Amtrak dining and cafe service

[Asher]

Ferro ——- mentioned
Now that obesity is the norm, Amtrak has crammed two people into a space that should only accommodate one.

Yep, but that falls under the category
Size Matters.

But hey, how bout that Pizza Cal scored.

 

[Cal]

Nice! What station? Assuming you pre-ordered from the train, how did you coordinate delivery?

Albuquerque! We called ahead a few times a little under an hour out, but was disconnected multiple times due to no signal. Eventually about 30 minutes out we called and ordered it. Said we were on the Amtrak and asked for it to be delivered to the train. We were nervous was our arrival time was bumped up. We arrived and about 10-15 minutes after we were in our room eating it. Very tasty

 

[joelkfla]

I like the flowers!

Silk or natural?

 

[me_little_me]

Why one earth do some insist on discussing Toilets in gory detail in a thread on Dining beats me. But I guess some are more focused on the other end of their body

When you eat flex food, they are related!

 

[Cal]

Silk or natural?

I never bothered to check, seemed like silk

 

[user 14106]

The current menu posted still has chicken wings and “skillet Mac n cheese” - the mac n cheese I had years ago on the cascades bistro car was pretty good but I’m not sure if this is the same one.

Also can still get the cheese and cracker tray and pretzels and hummus.

Agreed it’s not as good as the full cafe menu, but still better than flex dining imho!

It does appear they are offering a couple additional choices on the long distance cafe car menu. On the NEC (last train I went to the cafe car in) it literally is just the burger the hot dog and the pizza. I guess we can agree to disagree on it being better...I’m ok with the burgers but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the microwave burger is better than all the flex meals....I have a couple of the flex meals I don’t mind but admittedly I’d probably get tired on a two night trip if I had to have them for every meal. But I’d probably be apt to hit the cafe car for lunch and have a flex meal for dinner.

 

[Cal]

It does appear they are offering a couple additional choices on the long distance cafe car menu. On the NEC (last train I went to the cafe car in) it literally is just the burger the hot dog and the pizza. I guess we can agree to disagree on it being better...I’m ok with the burgers but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the microwave burger is better than all the flex meals....I have a couple of the flex meals I don’t mind but admittedly I’d probably get tired on a two night trip if I had to have them for every meal. But I’d probably be apt to hit the cafe car for lunch and have a flex meal for dinner.

Are you taking about meals only? Bechase the Chief cafe also has the normal snacks (chips, candy, etc)

 

[Barb Stout]

Albuquerque! We called ahead a few times a little under an hour out, but was disconnected multiple times due to no signal. Eventually about 30 minutes out we called and ordered it. Said we were on the Amtrak and asked for it to be delivered to the train. We were nervous was our arrival time was bumped up. We arrived and about 10-15 minutes after we were in our room eating it. Very tasty

Which restaurant in ABQ? Sorry that I failed to wave at you. You went through ABQ on Sunday?

 

[Cal]

Which restaurant in ABQ? Sorry that I failed to wave at you. You went through ABQ on Sunday?

JCs New York Pizza department

 

[me_little_me]

JCs New York Pizza department

Decent pizza too! Nothing is better than sitting at JC's with a pizza and beer on a Saturday night and watch the parade of wild looking vehicles going in both directions on old Rte 66 (Central Ave) at 20mph just showing off.

 

[jiml]

JCs New York Pizza department

You should add a note to the older thread regarding on-train food ordering.

 

[user 14106]

Are you taking about meals only? Bechase the Chief cafe also has the normal snacks (chips, candy, etc)

Yes talking meals (not chips, snacks, etc)

 

[Cal]

You should add a note to the older thread regarding on-train food ordering.

If I remember later!

 

[Dustyroad]

Decent pizza too! Nothing is better than sitting at JC's with a pizza and beer on a Saturday night and watch the parade of wild looking vehicles going in both directions on old Rte 66 (Central Ave) at 20mph just showing off.

What memories you have brought back LOL. Only we rode around on what we called '' the one ways '' in our 1950's/60's cars drinking cans of beer hidden from the cops. Ohh the good ole days. Sorry for stealing the post.

 

[jpakala]

For sleeping car accommodations Viewliners are nicer than Superliners because the ceilings are higher (thus less claustrophobic as well as nicer for the upper berth person), there are no stairways to climb, the rooms have twice as many windows, and you don't have to go down the hall (let alone stairs) to use the restroom (though Viewliner II roomettes have only a sink). The Viewliner wheelchair-accessible bedroom is many times superior to the Superliner's with its narrow beds, no ladder, toilet in the room, etc.

 

[Cal]

For sleeping car accommodations Viewliners are nicer than Superliners because the ceilings are higher (thus less claustrophobic as well as nicer for the upper berth person), there are no stairways to climb, the rooms have twice as many windows, and you don't have to go down the hall (let alone stairs) to use the restroom (though Viewliner II roomettes have only a sink). The Viewliner wheelchair-accessible bedroom is many times superior to the Superliner's with its narrow beds, no ladder, toilet in the room, etc.

I don’t mind having to walk a short distance to the bathroom, and neither do most people. And the superliners have ladders..

 

[jiml]

I don’t mind having to walk a short distance to the bathroom, and neither do most people. And the superliners have ladders..

You're young. Some of us aren't anymore.

 

[Cal]

You're young. Some of us aren't anymore.

Fair point. However a walk a few meters never killed anybody!

 

[west point]

If Superliners were 2 - 3 feet taller then most of the restricted headroom problems would not be there. But forget it Superliners and any replacement cannot be taller due to height problems at Chicago Union Station.

 

[jpakala]

Superliners do not have ladders to the upper berth in the wheelchair-accessible bedrooms. Viewliners have nice carpeted steps on their ladder, which has a place for it during the daytime on the wall toward the car's aisle. There also is a window in that wall and it's across from an aisle window. On the room's outside wall are two large windows, one above the other. And the shower/bathroom is huge because it can accommodate a wheelchair.

 

[me_little_me]

For sleeping car accommodations Viewliners are nicer than Superliners because the ceilings are higher (thus less claustrophobic as well as nicer for the upper berth person), there are no stairways to climb, the rooms have twice as many windows, and you don't have to go down the hall (let alone stairs) to use the restroom (though Viewliner II roomettes have only a sink). The Viewliner wheelchair-accessible bedroom is many times superior to the Superliner's with its narrow beds, no ladder, toilet in the room, etc.

On the other hand, with greater capacity in a car (7 total BRs vs 3*), there is more chance to get a low bucket especially in roomettes. The VL trains have too few of either.

* Both including Handicapped and - in Superliners, family

 

[IndyLions]

For sleeping car accommodations Viewliners are nicer than Superliners because the ceilings are higher (thus less claustrophobic as well as nicer for the upper berth person), there are no stairways to climb, the rooms have twice as many windows, and you don't have to go down the hall (let alone stairs) to use the restroom (though Viewliner II roomettes have only a sink). The Viewliner wheelchair-accessible bedroom is many times superior to the Superliner's with its narrow beds, no ladder, toilet in the room, etc.

The VLII H room I peeked into on the Silver Meteor last week had the restroom in the bedroom - not separate. I believe that’s a change from the VLI to VLII.

 

[IndyLions]

Superliners do not have ladders to the upper berth in the wheelchair-accessible bedrooms. Viewliners have nice carpeted steps on their ladder, which has a place for it during the daytime on the wall toward the car's aisle. There also is a window in that wall and it's across from an aisle window. On the room's outside wall are two large windows, one above the other. And the shower/bathroom is huge because it can accommodate a wheelchair.

In the VLIIs, the dedicated “ladder closet” adjacent to the aisle is gone. They store the ladder on the bunk during the day.

 

[Cal]

Superliners do not have ladders to the upper berth in the wheelchair-accessible bedrooms. Viewliners have nice carpeted steps on their ladder, which has a place for it during the daytime on the wall toward the car's aisle. There also is a window in that wall and it's across from an aisle window. On the room's outside wall are two large windows, one above the other. And the shower/bathroom is huge because it can accommodate a wheelchair.

Okay. Thanks for clarifying

 

[Cal]

I will say, I slept in the upper bunk in a bedroom last night (and will tonight). I thought it was fine, just a little small. But this is a train and it is public transportation, so I thought it was totally fine. I am about 5’7 for reference