Dining Car Etiquette

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Dakota 400

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Once again, I am going to date myself by asking this question, I suppose.

The last time I dined on Amtrak, when one arrived at the Dining Car, one waited for the Dining Car Steward to seat oneself.

Is this still the practice on The Southwest Chief in its Dining Car?

Is this the practice on The Cardinal in its Diner/Lounge?

Or, is it like a more casual restaurant where one seats oneself wherever?

Thanks for the information. This web site has provided much, much excellent information to help me plan for my forthcoming Amtrak journey.
 
Dakota 400 said:
Once again, I am going to date myself by asking this question, I suppose.

"Steward" is no more, now called the Lead Service Attendant-Diner. Does the same thing. If you are in sleeper, they will ask you what time you would like to RESERVE your space for dinner. If you are traveling coach, you MAY (or may not) need to go to the diner, and request a time to eat. Pretty much the same for all trains. RRDUDE

The last time I dined on Amtrak, when one arrived at the Dining Car, one waited for the Dining Car Steward to seat oneself.

Is this still the practice on The Southwest Chief in its Dining Car?

Is this the practice on The Cardinal in its Diner/Lounge?

Or, is it like a more casual restaurant where one seats oneself wherever?

Thanks for the information. This web site has provided much, much excellent information to help me plan for my forthcoming Amtrak journey.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think most dining car staff would like for you to wait for them to seat you. Sometimes for breakfast, when the diner is not full, I have been told to sit wherever I would like. I always wait by the door to be acknowledged by the staff.
 
Always wait to be acknowledged by the LSA, they will direct you to a table weather you have reservations or not. Most of the time (unless the diner is not at all crowded) you will be directed to a table., Unless you are a party of 4 you usually do not have a choice as to whom you will dine with.
 
I can only speak to the Empire Builder. The dining car steward demands that one waits to be seated. There are no reservations for breakfast or lunch. Reservations for dinner are required.

A Montanan who enjoys train travel.
 
pennyk said:
I think most dining car staff would like for you to wait for them to seat you. Sometimes for breakfast, when the diner is not full, I have been told to sit wherever I would like. I always wait by the door to be acknowledged by the staff.
Click to expand...
I've seen people try to seat themselves (on the TE) and get mildly chewed out by the LSA and then moved. (I always WAIT to be SEATED as one of the guys who does the PA announcements says it).

I've also seen passengers get really huffy over having to sit with other people - they don't get what "community seating" means.
 
rrdude said:
"Steward" is no more, now called the Lead Service Attendant-Diner. Does the same thing. If you are in sleeper, they will ask you what time you would like to RESERVE your space for dinner. If you are traveling coach, you MAY (or may not) need to go to the diner, and request a time to eat. Pretty much the same for all trains. RRDUDE
Click to expand...
Except that the Dining Car reservation forms says "Steward" on them. And there are some LSA's who announce themselves over the PA as the dining car steward.
 
Our last three Amtrak rides all had announcements to remind people to wait at the doorway to be seated. And there will be "community seating" so you can meet and greet your neighbors. :) But sometimes if you get there early, you may get breakfast by yourself.. was true this time on the LSL for breakfast and lunch. Just depends on the crew and how crowded the train is.
 
fillyjonk said:
pennyk said:
I think most dining car staff would like for you to wait for them to seat you. Sometimes for breakfast, when the diner is not full, I have been told to sit wherever I would like. I always wait by the door to be acknowledged by the staff.
Click to expand...
I've seen people try to seat themselves (on the TE) and get mildly chewed out by the LSA and then moved. (I always WAIT to be SEATED as one of the guys who does the PA announcements says it).

I've also seen passengers get really huffy over having to sit with other people - they don't get what "community seating" means.
Click to expand...
Community seating...one of the best parts of train travel when you are by yourself or your partner..geeez..the people you meet are soo interesting to just hear stories from people I don't know:) When I walk in I just stand near the door, and when they look at me I hold up 1 finger and I am directed to a table.Only once at breakfast have I eaten alone...now that was boring.
 
Bill said:
fillyjonk said:
pennyk said:
I think most dining car staff would like for you to wait for them to seat you. Sometimes for breakfast, when the diner is not full, I have been told to sit wherever I would like. I always wait by the door to be acknowledged by the staff.
Click to expand...
I've seen people try to seat themselves (on the TE) and get mildly chewed out by the LSA and then moved. (I always WAIT to be SEATED as one of the guys who does the PA announcements says it).

I've also seen passengers get really huffy over having to sit with other people - they don't get what "community seating" means.
Click to expand...
Community seating...one of the best parts of train travel when you are by yourself or your partner..geeez..the people you meet are soo interesting to just hear stories from people I don't know:) When I walk in I just stand near the door, and when they look at me I hold up 1 finger and I am directed to a table.Only once at breakfast have I eaten alone...now that was boring.
Click to expand...
Last month on the CZ-CS-EB was very enjoyable at meals. I was seated twice with young couples from Europe, one from Germany and the other from Spain. Once with a lady who I found out graduated the same year as I from my rival high school in Minnesota. Another meal I was seated with two ladies, one a doctor and the other studying to be one. It was great to just listen and ask a question here and there. Plus the meals themselves were all pretty good! I also had a great conversation in the lounge with a young man who was on terminal leave from the Air Force and had the same job (Security Police) I had when I was in the Air Force. He had a 30 day rail pass...so he was getting paid and seeing the country...doesn't get any better than that! We spent the better part of the afternoon swapping stories and buying each other beer. All this and I spent easily half my awake hours in my roomette. Very enjoyable trip. Already starting to plan next years trip...Saint Paul to El Paso, late March or early April. Anyone with tips for that trip? Feel free to shoot me a PM...it would be greatly appreciated!
 
Remember that the Empire Builder won't connect with the Texas Eagle in

CHI so you would have to spend the night in CHI or take MegaBus or the Hound from MSP-CHI in order to make same day connections with #421 (a three days a week train for ELP)!
 
TVRM610 said:
rrdude said:
"Steward" is no more, now called the Lead Service Attendant-Diner. Does the same thing. If you are in sleeper, they will ask you what time you would like to RESERVE your space for dinner. If you are traveling coach, you MAY (or may not) need to go to the diner, and request a time to eat. Pretty much the same for all trains. RRDUDE
Click to expand...
Except that the Dining Car reservation forms says "Steward" on them. And there are some LSA's who announce themselves over the PA as the dining car steward.
Click to expand...
The technical name or name used for employment by Amtrak may say "Lead Service Attendant-Diner" but every time I've ridden the Empire Builder the "Lead Service Attendant-Diner" introduces himself/herself as the "Dining Car Steward."

A Montanan who enjoys train travel.
 
I would like to know how the food service is being conducted on the Cardinal these days? They only have half the number of seats available of a std dining car and just wonder how they handle the passenger load. Got an upcoming trip in June. I am not expecting Filet Mignon but a nice orderly food service with acceptable food quality ( and properly heated) would be nice.
 
Mr Muffin said:
I would like to know how the food service is being conducted on the Cardinal these days? They only have half the number of seats available of a std dining car and just wonder how they handle the passenger load. Got an upcoming trip in June. I am not expecting Filet Mignon but a nice orderly food service with acceptable food quality ( and properly heated) would be nice.
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I have only ridden the Cardinal once, and had breakfast in the diner. I got there early and had a very nice meal. Service and food quality was very good. If I wasn't a train geek I would have never known any differences between the Cardinal and any other Amtrak dining car.
 
Mr Muffin said:
I would like to know how the food service is being conducted on the Cardinal these days? They only have half the number of seats available of a std dining car and just wonder how they handle the passenger load. Got an upcoming trip in June. I am not expecting Filet Mignon but a nice orderly food service with acceptable food quality ( and properly heated) would be nice.
Click to expand...
Sleeper passengers are given first dibs in the diner. Given the passenger loads in the sleeper it does not overwhelm the diner-lite for meal times. The food quality is decent and I had no complaints with the three meals I had on the Card. I rode in early February and the diner-lite was not full and I was seated with one other person for dinner and lunch and had my own booth for breakfast. I rode eastbound and lunch was the most crowded meal.
 
Mr Muffin said:
I would like to know how the food service is being conducted on the Cardinal these days? They only have half the number of seats available of a std dining car and just wonder how they handle the passenger load. Got an upcoming trip in June. I am not expecting Filet Mignon but a nice orderly food service with acceptable food quality ( and properly heated) would be nice.
Click to expand...
Grumpy attendant outgoing west from Prince WV. He just hated to have someone who just boarded actually want a meal and grumbled the whole time. On our return, the attendant was excellent.

One dinner out of two for me was ok. Neither was any good for my wife. She said microwaved pasta was awful and her other meal was not much better. Worst dinners we ever had on Amtrak.
 
The only real difference between the Cardinal and any other train in food prep is that there's no grill. So there's no items such as steaks or eggs or made to order items. All other items are pre-made and reheated by use of a convection oven - just like on the Cardinal!
 
Cardinal's food, amenities, (meaning the Am-Diner with little windows and lack of a real lounge car) is almost criminal. But until the VL diners come out, it "is what it is". Pretty scenery, just no comfortable way to view it.

I have ridden Card 5/6 times, food is sub-par, VERY LUCKY to get an average meal. Enjoy being "stuck" in tiny little room for bulk of trip.
 
I had a lot of fun on the cardinal socializing with people in the lounge. It involved a lot of beer, a lot of story telling, and a lot of laughing. It has a lounge. A lounge requires people more than anything else.
 
A previous poster indicated that Sleeping Car passengers have "first dibs" for the Diner/Lounge seating on The Cardinal. This implies that reservations are taken? If so, for Breakfast? And, if so, since I will board in Cincinnati in the wee hours of the morning, should I expect to be asked for a reservation time?
 
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