I recently read online reviews about Railroad Bill's Dining Car and knew I needed to try the diner before word on the East Village's best-kept secret got out.

The small restaurant is the perfect place to have time-honored diner food that's fast, inexpensive, filling and delicious. Plus, your breakfast or lunch at Railroad Bill's Dining Car goes toward a good cause — as a Raccoon Forks business, the restaurant provides jobs to people with disabilities or those who have other barriers to employment.

The food

The food you'll find at Railroad Bill's Dining Car is simple, classic diner food mixed with a handful of innovative vegetarian options. Nothing on the menu is more than $10.

Like any traditional diner, Railroad Bill's Dining Car offers breakfast all day. My dining partner and I decided to have breakfast for our lunch.

As a true millennial, I opted for the Avocado Toast ($6.95), an open-faced sandwich with avocado, melted provolone cheese, fresh pico de gallo and a side of eggs. The ciabatta bread — baked at another of Raccoon Forks' businesses, Brick Street Bakery in Adel — was the right mix of crispy and soft to get that crunch without the struggle to eat it. I ordered the eggs over medium and opted to put them on top of the toast.

Everything tasted fresh and melded well together. It was just enough food to fill me up without sending me over the edge.

My dining partner chose The Burlington Sleeper hash brown platter ($6.95), a heaping portion of hash browns topped with ham, bacon, onion and melted American cheese. He opted to add tomatoes for 50 cents. The hash brown platters also come with two eggs, any style.

While the combination of ingredients didn't break new ground, my dining partner said he enjoyed the simplicity of his breakfast. He walked away feeling full and satisfied.

Railroad Bill's Dining Car also serves lunch items, like a French Dip ($7.95), Santa Fe Chicken Salad ($8.95), or a Patty Melt ($7.95), starting at 11 a.m.

We both agree Railroad Bill's Dining Car would be a good place to feed a hangover (FYI, there's no alcohol on the menu), or a great spot for a quick lunch in someone's busy schedule. We were in and out of there in about 30 minutes.

The space

Railroad Bill's Dining Car is in the western portion of 621 Des Moines St., a nearly 100-year-old building that was originally home to the American Railway Express Company. It still has its original wood floors, giving even more character to the already charming space.

The rest of the building is occupied by Raccoon Forks Trading Co., an antique store that has vintage furniture, knick-knacks and art. Because food is ordered at the counter, we were able to peruse the antique store while we waited for our food to be delivered to our table.

The restaurant itself is quite small. There are about 10 tables inside and another three tables on a small patio facing Des Moines Street. There were a handful of other diners there, but we didn't feel cramped.

About Raccoon Forks businesses

Raccoon Forks Microbusinesses are a division of Optimae LifeServices, an agency that provides health care and human services for Iowans with disabilities and mental illness. Employees of Raccoon Forks' seven businesses are people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. They receive one-on-one job coaching and support to build skills and be successful on the job.

Railroad Bill's Dining Car opened in February 2017. They recently unveiled a new food truck. A grand opening for both businesses is scheduled Oct. 13.

Railroad Bill's Dining Car

Location: 621 Des Moines St., Des Moines

Phone: 515-243-0247

Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Monday