What was your best meal aboard an Amtrak train?

How does Amtrak food compare to Via? I would assume the food on Via's Canadian in the peak season blows Amtrak away, as the target market is completely different, but I have no experiance on Via.

My best meal aboard Amtrak was on a train out of Savannah on my honeymoon.

Despite about a dozen horrible experiences with Amtrak, my (then) wife allowed us to take a train back to Baltimore (sleeper berths were great but too small for requisite honeymooning activities).

A breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice, coffee, and a very friendly staff to serve it.

I've got to say, that trip made me think twice about always badmouthing Amtrak.

I agree with Mr.Norman that Amtrak meals may not be all that memorable. However, I must cite one exception. I was on the first day of a CHI to SEA trip on the Empire Builder and ordered a steak for dinner. Although the rest of the meal was very good but not "the best I've ever had", the steak itself was excellent. A truly flavorful cut of beef. Tender, juicy and rich with flavor. It was seasoned just right and had just the slightest bit of fat to round out the cut. And it was huge. I wondered what made that piece of steak so much better than the comparatively flavoress and tough pieces I've grown accustomed to? Was it that the meat was fresher having come from Chicago? Was it the endorphins and dopamine released by the excitement of starting a long train journey? Anyway, in the 6 years since that trip, I've never had a steak at any restaurant or cookout to compare in flavor or texture to the one served to me by the gracious waitstaff of the Empire Builder heading west in June of 2001.

I guess that is just one of those unexplained, Mr. Touhy (I note you re registered; welcome back).

On my recent AT journey, for what it be worth, the steak served on 52 (23MAR) was far superior to that served on 53 (18MAR). Sometimes, there are "luck outs" in this life.

Oh well, I guess the purveyor got Amtrak's and Morton's (best here in town AFAIC) orders confused.

Now we REALLY know that such a slip-up could occur between Amtrak and Luger's in NY (sorry Gallagher's; you were good last "St Paddy's Eve", but there is better in town. Unfortunately, the other mentioned is over in Brooklyn and 'real men pay up in cash').

The best Filet Mignon I ever had was in the restaurant car of the Siemens ICE trainset demonstrating on the NEC. Ride quality was less than desired but the food was excellent. We should have kept the one car and then sent the rest of the set back.

alex45 wrote:Eventhough this isnt a meal, I LOVE the huge chocolate chip cookie's that Amtrak Regionals serve on the NEC serve. They taste even better if u put them in the microwave for 30 seconds

I call these crack cookies.

I have no idea why they're so good, but I love 'em.

(and even better if the cafe attendent uses the actual OVEN there. Yes much to my surprise, Amtrak Cafe cars have a little oven next to the microwave!)

Haha- Filet mignon on the ICE doesn't count either! :o)

Anyone ever had a good New York Strip aboard Amtrak? I've always been tempted to try the steak, but I usually "chicken out."

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Haha- Filet mignon on the ICE doesn't count either! :o)

Anyone ever had a good New York Strip aboard Amtrak? I've always been tempted to try the steak, but I usually "chicken out."

-otto-

I have not had one decent New York Strip steaks on Amtrak.

I've had TWO. One was absolutely awesome. The other was still way above average, but not quite as good as the other.

Many posters have raved about the Amtrak strip steak. I have noticed that something about eating in a diner on a train makes even an overcooked hamburger taste good. But, if I put aside the train part of the dining experience, the steak they serve--which is often their best entree--is not nearly as good as that served at Outback, for a similar price.

My best meals have always been on the LSL. I used to travel between Springfield, MA and Buffalo, NY about once every month or so for two years to visit my girlfriend, who's now my wife.

After departing Albany I would always try to get an early reservation in the diner. I have many memorable evenings having dinner with people from all over the country. Good company, a full meal and a half-bottle of wine would the remaining 4 hours of the trip pass extremely quickly. Before I knew it, the clock was almost at midnight where I would get off in Depew and take a cab to my girlfriend's apartment.

My return trips would involve a merciless wakeup at 4:30 am to catch the early eastbound LSL. This was preceeded by several middle of the night phone calls to Julie every 2 hours to check if the habitually tardy "Great Late Forty-Eight" was running on-time. Upon boarding I would always make my way to the dining car for a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and of course... COFFEE!!! It was definitely a great way to start the day.. eating breakfast in a sunny Heritage diner while the scenery between Buffalo and Rochester zoomed by..

JoeG wrote:Many posters have raved about the Amtrak strip steak. I have noticed that something about eating in a diner on a train makes even an overcooked hamburger taste good. But, if I put aside the train part of the dining experience, the steak they serve--which is often their best entree--is not nearly as good as that served at Outback, for a similar price.

Well, no offense, but if Outback is your level of "good steak" you may want to look up a notch. ;-)

In any event, in the case of my best steak, I had ironically eaten at a fairly good chain steak house the night before my trip. Very good steak. One of the better ones I've head. Probably an 8 on a scale of 1-10.

Next night I was WB on the LSL and had the NY Strip Steak and it was VERY good. Not quite up to the par of the night before, but probably a 7. So in that case I'd say the comparision was pretty close.

In both cases of my very good Amtrak steaks they had just the right amount of juiciness and a great au Poivre sauce.

The others I've had have generally been "ok". Yes, enhanced by the "eating it on the train" experience, but nothing notable.

I will say on average the meals I've had within the last year have been "ok". Some better than others, but not as good in general as in the past. I think the recent changes in the dining car service is a noticable loss.

JoeG wrote:Greg--
Outback is not my idea of a great steak, but of a good one. I didn't think it fair to compare Amtrak with a great New York steakhouse, but I thought it should be able to match a good midprice chain like Outback; for me Outback beats Amtrak every time.

I know, I was just ragging on you a bit.

JoeG wrote: Everyone's taste and expectations and experiences varies. The best steaks I've eaten have been at Morton's; next is the Palm. I've been disappointed at Peter Luger, which many declare as the best steak anywhere. Amtrak? Well, its steak beats Applebee's, but Applebee's usually has better service. (For me, Amtrak's service is usually worse than the food, which is too bad, because with some training and good management Amtrak could have excellent service--it really doesn't cost extra.)

I'm not sure I'd find it that bad on average, but it certainly is more erratic.

My last trip southbound on the Crescent had the SLOWEST service on Amtrak I've ever experienced, and for no reason I could discern. It wasn't like any of the meals required extra prep time. And this held true for dinner and breakfast.

Now NB, the service was much better.

Oh and that reminds me, the one item I find consistently poor are the salads. Partly due to the exclusive use of iceberg and cold tomatoes.

I think this is one where were a little more money on lettuce and perhaps a "warm-up" time, would help a lot.

I've been a casual reader for some time and decided this would be the topic I finally hopped onboard with.

My best meal on Amtrak was this January on the Lake Shore Limited. I made it in time for the first seating and enjoyed a delicious lamb shank with rice and broccoli. There's just something special about sitting down to a real meal while traveling.

Of course I won't soon forget my first meal on Amtrak as a child either. Back in 1989 my father and I boarded the Lake Shore Limited out of Rochester at 6:14am (call me a liar, but it actually rolled in about 6:10) As soon as the conductor checked our tickets, we were in the dining car and I was chowing down on Railroad French Toast. I've tried many times in recent years to have it again, but the LSL has always stopped serving
b-fast before I got on at Rochester. Now with the updated schedule it looks like I'm out of luck.

I like the Chocolate Ice Cream/Brownie Fudge Combo, I also like the cheeseburger, and most meats (boneless) on board Amtrak. I feel the Amtrak food to me tastes good, and I vote most of it, including it's Dining Car salads.

MODERATOR'S NOTE:

Since a number of you have decided to discuss some non-Amtrak fine dining establishments, I've decided to move that discussion to a new topic. Not exactly Amtrak related, but we'll keep this thread to the "best of Amtrak", and that thread to the "best to take Amtrak to", so something like that.

Thanks,