norfolkwesternhenry
Lead Service Attendant
I am traveling on a long distance train with a dining car, (EB) and I want to have a full lunch, what are the average prices?
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/761/519/Empire-Builder-Dining-Car-Menu-0416.pdfI am traveling on a long distance train with a dining car, (EB) and I want to have a full lunch, what are the average prices?
You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
The dining car burger is much better quality than the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car burger is amazing, but it's not microwaved at least.You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/198/849/National-Cafe-Menu-0515.pdf
I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
The cafe burger is a precooked frozen hockey puck, but so is the dining car burger. So I guess you could say they're charging double for lettuce, tomato, and convection reheating of a precooked microwave burger?The dining car burger is much better quality than the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car burger is amazing, but it's not microwaved at least. Also it's served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Plus you can get a cup of ice water free in the dining car. So the price for a sit down meal is pretty reasonable.You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/198/849/National-Cafe-Menu-0515.pdf
On any given day across Amtrak's network I see coach passengers try to put a decent dining car meal together and end up leaving, either because they couldn't find something they wanted for a price they were willing to pay, or because they didn't meet the minimum outlay per passenger for the dining staff to accommodate them.I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
Please tip... it's courteous and I'm not sure why it's so taboo.For lunch, expect to spend about $12 plus optional tip. More if you order a beverage or dessert.
Whats that supposed to mean? Minimum Outlay? What a nasty comment.The cafe burger is a precooked frozen hockey puck, but so is the dining car burger. So I guess you could say they're charging double for lettuce, tomato, and convection reheating of a precooked microwave burger?The dining car burger is much better quality than the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car burger is amazing, but it's not microwaved at least. Also it's served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Plus you can get a cup of ice water free in the dining car. So the price for a sit down meal is pretty reasonable.You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/198/849/National-Cafe-Menu-0515.pdf
On any given day across Amtrak's network I see coach passengers try to put a decent dining car meal together and end up leaving, either because they couldn't find something they wanted for a price they were willing to pay, or because they didn't meet the minimum outlay per passenger for the dining staff to accommodate them.I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
Nasty comment? It's not my position to defend; it's simply the truth. Are you somehow unaware that the Amtrak dining staff will refuse to serve coach passengers who don't order enough to meet their minimums?Whats that supposed to mean? Minimum Outlay? What a nasty comment.The cafe burger is a precooked frozen hockey puck, but so is the dining car burger. So I guess you could say they're charging double for lettuce, tomato, and convection reheating of a precooked microwave burger?The dining car burger is much better quality than the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car burger is amazing, but it's not microwaved at least. Also it's served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Plus you can get a cup of ice water free in the dining car. So the price for a sit down meal is pretty reasonable.You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/198/849/National-Cafe-Menu-0515.pdf
On any given day across Amtrak's network I see coach passengers try to put a decent dining car meal together and end up leaving, either because they couldn't find something they wanted for a price they were willing to pay, or because they didn't meet the minimum outlay per passenger for the dining staff to accommodate them.I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
That's the first I've heard of it.Nasty comment? It's not my position to defend; it's simply the truth. Are you somehow unaware that the Amtrak dining staff will refuse to serve coach passengers who don't order enough to meet their minimums?Whats that supposed to mean? Minimum Outlay? What a nasty comment.The cafe burger is a precooked frozen hockey puck, but so is the dining car burger. So I guess you could say they're charging double for lettuce, tomato, and convection reheating of a precooked microwave burger?The dining car burger is much better quality than the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car burger is amazing, but it's not microwaved at least. Also it's served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Plus you can get a cup of ice water free in the dining car. So the price for a sit down meal is pretty reasonable.You can get an "Angus cheeseburger" from the cafe menu (but sadly no bacon) for $7.25 (chips are $2.25 extra). That would save you $3 from the diner car burger w/o bacon ($12.50).Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/198/849/National-Cafe-Menu-0515.pdf
On any given day across Amtrak's network I see coach passengers try to put a decent dining car meal together and end up leaving, either because they couldn't find something they wanted for a price they were willing to pay, or because they didn't meet the minimum outlay per passenger for the dining staff to accommodate them.I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
I think what the poster means is those who come in to the Diner thinking they can order Lounge Food; I have seen that happen many times, and in each case, the Diner staff politely directed them to the Lounge.That's the first I've heard of it.Nasty comment? It's not my position to defend; it's simply the truth. Are you somehow unaware that the Amtrak dining staff will refuse to serve coach passengers who don't order enough to meet their minimums?
I'm honestly surprised this is news, but I've seen the dining car staff turn coach passengers away in the following circumstances...I think what the poster means is those who come in to the Diner thinking they can order Lounge Food; I have seen that happen many times, and in each case, the Diner staff politely directed them to the Lounge.That's the first I've heard of it.Nasty comment? It's not my position to defend; it's simply the truth. Are you somehow unaware that the Amtrak dining staff will refuse to serve coach passengers who don't order enough to meet their minimums?Whats that supposed to mean? Minimum Outlay? What a nasty comment.On any given day across Amtrak's network I see coach passengers try to put a decent dining car meal together and end up leaving, either because they couldn't find something they wanted for a price they were willing to pay, or because they didn't meet the minimum outlay per passenger for the dining staff to accommodate them.I suspect on any given day across Amtrak's network, you could count on one hand the number of coach passengers who would spend this much on a dining car lunch. It's very easy to keep your total cash outlay under $15 if you want.Salad ($3), Angus burger w/cheese/bacon/chips ($15), pepsi ($2.25), desert ($6.25) - $30 including tip.
I've never witnessed anyone actually being turned away but I have heard this communicated in advance via PA announcements, though perhaps not with such specificity. [usually something like "the dining car is for full meals only."] While tacky, those announcements may help avoid awkward situations later on.I'm honestly surprised this is news, but I've seen the dining car staff turn coach passengers away in the following circumstances...
Adult ordering sides and drink
Adult ordering kids meal
Child order kids meal but parent not order adult entree
Two adults order entrees but one order drink only
Anything less than every passenger seated order entree
Is this really unknown on the forum?
Most passengers (from my observation) tip and most people on here seem to tip. I generally do so except in cases of extraordinarily bad service.Please tip... it's courteous and I'm not sure why it's so taboo.For lunch, expect to spend about $12 plus optional tip. More if you order a beverage or dessert.
Plus, non-Americans do not tip in their countries, so tipping is foreign to them.Most passengers (from my observation) tip and most people on here seem to tip. I generally do so except in cases of extraordinarily bad service.Please tip... it's courteous and I'm not sure why it's so taboo.For lunch, expect to spend about $12 plus optional tip. More if you order a beverage or dessert.
To describe it as "optional", however, is factually correct. Tipping of waitstaff is a tradition borne in large part due to the fact that in some locations, waitstaff earn less than the minimum wage with the expectation that tips will cover the difference. That's not the case on Amtrak, where servers do not get paid less than the minimum wage. That's why it seems like a more optional part of the experience and for someone who is price sensitive, it may make the difference between eating in the diner and not eating in the diner.
I do agree that it is optional, and I certainly don't take offense if I don't receive a tip, because of the exact reason you mentioned. It drives me nuts how greedy some of my classmates are when it comes to tips. With what we make in wages, there should be no reason to "need" the tips that badly, and we should be appreciative of what we receive! However, for those others that argue that we don't deserve tips at ALL (those good LSAs/SAs/SCAs, I may add) solely because of the wages we receive, remember the length of some of our shifts, and the time we spend away from home.Most passengers (from my observation) tip and most people on here seem to tip. I generally do so except in cases of extraordinarily bad service.Please tip... it's courteous and I'm not sure why it's so taboo.For lunch, expect to spend about $12 plus optional tip. More if you order a beverage or dessert.
To describe it as "optional", however, is factually correct. Tipping of waitstaff is a tradition borne in large part due to the fact that in some locations, waitstaff earn less than the minimum wage with the expectation that tips will cover the difference. That's not the case on Amtrak, where servers do not get paid less than the minimum wage. That's why it seems like a more optional part of the experience and for someone who is price sensitive, it may make the difference between eating in the diner and not eating in the diner.
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