List of meals served on all LD trains

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Speaking of that if you don't have a sleeper aboard the Portland-Spokane leg of the Empire Builder, does that at least have a cafe car(of course where you'd have to pay) for coach passengers? I totally understand on all long distance routes, that complimentary meals are only for sleeper passengers.
There is *always* a sleeper and cafe on the Portland section of the Empire Builder, along with two coaches.
 
Yep, the Sightseer Lounge on the is on the PDX-SPK Section of the Builder ( the Diner is on the Seattle Section)with Cafe Downstairs.

Sleeper passengers receive a Boxed Dinner ( very good!) out of Portland and a Boxed Breakfast ( Not so good!)on the way from SPK-PDX along the Columbia!
 
Speaking of that if you don't have a sleeper aboard the Portland-Spokane leg of the Empire Builder, does that at least have a cafe car(of course where you'd have to pay) for coach passengers? I totally understand on all long distance routes, that complimentary meals are only for sleeper passengers.
There is *always* a sleeper and cafe on the Portland section of the Empire Builder, along with two coaches.
There have been trips, rather infrequently, without a lounge, though there isn't usually a replacement for it.
 
Yep, the Sightseer Lounge on the is on the PDX-SPK Section of the Builder ( the Diner is on the Seattle Section)with Cafe Downstairs.

Sleeper passengers receive a Boxed Dinner ( very good!) out of Portland and a Boxed Breakfast ( Not so good!)on the way from SPK-PDX along the Columbia!
Interesting insight, that the boxed dinner from Portland has better food vs. the food out of the cafe car going west to Portland. I guess the fact they can use a full service kitchen somewhere inside the Portland station, vs. how little room the cafe car has to prepare food going west from Spokane, would make a difference in that the food quality would be better going eastbound?
 
Both boxed meals on #27/#28 are Catered by a Contractor, not prepared by Amtrak.

The Dinner out of Portland is really good with several choices, but the Breakfast on the way from Spokane to Portland is Second Rate in Comparison to Breakfast in Amtraks Diners and the Box Dinner.
 
The quality of the boxed dinner out of Portland is in my opinion much higher than the boxed breakfast. I have ridden to Portland several times in coach from Spokane and to me the quality of the breakfast items from the lounge car is higher than that of the boxed dinner. Just my opinion of course.
 
Speaking of full meal/dining car service on long distance trains, it gave me sad goosebumps when I was coming back from my Pittsburgh trip on Friday morning, that the conductor/employee on the PA system noted when the dining car closed after South Bend that it was the last time they'd have traditional dining car service on the Capitol Limited due to the change that train(and Lake Shore Limited) were getting with dining car service come June 1st.
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That guy was thanking the people who ate a meal in that car, on that trip. That train left DC on May 31st, hence the breakfast dining car service that morning(June 1st) being the last Capitol Limited train where traditional dining car meals were served on. For the record too(as far as I know it'll still have cafe car food/snacks despite that dining car food change on the side), and more noting this for future travelers, if you're going west on the Capitol Limited to Chicago the cafe car is closed after the train passes Chesterton, IN. I know that was the case, since I heard a PA announcement that they had closed the cafe car.
 
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Quite ironic and bittersweet for me, because after many years of experimenting with different routes between Chi and NYP, trying the LSL, Cap Ltd (with Regional or Acela) and Cardinal, booking bedrooms, roomettes, etc., eating before I boarded and on board, last year I finally settled on the best scenario for me: a bedroom on the Cap Ltd. and a steak dinner in the dining car.

Now it's gone and back to ground zero for me. Just as soon as Amtrak satisfied me, they unsatisfied me.
 
And now something completely different: Via Rail's Canadian (#2) eastbound from Vancouver to Toronto. No dinner departing Vancouver, but a champagne reception in the end-of-train dome observation car. Then breakfast, lunch, dinner, continental breakfast, brunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast. On my train last week, 2(14), we received another lunch from a shortened menu, due to 8-hr late arrival into Toronto.

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Shortly after departing eastbound from Jasper, we were served champagne and apetisers in the dome car.
 
Is it me or the SWC and EB in post #92 both look really off?

Uh, no. Empire Builder is shown in post #92 as if it's three nights enroute each way. Southwest Chief looks right. But SB Crescent also has an extra night (shows two nights enroute).

A moderator note was added to post 92 suggesting that readers should read beyond that post to get more accurate information. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Was on the Zephyr in 2017 and we were delayed 16 hours into Denver because of tornados that moved through Omaha before we got there. The whole train had all we could eat Krispy Kreme donuts and the famous Denty Moore stew that according to our car attendant separates the normally late Amtrak from the super late trains.

Also last week on the Sunset Limited the eastbound train was delayed 9 hours because of the earthquake in California. Our westbound train started off two hours late and they bought us all donuts from a local donut shop in New Orleans. They were so good I had four.
 
Was on the Zephyr in 2017 and we were delayed 16 hours into Denver because of tornados that moved through Omaha before we got there. The whole train had all we could eat Krispy Kreme donuts and the famous Denty Moore stew that according to our car attendant separates the normally late Amtrak from the super late trains.

Also last week on the Sunset Limited the eastbound train was delayed 9 hours because of the earthquake in California. Our westbound train started off two hours late and they bought us all donuts from a local donut shop in New Orleans. They were so good I had four.

That sounds really awesome! Sometimes, I wonder if I should consider doing some sort of Sunset Limited trip down the road? Even despite that sadly, it only runs 3 days a week. :( I just wish CONO was running between Jackson and New Orleans, and not it being bustituted as of right now due to CN(IIRC the freight railroad) temporarily not allowing Amtrak to carry passengers because of high water levels by the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
 
That sounds really awesome! Sometimes, I wonder if I should consider doing some sort of Sunset Limited trip down the road? Even despite that sadly, it only runs 3 days a week. :( I just wish CONO was running between Jackson and New Orleans, and not it being bustituted as of right now due to CN(IIRC the freight railroad) temporarily not allowing Amtrak to carry passengers because of high water levels by the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

Sunset Limited was OK. But feels really slow through Texas (because it is.) You pass this place in about seven seconds but I got a decent video of it when passing by:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prada_Marfa

Personally in terms of beautiful scenery, my vote is for Grand Junction Colorado to Denver on the California Zephyr. Really nothing compares. (Though I've never been on the Empire Builder.)

CONO I'll probably never do, because I live in NY and Crescent is more direct. I'll probably have to suffice with the song.
 
Sunset Limited was OK. But feels really slow through Texas (because it is.) You pass this place in about seven seconds but I got a decent video of it when passing by:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prada_Marfa

Personally in terms of beautiful scenery, my vote is for Grand Junction Colorado to Denver on the California Zephyr. Really nothing compares. (Though I've never been on the Empire Builder.)

CONO I'll probably never do, because I live in NY and Crescent is more direct. I'll probably have to suffice with the song.

Funny that I have the opposite problem, vs. you. As much as I want to ride the Crescent, it's annoying there aren't any direct ways for me to connect to this train, except either riding Capitol Limited to DC, or Cardinal to Charlottesville and transferring at either station respectively. And as CONO still is being bustituted between NO and Jackson, that reduces my chances of doing a trip to New Orleans for now. As I'd rather ride Amtrak and not a bus, if I wanted to do an Amtrak trip down to NO.

I had been throwing a thought in my head as of late, where MAYBE in August I'd take Cardinal to Charlottesville, Crescent to Atlanta, then fly back to Chicago. FYI only wouldn't take the train back, due to my work schedule not allowing a longer Atlanta trip and just a brief one. Part of my motivation if I were to do such a trip, would be to experience dining car service on Crescent before it's removed for good. :( And to at least finally see a good bit of Crescent's route, for the first time in my life.

ETA: here's the latest service alert, I've seen for CONO. So sadly, that train running all the way to NO isn't yet a reality(sigh):

Track Work Affects City of New Orleans Trains 58 and 59
Effective July 29 - August 8, 2019
Due to track work being performed by Canadian National Railway, the schedule of Trains 58 and 59 will be adjusted as shown below.

Monday, July 29 through Friday, August 2
  • Northbound Train 58 will depart Jackson at 7:44 pm, 2 hours later than normal, and operate on a later schedule through to Chicago.
    • Northbound buses traveling from New Orleans to Jackson, will operate 2 hours later at all stations.
  • Southbound Train 59 will depart Chicago at 9:05 pm, 1 hour later than normal and operate on a later schedule at all stations from Chicago to Jackson.
    • Southbound buses will operate 1 hour later at all stations between Jackson and New Orleans.
Monday, August 5 through Thursday, August 8
  • Northbound Train 58, which normally operates between New Orleans and Chicago, will originate in Memphis.
  • Southbound Train 59, which normally operates between Chicago and New Orleans, will terminate in Memphis.
  • Trains 58 and 59 will operate on a normal schedule between Chicago and Memphis.
  • Alternate transportation will be provided between Memphis and Jackson.
    • There will be no alternate transportation to the missed station stops of Marks, Greenwood or Yazoo City.
 
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I think I got them all, your help is greatly appreciated.

MODERATOR NOTE (7/5/19): please see subsequent posts for additions and corrections to this chart. It was mentioned that an extra day was added to the Empire Builder and that Southbound Crescent may have any extra breakfast and lunch.

Amtrak%20Long%20Distance%20Meal%20Schedule%206-16_zpsic7jp1a6.png
is there anyway to erase the gray photo bucket logo so we could print the chart??
 
is there anyway to erase the gray photo bucket logo so we could print the chart??

Unfortunately piedpier, I don't think so. That is a watermark(background graphic) that photobucket.com added after the image was uploaded there, so no way to get around that sadly.

Anyway if you're having trouble reading that, the order of diner car meals on train 21(Chicago-San Antonio) would be: Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

22(San Antonio-Chicago): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch.

If riding on 421(Chicago-LA, with through cars switching from Texas Eagle to Sunset Limited in San Antonio): Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, (at this point, is after 421 combines with train 1) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. NO breakfast is offered the morning that combined train 1/421 arrives in LA(scheduled at 5:35am), due to how extremely early that is.

422(LA-Chicago, with through cars being split from Sunset in San Antonio, keep in mind no dinner is served the evening you depart from LAX due to the train leaving at 10pm, so BRING YOUR OWN food onboard the train to get around this): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast, Lunch.

29(DC-Chicago): Dinner, Breakfast.

30(Chicago-DC): Dinner, Brunch.

Not sure if the introduction of contemporary/flex dining has changed this up, but I'm sure you'd still get 2 meals onboard that train if you were in a sleeper. Sad the food has probably been downgraded due to contemporary/flex, though. :(
 
Coast Starlight. Since southbound train 11 and northbound train 14 both leave their origins mid-morning and arrive at their destination ca. 36 hours later, both trains have similar meal schedules.

Day 1: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
 
Thank you! Were boarding at 9:45 as roomette so I wasn’t sure if breakfast was offered. Couldn’t find this information on their site. Anyone have a favorite King Street Station breakfast spot nearby? Otherwise a pause on Bainbridge’s Streamliner diner it’ll be then :)
 
If you go to the second floor of King St. Station and exit there, you will be on S. Jackson. If you go left a couple of blocks you'll get to Zeitgeist Coffee, which does typical breakfast sandwiches and pastries along with killer coffee. If you go right out of King St Station, just past the old Union Station building (peek in if open, it is beautifully restored, though not as a train station) you will see 85C Bakery on the corner. It is an outpost of a Taiwanese chain, doing fancy coffees and teas along with dozens of kinds of pastries and cakes--many of them are either Chinese or Japanese, but they also do European style pastries too. Nothing healthy there, but there's a reason when they opened that the line stretched outside the door!
 
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