Amtrak dining and cafe service

[crescent-zephyr]

This was the traditional way in the "old days" of railroading. As is in pre-Amtrak.

Actually... the “traditional way” was for the customer to fill out the check completely.

 

[Cal]

A personal observation - on the east coast (New York and Miami Crew Based trains) the LSA or Server would ask you your room and car number, fill out the check and just ask you to sign it. I always appreciated this as it seemed more professional and classy to me.

Well, that's actually what I meant. I just worded it terribly, apologies!

 

[me_little_me]

A personal observation - on the east coast (New York and Miami Crew Based trains) the LSA or Server would ask you your room and car number, fill out the check and just ask you to sign it. I always appreciated this as it seemed more professional and classy to me.

Not necessarily. I signed it but they never gave me a copy like they were supposed to. They probably got a lot of free meals out of that. Say, you didn't want a meal or a drink but just wanted dessert. They'd mark you for having a meal and they got a free one. Same for not wanting the dessert. Wonder how many free beers they got during Covid by neglecting to mention you got one free or if you declined it.
I don't begrudge them if Amtrak is making them pay for flex meals like I heard. That alone makes them deserve "hazardous food pay" but they were supposed to give you a copy of the receipt so they couldn't edit it afterwards and I never got one but never pushed the issue.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Not necessarily. I signed it but they never gave me a copy like they were supposed to. They probably got a lot of free meals out of that. Say, you didn't want a meal or a drink but just wanted dessert. They'd mark you for having a meal and they got a free one. Same for not wanting the dessert. Wonder how many free beers they got during Covid by neglecting to mention you got one free or if you declined it.
I don't begrudge them if Amtrak is making them pay for flex meals like I heard. That alone makes them deserve "hazardous food pay" but they were supposed to give you a copy of the receipt so they couldn't edit it afterwards and I never got one but never pushed the issue.

I think you’re talking about a different check / system. I’m talking about pre-flex with traditional dining.

I don’t remember signing anything for my flex meal(s) on the Meteor- I think it’s a different system now.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Well, that's actually what I meant. I just worded it terribly, apologies!

No you described what was standard on the western trains. The bic pens in a coffee cup on the table. I think all of the Chicago and LA crews did this in my experience.

 

[Cal]

No you described what was standard on the western trains. The bic pens in a coffee cup on the table. I think all of the Chicago and LA crews did this in my experience.

Oh.

 

[me_little_me]

I think you’re talking about a different check / system. I’m talking about pre-flex with traditional dining.

I don’t remember signing anything for my flex meal(s) on the Meteor- I think it’s a different system now.

I was talking about pre-flex traditional meals. Originally, you filled out the form then they changed and they took your order AFTER you had to sign and put your room number on it.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I was talking about pre-flex traditional meals. Originally, you filled out the form then they changed and they took your order AFTER you had to sign and put your room number on it.

I’ve been on a lot of Amtrak trains and have never seen it done that way. They’ve always had you sign before your order was taken.

On the western trains, they would typically ask you to fill out the car and room number as well as sign it.

On the New York and Miami crew base trains, they would ask your room and car number and then have you sign your name.

 

[Cal]

I’ve been on a lot of Amtrak trains and have never seen it done that way. They’ve always had you sign before your order was taken.

On the western trains, they would typically ask you to fill out the car and room number as well as sign it.

On the New York and Miami crew base trains, they would ask your room and car number and then have you sign your name.

I've never seen it done that way either

 

[me_little_me]

I’ve been on a lot of Amtrak trains and have never seen it done that way. They’ve always had you sign before your order was taken.

On the western trains, they would typically ask you to fill out the car and room number as well as sign it.

On the New York and Miami crew base trains, they would ask your room and car number and then have you sign your name.

You don't remember when you had to fill out (check the block, IIRC) the form? Long time back. THey always got ticked off when you did it wrong. That's why they probably abandoned it. A few times, they got so frustrated, they asked me to give it to them to do but they were not supposed to do that per the waiters.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

You don't remember when you had to fill out (check the block, IIRC) the form? Long time back. THey always got ticked off when you did it wrong. That's why they probably abandoned it. A few times, they got so frustrated, they asked me to give it to them to do but they were not supposed to do that per the waiters.

Oh I’m not going back that far! Yes the check the box checks was the standard pre-Amtrak style. That had to with racial issues and it held over to the Amtrak days “cause that’s how we’ve always done it”

I’m talking about the standard Amtrak checks that have been used in traditional dining for the past 20+ years.

 

[jiml]

Oh I’m not going back that far! Yes the check the box checks was the standard pre-Amtrak style. That had to with racial issues and it held over to the Amtrak days “cause that’s how we’ve always done it”

I’m talking about the standard Amtrak checks that have been used in traditional dining for the past 20+ years.

They would usually be waiting with the place setting when you were seated.

 

[railiner]

They way I recall pre-Amtrak times, was that each passenger would have a blank check in front of them with the menu, and there was a cup with some pencil stubs to write with. Nothing was pre-printed. No boxes to check. You actually printed out your menu choices. Then the waiter would come by, pick up your check, and review your selections, and clarify certain items, and ask "how would you like that steak?, etc.
It amazed me how they could read some rather illegible handwriting...

The main reason for having the passengers write their selections themselves, was to prevent waste, in case the passenger disputed what they had ordered.

After the meal, the steward came around with the totaled amount on each check, and collected...either in cash, or the rarely held, Rail Travel Credit Card.

 

[Exvalley]

It looks like Flexible Dining is here to stay on the east coast trains. The reservation system still shows Flexibile Dining on the Lake Shore Limited in October.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

View attachment 21064
They would usually be waiting with the place setting when you were seated.

Yes, those are the “standard” dining car checks I was referring to.

I wouldn’t say it was usual they were waiting on the table, I saw a few western crews do this but not all. And as I said several posts ago the eastern crews would fill out the car and room number for you and only ask you to sign.

As is typically of Amtrak dining Cars, each crew has their own system so not surprising that our mileage varies!

 

[me_little_me]

It looks like Flexible Dining is here to stay on the east coast trains. The reservation system still shows Flexibile Dining on the Lake Shore Limited in October.

So it's kosher dinner and breakfast on my scheduled Cardinal trip in June but real food on the connecting Zephyr.

 

[nferr]

The need is clearly greater on the western trains, but in the east, the Crescent is about 30 hours end to end, and the Cardinal, Star and Meteor are all more than 24 hours. And the Lake Shore and Capitol are long enough that they require something far better than the current level of service before I'd want to ride them myself, let alone recommend them to anyone.

Lake Shore westbound is a dinner and breakfast if you ride the entire distance. Flex dining is not great but certainly adequate for that. Same with the Capitol. Agree with you on the Crescent and Silver Service. That's multiple meals. Cardinal is kind of unique because there's so few sleeper passengers with the current consist

 

[fdaley]

Lake Shore westbound is a dinner and breakfast if you ride the entire distance. Flex dining is not great but certainly adequate for that. Same with the Capitol. Agree with you on the Crescent and Silver Service. That's multiple meals. Cardinal is kind of unique because there's so few sleeper passengers with the current consist

The eastbound Lake Shore leaves Chicago at 9:30 at night, arrives in Albany at 2:30 the next afternoon (and often more like 4 p.m. if late), and Boston at 8-10 p.m. So that's multiple meal periods. There's no way I would book a family vacation using the Lake Shore or Capitol with the current meal service, and no way I'd recommend it to anyone else. A bedroom for two on the Lake Shore still costs about $750 a night at the lowest bucket that's ever available. I could imagine toughing it out if traveling alone in a roomette, but it really has zero appeal to me. The breakfast doesn't even meet the Motel 6 standard.

 

[Barb Stout]

After the meal, the steward came around with the totaled amount on each check, and collected...either in cash, or the rarely held, Rail Travel Credit Card.

Rail Travel Credit Card. Are any of those still around and/or are any good currently?

 

[jiml]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_Travel_Card

 

[Cal]

So it's kosher dinner and breakfast on my scheduled Cardinal trip in June but real food on the connecting Zephyr.

Sigh, I don't eat seafood so I don't get the kosher meals. Flexible dining for me this month

 

[me_little_me]

Sigh, I don't eat seafood so I don't get the kosher meals. Flexible dining for me this month

Huh? Last time I checked, there was beef and chicken also available and a separate breakfast.

 

[Cal]

Huh? Last time I checked, there was beef and chicken also available and a separate breakfast.

Where can I check?

 

[me_little_me]

Where can I check?

There used to be a web page but I can't find it. There was a previous thread on it on this site. I also dislike seafood so I emailed them asking where I can find that info. Julie, like usual, was a waste of time for anything but simplistic questions.
I'll post their reply if they bother telling me anything useful.
I could call but I haven't finalized the reservation scheduled for June.

Edit:
FOUND IT!
http://amtrakfoodfacts.com/menu-items-limited/Kosher meals are clearly marked.

 

[Cal]

Alright.

Also, It looks like traditional dining is coming back on May 24th to all western LD trains. On the 25th, train 4 shows traditional dining.