. Boys can't wait to go back.
(4)Ron S.
This place is a blast and I don't even have kids! You walk in and half the crowd is under the age of 10 with Grandma & Grandpa or Mom & Dad. It's like one big party. Normally, I'm not into "kiddie" restaurants but this one had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat from the moment we walked in. I must have sang the Happy Birthday song at least a half dozen times and was probably the loudest kid in the restaurant. Oh... wait a minute, this is supposed to be a restaurant review. Sorry, got a little carried away there. I see all of the lukewarm reviews here but have to say that my burger and fries were pretty darn good. I took one bite and thought, "This is a cut above standard diner fare". They use Tallgrass beef in their burgers and all-beef hot dogs which raises the quality level. The crinkle-cut fries were done perfectly and not greasy at all. Service was just fine for our party of eight that were sandwiched into a booth with a few chairs pulled up to the end. We were having as much fun as the 6-year old birthday girl. Release the kid inside you and pay a visit to 2TOOTS. Happy Birthday to you, TOOT TOOT!!
(4)Vincent J.
Just a great place to take you kid if they love trains. Unlike other places, every booth or bar stool is on the track, so your little one gets to see the train up close. On top of that they picked a great location as its right on the Metra-Union Pacific line, so kids can see real trains go by as well. My little guy loves trains so I double down and we take the train in from downtown instead of driving (the station is kiddie corner from 2Toots). The grass fed beef they use (along with other healthy choices) puts this place a step ahead of other restaurants that are for kids. The whistle on the cup cakes are a nice little bonus that works out well as an incentive for your child to finish eating all their food first.
(5)L M.
We live an hour away and drove up yesterday to celebrate our train obsessed 3 year old's bday. We went in the early afternoon on a weekday so it wasn't crowded. My kid could not get enough of the train passing by him. We usually have to be armed with toys and a charged phone streaming youtube if we want to finish a meal but not this time. He was loving every minute of it. The food is simple: burgers, hot dogs, fries. BUT the beef is grass fed..so for this momma it was a HUGE plus. I felt good about eating the food there. The burgers were awesome and hit the spot. We got the shakes too and they were delicious. After, he got a cute cupcake with a lit candle and a train whistle. My kid was thrilled! The owner or manager came out and even brought out a large train for him to play with and the waitress gave him a sticker. What i loved is they both told him he could have it AFTER he took a bite of food..so appreciated as a mom of a picky eater and easily distracted kid! They played 50's music in the background and my kid was hopping around, it made for such cute pics and a memorable day. A couple of TVs played thomas the train episodes. The metra train stops right in front of the place so he loved seeing that. We'd love to try to take the train in again from the city sometime. We were treated wonderfully and it was a great way to celebrate his bday. Wish there was something like this in the city!
(5)Demi G.
The only reason I took one star off is because I don't understand why they do not wear rubber gloves here. I can clearly see them making food in the back from the little window where the train goes in... why don't they wear gloves? They ARE after all handling FOOD.
(4)Kim M.
The premise of this place is that your food is delivered to you by a train that goes around the counter on train tracks. That's it. Go into this place expecting nothing more, and you won't be disappointed. My kids are 5 and 3, and they liked it alot. When you get dessert, they pull the train horn on the wall, and my kids got really excited about that. The Burgers to me were decent. Think Steak N Shake type patties, but larger. The problem with them is that they kind of implode and turn into this mound of beef, vs a patty. Nonetheless, it still tastes good. My only complaint would be about the service. However, I do note that on the 2 times we've gone here, the girls were probably in high school. So I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. As long as it keeps my kids entertained, I'll be a repeat customer.
(3)Barry F.
Reading the reviews for this place I can't help but shake my head. The low scores come from people who either a) are applying an adult restaurant mentality to a place that is all about kids or b) don't understand that this place is about the kids not the adults. So if you are coming here expecting "haute cuisine" you are going to be disappointed. Similarly if you are coming here expecting professionally trained wait staff with decades of experience, you aren't going to walk away happy. Folks, this is a fricken restaurant you take kids in order to watch them smile and be filled with wonder. Slow down, take some time and enjoy the ride. (That said, the burgers are pretty damn good).
(4)Renita M.
Your rating of this probably depends on whether you have kids or not. We don't, and we had no kid with us, so 3 stars. For parents or kids, it's probably 4. For train-obsessed kids, 5. We came here around 5 on a Saturday -- being in Glen Ellyn and having run out of other things to do -- and felt slightly out of place, as we were the only non-parent adult customers. But we sat, we ate, and enjoyed our meal. My cheeseburger was done well, a smaller version of Schoop's, with crispy grilled edges and pickles, lettuce & tomato. The fries were your standard crinkle-cut like you'd get at Portillo's. My husband's chili dog was a large, tasty dog; the chili on top was quite good. Onion rings were a bit too few for the order, but good anyway. And yes, it's all very train oriented, with a little electric train to deliver your baskets. Service was adequate. By the time we left, the place was filling up, with moms, dads and lots of under-12 kids. Lots. We felt a little out of place, but departed having had a good diner-y meal, at a decent price. We may well be back, but only if we have a young relative in tow.
(3)Shannon M.
We took my visiting little cousins, who love trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, to this restaurant, where your meal is served in baskets on an electric train that comes around the counter where you sit. Novel idea, and the kids were entranced. Train stuff is EVERYWHERE: old ads for the Hiawatha line and photographs on the walls, and yes, Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs playing on loop on flat-screens in the corners, but the food-delivering model train that intermittently passes through the dining room is the star of the show. A previous reviewer said the baskets looked dirty, but everything involving the train and counter appeared clean to me. The servers (high-school-age girls) were sweet and very tolerant considering the amount of hyper kids they must deal with per day. They helped set up booster chairs for the two little ones upon our arrival as well. The food was quite tasty; mostly diner fare is on offer, with some healthier options like a grilled chicken breast sandwich (my choice, which was plump, flavorful and juicy), a salad with Newman's Own dressing or a veggie burger for those who don't care for the hot dog and hamburger fare. Onion rings were varnish brown, with the batter welded onto the piece of onion, crispy and delicious. My chocolate milkshake was creamy and thick (but still drinkable). Overall, much more than I expected from a kid-centric place, where it's usually about atmosphere and food is secondary. The kids have classic options of grilled cheese, hot dogs and the like, and when it comes to dessert, a cupcake with a train whistle! The wait for food was not long, and there's so much to look at that the kids weren't too restless. They were in love with "Champion," the coin-operated horse near the door (the type that used to be in front of every Kmart). The only thing I might suggest was a swab of the decks; at the end of the trip, the littlest one (who'd had her fill of sensory stimuli and needed a break) threw herself on the floor, which I noticed was not too clean. This location has much better hours than its compatriot in Downers Grove, which is only open til 4:30 on week-ends -- ?? The Glen Ellyn restaurant was open til 7, which makes more sense; at least they're open through the dinner hour. Overall, a fun restaurant for kids with a retro flair.
(4)Don N.
The staff is very friendly, the food is good -shakes are outstanding. We are lucky to keep our 2-year-old in a chair for 10 minutes. He sat for over an hour and was just as excited to see the train go by on the 100th time as he was the first time.
(4)Rachael M.
The food was typical and greasy- what was to be expected. Staff was extremely friendly. I have been to a lot of these train-type places and it is a typical fun place for kids. The cleanliness of the place however could use some work. The worst was the restroom is "gas station dirty"- seriously everything in the place needed to be washed off. The changing table in the women's is old and broken- glad I didn't have a baby to change. I think if they could clean up the restaurant it would be wonderful.
(3)Calbee M.
Service was terrible and the food made me sick for three days. Not to mention dinner for my son, my wife and myself came to over $30 dollars. I will never step foot inside this place ever again.
(1)Joy M.
This would have been a two star review but they were docked a star for the fact that they charge the same price for tap water as they do for soda (I guess that's their prerogative but I was always under the impression that restaurants were supposed to provide free access to tap water upon request). The burgers were average, the fries were cold and the wait staff was inattentive. They left the bill with us when they brought the food and they never bothered to come back to see if we wanted dessert or needed any refills. Also, for a train themed restaurant there was a distinct lack of trains. They had some pictures on the walls and the train that brought the food and that was about it- my daughter (who loves trains) didn't seem to enjoy the ambiance at all. Next time we'll stick with the All Aboard Diner in Woodridge. They have a much better menu, better prices, tons of trains and staff that actually pays attention.
(1)Vince A.
I'm with Kimmerlee on this place. The burgers are fine yet pricey (new menu = new prices). Burgers are steak n' shake/johnny rockets like. The kids meals are fine choosing from a hot dog or nuggets or PB&J. The kids enjoy the trains whirring around the joint while parents just want to finish eating. Some advice: Get there as they open. If you miss that 11-11:15 AM window, you will wait for the next available seat.
(3)Joe G.
Continuing with previous outings, we're slowly making the rounds of the Chicago area train themed restaurants this summer. Situated near the Glen Ellyn Metra station, 2Toots would seem ideally located for train-loving kids. Being on a Union Pacific mainline, we saw several freight trains and a Metra rumble on by while we were at 2Toots. This location is fairly large and has a nice open feel to it, along with two trains (on the same track!) delivering food. A television (maybe two?) is playing Thomas the Tank Engine for kids of that persuasion. There's a large amount of counter seating and some tables, and the place is generally laid out better than the DG location. However, my remaining comments are very similar to DG: I think they might have missed out a bit by not doing a few more things. Both All Aboard and Choo Choo Johnny's have functioning train layouts and a train running overhead as well, which helps to provide something for kids to look at when food isn't currently being delivered. The food itself was average to below-average. I would like to see them work on that a bit. I feel that this is a fine idea, and that they have some elements that could put them a step above their competition, particularly in terms of location with those real trains whizzing by outside, but as it stands, I have to call it as being a bit below average.
(2)Elizabeth K.
Nice concept. All they need now is decent and friendly service. My husband and I took our two toddlers in here for an early lunch. We were seated fairly quickly; however, it then took our waitress nearly 15 mins to take our drink order. Our food orders were taken 10-15 mins after that. Our food and drinks arrived maybe 10 mins after that. Add that together, and it took nearly 40 mins from when we got there to get our food and drinks. The bill came right after the food. Drinks refills were hard to come by. The food was okay. The only reason I'm not screaming for zero stars here was because my husband loved his burger. The kids and I were less than impressed. Please don't go here if you want good food, good service, and have anything less than an hour to spend waiting for service. Btw, when your server does arrive, don't expect to ask any questions. They'll be gone as soon as they think you're done ordering. Talk quick.
(1)Erik H.
Train-themed restaurant where all of the seats are "trackside" and the train brings the food out to the kids. The kids had a ball with the train, the decor, the $0.25 mechanical horse ride, and the kid-friendly food. The restaurant looks out on the real trains going by as well. The kids' joy was the one redeeming factor for me. The menu is very limited, the quality of the food was mediocre, prices were relatively high, and the staff seemed less-than-thrilled to be there. The concept is a winner, but given the poor execution here, I would recommend "All Aboard Diner: in Downers Grove.
(2)Christina S.
If you have (or are in the temporary possession of) a toddler, 2Toots is where it's at. When my itty bitty nieces were in town recently, we made an afternoon of it by filling up on burgers and PB&J and then running 'em off at the playground down the street. They had fun at the playground, but I'm telling you . . . they simply couldn't stop talking about that little train. And whereas I normally cringe when I see a bunch of teenagers minding the store, the high school girls who work at 2Toots are perfection. It's like the Babysitter's Club opened a diner. In all honesty, the food is a few steps down from Steak 'n Shake. But the kids will be so well behaved, you won't even care.
(4)Karen W.
FORGET THE KIDS!!!! My friend and I totally got a kick out of this place. We work in transportation, so we have no problem admitting we are dorks, but we totally got a kick out of having our food delivered on the train. Simple menu, burgers and fries, food was good and inexpensive.
(3)Mike V.
second 2toots in a week, food was good but cooked HARD! my burger which still had a great taste was crispy (inedible) on some of the edges. staff was great. but ill stick to the Bartlett one based off the cooking.
(3)Mike S.
I'm not sure if everyone here gets the concept of 2toots. If you don't like kids in general, then don't bother. 2toots is always filled with kids, it's ok, that's their thing. Teen and tweens will probably not like this place either because it has adults AND kids, the bane of all teenagers. Come here for a great diner experience, and for a brief menu of items made well. I stopped in for lunch and had the burger. You can really tell the difference in taste between the grass-fed beef and what you get from any other place. The fries were hot and crisp and all were served with a smile. The burgers ARE thin, but that's because they're smashed, to give the edges a bit of crisp. You really gotta be into that type of burger to appreciate them. The bun was fluffy and toasted, perfect. Looking forward to a chili dog on my next visit.
(4)Mary J.
I saw a big improvement on the food on this visit! Nothing was burnt, the hot dog was bigger, the fries were better and the service was very attentive. Maybe we were experiencing starting up challenges when we were there last time.
(4)Joel G.
This is a great place to take your kids. It was fun to see them bring the food in on a train. My son just loved it. The food was actually decent for it being a small diner type restaurant. The place is just full of train stuff. Great.
(3)Gina L.
Love this place! They now serve Tall Grass Beef burgers AND hotdogs. Now THIS is the type of meat we should all eat. Grass fed and finished :) Its healthy and most of all, DELICIOUS! The price is extremely fair for the quality and what you get (comes with fries). The place is very kid friendly and its set in the 50's style complete with root beer floats and music. All your meals are served via the choo choo track which runs along the entire counter and in to the kitchen. THANKS 2 TOOTS, we will be back!!!
(4)janice m.
For those of us who have kids or grand kids who love trains, this is a great place to visit. Sitting next to the tracks, both in the restaurant, and the restaurant itself, is the ultimate joy for a four year old. The food is average for this style restaurant, however the BLT was damn tasty. Our server, Parks, was friendly, nice and very patient when our grandson couldn't decide on chocolate or vanilla...so kudos for that. The annoying children behind us who wouldn't sit down were about the only thing we didn't enjoy. All in all a good experience, but a word of warning, go after two, when the lunch rush is over., you will find it a much more pleasurable experience
(3)Jennifer B.
Let me begin with a disclaimer: I do not have children. I do, however, have an English husband who is obsessed with diners and trains. After months of fending him off I agreed to go here with him. If you have a little boy, they will love this place, and you won't mind it. But if you are a 20 something there with her weirdo husband you will just feel out of place. They also only serve food in a bun.
(2)John S.
Honestly I went to this place expecting soo much more. Ok so I will start with the positives. The staff here was very friendly and the trains will entertain your out of control little boy for maybe all of two minutes. That is about were the good parts of this place stop. First of all the menu here is limited. Seriously they have maybe 5 things to choose from. So i decided to get the burger. When my burger came I wanted to ask if it was just a joke. The beef patty was so thin Paris Hilton would leave this place starving. Seriously it was like a crispy cracker of beef on the bun. I mean it seriously made a crunch sound when I bit into it. I don't think Burgers are supposed to do that. While the fries tasted good I was also left wanting more as I felt like I had to beg to get any food here. Over all not what i was expecting. Ya the train is cute and may be a good baby sitter for 5min but if you are looking to actually eat here you will leave disappointed. Be prepared to stop at mcdonalds on your way home because you will be hungry.
(2)Chester R.
the food here is pretty bad.........but the atmosphere is good for about 15 minutes if you have kids under 5.
(1)Gary F.
Took my 3 and 8 year old son there. They liked it which is what counted. I didn't see any issues with the train or dirty baskets. Yes, the floor could have been a little cleaner, but I've definitely seen worse. The three of us ate for $22.00 Food was good. We'll be back.
(4)J M.
This is a new, cute place for the kids where a train delivers your food to you. If you don't like kids or chaos, you better stay out, because it's full of both. The food is good, but a little overpriced. Their chili rocks, but $3.95 for a tiny bowl that isn't even filled? Other than that, cute little palces to bring the little ones.
(4)Vin R.
My (4 year old) son loves trains=My (4 year old) son loves this restaurant. 'Nuff said. The food is pretty good and the service is very friendly and helpful. As an added bonus, this restaurant is right next to a Metra stop, so my son got to see his food delivered by a train and see the commuter train make a stop at the same time. He's been talking about this for a couple of hours. If we lived in the Chicago 'Burbs we'd be coming here every week.
(4)Steve W.
Went here on 8/30/14 for the first time and it will be last time. Would have expected much better service and quality of food for the price. Charging almost $8.00 for a hot dog & fries is ridiculous considering they pull a hot dog out of boiling water and the bun out of the package. Our server was not attentive and had her back to us almost the entire time. Never asked us for drink refills or how our meal was.
(2)Annabelle L.
First off I'd like to start by saying this place is down right horrible. I took my daughter here twice and on one occasion my waitress was flat out rude. It was not a busy day at all and my waitress Becky just kept ignoring us to talk to the other workers. She came by like twice that's it. She looked like the oldest one there but doesn't take her job seriously. The food is alright but very over priced. It was not the best expirence. And on the other occasion it was so busy you have to stand and wait they don't even have a waiting area. It was unable organized on how they sat all the costomers. They just asked who was first they need to organize it better. It's like it's ran by 12 year old kids. Just an over all expirence.
(1)Alvina C.
I really want to like this place because my kiddies love em---but really the service and the food are pretty eh---yep just eh--- We went this past week when I received an email from them for free lunch for the kiddies---first off--you would think that if you were a business and decided that you were going to run a special---you would be prepared for the onslaught off people expected to come in----not so much--the place was packed even at 4PM--and there were only 2 teenage girls waitressing--yikes----attentiveness is definitely not their forte. Our cups were empty on more than one occasion. I'm in agreement with other yelpers, they have a great concept but execution could be a lot better. I actually think steak and shake burgers taste better. Also really there are a lot of kids that just go for the cupcake with the plastic train whistle---cupcakes are not that good for the price and taste worse than coming out of a box. My tip for you is to sign up for their emails so at least when you do go you're not paying full price.
(2)Eric B.
Ok, so my friend took me here and I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I walked in. All I saw were kids and a choo-choo train on the counter, LOL. I have been to MANY burger places and let me tell you, this place has the best burger around BY FAR in my opinion. The beef is from grass fed cows and you can taste the difference, very fresh tasting. It also has a nice crispy outer edge. The bun is simple, very soft and works well with the burger. Kids or no kids, you should give this place a try, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)Erin L.
My husband and i were very insulted and disappointed with our experience. we walked in and were not greeted by anyone or directed to sit anywhere specific. So we took one of the open tables so we could get settled in with our 2 year old twins and infant. Apparently this wasn't ok because no one came to our table. We waited 10 minutes and my husband had to ask for menus, which they didnt seem pleased to give us. Meanwhile, while we were waiting for those menues and sevice, the waitresses stood around chatting. Our poor sevice continued with a reluctant waitress takinf our order and barely paying any attention to our needs. What made this all so much worse is 3 other families came in and were warmly greeted, waoted on, all with a nice smile and speedy service. Getting thr check was also an issue, along with paying. By now my kids were melting down, but once again, the wair staff didn't seem to hurry with our bill but waited on everyone else with a smile and soeed. We will be finding another location to go to, which is a shame because it's a local business and my kids loved the trains.
(2)M G.
Took my kids here because my nephew was in out of town. The food is amazing! Love love love the chicken sandwich. My kids rave over the chicken nuggets and cheese frys...but my oldest daughters favorite is the root beer floats! This place is a awesome and very wallet friendly! Our servers Alex Jen and Dani were great. Definitely on top of everything even though they were slammed!
(5)Janice C.
I am so very sad after our visit today! We took my grand daughter to celebrate her birthday, as we always do for our grandkids' birthdays. 2 Toots has become a beloved place to take our grandchildren to for years. It was a place that was so much fun for the children and families. The staff that worked there were friendly and they kept the place running smoothly. Our grandkids loved "Miss Becky." I am sorry to hear that she's gone. I couldn't believe how filthy the place was when we entered. There was litter and dropped pieces of food everywhere. When we ordered, the order was filled and put on a counter and forgotten! When we inquired about it, they found the order and wanted to give it to us after it had been sitting on the counter for 20 minutes! Good grief. When we finished, my grand daughter looked forward to her birthday treat. Once again, we waited and had to ask at least 3 different times about her treat. The poor thing kept watching the train, thinking it was going to come soon. When it did, it looked like they had taken a frosted brownie and heated it in the microwave. The frosting was melted all over the brownie. It was obvious that the wait staff had no experience or proper training. It appeared that everyone was doing there own thing, with no sense of direction. If you were lucky you could get one of them to take your order and good luck if it came. We saw several families walk out because of this. The bathroom door's lock didn't work and the list went on. The visit felt like an episode from "The Twilight Zone." I hope that someone can revive this business. I'd hate to see it continue in this way.
(1)Rachael M.
The food was typical and greasy- what was to be expected. Staff was extremely friendly. I have been to a lot of these train-type places and it is a typical fun place for kids. The cleanliness of the place however could use some work. The worst was the restroom is "gas station dirty"- seriously everything in the place needed to be washed off. The changing table in the women's is old and broken- glad I didn't have a baby to change. I think if they could clean up the restaurant it would be wonderful.
(3)Calbee M.
Service was terrible and the food made me sick for three days. Not to mention dinner for my son, my wife and myself came to over $30 dollars. I will never step foot inside this place ever again.
(1)Dan B.
Downtown Glen Ellyn is a typical suburban downtown. A train track separates one side of the downtown from the other, there's lots of strange boutiques run by elderly ladies with curiously peculiar merchandise. And there's unusual themed restaurants, and 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is exactly that. 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is not called 2 Toots because they have lots of bean based dishes, instead it's a whimsical railroad themed hot dog and burger joint located right across the street from the Glen Ellyn train station. The big attraction being that your food is delivered to your seat via a model train that goes around the restaurant. There are a handful of coin-operated machines there as well from a horse for little kids to ride on, to various other vending machines. In visiting 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill I decided to try the hot dog. This was a jumbo dog and they bragged about the Cows this beef is coming from being 100% grass fed. Within just a few minutes of ordering the model train had stopped at my seat with my hot dog and fries. First off let me review the hot dog. The hot dog I received was a jumbo dog with no condiments. The waitress brought me some packets of sweet relish and a cup of diced onions to add to it. Near my table was a mustard bottle with a nozzle to apply it. Overall the hot dog I received was pretty good considering it was plain. It had a nice beefy flavor, was well heated and tasty. It came on a poppy seed bun that was fairly soft as well. The fries included were crinkle cut fries. They were a bit salty and a bit mushy but pretty tasty overall with a nice potato paste inside. I've had better crinkle cut fries than these, but overall I was pretty happy with the fries here. The only major complaint I have with 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is that you're paying a premium on your food for the garish atmosphere. It would be a great place to take little kids, but not necessarily a great place to have a fine meal. My hot dog and fries was around 7.00 with tax, a high price to pay for such items. Overall if you have little kids (3 to 7 year olds) this might be a good place to take them. The whole place has a cute atmosphere to it and I would definitely have liked to have gone there when I was a kid. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this place if you're just stopping to eat, but as a unique place to bring little ones it definitely has a purpose. Three stars for 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill.
(3)Juan P.
What a cool place! The service was amazing and the burgers taste amazing. I think the atmosphere is really great and friendly.
(5)Soul G.
I've been here twice with my son for his birthday. I should've known better than to come a second time. The first time I paid with my debit card and used cash for the tip. When I checked my bank acct, the cashier charged me an extra $13! I called the restaurant and they pulled up my receipt. Indeed, the cashier had charged an additional tip! The second time, huge disappointment with the food and service!! The fries were brown and the burger patties were burnt! The cupcake that my son got was probably days old! So stale! I'm glad he didn't eat it and only wanted the train whistle. I refrained from complaining to the waitress only because I didn't want to ruin my son's birthday. I will not be back to this place again!
(1)Raymond D.
This is coming from a Dad of two (6 and 3 years old) who has been to 2Toots dozens of times and has always been pleased with the food and the staff! This will be the last time we go there as well. Apparently, they changed management and sadly that meant the quality and experience changed. We got in and it smelled of old oil throughout, the staff was new and did not get our order right, and when the food did come, the fries for my wife and I were under cooked and our burgers and the food has now left us both on the couch feeling pretty sick. I understand things change, that is just life, but when people accept the challenge of taking over and establishment that was historically great food and a solid experience - they should take the time to understand what brought families out here to start with.... The food and the experience!! Even the trains that delivered the food just seemed different sad and slow moving... I wish the new owners good luck in their endeavor with 2Toots, and I truly hope they give the neighborhood families that have come to love this place - a place to love again.
(1)Joyce B.
Great food! Only reason they get one star. Awful service. Very unfriendly and unhappy. The staff obviously did not want to be there. I told our sever that it was our first time there and she just looked at me blankly. Fun for the kids, but don't expect much.
(1)Glenda C.
I've gone 2 times for the toddler in my life ...and that's really the only reason anyone would go here. The food is basic diner food that clogs the arteries. The advertised grassfed beef is a slight bonus, but the end result is still just tasteless fried stuff. My son loves watching the train go around, but whoever maneuvers the train never stops it correctly in front of our table. The servers do need to work on etiquette a bit more...or maybe just hostessing knowledge. The Downers Grove location has it much more together.
(2)Eric B.
Ok, so my friend took me here and I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I walked in. All I saw were kids and a choo-choo train on the counter, LOL. I have been to MANY burger places and let me tell you, this place has the best burger around BY FAR in my opinion. The beef is from grass fed cows and you can taste the difference, very fresh tasting. It also has a nice crispy outer edge. The bun is simple, very soft and works well with the burger. Kids or no kids, you should give this place a try, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)Og B.
this is my fav choo choo diner. kids love it! food is diner-licious
(5)Jared W.
We had a really good time here the other day, mostly because our 2 year old son is obsessed with trains. So being able to see the Metra go by periodically, along with the train that delivers the food was a lot of fun for him. The only trouble is if you sit close to where the train goes by, most of the kids can't help but want to touch it, so you have to watch yours pretty closely. Obviously you probably wouldn't eat here if you didn't have kids, and unfortunately the food is kind of hit or miss. I liked my burger, but my wife's chicken sandwich was pretty blah. The servers weren't blatantly unfriendly, but probably need to learn the art of customer service just a little bit better. In all, we might go again because our son enjoyed it so much, but it's not high on our list. This is the sort of place you experience once, and that's probably enough.
(3)Becky S.
5 stars for watching my 18-month old son lose his mind in happiness. He is obsessed with trains, and this was straight up heaven on earth for him. The restaurant is so fun -- I highly recommend it! It has the feel of a 50's diner and plays fun 50's music that my son loved dancing to in his chair. They have booster seats for the little guys so that they can sit on the swivel chairs at the counter, also very exciting for my little man. But the BEST part of all is that there is a toy train that goes around the restaurant delivering everyone's food. And every.single.time my son would point at it and say "traaaaain!" with such happiness! There is the added benefit that the restaurant is located right by a real train station and so there were real trains going by out the window regularly while we were there, which also resulted in "traaaaaain!" pointing from my son. He was having so much fun there and was so distracted that it took over an hour for him to eat his kid's meal! :) Yes, the food is just okay and the service is just okay, but seriously that's not why we came. I will happily deal with anything if it means I get to spend an hour watching my son experience such pure joy! :)
(5)L F.
This place is an all time favorite for my son. Especially because you can ride the train to the restaurant (even if it's a few stops away and maybe faster to drive)! The menu is limited but who doesn't love a greasy burger and fries. We've had several things on the menu, burgers, salads, chicken sandwich, BLT which all have been good. My kids have also tried the burgers and grill cheese. The kids meals come with a drink, carrots and either fruit or fries. Everyone here is very friendly. I would recommend getting there right when it opens because it can fill up quickly and has limited counter seating (which is our favorite place). Another bonus is the food comes out quickly. If you order dessert you get a train whistle which is fun but the desserts really aren't that great and if you don't plan on ordering one you kids have to watch the trains pull along other kids desserts with train whistles which can be hard for a 2 year old to understand (but also a good lesson).
(4)Sharon R.
We came here right before dinner time with my grand children who love Thomas. It is a perfect kid place. I had heard the owner created this restaurant when he was trying to create a family diner where kids did not eat across the table from their parents while on a cell phone. If this is the case, then he succeeded. This is a diner from the 60's which has a train theme. Along the booths and at the soda fountain bar trains go by and bring the food to the table. My grandkids age 3 and 6 were in rapt attention as the train speeded by every few minutes. As the place becomes more busy more trains are added and the excitement intensifies. The menu is limited to basically burgers, but the meat is grass-fed beef and there is the ability to order gluten free buns. All in all a lovely experience.
(4)Jaime G.
Tall grass beef burgers brought out by a toy train? 2 Toot train whistle grill baby! I dug this place with for their really good burgers (i added thick cut bacon) and your kids will too. Toy train track runs through the center of the restaurant that hauls the food out. Order their special cupcakes and get a free toy train whistle. Quite a hike from the city but worth it for a special occasion.
(5)Ron S.
This place is a blast and I don't even have kids! You walk in and half the crowd is under the age of 10 with Grandma & Grandpa or Mom & Dad. It's like one big party. Normally, I'm not into "kiddie" restaurants but this one had me grinning like a Cheshire Cat from the moment we walked in. I must have sang the Happy Birthday song at least a half dozen times and was probably the loudest kid in the restaurant. Oh... wait a minute, this is supposed to be a restaurant review. Sorry, got a little carried away there. I see all of the lukewarm reviews here but have to say that my burger and fries were pretty darn good. I took one bite and thought, "This is a cut above standard diner fare". They use Tallgrass beef in their burgers and all-beef hot dogs which raises the quality level. The crinkle-cut fries were done perfectly and not greasy at all. Service was just fine for our party of eight that were sandwiched into a booth with a few chairs pulled up to the end. We were having as much fun as the 6-year old birthday girl. Release the kid inside you and pay a visit to 2TOOTS. Happy Birthday to you, TOOT TOOT!!
(4)Navin J.
This place is absolutely awesome for little kids. They are absolutely amazed and enthralled by the little train going around the tracks. I think that the takes a second place to everything else, but so long as the kids are engaged I think that this place is a definitive win.
(4)Vincent J.
Just a great place to take you kid if they love trains. Unlike other places, every booth or bar stool is on the track, so your little one gets to see the train up close. On top of that they picked a great location as its right on the Metra-Union Pacific line, so kids can see real trains go by as well. My little guy loves trains so I double down and we take the train in from downtown instead of driving (the station is kiddie corner from 2Toots). The grass fed beef they use (along with other healthy choices) puts this place a step ahead of other restaurants that are for kids. The whistle on the cup cakes are a nice little bonus that works out well as an incentive for your child to finish eating all their food first.
(5)Julie J.
Had lunch here today and the boys loved it. Yes it's loud, yes the food is plain - it's for kids! I like that the they put some carrots sticks in with the fries and have a fruit cup option for the kiddie plates. Our burgers were OK - kind of bland. Servers were very nice. The wait in line for a seat got a little dicey with the toddler but we made it. Boys can't wait to go back.
(4)Vin R.
My (4 year old) son loves trains=My (4 year old) son loves this restaurant. 'Nuff said. The food is pretty good and the service is very friendly and helpful. As an added bonus, this restaurant is right next to a Metra stop, so my son got to see his food delivered by a train and see the commuter train make a stop at the same time. He's been talking about this for a couple of hours. If we lived in the Chicago 'Burbs we'd be coming here every week.
(4)Steve W.
Went here on 8/30/14 for the first time and it will be last time. Would have expected much better service and quality of food for the price. Charging almost $8.00 for a hot dog & fries is ridiculous considering they pull a hot dog out of boiling water and the bun out of the package. Our server was not attentive and had her back to us almost the entire time. Never asked us for drink refills or how our meal was.
(2)Annabelle L.
First off I'd like to start by saying this place is down right horrible. I took my daughter here twice and on one occasion my waitress was flat out rude. It was not a busy day at all and my waitress Becky just kept ignoring us to talk to the other workers. She came by like twice that's it. She looked like the oldest one there but doesn't take her job seriously. The food is alright but very over priced. It was not the best expirence. And on the other occasion it was so busy you have to stand and wait they don't even have a waiting area. It was unable organized on how they sat all the costomers. They just asked who was first they need to organize it better. It's like it's ran by 12 year old kids. Just an over all expirence.
(1)Alvina C.
I really want to like this place because my kiddies love em---but really the service and the food are pretty eh---yep just eh--- We went this past week when I received an email from them for free lunch for the kiddies---first off--you would think that if you were a business and decided that you were going to run a special---you would be prepared for the onslaught off people expected to come in----not so much--the place was packed even at 4PM--and there were only 2 teenage girls waitressing--yikes----attentiveness is definitely not their forte. Our cups were empty on more than one occasion. I'm in agreement with other yelpers, they have a great concept but execution could be a lot better. I actually think steak and shake burgers taste better. Also really there are a lot of kids that just go for the cupcake with the plastic train whistle---cupcakes are not that good for the price and taste worse than coming out of a box. My tip for you is to sign up for their emails so at least when you do go you're not paying full price.
(2)L M.
We live an hour away and drove up yesterday to celebrate our train obsessed 3 year old's bday. We went in the early afternoon on a weekday so it wasn't crowded. My kid could not get enough of the train passing by him. We usually have to be armed with toys and a charged phone streaming youtube if we want to finish a meal but not this time. He was loving every minute of it. The food is simple: burgers, hot dogs, fries. BUT the beef is grass fed..so for this momma it was a HUGE plus. I felt good about eating the food there. The burgers were awesome and hit the spot. We got the shakes too and they were delicious. After, he got a cute cupcake with a lit candle and a train whistle. My kid was thrilled! The owner or manager came out and even brought out a large train for him to play with and the waitress gave him a sticker. What i loved is they both told him he could have it AFTER he took a bite of food..so appreciated as a mom of a picky eater and easily distracted kid! They played 50's music in the background and my kid was hopping around, it made for such cute pics and a memorable day. A couple of TVs played thomas the train episodes. The metra train stops right in front of the place so he loved seeing that. We'd love to try to take the train in again from the city sometime. We were treated wonderfully and it was a great way to celebrate his bday. Wish there was something like this in the city!
(5)Demi G.
The only reason I took one star off is because I don't understand why they do not wear rubber gloves here. I can clearly see them making food in the back from the little window where the train goes in... why don't they wear gloves? They ARE after all handling FOOD.
(4)S. B.
will never do this place again~the $7.50 cheese burger was tiny 1/8 inch thick and literaly burnt TO A CRISP around the edge =crunchy beef !! not good greasy fries=then to make matters worse a RODENT was spotted by the customers running around so the owner was walking around looking for him under tables ------AND the train whistle was broken only 3 booths so if u have very little kids they need to sit on a stool ~~~~will never do this place again
(1)D R.
Great place to come with kids. Food is good and delivered by a train! The staff is awesome. The place is a good size and decorated with a lot of cool stuff from trains to an ammo can, oorah! Love it.
(5)Lindsay D.
Fun place for the kiddos.
(4)Bre S.
We brought our daughter here for her second birthday this past Wednesday. I know this place is under new management and I've read the mixed reviews but overall we were happy with our experience-some things can be tweaked so that's why I'm writing this review. When we arrived the place was very busy but the line moved fast and we were seated quickly. My daughter loved the 25¢ horsey ride in the front! We were seated at a booth and the wait staff greeted us promptly. The train decor and the train serving the food thrilled my daughter so that's a win! The food was good-my husband and I ordered cheeseburgers and my daughter had a grilled cheese. My husband also had a strawberry shake which was excellent! They sent a cupcake out for my daughters birthday that had a train whistle in it-she loved the whistle and mom and dad helped her eat the cupcake which was really good. A couple of things: 1. It's odd for the wait staff to ask for us to hand over our empty baskets of food. I think 2 toots needs to hire some people to help bus tables. 2. Our burgers came out with out any toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickle) which was remedied when I told our server about it. 3. It seems like the staff is rushed to get people in and out which I can understand but I think this lead to some oversights. All in all this place was cute and the food was good so I plan on coming back!
(4)Kris L.
2 stars for the food, 4 for the excitement my 3yo gets from the train. It's a great place to bring the kids for lunch or dinner. Every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the train. The decor is very cute and the oldies playing adds to the ambiance. She also loves the .25 mechanical horse ride. The food is something left to be desired. Last time I was here, I ordered the BLT. Like another reviewer mentioned it was very dry and my bacon seemed like it was cooked in the morning or the day before. Meh. Ordered a root beer float and that was very good. My suggestion, come for the dessert (shakes, floats). They have a groupon often. I'd look for that before coming to save some $. Also sign your kid up for their birthday club where they receive a free meal in the month of their bday.
(3)Brandy W.
Great place. My kids loved it and it's much more chill than some of the other train joints around town. I personally loved that the only ride on toy they had was only a quarter! Everyone sits on the tracks and that's awesome. The only complaint (which is what makes me torn on which train place is better) is that the food is just not that great and majority is frozen...
(5)Diane V.
Love this place to bring our grandkids to and other kiddo guests! They play 50's & 60's pop songs, have a super friendly all-female crew, and the train that delivers the food orders is a delight for the little ones. TV screens play Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons, silently. I love the genuine train whistle. Food's not bad, actually, and the milk shakes are good! Only issue I have is that the wait staff seem to want to rush you to finish.
(5)Rich W.
We just recently went back with some friends, we all have 5 year olds so we caved. The burgers were decent this time around, the service was slow but good and the staff were friendly. The fries still suck, but a kid doesn't care. My son and his friend had fun and can't wait to go back. Much improved over last visit.
(3)Toni T.
We took our daughter here for the first time. So many of our friends bring their children here. I guess you pay for the ambiance. It's a cute concept and, contrary to some of the reviews on here, our service was fine. Not excellent. Just ok. My biggest issue is the food. It was absolutely awful. I had the BLT. It was dry and flavorless. There were barely any fries with my order and they were stale and bland. My husband has the double-decker burger and asked for it medium. It came out burnt to a crisp. My daughter had a grilled cheese and it was also bland and flavorless. We each had dessert and our bill was $40, which I found expensive for 3 people and awful food. I'm glad we went here once just to see what it was all about, but we will not be going back.
(1)Jerry D.
This is of my favorite places to visit when I come to visit my friends. I always have to stop here at least twice during my visits and get one of their Bacon burgers and their chilli. The burgers are amazing and better than any of the other big burger chains around and I love the fact they use grass feed beef and glutin free products. Their chilli is always great, especially on top of their burgers. The staff is very friendly and you always receive prompt service. Food is always fresh and arrives quickly and made the way you ordered it. This is a great place to bring the whole family, especially the little ones. I love how the food comes on the trains and you always see the excitement in the kids faces as they watch the trains deliver the food and the fact they are right next to a train station, makes the place that more authentic. Without a doubt this is my place to bring my friends and family and hopefully they open one in Florida as I would be a regular. I love the fact the owners are there and a part of the daily operations and are very friendly people. The staff they have are amazing and friendly and feels like a family when you walk into the place.
(5)Christopher F.
Honestly not thrilled, even by kids' standards. Super friendly staff and priced just fine, but the quality of the food was mediocre. It's a diner, so my expectations were low, but the burgers were charred at the sides and still a little pink in the middle. Fresh beef was great, way better than a frozen patty, but some greater care could be given in the cooking process. They were busy, but they don't seem to have the kitchen capacity to handle their own crowds. Food orders seemed rushed and any one little mistake threw the kitchen into disarray. Wait times were horrible for not great food just so the kids could have a little thrill. 3 stars because I like the idea even if it could use some work still.
(3)Ray M.
Delicious healthy beef . Nice place to visit if you little one . I love their chicken sandwich very friendly staff Service was very good and the food didn't take that long. I would definitely visit this place more often
(5)Whitney O.
This place is fun! The food isn't great but the kids loved the atmosphere! Great to check out atleast once!
(4)Janet N.
Went here with our 6, 4 and 2 year olds. We missed the sign saying "wait to be seated" and took a spot at the mostly empty counter (our fault). No one was waiting ahead of us. We were ignored for 10 minutes. Guess this was our punishment for not waiting to be seated. Once we did get menus our order was taken care of pretty quickly. The burger was actually really good! The BLT was also excellent! Bacon had great flavor. The little train brings your food to the table which is adorable. But between the train whistles, music and squeaky horse ride behind us I wanted to put in ear plugs! Way to noisy. We tried to use our groupon which led to being ignored for a while. A woman who appears to be the manager finally came over and took care of the groupon and let us pay the rest of the bill. She was friendly but at that point it was too little too late. Overall the kids loved the trains and the food was better than expected, but we probably won't be back due to poor service and noise.
(2)Dan L.
It saddens me to the core to write a review like this. My only hope is that somebody in control of this place will take it to heart and do something before 2Toots is no more. We used to LOVE this place. We literally took our son there 3x week for years. But ever since Dale (the franchise owner) decided to scale the business and sold this particular restaurant to a new owner, it has spiraled out of control down the tubes. The entryway is rarely clean, the bathrooms are unsanitary w/ broken locks, and the place looks generally unkept. The trains are broken and rarely working at full steam, the tv's with train shows for the kids have been turned off, and nearly all of the 25¢ bubblegum & toy machines are empty. The servers are clearly not as happy as they once were, and the cops even showed up the other day to break up a fight in the kitchen (I heard btwn the owner and the cook - but it is unclear). The serving time is twice what it used to be, with tables not being turned properly and long lines at the door continue to turn away kids and customers alike. They are regularly out of menu items and the new owner just seems to be asleep at the wheel and over his skiis a bit. It is just so so sad to watch this place tank. When Dale was the principal owner, things were always under control and smiles were everywhere. Most everyone in Glen Ellyn knew this was b/c Dale's top employee, Becky, was running the ship. But ever since her departure, and the exodus of so many others, our beloved 2Toots feels more like a train wreck than anything else. After so many years as a customer, and so many $$$ happily spent inside the four walls, I turned to my spouse and said, "No more. It's over. I can't stomach this any longer." I hope somebody reads this and maybe takes the new owners aside to help mentor them a bit. Or, I hope Dale sees what is happening and stops focusing on franchise sales for a moment and concentrates on getting 2Toots back on the rails. With a bit of TLC , it can once again be the place that used to deliver so much happiness to so many families. Just my 2¢ -a humble customer
(1)Jason M.
We stopped in for a late dinner with the kids and were not impressed. The menu is very basic. Not a lot of options, just boring stuff like burgers, hot dogs, club sandwich, tuna sandwich. A salad at the end as an afterthought. Kids ordered hot dogs and we had a burger and grilled cheese. Food tastes fine, nothing special. The music was BLASTING ridiculously loud, you could not even hear the person next to you. The floors were filthy and soaking wet in spots. And the train motif kind of seemed like an afterthought. We have been to All Aboard in Downers Grove, and this place doesn't even compare. The kids didn't even like this place. The little trinket machine even ate my daughters quarter.
(2)Bryan T.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Yes, you buy more for the food because it comes via train, but isn't that what kid centered restaurants are all about? Paying more for food because it comes with an experience for the kid?!? Food was decent enough, sort of like a Steak n' Shake burger, but grass feed beef. Really people who wrote negative yelp reviews, what did you expect, Michelin Star food? It's a kid restaurant, I don't go to chuck e cheese and expect giordano's deep dish. My 2 year old had a blast and that's what counts to me.
(4)Al L.
One bite was more than enough. The food is disgusting. Even the smell was nauseating. Bought a groupon for 2toots because we wanted to try the food. I couldn't dine in so I ordered to go. I ordered two cheeseburgers with onion rings and a walnut brownie ($22!). It was expensive for the size of the burgers. The burger patties were similar to steak and shake patties, but not good at all. But the worst part was the grease. I couldn't believe how greasy the burger and onion rings were. It was like biting into a balloon filled with oil...gross! Unfortunately, I had to waste the food and threw it all away - just couldn't eat it. I can't believe parents take their kids there. I would never recommend the food, especially for kids.
(1)Mandy M.
My son had the best lunch of his little life here! - The food was great! - The trains are constantly moving, not just when they're delivering meals. - The staff was friendly and attentive. - The theming and decor was clean, fresh, and had tons of trains! Tip: Arrive early! Every table/both is against the train tracks but it's a pretty small place. It fills up quickly!
(5)Alicia T.
Just went last night after being not having gone in for awhile apparently management has changed. Waited at the door, was not greeted, watched two booths get cleaned off and then just sat there for several minutes before we were given ok to sit down. Only one high chair had working seatbelt buckle for our almost 2 yr old. Never got menus, had to call waitress over to order while our child melted down. Toy machines were almost completely empty, nobody told us bye/ thank you. So sad, this use to be a great place.
(1)Sam P.
This is not a good place to come if you aren't dining with young children. It's not a good place to come if you're looking for a peaceful meal. It's not a good place to come if you're a 2 month old baby who'd rather sleep through dinner. However, it IS a GREAT place to come if you're a train-loving toddler or preschooler, or a parent who wants to dine out without stressing too much over their kids' behavior. It's loud, probably overpriced, and the food is just okay. But small children are super amused by the train delivering food to the tables. I give it three stars for the novelty factor, and the food is better than most fast food or concession stands. A note about food handling, since I read another review regarding the absence of gloves in the kitchen: this is pretty common practice, and the thinking behind it makes sense to me. Would you rather have someone touching your food who has paid careful attention to thoroughly clean their hands with soap and hot water, or someone with poor hygiene who came in to work and just put on a pair of gloves? I'd go for the clean hands, myself. I bet if you looked in the kitchens of most restaurants, you'd find the staff free of gloves, and instead trained in proper hand washing. Just thought I'd share since I'm a bit of a germaphobe myself :)
(3)Kim M.
The premise of this place is that your food is delivered to you by a train that goes around the counter on train tracks. That's it. Go into this place expecting nothing more, and you won't be disappointed. My kids are 5 and 3, and they liked it alot. When you get dessert, they pull the train horn on the wall, and my kids got really excited about that. The Burgers to me were decent. Think Steak N Shake type patties, but larger. The problem with them is that they kind of implode and turn into this mound of beef, vs a patty. Nonetheless, it still tastes good. My only complaint would be about the service. However, I do note that on the 2 times we've gone here, the girls were probably in high school. So I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. As long as it keeps my kids entertained, I'll be a repeat customer.
(3)Barry F.
Reading the reviews for this place I can't help but shake my head. The low scores come from people who either a) are applying an adult restaurant mentality to a place that is all about kids or b) don't understand that this place is about the kids not the adults. So if you are coming here expecting "haute cuisine" you are going to be disappointed. Similarly if you are coming here expecting professionally trained wait staff with decades of experience, you aren't going to walk away happy. Folks, this is a fricken restaurant you take kids in order to watch them smile and be filled with wonder. Slow down, take some time and enjoy the ride. (That said, the burgers are pretty damn good).
(4)Renita M.
Your rating of this probably depends on whether you have kids or not. We don't, and we had no kid with us, so 3 stars. For parents or kids, it's probably 4. For train-obsessed kids, 5. We came here around 5 on a Saturday -- being in Glen Ellyn and having run out of other things to do -- and felt slightly out of place, as we were the only non-parent adult customers. But we sat, we ate, and enjoyed our meal. My cheeseburger was done well, a smaller version of Schoop's, with crispy grilled edges and pickles, lettuce & tomato. The fries were your standard crinkle-cut like you'd get at Portillo's. My husband's chili dog was a large, tasty dog; the chili on top was quite good. Onion rings were a bit too few for the order, but good anyway. And yes, it's all very train oriented, with a little electric train to deliver your baskets. Service was adequate. By the time we left, the place was filling up, with moms, dads and lots of under-12 kids. Lots. We felt a little out of place, but departed having had a good diner-y meal, at a decent price. We may well be back, but only if we have a young relative in tow.
(3)Shannon M.
We took my visiting little cousins, who love trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, to this restaurant, where your meal is served in baskets on an electric train that comes around the counter where you sit. Novel idea, and the kids were entranced. Train stuff is EVERYWHERE: old ads for the Hiawatha line and photographs on the walls, and yes, Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs playing on loop on flat-screens in the corners, but the food-delivering model train that intermittently passes through the dining room is the star of the show. A previous reviewer said the baskets looked dirty, but everything involving the train and counter appeared clean to me. The servers (high-school-age girls) were sweet and very tolerant considering the amount of hyper kids they must deal with per day. They helped set up booster chairs for the two little ones upon our arrival as well. The food was quite tasty; mostly diner fare is on offer, with some healthier options like a grilled chicken breast sandwich (my choice, which was plump, flavorful and juicy), a salad with Newman's Own dressing or a veggie burger for those who don't care for the hot dog and hamburger fare. Onion rings were varnish brown, with the batter welded onto the piece of onion, crispy and delicious. My chocolate milkshake was creamy and thick (but still drinkable). Overall, much more than I expected from a kid-centric place, where it's usually about atmosphere and food is secondary. The kids have classic options of grilled cheese, hot dogs and the like, and when it comes to dessert, a cupcake with a train whistle! The wait for food was not long, and there's so much to look at that the kids weren't too restless. They were in love with "Champion," the coin-operated horse near the door (the type that used to be in front of every Kmart). The only thing I might suggest was a swab of the decks; at the end of the trip, the littlest one (who'd had her fill of sensory stimuli and needed a break) threw herself on the floor, which I noticed was not too clean. This location has much better hours than its compatriot in Downers Grove, which is only open til 4:30 on week-ends -- ?? The Glen Ellyn restaurant was open til 7, which makes more sense; at least they're open through the dinner hour. Overall, a fun restaurant for kids with a retro flair.
(4)Don N.
The staff is very friendly, the food is good -shakes are outstanding. We are lucky to keep our 2-year-old in a chair for 10 minutes. He sat for over an hour and was just as excited to see the train go by on the 100th time as he was the first time.
(4)Joy M.
This would have been a two star review but they were docked a star for the fact that they charge the same price for tap water as they do for soda (I guess that's their prerogative but I was always under the impression that restaurants were supposed to provide free access to tap water upon request). The burgers were average, the fries were cold and the wait staff was inattentive. They left the bill with us when they brought the food and they never bothered to come back to see if we wanted dessert or needed any refills. Also, for a train themed restaurant there was a distinct lack of trains. They had some pictures on the walls and the train that brought the food and that was about it- my daughter (who loves trains) didn't seem to enjoy the ambiance at all. Next time we'll stick with the All Aboard Diner in Woodridge. They have a much better menu, better prices, tons of trains and staff that actually pays attention.
(1)Vince A.
I'm with Kimmerlee on this place. The burgers are fine yet pricey (new menu = new prices). Burgers are steak n' shake/johnny rockets like. The kids meals are fine choosing from a hot dog or nuggets or PB&J. The kids enjoy the trains whirring around the joint while parents just want to finish eating. Some advice: Get there as they open. If you miss that 11-11:15 AM window, you will wait for the next available seat.
(3)Joe G.
Continuing with previous outings, we're slowly making the rounds of the Chicago area train themed restaurants this summer. Situated near the Glen Ellyn Metra station, 2Toots would seem ideally located for train-loving kids. Being on a Union Pacific mainline, we saw several freight trains and a Metra rumble on by while we were at 2Toots. This location is fairly large and has a nice open feel to it, along with two trains (on the same track!) delivering food. A television (maybe two?) is playing Thomas the Tank Engine for kids of that persuasion. There's a large amount of counter seating and some tables, and the place is generally laid out better than the DG location. However, my remaining comments are very similar to DG: I think they might have missed out a bit by not doing a few more things. Both All Aboard and Choo Choo Johnny's have functioning train layouts and a train running overhead as well, which helps to provide something for kids to look at when food isn't currently being delivered. The food itself was average to below-average. I would like to see them work on that a bit. I feel that this is a fine idea, and that they have some elements that could put them a step above their competition, particularly in terms of location with those real trains whizzing by outside, but as it stands, I have to call it as being a bit below average.
(2)Elizabeth K.
Nice concept. All they need now is decent and friendly service. My husband and I took our two toddlers in here for an early lunch. We were seated fairly quickly; however, it then took our waitress nearly 15 mins to take our drink order. Our food orders were taken 10-15 mins after that. Our food and drinks arrived maybe 10 mins after that. Add that together, and it took nearly 40 mins from when we got there to get our food and drinks. The bill came right after the food. Drinks refills were hard to come by. The food was okay. The only reason I'm not screaming for zero stars here was because my husband loved his burger. The kids and I were less than impressed. Please don't go here if you want good food, good service, and have anything less than an hour to spend waiting for service. Btw, when your server does arrive, don't expect to ask any questions. They'll be gone as soon as they think you're done ordering. Talk quick.
(1)Erik H.
Train-themed restaurant where all of the seats are "trackside" and the train brings the food out to the kids. The kids had a ball with the train, the decor, the $0.25 mechanical horse ride, and the kid-friendly food. The restaurant looks out on the real trains going by as well. The kids' joy was the one redeeming factor for me. The menu is very limited, the quality of the food was mediocre, prices were relatively high, and the staff seemed less-than-thrilled to be there. The concept is a winner, but given the poor execution here, I would recommend "All Aboard Diner: in Downers Grove.
(2)Christina S.
If you have (or are in the temporary possession of) a toddler, 2Toots is where it's at. When my itty bitty nieces were in town recently, we made an afternoon of it by filling up on burgers and PB&J and then running 'em off at the playground down the street. They had fun at the playground, but I'm telling you . . . they simply couldn't stop talking about that little train. And whereas I normally cringe when I see a bunch of teenagers minding the store, the high school girls who work at 2Toots are perfection. It's like the Babysitter's Club opened a diner. In all honesty, the food is a few steps down from Steak 'n Shake. But the kids will be so well behaved, you won't even care.
(4)Karen W.
FORGET THE KIDS!!!! My friend and I totally got a kick out of this place. We work in transportation, so we have no problem admitting we are dorks, but we totally got a kick out of having our food delivered on the train. Simple menu, burgers and fries, food was good and inexpensive.
(3)Mike V.
second 2toots in a week, food was good but cooked HARD! my burger which still had a great taste was crispy (inedible) on some of the edges. staff was great. but ill stick to the Bartlett one based off the cooking.
(3)Mike S.
I'm not sure if everyone here gets the concept of 2toots. If you don't like kids in general, then don't bother. 2toots is always filled with kids, it's ok, that's their thing. Teen and tweens will probably not like this place either because it has adults AND kids, the bane of all teenagers. Come here for a great diner experience, and for a brief menu of items made well. I stopped in for lunch and had the burger. You can really tell the difference in taste between the grass-fed beef and what you get from any other place. The fries were hot and crisp and all were served with a smile. The burgers ARE thin, but that's because they're smashed, to give the edges a bit of crisp. You really gotta be into that type of burger to appreciate them. The bun was fluffy and toasted, perfect. Looking forward to a chili dog on my next visit.
(4)Mary J.
I saw a big improvement on the food on this visit! Nothing was burnt, the hot dog was bigger, the fries were better and the service was very attentive. Maybe we were experiencing starting up challenges when we were there last time.
(4)Joel G.
This is a great place to take your kids. It was fun to see them bring the food in on a train. My son just loved it. The food was actually decent for it being a small diner type restaurant. The place is just full of train stuff. Great.
(3)Gina L.
Love this place! They now serve Tall Grass Beef burgers AND hotdogs. Now THIS is the type of meat we should all eat. Grass fed and finished :) Its healthy and most of all, DELICIOUS! The price is extremely fair for the quality and what you get (comes with fries). The place is very kid friendly and its set in the 50's style complete with root beer floats and music. All your meals are served via the choo choo track which runs along the entire counter and in to the kitchen. THANKS 2 TOOTS, we will be back!!!
(4)janice m.
For those of us who have kids or grand kids who love trains, this is a great place to visit. Sitting next to the tracks, both in the restaurant, and the restaurant itself, is the ultimate joy for a four year old. The food is average for this style restaurant, however the BLT was damn tasty. Our server, Parks, was friendly, nice and very patient when our grandson couldn't decide on chocolate or vanilla...so kudos for that. The annoying children behind us who wouldn't sit down were about the only thing we didn't enjoy. All in all a good experience, but a word of warning, go after two, when the lunch rush is over., you will find it a much more pleasurable experience
(3)Jennifer B.
Let me begin with a disclaimer: I do not have children. I do, however, have an English husband who is obsessed with diners and trains. After months of fending him off I agreed to go here with him. If you have a little boy, they will love this place, and you won't mind it. But if you are a 20 something there with her weirdo husband you will just feel out of place. They also only serve food in a bun.
(2)John S.
Honestly I went to this place expecting soo much more. Ok so I will start with the positives. The staff here was very friendly and the trains will entertain your out of control little boy for maybe all of two minutes. That is about were the good parts of this place stop. First of all the menu here is limited. Seriously they have maybe 5 things to choose from. So i decided to get the burger. When my burger came I wanted to ask if it was just a joke. The beef patty was so thin Paris Hilton would leave this place starving. Seriously it was like a crispy cracker of beef on the bun. I mean it seriously made a crunch sound when I bit into it. I don't think Burgers are supposed to do that. While the fries tasted good I was also left wanting more as I felt like I had to beg to get any food here. Over all not what i was expecting. Ya the train is cute and may be a good baby sitter for 5min but if you are looking to actually eat here you will leave disappointed. Be prepared to stop at mcdonalds on your way home because you will be hungry.
(2)Chester R.
the food here is pretty bad.........but the atmosphere is good for about 15 minutes if you have kids under 5.
(1)Gary F.
Took my 3 and 8 year old son there. They liked it which is what counted. I didn't see any issues with the train or dirty baskets. Yes, the floor could have been a little cleaner, but I've definitely seen worse. The three of us ate for $22.00 Food was good. We'll be back.
(4)J M.
This is a new, cute place for the kids where a train delivers your food to you. If you don't like kids or chaos, you better stay out, because it's full of both. The food is good, but a little overpriced. Their chili rocks, but $3.95 for a tiny bowl that isn't even filled? Other than that, cute little palces to bring the little ones.
(4)Tobin h.
A HUGE gimmick and over-rated. Possibly the biggest nightmare a health inspector may ever have to place a "pass" grade on. This could easily be the dirtiest restaurant I've ever patronized. I actually saw a fuzzy fry on the floor. Though I appreciate the nostalgia and fun of an electric train delivery system, I can't believe as I gazed the floor and sanitary conditions, I allowed my daughter and me to eat here. My hot dog tasted like cigar smoke and my daughter's chicken dino's were actually part frozen in the middle. The service was awful and the "big guy" on the toot-toot campus seemed more interested in goofing with his High school somethings than providing a quality meal. If I ever visit this ces-pool of dirty, it is my own fault. If you go here...it is also your own fault. Don't buy into the "happiness" of a train delivering your food. There are several other train themed restaurant's in Chicagoland that have bought into the concept of a broom and a mop that this hole has yet to discover. There is nothing about this joke of a concept that would ever make me go back...even if you were buying. I'd say you are better off eating your fingernails and tooting your car horn to mirror this experience.Awful. Awful. Awful!
(1)Missy M.
I have been here before - the only redeeming quality is the train that brings your food. When we walked in there was garbage covering the entire floor. Do these kids working there know how to sweep after the clean off a table? It was disgusting. The wait staff is a joke. The girl who took our order today clearly didn't understand what a sundae with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup meant. We explained it three times!! My stepdad had ordered the sundae instead of a meal, which obviously confused the staff beyond oblivion! Another waitress came up and asked if we wanted our sundae after the meal, to which we explained that he had gotten it instead of a meal, so bring it out with our food. She replies, "So, bring it out afterward?" Um, no... They also completely forgot to bring out my mom's cupcake that she ordered. I never jumped up and down about this place, but today did me in. I'm embarrassed that I was the one who suggested it since my folks were in from out of town. Will NEVER go there again.
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