Which Does Amtrak Do Best? Worst? Why?

[Devil's Advocate]

I seem to have just had some bad dinners on the LD network which I am finally willing to admit might be an anomaly. But I had awesome dinners in the PPC, including the lamb shank! :wub:

If the PPC was the only time you had an awesome dinner then logically wouldn't the PPC experience be the anomaly? I'm pretty sure that the mashed potatoes on standards diners and CCC's are nothing more than powdered mash. I've had the real thing many times and it doesn't look or taste or feel anything like what they serve on Amtrak. For a $30 meal that's simply inexcusable to me. The PPC meals were a lot more interesting than the usual fare and certainly aimed a lot higher on the gourmet scale. The only downside was that the limited selection of dishes were made well ahead of time and left in warmers and that kept them from reaching top quality. It's a cool idea and some of the selections worked out better than others, but it would have been nice to get freshly prepared dishes instead of having them sit in the warmers for an hour or more before serving. I'm not sure if or how it would work out logistically but fresher preparation would be my preference if it were possible.

 

[pennyk]

I think Amtrak does a pretty good job in the diners considering what they have to work with. I remember the first meal I ate on a train - in the mid-1960's (I think it was an Atlantic Coast Line train) from Miami to Washington. I think we were served powdered eggs and rubbery bacon. The awful smell from the dining car seemed to permeate the entire train. In spite of the food, I had a good trip. The food in the dining cars have come a long way.

I have food allergies, so there are many times when I am unable to eat any of the dinner entrees. When that happens, I get vegetables, a baked potato and dessert. When that occurs, it is not Amtrak's fault. I realize it would be impossible for a special meal to be prepared to my specifications.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Have you considered requesting a special meal ahead of time? I saw an Indian family eating one of the special meals on the Sunset Limited and they looked a lot more interesting than the usual selections. I wanted to ask what it was and how it tasted but I didn't want to disrupt their dining experience. On my last trip I had some of the best food ever on Amtrak. Unfortunately my rather positive experience was quickly eclipsed by the much higher quality of the food on The Canadian a few days later. Oh well, such is life. ^_^

 

[pennyk]

Have you considered requesting a special meal ahead of time? I saw an Indian family eating one of the special meals on the Sunset Limited and they looked a lot more interesting than the usual selections. I wanted to ask what it was and how it tasted but I didn't want to disrupt their dining experience. On my last trip I had some of the best food ever on Amtrak. Unfortunately my rather positive experience was quickly eclipsed by the much higher quality of the food on The Canadian a few days later. Oh well, such is life. ^_^

Amtrak special meals are limited. My allergy is to garlic and garlic-free is not one of their special categories. I have a difficult time at restaurants and friends homes also. I am used to it.

 

[AlanB]

The only downside was that the limited selection of dishes were made well ahead of time and left in warmers and that kept them from reaching top quality. It's a cool idea and some of the selections worked out better than others, but it would have been nice to get freshly prepared dishes instead of having them sit in the warmers for an hour or more before serving.

Some items are indeed cooked to order, things like the steaks for example. Other meals are pre-plated and are kept cold until they are heated in a convection oven. No main course sits in a warmer for an hour awaiting serving.

Yes, things like the veggies sit in a steam table. But the main course is either cooked fresh out of the fridge or heated in a convection oven.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The only downside was that the limited selection of dishes were made well ahead of time and left in warmers and that kept them from reaching top quality. It's a cool idea and some of the selections worked out better than others, but it would have been nice to get freshly prepared dishes instead of having them sit in the warmers for an hour or more before serving.

Some items are indeed cooked to order, things like the steaks for example. Other meals are pre-plated and are kept cold until they are heated in a convection oven. No main course sits in a warmer for an hour awaiting serving.

Yes, things like the veggies sit in a steam table. But the main course is either cooked fresh out of the fridge or heated in a convection oven.

Um, not to be disagreeable or anything, but it was pretty clear what was going on by watching the staff stock the warmers with pre-cooked trays of chicken and beef for dinner. Depending on when you had reserved your meal time it could easily be an hour or more after the food was cooked but before it reached your plate. Possibly a few hours if you were among the last to dine. Some dishes handled this better than others. Remember, we're talking about the PPC here, not the standard diner.

 

[AlanB]

The only downside was that the limited selection of dishes were made well ahead of time and left in warmers and that kept them from reaching top quality. It's a cool idea and some of the selections worked out better than others, but it would have been nice to get freshly prepared dishes instead of having them sit in the warmers for an hour or more before serving.

Some items are indeed cooked to order, things like the steaks for example. Other meals are pre-plated and are kept cold until they are heated in a convection oven. No main course sits in a warmer for an hour awaiting serving.

Yes, things like the veggies sit in a steam table. But the main course is either cooked fresh out of the fridge or heated in a convection oven.

Um, not to be disagreeable or anything, but it was pretty clear what was going on by watching the staff stock the warmers with pre-cooked trays of chicken and beef for dinner. Depending on when you had reserved your meal time it could easily be an hour or more after the food was cooked but before it reached your plate. Possibly a few hours if you were among the last to dine. Some dishes handled this better than others. Remember, we're talking about the PPC here, not the standard diner.

Sorry, I missed the PPC part of the conversation. Yes, in the case of the PPC, everything is kept warm after being prepped in the diner.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I like the dinners. Most entrees are good; and you have a choice of four. Desserts are excellent.

The Cafe Car is the worst, although not un-edible. If that's all that's available it's OK. Maybe I was influenced by the surly attendent.

(Trains involved are the SL and TE.)

How can you really judge cafe cars? They just serve what other companies make.

 

[amamba]

Texas did you read my post? I said dinners were the worst meal on the train. I have rannted about the awful dinners and how I thought the steak was terrible, but everytime I bring it up all the other posters say they have had great steaks. That is why I said my steak was maybe an anomaly. But that doesn't excuse powdered mashed potatoes, canned green beans or sodium heavy meats. I think we are in agreement here that the food is not up to par with what I normally eat.

 

[pebbleworm]

The long distance- at least Superliner- cafe cars are pretty lame, but the California Capitol Corridor/San Joaquin cafes are really not bad at all. I've always found the full diners perfectly adequate, and occasionally better than expected. Compared to airline or truck stop chow they are pretty darn good!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I like the dinners. Most entrees are good; and you have a choice of four. Desserts are excellent.

The Cafe Car is the worst, although not un-edible. If that's all that's available it's OK. Maybe I was influenced by the surly attendent.

(Trains involved are the SL and TE.)

How can you really judge cafe cars? They just serve what other companies make.

I debated about whether to include the cafe cars in the poll, partially for the reason you bring up, but decided to for several reasons:

First; while the food in the cafe is premade, Amtrak does SERVE it as a meal option. When one considers that a significant percentage of the food served in the DC has been preprepared to a degree, (Take virtually all the vegetables served on the dinner plate. They obviously were not fresh when they came aboard.) I decided that the fact the cafe food is premade did not disqualify it.

Second; if one is in a sleeper, using the cafe car as an option for meals does not make sense for most people. Why spend extra for food when it is already included in the price of the room? However, if one is in coach it is a real option, especially when your out-of-pocket expense is often less than in the DC.

What the poll has clearly shown to this point is that the cafe has the most room for improvement.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Texas did you read my post?

Yes. Just sounded like maybe you were reconsidering your position. Guess I misunderstood.

How can you really judge cafe cars? They just serve what other companies make.

By that logic since everything on the entire train is what some other company makes maybe we shouldn't judge any of it?

Keep in mind that for many coach passengers the junk food car will be their one and only option outside of breakfast service.