Spirit of Washington Dinner Train
Renton, WA 98055
Phone: (425) 227-7245
Fax: (425) 277-8839
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Smithers Avenue S
- Hours:
- Varies
Editorial Review for Spirit of Washington Dinner Train – by Citysearch Editors
The Scene
Passengers enjoy a leisurely 48-mile round trip from Renton to Woodinville, complete with a winery tour. Part of the train is open, permitting incomparable fresh-air views of foliage in the day and moonlight on Lake Washington after dark. Rates vary depending seat location; expect to share with strangers if you dine as a couple.
The Food
Travelers select from four entrees--roasted prime rib rules the popularity chart. Crab-stuffed crepes with roasted peppers and onions make a satisfying meal. Chicken breast stuffed with apples and Cougar Gold cheese; and smoked-and-roasted salmon are also offered. A selection of rolls and spreads greet diners, followed with a salad of romaine, grapefruit and almonds dressed in a poppyseed vinaigrette. Dessert on the return trip is a choice of warm apple crisp with cinnamon whipped cream and caramel sauce or a chocolate confection served with sweet raspberry puree and creme anglais.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoTips and alcoholic beverages are not included in the ticket price; sodas and coffee are.
User Reviews for Spirit of Washington Dinner Train
06/16/2007 Posted by man4pnw
Sounded like fun somy wife and I took our 2 teenage daughters on the dinner train. The train was a kind of fun reminder of things the past. I train is showing signs of wear. I guess I assumed that the food would have ben freshly prepared on sight but this is not the case. Think first class airline food. I don't know if the tracks need repair or the train's cars need new shocks. We were tossed back and forth as though we were locked in a broom closet during an earthquake. I've ridden trains up and down the west coast going much faster and never been through around so much. The food was ok. It tasted like it had been sitting an a warmer for sometime because it had. Vegetables were limp, the rest of the meal warm not hot but I justified it because we were doing it as a family adventure. One of the highlights is stopping on an old trestle and looking down on the 405. I suppose I am jaded because to me a highlight should be something special. The 405 just isn't that special. We enjoyed stopping at the winery and I suppose you could say it was the real highlight of the trip. The kids seemed to enjoy the train ride as it was outside of their normal daily experience. On leg back from the winery the girls plugged in their ipods and stared blankly at the industial areas we passed. It's ok, not great. I it might be a fun dinner for a couple in their early 20s.
Pros: something different
Cons: poor food, old interior, a little dull.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
06/15/2007 Posted by hamboner126
Kash2 wrote: "At $78.00 per person, it is not a regular event but once in a blue moon would be interesting ... except when we received our bill. You see the bill listed the train trip at $9.00 and food at $68.00 each!! Hostess nearly ripped our head off demanding tip. I am sorry but the food was barely worth $15.00, and the hostess service was very subpar (even ignoring the outburst in the end). So when I go on a cruise, I don't pay tip for the cruise's bill, I pay for what I spend "during" cruise. Same way dinner train charging for tip on the "whole" experience is bogus" Well, first, the gratuity is not based off of the entire bill, or the "whole" experience. If that were the case, Kash2 would have had a check brought to the table that showed $156, based off of the $78 ticket price mentioned. What is served on the train, is a full three course meal with a full bar available, very similar to a traditional restaurant. So checks are presented as in a traditional restaurant, and each meal is listed at $34 each, out of the original $78, for a total of $68 per couple, instead of $156, which would be the "whole" experience.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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