Capitol Limited meals

[TVRM610]

From discussions here, it sound like the CL eastbound is not good if you want to eat in the diner. With an after 6 departure from Chicago, you lose an hour pretty quick changing time zones so it is almost like you are leaving after 7 so there is not much time in the diner.

Yup... I honestly don't know why they even bother. A boxed dinner and Continental Breakfast could be served to sleeping car passengers and I would personally be happier. I have had consistently slow service on that train and they have 2 food preps. and 2 servers on the train. That's a staff of 5 for a dining car.. no excuse for lazy, slow, inconsistent service on that train. The City of New Orleans CCC car puts them to shame throwing out a quick breakfast before Chicago with only 3 staff.

.

 

[the_traveler]

Even though, as you said, you lose an hour shortly after departure eastbound, they serve late. You still hear them calling reservations in eastern IN - when you're trying to fall asleep!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I don't mind the late Diner call out of Chicago as chances are I'll be shoving something into me from the Food Court or nearby restaurant I normally cannot find at home during the layover and need a bit of time to digest. Going to sleep foundered is no fun.

 

[benjibear]

When I was on the CL a few weeks ago, the service was actually really slow. I was in the diner car about an hour and a half for dinner. I had a late dinner reservation on top of it. Next time I may just eat before leaving Chicago.

 

[ATXEagle]

I've ridden the Capitol Limited 5 times (3 times west and 2 times east) and had poor to terrible dining car service each time. Dinner was incredibly slow and breakfast was gruff and indifferent. Once going I east we were scheduled late into Washington (after 3 PM) because of scheduled track work. The delay was publicized days in advance. The dining car staff acted like they were taken by surprise and had almost nothing to serve for lunch. I think it's funny that this train is touted as having "enhanced dining service" in the timetable.

 

[yarrow]

very interesting thread. last year on the eastbound cl, yarrow and i were told we could have one meal and could order off either the bkfst of lunch menu. my wife and i are going on the cl again in september so we will go armed with the facts and see what happens

 

[SteveSFL]

I am on 30 and wanted to update this thread regarding meals. The first comment is regarding dinner. As another thread discussed, Amtrak's menus have been updated and some items from the lunch section of the menu are clearly marked "also available as a dinner option."

When I went for dinner, I requests the Caesar Salad with chicken. The waiter said "no that is only for lunch". I pointed out the notation regarding it being available for dinner and he pointed to the dinner flap of the menu and said "no, we're only serving from this section."

So I ordered the pasta. The guy next to me then orders a burger. I said "isn't the burger also from the lunch menu?" And the waiter just said "do you want a burger instead of the pasta?" I said "no, I want the Caesar salad" and he said its not available. Whatever.

Now for lunch. I asked my SCA if both breakfast and lunch would be available and he said that I could indeed get breakfast early and then get an early lunch.

So I had breakfast at 6:30. At breakfast, I asked the waiter if lunch would be available and he said no, because we were on time.

When they made the last call for breakfast at 11:30AM when we were leaving Martinsburg, I went up to the diner to see what would happen.

The LSA said "are you here for breakfast?" And I said that I had already had breakfast but was interested in lunch.

The LSA said ok we have burgers. She nodded to the waiter, who was stretched out in a booth talking on his cell phone. He hung up his phone and went to the LSA and said "I though we weren't doing lunch" and she told him "he can have a burger."

The waiter looked very disappointed but got an order ticket and told me where to sit. As I sat down he told me "we're not supposed to serve you lunch because we're not two hours late."

With that, I had had enough of his crap so I said "if you don't want to serve me lunch that's fine, I'll just call Amtrak" and I got up and walked out.

I now know why so many people complain about the meals on the Cap Limited.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I am on 30 and wanted to update this thread regarding meals. The first comment is regarding dinner. As another thread discussed, Amtrak's menus have been updated and some items from the lunch section of the menu are clearly marked "also available as a dinner option."

When I went for dinner, I requests the Caesar Salad with chicken. The waiter said "no that is only for lunch". I pointed out the notation regarding it being available for dinner and he pointed to the dinner flap of the menu and said "no, we're only serving from this section."

So I ordered the pasta. The guy next to me then orders a burger. I said "isn't the burger also from the lunch menu?" And the waiter just said "do you want a burger instead of the pasta?" I said "no, I want the Caesar salad" and he said its not available. Whatever.

Now for lunch. I asked my SCA if both breakfast and lunch would be available and he said that I could indeed get breakfast early and then get an early lunch.

So I had breakfast at 6:30. At breakfast, I asked the waiter if lunch would be available and he said no, because we were on time.

When they made the last call for breakfast at 11:30AM when we were leaving Martinsburg, I went up to the diner to see what would happen.

The LSA said "are you here for breakfast?" And I said that I had already had breakfast but was interested in lunch.

The LSA said ok we have burgers. She nodded to the waiter, who was stretched out in a booth talking on his cell phone. He hung up his phone and went to the LSA and said "I though we weren't doing lunch" and she told him "he can have a burger."

The waiter looked very disappointed but got an order ticket and told me where to sit. As I sat down he told me "we're not supposed to serve you lunch because we're not two hours late."

With that, I had had enough of his crap so I said "if you don't want to serve me lunch that's fine, I'll just call Amtrak" and I got up and walked out.

I now know why so many people complain about the meals on the Cap Limited.

Customer unservice like that definitely warrants a call to Amtrak as it is obvious you had a Diner Staff that needs to be retrained or better yet released.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I am on 30 and wanted to update this thread regarding meals. The first comment is regarding dinner. As another thread discussed, Amtrak's menus have been updated and some items from the lunch section of the menu are clearly marked "also available as a dinner option."

When I went for dinner, I requests the Caesar Salad with chicken. The waiter said "no that is only for lunch". I pointed out the notation regarding it being available for dinner and he pointed to the dinner flap of the menu and said "no, we're only serving from this section."

So I ordered the pasta. The guy next to me then orders a burger. I said "isn't the burger also from the lunch menu?" And the waiter just said "do you want a burger instead of the pasta?" I said "no, I want the Caesar salad" and he said its not available. Whatever.

Now for lunch. I asked my SCA if both breakfast and lunch would be available and he said that I could indeed get breakfast early and then get an early lunch.

So I had breakfast at 6:30. At breakfast, I asked the waiter if lunch would be available and he said no, because we were on time.

When they made the last call for breakfast at 11:30AM when we were leaving Martinsburg, I went up to the diner to see what would happen.

The LSA said "are you here for breakfast?" And I said that I had already had breakfast but was interested in lunch.

The LSA said ok we have burgers. She nodded to the waiter, who was stretched out in a booth talking on his cell phone. He hung up his phone and went to the LSA and said "I though we weren't doing lunch" and she told him "he can have a burger."

The waiter looked very disappointed but got an order ticket and told me where to sit. As I sat down he told me "we're not supposed to serve you lunch because we're not two hours late."

With that, I had had enough of his crap so I said "if you don't want to serve me lunch that's fine, I'll just call Amtrak" and I got up and walked out.

I now know why so many people complain about the meals on the Cap Limited.

Customer unservice like that definitely warrants a call to Amtrak as it is obvious you had a Diner Staff that needs to be retrained or better yet released.

Sounds like it's just the one guy in the diner. The LSA had no problem serving him lunch. I agree that the server(s) need to be reported on.

 

[SteveSFL]

Yes it was just the server. The LSA was really nice. Other passengers had also commented on the vast difference between the two.

On a lighter note, 30 arrived into WAS early!

 

[TVRM610]

This is the problem more than anything. It doesn't really matter what Amtrak does, if they allow employees to make up their own rules.

 

[FormerOBS]

I'm not sure whether it was just the one server, or a couple people, or the whole diner staff. When he said he couldn't serve the salad, it could have been because he had already been told (by the kitchen staff) that the kitchen would not fill any order for the salad. The LSA-D is in charge.

 

[VentureForth]

That shouldn't be an excuse, if the salad is available. Why would the kitchen staff not fill any order for the salad if it is clearly marked on the menu that it shall be available?

If they are out of salad, that's one thing. But no one said anything about them being out.

 

[SteveSFL]

Right and this train should have been serviced and stocked in Chicago, so they shouldn't have been out of anything at the first meal.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Since the Lead is the Supervisor of the Servers, he or she is just as guilty for substandard service as it is the job of the Lead to live up to the highest possible standards of Customer Service.

 

[seat38a]

Since the Lead is the Supervisor of the Servers, he or she is just as guilty for substandard service as it is the job of the Lead to live up to the highest possible standards of Customer Service.

On Amtrak, it seems the the "Lead" in LSA does not mean jack sh*%. Servers seem to do whatever they want. On the last train I took, you would think the server was the boss and the LSA the busboy.