Amtrak dining and cafe service

[MARC Rider]

I'd suggest checking the Ingredients Label, ALL Flex Meals are Sodium Bombs!

Trouble is, I suspect the traditional dining meals (and all other restaurant meals on or off a train) are also "sodium bombs" if one did an analysis of the content of the food. As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't taste like a salt lick, it's probably safe to eat, and I have borderline high blood pressure.

 

[zephyr17]

The Crescent did not even have the "lounge" over Memorial Day weekend. You are living large with at least having a place to eat that is not the bedroom/roomette.

Yeah, until the Crescent at least gets its diner back, even as a "lounge" and venue for Flex, it's on my do not ride list. Which is shame because I like the route and like New Orleans. Although, like it's sibling in crappiness, the Eagle, I'd have to go out of my way to ride it, so it's easily avoided for me.

While the Viewliner diner is overkill for a lounge, with its expensive galley, I have to say it makes a pretty decent lounge car. Much better than an Amcafe.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Yeah, until the Crescent at least gets its diner back, even as a "lounge" and venue for Flex, it's on my do not ride list. Which is shame because I like the route and like New Orleans. Although, like it's sibling in crappiness, the Eagle, I'd have to go out of my way to ride it, so it's easily avoided for me.

While the Viewliner diner is overkill for a lounge, with its expensive galley, I have to say it makes a pretty decent lounge car. Much better than an Amcafe.

I could drive to south to Fayetteville, NC for almost two hours for a 1 am train or drive 90 minutes over to Cary or Raleigh for the Silver Star for a 9 AM train. (It takes 38 minmutes to get from Cary to Raleigh on the Star and as little as 14 minutes on a Piedmont.) Greensboro has the Crescent at 7:30 AM and is 10 minutes from my house. So I really have one option and the views are nicer near the mountains in VA. (Times are NB which is generally the way we travel.)

 

[zephyr17]

I could drive to south to Fayetteville, NC for almost two hours for a 1 am train or drive 90 minutes over to Cary or Raleigh for the Silver Star for a 9 AM train. (It takes 38 minmutes to get from Cary to Raleigh on the Star and as little as 14 minutes on a Piedmont.) Greensboro has the Crescent at 7:30 AM and is 10 minutes from my house. So I really have one option and the views are nicer near the mountains in VA. (Times are NB which is generally the way we travel.)

It certainly sounds like you're stuck with it, without convienent options to the Crescent.

I am somewhat lucky in that my "home" LD trains are the Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight, both of which have traditional dining and Sightseers when they don't get bad ordered. The Crescent is a train I have to go out of my way to ride, and only have done when I've combined visiting the Northeast and New Orleans in one trip. I rode it a couple years before COVID and quite enjoyed the the ride and would like to do it again. But in its current condition I won't. Flex isn't the deal breaker, but only having an Amcafe, and especially the practice of requiring you to eat in your room, is.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

It certainly sounds like you're stuck with it, without convienent options to the Crescent.

I am somewhat lucky in that my "home" LD trains are the Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight, both of which have traditional dining and Sightseers when they don't get bad ordered. The Crescent is a train I have to go out of my way to ride, and only have done when I've combined visiting the Northeast and New Orleans in one trip. I rode it a couple years before COVID and quite enjoyed the the ride and would like to do it again. But in its current condition I won't. Flex isn't the deal breaker, but only having an Amcafe, and especially the practice of requiring you to eat in your room, is.

I would not want to take the entire Crescent length stuck in a bedroom or a coach seat that is for sure.

 

[zetharion]

View attachment 32739
I always avoided the beef because I read that it was too salty. Well, I ordered it today for lunch, and was pleasantly surprised. It was quite tasty and not salty at all.
Only goes to show to take other people’s opinions with a grain of salt. No pun intended.

Thats my favorite Flex meal. Everyones tolerance for sodium is different so always at least try it out once for yourself.

 

[user 14106]

Aurora Group has armed everyone on the committee with a great fact sheet and Q and A’s for Gardner. No telling what’s going to happen in the House. I’m really keen to see his reactions when a fiscal hawk says the long distance network should be zero‘d out. Regardless, I see Tuesday as day one in Amtraks future, routes, consists and dining included.

Not sure what was in the Q&A you’re referring to but the only grilling I heard was about bonuses and Amtrak not making a profit. Dining did come up in one question and Gardner talked about the F&B working group that they were reviewing the report and would be providing it to congress soon and also mentioned the return of traditional dining to the Florida services.

 

[railiner]

Somebody doesn't like all the long distance service, but especially the Texas Eagle.

Ben Biaggini is alive and living at Amtrak.

Lookout… the dreaded “automat car”…

 

[zephyr17]

Lookout… the dreaded “automat car”…

I would not rule it out...

 

[ratinthekitchen]

I am on the Southwest Chief, two dinners, two breakfasts and a lunch under my belt. Roomette, so it’s free.

Observations:

They are doing traditional dining and the menu was exactly the “sample” that is on Amtrak’s website. The lead dining car attendant came through and took reservations for both lunch and dinner, then went off to take reservations from coach passengers.

Everything I ordered (flatiron steak, rigatoni bolognese, quesadilla, French toast, plant-based burger) was good, and put airline 1st class food to shame. The Meyer Lemon cake was wonderful and I had to order it twice.

Nits:

White tablecloth and metal cutlery is nice but actual China vs plastic reproductions would be better.

Condiment packets are beyond tacky. At lunch, nobody at our table was able to gain access to the mustard packets.

Disheartening that few of my fellow diners left tips.

 

[eackly]

I am on the Southwest Chief, two dinners, two breakfasts and a lunch under my belt. Roomette, so it’s free.

Observations:

They are doing traditional dining and the menu was exactly the “sample” that is on Amtrak’s website. The lead dining car attendant came through and took reservations for both lunch and dinner, then went off to take reservations from coach passengers.

Everything I ordered (flatiron steak, rigatoni bolognese, quesadilla, French toast, plant-based burger) was good, and put airline 1st class food to shame. The Meyer Lemon cake was wonderful and I had to order it twice.

Nits:

White tablecloth and metal cutlery is nice but actual China vs plastic reproductions would be better.

Condiment packets are beyond tacky. At lunch, nobody at our table was able to gain access to the mustard packets.

Disheartening that few of my fellow diners left tips.

Regarding tipping, it was only because another couple left a tip that I realized that gratuity was not included.

I passed a table with a $10 sitting on the table, so I walked back pulled a $10 from my wallet and handed it to the employee clearing the table.

 

[IAlam]

Regarding tipping, it was only because another couple left a tip that I realized that gratuity was not included.

I passed a table with a $10 sitting on the table, so I walked back pulled a $10 from my wallet and handed it to the employee clearing the table.

It's also not required.

 

[joelkfla]

Condiment packets are beyond tacky. At lunch, nobody at our table was able to gain access to the mustard packets.

Note to self: Add folding scissors to list of items for train travel.

 

[Cal]

A friend of mine who recently took a trip noticed the plates were not plastic on his trip. Don't remember which train, maybe the Starlight?

 

[user 14106]

A friend of mine who recently took a trip noticed the plates were not plastic on his trip. Don't remember which train, maybe the Starlight?

They were supposedly going to try to phase in real china eventually - maybe some routes have some? It wouldn’t surprise me if they do if it’s used only at dinner. I’ve noticed on a couple trips at breakfast and lunch you don’t always get real flatware and glasses though at dinner it’s pretty consistent.

 

[Cal]

They were supposedly going to try to phase in real china eventually - maybe some routes have some? It wouldn’t surprise me if they do if it’s used only at dinner. I’ve noticed on a couple trips at breakfast and lunch you don’t always get real flatware and glasses though at dinner it’s pretty consistent.

This is the photo that they got. Doesn't seem to be at dinner.

 

[Sidney]

On the Texas Eagle from Chicago to LA and I have had two meals served by a surly attendant. The salmon for dinner was dry and almost inedible, Usually for breakfast I get the continental and I always get the breakfast sandwich and cereal. This morning the attendant says one or the other. I chose the sandwich. The bialy was rock hard.

Gee, can’t wait for lunch and dinner. Only solace is traditional dining on the Sunset tomorrow. Flex is as mediocre as ever. Please bring back real food on every train!

 

[PVD]

If you use real plates, you need someone to wash them, staffing is not there on many routes yet. You also need working dishwashers.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

On the Texas Eagle from Chicago to LA and I have had two meals served by a surly attendant. The salmon for dinner was dry and almost inedible, Usually for breakfast I get the continental and I always get the breakfast sandwich and cereal. This morning the attendant says one or the other. I chose the sandwich. The bialy was rock hard.

Gee, can’t wait for lunch and dinner. Only solace is traditional dining on the Sunset tomorrow. Flex is as mediocre as ever. Please bring back real food on every train!

That’s a shame. I’ve had the salmon on the Star (when it was still flex) and the bialy breakfast sandwich from the cafe car on a regional in the mid-Atlantic, and both were delicious. Not surprisingly, both trains had excellent crews.

A bad crew’s attitude can seep into everything, including food preparation.

Hoping you will have a lovely rest of the trip, with wonderful food, when you get on the Sunset and leave the poor little Eaglette behind.

 

[pi314]

In regard to long distance trains, I've been on Lake Shore Limited (before and after flex dining), the Cardinal, Capitol Limited, and Empire Builder. The one time I suffered the abomination of flex dining was the time I swore never again. It's truly awful. I won't spend money on a lengthy train ride that requires me to pack and lug along a cooler full of food. Not to mention, the traditional dining car experience is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip.

Here's excerpts from the press release when (then) CEO Richard Anderson introduced this abomination:

"Amtrak continues to evolve the travel experience on long-distance trains with the introduction of a new, flexible dining service for Sleeping Car customers...

Traveling on one of our trains has never been just about the destination – the journey is part of the adventure,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “We continue to evolve our onboard accommodations and dining experience to meet the needs of today’s customers.”

Leave it to a former airline CEO to lie about and ruin one of Amtrak's best features. I would have hoped that his departure would have brought about a quick demise to this disastrous concept.

 

[Sidney]

In regard to long distance trains, I've been on Lake Shore Limited (before and after flex dining), the Cardinal, Capitol Limited, and Empire Builder. The one time I suffered the abomination of flex dining was the time I swore never again. It's truly awful. I won't spend money on a lengthy train ride that requires me to pack and lug along a cooler full of food. Not to mention, the traditional dining car experience is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip.

Here's excerpts from the press release when (then) CEO Richard Anderson introduced this abomination:

"Amtrak continues to evolve the travel experience on long-distance trains with the introduction of a new, flexible dining service for Sleeping Car customers...

Traveling on one of our trains has never been just about the destination – the journey is part of the adventure,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “We continue to evolve our onboard accommodations and dining experience to meet the needs of today’s customers.”

Leave it to a former airline CEO to lie about and ruin one of Amtrak's best features. I would have hoped that his departure would have brought about a quick demise to this disastrous concept.

I remember Anderson touting flex dining as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Never heard such a positive spin on one of the worst decisions Amtrak ever made

 

[user 14106]

View attachment 32789
This is the photo that they got. Doesn't seem to be at dinner.

That’s great to see.

 

[user 14106]

Leave it to a former airline CEO to lie about and ruin one of Amtrak's best features. I would have hoped that his departure would have brought about a quick demise to this disastrous concept.

I suspect had it not been for the COVID pandemic it would have gone away faster.

 

[jis]

I suspect had it not been for the COVID pandemic it would have gone away faster.

The excuse for introducing Flex to Western trains was COVID IIRC. No? Flex or equivalent had started appearing on Eastern trains before Anderson came about. Contemporary crap started under Boardman.

 

[user 14106]

The excuse for introducing Flex to Western trains was COVID IIRC. No? Flex or equivalent had started appearing on Eastern trains before Anderson came about. Contemporary crap started under Boardman.

No arguments there. what I meant is I suspect when Anderson left we would have eventually had this same shift back away from the Flex food with the push to improve food service. Had it not been for the pandemic expanding the flexible food out west and basically causing a two year freeze frame and all the related effect on staffing moving back away from flex towards better options may have been quicker. Of course who knows how the world would have gone and if we had gotten something like the IIJA if the world didn’t go the way it did with Covid.