Food to go from dining car

[zogburr]

Yes, yes, I know that I am overly curious.

Would like detail as to what actually happens when a sleeper car pax orders food to go from diner car. Can you order yourself or are you required to go thru the SCA? Does SCA have the menu or do you need to get it from diner car? Do SCAs collect orders from their car and do them all at once? When order is ready will LSA page you or will SCA get it for you? What dinner and silverware is the food served on? Styrofoam plates with plastic utensils? Is it all put in a bag or on a tray? We will be on Coast Starlight in early June.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm curious too. My boyfriend and I are those annoying people who hide in their roomette the entire time.

I believe Alan said it's best to ask the LSA, since the SCA might tell you you have to go through the SCA just so they get a tip, but I could be misquoting him. I've heard of people going to the dining car to pick up their order, and some people have had the SCA serve it to their room. I suppose it depends on the crew.

I await the experts' answers.

 

[TVRM610]

First of all... Please know that on the Coast Starlight you have 2 choices for eating meals. The traditional dining car, and the Pacific Parlor Car. The Parlor Car does not practice community seating for meals so if that is your reason for not wanting to eat in the diner you can take advantage of that.

The Coast Starlight is the only train that offers this (even the VIA Rail Canadian, which people claim is so much better than Amtrak, only offers community seating in the diner and I'm not sure if they even offer the food in your room.)

The food will be served on hard plastic disposable plates. (The same plates that are used on "standard diners" such as the Crescent, Zephyr, Chief etc,).

You should go through the Sleeper Attendant. They will put the order in, and deliver the food to your room. I've heard LSA's say they don't take to go orders (And indeed they don't want to deal with you, and they don't want you taking up space in the aisle while they take your order and get your food ready.).

 

[gordonlee]

If I am traveling alone, (usually on Miami-NYC), I'll take breakfast and lunch in the diner car, but when the diner attendant comes around for dinner reservation times, say that I'll be having dinner in my room. Then I tell my car attendant (usually around 6pm) that I decided to have dinner in the room. The car attendant brings the menu, I order the dinner, and the food arrives soon after.

I've never had a problem (or any attitude from the car attendant) doing this - but it be because I usually give them a $20 tip as soon as I board the train.

 

[zogburr]

Meal will be delivered in a paper bag, I assume. Plates and eating utensils are throwaways. How do coach pax order their to go meals?

Thanks for replies.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The guy across from us had his meals delivered to his room. It was brought on a tray.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You can also get your SCA to Deliver your Meals to the Lounge Car (works Best in a Superliner Lounge with Bigger tables) if you don't want to Sit with Strangers or need More Room! I watched a Lady Today on #21 eat Dinner in the Sightseer Lounge because the CCC was "Too Crowded!"

 

[TinCan782]

On the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle last December we were in the 422/421 sleepers at the back of the train. My wife couldn't make the walk to the diner so I enquired about getting something "to go" after I ate. Was told no. The rest of the trip, we had our SCA bring our meals which worked out good. Eating in our room was fine but, we missed the dining car experience.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

When I've seen people get meals delivered to their sleeper, food was always brought on a tray. I can't remember if they used styrofoam "clamshells" or regular plates with metal covers, but they definitely didn't use paper bags. They brought all the condiments, drinks, etc. that you'd normally get.

I didn't know you could get your meals delivered to the lounge car! You could have a table to yourself, with better windows. Hmmm, I might have to try that.

 

[gordonlee]

I've had my meals delivered in a white paper bag. It's a rather large bag, kind of like a Macy's shopping bag. But it's the same silverware and plates that you get at the dining car. Everything's the same.

 

[crescent2]

The times we had our meals in our room on the Crescent, they were always brought on a tray. I think we got the regular flatware, but I'm not certain about that. Keep in mind the table in the sleeper is very small. OK for one traveler, but with two, someone's holding their food on their lap. And no drink refills, etc. of course. We only started having meals in our room after hubby could no longer walk to the dining car.

I believe an extra tip is expected for this additional service.

 

[rickycourtney]

I've also had a meal to-go in the lounge car. The diner on the westbound CZ was packed with folks taking the train from the Bay Area to Reno. The cafe LSA actually closed up for a few minutes to take and deliver orders.

The meal was served on the same hard plastic plates used in the diner covered by a clear plastic cover that snapped on. The Cafe LSA delivered it in a white paper bag along with some Amtrak paper napkins and one of those pre-packaged baggies with plastic utensils, a napkin and small packets of salt and pepper.

We were encouraged to get iced tea which arrived in a plastic glass. The LSA even brought a pitcher to refill our glasses.

The process seemed really well thought out and every member of the on-board service staff pitched in to help. But I think it's because the diner on the CZ sees a lot of customers during the first lunch westbound (seemed like there was a lot of gamblers in coach with money to spend in the diner.)

 

[VentureForth]

I misinterpreted the title of this thread. I thought there was a suggestion for a moment that the dining car stop offering food!

 

[SarahZ]

I believe an extra tip is expected for this additional service.

Yes, definitely. I would tip the SCA the same amount I would tip the dining car server, maybe even more since they have to walk farther.

 

[crescent2]

Yes, that's what we did.

I know it's technically part of their job, but I consider meal delivery to the room to be an extra service.

(That's just what we did--not to revive the great tipping debate.)

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Can you order yourself or are you required to go thru the SCA?

I have never tried to order it myself, and sit here wondering how one would actually order a meal yourself? There isn't a staffed "to go" window or counter in the dining car. During meal services, the Amtrak people in the dining car seem to be pretty busy serving those seated at the tables. Plus, where would you stand, such that you weren't in the way, while you waited the 10 minutes or so, for your order to be filled?

There isn't any phone-in or phone-ahead ordering, on a LD train. :giggle:

 

[TVRM610]

As for ordering ahead... I remember a coach passenger on the City of New Orleans asking to make a to go order and the waiter said "We do not serve meals to go, if you want take out you can get it from the lounge" - the LSA came up and saw her leaving and asked the waiter why she was leaving, after he told him why the LSA said "well it's not very busy, I would have let her" - kind of like the policy is not to prepare meals to go, but he would have let her. I'm just saying what I heard though.

Also.. that was an incident with a coach passenger.. not sure about the actual policy for sleepers.

I have seen the SCA's fill out the checks, fix the drinks, and fix up the to-go orders for the rooms (making sure they have napkins, silverware etc.) so I'm pretty sure the protocol is that the Sleeper Attendant acts as the waiter and processes the order as if he or she was the server. So it's not like the SCA is simply bringing your food.. there is a system in place to make everything run smooth.

The primary reason that SCA's serve guests in the room is because many passengers would have difficulty making it to the dining car. If you are in good health and are requesting the meal because of a preference rather than a need, I would think that a very good tip would be standard. That's just my opinion... I've never requested a meal in my room, but I would consider it if the dining car crew was bad enough (like my recent trip on the Coast Starlight... but fortunately I had the Parlor Car to eat in instead).