I was referred to this cafe by a fellow railroad enthusiast. He said this place has a good burgers and is next to the UP mainline north. After seeing Mac and cheese filling the daily specials, I couldn't resist as it's a favorite!! Of the three choices, I selected the buffalo chicken Mac and cheese. If came with a side salad or soup. The soup of the day was loaded baked potato. How could could you not try that? It was very creamy white gravy with everything you would find in in a baked potato. Meal arrived in a very timely manner and the service was exceptional. The place had the feel of a dive bar but everything was clean and tidy. The bathroom was newly remodeled and spotless. I would certainly return. Place served Pepsi products which was a bonus. read more

See all

This little amazing place has great food and great service! Its been around a long time but the recent renovations have really spruced the place up! Check out the weekly specials! read more

Railway - Very relaxing laid back place with great food! I love my lunches with my family here! - American Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

Went for the fried chicken dinner. Number ONE the chicken is still very good..... BUT! Has anyone ever seen or even heard of Minesoni soup which is mostly noodles? It was some sort of broth...maybe it was chicken broth from a can. As many noodles as could be stuffed into the VERY SMALL bowl, a few green beans also straight from a can....oh I think I found a piece of carrot. The mashed potatoes were, bland and a bit thin....straight from a box, of low quality. Gravy was also very thin with little flavor..... BUT! the actual fried chicken was very good....I was told there is NO changes allowed. Service was ok. Ambiance was improved a little with new tables and chairs We were hopeful of actual improvement based on who had bought this place. read more

Good specials. Cold drinks with plenty of options. Small inside. Food was crazy fast!

We found this interesting and unique place to eat breakfast by searching on yelp. Nice parking area easy to access, interesting location. The establishment is extremely clean, spotless bathrooms, and a good selection on the menu. The service was great, very friendly and happy to greet. The food was delicious, the prices are super reasonable. The drinks for breakfast were wonderful. Delicious!!!! read more

Railway - Breakfast burrito with green chili sauce!!! Taste, bud explosion - American Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

Great cheeseburger. They recently updated their burger menu and there's so many good options it was hard to choose. I tried the Juicy Lansky and my mom had the O.G. Both our burgers were really good. The fries and onion rings were also good, but the hand cut fries were too soft/mushy. You can also get crinkle fries, tots or sweet potato fries. Our service was good - a couple ladies checked on us throughout our meal and they were both friendly and attentive. read more

See all

Food was awesome. New Cook. Way better. Not greasy. Didn't take long to get food. Service was great. Very friendly & great bloody marys. ​

We went as a group of six. The service was very good. We enjoyed our burgers. Everyone said the fries were outstanding, the best in the area! read more

just went to railway for breakfast. had two drinks but still had to wait over an hour for food. I sat at bar with only maybe ten people in restaurant. I happened to see the owner was the cook. not a good sign. once i asked for the check my food came immediately. read more

I've been here a few times over the past couple years and it's an okay bar. It's a typical 'dive' bar where some people drink a little too much and get really loud, which annoys me. The drinks are cheap. The bartenders are friendly. There seems to be a lot of regulars that come here. I generally only go here when some friends want to go. read more

Went with the wings and crinkle cuts and would get crinkle cuts again but not wings. Ranch is good and bartender was very nice.

Friendly staff and one of the best tenderloins around. Basics are very good as well. Soups are homemade and as good as they get.

Dan and Jami's is a down home place with an easy setting. The food there is great and fairly priced. Everything I have tried has all been very good and huge portions!! My family and I found this place by accident one day and have now eaten there at least 10 times in the last 3 months!! Definitely recommend getting food from Dan and Jami's!!! read more

3 stars for the food, 2 stars because of the over-served regular!! I've been to The Railway Inn a few of times. Went once for breakfast and had the basic eggs, bacon, toast and hashbrowns which were decent and extremely cheap. The other times for dinner I had the hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. I love this sandwich...they use real roast beef (not sliced, but shredded) and the sandwich is HUGE. I love the fact that you can order a half order of this because that is still plenty for me. They have different daily soups and I've liked the ones I've tried in the past. The bar is old and pretty small. It is owned by a husband and wife team. It could definitely be labeled a "dive bar". It sits right next to railroad tracks, so it is kind of fun when a train goes by. The folks that run it are always very friendly. This last weekend we decided to take my parents there to eat. They had never heard of it, and after we told them about our past experiences there, and that is was super reasonably priced, they wanted to give it a try. It was fairly crowded, so we chose a table near the kitchen. The waitress was quick to get our drinks and toss some menus on our table. Just after she delivered the menus I noticed some commotion at the bar which I was facing. The remainder at my table actually turned to look what was going on. They looked just in time to see an over-served customer getting ready to puke. He was an older man, and his buddy and I believe a waitress grabbed a metal beer bucket just in time for him to puke into. He was clearly a regular. None of us needed to see that. The worst part is they allowed him to sit there for another 15 minutes before he finally left. He was mumbling (slurring) about how he couldn't believe he puked, and his buddy commented about the excess of alcohol he had consumed. Now I get that this happens in bars, but c'mon. Get that drunk dude out of there. Probably should have quit serving him when he started slurring. When the waitress came to take our order I asked if they were going to escort this guy out. "Yes" we were reassured. Unfortunately it was at least 15 minutes later that he finally left, and his "performance" stuck with us throughout our meals. The special of the night was a broasted chicken dinner. My father ordered that, and my mother ordered the hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes per my recommendation. Another at our table ordered a taco, and for some reason I decided to try the pork tenderloin sandwich. I wish I would've went with the beef sandwich because my tenderloin had absolutely no flavor to it. Chicken and beef dish were enjoyed by my parents. I tasted the broasted chicken and thought it had good flavor. It came with mashed potatoes with country gravy and also corn. The taco on the other hand was not so good. It was not crisp enough to pick up and eat or else all the meat fell out of it. Not as enjoyable for some to eat a taco with a knife and fork, especially when it is to be fried and crispy. I believe it was one of the owners that actually stopped to ask me how I enjoyed the pork tenderloin sandwich. Perhaps she noticed I had not eaten much of it. I was honest and told her it had no flavor. She agreed and said she had been trying to get the kitchen to take it off the menu for a while now. Hmmmm....the owner should be able to do this in a blink of an eye! Shortly after that our waitress came over and said the owner would like to buy us a round of drinks, which was nice! Will I go back? Probably. However it will probably be awhile to get the drunk man's "performance" out of our minds!! Eesh... read more

Excellent burger! Service was wonderful! Not too busy although parking lot appeared full! They had a nice friendly crowd and not too noisy sometimes bar& grills can be too noisy! Very relaxed atmosphere read more

My husband and I stopped stopped for breakfast on our way to golf. It's a long established bar and grill that is nothing fancy and could use some updating but it's very clean. We think the decor is part of its charm as a bar and grill. We were greeted promptly by a smiling waitress who took our orders and returned with our drinks. She returned quickly with our meals. The portions were large and omelets were made with fresh mushrooms and the hashbrowns were made with hand grated potatoes. Delicious! If we're playing golf in the area again, we will definitely return for breakfast. read more

There are bars on the windows and for good reason. The idea is to keep out Nebraska marauders from stealing Reubens and returning them to their rightful home. The sign above the kitchen door reads "free beer tomorrow." Yes, that is correct unless you are a Democrat and running for President. The Reuben was good, but the corn beef was a little tough. A ton of french fries and they are cooked with the skins on. The patrons know each other and the help. One customer delivered tomatoes to the bartender. Considering the location (cheap real estate) and that the fixtures are fully depreciated, the food prices are high. Bathroom needs cleaning and updating. Caulk around the sink had fungus. read more

Railway - Reuben Carter and french fries/ Murder one and guess who testified?/ Bellows and Bradley and they both probably lied - American Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

Okay this is one of those stops where you know what you want, but didn't know what to expect. Today was to be a exploration stop prior to taking the wife out. The item in question was the hot beef sandwich. First off, no masks anywhere. Next social distances are not a common rule of the house. And there was hand sanitizer on the table. These are well six feet apart, with the exception of mine where a very large party of 10 had gathered. Now the sandwich, large very large! Covered in rich brown gravy and topped with a portion of mashed potatoes. The part of not expecting was I really didn't get the great roast beef flavor. Way too much gravy. With drink the whole meal was 12.25 so it didn't break the bank. But this wasn't in the best top ten in the CB area. Might have been an off day. May explore at a later date. Sorry threes are the honest assessment. read more

Railway - The hot beef sandwich - American Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

We went there because of the reviews about the burgers and because it is local. We all enjoy a good friendly bar with good food. The food was ok. Frozen burgers that was way over cooked. Atmosphere was clearly a bar with "regulars". There was a man there that should have been cut off quite awhile before we came. The tables were clean but their appearance was worn. The floors were gross and the women's bathroom was not a place for anyone. Was hoping it was going to be better. read more

Bought the burger special for $5.99, got my bill and it was $10, $2.50 for a soda and 1.50 for a slice of American cheese.. really?? way over charged.. The food wasn't that great.. never going back. I work for a large employer in the area, told my co workers. read more

Lookup "dive bar" in the dictionary and you'll find Railway Inn. A few things that set this bar apart from other dive bars... + Awesome service. Friendly and attentive. It starts with the ownership. Great people. +Great food. Pub grub done right. Broasted chicken (yes, that's broasted). Get some. +Cheap drinks (kind of the norm for a dive bar...). +Cheap food specials and big portions. +Three sand volleyball courts. If you are not a native to Council Bluffs it is somewhat tricky to find but it worth the extra effort to venture off the main drag. read more

We picked this restaurant based on YELP reviews, and, when we walked in we could tell it's the kind of place where everyone knows your name...great place to watch sports. There were Hawkeye, Creighton, and Husker fans, so don't worry about allegiance to one team. I ordered an amaretto sour, which was very delicious and larger than other bar's mixed drinks. I would've given this bar 4 stars, but the wait was long for our food, and the waitress didn't apologize or offer to refill our drinks. It's not their fault that a large party came in before us, but they could at least check up on us from time to time to apologize for the wait. Now to the food: I ordered the Reuben, which was the most delicious Reuben I've had in a long time, bread crisp to perfection and filled with a large portion of pastrami(see photo). My date ordered the chicken salad, which was the standard salad on iceberg (see photo). Insert the joke here about ordering a salad at a bar...we ordered thee quesadilla as an appetizer, but it arrived at the same time as the meal (see note above about service). It was not crispy or golden brown on the outside with standard jarred salsa. The cheese was barely melted (see photo). Many reviewers commented on their breakfast, so I would be interested in returning to try the breakfast. An added bonus was that two trains rolled past during our meal to create ambiance! read more

See all

Went on a Tuesday for the pork ribs special and it was outstanding! The place is hard to find but will worth it. It's a classic dive bar but the food is definitely exceeded my expectations. We ordered two of the 1/2 rack specials with two sides each. The ribs were meaty and smoked to perfection, I like it when the meat falls off the bone and they did not disappoint! Delicious The Cole slaw was creamy and perfectly seasoned and I'm picky about my Cole slaw. The rest of the sides where good as well, we had the baked beans, loaded baked potato and French fries! Even though we only ordered the 1/2 rack we had leftovers and they were delicious for lunch the next day. read more

Been here for over 30 minutes and still no service. When we asked if we could at least get a drink, the server was pissy. We left. Service is as bad as the decor. I have no idea if the food is good or not. This place is a trashy dive! Council Bluffs typical.... Trashy! BTW... They are NOT service dog friendly! read more

Have eaten breakfast here twice and was not happy with my eggs both times. Asked for scrambled well and both times the egg whites were not cooked well. This time had dinner. The steak special. Order ribeye medium, baked potato, soup and salad with garlic bread. Everything was good. The soup was a little salty but ok. Paid for my meal, ask for to go box, and wait for 20 mins before I could get it. I think they need to staff better. It was a little loud but it's a bar. If your not in a hurry and don't mind the waiting or loudness it's an OK place to eat. read more

See all

Love the food, bbq ribs on Tuesday are my favorite. I only get a half rack because you get so much food. Breakfast is also excellent and the prices are very fair. It is a dive, but the food and service is great! read more

Good food! It is a little old and shabby but very clean and the staff was great! We will be back for the Reuben! Little dummies were hot and crispy and a great appetizer! Only complaint were my fries were a little limp, but my husbands were nice and crisp. Great value! read more

Railway - American Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

I started going to the Railway inn about a year ago. After a couple of time visiting there, I figured out that it was a safe place to take my wife and son for a meal. It Is clean and the staff are friendly and attentive. The breakfasts and other meals are very tasty. Every day there is a meal special and the portions are good sized too. It is worth a try! read more

I feel badly giving them only 2 stars, but I can't get over the drunk puking at the bar while I waited for my food. The food is fine I guess and the atmosphere is definitely "dive'ish", but I was hoping for more of this little joint. It has all the makings for a decent dive bar or diamond in the rough, but their clientele could be better. read more

For friendly service, taste and value, this place is terrific and hard to beat. We discovered it using TripAdvisor, and are glad we did. The bar was doing more business than the restaurant when we were there for lunch, but we were made to feel very welcome by all. We had Reuben and barbecue beef sandwiches with fries and onion rings, with beer, for about $15. Delicious. Not on the main drag, it's near the railroad tracks. read more

We are from Colorado, and Stumbled on to the Railway Inn a few years ago. Ever since it has been a must stop. Great inexpensive food , friendly staff and ice cold beer. Stop for breakfast,lunch,dinner, or just Happy Hour. read more

We were told that the Pork Tenderloin sandwiches were to die for here. Sadly our experience was disappointing. The sandwiches looked fabulous but were very gamey. The meat was dark and wasn't what we were used to. All the other food was good however. The burgers, drummies and appetizers were all good. The service was great. Our waitress was extremely friendly and if not for the tenderloin would be a 5. read more

Chill, fun atmosphere with super nice people... especially considering we are from out of town. Food was yum! Service was great! Perfect place to watch a game and relax. read more

My wife and I go to the Railway Inn frequently. Saturday night they serve a great chicken dinner! We love their burgers! Not fancy but clean enough with great food and cold beer! read more

The hot beef sandwich is my go to meal..burgers and home cut fries are hard to beat also

The Railway Inn has the best breakfast in town! If you want a lot of food for your buck, this is the place to go!

The sand volleyball leagues are great. The games always start on time and are very organized.