We always make it a point to stop at Runaway Train Cafe when we're passing through Brownwood on our way to Fredericksburg. It's one of those places we genuinely look forward to every time. The restaurant is set inside an old train car, which is just really cool and different. The hamburgers are always spot on -- juicy and full of flavor -- and I can't pass up the Reuben. It's perfectly toasted with plenty of meat and just tastes great every single time. The service is consistently friendly and welcoming, which makes the stop even better. It's become a tradition for us, and it never disappoints. If you're anywhere near Brownwood, it's definitely worth pulling off the road for. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Inside seating in old train car - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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This little gem cooks up some great food! I love the tots, which are crispy and not greasy. I've have burgers, dogs and salad here and all have been great. The people working here are so friendly and hard working. They love the place and it shows! It's a cute little diner in a train car, so it's a fun vibe even before you walk in. read more

There seems to be plenty of parking to handle the size of this restaurant. It is a very long train car with 14 booths, 5 tables and 7 barstools at the counter. There are also several picnic tables outside under some trees. Service was fast and friendly. I ordered a cup of Clam Chowder along with a Quarter Pound Burger and Tater Tots. The food was delicious and more than I could eat. I particularly liked the burger and how it was grilled. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Cheeseburger and Tots - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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When we arrived and walked inside the door was opened for us and we were greeted by a polite guy. He ended up being our waiter and was super nice. We ordered fried pickles, a milk shake, a burger with fries, and my husband and I shared a chili cheese burger. They cut it in half and split it on tow plates for us. Inside was really cool. This was the place our daughter picked to eat for her birthday. Definitely worth trying! read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Fried pickles! So good! - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Food was delicious service was awsome. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone passing through. read more

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Food was spot on, ambiance was one of a kind and service was out of sight! Great place for sandwiches and burgers!

When you crave classic diner menu items, and you want to enjoy them in a train car while receiving the best customer service in Brownwood, this is the place to visit. Meals are consistently prepared and presented perfectly, and the friendly staff makes sure you have a positive experience. Everything on the menu is delicious, so don't stress trying to make up your mind on what to order. read more

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Last day in Brownwood, went out with an amazing meal and experience! Everyone was so friendly and helpful upon ordering and giving recommendations. Yes, the menu is small, but so worth the "old fashioned" cheeseburger. It had been years since having a burger that good. I'd go back tomorrow if I could! Was a great experience. read more

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I'm a vegetarian so I usually don't have a lot of options. The waitress helped me by answering all my questions and giving me options. I got the Dip Trio and it was amazing! My friend had chicken enchiladas and she gave 5 thumbs up. The chef came and spoke to us and told me he could make veggie dishes for. I was impressed with the Business, the waitresses picked and the food was amazing! Please go try the place. We don't want to loss small businesses in our town. read more

Great service. It's a fun atmosphere! We will be back!! When we were checking out, all 8 in our party were offered drink refills. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Interior - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Wow, super impressed, lunchtime on a Thursday. These guys were super friendly very attentive. My cheeseburger and fries were delicious. Awesome atmosphere sitting in a train car. Feel good spending my hard earned money here. Thank you for a great experience, will definitely be back. Brownwood's best kept secret. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Runaway Train Cafe - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Great food and awesome service. The staff was exceedingly friendly and exceeded all of our expectations.

Really cool set up in what looks like an old railroad car. Food is really good, service is awesome. Get a milkshake, best I've had in a while read more

Awesome service, waiter was able to recommend an awesome burger, cooked the way i liked it. Very clean, very friendly and helpful.

Very neat accommodations, nostalgic train diner with 50's booths and tables. Their service is friendly and polite. The sandwiches and burgers are delicious, but you better take advantage of their malts made the old fashioned way. They are rich and smooth! Don't miss this hidden gem. read more

My husband and I had lunch here when passing thru Brownwood. I had a hankering for clam chowder and saw good reviews for it....yes they were absolutely right it was some of the best I've had in a while. We ordered bowls of chowder with a BLT and I had a salad which was so large we ended up splitting it. Service was top notch and super friendly. It was very busy, we came at 1:30 on a Saturday. Loved the train car fun atmosphere. It's old, busy and grubby and could use a hot soapy power wash to clean it up. Overall the food made it worth the stop. read more

The food was amazing as always!!! The staff was very attentive and very friendly. The place was very clean with plenty of parking. If you have room for dessert you have to try their milkshakes! I love bringing new people to experience this great place with amazing food. read more

First it's off the beaten path which I love. It's a legit train car and it's awesome. My son was so excited. They open the door and welcome you in each and every time. The young staff has great manners and are very quick to take care of you. I agree with another review the window sills could use a quick wipe down but leave those original shades alone. I wish the history of the car was on the menu. I love the soup and 1/2 sandwich. My son was super happy they serve Blue bell and all he wanted was chocolate ice cream. It was perfect. The clam chowder was rich and creamy with big chunks of potatoes in there. There was a little bit of clam but I really liked it. The Wilson was really yummy I love chicken salad. The bun was kind of sweet like a Hawaiian roll but more dense. I didn't taste the jalapeños but it was a perfect combo either way. Next my husband had the 1/2 burger with cheese and bacon with Tots. It was a lot so be ready for a plate full of food. They asked us if we wanted to go drinks and it was a cute throw back to have to pay at the cash register. Again they open the door when you leave. Super polite great staff yummy food and a fun atmosphere. read more

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The service was exceptional, and the food was fantastic! My waiter was incredibly attentive, and the layout of the restaurant really impressed me. I just wish we had a cafe like this in my area! read more

1/4 pound burger was a typical diner burger, mediocre. I added the jalapeño bacon which wasn't anything special. My husband really liked the chili cheese burger. Fries and tots were crispy. The employees were very courteous and friendly and the best thing about it. The atmosphere is a fun 50's diner in a train car. Prices were good for what you get. read more

The best sandwich I've had in a long time. The RR club is a must try for everyone. I had mine with the tater tots. The idea of sitting inside an old train car is pretty cool and added to the experience. The staff and service was top notch. They were all young kids, but they had amazing attitudes and presence. They were extremely helpful and respectful. Will definitely return for another meal if I'm back in the area. read more

O' take me back to where Hamburgers tastes like real hamburgers, and fries; fries, and real cola with crunchy ice....Yes!!! This place was it... The staff was incredibly friendly. I miss the good ole days...... read more

Very friendly in greeting us. Food was very tasty: club sandwich and chicken salad sandwich. Ambience fun, will be back!

Tried the fried pickles, not disappointed, they were very tasty. We shared the RR club with tots, this was a very large amount of food.... The sandwich with tots were great... Service was excellent. The railroad car was really neat... I rode trains when I was younger, so it was kind of sentimental...The only negative was the table, it had definitely been washed but the napkins and condiment tray needed to be moved and washed underneath... My husband and I always sit on the same side so I pushed the tray out of the way to have more room for my plate... read more

I love this place. Food is great. Atmosphere is unique. They serve a REAL patty melt like they are supposed to be made. Just good food.

From entrance to exit, amazing experience. We missed this place on the way down to Fredericksburg since it was a Monday so today, Wednesday, we stopped and it was well worth it. We sat at the bar and immediately was welcomed with conversation. The two that were up front were very friendly and genuine. Great recommendations. The sandwich may look plain but that flavor was oh so great! I don't eat bacon and they were very accommodating to switch that out for extra turkey. Usually fries in a meal are nothing exciting but those were super good as well. Great prices, great service, great environment. We will definitely be back. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Runaway Train Diner - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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You will always be greeted at the door by a member of the family. This is a hometown great place to eat. They literally open the door for you when you come up the stairs... Great burgers, sandwiches, soups. They have the best clam chowder ever. read more

Stopped in finally when passing through Brownwood on the way home. The price is very reasonable for quarter pound burgers, fries/tots and a drink. That being said, this is similar quality to fast food restaurants. When I first saw this place I wasn't anticipating fast food but specialty burgers. We also got the chips and salsa for $5-6 which turned out to be Pace Picante and Santitas which was extremely disappointing. Service was overall ok but lacking. We watched some tables sit for 10 minutes without a server before they moved in hopes of getting helped. Overall, it's a neat atmosphere but probably wouldn't go out of the way to go again. read more

The train part is by far it's best feature. Food is lackluster and didn't even hit the bar for good fast food. Mainly items you can buy in frozen section of Walmart and reheat yourself nowadays, especially if you have an air fryer. read more

Super cute restaurant, very small and could really use a good cleaning! Food tasted good and service was great.

Always loved coming here for bugers and fries when I lived in the Brownwood area. Good food and kind waiters & waitresses. Also just super fun to get to go eat inside of a train! Definitely makes for a fun and uniqe experience. read more

Great service and friendly atmosphere. Honestly, it wasn't a really warm day but it was pretty warm in the restaurant. The food was good and portions are generous. I would give it five stars if it was cooler inside. read more

Good food. Neat place. Limited menu but worth the drive. Friendly atmosphere. Recommend

Great place to grab a bite to eat in the afternoon. I'm sad that they have changed their hours & only stay open until 3pm! Convenient to south Brownwood, in a train car!! Great burgers, soups, salads, nachos, etc. Try it...you will be glad you did! read more

Y'all got to try this place! Super cute little restaurant in an old train car. How fun?! The food was delicious and was reasonably priced. Our server was attentive and friendly during the lunch rush. Was a great experience! Will definitely be back. read more

So good, yummy, amazing. Friendly staff! Awesome atmosphere! Right next to the Middle School solids love it too! Definitely a must stop in Brownwood!!! read more

Too much money for the size of food you get always cramps hurt they make you feel like you're gonna hurt you out of there so we could be the next person not the way I like to do lunch or dinner read more

Restored train car. Interior was charming and clean. Staff was super polite, friendly, well spoken. Hubby had the regular cheeseburger. I had the bleu cheese burger. Patties were huge - filled the bun. Burgers were cooked perfect and juicy. Blue cheese topping was rich, fresh and plentiful. Highly recommend! read more

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Very family friendly and super nice staff! I've only had a few burgers from here and it's always been very good, and not to mention eating a in old Railcar is really cool! Would definitely recommend it! read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Nice old fashioned cheeseburger and fries! - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Picked this place for lunch while passing through. Picked it for the train aspect for a surprise to the family. Burgers are good as well as the tots which I opted for over the fries. Daughter had the veggie burger ate it but took it off the bun for some reason. Ordered the fried jalapeño which is slivers of peppers and Onion straws. Peppers had little to no kick but batter and ranch added good flavor. read more

Runaway Train Cafe - Entrance - Diners Near Me - Brownwood, Texas