In the early days of the railroads in America, when trains were slow and trips were long, meals were provided at certain stops along the way.

Passengers only had about twenty minutes to eat, and the mad scramble to get out and back on the train in time was hardly conducive to proper digestion.
About 1863, trains running between Philadelphia and Baltimore featured an “eating bar,”€ with food prepared in restaurants and kept hot in steamer trays. Five years later, in 1868, George Pullman introduced the first dining car, equipped with a full kitchen, and elegantly appointed dining tables where food was served in luxury by staff of uniformed waiters.