Food?

[Squeakz2001]

Hubby and I are leaving Friday on the Cardinal and Silver Meteor. We have booked sleepers, so we know our meals are included. However, my question is about... how do the dining car people know that we get the meals free? Do we get some kind of ticket or something?

Cant wait to leave Friday at 3:02 am!!!

 

[Guest]

Hubby and I are leaving Friday on the Cardinal and Silver Meteor. We have booked sleepers, so we know our meals are included. However, my question is about... how do the dining car people know that we get the meals free? Do we get some kind of ticket or something?Cant wait to leave Friday at 3:02 am!!!

Generally the sleeper class passengers come into the dining car from one direction and the coach passengers for another. They will ask you your car and room number when they take your oder, since they need to know what kind of check to prepare. Don't forget to tip them - if they deserve it!

 

[MrFSS]

Hubby and I are leaving Friday on the Cardinal and Silver Meteor. We have booked sleepers, so we know our meals are included. However, my question is about... how do the dining car people know that we get the meals free? Do we get some kind of ticket or something?

Cant wait to leave Friday at 3:02 am!!!

Generally the sleeper class passengers come into the dining car from one direction and the coach passengers for another. They will ask you your car and room number when they take your oder, since they need to know what kind of check to prepare. Don't forget to tip them - if they deserve it!

Best to carry your sleeping car ticket stub with you just in case.

 

[wintersummer]

I'm also a first time train traveler, also in a sleeper. I also am curious about food. Are menus divided into sections, like entrees, desserts, etc.? If so, I assume each item is priced accordingly. How do sleeper passengers order? Specifically, can I have an entree and dessert? What is included in "meals included"? Do you always go to the dining car OR do you go to the cafe car also (just for a change)?

Also, are there dishes served on Amtrak trains that are considered better than other dishes?

 

[MrFSS]

I'm also a first time train traveler, also in a sleeper. I also am curious about food. Are menus divided into sections, like entrées, desserts, etc.? If so, I assume each item is priced accordingly. How do sleeper passengers order? Specifically, can I have an entrée and dessert? What is included in "meals included"? Do you always go to the dining car OR do you go to the café car also (just for a change)?
Also, are there dishes served on Amtrak trains that are considered better than other dishes?

See this PAGE for sample menus.

You will see that they list entrées and desserts. Sleeping car folks may have one entrée (with salad at the evening meal) and one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage at no charge, but only in the diner. If you partake of a meal in the lounge car, you pay just as coach passengers do.

 

[wintersummer]

MrFSS - Are these 3 menus the ones used on the Empire Builder? (ps - thanks for posting the link!)

 

[MrFSS]

MrFSS - Are these 3 menus the ones used on the Empire Builder? (ps - thanks for posting the link!)

I don't know the answer to that. The best food is on the EB. I just wanted to show you a sample of what the menu looked like. Also, there are several different menus (or at least there used to be) and they rotate them. With that said, whatever menu you get on the trip, it will be the same all the time you are on the train. So, you will see the same menu at lunch every day, etc. But, you can try different things that way!

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

MrFSS - Are these 3 menus the ones used on the Empire Builder? (ps - thanks for posting the link!)

AFAIK those are the SDS menus, and since the EB is not on SDS, it uses different ones, which are not available in the website, however.

 

[AlanB]

MrFSS - Are these 3 menus the ones used on the Empire Builder? (ps - thanks for posting the link!)

AFAIK those are the SDS menus, and since the EB is not on SDS, it uses different ones, which are not available in the website, however.

Correct, those menus are SDS trains only, and the Empire Builder is not an SDS train. Now that said some of the items found on those menus will also be found on the Empire Builder menu, things like the burgers and the RR French Toast. But many other things will be different.

 

[Guest]

Just an FYI- I was just on the Empire Builder roundtrip from Chicago to Seattle, first taking the Capitol Limited from D.C. The breakfast menus shown on the link in a previous post was almost exactly what the EB offered except for one item. That is where you could choose how you wanted your eggs prepared and then had sides to choose from such as grits, potatoes, biscuit, or croissant.

The lunch and dinner menus were not that drastically different from the Capitol's either. I know the EB is made out to be Amtrak's premium line but the food is only slightly better. If the Flat Iron steak is on the menu, order it. It was the best Amtrak meal I have had and ordered it twice in a row, since I already knew what the other entrees tasted like and didn't want to gamble.

 

[Guest]

Just an FYI- I was just on the Empire Builder roundtrip from Chicago to Seattle, first taking the Capitol Limited from D.C. The breakfast menus shown on the link in a previous post was almost exactly what the EB offered except for one item. That is where you could choose how you wanted your eggs prepared and then had sides to choose from such as grits, potatoes, biscuit, or croissant.
The lunch and dinner menus were not that drastically different from the Capitol's either. I know the EB is made out to be Amtrak's premium line but the food is only slightly better. If the Flat Iron steak is on the menu, order it. It was the best Amtrak meal I have had and ordered it twice in a row, since I already knew what the other entrees tasted like and didn't want to gamble.

We were on the EB in May 07, one of the things that are different is there is a New York strip steak on the menu for the evening meal. Also they have ice cream, which they ran out of the second night.