Amtrak dining and cafe service

[Devil's Advocate]

Wow that's actually not bad at all. I remember in 2019 paying $40 for just the signature steak in the dining car and thinking it would be so much more now. IMO for a three course meal including steak and an alcoholic beverage that's surprisingly good. Amtrak also does make a very good steak.

They raised every dinner meal to the price of the steak entree, which was nearly double the cost of the next lowest meal previously.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Totally false. The Cardinal had a full service diner for many, many years, both with single level and Superliner equipment. Edited to add, I see Jis beat me to it. It did switch to Lounge car when the Heritage Diners were dropping like flies.

Ditto from my Expierience through the Years on the Card in all its various Consists.

 

[fillyjonk]

Where are you located? Small town? Big City? Eating out is cheaper in small towns and rural areas in general. Again, I suspect the main culprit for expensive big-city food are the high commercial real estate prices.

Rural university town in the South. Most of our restaurants are fast-food stuff but we do have a good mom-and-pop Italian place and a nicer than average bbq restaurant. I guess the Tribal casino also has a v. fancy steakhouse where $45 for a steak, sides extra would be the norm, but I'm a cheapskate.

I'm also VERY single so.....I don't generally eat dinner in a restaurant 'cos I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and I know waiters hate serving solo diners

I recently had the flex omelette and flex pancakes and mine were ok. I’m guessing the result is highly preparation dependent - it’s probably easy to overdo both items. I don’t really find the quality much off if at all from what’s served on Acela first though the plating and presentation on Acela makes it look much more appealing. I have found even on Acela first though that premade omelettes can be wrecked if not heated properly. I have experienced the flex omelette overdone and dry on past trips and have also experienced this on Acela first.

the pancakes are good when they're good but when they're not they're nearly inedible. I got some on one trip where they were hard and crispy. Since then I get the oatmeal and yogurt instead, harder to mess that up

Seems like the result is better when they’re prepped in instances where there’s a separate car and dedicated attendant. But if they’re going to go through the effort to do that might as well have a chef and prepare real meals. At the end of the day I think there will be a day in the next couple fiscal years where flex dining will be in the rear view mirror - by Amtrak’s own admission they don’t appear to save as much money as they anticipated as the food costs are higher per passenger and can overcome the labor savings on longer trips for an unpopular meal format.

yes, I think the TE problem is that often it's ONE PERSON having to do it all - zap the meals, carry them to the tables for the sleeper, staff the cafe side for the coach passengers....I can see getting really overwhelmed and just not doing it that well.

the thing is, you're NOT going to attract non-dedicated train passengers to take another trip if they're served a bowl of gluey noodles for dinner and pancakes that could double for disc-golf for breakfast.

I guess the last time I was on they were back up to two people but that's still probably not enough to do things right. But then again: it is just part of the general crappification of everything I've noticed in the past 10 years or so. Not just at Amtrak. Everything is more expensive but also somehow worse...

 

[zephyr17]

But then again: it is just part of the general crappification of everything I've noticed in the past 10 years or so. Not just at Amtrak. Everything is more expensive but also somehow worse...

Although Amtrak is leading edge in crappification.

 

[zephyr17]

I'm also VERY single so.....I don't generally eat dinner in a restaurant 'cos I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and I know waiters hate serving solo diners

I am very single, too and eat in restaurants a lot. My solution is to eat at the bar, which is generally more convivial anyway. I also dislike sitting alone at a table, it feels so isolated, but I will if that's the only option. As to the waitstaff, whatever reaction they may have is their issue, I don't make it mine.

But I live in the suburbs of a large metro and probably have more options, too.

 

[Rasputin]

the thing is, you're NOT going to attract non-dedicated train passengers to take another trip if they're served a bowl of gluey noodles for dinner and pancakes that could double for disc-golf for breakfast.

You are not going to attract dedicated train passengers either except for those who will tolerate anything to ride a train.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I am very single, too and eat in restaurants a lot. My solution is to eat at the bar, which is generally more convivial anyway. I also dislike sitting alone at a table, it feels so isolated, but I will if that's the only option. As to the waitstaff, whatever reaction they may have is their issue, I don't make it mine.

But I live in the suburbs of a large metro and probably have more options, too.

Ditto!

 

[zephyr17]

You are not going to attract dedicated train passengers either except for those who will tolerate anything to ride a train.

Yep. The Eagle is on my "do not ride" list. And you don't get a much more dedicated train rider than I am.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Rural university town in the South. Most of our restaurants are fast-food stuff but we do have a good mom-and-pop Italian place and a nicer than average bbq restaurant. I guess the Tribal casino also has a v. fancy steakhouse where $45 for a steak, sides extra would be the norm, but I'm a cheapskate.

I'm also VERY single so.....I don't generally eat dinner in a restaurant 'cos I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and I know waiters hate serving solo diners

I used to feel that way about being a solo diner but have gotten more comfortable with it as I got older. Breakfast is always fine, and for lunch I go on an off hour when it’s not crowded or for a very early dinner.

Nobody has ever had an attitude about serving me, and I’m sure no other diners notice (or would care if they did) that I’m by myself.

 

[MARC Rider]

But then again: it is just part of the general crappification of everything I've noticed in the past 10 years or so. Not just at Amtrak. Everything is more expensive but also somehow worse...

Over the last 10 years? This has been going on for a lot longer than that.

 

[Sidney]

I used to feel that way about being a solo diner but have gotten more comfortable with it as I got older. Breakfast is always fine, and for lunch I go on an off hour when it’s not crowded or for a very early dinner.

Nobody has ever had an attitude about serving me, and I’m sure no other diners notice (or would care if they did) that I’m by myself.

Being I travel by train solo most of the time and I make solo auto trips I have no problem eating alone. I won’t go to a high end restaurant but no problems with most anything else. Nobody cares you are by yourself.

While on the topic of our beloved flex food,I have shied away from the omelet and pancakes. There could be a chance they are heated perfectly,but I don’t want to take that chance. I stick to cereal and the bland breakfast sandwich(even though it’s better than the Jimmy Dean)

 

[zephyr17]

While on the topic of our beloved flex food,I have shied away from the omelet and pancakes. There could be a chance they are heated perfectly,but I don’t want to take that chance. I stick to cereal and the bland breakfast sandwich(even though it’s better than the Jimmy Dean)

Since most of my opportunities for a Flex breakfast are westbound into Chicago, I usually just skip it in favor of Lou Mitchell's .

I'd eat it if we were running late enough that my westward connection was getting tight, but so far I've been lucky.

 

[allanorn]

I am very single, too and eat in restaurants a lot. My solution is to eat at the bar, which is generally more convivial anyway. I also dislike sitting alone at a table, it feels so isolated, but I will if that's the only option. As to the waitstaff, whatever reaction they may have is their issue, I don't make it mine.

But I live in the suburbs of a large metro and probably have more options, too.

This. If I didn't eat solo in restaurants, I'd probably never eat outside of my own home or AirBNB rental.

If solo (US/Canada) I always prefer the bar, even if it's a high-end restaurant. That frees up a table for parties of two or more. Sometimes I get irritated if the bar's full of couples or groups of three and I'm going in solo looking for dinner - but that's my own issue to deal with. The train is probably my biggest exception to this preference; I generally don't mind sharing a table on the rails unless I'm explicitly seated alone by dining car staff.

I usually get caught out while dining in Europe, as bar seating at restaurants can be non-existent and some cultures share tables. I'm just not used to sharing tables except if I'm on the train, and because it can be inconsistent I'm never sure if I'm supposed to share a table or not. (Sharing tables is almost always an outdoor-seating thing, or in situations where you're eating at a long picnic table or public food hall.)

 

[user 14106]

On my last ride (silver meteor) I was across from a couple who had never ridden or considered riding Amtrak. Their sole reason for riding is their flight home (from southeast to Midwest) was canceled - and they found they could take the train up to Newark and get a flight home the next day. A roomette was all that was open. They were pleasantly surprised that they slept and they even complimented the fact that we got food and thought it was good. When I told them how some trains have better traditionally prepared food they basically said it’s a lot better than the nothing they get on flights. Interesting perspective from people who didn’t have dining car experience to compare to (and otherwise didn’t know what they were missing.) I suspect Amtrak knew they’d tick off long time riders with flex dining but figured your average customer who may not be a long time rider or a rail enthusiast would live with it and new riders wouldn’t know the difference. Perhaps the fact they’re rolling back on some routes means that it negatively affected CSI more than they thought. I think they’re also not saving as much money as they thought particularly on routes with multiple meals (as the flex meal commissary costs per passenger multiply with each meal.)

 

[AmtrakBlue]

On my last ride (silver meteor) I was across from a couple who had never ridden or considered riding Amtrak. Their sole reason for riding is their flight home (from southeast to Midwest) was canceled - and they found they could take the train up to Newark and get a flight home the next day. A roomette was all that was open. They were pleasantly surprised that they slept and they even complimented the fact that we got food and thought it was good. When I told them how some trains have better traditionally prepared food they basically said it’s a lot better than the nothing they get on flights. Interesting perspective from people who didn’t have dining car experience to compare to (and otherwise didn’t know what they were missing.) I suspect Amtrak knew they’d tick off long time riders with flex dining but figured your average customer who may not be a long time rider or a rail enthusiast would live with it and new riders wouldn’t know the difference. Perhaps the fact they’re rolling back on some routes means that it negatively affected CSI more than they thought. I think they’re also not saving as much money as they thought particularly on routes with multiple meals (as the flex meal commissary costs per passenger multiply with each meal.)

A guy on the Texas Eagle last week was a first time rider and was commenting how nice it was to have meals included. He said his lunch was great. I told him to not tell others that as he'd be laughed at. . We were at a fresh air stop and when we got back on the train, I still had the traditional menu from the SL portion of my trip and showed it to him. He was even more impressed that this was included on trains. He was also wowed by many other aspects of train travel...including the rail fan window along the Capitol Limited route (I took him to the back of the coach car to show him) . He's hooked and is looking forward to more train trips...despite his first meal being the flex meal.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I don't generally eat dinner in a restaurant 'cos I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and I know waiters hate serving solo diners

Really? All of my worst restaurant experiences involved an adult tablemate throwing a tantrum over some perceived slight.

My solution is to eat at the bar, which is generally more convivial anyway. I also dislike sitting alone at a table, it feels so isolated, but I will if that's the only option. As to the waitstaff, whatever reaction they may have is their issue, I don't make it mine.

Bar seating is great where it exists but it seems to be vanishing even though the number of single people is increasing.

Sometimes I get irritated if the bar's full of couples or groups of three and I'm going in solo looking for dinner - but that's my own issue to deal with.

Where I live they seat teetotaler groups and families with little kids at the bar. I guess a $5 soda is preferable to a $50 drink tab.

 

[JayPea]

I don't eat out too often, but when I do the vast majority of those times it's solo. I'm too cheap to go to a fancy place, single or not, but I do like a good sit-down meal every so often. If waiters don't like that, I feel that's on them.

 

[zephyr17]

Bar seating is great where it exists but it seems to be vanishing even though the number of single people is increasing.

Hmm, that doesn't seem to be the case in my neck of the woods.

Where I live they seat teetotaler groups and families with little kids at the bar. I guess a $5 soda is preferable to a $50 drink tab.

The fact that the bar area is restricted to 21+ by state law in my state might have something to do with the having ample bar seating. No kids drinking cokes at the bars. Families with underage kids have to sit in the restaurant section, no exceptions.

 

[Willbridge]

This. If I didn't eat solo in restaurants, I'd probably never eat outside of my own home or AirBNB rental.

If solo (US/Canada) I always prefer the bar, even if it's a high-end restaurant. That frees up a table for parties of two or more. Sometimes I get irritated if the bar's full of couples or groups of three and I'm going in solo looking for dinner - but that's my own issue to deal with. The train is probably my biggest exception to this preference; I generally don't mind sharing a table on the rails unless I'm explicitly seated alone by dining car staff.

I usually get caught out while dining in Europe, as bar seating at restaurants can be non-existent and some cultures share tables. I'm just not used to sharing tables except if I'm on the train, and because it can be inconsistent I'm never sure if I'm supposed to share a table or not. (Sharing tables is almost always an outdoor-seating thing, or in situations where you're eating at a long picnic table or public food hall.)

I always had good experiences with sharing tables in Europe. I can think of a few bad experiences when eating alone in Europe, but most times no problem.

The best shared table incident was in the train station cafe in Canfranc, where I was seated with a guy who appeared to be a Basque sheepherder. He shared some of his wine bottle with me. It was good that we met in mellow circumstances, because we were about to experience more of an adventure than we expected.

In regard to European rail travel, I don't remember being seated with strangers in dining cars. The Russians do that, however.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I usually get caught out while dining in Europe, as bar seating at restaurants can be non-existent and some cultures share tables. I'm just not used to sharing tables except if I'm on the train, and because it can be inconsistent I'm never sure if I'm supposed to share a table or not. (Sharing tables is almost always an outdoor-seating thing, or in situations where you're eating at a long picnic table or public food hall.)

Sharing tables is pretty common in the UK especially in London where restaurants can be cramped with few tables I remember the first time my wife was in London we were eating breakfast at our hotel and a stranger just plopped himself down at our table, and she learned about this custom

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

Hi:
Can anyone point me in the direction of the Amtrak wine list please ?

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Hi:
Can anyone point me in the direction of the Amtrak wine list please ?

Someone recently posted the new traditional dining menu for the Silver Star (?; I forget which of the Silver Service trains it was), and their wine list was at the bottom of the dinner menu. If it isn't there on the traditional dining menus for the Western long-distance routes, it should be on the Cafe Car menu for each route (including those not offering traditional dining).

 

[jis]

Go to this page:

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/meals-dining/dining-car.html
and find your train and look up its sample menu, which includes the "Bar Selections" available on that train. Just FYI, the Menus are presented as PDF documents.

 

[Trollopian]

[A] guy who appeared to be a Basque sheepherder [shared] some of his wine bottle with me. It was good that we met in mellow circumstances, because we were about to experience more of an adventure than we expected.

Now we clamor to hear more about that "adventure," Willbridge. C'mon, you're the best raconteur on AU.

 

[JWM]

Yes, 4 chefs, 6 servers, and 1 steward most likely. That's WAY over-staffed by today's standards of course.

They turned the tables at least three times, the food was outstanding too. Amtrak is unable how to get full use of their Dining Cars to serve the maximum number of passengers possible which will lower the red ink as well.