Amtrak Dining and Cafe service 2023 H2

[lordsigma]

Does anyone happen to know which Cafe menu is used on the New York services that have them? Is it the national or NEC menu or something else?

 

[fdaley]

Does anyone happen to know which Cafe menu is used on the New York services that have them? Is it the national or NEC menu or something else?

It's the Northeast Regional menu.

 

[pi314]

I just rode the CZ westbound. It was a complete fiasco, I love the trains but this one is going to make me think twice about ever again. We got exactly one dinner in the diner for a 50+ hour trip. The diner more or less died before reaching Denver. Leaking water pipes and tank was the reason given. I will say the train LSA and other crew tried valiantly, pumping water in Denver. For that, we got a breakfast in the diner the next day after Denver but that was it for the food. The rest of the time it was cafe car junk. Also, the sleepers weren't full, but the dining car attendant forced everyone to sit four to a table, no ifs, ands, or buts. Easily half the diner wasn't full but I guess they didn't want to bother making us more comfortable, in view of the food fiasco. Our sleeper was broken too, nothing worked. But that's another story.

Yikes that's awful! The CZ is a bucket list trip that I hope to take just once. I would be done with Amtrak after something like that unless they either issued a full refund or a comped ticket on an identical accommodation. Still it doesn't adequately make up for an extended unpleasant experience like that, especially at the current inflated prices. I hope customer service took care of you!

It's almost impossible to find ANYTHING of value anymore, and if you do it's insanely overpriced.

 

[uncleboots]

I had the enchiladas on the TE last week. On the leg up, with Rachel (who is one of the best dining car workers I've seen) they were really quite good - properly heated and all. Coming back the edges were burnt and they seemed to have been left in the oven too long. That may be the issue with flex meals: because they can be kept in whatever that warmer thing is indefinitely, much of the time we get them they've sat too long and are dry/burnt/unevenly heated.

I will say the enchiladas were marginally better than the other flex meals I've had, but I still want to get traditional dining back on the TE.

Also don't like the tendency now to just pile all the continental breakfast stuff on a table and go "have at it, folks" without an indication of whether the hot meals are available or not.

I dunno. So many things have gotten so much worse since the pandemic, I really wonder why I left the hermitage of my house when.....THIS kind of stuff is what remains in the world.

I also enjoyed the enchiladas on a recent Texas Eagle Trip. The other meals, not so good. Actually the omelet wasn’t bad, I heard it was usually dry, but mine was really decent,

 

[City of Miami]

things have gotten so much worse since the pandemic, I really wonder why I left the hermitage of my house when.....

Imo this is precisely the desired and intended response.

 

[alpha3]

Yikes that's awful! The CZ is a bucket list trip that I hope to take just once. I would be done with Amtrak after something like that unless they either issued a full refund or a comped ticket on an identical accommodation. Still it doesn't adequately make up for an extended unpleasant experience like that, especially at the current inflated prices. I hope customer service took care of you!

It's almost impossible to find ANYTHING of value anymore, and if you do it's insanely overpriced.

Yeah, it was very disappointing. And after the trip, Amtrak sent me a survey in which I ripped them a new one. Also wrote them an email, so we'll see what they do. I doubt we were the only ones writing.
I will say, we've taken EB twice, Crescent, and CZ twice. All were great rides up until this one, with mostly good crews. As many here have noted, the problem with Amtrak is Amtrak. Inconsistency is the name of their game. Even so, I can't believe Amtrak would have dispatched TWO completely unroad-worthy cars on a train like this; the faults weren't gradual; both cars essentially didn't work almost immediately after leaving Chicago. They had to have known there were problems with them.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

If anyone is on 91 today —December 2 (the one that left NYP on December 2), I’d be curious to know how breakfast is served in the morning.

I was only going to ALX, so just had lunch.

But I heard my SCA tell the people going farther breakfast would be “self-serve in the dining car.”

Huh? I thought they were completely back to traditional dining.

Also, any other impressions of the food? I had lunch in the roomette, and the plant burger was barely warm, and the cup of coffee I asked for was barely half full (not just a little bit down so it wouldn’t spill—I really mean like barely half). The brownie was delicious—hard to mess that up—but it came in its wrapper with no offer to put it on a plate and warm it.

Also, no offer to bring breakfast to anyone in the room, even though most people were eating lunch and dinner there.

One caveat—the SCA in the next sleeper is one of the best I’ve ever had, so his approach may have been different from the SCA my car had.

Anyway, just curious—thanks.

 

[jis]

I traveled b y 91, 92, 97 and 98 couple of times in September/October. I had all my meals in the Diner. Breakfast was served by the LSA at the table after taking the order after I was seated at a table like in all traditional dining setups.

In my experience food served in ones room is always a little inferior overall than those served in the Diner. But they should not be as bad as you describe. Your food was probably picked up by your SCA a while after it was prepared. As for Coffee half filled, I have no idea. After traditional dining restarted I have traveled several times and have not eaten in the room at all. So can't help there.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

If anyone is on 91 today —December 2 (the one that left NYP on December 2), I’d be curious to know how breakfast is served in the morning.

I was only going to ALX, so just had lunch.

But I heard my SCA tell the people going farther breakfast would be “self-serve in the dining car.”

Huh? I thought they were completely back to traditional dining.

Also, any other impressions of the food? I had lunch in the roomette, and the plant burger was barely warm, and the cup of coffee I asked for was barely half full (not just a little bit down so it wouldn’t spill—I really mean like barely half). The brownie was delicious—hard to mess that up—but it came in its wrapper with no offer to put it on a plate and warm it.

Also, no offer to bring breakfast to anyone in the room, even though most people were eating lunch and dinner there.

One caveat—the SCA in the next sleeper is one of the best I’ve ever had, so his approach may have been different from the SCA my car had.

Anyway, just curious—thanks.

I wonder if he meant that he would not be bringing breakfast to rooms - meaning go get it yourself (either eat in the diner or bring it back to your room)

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Was on the Texas Eagle this morning, breakfast was on a table. Grab and go. Or sit down and eat. There was food delivered to those who needed or requested. Those of us who knew there was hot food. Just got in line with the coach people and when it was our turn pick up a premade/heated dish from the warmer.

Side note: A OBS manager was on this train today. The Heating system was not active in the sleeper. The SCA was a 15 year veteran so I hope he knows how to activate it.

 

[jis]

Was on the Texas Eagle this morning, breakfast was on a table. Grab and go. Or sit down and eat. There was food delivered to those who needed or requested. Those of us who knew there was hot food. Just got in line with the coach people and when it was our turn pick up a premade/heated dish from the warmer.

Side note: A OBS manager was on this train today. The Heating system was not active in the sleeper. The SCA was a 15 year veteran so I hope he knows how to activate it.

That was TE east of San Antonio I presume? That is Flex meal, not traditional as on the Silvers.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

In Trains Magazine's online coverage of yesterday's Amtrak meeting, they reported that the Crescent will be the next train to have its food offerings upgraded and that they would get to all the eastern LD trains eventually and expand access for coach passengers to the good stuff too. On Amtrak's own pages I read that bid up will be expanded (restored?) to include coach to sleeper moves. Presumably the Crescent was chosen because it runs out of Chicago but with Viewliners.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Crescent was chosen because it runs out of Chicago but with Viewliners.

Need some clarification on this. Do you mean NYC, Washington, or NO?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

In Trains Magazine's online coverage of yesterday's Amtrak meeting, they reported that the Crescent will be the next train to have its food offerings upgraded and that they would get to all the eastern LD trains eventually and expand access for coach passengers to the good stuff too. On Amtrak's own pages I read that bid up will be expanded (restored?) to include coach to sleeper moves. Presumably the Crescent was chosen because it runs out of Chicago but with Viewliners.

Crescent does not serve Chicago. It is NYP to NOL

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

In Trains Magazine's online coverage of yesterday's Amtrak meeting, they reported that the Crescent will be the next train to have its food offerings upgraded and that they would get to all the eastern LD trains eventually and expand access for coach passengers to the good stuff too. On Amtrak's own pages I read that bid up will be expanded (restored?) to include coach to sleeper moves. Presumably the Crescent was chosen because it runs out of Chicago but with Viewliners.

Interesting that they picked the Crescent as the next train to upgrade, being one of Amtrak's red headed stepchildren along with the TE and the Cardinal. I would have expected the LSL as one of the more popular Eastern trains and one already with a proper diner in the consist.

 

[MARC Rider]

Interesting that they picked the Crescent as the next train to upgrade, being one of Amtrak's red headed stepchildren along with the TE and the Cardinal. I would have expected the LSL as one of the more popular Eastern trains and one already with a proper diner in the consist.

This might suggest two things:

1. More V2 diners are soon to be available

2. The Lake Shore Limited is already doing fine despite the flex meals; perhaps Amtrak is trying to work on increasing ridership on the Crescent, which not only has the degraded food service, but also has new schedule that's less convenient for many.

 

[jis]

This might suggest two things:

1. More V2 diners are soon to be available

5 VL 2 Diners are in restoration backlog, expected to be back in service before the Summer equipment assignment takes effect in 2024. Crescent regularly requires 4, and one is for protect in NOL + maintenance rotation pool I suppose.

 

[TheVig]

Once the Crescent gets it's diner back, I will take a chance and go back to booking it again, and keep my fingers crossed the train doesn't get delayed in the Bermuda Triangle.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Need some clarification on this. Do you mean NYC, Washington, or NO?

Clarification is I shouldn't post late at night when I'm sleepy, they did say Crescent but for some reason I was thinking City of NO. So the Crescent can piggyback off what they are already doing for the Silvers...

 

[lordsigma]

I would not be surprised if when the physical diners return this summer it initially is with flexible dining bringing the crescent essentially in line with the lake shore which itself would be an improvement. I didn’t necessarily hear a commitment at traditional dining as served on say the silvers making a return in the same fashion, but rather that they’re looking at trying to move away from the black and white discrepancies in quality of service where you have trains with flexible and traditional dining. I hear it as more a commitment to improve the flexible trains but not yet with any final decisions on menus, staffing, and how it will be served and that the specifics on that may vary by route. Honestly I could see a sort of traditional dining lite with maybe some similar items but maybe not necessarily freshly grilled steak on every route.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Honestly I could see a sort of traditional dining lite with maybe some similar items but maybe not necessarily freshly grilled steak on every route.

And maybe just a salad as the only appetizer option at supper, instead of the 3 appetizer options at dinner on the Western LD trains.

 

[lordsigma]

And maybe just a salad as the only appetizer option at supper, instead of the 3 appetizer options at dinner on the Western LD trains.

That’s what they’re doing on the silvers. Just a salad and dinner roll instead of the appetizers.

 

[Rasputin]

Honestly I could see a sort of traditional dining lite with maybe some similar items but maybe not necessarily freshly grilled steak on every route.

So I guess with the supposed return of traditional dining to the Crescent, it would be best if we kept our expectations on the low side to avoid disappointment.

 

[lordsigma]

So I guess with the supposed return of traditional dining to the Crescent, it would be best if we kept our expectations on the low side to avoid disappointment.

I think it’s too early to have any expectations of anything until an official announcement is made. I’m not trying to make a prediction about what individual trains will get. The crescent could very well get the same as the silvers or something different. I’m just offering my take and interpretation of what was said at the meeting - I do think when the dining car first comes back it’ll just be the dining car serving flex dining. And then whatever dining upgrade/menu change happens would more likely be in FY25. And I could see some trains getting something a little lighter. Whether the Crescent would be one I don’t know. And I could be totally wrong - just offering my take on what they said which was kind of vague. I just didn’t hear a commitment to bring back traditional dining as it’s served on the trains that currently have it to every train - I heard a commitment to return a dining car to the crescent and a general commitment to improve food service and reduce the currently significant black and white quality difference where you have traditional and flexible but that the specifics of exactly how food is prepared per route could differ. It kind of sounds like they haven’t even made final decisions yet.

 

[fillyjonk]

If anyone is on 91 today —December 2 (the one that left NYP on December 2), I’d be curious to know how breakfast is served in the morning.

I was only going to ALX, so just had lunch.

But I heard my SCA tell the people going farther breakfast would be “self-serve in the dining car.”

Huh? I thought they were completely back to traditional dining.

Also, any other impressions of the food? I had lunch in the roomette, and the plant burger was barely warm, and the cup of coffee I asked for was barely half full (not just a little bit down so it wouldn’t spill—I really mean like barely half). The brownie was delicious—hard to mess that up—but it came in its wrapper with no offer to put it on a plate and warm it.

Also, no offer to bring breakfast to anyone in the room, even though most people were eating lunch and dinner there.

One caveat—the SCA in the next sleeper is one of the best I’ve ever had, so his approach may have been different from the SCA my car had.

Anyway, just curious—thanks.

Yeah, on the trip up on the Texas Eagle, that's what they did with the "Continental Breakfast" stuff - just put it out on a central table and said "This trip terminates at Chicago, so have at it."

hot meals were still possible upon request so I had pancakes and sausage.

Coming home, they still did conventional ordering (I got an oatmeal and muffin)


The thing about Amtrak dining now is it's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get.