The Whistle Stop Restaurant is a family-oriented, casual, affordable dining place serving a wide variety of dishes ranging from Italian to Chinese to French to American. Located in a historical railroad freight building sitting right next to the Amtrak Station, the Whistle Stop Restaurant celebrates the heritage of the steam whistles and the abundant railroad memorabilia create a unique dining experience.

Try one of Chef Lauro’s unique creations made in house from scratch, perhaps with  a drink or two from our reasonably-priced liquor list, indulge in a scrumptious dessert, meet friends for lunch, enjoy a signature steak or seafood dinner, or have a party in the private banquet room upstairs.

Don’t forget to check our daily specials!

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• We stumbled on this gem by accident. We've never been disappointed yet. It is spotless and the food is not just your run of the mill stuff. How about lamb chops with a nice dijon mustard sauce, or sand dabs (fish) or several unique chicken dishes. The prices are great and the service has always been outstanding. Housed in an old railroad station that has been refurbished it has a lot of charm.

  

  travelqueen10151

  Chicago, IL

• The Whistle Stop is GREAT. Super food, elegantly presented and masterfully prepared - All at good prices. If you like history and railroads, this is also a great spot. They have a deck right next to the BNSF main line, and the building was constructed in 1854 as the original Illinois Central freight house. Chef Lauro is a master at food preparation.

  

  mjh321

• This is definitely my favorite restaurant in Mendota. The food is great and served in a very appetizing way, and the service is superb. If not too busy at the moment, the owner likes to greet customers and make sure that everything is more than just OK. There is something for everybody at The Whistle Stop: kids meals, vegetarian meals, wonderful choice of meat, fish and poultry dishes, desserts. And the portions are quite large for the price. 

  

  MWR

  Aug 16, 2011

• This restaurant was amazing! The food was delicious, service was great and the overall atmosphere was lovely. The food was great for a low price. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner/cook and he sat and talked with us about the service and asked us about were we were from. Everything is made in house which is something you don't see these days. Finding this place was pure luck of the draw but if I ever go into Mendota again, I will make sure to stop here again. I will be telling everyone I can about The Whistle Stop. 

  

  BTT24

  Nov 07, 2011

• I was on a business trip in town and the restaurant options were VERY limited, so I took a chance on The Whistle Stop. I was very pleased to find a quaint little place that used to be a train station turned into a restaurant. [...]However, the lunch meals I had over a few days were all very good. I wouldn't hesitate to go back anytime I'm back in town.

  

  MBruck

  Huntley, IL