Cincinnati Dinner Train

My husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary in a new way. This was the perfect choice! The atmosphere was relaxing while having a great time with the themed entertainment. Sitting back and enjoying a 3 hour dinner with no phones gave me peace and relaxation. The food was good but the service is the best. Every person was friendly and helpful; making the experience more memorable.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: New York Style Cheese Cake with Strawberry Topping, Top Sirloin Green Beans and Baked Potato, Tossed Green Salad

It was a fun and unique way to spend date night. Dinner with a view and a step back into history during a simpler time when travel way seen as a luxury experience. the staff goes above and beyond to make sure you are enjoying yourself, the conductor points out historic landmarks, all while the queen city sisters sing songs from the 40's and 50's! After dinner you are invited to the platform for a photo op and to blow the trains whistle!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: New York Style Cheese Cake with Strawberry Topping, Hickory Smoked Prime Rib

The experience was wonderful! We deeply appreciated the excellent service provided by Vicki and “Lucky”! The conductors and staff were amazing and highly recommend this experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: New York Style Cheese Cake with Strawberry Topping, Hickory Smoked Prime Rib, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Appetizer Sampler, Salmon Dish

This past Saturday my husband surprised me for our anniversary with tickets to the train. It was wonderful. Everything from the staff, to the food, learning about railroad history, to enjoying the after dinner entertainment was perfect. I had the prime rib and my husband had the salmon. Both were delicious. The Midnight Expresso cocktail was A++++. Shout out to Joel & Clara, they may our evening memorable.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Hickory Smoked Prime Rib

I'm from out of town and drove over 5 hours to celebrate my 10 year anniversary in Cincinnati. The dinner train had an amazing appeal for a quiet dinner and learning experience. But the website doesn't include the truth. Once a ticket is purchased you learn of graffiti on the bridges and the not so scenic and historic views that were mentioned. It's also not so informative, you get a pamphlet and they talk maybe three times to annouce things and explain the rules. They also offer a private seating request, they do not honor it because they can't afford it. For the price of the ticket, it should be better developed. Overall it is not worth the price. A nice dinner and a short drive with google would have been better option.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3

Crap. First and last time, overpriced massively. Would not recommend.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 2

Really nice experience! However two stars were removed due to the excessive talking of the conductor. Really just wanted to have dinner and enjoy the view and have conversations with my date. Instead, we were forced to listen to him talk entirely too much. We as adults were forced to sit in silence as he spoke, and we were forced to listen to his jokes that were pretty bad. Seemed like he just talked to talk…. Super nice guy, but he lacks self awareness. Spend some time talking in the beginning, afterwards just allow us to enjoy our dinner in peace.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 3

Parking is a little inconvenient. There is no train station or any waiting area. The train is clean and cute and appears to be well maintained. We had the prime rib and the salmon. Both were pretty good, especially for being served on such a facility. The staff was very friendly.

The route ran from the section road area, down through Madisonville and red bank road and finally ended up at the boat house. Return was just the reverse of the outward trip.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

I went for my birthday 🎂 last summer. I went with my family and we had a BLAST! I see why people recommend going. It was totally worth the money.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Hickory Smoked Prime Rib, Appetizer Sampler, Salmon Dish, Salads

A one-of-a-kind evening on the rails!

If you’re looking for a truly unique experience in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Dinner Train is an absolute must. I recently took the ride and it completely exceeded my expectations.

From the moment you step aboard the beautifully restored vintage railcars, you feel transported to a different era. The atmosphere is elegant but welcoming, and the staff goes above and beyond to make the evening special without being overly formal.

I had a delicious four-course meal (the calzone I chose was amazing!), and loved that you pick your entrée when you book. Everything was served hot, fresh, and beautifully presented. The train ride itself is smooth and scenic—you catch glimpses of the city that you just don’t get from the road.

Even if you’re not a train enthusiast, this is a wonderful option for a date night, special celebration, or hosting out-of-town guests. It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia, great food, and a little adventure. I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends and visitors!

Great time, food was excellent.

Our group of 14 (7 couples) experienced mixed feelings about our recent train trip. Prior to departure, we were informed by staff via email and phone that a mandatory, pre-paid gratuity of approximately $60 per couple was required to guarantee group seating. This policy was disappointing, especially considering the $260 per couple cost that we had already paid and the principle that gratuity should reflect service quality which we had not yet received.

Onto the actual experience....The train route began in an industrial area, resulting in unappealing scenery for roughly half the journey. The views improved significantly as we approached downtown. The service staff were consistently polite and attentive, and the onboard entertainment, including singers and historical commentary from the conductor, was enjoyable.

The food was adequate, but not exceptional. My prime rib steak, ordered medium, was very overcooked. While I understood the challenges of preparing meals for such a large group, it was still a notable disappointment. The other food served was decently okay but not exceptional.

In summary, while the service and entertainment were positive aspects of the trip, the mandatory pre-paid gratuity, the initial uninteresting scenery, and the average food quality detracted from the overall experience.

3 hour train with dinner

First time riding the CDT. Enjoyed the ride, good food. Only downside was getting dark early and not getting to see everything.

Love the ambiance of the train, food was tasteless, I've had better at a nursing home. When you pay $120 per person food needs to be on point.