Menu Capitol Limited?

[Mystic River Dragon]

No problem in purchasing food in the Cafe and then consuming them in the Sleeper lounge.

It’s the sleeper lounge - open 24/7 supposedly - so I don’t think there’d be a problem.

Good. Then I just might be tempted to take the Cap. after all. I will sit there having an egg sandwich and that'll learn 'em.

I would take the free breakfast and give it to a homeless person when I got off the train, but I'd be afraid if they had diabetes or other health problems that all that sugar at once would make them sick.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I would take the free breakfast and give it to a homeless person when I got off the train, but I'd be afraid if they had diabetes or other health problems that all that sugar at once would make them sick.

It's crazy to me how unhealthy and harmful our conventional food supply has become, especially to an uneducated person without health insurance.  At my grocery store the fresh produce section is maybe 5% of the store area.  Nearly everything else is chock full of refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, a wide spectrum of fats and oils, and simple carbohydrates.

 

[RidinRails]

I recently rode the Capitol Limited. Had a roomette.  Maybe there are lots of passengers happy about the 'new and contemporary' food offerings that I don't know about, but they weren't on my train.  Dear Amtrak: It's not working.   

Go to the lounge car and get your dinner in a bag?  Seriously?  I won't even go into breakfast.   I've been riding Amtrak since the 80's. The 'dining' experience I just had on the Capitol was not acceptable.  If they are going to serve food in that manner, I'd rather they take our orders from an Applebee's or Chili's menu and call ahead....or contract it out to Applebee's or Chili's.  Amtrak needs to be selling an experience.  It isn't an airline where you "cram 'em, jam 'em and give 'em some peanuts".  Eating in the diner with an actual menu with actual hot food choices IS part of the train experience, and, in my opinion, an important part of the experience.   I really hope they get rid of this 'contemporary' experience.  

I must say the service from the Amtrak personnel was first-rate on my trip...from station personnel to all the on-board staff on both trains (the second train had a dining car...sooooo much better).  So, good job by the staff!

-Ride on!

 

[daybeers]

I recently rode the Capitol Limited. Had a roomette.  Maybe there are lots of passengers happy about the 'new and contemporary' food offerings that I don't know about, but they weren't on my train.  Dear Amtrak: It's not working.   

Go to the lounge car and get your dinner in a bag?  Seriously?  I won't even go into breakfast.   I've been riding Amtrak since the 80's. The 'dining' experience I just had on the Capitol was not acceptable.  If they are going to serve food in that manner, I'd rather they take our orders from an Applebee's or Chili's menu and call ahead....or contract it out to Applebee's or Chili's.  Amtrak needs to be selling an experience.  It isn't an airline where you "cram 'em, jam 'em and give 'em some peanuts".  Eating in the diner with an actual menu with actual hot food choices IS part of the train experience, and, in my opinion, an important part of the experience.   I really hope they get rid of this 'contemporary' experience.  

I must say the service from the Amtrak personnel was first-rate on my trip...from station personnel to all the on-board staff on both trains (the second train had a dining car...sooooo much better).  So, good job by the staff!

-Ride on!

Please call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL and ask for Customer Relations (not Customer Service) and tell them about your experience, both good and bad!

 

[justinslot]

I am in a bedroom on the Capitol Limited this very second, and I gotta say, I actually like the new setup? But I'm someone who mostly dreaded dining with complete strangers so I'm glad that isn't a possibility at all anymore. The food was certainly not as good (there's no way to get a good microwave version of the Amtrak steak and crabcake) but if you select wine as your complimentary drink you get a half bottle! So, for me, inferior food that I can get to go easily but superior "free" drinks >>> better food, unfree drinks, and dining with complete strangers.

 

[Manny T]

Thanks all for the information and opinions. I am riding the Cap Ltd RT next month in a bedroom and I'm thinking  about my options -- bring along something to eat or try out the "new" dining for this one trip.

Seriously?  I won't even go into breakfast. 

RidinRails, for the sake of us folks who haven't done this yet, could you please go into breakfast?!

 

[justinslot]

And this is off topic but jeeeeez is this train getting slammed by freight traffic. We were on time for most of the night, maybe a little late in Cleveland, and this morning it's just a crawl for miles. We're going to be I-don't-know-how-many-hours late and I just want to get there by 2:30 so I can get on the 3 to LA and I am, ummmm, at least mildly concerned about that at this point. Current ETA is 1:11 and it keeps getting worse.

 

[NativeSon5859]

I just rode 48 CHI-NYP. No problems at all with the meal service. You sat down in the sleeper lounge, filled out what you wanted to get on the order slip, and the attendant brought the order to your table along with the drinks. If you wanted it to go, she’d bag it up for you. The people I talked to, sure, they missed the traditional service, but also understood why this new service was implemented. It’s fine for a one night trip. I think they could add one more breakfast option, but otherwise, it was perfectly adequate. The dining atmosphere was more relaxed I’d say and socializing was still taking place.

The “horror” of the boxed meals won’t prevent me from riding the CL or the LSL in the future.

 

[cpotisch]

I just rode 48 CHI-NYP. No problems at all with the meal service. You sat down in the sleeper lounge, filled out what you wanted to get on the order slip, and the attendant brought the order to your table along with the drinks. If you wanted it to go, she’d bag it up for you. The people I talked to, sure, they missed the traditional service, but also understood why this new service was implemented. It’s fine for a one night trip. I think they could add one more breakfast option, but otherwise, it was perfectly adequate. The dining atmosphere was more relaxed I’d say and socializing was still taking place.

The “horror” of the boxed meals won’t prevent me from riding the CL or the LSL in the future.

If they add another vegetarian option and a choice of dessert, I'd be onboard (figuratively and literally). But under the current menu, as a pescatarian I have literally no choice whatsoever about what to order. Which sucks.

 

[NativeSon5859]

I hope and suspect the menu will continue to evolve as more feedback is received.

 

[GBNorman]

Maybe a "knothole in the paywall":

https://www.wsj.com/articles/inventing-a-thanksgiving-favorite-1542383912?shareToken=st1e45001c04954292a3f85db0d9653020&ref=article_email_share

Anyone care to see this "savory colation" added to the Capitol Limited's "feesh and contemporary" Menu?

 

[TinCan782]

I am in a bedroom on the Capitol Limited this very second, and I gotta say, I actually like the new setup? But I'm someone who mostly dreaded dining with complete strangers so I'm glad that isn't a possibility at all anymore. The food was certainly not as good (there's no way to get a good microwave version of the Amtrak steak and crabcake) but if you select wine as your complimentary drink you get a half bottle! So, for me, inferior food that I can get to go easily but superior "free" drinks >>> better food, unfree drinks, and dining with complete strangers.

Even before this menu change on the CL and LSL you could request your SCA to bring your meal to you in your sleeper accommodation if you are uncomfortable "dining with strangers". This is still true with the remaining traditional dining cars.

 

[keelhauled]

Was in-room dining ever advertised?  I don't recall ever being offered it. In fact, on my one LSL trip with the box meals, the crew didn't say anything about the option even though it was part of Amtrak's advertising copy.  As always, the most consistent thing about Amtrak is its inconsistency.

 

[cpotisch]

Was in-room dining ever advertised?  I don't recall ever being offered it. In fact, on my one LSL trip with the box meals, the crew didn't say anything about the option even though it was part of Amtrak's advertising copy.  As always, the most consistent thing about Amtrak is its inconsistency.

At one point, room service was definitely listed in multiple parts of the site as an option for any sleeper passenger, but I'm not seeing that now.

 

[keelhauled]

Well that's my point, Amtrak will promise one thing, but it's not always what their crews actually deliver.  It's shooting themselves in the foot, and personally I think the on board service is the company's biggest weakness that's entirely within their control.

 

[LDKarr]

At the beginning of my trip, I always request that meals be delivered to my room. I've yet to run into any issues with that request.

 

[cpotisch]

At the beginning of my trip, I always request that meals be delivered to my room. I've yet to run into any issues with that request.

Same here. It might not really be advertised anymore, but it's definitely an option and I've never run into a single SCA who is unwilling to oblige. Just because something isn't actively marketed doesn't necessarily mean that it's not there.

 

[Manny T]

I've heard or read that after ordering, passengers have been assigned a time to pick up their box dinners from the dining car. Some of the assigned pick up times have been rather late on the eastbound CL. Can anyone tell me if this is common? 

I will be boarding the CL out of CHI quite soon and would find this information helpful! Thanks.

 

[Manny T]

I found out for myself on my recent eastbound CL journey. The SCA came around after departure to take orders and assign a time for pick-up or delivery of the boxed dinner. I asked for 715pm delivery and the meal arrived pretty close, at 730pm.

Breakfast was first come first served--you went into the diner whenever you wanted and received your "breakfast" box from the attendant. You could eat it in the diner or bring it back to your room. Coffee was available in your sleeping car.