The dining car is one of the highlights of riding the train, especially if your meals are pre-paid with a sleeping car ticket. Even with a pre-paid meal ticket, train etiquette recommends tipping the dining car staff. You can do so after each meal or once for the entire day.<\/p>\n
The menu is varied, and I’ve linked to the Southbound Coast Starlight menu. While you can get alcoholic beverages with your meal, you will pay for it even with a sleeping car ticket. If you prefer, a vegetarian selection is available for each meal.<\/p>\n
The different thing about Amtrak’s dining car is seating. Don’t expect to enter the car and be able to have a cozy, private dinner for two. For dinner, a dining car attendant will come through the train taking reservations for seating times in, I think, fifteen minute increments. When your seating time is called to the car, you wait at the entrance to be called to a table. If you have four in your party, you will likely get a table to yourselves. If you have less than four, you’ll be seated with someone else.<\/p>\n
Regular train travelers tend to enjoy this social time. You won’t usually have to eat with the same people more than once, which can be a blessing or a disappointment. We’ve generally enjoyed chatting with the people we’ve been seated with; however, on at least two occasions, our dining companions were disappointing to the point of being rude. We’re not great socializers, but we do make an effort in the dining car.<\/p>\n
If you are unable to physically go to the dining car, your car attendant will take your order and bring your meal to you. In theory, they will do this for anyone, but the practice is discouraged, and I’ve traveled the whole time without ever seeing my car attendant (this is not supposed to happen, but in reality, it does). I recommend embracing this cultural event if you are able to do so.<\/p>\n