Amtrak Dining and Cafe Service discussion 2024 H1

[trimetbusfan]

Thanks. I was looking for pictures for palatability.

Photos of all the flex dining meals can be seen on this site. https://amtrakfoodfacts.com/menu-items-common-2/

 

[MARC Rider]

Thanks. I was looking for pictures for palatability.

Pictures won't help. They look like it's tasty food, but a lot of that depends how it's reheated. Hint: They're supposed to be reheated in a convection oven, but sometimes a microwave is used, with disappointing results.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Pictures won't help. They look like it's tasty food, but a lot of that depends how it's reheated. Hint: They're supposed to be reheated in a convection oven, but sometimes a microwave is used, with disappointing results.

The hubby and I watch "trainTuber" videos on YouTube which include the meals eaten on the trip, and those are useful for reports on how the food was prepared & how it tastes. Using that anecdotal information together with the close-up images from the linked site above provide a better idea of what's being served. (Especially for older viewers like the hubby & me, who need some magnification of the food as pictured in the videos.)

 

[VentureForth]

Can we pin a comment or thread that shows the current status of dining on all LD trains?

 

[Sidney]

Traditional dining is on all the Western trains except The Texas Eagle. It’s also on The Silvers. Flex food(can’t call it dining) is served on The Cardinal, The Crescent, Texas Eagle,Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited. The City of New Orleans has sleeper passengers choose from the cafe car menu, a step up from flex. Haven’t heard anything about when traditional will return to any train. What’s the holdup?

 

[cassie225]

All the flex meals look like a bunch of slop. A picture of what I feed my Yorkie would be more appetizing. Sorry- I had a throwback moment of what the traditional meals used to look like on the Crescent. I digress lol

Photos of all the flex dining meals can be seen on this site. https://amtrakfoodfacts.com/menu-items-common-2/

The sad thing is I priced a ticket from NOL to Newark recently and it was almost 2000 dollars ( bedroom one way and roomette return) why can’t there be better food.

 

[jis]

Can we pin a comment or thread that shows the current status of dining on all LD trains?

Here is my quick attempt to produce such a document... Please respond with any inaccuracies that need correcting. Once it is fixed we will post it in the Amtrak Information forum. Thanks.

Food Service on Amtrak Long Distance Trains (April 2024)
Train	Dining Hard Product	Sleeper Passengers Served	Coach Passengers Served	Dining Soft Product	Café Hard Product	Café Soft Product
1/2 Sunset Limited NOL - LAX	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
3/4 Southwest Chief CHI - LAX	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
5/6 California Zephyr CHI - EMY	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
7/8 Empire Builder CHI - SPK	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
7/8 Empire Builder SPK - SEA	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	Superliner Diner	LD Cafe
27/28 Empire Builder SPK - PDX	SSL Lower Level	Complimentary	N/A	EB Special	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
11/14 Coast Starlight	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	Superliner Diner	LD Cafe
21/421/22/422 Texas Eagle CHI - SAS	Superliner Diner Lounge	Complimentary	No	Flex	Superliner Diner Lounge	LD Cafe
421/422 Texas Eagle SAS - L:AX	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
58/59 City of New Orleans CHI - NOL	SSL Lower Level	Complimentary	No	Flex	SSL Lower Level	LD Cafe
19/20 Crescent NYP - NOL	Amfleet II Lounge	Complimentary	No	Flex	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe
29/30 Capitol Limited CHI - WAS	Superliner Diner Lounge	Complimentary	No	Flex	Superliner Diner Lounge	LD Cafe
48/49 Lake Shore Limited CHI - ALB	Viewliner II Diner	Complimentary	No	Flex	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe
48/49 Lake Shore Limited ALB - NYP	Viewliner II Diner	Complimentary	No	Flex
448/449 Lake Shore Limited ALB - BOS	Amfleet II Lounge	Complimentary	No	LSL Special	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe
50/51 Cardinal CHI - NYP	Amfleet II Lounge	Complimentary	No	Flex	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe
52/53 Auto Train LOR - SFA	Superliner Diner	Complimentary	No	AT Traditional	Superliner AT Lounge	AT Cafe
89/90 Palmetto NYP - SAV day train					Amfleet I Table Car	LD Cafe
91/92 Silver Star NYP - MIA via RGH, TPA	Viewliner II Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe
97/98 Silver Meteor NYP - MIA via FLO	Viewliner II Diner	Complimentary	Purchase	Traditional	Amfleet II Lounge	LD Cafe

This table has now been placed in the Amtrak Information Forum at:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/amtrak-food-service-on-long-distance-trains.87220/

Updates will be made in the Amtrak Information Forum and the date of the update will be present in the title of the table.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I believe the word on the chart above should be “Complimentary” (given free of charge) instead of “Complementary” (two or more things combining to enhance each other).

These words are often confused.

 

[jis]

I believe the word on the chart above should be “Complimentary” (given free of charge) instead of “Complementary” (two or more things combining to enhance each other).

These words are often confused.

Corrected. Thanks.

 

[DCAKen]

The Capitol Limited does not have an Amfleet II lounge.

 

[jis]

The Capitol Limited does not have an Amfleet II lounge.

Right you are. Corrected. Thanks.

 

[west point]

About Flex dining: Pure speculation. Flex meals seem to be originating at NOL, CHI, NYP / WASH. Coud it be________
1. Using up stocks of non perishable items?
2. Contract to provide those meals might have an early termination fee paid by Amtrak?
What might be added to your table is when flex meals are to end on each train?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

About Flex dining: Pure speculation. Flex meals seem to be originating at NOL, CHI, NYP / WASH. Coud it be________
1. Using up stocks of non perishable items?
2. Contract to provide those meals might have an early termination fee paid by Amtrak?
What might be added to your table is when flex meals are to end on each train?

I believe it's mostly a staffing issue. There are trains originiating from NOL, CHI, and NYP that have full service dining.

 

[jis]

What might be added to your table is when flex meals are to end on each train?

It is not possible to provide information that is unknown to us until it happens. When it happens the table will be appropriately changed.

 

[lordsigma]

CONO flex is essentially complimentary cafe car meals for sleeper passengers.

 

[Sidney]

CONO flex is essentially complimentary cafe car meals for sleeper passengers.

A step up from flex.At least you have a choice of sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs. Going from San Antonio to New York is three days of flex. Inhuman

 

[user 33982]

Thank you for the PDF menu, the All Beef Hot Dog is still my favorite.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

A step up from flex.At least you have a choice of sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs. Going from San Antonio to New York is three days of flex. Inhuman

It's a huge step up - you also have some salad options. Even the cheese and cracker tray is a huge step up from anything I've had in Flex!

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

It's a huge step up - you also have some salad options. Even the cheese and cracker tray is a huge step up from anything I've had in Flex!

Although I survived cafe car food on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner last fall, and one does have to choose carefully to get decent meals. For example, the White Castle sliders (similar to the frozen ones from the supermarket we've microwaved at home) were far more palatable than the Angus Cheeseburger (comparable in taste and texture to a Dollar Tree frozen burger when microwaved). And there was no soup available at all at that time.

 

[Eric in East County]

Although I survived cafe car food on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner last fall, and one does have to choose carefully to get decent meals. For example, the White Castle sliders (similar to the frozen ones from the supermarket we've microwaved at home) were far more palatable than the Angus Cheeseburger (comparable in taste and texture to a Dollar Tree frozen burger when microwaved).

Back when I was in college beginning in the mid-1960s, there was a White Castle hamburger restaurant right across the street from my campus. Back then, the sliders were 15 or 20 cents each, and you could get a whole sack full for $1.50. Although it never became a national institution like McDonalds, White Castle is believed to have been the first “fast food” hamburger chain in the country. In 2014, Time Magazine declared the iconic Original Slider the most influential burger of all time.

 

[John Bredin]

Although I survived cafe car food on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner last fall, and one does have to choose carefully to get decent meals. For example, the White Castle sliders (similar to the frozen ones from the supermarket we've microwaved at home) were far more palatable than the Angus Cheeseburger (comparable in taste and texture to a Dollar Tree frozen burger when microwaved). And there was no soup available at all at that time.

I like the Angus cheeseburger, it's my go-to meal on the Lincoln Service. De gustibus non disputandum and all that.

 

[PaTrainFan]

I like the Angus cheeseburger, it's my go-to meal on the Lincoln Service. De gustibus non disputandum and all that.

The burger from the cafe car is probably different than in the full diner and unfortunately is nuked, but I actually agree with you. When I order it, I usually get a chuckle out of the attendant when I refer to it as the Amburger.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I'm having "close-enough Amstew" (Dinty Moore beef stew from the dollar store) for supper tonight -- only partly in honor of this thread!

 

[Rasputin]

I'm having "close-enough Amstew" (Dinty Moore beef stew from the dollar store) for supper tonight -- only partly in honor of this thread!

I have some Dinty Moore beef stew 3 or 4 times a year, usually when my wife is away. It is quick and easy. So when I have it on Amtrak, it is like Old Home Week.

 

[Rasputin]

I have some Dinty Moore beef stew 3 or 4 times a year, usually when my wife is away. It is quick and easy. So when I have it on Amtrak, it is like Old Home Week.

And don't forget, in order to re-create the genuine nostalgic Amtrak Amstew, your Dinty Moore beef stew at home must be served over a bed of rice.