Passenger Trains > Lunch timing on the Sunset Limited in Texas

I'm riding the Sunset Limited Tomorrow from El Paso to Tucson. It leaves El Paso a little before 2pm. I'm wondering - would the diner still be serving lunch? I realize it likely won't be, but I'm double checking.

Depends on the crew. When I was there Saturday we arrived as they were doing last call on train 1.

However, I recommend getting a few burritos from the burrito lady out front. Her food is much better and cheaper than anything you will get on the train. I missed my free dining car lunch to have her $2 burritos.

Great tip, thanks!

If the train is on time, every crew should be doing meal services the same. Different story of course if the train is off schedule. Anderson should know this. It's not like the first flight each night from DTW to Amsterdam serves a breakfast snack prior to arrival and the second doesn't. They all do exactly the same thing every flight.

The Burrito lady is back? Last I heard Amtrak banished her from the platform.

On our Sunset ride some time ago, we bought our lunch from her, even though we could get our ‘free’ Amtrak lunch. My wife is from Arizona and is very particular about her southwestern food. We both agreed, this was by far the best meal of the entire trip. Is there a lesson in this for Amtrak and their ‘fresh and contemporary’ dining? I suspect food trucks at crew change points would be a welcome relief from what’s planned. Change the schedule a bit and the restaurant at LaPosada in Winslow, ex Harvey House, would be a real treat for the long suffering passengers. While I say this with tongue in cheek, there has to be some way for Amtrak to take advantage of enroute caterers. I’d even pay for it if fares were adjusted accordingly.

In March, found her right at the platform gates, parking lot site, hidden a bit.

She is still there, just not inside the gates. Doing a brisk business, including with some of the Amtrak staff on the train.

To update:

Amtrak employees were the ones that helped me find her. #1 was early into El Paso, so I first got seats taken care of and then went out to get food for us. She had already run out of everything but bean and cheese. She was nice, and the price was cheap, but they were nothing noteworthy- no flavor really (and no cheese.) In Chicago I can find better at several local taquerias. It is nice to have the option, and she was certainly popular. But based on how it was, we ate lunch in the diner, which they did indeed seat until 2pm. The burger was good, with crisp red onions, and the crew was nice. I'm not saying Amtrak food is spectacular but on dining cars it is not just mediocre and in no way is it worse than a re-friend bean burrito.

At a later point between stops the crew was also discussing every recent development with Amtrak/Anderson in a manner that recognized he has no care or concern for the national system.