Menu Recommendations on the CZ

[Domefoamer]

Sorry that someone had a bad experience in a CZ diner. When I rode in late March, my servers were friendly and good-humored, all you could ask for. But every trip is a little bit different. If you're really a train addict, you should know that there are five or six sets of prsonnel who work this two-day, two-way route. Your chance of getting the same bad apples again is small, so it's silly to condemn the CZ or any other.

I wish I could just "take another train," though. From Denver, that's not an option.

 

[chakk]

I always get the grits with my breakfast on Amtrak, as I rarely find them anywhere else outside the Southeast USA.

 

[neroden]

Those "in the know" about the California Zephyr say that one specific OBS crew is far, far worse than all the other crews.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I don't recommend taking the California Zepher. I have been on it previously, and the food and service were both terrible. The entire experience was always so stressful, rude workers, and overcooked food items, leaving things trough, rough, and gruff. Once when I asked for an item I was told it was not available, even though it was listed on the menu. No explanation was given when I pointed out that another customer was eating the same item at that very moment. The workers tended to be very pushy and hurried. The train I took also departed two hours late and arrived even later. In summary, I vowed never to travel with Amtrack again.

Please look up some of my previous posts to these blogs to see how I believe Amtrak can be reformed instead of deformed, as its current path foretells.

I strongly encourage you to take another train if at all possible. Book early, some routes sell out fast!

What kind of food are you looking for?

Wow. I love the California Zephyr and all the other long distance trains. If I was a worker on the CZ and had you as a customer, I would be grumpy and not too interested in serving you either. Man, get a better outlook and attitude.

 

[NativeSon5859]

Anyone else miss the Apple Pie from years back? Man that was good stuff!

For me this is how it usually goes...

B: French toast or cheese omelette. Sometimes pork sausage, sometimes the chicken maple sausage. Bacon is ok but there's not much to it.

L: Burger w/ cheese or the special. The meatballs were really good on my last trip.

D: Usually the steak w/ mashed potatoes. If I'm on a 2-night trip sometimes I'll mix it up and get the fish...that being said I tried the lasagna on the EB in November and it was very good.

 

[KmH]

I don't recommend taking the California Zepher. . . The train I took also departed two hours late and arrived even later. In summary, I vowed never to travel with Amtrack again. ..

Zephyr. Amtrak.

Part of the allure/adventure of LD train travel with Amtrak is knowing that the train schedule is an approximation.

So I'm going to ignore your recommendation.

Amtrak doesn't own the tracks and right-of-way infrastructure the CZ uses. They lease access to the tracks from BNSF and UP.

Being a lessee, Amtrak LD trains have a lower priority than the track owner's freight trains.

C'est la vie

Don't worry. Be happy. - Meher Baba

 

[Ryan]

With the latest changes reducing what is included with dinner I may re-think things and try to bring something my own. But if it is your first time on the train you should plan on doing dinner.

What changes do you think they've made?

 

[zepherdude]

I don't recommend taking the California Zepher. I have been on it previously, and the food and service were both terrible. The entire experience was always so stressful, rude workers, and overcooked food items, leaving things trough, rough, and gruff. Once when I asked for an item I was told it was not available, even though it was listed on the menu. No explanation was given when I pointed out that another customer was eating the same item at that very moment. The workers tended to be very pushy and hurried. The train I took also departed two hours late and arrived even later. In summary, I vowed never to travel with Amtrack again.

Please look up some of my previous posts to these blogs to see how I believe Amtrak can be reformed instead of deformed, as its current path foretells.

I strongly encourage you to take another train if at all possible. Book early, some routes sell out fast!

What kind of food are you looking for?

Wow. I love the California Zephyr and all the other long distance trains. If I was a worker on the CZ and had you as a customer, I would be grumpy and not too interested in serving you either. Man, get a better outlook and attitude.

I also enjoy the CZ more than any other train. The food is always exceptional and the dining car staff the best I have ever enountered. I take it to both PDX and LAX and never had a bad experience north or south. Either sleeper or passenger cars, the staff is always outstanding and concerned. CZ is a premier service train and enjoy your trip. The only issue encountered is the trip is not long enough.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I don't recommend taking the California Zepher. I have been on it previously, and the food and service were both terrible. The entire experience was always so stressful, rude workers, and overcooked food items, leaving things trough, rough, and gruff. Once when I asked for an item I was told it was not available, even though it was listed on the menu. No explanation was given when I pointed out that another customer was eating the same item at that very moment. The workers tended to be very pushy and hurried. The train I took also departed two hours late and arrived even later. In summary, I vowed never to travel with Amtrack again.

Please look up some of my previous posts to these blogs to see how I believe Amtrak can be reformed instead of deformed, as its current path foretells.

I strongly encourage you to take another train if at all possible. Book early, some routes sell out fast!

What kind of food are you looking for?

Wow. I love the California Zephyr and all the other long distance trains. If I was a worker on the CZ and had you as a customer, I would be grumpy and not too interested in serving you either. Man, get a better outlook and attitude.

I also enjoy the CZ more than any other train. The food is always exceptional and the dining car staff the best I have ever enountered. I take it to both PDX and LAX and never had a bad experience north or south. Either sleeper or passenger cars, the staff is always outstanding and concerned. CZ is a premier service train and enjoy your trip. The only issue encountered is the trip is not long enough.

Are you talking about the CZ (Zephyr) or the CS (Starlight)?

 

[NativeSon5859]

CZ is far and away my favorite route. I've done it end to end several times along with some shorter segments. The service imo isn't better or worse than what I've received on other trains, but the what keeps me coming back is the scenery. The Zephyr is an American icon.

 

[zepherdude]

I don't recommend taking the California Zepher. I have been on it previously, and the food and service were both terrible. The entire experience was always so stressful, rude workers, and overcooked food items, leaving things trough, rough, and gruff. Once when I asked for an item I was told it was not available, even though it was listed on the menu. No explanation was given when I pointed out that another customer was eating the same item at that very moment. The workers tended to be very pushy and hurried. The train I took also departed two hours late and arrived even later. In summary, I vowed never to travel with Amtrack again.

Please look up some of my previous posts to these blogs to see how I believe Amtrak can be reformed instead of deformed, as its current path foretells.

I strongly encourage you to take another train if at all possible. Book early, some routes sell out fast!

What kind of food are you looking for?

Wow. I love the California Zephyr and all the other long distance trains. If I was a worker on the CZ and had you as a customer, I would be grumpy and not too interested in serving you either. Man, get a better outlook and attitude.

I also enjoy the CZ more than any other train. The food is always exceptional and the dining car staff the best I have ever enountered. I take it to both PDX and LAX and never had a bad experience north or south. Either sleeper or passenger cars, the staff is always outstanding and concerned. CZ is a premier service train and enjoy your trip. The only issue encountered is the trip is not long enough.

Are you talking about the CZ (Zephyr) or the CS (Starlight)?

Opps Coast Starlight...to much Egg Nog when I tpyd htis Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

 

[caravanman]

My first meal on Amtrak was lamb, about 10 years ago. Very good. I now choose steak in the evenings, and have a burger for lunch... I almost never eat red meat in my day to day life, so feel a splurge now and again is sort of ok... I try to eat healthy options most times, and go for porridge and fruit for breakfast in my roomette. (My travel kettle is very handy... )

As to the Zephyr itself, the scenery is outstanding between California and Denver, but I certainly encountered my worst food crew ever on my last trip. Just bad luck.

Ed

 

[alang]

Food/Service on CZ was great! SCA was outstanding! Had a great Steak last night. Enjoyed Burgers yesterday (and will have another today.) Thanks to all again! I have yet to hear anyone complaining about the trip. Great way to see a good part of the West.

 

[rrdude]

What to order, what to order, what to order? OK, IMHO, if you think AppleBee's is "Great Food" you will be satisfied with Amtrak. If you think TGI Friday's is gourmet food, same. If however, you'd like something other than a pre-cooked burger, or NOT having the option of toast with breakfast, or like your vegetables cooked al dente, "Fuhgetaboutit".

The steak "used to be sometimes good", now, it's a cheaper cut, sometimes tough as a Vibram-brand sole of a boot. Usually, i'll order the "Black-Bean Chipotle" burger instead of the pre-cooked ham/cheeseburger, but recently on the Silver Star, the Bean burger was the hockey puck, and it was replaced-on-request with a bun-less cheeseburger, that was not as good as Micky D's, and a FAR cry from a burger (far, far, cry) at Five Guys.

I used to put up with a lot of BS on the Amtrak, (occasional surly crews, occasional dirty B/O equipment, almost always late) but the meals were always the "saving grace". Oh they haven't been "GREAT" for years, (decades) but with the scenery, the nice table-appointments, (china, glass, flatware, flower, linen) the vino, and the almost-always pleasant table-mates, it made "dinner in the diner" fun, a highlight. No more. Now meals in the diner are just a way to get out of the roomette or bedroom, and stuff some starch and protein down the gullet. When the diners were crewed with more than just two or three staff, it also was a much more pleasant experience. Now it's "Get In. Eat. Get Out". In fact we recommend you take your desert back to your seat or room....... yuck.

It's really not nearly as good as Applebee's, purely from a meal/entree perspective. How sad. And now I find that my rezzie on the CS, is going to be PPC-less from LAX to SEA, what' the fricking point? At least the PPC was the last bastion of quality service, and unfortunately, they will be off for "rehab" when (if) I travel this route in January.

I used to get so excited for an Amtrak trip, now it's like "meh, I guess...... at least I don't have to fly, and the scenery is still the scenery".

It's kind of shocking that as Amtrak's entree offerings have been reduced in number, they have also gone down in the quality. Quite the opposite of what SHOULD be happening, as the staff (ha, the ONE cook in the kitchen, sometimes two) has fewer variations to deal with, and has less to "learn" about the preparation of (now) only a handful of entrees, and a good many of those are simply re-heats, not cooked from raw.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

What to order, what to order, what to order? OK, IMHO, if you think AppleBee's is "Great Food" you will be satisfied with Amtrak. If you think TGI Friday's is gourmet food, same. If however, you'd like something other than a pre-cooked burger, or NOT having the option of toast with breakfast, or like your vegetables cooked al dente, "Fuhgetaboutit".

The steak "used to be sometimes good", now, it's a cheaper cut, sometimes tough as a Vibram-brand sole of a boot. Usually, i'll order the "Black-Bean Chipotle" burger instead of the pre-cooked ham/cheeseburger, but recently on the Silver Star, the Bean burger was the hockey puck, and it was replaced-on-request with a bun-less cheeseburger, that was not as good as Micky D's, and a FAR cry from a burger (far, far, cry) at Five Guys.

I used to put up with a lot of BS on the Amtrak, (occasional surly crews, occasional dirty B/O equipment, almost always late) but the meals were always the "saving grace". Oh they haven't been "GREAT" for years, (decades) but with the scenery, the nice table-appointments, (china, glass, flatware, flower, linen) the vino, and the almost-always pleasant table-mates, it made "dinner in the diner" fun, a highlight. No more. Now meals in the diner are just a way to get out of the roomette or bedroom, and stuff some starch and protein down the gullet. When the diners were crewed with more than just two or three staff, it also was a much more pleasant experience. Now it's "Get In. Eat. Get Out". In fact we recommend you take your desert back to your seat or room....... yuck.

It's really not nearly as good as Applebee's, purely from a meal/entree perspective. How sad. And now I find that my rezzie on the CS, is going to be PPC-less from LAX to SEA, what' the fricking point? At least the PPC was the last bastion of quality service, and unfortunately, they will be off for "rehab" when (if) I travel this route in January.

I used to get so excited for an Amtrak trip, now it's like "meh, I guess...... at least I don't have to fly, and the scenery is still the scenery".

It's kind of shocking that as Amtrak's entree offerings have been reduced in number, they have also gone down in the quality. Quite the opposite of what SHOULD be happening, as the staff (ha, the ONE cook in the kitchen, sometimes two) has fewer variations to deal with, and has less to "learn" about the preparation of (now) only a handful of entrees, and a good many of those are simply re-heats, not cooked from raw.

I agree wholeheartedly. I also used to look forward to meals, now I just hope it's edible. I'd love to see them compete with something like Five Guys - personally, I think they will continue to fail as long as they follow the Friday's / Applebee's diner-ish plan. With all the restrictions the dining car is under (especially the financial ones of the last few years), I just don't think they can continue to operate the way they have.

 

[neroden]

I have now discovered that the new, reduced Amtrak menu is simply not edible.

I have a number of obscure dietary restrictions, and they no longer reliably stock anything which I can eat. My fiancee has different, more common dietary restrictions, but the same result -- can't trust that there will be anything she can eat.

Even if they stock something I can eat some days, I have to assume that there's nothing which I can eat, and bring my own food -- once I've brought it, I might as well eat it.

So, Amtrak's idiotic and mindless dining car cuts just lost the entire revenue from two passengers entirely, just from my family. They'll also have to handle more luggage: the food is medically required, so it doesn't count against the carry-on limit.

Watch as dining car revenues drop. If this was an attempt to make the dining cars profitable, it failed miserably; if it was an attempt to kill dining car service, it may be successful. On the plus side, without transferring any revenue from the sleepers to the diners, it will be more obvious how profitable the sleepers are.