Unique Eastern Iowa Restaurant Takes You on a Trip While You Eat

When opening a new restaurant there's a lot to consider. Obviously, great food is hugely important but so is something that ties your place to the local community. Better still, connect to your community's past. If you also have a personal connection, all the better. This new eastern Iowa restaurant seems to have brought it all together perfectly.

This is what the area looked like on Valentine's Day:

It was the amazing transformation of a building into an old railroad dining car.

Now completed, it's very unique and cool.

Come on in and have a look below. When it opened in April, the "windows" above each table (actually televisions), took diners through the woods. Now, the "train" pays a visit to the beach while you eat.

Why a dining car? The restaurant is located in Marengo, a town in Iowa County that was founded in 1859. According to the Lizzie's Dining Car & Caboose Bar Facebook page, the following year the M&M railroad tracks, which went through Iowa, made it to Marengo. Less than 15 years later, "Lizzie's great-grandpa Arbogast was a track supervisor and responsible for 80 miles of track for the G, B, & Q Railroad."

"The last passenger train came across Marengo's tracks in June 1970. We wanted to provide an experience, where people can once again feel as if they are on a train passing through Marengo, into a journey across the country." As I said at the top, a connection to your city's past, and a local connection too. It's perfect. The food is drawing rave reviews, too.

Here's the Caboose Bar:

And now, for the menu:

Lunch:

and the Supper menu:

Lizzie's Dining Car & Caboose Bar is located at 1041 Court Ave. in Marengo. They're operating on limited hours as they continue to hire kitchen staff. Current hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.