Silver Star: dining same as Cap Limited?

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Ferroequinologist

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
374
I'll be riding this train to Tampa with bus connection to St Petersburg in June. Is food service for sleeping car passengers the same as on the Capitol Limited?
 
AmtrakBlue said:
No. There's no diner on the Silver Star. Just a cafe car
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There is no dining car service on the Capitol Limited either -- you get a box meal. My question is whether sleeping car passengers on the Silver Star get the same meal as on the Capitol or if it is something different (worse?)
 
Ferroequinologist said:
There is no dining car service on the Capitol Limited either -- you get a box meal. My question is whether sleeping car passengers on the Silver Star get the same meal as on the Capitol or if it is something different (worse?)
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Sleeping car passengers do not get a meal on the Silver Star. The fares for sleepers are less money than the Silver Meteor because no meal is included with the fare.
 
I just got off the Silver Star. Most passengers seemed to get pizza for dinner. I got a cheese tray for dinner and a sandwich (which was not bad) for lunch. Although I was in a sleeper, I paid the menu prices for my meals. Some passengers bring their own food on the Silver Star.
 
Ferroequinologist said:
There is no dining car service on the Capitol Limited either -- you get a box meal. My question is whether sleeping car passengers on the Silver Star get the same meal as on the Capitol or if it is something different (worse?)
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Those box meals are served in dining car’s. The Silver Star does not have a dining car. Meals are not included for sleeper passengers on the Star.
 
My recommendation is to bring food aboard. Seeing I think you are connecting from the Capitol Punishment. May I suggest visiting the Bojangles in Union station. And bring that on for dinner.
 
troo troo tcrane said:
Thanks. Do you know if the roomette will have an outlet? I may just bring a steamer if there is.
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I am pretty sure that bringing a steamer into your room and cooking with it is against the rules. Doing so may trip the electrical circuit. There is an outlet, but mainly used for cell phone chargers. If you choose not to eat food from the cafe car, I suggest that you bring food that does not require cooking (and that will not create overpowering smells in your room and the surrounding rooms.)
 
jis said:
No
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pennyk said:
I am pretty sure that bringing a steamer into your room and cooking with it is against the rules. Doing so may trip the electrical circuit. There is an outlet, but mainly used for cell phone chargers. If you choose not to eat food from the cafe car, I suggest that you bring food that does not require cooking (and that will not create overpowering smells in your room and the surrounding rooms.
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Thanks for the info.

btw I just read there is microwave pizza in the cafe car then shouldn't there be a microwave in the cafe car?
 
As others have said, the outlets are for portable electronics. Please don’t jeapordize the entire car being able to use their laptops / phones for your cooking needs.

The cafe car also has a steam table, refrigerators, and freezers but they aren’t available for passengers personal use.
 
Well seems like the food choices are quite limited. Not a huge deal but does make me wonder if I should just cancel the whole thing (still can) and fly instead. Lol
 
troo troo tcrane said:
Well seems like the food choices are quite limited. Not a huge deal but does make me wonder if I should just cancel the whole thing (still can) and fly instead. Lol
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That is the reason why passengers who feel strongly about the lack of food choices, opt to take the Silver Meteor rather than the Silver Star.
 
pennyk said:
That is the reason why passengers who feel strongly about the lack of food choices, opt to take the Silver Meteor rather than the Silver Star.
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The Meteor costs too much more to my liking and since we aren't foodies by a long mile the dining car isn't what we need, certainly not for $200 more. Overall the Star is the slightly better choice. Seems like we can still get hot food so to compromise a little on food is the better deal.

We will fly back. Lol
 
That $200 difference is the food. Bringing an entire car and staffing it to serve meals costs money, which is one of the reasons why these experiments are in place.

The hot food in the cafe car is pretty much just microwave food. I’d recommend playing it safe with the cheese and cracker tray (which is pretty good!), pretzels and hummus, Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast etc.

Cup o noodles is hard to mess up (they just pour hot water into the tub of noodles) so if you want to look back on your college days that always works.
 
Or bring a cooler full of good things you like to eat, for onboard picnicking. Good things you like to drink, too, including adult beverages if you want--you're permitted to drink alcohol you bring yourself in sleeping car rooms.
 
Actually, most of the hot food in the Diner is also microwave food. Only a couple of items are not of the microwaved variety in the Diner. The main difference is in how it is served - table service on plates (though still plastic stuff) or at the counter in a cardboard box :cool:
 
I’ll probably get jumped on by several for it. And yes I would defend the reason why you shouldn’t bring your own cooking supplies. But the outlets should actually support it.

I’ve used a slow cooker on a former Amtrak Clocker Coach with the Amtrak electrical system intact. I had no issues. Why did I use a slow cooker there was because I needed space.
 
jis said:
Actually, most of the hot food in the Diner is also microwave food. Only a couple of items are not of the microwaved variety in the Diner. The main difference is in how it is served - table service on plates (though still plastic stuff) or at the counter in a cardboard box :cool:
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Not even close to true. The Dining car food is re-heated in a convection oven, which is what is used in many chain restaurants to re-heat "pre-prepped" entrees. Many of the items are reheated on the grill. The dining car also serves fresh made entree salads that are much better than the pre-packaged ones you get in the cafe. I'm not saying the dining car is 5-star food, but it's WAY more than just presentation.
 
Seaboard92 said:
I’ll probably get jumped on by several for it. And yes I would defend the reason why you shouldn’t bring your own cooking supplies. But the outlets should actually support it.

I’ve used a slow cooker on a former Amtrak Clocker Coach with the Amtrak electrical system intact. I had no issues. Why did I use a slow cooker there was because I needed space.
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Hey I grilled steaks off a small grill on the back of a private car once... I asked the road foreman that day and he said "sure I don't see why not." Lots of things are possible.. but I still wouldn't recommend it on an amtrak train.
 

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