Amtrak dining and cafe service

[me_little_me]

I agree with you 1,000%. Amtrak should just take the full Acela food and beverage offerings and offer them to sleeping car passengers on Eastern LD trains. The mixed drinks and other adult beverages that the Acela has are great, too.

I am told that this is not possible because the catering facilities for the Acela might differ from the catering facilities for LD trains, but nearly all contracts have termination dates so Amtrak should just shift to the Acela suppliers at some point.

I don't understand why Amtrak has so many different types of business class, so many different types of first class, etc.--surely it would be easier to have a consistent business class and a consistent first class, across the system (or at least a more consistent offering than currently).

Nothing in Amtrak is consistent except for their lack of consistency.

 

[pennyk]

I am requesting one or more AU members to write a concise summary of current Amtrak Dining (including flex dining and traditional dining but not Auto Train) using facts without too many personal opinions. Please assume the reader is a new Amtrak rider who does not feel like reading through 100+ pages in this thread. Thank you.

 

[TheCrescent]

I am requesting one or more AU members to write a concise summary of current Amtrak Dining (including flex dining and traditional dining but not Auto Train) using facts without too many personal opinions. Please assume the reader is a new Amtrak rider who does not feel like reading through 100+ pages in this thread. Thank you.

Flexible dining is a rotating menu of pre-prepared meals that are reheated on board and brought to you in your room (or perhaps served in the dining car if there is one) in a white plastic bag, and served on plastic plates in a cardboard tray. Sometimes the items are still wrapped in plastic with the labels still on them.

Desserts are brownies and blondies, always still wrapped in plastic and sometimes served warm.

Some of them are fine to good (such as the salmon), but the portion sizes are relatively small.

For what Flexible Dining is NOT, and what Amtrak does NOT offer, please watch this, starting at about 4:50:

 

[user 14106]

Cafe service: Cafe service is available on all trains which consists of snack food, some hot choices such as a cheeseburger, personal pizza, and hot dog, and on some trains also fresh sandwiches. Starbucks coffee, Coke branded soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. Business passengers receive complementary soft drinks.


Acela: First class passengers receive at seat meals and free beverages both soft and alcoholic throughout the trip. Passengers going thru New York Can get two meals one on each side of New York. The meals are hot and similar to first class meals on airlines. There are alternative cold options such as a cheese plate.

Traditional dining: Is offered on the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, and Sunset Limited for sleeping car passengers - business class passengers on the Coast Starlight may also purchase these meal packages in the dining car. Consists of chef prepared meals for breakfast lunch and dinner and includes metal flatware, real glassware, flowers on the table, and white tablecloths for dinner and in the future real China. Breakfast choices include an omelette, and scrambled eggs - both prepared from scratch on board, and a railroad French toast. Lunch includes a cheeseburger, artisan grilled cheese, and chili option and includes a complimentary dessert. Dinner is three course - includes a complimentary alcoholic beverage, a dinner roll, a choice from three appetizers, a chef prepared entree, and dessert. Entrees include steak, chicken, pesto tortellini (with an optional chicken), and salmon. Complimentary soft drinks and coffee are also provided throughout the trip. A traditional dining dinner is also offered on the auto train - with the same entrees, a complimentary alcoholic beverage, a salad, and a dinner roll. The Auto Train also serves the same desserts with the addition of ice cream.

Flexible dining: Served on all long distance trains for sleeping car passengers except those listed above that serve traditional meals. Consists of pre-prepared ready to serve re-heated meals. Lunch/dinner Meals include a small salad, a dinner roll, a choice from five entree choices and a brownie or blonde for dessert. Dinner includes a complimentary alcoholic beverage. Complimentary beverages are offered throughout the trip. Breakfast includes a choice from a pre prepared omelette and French toast choice or a continental breakfast (which includes a hot breakfast sandwich.) Three flexible dining entrees are also available for purchase in the coach cross country cafe car on the auto train. Menu refreshes about twice a year.

 

[Rasputin]

Nothing in Amtrak is consistent except for their lack of consistency.

No question that Amtrak takes Thoreau to the extreme.

 

[MARC Rider]

Sure but usually they’re at least professionally printed on nice paper.

Oh yeah? I've seen at lot worse than what was described here at real restaurants. And every trip I've taken during the flex meal era has had properly printed menus that make the flex food appear more attractive than it actually is.

 

[joelkfla]

On one Eastern long distance train recently, with Flexible Dining, the menus were just printouts of the menu from the Amtrak website, on regular 8 1/2”x11” copier paper.

At least you got one. On the northbound leg of my trip in October, the SCA just gave me a xeroxed copy to look at while she stood there and waited for me to choose my dinner, and then took it back.

 

[Rambling Robert]

I have way more to say - maybe later.

Last week I took the DownEaster from Woburn to Rockland ME, I mean Brunswick Maine.

ha ha,

The food was very good. Despite what the online agent/csr said the DownEaster is still on it’s old menu. For one, the new menu features veggie Lasagna - mmmm -

An Amtrak LSA was in the Cafe on both trips. (2/1/22 and 2/2/22) In October 2020 the cafe was closed to passengers and NexDine staff was contracted to take cafe orders at your seat..... nice.

BTW - the $20 roundtrip SALE on the DownEaster. I’ll prolly go again soon - hey for twenty bucks —

the new menu features more breakfast items but I had the “old” egg and sausage (or bacon) breakfast sandwich. Tasty and filling

On the return I had bean/beef.burritos (2) $12 - they needed more chipped beef - but the killer Eli Root-beer bottled in Portland and a double killer Whoopie Pie baked in Skowhegan

 

[niemi24s]

Do they have Moxie on the DownEaster?

 

[user 14106]

Actually there are two sandwich offerings on long distance trains. How often they are actually available I do not know.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...ts/menus/national/National-Cafe-Menu-1021.pdf

 

[Joe from PA]

Last March was our first trip on the Silver Meteor that had the new dining. I had no idea what to expect (like, are we heating our own microwave meals?). It was nice that someone was waiting on our table. The food was OK, some choices better than others. The dining car was a nice change from our roomettes. Because of the Covid, we missed being seated with, and chatting with "complete strangers" . For us, this is one reason we go by train. Hopefully, the dining car will be open for our trip next month because we do NOT want to eat in our roomettes.

 

[joelkfla]

Actually there are two sandwich offerings on long distance trains. How often they are actually available I do not know.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...ts/menus/national/National-Cafe-Menu-1021.pdf

When you said "fresh", you didn't mean actually fresh-made, did you?

 

[user 14106]

When you said "fresh", you didn't mean actually fresh-made, did you?

By fresh I mean - I don’t believe they are frozen sandwiches. On the regionals they claim “made fresh daily” - on LD trains you obviously can’t guarantee that. If I ever have one on the “national cafe car” I’ll try to figure out when they are made.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I’ve posted these before but since it was asked to provide a description of the various meals, here are photos of the flex dining entrees.

I would compare them to low-quality TV dinners.

 

[joelkfla]

I’ve posted these before but since it was asked to provide a description of the various meals, here are photos of the flex dining entrees.

I would compare them to low-quality TV dinners.

That first one looks like shrimp. Wasn't that dropped in favor of the salmon?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That first one looks like shrimp. Wasn't that dropped in favor of the salmon?

Possibly. I feel like the photos give a good example of the quality, portion size, and presentation of the flex dining.

 

[Rambling Robert]

Do they have Moxie on the DownEaster?

IDK.

Next trip on the DownEaster I’ll ask the LSA. My Mom enjoyed Moxie as a kid in the 1930s. I read the formulation has changed and now has high fructose syrup to cut the well known bitter sweet flavor. Moxie was originally bottled in Lowell Mass but has roots in Maine. Coca Cola bought Moxie in 2018.

Speaking of roots the original Moxie and Roof-beer share the same root extract as an ingredient.. Today I have no idea what root beer has in it compared to the original tastes that I remember as a kid in the 1950s.

BTW - Eli’s or actually Capt’n Eli’s” is made by Shipyard Brewing.

 

[me_little_me]

By fresh I mean - I don’t believe they are frozen sandwiches. On the regionals they claim “made fresh daily” - on LD trains you obviously can’t guarantee that. If I ever have one on the “national cafe car” I’ll try to figure out when they are made.

They say daily but are they made the same day as they are sold or does it mean they made them fresh yesterday and they are selling them today and they are making them today for tomorrow's train?
They do not load food on most LD trains after the departure station as far as I know, so the wrap and sandwich are likely NOT fresh after the first day. Anyone know something I don't? Note, they do NOT say "fresh" on the menu.

 

[Rambling Robert]

I’m hoping the pandemic is soon behind us. I’m planning a grand tour USA/Canada/Mexico or a trip to Europe by train.

I’ll wait for the FOOD issues to settle down because that is the former BIG SELL for Amtrak... and if it wants passengers its

I’d like to travel ViaRail northeast and northwest of the border with Canada and just south of the border to Baja California, Mexico. 300 - 400 hours mostly by rail. Some bus, and a final air hop Halifax to Portland ME DownEaster. A mix of RailPass, Coach and sleeper on Amtrak.

in Europe a europass is all I’ll need. But I’d like to take the train in Norway to the Arctic Cirble.

But I’m hoping Amtrak wants me as a passenger.

 

[neroden]

I have way more to say - maybe later.

Last week I took the DownEaster from Woburn to Rockland ME, I mean Brunswick Maine.

ha ha,

The food was very good. Despite what the online agent/csr said the DownEaster is still on it’s old menu.

The state of Maine demanded their own food for the Downeaster; it has a completely different menu from the entire rest of Amtrak, and the state gets what it pays for.

Downeaster food is VERY GOOD and I would be overjoyed if every Amtrak cafe car had the Downeaster food

 

[Maverickstation]

Here is the menu for the Downeaster Cafe, Moxie is not listed.

The cafe menu, like all aspects of the Downeaster is governed by the Northern New England Rail Passenger Authority. The NERPA funds the entire operation, sets the schedules, fares, cafe menu, and policies regarding the operation.

Amtrak is the contracted operator, no more, and no less.

https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/users/user14/2021_Fall_Menu.png
Ken

 

[Rambling Robert]

Here is the menu for the Downeaster Cafe, Moxie is not listed.

The cafe menu, like all aspects of the Downeaster is governed by the Northern New England Rail Passenger Authority. The NERPA funds the entire operation, sets the schedules, fares, cafe menu, and policies regarding the operation.

Amtrak is the contracted operator, no more, and no less.

https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/users/user14/2021_Fall_Menu.png
Ken

The same Orange menu was at the cafe on my DownEaster trip last week. When I requested online I was told the blue menu... the one with veggie lasagna.

to me it really didn’t matter. I like the orange and the blue menus ....

Here’s the blue DownEaster FUTURE MENU;
https://amtrakdowneaster.com/themes/contrib/client_theme/images/cafe/downeaster-cafe-menu.pdf

=================================•

More Amtrak food news;
If you were a passenger on the maiden trip of the DownEaster on December16, 2001 there’s a good chance that you’d be offered a free Maine potato.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The state of Maine demanded their own food for the Downeaster; it has a completely different menu from the entire rest of Amtrak, and the state gets what it pays for.

Other state-supported trains have unique menus as well. Amtrak California used to have really good burritos. Amtrak Cascades used to have a second staff member who served a few “cooked on board” items like oatmeal for breakfast, soup for lunch / dinner. They also featured some fancier entrees and local drinks.

And of course the Piedmont trains give complimentary bottled water and coffee to all passengers and offer vending machines for snacks. That works well for the shorter trip lengths.

 

[jis]

I recall the Clam Chowder Soup served on the Cascades was heavenly, quite unlike anything served anywhere else on Amtrak or state operated service back then.

 

[Dakota 400]

Here’s the blue DownEaster FUTURE MENU;

That's a good sounding menu! "Various chowders" intrigues me. Other than Clam, what might they offer?