Ode to the Amtrak Vegan Burger

I don’t know about you, but Amtrak is one of my favorite ways to travel. Whenever I get the opportunity to travel, it’s the number one service I go to first. I love watching my scenery change from the rush of New York City to the calm and serene of Upstate New York. Traveling long distance by train is most comfortable because of the comfy seating, free accessible bathrooms, and my most favorite feature: the food cart.

The convenience of having hot food ready when you need it on long trips is such a satisfying feeling. If you have a early morning trip, you can always count on having a steaming hot pot of coffee ready for you. If traveling later in the day, you can treat yourself to a nice meal and a drink, if you’re feeling fancy. Beyond the food, the dining cart was always a great escape if I needed a break from my seat-mate. Usually, I try packing some food to bring with me on my trips but it isn’t long before my food runs out and I’m hungry again.

When I first traveled on Amtrak as a vegan, I truly wasn’t expecting to find anything hot to eat. I always remembered the standard snacks and drinks available with the occasional non-vegan meal. However, waiting for me in the tiny moving cart was none other than the conveniently named Vegan Burger.

My experiences at Amtrak’s food cart have always been pleasurable thanks to the friendly staff who caters quickly and kindly to me. Seriously, tip these folks because they are amazing. This burger comes pre-packaged and is warmed pretty quickly so I’m back in my seat in no time.

Now, this burger isn’t necessarily top-class cuisine. It’s the kind of grub you’d find on the top shelf of a dusty vending machine; perfect for when times get tough. The composition of this burger is a patty so soft that it’s surprising it stays together at all, and a bun so tough, it’ll almost rip your teeth off. The taste is a pretty standard vegan patty taste, filled with a medley of vegetables you try to place but can’t. Eating it is an experience you’ll want to relive every ride, not because it’s good, but because you can’t find anything else that’s hot to eat on this train.

Is there any way to make this burger better? I put myself through a lot of condiments to find the answer to this question. I sampled ketchup, mustard, and relish via the packets available at the train cart and came to many conclusions. Of all the condiments sampled, the mustard surprisingly made the taste a little better. The ketchup and relish added a sweet taste to the already oddly sweet patty that just didn’t work.

I have a true love/hate relationship with this burger. I really never expected there to be culinary masterpieces in this cart, so please, no hard feelings Amtrak. For those fortunate enough to ride Acela Express First Class service, you can make a request for a special menu that tailors to your vegan diet. For everyone else, we are lovingly stuck with the classic vegan burger.

The Bronx Vegan is a blog run by Puerto Rican and Peruvian Bronxite, Alexis Montoya. This blog aims to highlight vegan resources in and around The Bronx through recipes, reviews and more. If you like what you read, please consider tipping below! All tips will be put towards more vegan food adventures to share with the world.