Amtrak station New Orleans

Very open and spacious place, shares with Greyhound bus service. Plenty of room for Taxi and Uber drivers.

Well lit waiting room, plenty of benches

We came, we sàt, we left. Seamless as usual. MARIA at the LA Grand Cafe next to the Subway was very helpful. We bought souvenirs for the family and she tossed in something special for my son. Nice way to spend a layover. Good people and good food. The pralines were spot on too!

Not a great neighborhood once you get outside. Station personnel helpful. EZ check in for baggage.

This review pertains to food on the Amtrak Crescent route from NOLA to ATL.

I didn't expect any vegan options on this trip, so we brought PBJ and bread, just in case. Since this was going to be a long ride, we booked two roomettes and were surprised to be handed a Flexible Dining menu that had a vegan option! And, the Cafe in coach has an option or two as well (the Asian noodle bowl was not available in the Cafe car during this trip). Here's a review of what I ate:

Kofta Kebabs (Flexible Dining lunch/dinner menu)

- mild curry taste with sweet undertones from the raisins and carmelized onions
- kebab was meaty; not beyond or impossible-like, but flavorful (grilled taste) and great texture
- roll was warm, soft, and chewy
- meal comes with two dairy butter pats and two dairy ranch dressing packets

Vegan BBQ Burger (Cafe car)

- I wish i could find these in stores
- When not overcooked, excellent meaty texture and soft, pillowy bun
- The flavor is smoky and sweet, while not being overpowering in the sweetness/vinegar/hot areas

The facility felt uneasy. They had people with mental disorders in/out the station. Security tried to keep them out as much as possible. If you stay overnight properly plan for hotel stays, this place isn't where you would like to be at night. The station let you stay if you have a ticket for connecting train. I highly recommend a quality hotel downtown area. I stayed at Marriott on Canal Street. Not to cheap, but I value my safety.

The murals tell a fascinating story of the founding of New Orleans and Louisiana. Done by several unknown artists during the Works Progress Administration. Help at desks were stressed and short tempered. Cellular network wouldn't work for Android on the train to Atlanta.

For the art murals alone it's worth a look. No frills and nothing fancy but it's nice and clean. It has a subway restaurant and you can get aspirin etc.