Empire Builder - Dinner from Havre, MT restaurant?

[Andy]

I was reading the following report which investigates potential improvements for the Empire Builder service. One thing they made note of was that Amtrak has a vendor contract with the Boxcars restaurant in Havre, MT where "customers placing orders with the on-board staff for a box dinner received after departure from this station." Does anyone know what this means? Is this a offered alternate to eating in the dining car?

http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/676/676/PRIIA-section-210-FY-12-performance-improvement-plan-amtrak,0.pdf

Also - has Amtrak made any of the proposed improvements?

 

[Eric308]

I was reading the following report which investigates potential improvements for the Empire Builder service. One thing they made note of was that Amtrak has a vendor contract with the Boxcars restaurant in Havre, MT where "customers placing orders with the on-board staff for a box dinner received after departure from this station." Does anyone know what this means? Is this a offered alternate to eating in the dining car?
http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/676/676/PRIIA-section-210-FY-12-performance-improvement-plan-amtrak,0.pdf

Also - has Amtrak made any of the proposed improvements?

I sampled it once...it was just mediocre cold fried chicken, a roll, something I can't remember, and a huckleberry cobbler. IIRC, it was around $12 and NOT an alternate to eating in the dining car.

 

[fairviewroad]

This has been offered for a few years. Two years ago I wrote up an overly detailed firsthand account of the "Havre Chicken Dinner" experience:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/35726-havre-chicken-on-empire-builder/?p=266671

 

[roomette]

Mine was served ice cold. Never again. A hot dog from the Sightseer is more satisfying.

 

[fairviewroad]

As I wrote in my above link, the cafe attendant gladly heated it up for me in the microwave. I would order it again

in a heartbeat if I was traveling coach. Much better than cafe food, and much cheaper than diner food.

 

[Eric308]

As I wrote in my above link, the cafe attendant gladly heated it up for me in the microwave. I would order it againin a heartbeat if I was traveling coach. Much better than cafe food, and much cheaper than diner food.

Totally agree if you are travelling in coach...however, my cafe attendant wanted a buck to heat mine and I was ordering a beer as well!

 

[roomette]

Maybe it's better some days than others. We were in a sleeper for 6 days and thought it might be a nice change. Took 2 bites of everything, threw all the rest out and headed for the diner.

 

[sechs]

At last check, they were also doing the cold meals for the Portland section.