Amtrak dining and cafe service

[Asher]

As the President of the Love The Gruel Society, I take umbrage at your insulting remark about our favorite meal. Remember Oliver Twist, an important character in history who, upon eating his gruel, asked the master
Has ANYONE done that with the flex meals? NO! So please stop insulting Mr. Twist (now grown and well over 100 - he still eats gruel at the nursing home) and the Society. Have you no decency?

I hear you talking,. But, I’ll pass On the gruel

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Great to see, I'll have the Steak, Medium Rare with Baked Potato, Salad, Warm Roll and Cheescake! To drink, my Free Serving of Red!

Hey Jim—Don’t get so excited that you forget the first step—before you order, you have to board the train! (Details, details.)

 

[willem]

Steak, Medium Rare with Baked Potato, Salad, Warm Roll and Cheescake

A bit off-topic, but pre-flex, the Empire Builder always surprised and disappointed me by not heating the rolls. I hope that's changed.

 

[Sidney]

A wrong has been righted. Next step is restoring traditional dining on the TE and the Eastern trains and letting Coach passengers eat good food. Hopefully by years end flexible dining will be a bad memory. indeed,one of Antrak's biggest blunders.

 

[Cal]

A bit off-topic, but pre-flex, the Empire Builder always surprised and disappointed me by not heating the rolls. I hope that's changed.

Mine were usually warm..

 

[me_little_me]

A wrong has been righted. Next step is restoring traditional dining on the TE and the Eastern trains and letting Coach passengers eat good food. Hopefully by years end flexible dining will be a bad memory. indeed,one of Antrak's biggest blunders.

New Coke version 2

 

[tim49424]

Great to see, I'll have the Steak, Medium Rare with Baked Potato, Salad, Warm Roll and Cheescake!

IMO, the PERFECT dinner on Amtrak and what I'll be having the evening of August 20 on the Empire Builder!

 

[Sidney]

IMO, the PERFECT dinner on Amtrak and what I'll be having the evening of August 20 on the Empire Builder!

My exact choice. I'll be on the EB from Chi-Sea on September 9. Red wine preceding the meal. Can't wait! Meals will be something to look forward to again!

 

[PVD]

IMO, the PERFECT dinner on Amtrak and what I'll be having the evening of August 20 on the Empire Builder!

Stick a birthday candle on the cheescake for me.....8-20

 

[tim49424]

Stick a birthday candle on the cheescake for me.....8-20

My last trip, same itinerary (joy ride from CHI-SEA and back, only spending time at King Street), back on February 17-22, 2020, was a birthday trip for me. I have a dear friend who is a conductor and he was working Mondays, so I left the day before. I was in the dining car at lunch the next day at a table with three other pax and opened my big mouth to one of them, as I explained why I was travelling. Next thing you know, I had the entire dining car singing to me, as she informed our server.

 

[niemi24s]

A bit off-topic, but pre-flex, the Empire Builder always surprised and disappointed me by not heating the rolls.

One of my most memorable moments on the EB was being severely chided by the Dining Car Dragon for attempting to warm a roll with my cigarette lighter.

 

[Cal]

My last trip, same itinerary (joy ride from CHI-SEA and back, only spending time at King Street), back on February 17-22, 2020, was a birthday trip for me. I have a dear friend who is a conductor and he was working Mondays, so I left the day before. I was in the dining car at lunch the next day at a table with three other pax and opened my big mouth to one of them, as I explained why I was travelling. Next thing you know, I had the entire dining car singing to me, as she informed our server.

That's amazing, truly showing how great Amtrak travel can be.

 

[tim49424]

That's amazing, truly showing how great Amtrak travel can be.

It was more embarrassing than amazing, but other than that the trip was great as usual.

 

[erinch13]

We’ll be on the CL Jul 11:WAS to CHI. And then SWC to ABQ. What’s the least worst of the flex dining on the CL?

 

[Cal]

We’ll be on the CL Jul 11:WAS to CHI. And then SWC to ABQ. What’s the least worst of the flex dining on the CL?

If they Shrimp in Lobster sauce or the cod, get that!

 

[west point]

Someone I know said yesterday that1she was changing tableware during the shutdown. For some reason the replacement tableware is "delayed in transit". Supplier will not give her more information. My first thought container carrier Evergiven ? But that does appear unlikely as wrong location. But it might be Amtrak cannot get enough table ware yet ? It might be only 1 - 3 items ? NOT happy using Styrofoam plates'

 

[Cal]

NOT happy using Styrofoam plates'

Aren't they plastic?

 

[bestcee]

Personally I hope that they find a way to get coach passengers back into the diner soon, seems a little snobbish to exclude them

This would be nice.
Just travelled on the Zephyr, coach, first (longer than 4 hours) Amtrak trip (6/23-24) Naperville to Provo. I got to listen to constant dining room calls. Breakfast starting at 7am, with 2 additional calls for come and eat, followed by a last call. Then the lunch call started: 11:30, 12:30 & 1:30. Then the announcement that she would be coming to the sleeper cars to get your order and reservation time. Then hey, if you didn't get your reservation I'm in the dining car come to me. Then last call for reservations! Then the calling to dinner: 5:30, 6:30 & 7:30. Then the hey, if you haven't gotten food, come tell us because we don't know about you!
All this punctuated by extra announcements that this doesn't apply to coach. You can check the cafe for food, but that's it.
Having to listen to so many food announcements with the constant reminders that it doesn't apply to me was a real turn off and makes me rethink taking the train again. I've never felt more like a second class citizen. Maybe they can program the speakers so that coach cars don't have to hear all the excess meal announcements.

 

[Sidney]

I got that $299 rail pass. Sure would be nice to have a few diner meals on board. Breakfast starts at 6:30. First announcements start at 7. It would be nice to let Coach passengers order breakfast during that half hour window when the diner is still pretty empty.

 

[Rasputin]

One of my most memorable moments on the EB was being severely chided by the Dining Car Dragon for attempting to warm a roll with my cigarette lighter.

You are supposed to set your roll in the sun. It is much safer and is environmentally friendly.

 

[cocojacoby]

IMO, the PERFECT dinner on Amtrak and what I'll be having the evening of August 20 on the Empire Builder!

Good but not perfect. Add the Lobster Crab Cake and a glass of wine. Now you're talking

 

[tim49424]

Good but not perfect. Add the Lobster Crab Cake and a glass of wine. Now you're talking

Did you happen to see the “IMO”?

 

[user 14106]

This would be nice.
Just travelled on the Zephyr, coach, first (longer than 4 hours) Amtrak trip (6/23-24) Naperville to Provo. I got to listen to constant dining room calls. Breakfast starting at 7am, with 2 additional calls for come and eat, followed by a last call. Then the lunch call started: 11:30, 12:30 & 1:30. Then the announcement that she would be coming to the sleeper cars to get your order and reservation time. Then hey, if you didn't get your reservation I'm in the dining car come to me. Then last call for reservations! Then the calling to dinner: 5:30, 6:30 & 7:30. Then the hey, if you haven't gotten food, come tell us because we don't know about you!
All this punctuated by extra announcements that this doesn't apply to coach. You can check the cafe for food, but that's it.
Having to listen to so many food announcements with the constant reminders that it doesn't apply to me was a real turn off and makes me rethink taking the train again. I've never felt more like a second class citizen. Maybe they can program the speakers so that coach cars don't have to hear all the excess meal announcements.

They say they're going to open up eventually - next trip try for an upgrade to a sleeper. You never know you may get it.

 

[jis]

Good but not perfect. Add the Lobster Crab Cake and a glass of wine. Now you're talking

Did not have time or patience to check the menu eh? just to help, here is a link to the menu:

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...routes/Long-Distance-Dining-Car-Menu-0621.pdf
Or was that an obscure piece of humor?

 

[user 14106]

Today is the first day of traditional dining out of origination terminals in both directions for the zephyr, builder, and southwest chief - first day on trains 3, 6, and 7. It will take a couple more days for all intermediate stations in the “return direction” back to the OBS crew base to have it. The exception is the sunset which will originate its first west bound train with traditional dining tomorrow (Sunday)