All aboard for a good time and great food at 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill, located in the Riverbrook Square Plaza in Naperville.
Since opening their first 2 Toots in Downers Grove in 2006, lifelong friends and owners Dale Eisenberg and Mike Ventre quickly learned that diners may first come for the trains and the nostalgic atmosphere, but they keep coming back for the food.
“Our main objective was to create an environment that fostered true family connectivity,” Eisenberg said. “Having grown up in the 1950s, we wanted to recreate what it felt like to ride your bike on a Saturday morning to your local S.S. Kresge’s dime store, sit at the luncheonette counter/soda fountain and enjoy a cherry Coke and fries with your buddies.”
Mission accomplished at this local spot that is delighting children and adults alike.
What’s on the menu? 2 Toots menu is what you’d expect from a classic diner, complete with 100 percent grass-fed beef burgers and hot dogs, chili, fries, onion rings and hand-dipped milkshakes. In addition, they offer a veggie burger, sandwiches, soups, salads and homemade desserts.
About the owners: Lifelong friends and business partners Eisenberg and Ventre were fed up with today’s “overabundance of technology geared at kids.” They decided to “create a fun, train-focused place where a new generation could connect with that heritage and develop treasured memories of their own.” They currently own locations in Bartlett and Glen Ellyn and opened Naperville’s diner in 2016.
What’s the decor like? Bright red counter stools and booths, Formica countertops and tile floors take you back to a 1950s dime store or soda fountain. The walls are covered with framed pictures of trains and there are two large display cases full of old vintage electric trains. And don’t forget the model trains that run by every seat in the house, delivering a basket full of delicious food to each diner.
Food specialties? The double cheeseburger remains the most popular item (topped with their super thick sliced bacon), but Eisenberg said it’s the 100 percent grass-fed beef used in their hot dogs, burgers and chili that make each meal a stand out. “Our philosophy is and has always been ‘simplicity multiplied by simplicity’ and our menu and business philosophy reflects it.”
We’re different because: Eisenberg said they use two Lionel electric trains that deliver meals to every seat means makes them different, and “no one sits away from the fun.” And when it comes to the menu, “what makes us unique is that we do all those things that others are not willing to do,” like using 100 percent grass-fed beef (sourced from Bill Kurtis’ Tallgrass Beef Company) scooped fresh onto a griddle and never frozen or in pre-formed patties. The hot dogs are also 100 percent grass-fed beef and made without preservatives or sulfites.
Extras: Eisenberg said while they don’t have a private party room they are well equipped to host birthday parties or other celebrations at 2 Toots. When you choose their signature “train whistle” cupcakes or any of their homemade desserts, they’re delivered on the train with a candle and the birthday song playing as it’s delivered. To add to the fun they have an authentic 1950s horse ride complete with real leather reins and saddle for the kids to enjoy.
Price range: Burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches (all served with a heaping pile of fries) range from $5 to $7. A steaming bowl of chili is around $5, hand dipped shakes are $4 and kids’ meals (which include a choice of fries, fruit cup or apple sauce and a drink) are about $5.
Logistics: 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill is located at 1567 N. Aurora Road in Naperville (near the intersection of Ogden Avenue and North Aurora Road). They are open from 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Call 630-453-5113 or go to www.2toots.com
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.Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter with the Naperville Sun.