Amtrak ups its food game for long-haul riders

Nancy Trejos | USA TODAY

Amtrak is continuing to improve its dining menus.

A month after revamping the menus on its Northeast Corridor route, Amtrak is now beefing up its Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited sleeping car food choices with, among other things, beef.

Starting this week, customers will get a hot entrée option in addition to chilled meals.

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Now for lunch and dinner, they can order slow braised beef short ribs in a red wine and beer sauce. It is served with Arcadian lettuce mix, julienne carrots and grape tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette. Dessert is a salted caramel cheese cake.

Customers also have the option of a vegan wrap, chicken Caesar salad, and antipasto plate. All come with side items and dessert.

“Our plan to provide fresh food choices now includes a hot option, which is based on engaging our sleeping car customers on what they would like and with special training for our train crews,” Bob Dorsch, vice president of the Amtrak Long Distance Service Line, said in a written statement. “This contemporary style of service has been well received by customers, with meals of their choice and at times they choose.”

Amtrak has had to overhaul its menus in response to a traveling public that is now used to airlines offering dishes curated by celebrity chefs and hotels that have four-star and above restaurants. Travelers now also demand fresh and healthy food as their tastes have become more sophisticated.

Amtrak tends to introduce new products first in the Northeast Corridor, which has its most profitable trains.

But it is not ignoring its other routes. The Capitol Limited operates daily between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. The Lake Shore Limited typically runs daily between Chicago and New York via Albany with a section to and from Boston.

Passengers also have a healthier breakfast option: seasonal fresh sliced fruit, a blueberry muffin, Greek yogurt parfait, and quinoa breakfast bar.

All the dishes are served in a balsa wood container. They will be delivered to the trains right before departure so that staff does not have to prepare them on board.

Sleeping car customers get unlimited soft beverages and a complimentary beer, wine or mixed drink. Amenity kits are also included in the fare.

To see the full menus, go to Amtrak.com.