Lake Shore Limited Diner

[Green Maned Lion]

Reading tea leaves is all you ever really get to do in this business unless someone releases a detailed plan, which they never do.

 

[frj1983]

When I rode the LSL in early September, we of course had the "Dinette," that's what it said on the car! What surprised me was that the food was pretty good! For one the evening meals my Wife had the Salmon and really liked it (and she's a gourmet cook) and I had the steak/pot roast thingy, which I thought was pretty tasty and served nice and warm. Along with a fellow rail fan at the table we had good food and good conversation!

 

[BuzzKillington]

When I rode the LSL in early September, we of course had the "Dinette," that's what it said on the car! What surprised me was that the food was pretty good! For one the evening meals my Wife had the Salmon and really liked it (and she's a gourmet cook) and I had the steak/pot roast thingy, which I thought was pretty tasty and served nice and warm. Along with a fellow rail fan at the table we had good food and good conversation!

Yes the dinners are pretty good... its the breakfast you have to watch out for! Stay away from the eggs and breakfast potatoes in the morning!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

When I rode the LSL in early September, we of course had the "Dinette," that's what it said on the car! What surprised me was that the food was pretty good! For one the evening meals my Wife had the Salmon and really liked it (and she's a gourmet cook) and I had the steak/pot roast thingy, which I thought was pretty tasty and served nice and warm. Along with a fellow rail fan at the table we had good food and good conversation!

Yes the dinners are pretty good... its the breakfast you have to watch out for! Stay away from the eggs and breakfast potatoes in the morning!

I can only imagine the horror...

Is the sausage or bacon any good?

 

[frj1983]

When I rode the LSL in early September, we of course had the "Dinette," that's what it said on the car! What surprised me was that the food was pretty good! For one the evening meals my Wife had the Salmon and really liked it (and she's a gourmet cook) and I had the steak/pot roast thingy, which I thought was pretty tasty and served nice and warm. Along with a fellow rail fan at the table we had good food and good conversation!

Yes the dinners are pretty good... its the breakfast you have to watch out for! Stay away from the eggs and breakfast potatoes in the morning!

I can only imagine the horror...

Is the sausage or bacon any good?

I had an omlette one morning for breakfast and I didn't think it was that bad. I also had the Bacon and it was nice and crispy!!

 

[p&sr]

Yes the dinners are pretty good... its the breakfast you have to watch out for! Stay away from the eggs and breakfast potatoes in the morning!

Agreed. Waking up with a Hot Dog and Pepsi from the Snack Car is much more reliable and pleasant. Save the Diner for Dinner!

 

[BuzzKillington]

If I remember correctly, the bacon and sausage wasn't terrible, neither was the french toast. The eggs were very rubbery and the potatoes were pretty much cardboard.

 

[AlanB]

I've had both the French Toast and the cheese omlette on the LSL on different trips, both were just fine. As were my sausage patties.

 

[BuzzKillington]

So I guess it varies by the trip or the crew on the train. I'm just hoping to have the nicer diner on the LSL by the time I take it again. Then there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[JSmith]

I rode the LSL from Buffalo to NYC last Wednesday. Breakfast was served after we boarded (they said they close at 9). The French toast was weird. The first two slices I thought were really good; the second two were SALTY! My wife thought they had perhaps already started to close up the kitchen and had salted the grill to clean it, but I didn't think the diner-lite had a grill as such. The bacon was fine.

Lunch was not bad at all. We had the cheeseburgers and I thought mine was pretty good. The cheesecake for dessert was good.

The LSA told me that they do not serve dinner on the eastbound LSL unless they are late arriving into NYP. And in fact, the dining car closed for good about half an hour after we departed Albany (which means no food at all is available after that, since the snack car goes to Boston).

 

[cpamtfan]

I rode the LSL from Buffalo to NYC last Wednesday. Breakfast was served after we boarded (they said they close at 9). The French toast was weird. The first two slices I thought were really good; the second two were SALTY! My wife thought they had perhaps already started to close up the kitchen and had salted the grill to clean it, but I didn't think the diner-lite had a grill as such. The bacon was fine.
Lunch was not bad at all. We had the cheeseburgers and I thought mine was pretty good. The cheesecake for dessert was good.

The LSA told me that they do not serve dinner on the eastbound LSL unless they are late arriving into NYP. And in fact, the dining class closed for good about half an hour after we departed Albany (which means no food at all is available after that, since the snack car goes to Boston).

Hmm, some people say they do serve dinner, some not. The saltieness from the french toast sounds wierd. Maybe there was some salt in the convection oven (or do they cook it in the steam tables?).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

On the second breakfast I had on the Cardinal back in May, the dining car attendant, having watched the speed and glee I consume food with, suggested that I get the scrambled eggs for breakfast, since they were "good", and you got more. Yeah, I got more. I think she spooned me out about a double helping, because the couple in the table next to us got about half what I did. She was a great SA. She took orders for, cooked, plated, and delivered meals for everyone in the car, and she must have served 60 people per meal. And while I was half expecting the eggs to be all but inedible, but they weren't half bad.

And when we make scrambled eggs at home, we use a unusual but vastly superior recipe by Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe, which takes about 40 minutes to make, and involves a clarified butter vinegar sauce. So I'd say I am really being complementary with these eggs.

 

[AlanB]

I rode the LSL from Buffalo to NYC last Wednesday. Breakfast was served after we boarded (they said they close at 9). The French toast was weird. The first two slices I thought were really good; the second two were SALTY! My wife thought they had perhaps already started to close up the kitchen and had salted the grill to clean it, but I didn't think the diner-lite had a grill as such. The bacon was fine.

No, the Diner-Lite car does not have a grill. Not sure why things were salty, other than perhaps something got spilled onto the toast.

 

[MrFSS]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

From my experience, yes. The one time I rode 49 the LSA started in the 449 sleeper and then went back to the 49 sleepers.

 

[AlanB]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

No, they won't remember to come and take your reservation, simply because there will be no reservations for either breakfast or lunch. It's first come first served for those two meals on the LSL.

And you get no dinner out of Chicago, only the wine tasting.

 

[JSmith]

On our trip, they did take a lunch reservation for us after we finished breakfast. Although I don't believe the LSA actually wrote down our names or room numbers; he just said, "OK, see you at 12:15!"

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

No, they won't remember to come and take your reservation, simply because there will be no reservations for either breakfast or lunch. It's first come first served for those two meals on the LSL.

And you get no dinner out of Chicago, only the wine tasting.

What about dinner on 448 Alan? Do they just tell all sleepers to descend onto the dinette?

 

[AlanB]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

No, they won't remember to come and take your reservation, simply because there will be no reservations for either breakfast or lunch. It's first come first served for those two meals on the LSL.

And you get no dinner out of Chicago, only the wine tasting.

What about dinner on 448 Alan? Do they just tell all sleepers to descend onto the dinette?

I assume you mean when 448 is east of Albany. I've seen mixed reports about what happens there. One person reported that they were brought their meal in their sleeping compartment, without requesting that. Several others have reported that they just setup one end of the cafe car for them, and serve them that way. Don't recall if anyone reported the crew setting up times, or if it was just come when you're ready thing.

 

[jack615]

When I rode 448 coming back from New Orleans, they had us setup in the Cafe Car and served us our dinner, was a cold meal but wasnt bad at all. It was one seating as I recall if you wanted it, take advantage of it.

Jack

 

[frj1983]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

After the trains were combined in Albany (in September), our Attendant invited us to go to the Dinette for dinner and that they were expecting us...as we walked in they asked if we were from the Boston Sleeper and then seated us.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

What I'm going to find interesting in a few weeks is having to walk from the 448 car all the way back to the diner. Will they even remember we're way up front and come take our reservation?

After the trains were combined in Albany, our Attendant invited us to go to the Dinette for dinner and that they were expecting us...as we walked in they asked if we were from the Boston Sleeper and then seated us.

Mmm that would be 449 wouldn't it... And let's be clear. The "snack car" is a Horizon Dinette, the truncated diner made out of an Amfleet café is a diner-lite. The diner-lite is the car that offers full-service meals from NY, the dinette is the snack car that offers box meals to BOS pax.

 

[MrFSS]

Going west on 449 sleeper will we get dinner in the diner after the trains combine in Albany? Or should we expect the cold meal in the café car?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Going west on 449 sleeper will we get dinner in the diner after the trains combine in Albany? Or should we expect the cold meal in the café car?

In May I was in the NY sleeper and we didn't have BOS people with us, dinner was served before ALB. I suppose there *might* have been a later dinner seating, but there were def. seatings that prohibited BOS pax.

 

[AlanB]

Going west on 449 sleeper will we get dinner in the diner after the trains combine in Albany? Or should we expect the cold meal in the café car?

You will get dinner in the Diner-Lite car after the trains combine in Albany Tom. Just know that it will be a late dinner, 7ish or so.