Railroad Cafe
555 Railroad StreetMy office mate has a little bit of time off right now so I’ve been working quite a bit on my own. Friday I headed out towards South Haven to meet up with someone for a job assignment. I was having some issues connecting with that person so I decided to grab some lunch while I was waiting.
I was kind of in the country somewhere between Bangor and South Haven. I didn’t want to go sit down somewhere. I thought of a cafe in Bangor I haven’t been to yet so I headed back that way.
The Railroad Cafe is inside the Bangor Transportation Center at the end of Railroad Street near downtown. The Transportation Center has been downsized quite a bit from the original railroad station. Only the very front of the building now is used for Amtrak customers to wait. If you go through that small lobby, you’ll find an entrance to the cafe. There is also an exterior door on the west side of the building.
The cafe has a very coffee shop vibe to it. Ordering is done at a counter in the back of the room. Drink and sandwich menus are both written on chalkboards that hang from the ceiling behind the counter.
The tile floors actually give this space a unique look and feel. They use a combination of wrought iron furniture and solid wood pieces that have a homey feel to them.
There are also the standard couches and coffee tables to relax at and read a book while sipping on coffee as you wait for a train.
I ordered the Roast Beef and Pepperjack Panini but the lady working told me she didn’t think there was enough roast beef for a whole sandwich. I changed to a Turkey Panini instead. All of the sandwiches come with a pickle spear and a bag of chips. The total cost was just over $11 with tip.
It took about five minutes for my sandwich to be made. The lone employee brought me out a bag and told me to grab a bag of chips from the display near the door on my way out. I grabbed a bag of Smart Pop Popcorn and headed back to my car where I had a voicemail waiting for me.
The sandwich isn’t very big but it packs a pretty big taste. It’s made on ciabatta bread that is filled with turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomato, mayo and mustard. I left the mayo off. It only took me about two bites…maybe three on each half to get through it. The bread was really the star. It was a delicious, light, airy ciabatta that was just slightly chewy.
I’m always looking for places to stop either in or on the way home from South Haven and Railroad Cafe is a good one. A lot of times my lunch is eaten in the car so I can’t really go grab a big ol’ burger from somewhere. This place is quick and it’s delicious….the two thing I typically look for in a spot to pick up lunch while at work.
SW Michigan Dining 