Reviews for carry-on food at your station

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Whitefish, MT: the whole of the Whitefish tourist-trap downtown is within a few blocks of the station. Getting dropped off after work and killing a few hours before the westbound Builder arrives is always an option. My personal favorite is the Piggyback Barbecue, at the north end of the overpass over the BNSF yard.

No food trucks and nowhere that I know of that is willing to deliver to the station, however - a hazard of the train coming through during regular sit-down dining hours.
 
Pittsburgh's little Amshack has zero food options. Zero. Well, according to the station info page, it has vending machines; I've never noticed them.

I've always mused that if I were entrepreneurial I could make a small fortune by serving coffee and bagels to the morning travelers. Pittsburgh has just two morning trains: the Capitol Limited at 5:20 (rarely on time) and the Pennsylvanian at 7:30 (almost always on time). There's a Bruegger's Bagels four blocks away that opens at 5:30 on weekdays, 6 on weekends; pretty useless for the C.L. riders and not very convenient even for the Pennsylvanian passengers. (Who wants to carry coffee for four blocks?) There's a Starbucks and a local chain (Crazy Mocha, maybe?) in the Westin complex across the street, but opening too late for the crack-of-dawn crowd.

I don't know how easy or hard it is to open a small food business in Pittsburgh, but really, a little cart that sells coffee and bagels and doughnuts and danish and does no actual food prep or cooking doesn't raise any big health or sanitation flags.

(This'd just be a morning gig, though I suppose someone else could bring pizza and hoagies to the westbound C.L. passengers near midnight.)

So why don't I do it? I divide my time between Pittsburgh and DC, so I'd hafta hire someone else. Anyone''s welcome to pilfer this idea!
 
Mystic, CT:

Mystic Depot Roasters is a coffee/breakfast/sandwich shop in the building that had been the train station. It's open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, so would only be useful for the one southbound train and one northbound train that leave around 11:00 a.m. However, if you find yourself leaving from this small station on one of those trains, this is a good place to pick up a sandwich for the train or to have a late breakfast before you board. It is clean, friendly, and well-run, and the food is good enough that the locals have taken to stopping in there to have breakfast and catch up with each other.

Even if you are taking something to go, you can sit down after ordering and they will bring it to you.

They also have a sense of humor--some of their items have train names. The peanut butter and jelly on white is, of course, the "Thomas.":)
 
You Noobs really have to learn how to order from upcoming restaurants at long station stops and have it delivered right to the train
 
I don't have a problem with food at my Amtrak station. I don't have an Amtrak station. I live almost 200 miles from an Amtrak station.:D
 
At RVR the middle eastern deli mentioned above is excellent. Definitely does full meal take out - I've done it. It's on the same side of the main road as the station and a couple of hundred yards South (left). Also excellent authentic Mexican place closer. Across the main road and slightly South. Also full meal take out - done that too. Yum.
 
Jefferson City, MO's Amtrak station is block north of High Street in the middle of downtown. There are several restaurants with carry out service. The Grand Cafe is one of the better ones. A 10-15 minute walk east on High Street are O'Donoghue's Steak House and Seafood which is a very nice place and Prison Brews, a nice mircro-brewery with good beer and pretty good pizza.
 
Jefferson City, MO's Amtrak station is block north of High Street in the middle of downtown. There are several restaurants with carry out service. The Grand Cafe is one of the better ones. A 10-15 minute walk east on High Street are O'Donoghue's Steak House and Seafood which is a very nice place and Prison Brews, a nice mircro-brewery with good beer and pretty good pizza.
Thanks Charlie! Always wanted to visit Jeff City, but have only been passing through on the Train.
 
The Orlando station has a hot dog stand right outside the station. I have seen crew members leave the Star or Meteor during the fresh air stop to pick up a dog. I do not eat hot dogs, so I have never tried their food, but they get good reviews.
I plan to eat an early lunch prior to boarding the Meteor (which is scheduled to depart at 1:35pm). I do not particularly like eating in my room. (On the way home, I likely will eat an early dinner in WAS before boarding 97).
In the Orlando area, from the perspective of picking up food for the journey before boarding, I think both Winter Park and Kissimmee are better than Orlando. Both have several good food establishments within a block or two of walk, from which it is easy to pick up a meal to go. Unfortunately both are unsuitable for food pickup for people just passing through unless one is able to precisely time delivery, since the train does not stop for more than a few minutes.

Kissimmee is also great now for overnight free parking at the very safe and spanking new SunRail parking structure to which Amtrak passengers have access. Just remember to take care of the paperwork for overnight parking from the station agent.
 
GBB (Galesburg, IL) is my long route station. One block North of the station is the Landmark Cafe & Creperie. Everything there is good! However, when I am getting on the Southwest Chief or the California Zephier in the late afternoon a the Cold Turkey or Cold Beef sandwich form the Landmark is the best bet for dinner on the train.
 
Any take out food recommendations leaving from Kansas City Union Station on the 4 p.m. River Runner to St. Louis?
 
Any take out food recommendations leaving from Kansas City Union Station on the 4 p.m. River Runner to St. Louis?
If it's still Open, ( it's been 2 years since I was there)the Harvey House Cafe located inside of Union Station has very good Sandwiches. There is also a Jack Stack Bar-B-Q Joint( Pricey but good) across the Tracks that you reach by a Skyway over the Tracks.
 
Doing a Capitol Limited RT in a month. Will probably have Giordano's on the way out, order at 5:30, pick up around 6pm. The return trip I'm not sure. Most likely a sandwich, breakfast after arrival near CUS. (Is there a donut shop in WAS in case of late arrival? In a roomette both ways, but not a great fan of flexible dining. Guess I'm not millennial enough.

Also roomette on the TE CHI-STL, dinner in the diner before I get off. Last CHI-STL trip in the Eagle's STL coach was a nightmare. Every worst passenger in that car. Millennials with bare feet taking up 2 seats, reducing car capacity by about 10%, screaming babies, people watching movies without headphones (closest to me were watching something with lots of cursing), and turning it up, creating multiple dueling tablets.

Don't want that again.
 
coach was a nightmare. Every worst passenger in that car. Millennials with bare feet taking up 2 seats, reducing car capacity by about 10%, screaming babies, people watching movies without headphones (closest to me were watching something with lots of cursing), and turning it up, creating multiple dueling tablets.

Sounds like the train attendant was not doing their job ...
 
Sounds like the train attendant was not doing their job ...
The CHI-STL coach usually doesn't have one. The attendant pretty much stays with the through coaches. Conductor makes sure the local traffic goes in the appropriate car (always the last one), and no train personnel go in after tickets are taken. We see a conductor after every stop, but short of emergency, that's it.
 
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