Amtrak Station food courts and restaurants close to stations

[amtrakpass]

The new Hub Hall food court opened at Boston North Station recently. Modern Food Hall, Downtown Boston | Bars, Restaurants, Coffee
It gives the station more variety in food options than the busier Boston South Station for now.
Anyway, in case there wasn't a central thread before I thought I would start one for available food options/suggestions inside Amtrak stations or nearby stations around the country

 

[mvermeulen]

Burrito lady in El Paso

 

[joelkfla]

Nada in Orlando, unless the hot dog cart is on the platform, which seems to be hit or miss. It's surrounded by hospitals & industrial buildings.

 

[Maglev]

13 Coins restaurant at the Embassy Suites hotel is right outside the door of Seattle's King Street Station.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Big question RE big hubs... what restaurants are open at Moynihan and Chicago Union Station? Google and other websites seem iffy on info.

 

[lordsigma]

Moynihan is limited so far but eventually supposed to have a food hall.

 

[Tlcooper93]

Moynihan is limited so far but eventually supposed to have a food hall.

Anyone know how long before MTH has this and some of the other amenities they’ve talked about?

The new Hub Hall food court opened at Boston North Station recently. Modern Food Hall, Downtown Boston | Bars, Restaurants, Coffee
It gives the station more variety in food options than the busier Boston South Station for now.
Anyway, in case there wasn't a central thread before I thought I would start one for available food options/suggestions inside Amtrak stations or nearby stations around the country

I personally wish North and South Station would swap. The area around NS has improved so much that clubs, bars, restaurants, high rise apts, appear faster than anywhere else in the city. This is obviously cause of the TD Garden too, but it really adds that a train station with recently improved railvision service has come to town! NS also has the north end just a quick walk away, as well as the easiest access to all three Boston subway lines.

south station is historic and beautiful, but it’s a little more isolated that NS.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

CUS was a bit of a disappointment when we were there. The food court appeared to be all fast food joints, no real sitdown type place as I was hoping. I suppose that the majority of the people using the station being commuters might explain the orientation to grab and go type places. Also there isn't much right around the station, you have to cross the river before you get to anything decent.

south station is historic and beautiful, but it’s a little more isolated that NS.

I agree but within South Station you do have several possibilities for food, vs. North Station which is more limited.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Portland's Union Station has little to offer in the way of food. I think the newsstand in the station has a few grab 'n go options, and Wilf's in the Station building is very nice but a little too much so for most. And you'd have to walk several blocks through iffy neighborhood to get to anything else. But I haven't been down there in awhile, it's on the edge of downtown and there's little reason to go by unless you're actually using the station.

 

[Asher]

Olvera Street with its many earing spots is right across the street from LAUS in Los Angele.

 

[MARC Rider]

. . . as well as the easiest access to all three Boston subway lines.

I always thought that Orange + Green + Blue + Red = four.

And only the Orange and Green serve North Station.

 

[MARC Rider]

CUS was a bit of a disappointment when we were there. The food court appeared to be all fast food joints, no real sitdown type place as I was hoping. I suppose that the majority of the people using the station being commuters might explain the orientation to grab and go type places. Also there isn't much right around the station, you have to cross the river before you get to anything decent.

Yeah, given that the Metro Deli and, now, Gold Coast Dogs have closed, the pickings inside the station are limited, indeed.

 

[Tlcooper93]

I always thought that Orange + Green + Blue + Red = four.

And only the Orange and Green serve North Station.

I never count the blue as a major subway line, as it only really serves east Boston, whereas all other lines serve at least two, and sometimes three major sections, but yes you are correct. I know how to count.
In terms of North Station, its such a quick hop with green line service to the red line, that I almost consider it serving the red line too. Basically, the moment you enter the green line station, there will be some train going in the park st. direction.

SS only has the red line, so its actually rather isolated. This is more or less the reason I believe Back Bay station retains its importance to this day. All orange line users board amtrak at Back Bay (and connect to NS).

 

[MARC Rider]

SS only has the red line, so its actually rather isolated.

But it's only a hop over the Downtown Crossing and the Orange Line. (Actually, it's a pretty short walk from South Station to Downtown Crossing), and another short hop to Park Street and the Green Line.

 

[Tlcooper93]

But it's only a hop over the Downtown Crossing and the Orange Line. (Actually, it's a pretty short walk from South Station to Downtown Crossing), and another short hop to Park Street and the Green Line.

Well aware of the walk and distances, as I go through Downtown crossing twice a day every week day, and use South Station frequently. You are discussing this with someone who is actually born in and from Boston.

South Station is not a short walk from Downtown, but rather one stop on the Red Line... or two stops to the green line for Park St.
Given that the red line comes every 7 minutes or more (though they're trying to improve that), you have to judge whether or not you can walk a distance in 7 minutes. Green Line stops tend to be a little closer together.

Overall, my point still stands. SS is more isolated than NS. And walkability (or lack thereof for SS) also plays a roll.

 

[MARC Rider]

South Station is not a short walk from Downtown, but rather one stop on the Red Line... or two stops to the green line for Park St.
Given that the red line comes every 7 minutes or more (though they're trying to improve that), you have to judge whether or not you can walk a distance in 7 minutes. Green Line stops tend to be a little closer together.

Google Maps shows it's a 8 minute walk from the front door of South Station (Atlantic and Summer St.) to Summer and Washington St., where the Downtown Crossing Station is located (or at least where the Orange Line trains are.) If the Red line is faster, it's not by much. Plus, the exercise from walking the 0.4 miles is always good.

 

[daybeers]

Regardless, the tunnel needs to be built.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Regardless, the tunnel needs to be built.

BOS North and South stations are a transfer hassle... gotta get a Charlie card to take the subway, having to switch trains enroute... there have been posts on the possibilities of Trains out of South Station being routed around to get on north coast track but would add 10 to 15 minutes travel time.

Hmmm... talking about need for infrastructure updating...

 

[Cal]

Big question RE big hubs... what restaurants are open at Moynihan and Chicago Union Station? Google and other websites seem iffy on info.

When I first arrived at Moynihan from a morning Empire Service train I had a coconut macaroon from Magnolia's Bakery there. It was delicious

 

[John Bredin]

CUS was a bit of a disappointment when we were there. The food court appeared to be all fast food joints, no real sitdown type place as I was hoping. I suppose that the majority of the people using the station being commuters might explain the orientation to grab and go type places. Also there isn't much right around the station, you have to cross the river before you get to anything decent.

I don't think there's been a sit-down restaurant in Union Station for years. But if you can wander a few blocks, there's the French Market in Ogilvie Station's northern concourse. Link. The main Ogilvie Station on Madison has the usual chain fast-food places, but go north a block between Washington and Randolph (or come down the mid-platform stairs from the Ogilvie platforms) and the concourse under the tracks has the French Market, which consists of more artisanal fast-food places. There's not the full selection there was pre-Covid but there's still some nice choices.

 

[Tlcooper93]

Regardless, the tunnel needs to be built.

actually, I’m against the building of the N-S connect for various reasons.

But perhaps we could make an entire separate thread for that in the interest of staying on topic.

the cheapest option is to upgrade grand junction railroad (but even that poses serious hurdles).

 

[20th Century Rider]

When I first arrived at Moynihan from a morning Empire Service train I had a coconut macaroon from Magnolia's Bakery there. It was delicious

Yum! Good to know... plan to grab one when I go through there in a few weeks

 

[BCL]

Around here? The major stations are Emeryville, Oakland-Jack London, and San Jose. There's not that much around San Jose, but it is across the SAP Center. OKJ has a lot of places up to four blocks away. It's turned into a trendy neighborhood with new apartment buildings. Emeryville used to have the Emerybay Public Market, but that kind of declined over the years and I haven't been back in a while. There's actually quite a bit around Hollis St, but that would be a long walk from the station.

 

[Steve4031]

There’s a black bear diner within walking distance of the emy station. There is a shopping mall within walking distance.

 

[PigeonPost]

Apparently Sacramento finally has a tenant for the refurbished restaurant space, Sourdough & Co. RailYard Coffee was also supposed to be opening in the station, but their social media looks pretty quiet. (I haven't been up there since the start of the pandemic to verify.) It looks like the Starbucks in the former Rail Express building next door is gone. Coffee and food right inside the station sounds great - I've had several multi-hour layovers at SAC connecting between a long-distance train and the San Joaquins, with only vending machines or a 10-minute walk to food in Old Sacramento or downtown.

Denver Union Station has a number of restaurants and bars since its own renovation; I think it was one of the (highly aspirational) models for the SAC redo.

Fremont Centerville on the Capitol Corridor (and ACE) has/had a quite pleasant café with sandwiches and salads; again, I'm not sure of the current status.