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Amtrak Flex Dining, or contemporary dining, is a prepackaged meal for passengers with sleeping accommodations on six of Amtrak’s long-distance trains. The meals are loaded onto the train at the originating station and warmed for passengers traveling down the rails.

Besides the warmed options, passengers receive extras such as salads, dinner rolls, and beverages, and with dinner, passengers are entitled to one adult beverage.

While not my preferred Amtrak meal program, it serves its purpose while I travel, and I have a few favorite options.

This article offers an overview of flex dining with sample menus.

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What is Amtrak Flex Dining?

As I said in the intro, Amtrak’s Flex dining meals come to the train prepared before departure, warmed on the train, and given to sleeping car passengers, and these meals are part of their reservations.

The meal program offers hot, ready-to-serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices. Breakfast offers hot and continental breakfast options.

Meals include complimentary beverages: soft drinks, coffee, and hot or iced tea.

Dinner comes with an adult beverage for those of age who want one. You can purchase additional alcoholic drinks if you desire or want one with lunch.

Lake Shore Limite and Cresent passengers can enjoy flex meals in the dining car. Meals are usually served on plates with a more traditional dining feel.

On other trains, passengers are encouraged to eat in their rooms, and your car attendant will bring your meals to you. If you want to get out of your room, let your

A Brief History Of Amtrak Flex Dining

Flex dining, or Contemporary dining, started as a pilot program in June 2018 on two routes, Lakeshore Limited and Capitol Limited. I have been eating it from the start until recently; while not my favorite meal, it has improved in some ways and was better in others.

Why did this happen?

Some people forget why this happened and why these meals arrived on Amtrak. Around 2017, Congress passed an act to reduce food costs and waste on Amtrak trains. If Amtrak changed the meals on a few trains to flex meals, it would allow Amtrak to keep traditional dining on two-night trains. This act is no longer in effect.

Even before this, not all trains had traditional dining; since I started riding Amtrak long-distance trains in 2013, the Cardinal and City of New Orleans never had it. These meals are an improvement to some routes, such as the City of New Orleans.

Early flex meals

These first “contemporary” meals came in a wooden box, similar to a bento box, and initially did not offer hot food selections, as seen in the upper photo.

These wooden boxes were bulky and took up a lot of space on the table.

At that time, the sleeper lounge attendant placed the wooden meal boxes in a reusable bag so you could consume the meals in the Sleeper Lounge or take them back to your room.

Amtrak Contemporary “2.0” rolled out in October 2019 and is the basis for the current iteration of this program.

Amtrak has ditched the boxes and offers only hot selections, which was a good move.

During the pandemic, this meal service was on every train, but today, Amtrak has returned to traditional dining on many trains, but a few trains still serve this service.

Today

Since the beginning of this program, your first dinner adult beverage has been “on Amtrak,” and you still get complimentary non-alcoholic drinks with your meals.

A complimentary adult beverage that started with flex dining has expanded to traditional dining, and it is a nice touch.

These days, they serve most flex dining meals at somewhat set times. Still, there is more flexibility for those who arrive after meal times, and complimentary beverages are only available at mealtimes.

Amtrak serves most of the passengers’ meals in their rooms but with the option of going to the cafe car.

Amtrak Flex Dining beverages

You receive complimentary non-alcoholic beverages with your meals, and if you are over 21, you receive a complimentary adult beverage for dinner.

The selections can vary or change at any time, but this will give you an idea of what you can get.

Cold beverages

• Milk
  • Plant-based milk is available on request.
  • Orange juice
  • Iced tea
  • Bottled spring or sparkling water
  • The train serves Coke products, including regular and diet, Sprite, and ginger Ale.

Hot beverages

• Regular and decaffeinated Coffee
• Hot tea – If I remember right, it’s black tea, but more options may be available.

Acholic beverages

• Beer
  • Michelob Ultra, Corona Extra, Sella Artois, Blue Moon Gelgain White, Stone IPA, and Star Dust IPA.
• Wines
  • La Marca Prosecco, Ryder Estate Chardonnay, or Cabernet Sauvignon
• Spirits
  • Tanqueray Gin, Barcardi Run, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, and Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey.

Amtrak Flex Dining Menus

Amtrak meal choices change throughout the year, but the basics are the same: breakfast options: beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian.

Menus are often found in every room, so you can plan your meal choice when they want to take your order. Lunch and dinner usually include a side salad, roll, and dessert.

Amtrak Flex Dining Menu

City Of New Orleans Flex Menu

Amtrak Flex Dining Meal Times

Things have changed since Amtrak rolled out Flex Dining. Trains now have set meal times because the cafe car attendant is doing double duty. Most trains these days serve coach passengers and prepare sleeping car passengers’ meals out of the cafe car.

Car attendants take reservations for these trains and bring your meals to your room.

Let your attendant know if you want to eat in the cafe car.

Sleeping car attendants will tell you when the cafe is open for breakfast the night before. Breakfast is usually served in the cafe car on a first-come, first-served basis, but this can vary on some trains.

If you board the train after reservations, you can still get your meal but chat with your car attendant. If there is a Sleeping Car Lounge, there is more flexibility.

Average Amtrak Meal Times

Ask the onboard staff for hours of operation for meal service or any other questions. If you are looking for a snack, check out the cafe car, but food and drinks in the cafe are at your expense.

Where to get your Amtrak Flex Dining meals

On trains, where the cafe car is the sole food car, Amtrak often encourages people to have their meals in the accommodations due to space limitations in the cafe. But if you want to leave your room, you can go to the cafe car and eat.

Amtrak Flex Dining Wrap-Up

While Flex Dining is not everyone’s favorite, I found the most recent meals on the train tasty and serve their intended purpose. It is nice that Amtrak has expanded its offerings and switched from only cold options to mainly warm ones.

While the program has changed over the years, including its flexibility, it is more flexible for passengers getting on a late train or getting off during the peak hours of meals.

Amtrak is slowly returning traditional dining to all the trains that previously had it. The trains in that category include Capitol Limited, Crescent, and Lake Shore Limited. But there has not been any word on that as of yet.

Looking at history, the City of New Orleans and the Cardinal may maintain the flex dining options.

Agina, since I started riding long-distance trains on Amtrak in 2013, these two trains have not had traditional dining. The current flex meals are better than the previous food offered aboard the City of New Orleans.

Safe Travels!

Kev

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