Sherman's Food Adventures: Choo Choo's

Choo Choo's

At least to me, it seems like there are not many "family-themed" restaurants in Vancouver. For the amount of families that eat out, it seems like we're stuck with the chain restaurants such as Red Robin, White Spot, Ricky's, IHOP and ABC (bleck!). I actually like most of the aforementioned restaurants other than ABC; but honestly, there are not many independent family restaurants around. Maybe I had to head further out to the burbs to find one? Well, I had an opportunity to try a family restaurant out in Langley. Why Langley? First of all, my good friend from school was visiting from Australia. "Aussie" had moved down there with the love of his life who he had met during his worldly travels (aw, how romantic). He was staying out in Langley with his parents, so I decided we'd meet where he was. Second, I personally feel that the burbs have been largely ignored as viable options for dining. Yes, there are many good restaurants in Metro Vancouver; yet there are some really good eats in Greater Vancouver as well. Besides, most people live outside of Metro Vancouver itself. Alright, enough with my ranting.

I had actually arrived in Langley on time, but one wrong turn and it took me forever to get back to where I was going. The traffic out here is horrendous! I finally made it to my destination - Choo Choo's. Choo what? Well, Choo Choo's is a family restaurant which employs a predominantly locomotive theme. In fact, as the kiddies enter the restaurant, they are welcomed to grab a toy train to play with for the duration of their meal. Furthermore, a model locomotive travels along a track throughout the restaurant above the diners. All the kiddies were mesmerized by the train coming and going, coming and going. Ah, how simple life is as a child...

For some strange reason, all 4 of us ordered burgers (or sandwiches), including the kiddies. Well, I guess Choo Choo's is a family restaurant and most people would order things like that. There are things like steaks, ribs and schnitzel on the menu as well. On the topic of schnitzel, I went for the Schnitzel Sandwich. When it arrived, it wasn't exactly how I envisioned it. Rather than one piece of schnitzel, there were several small pieces of schnitzel resting on the bun. A little bit apprehensive, I slapped the top half of the bun on to the schnitzel and gave it a go. Surprisingly, it was fluffy and light. Moreover, the bun itself was soft and moist. This was a pretty good schnitzel sandwich! The fries were decent as well. Nothing to write home about; but they were crispy and looked fresh cut (?). Aussie went for the biggest burger on the menu - the Choo Choo Burger. It was 2 patties large with mushrooms, cheese and bacon. Although it costs over $14.00, it really didn't look that large. He did say however that it was good, I'm not sure if that satisfied his appetite. When we were in University, he was heavily into bodybuilding and he could eat a whole prime rib roast all by himself. I had to get TWO large prime rib roasts at my parties just to account for him and another guy who was hitting the gym. Pure gluttony! Viv ended up with the Southwest Burger and Aussie's brother had the California Chicken Burger. Not much to comment here but much of the same.

My son went for his ol' standby - the Grilled Cheese with Curly Fries. There was a decent amount of food on the plate for $5.50 and he seemed to enjoy his sandwich. Mind you, he was too interested in staring at the train that was passing over us every few minutes of so. The food itself maybe a bit standard here at Choo Choo's; but the whole premise here is about the concept. It's a family friendly restaurant which offers up something a bit different. Unless you order the really expensive items, most meals are modestly-priced. The service we received was friendly and honest which helped enhance the overall experience. If you are ever in Langely (or live near there) with your family, give Choo Choo's a ride, the kids will love it.

The Good:
- Very family friendly
- Food is pretty predictable, no surprises here
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Some items on the menu seem a bit expensive for this type of restaurant
- Everyone getting kinks in their necks staring at the train above them

Choo Choo's Restaurant on Urbanspoon

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a good meal, though not kid friendly, about a block and a half from this place is a small little gem, The Old Yale Bistro. It is owned by a fellow who is originally from Austria I believe, and he cooks food that is French/Germanic. Very nice fellow, great cook, great prices. I used to go the Langley Casino to play poker a fair amount, and this place is within easy walking distance (as is Choo Choo's)

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