I'm posting this for one reason and then another.

A local restaurant near here (St Joe MI) closed its doors, but in 2 years the location re-opened, named "The Food District" the logo has an artyish steam loco. I'm interested in restaurants and where to eat so I visit today, and when getting seated my eyes zeroed right on a model 7 1/2" gaugish passenger car on display. I asked my server about it and the owner of the newly opened restaurant chatted with me, he found them in an antiques store.
While I ate I noticed 2 more cars with a passenger carish something look.
I finished eating and got a closer look. He said they were built like 50 years ago. He knows nothing more. The first passenger car was bluish in color in a sort of old time cholestory like roof. However the trucks were not anything you expect to run on tracks, more like a display piece looking close enough to a passenger car without being really accurate about anything. It had some tinfoil-like pieces on it, so I look down at the next car, it was clearly looking like a passenger car but more like a dummy steam..err waitaminute, it had some full size air or steam pressure gauges inside with some minor piping connected to it, cleary non-function, only for display looks, car is not powered at all. Loks like its trying to look like something powered.
The next car clearly had coffee can mini-boilers, again looking like some weird steam dummy passenger car.
Someone building these things had railroad knowledge but the real purpose was display representation, hacking parts together to make something representational.
None would ride on rails.

My mind runs to either some circus thing or a parade float display, which is something this area does, the railroad is very nearby the restaurant and the amtrak station below houses a popular pizza restaurant. There used to be streetcars running downtown St Joe, so it has a clear railroad heritage.

It makes me wonder how much further the owner will railroad theme the restaurant, it may still be a work in progress, but its open.

On other suchs, I know of a railroad themed restaurant in Michigan city not too far from the South Shore stop, (Whistle Stop if I recall) and there is/was a restaurant in Chesterton IN using real South Shore orange cars as dining areas, it closed, it turned into some antique shop or something, it closed, and is closed still today as far as I know, but the cars are still right there.

So really for the rest of this thread put your RR themed Restaurant in here open or whatever, past present future? and so it goes...

Here is my list of railroad themed lodging and restaurants, which is part of the railroaddata.com website.

http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Res ... d_Lodging/

I'm certain it's incomplete, but it's a good starting point.

Could simply be "folk art". That was far more common 50 years ago, and pieces were cobbled together from whatever was handy, tin cans being favorites, as were other household items. The fake gauges and the like were probably something found used and deemed appropriate.

The quality of these works varied from magnificent to, well, "Did your 5 year old son make this in kindergarten?"

Updates:

Western Pacific Brewing is now at http://www.wpb.pub/

NEW (or at least not listed:

Montgomery, AL: http://railyardbrewingcompany.com/

Torrance, CA: http://redcarbrewery.com/

Aurora, IL: http://www.twobrothersbrewing.com/roundhouse/ (formerly Walter Payton's America's Brewpub, in former CB&Q roundhouse--see http://www.chibarproject.com/Reviews/Ro ... dhouse.htm )

Mandeville, LA: https://www.facebook.com/OldRailBrewingCompany

Kirkwood, MO: http://kirkwoodstationbrewing.com/

Aberdeen, NC: http://www.railhousebrewery.com/

Roseburg, OR: http://www.mcmenamins.com/286-roseburg- ... ewery-home

Altoona, PA: http://www.railroadcitybrewing.com/ (pending)

Greensburg, PA: http://www.supperclubgreensburg.com/ (formerly Red Star Brewing)

Souderton, PA: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Freight- ... 3100644753 (pending/proposed, open late 2015?)

Providence, RI: https://www.johnharvards.com/locations/providence-ri/

Corpus Christi, TX: https://www.facebook.com/RailroadBrewingCo

Richmond, VA:
http://www.triplecrossingbeer.com/ (production microbrewery with taproom, named for famous RR crossovers nearby)
Southern Railway Taphouse: https://www.facebook.com/srtaphouse or http://srtaphouse.com/ (in former SR freight house(?))

Roanoke, VA: Does the Hotel Roanoke (ex-N&W) count?
http://www.roanokerailhouse.com/ (production microbrewery with taproom and RR-themed beers)

Vienna, VA: http://www.caboosebrewing.com/#home

Marinette, WI: http://www.railhousebrewpub.com/

SWEDEN: http://trainstationbrewery.com/en/

GERMANY: Bayerischer Bahnhof, Leipzig: http://www.beervisits.eu/germany-pv/sac ... er-bahnhof

Will that keep you busy for a few days, Bob?

Don't forget Moccia's Train Stop, Schwenksville, PA. http://www.mocciastrainstop.com/

YES INDEAD. Silver beach pizza in the st. Joe PM depot is great. Unique flavor. 8 thumbs up (the whole family) then watch a movie in the park across the tracks and take Amtrak home. I think there is a restaraunt in Rockford, MI that is RR themed too.

Marne, MI has a little breakfast joint in the old GRGH&M interurban depot.

Chattanooga also has the Big River Brewery in the old Chattanooga Railway and Light car house.