Regional and are the food courts open at Penn Station?

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Billvasili

Train Attendant
Joined
Jun 3, 2015
Messages
32
Location
chicago
I am taking the Regional from DC to Penn Station for the Lake Shore LTD. This way I do not have to layover another day at DC waiting for the Capitol to go home to Chicago. Are the food court places open at Penn Station, so I can grab something than Amtrak slime as one poster said in another thread. LOL. I am in the business class, are they running the cafe car in that car or are they running it another car???
 
So if I recall, LSL leaves at 3:40, unless that is changed, or you have bags to check, you have ample time to get food. I'm not sure if they are waiving the no outside food rule at the Club Acela, which you would have use of, even if just to stash your stuff to walk around. At this point in time, food service in NYC is take-out, curbside p/u, or delivery, no dining in the restaurant, that could change soon. But the first meal on the LSL isn't for a while, so I usually buy a nice lunch and eat in my room, and have a later dinner. The track the LSL will board from is on the side of the station where the lounge is, you can use it instead of the main waiting. If you need a redcap, let the lounge attendant know, they will arrange.
 
OKay thanks... I will probably get a carry out to eat if I have to on the LSL if I cannot eat it in the Acela Lounge.
Thanks for information
 
There were a zillion place in NYP lining the LIRR Concourse that are closed for construction, but there should still be plenty to choose from on the Amtrak level. There are some places you might not see when you first come up because they are towards 7th Ave, and the waiting area sort of blocks one's view.
 
There were a zillion place in NYP lining the LIRR Concourse that are closed for construction, but there should still be plenty to choose from on the Amtrak level. There are some places you might not see when you first come up because they are towards 7th Ave, and the waiting area sort of blocks one's view.
I just walked through the station, there some places closed, but lots are open in both Amtrak and LIRR levels. it's all takeout, lots of places on the street have outside dining..
 
The long corridor on the LIRR level, a large section with a bunch of food places was supposed to get closed to have the corridor widened and the ceiling raised, that was supposed to have started, but if enough places are still open, that's good. There was a temporary food hall upstairs right outside, "Pennsy Hall" but that closed a few months back. I used to work a block away, you could always find something down there. A bit higher priced than on the street, but in lousy weather it was perfect.
 
The long corridor on the LIRR level, a large section with a bunch of food places was supposed to get closed to have the corridor widened and the ceiling raised, that was supposed to have started, but if enough places are still open, that's good. There was a temporary food hall upstairs right outside, "Pennsy Hall" but that closed a few months back. I used to work a block away, you could always find something down there. A bit higher priced than on the street, but in lousy weather it was perfect.
Yeah, I saw the construction at the 7th Av end. Traxx is gone, alas, I'm glad I got to expe to experience it last year. dd iene
 
They've got a place about a block away, haven't been there. With the current restrictions on indoor dining, I hope they've survived. They were one of the best things about NYP. I used to go through NYP so often, (I have NY Rangers season tickets upstairs at MSG) but no games now!
 
I was in NYP last month and all the take out places in the station were open. TGIF was closed because there’s still a ban on indoor dining which is supposed to be lifted 9/30.

There’s no prohibition against take out food in Club Acela, at least not in NY Penn. They’d be hard pressed to forbid it given the quality, and sometimes complete absence, of snacks provided. They’ve added large tables in the past year which accommodate those who want to catch a meal, especially those riding the Albany ending Empire Service routes that long ago eliminated their cafe car service.
 
Even locations that did ban outside food like Chicago seem to have lifted those restrictions at least temporarily. Glad to hear most places are open.
Chicago banned outside food? I thought that was just a Washington thing. I ate lunch in the Chicago lounge when I went to the Gathering last fall. I nice Chicago style hot dog from Gold Coast Dogs.
 
The snack situation at the Club Acela in New York is better than it was last year. Not as good as Boston or Philly, but the coffee machine is back up, there are cans of soda and juice in the fridge, and there are pastries in the morning and chips in the evening. Also a bowl of little chocolate mints (individually wrapped) and single-serving bags of peanuts.
 
As far as know, they are still alive, but I know they were closing some locations that were mall based when some malls started to struggle, and with many areas shuttering malls recently, or banning/limiting indoor dining, that probably folded a bunch more.
 
On 8/9/20 and all the food stands at WAS Union Station were closed on the main level except for McDonalds and one Starbucks. In contrast the PHL lounge did have everything that day. Both stations looked empty.
We passed through CHI Union Station on 8/10/20 and there were was nothing in the lounge. No food, snacks, soda/juice/water or even coffee. The food court was closed. We chose to go to Greektown for lunch at the Greek Island that was open for indoor dining. On 8/18/20 CHI lounge still offered nothing but the food court was open so we were able to get sandwiches. It was a bit depressing to say the least but except for the "contemporary dining", the trip to Glacier turned out fine. One main difference is that on the Cardinal the table section in the cafe/diner lite car was closed while on the EB both West and East the dining car was open.
 
The snack situation at the Club Acela in New York is better than it was last year. Not as good as Boston or Philly, but the coffee machine is back up, there are cans of soda and juice in the fridge, and there are pastries in the morning and chips in the evening. Also a bowl of little chocolate mints (individually wrapped) and single-serving bags of peanuts.

Agreed, definitely an improvement... but in the words of Seinfeld “it’s not a meal!” And the ice machine is still broken.

Don’t get me wrong I can spend hours there, because it’s comfortable and most times quiet as long as you’re not 15 minutes before a major departure. But I still get dinner takeout....usually at the falafel place (Chickpea) and then dessert at the bakery (Zaro). Beverage from Penn Wine, always discrete 😎
 
Agreed, definitely an improvement... but in the words of Seinfeld “it’s not a meal!” And the ice machine is still broken.

Don’t get me wrong I can spend hours there, because it’s comfortable and most times quiet as long as you’re not 15 minutes before a major departure. But I still get dinner takeout....usually at the falafel place (Chickpea) and then dessert at the bakery (Zaro). Beverage from Penn Wine, always discrete 😎
On Tuesday, the ice machine was working fine.
Both Zaro bakery locations in the station were closed on Tuesday, I'm not sure what that means.
 
The rotunda location is listed as temporarily closed on their website, the other location shows a 2PM closing time for now, and closed Sat & Sunday

That explains it, I was there lunch time my last trip. Good news about the ice machine, it wasn't working a month ago.
 
I hope they come back, some of their other locations are closed, some open with reduced hours. They are generally pretty good. I remember taking an Empire Service train out of Grand Central a few years ago during repair season at NYP, and the area we used to wait for Amtrak departure was close to Zaro's, and I stocked up for the trip.
 
I am sad that Tim Hortons has closed. I love them, and I think that the Penn Station location was the last one left in the US, other than possibly very close to the Canadian border.

But on a good note one of my favorite places is still open - Penn Sushi - where they make a great green tea soup. It is on the Amtrak level, near the United city ticket office.
 
I am sad that Tim Hortons has closed. I love them, and I think that the Penn Station location was the last one left in the US, other than possibly very close to the Canadian border.
There are still a total of 714 Tim Hortons locations in United States as of September 09, 2020. The state with the most number of Tim Hortons locations in the US is New York with 264 locations, which is 36% of all Tim Hortons locations in America. Here is a map:
Tim_Hortons_USA_100dpi.png
 
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