Baby chair, train photo zone and Pororo juice at On the Rail, a Paju

Here's an outdoor café in Paju that any mom of a boy will probably love. My son's favorite YouTube video isn't Pororo or Tayo — it's a clip of a clanging railway crossing with the barrier coming down and a train passing by. A place where he could see that in real life?! So my train-loving son and I came to On the Rail.

A quiet weekday-afternoon outdoor café in Paju

Now that the weather's turned cooler, this is the perfect time to visit this outdoor café in Paju. There's plenty of outdoor space, so it was quiet when I came on a weekday afternoon, but it seemed like it would fill up with families on outings over the weekend. And since it's a late-night café in Paju, open until late, it also looked like a nice spot for a date. Sitting outside quietly, it felt calm and relaxed — almost like the feeling of zoning out somewhere abroad.

It probably sparkles beautifully in the evening. They say you can roast marshmallows over a fire with colorful lights, like an aurora, for a bit of fire-gazing. Right now everything's green, but once the maple leaves turn red in fall, this place will probably look even more striking. Since it's an outdoor café in Paju, there are more seats than you'd expect, so even on a crowded weekend it probably won't feel too packed.

Since the trains pass right by, there's a rooftop-style area up top so you can watch them from above too.

The railway photo zone and checking the train schedule

The railway photo zone was a total hit with my train-loving little one. The photos come out amazingly pretty — you have to take a shot here! You can time it to watch the train pass right on schedule.

The time posted at the photo zone seems to have changed. There's a train schedule posted next to the register, so definitely check the updated times! We went on a weekday when trains were sparse, but it happened to line up with when we were there, so we got to see one pass. Weekends have a bit more relaxed timing.

Watching trains with a kid, if you've got a vehicle lover

You can watch passing trains sitting in the café's outdoor area, but my train-loving son watched from the café entrance instead. Seeing a train pass right in front of you is a pretty different experience. In On the Rail's outdoor zone, you can sit comfortably and watch the trains go by against a great backdrop.

There's also a cool car outside, which vehicle-loving boys will really love. It's not easy to keep kids at a café for long, but my son is still asking to go back to "the train café" — so On the Rail clearly left an impression on him.

Floor-to-ceiling windows inside and a bear photo zone

From the parking lot it looks like a container box, like a factory, but inside it's clean, with big floor-to-ceiling windows, good lighting, and a spacious, open interior. The sunlight pours in so brightly that photos turn out great.

And you can't skip the adorable bear photo zone.

On the Rail menu

Besides coffee, there's a wide range of non-coffee drinks too, and they even sell Pororo drinks for kids.

Since On the Rail is a late-night café, you can enjoy fire-gazing outside in the evening too. Daytime feels like a picnic, evening feels like camping! Roasting marshmallows over the fire is such a nice vibe.

Bread and desserts

It was a shame that a lot of the bread had already sold out since it was a weekday afternoon.

Besides bread, there's a good variety of desserts too — cakes, cookies, and more.

Ah, couldn't pass this up... Bboongbbang cookie for the wiiin.

There's a baby chair too, and a space to warm up any bread you've bought.

How the Vienna coffee and hallabong smoothie taste

With the friend I came with (plus a Pororo juice too), the coffee passed the test right away! The hallabong smoothie is freshly blended, so the fruit flavor really comes through. Oh, and you have to try the signature Vienna coffee! The soft, fluffy cream and the sweet-bitter coffee balance each other perfectly — genuinely delicious.

Great to enjoy day or night, good for a date and good to visit with kids — this outdoor café in Paju, On the Rail. I think my train-loving son and I will be back, so I recommend it.