Cafe Car Food

[Qapla]

I think they probably ought to switch to mostly pre-ordered food

Not sure exactly how that would work. If I book a trip 6 months before I take that trip - how do I know what I will want to eat?

Also, what if you had to change your after booking your trip?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They have a contract with a food vendor that is perfectly capable of supplying just about any type and quality of food that one wishes to require (and pay for).....

I'm not sure how much money has to do with it. The Aramark food at the "Founder's Level" of the AT&T Center is trash and the draft beer tastes watered down, which is literally the only time I've ever thought my beer wasn't legit, and despite charging a half-million dollar annual fee per box. The a la carte menu for the Terrace Suites is just as bad despite charging double or triple the normal market rate. If someone can name a location with top-quality food prepared by Aramark I'll give it a try, but I'm starting to doubt they're still capable to providing high quality food regardless of the price.

Not sure exactly how that would work. If I book a trip 6 months before I take that trip - how do I know what I will want to eat? Also, what if you had to change your after booking your trip?

On airlines with advance premium meal selection you can typically choose (and change) anytime between booking and 24-48 hours before departure. Premium menus are generally released between one and three months before departure. Special coach meals may require up to 72 hours notice. I'm guessing Amtrak would be similar, but they've proven me wrong before.

 

[pennyk]

Not sure exactly how that would work. If I book a trip 6 months before I take that trip - how do I know what I will want to eat?

Also, what if you had to change your after booking your trip?

I have a feeling ordering in advance will be rolled out in the future. I also think that passengers will be required to order at least 72 hours in advance (similar to the requirement for ordering special meals such as Kosher meals).

 

[Qapla]

I also think that passengers will be required to order at least 72 hours in advance

One more thing to try and remember to do while your trying to finalize all the things that must be done before you travel ... and if you forget to order your meal - what then?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

One more thing to try and remember to do while your trying to finalize all the things that must be done before you travel ... and if you forget to order your meal - what then?

Exactly. It would be a lot easier for restaurants if the customers had to order 72 hours before dining wouldn’t it?

 

[PVD]

I worked at a number of different buildings where Aramark did the food. In the hospitals the food was nothing to write home about. But when a special event took place and they catered, they really stepped up their game. Later I worked in a building complex where they handled the corporate catering. The regular employees had pretty good food service (well above the hospitals) but the executive cafe was very good. They can do quality when the customer demands (and pays for it) Sadly, they are often complicit in the acceptance of mediocrity.

 

[lordsigma]

Thanks, milet303, for that link. While there are differences, the menu on this train is very similar to what is shown as the National cafe car menu. Of course that makes sense since this is considered an LD train. The northeast corridor menu has far more varied and appealing selections. I can only assume that is because Amtrak thought those riding on an LD train had a good meal selection in the diner if they wanted something more substantial than what’s offered on the National menu. With flex dining trains, that’s no longer the case.

Perhaps Amtrak will standardize (except where the states are involved on some corridor routes) on one menu that’s more similar to the northeast one and make it included for all sleeper passengers. In any event, I’m glad there is some improvement with the present offering on 89/90.

The most recent five year plan indicated that the plan is to eventually replace the national cafe menu with the “corridor cafe” menu.

 

[lordsigma]

We take the Auto Train 53 and 52. Keep in mind both trains depart at 4:00 PM. If you get food from the food truck it will be hot. Unless you eat before you board, you end up eating cold food with no way to reheat. Not a happy camper.

I think the food trucks are meant to give you a hot more substantial choice before boarding not to take it aboard and eat later. I think the idea is you eat a bigger meal before boarding and then have a snack or small meal later from the lounge car.

 

[neroden]

Not sure exactly how that would work. If I book a trip 6 months before I take that trip - how do I know what I will want to eat?

I've done it for festivals. :shrug:

Also, what if you had to change your after booking your trip?

I suppose you make it changeable prior to some logical cut-off date (two weeks before or three days before or something).

 

[neroden]

The most recent five year plan indicated that the plan is to eventually replace the national cafe menu with the “corridor cafe” menu.

Sure, I'll believe it when I see it. Every Amtrak plan seems to be reversed before implementation. How about those Performance Improvement Plans? They had a lot of very good ideas, didn't they?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I worked at a number of different buildings where Aramark did the food. In the hospitals the food was nothing to write home about. But when a special event took place and they catered, they really stepped up their game. Later I worked in a building complex where they handled the corporate catering. The regular employees had pretty good food service (well above the hospitals) but the executive cafe was very good. They can do quality when the customer demands (and pays for it) Sadly, they are often complicit in the acceptance of mediocrity.

I agree they could make good food once upon a time, but that was only if you bothered to spell out exactly what you wanted in lamp genie terms with no gray area wiggle room. For me it's been over a decade since I've seen a quality meal catered by Aramark. They still serve fancy meals at expensive venues, but other than being intricately designed and tediously prepared the overall quality and taste is surprisingly poor. It looks very nice and has a fancy foreign sounding name, but tastes like it was made two days ago with whatever they happened to have in the back of the fridge.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

if you forget to order your meal - what then?

If you're on a train with flex dining, you may be better off forgetting! Just remember to pick up something good from wherever you're leaving from for the start of the trip and check out the places to eat for when you arrive at your destination!

 

[como]

Honestly, if we had the NEC cafe menu on the Lake Shore Limited, we'd be a lot happier.

The NEC cafe menu looks good and has some options that are almost healthy. The River Runners feature "regional specialties" like White Castle Cheeseburgers which are great when you are 21 and have been drinking all night, but are not as great for a cafe care.