Higher menu prices.

[buddy559]

I hope everyone has amtrak breakfast meats in their portfolio, because prices are skyrocketing!

3.50 for sausage, and 3.75 for bacon. (Up from $3) I noticed railroad French toast is off the menu west of Chicago as well, replaced by pancakes, plain or with blueberries.

Lunch only went up about a quarter, and some dinner items are up 50 cents to a dollar. 25 cents more for some alcohol.

The new deserts look delicious! Molten lava bundt cake.

 

[Shanghai]

I wish for the return of Red Velvet Cake!!

 

[penfrydd]

Sausage & Bacon? Pigs eat corn. We stupidly make ethanol from corn. Some outrageous percentage of our corn goes into making ethanol. I'm not opposed to ethanol. I'm not in favor of making it from corn. We should be using trying to reinvigorate the sugar cane industry down in Louisiana (which is so far gone as to be nonexistent). Brazil has done this right (one of the few things it has done right).

As long as my sausage egg mcmuffin doesn't get much more expensive, me and Warren Buffet will be happy. (apparently he has one every morning).

 

[Guest]

As long as my sausage egg mcmuffin doesn't get much more expensive, me and Warren Buffet will be happy. (apparently he has one every morning).

I guess you haven't heard. McD is raising its prices too in their attempt to keep profits raising. As much as 60% more for some items (ie, a McDouble jumping from $1 to $1.69)! They gutted their "dollar menu", leaving only a few token items on it.

 

[Ryan]

I hadn't heard that. The dollar menu was a staple of cheap eating when traveling for work.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

On some trains, the French toast may be available, but only in one direction. Going west on the Cap & the CZ in 2011, only pancakes were available but I was told the French toast was available eastbound.

 

[Bob Dylan]

What Inflation??? According to the Number Wizards in Washington, Inflation has only been 1.5% which is what Retired Government Employees and Social Security Folks are getting for 2014!! I can't think of Anything I buy that is Cheaper than it was a Year Ago except Gasoline and it's still over $3 a Gallon here in Texas where the Huge Refineries are! Even though Congressional "Budget Hawks"are Pressuring Amtrak to Lose Less Money on Food Service, Prices already are too High for Coach Riders and I would Venture a Guess that even Less Folks will Choose to Eat in the Diners and Cafe Cars and we will have More "Chicken Bone Express" Trains! :help:

 

[stan]

The pancakes are cooked fresh and are wonderful. Wish they were also available on some of the east coast trains. Overall a good improvement.

Stan

 

[berkyo]

I had delicious French toast on the east bound SC out of Lamy. And the steak was good too. the best lunch offer is there angus burger and veggie burger. Using AGR points of course. In coach we use the Snack bar for breakfast and diner for lunch and dinner.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I had delicious French toast on the east bound SC out of Lamy. And the steak was good too. the best lunch offer is there angus burger and veggie burger. Using AGR points of course. In coach we use the Snack bar for breakfast and diner for lunch and dinner.

You might want to Consider Eating Breakfast in the Diner instead! Considering th Breakfast Menu Choices which Include Coffee or Tea and Juice, and the Rather High Prices for the McFood in the Cafe car, Breakfast is the Best Deal on Amtrak! (Just dont buy the Overpriced Bacon or Sausage! <_< ) Of course, if there are Two of you and you can get a Low Bucket Roomette, that's the Way to Roll!

 

[me_little_me]

I hadn't heard that. The dollar menu was a staple of cheap eating when traveling for work.

Yeah! Two $1 burgers and a glass of water. They don't make money off me!

 

[fairviewroad]

Not to defend Amtrak at all costs (uh, get it???) but $3.50 for a side of breakfast meat is comparable to what many

normal restaurants charge.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

No surprise whatsoever on the Breakfast Meats finally going up as Porker (Lean Hog) Futures have been advancing steadily on the year.

 

[buddy559]

I had delicious French toast on the east bound SC out of Lamy. And the steak was good too. the best lunch offer is there angus burger and veggie burger. Using AGR points of course. In coach we use the Snack bar for breakfast and diner for lunch and dinner.

Did you ever try the New England clam chowder... One of my favorites, but not sure how it would have been on amtrak.

 

[Guest]

I hadn't heard that. The dollar menu was a staple of cheap eating when traveling for work.

Yeah! Two $1 burgers and a glass of water. They don't make money off me!

But they need to make more money off of you. So, your "$1 burgers" will now start to cost you $1.69 each.

 

[the_traveler]

Did you ever try the New England clam chowder... One of my favorites, but not sure how it would have been on amtrak.

The NE Chowder/salad combo is delicious!

In coach we use the Snack bar for breakfast and diner for lunch and dinner.

You might want to Consider Eating Breakfast in the Diner instead!

I agree. Once you pay for a sandwich, coffee, juice, etc... from the cafe, it may be the same or less in the Dining Car. Plus you get refills on juice and coffee, and you don't have to carry it back to your seat or table in the Lounge in a paper box!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If the extra charges result in fresher/faster/tastier food then I'm all for it.

Otherwise I'm not really liking the idea, but if that's what it takes to keep the LD lines then maybe that's just how it has to be?

 

[Garethe7]

The pancakes are cooked fresh and are wonderful. Wish they were also available on some of the east coast trains. Overall a good improvement.

Stan

Looking forward to this, since I seem to be the only one in the country that doesn't like French Toast judging from the looks I get. I mean come on, who ever heard of dipping bread in eggs? /Bleh

Edit: sp

 

[the_traveler]

If the extra charges result in fresher/faster/tastier food then I'm all for it.

Otherwise I'm not really liking the idea, but if that's what it takes to keep the LD lines then maybe that's just how it has to be?

And do you use the same reasoning when any restaurant or supermarket raises their prices too? :huh:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If the extra charges result in fresher/faster/tastier food then I'm all for it.

Otherwise I'm not really liking the idea, but if that's what it takes to keep the LD lines then maybe that's just how it has to be?

And do you use the same reasoning when any restaurant or supermarket raises their prices too? :huh:

Why wouldn't I?

 

[PRR 60]

The pancakes are cooked fresh and are wonderful. Wish they were also available on some of the east coast trains. Overall a good improvement.

Stan

Looking forward to this, since I seem to be the only one in the country that doesn't like French Toast judging from the looks I get. I mean come on, who ever heard of dipping bread in eggs? /Bleh

Edit: sp

No, you are not the only one. Add me to the club.

 

[montana mike]

I just had French Toast on the eastbound Empire Builder a couple weeks ago--delicious!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't care for Amtoast (and the French Toast Sticks on the Cardinal are Horrible!)but back in the Day Real "Rail Road French Toast" was Fantastic!

 

[rickycourtney]

On some trains, the French toast may be available, but only in one direction. Going west on the Cap & the CZ in 2011, only pancakes were available but I was told the French toast was available eastbound.

That appears to no longer be the case… looking at all of the routes on Amtrak website none of the routes have separate westbound and eastbound menus.

It also appears that there are only two different menus in use:

Version 1 is in use on most of the western trains (the California Zephyr, the Southwest Chief, the Coast Starlight, the Empire Builder, and Texas Eagle).

Version 2 is in use on most of the eastern trains (the City of New Orleans, the Crescent, the Sunset Limited, the Lake Shore Limited, the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor.)

The exceptions are the Cardinal (which has a simplified menu), the Capital Limited (has a variation of menu version 2 with an express lunch) and the Parlour Car on the Coast Starlight (which still has separate northbound and southbound menus).

I think this goes back to Amtrak's announcement earlier this year that they are working to reduce losses in the dining cars... They are raising prices for meals and reducing the number of menus in use (which I assume will make it cheaper for the catering contractor to supply the meals.)

The good news is that each menu features several of the "chef inspired" items that have gotten a lot of praise from customers. The bad news is if you're taking a round-trip on a train there's not a lot of variation (although there are still enough choices that you shouldn't have to order the same thing twice in a round-trip). Hopefully they will switch out the menus seasonally so frequent riders don't have the same choices for a whole year

 

[buddy559]

I would love to see some local offerings like the cold entrée box on the eastbound EB from Portland.

Cater with one or 2 restaurants along the route, and load lunch/dinner meals. Breakfast is standard, and then keep a few hot meal staples, like the Burger, Soups, steak, and chef specials as prepared on board.

The restaurants could rotate choices along with their in house menu, much more easily than Amtrak.

edit:sp