The San Francisco Overland Limited was one of Southern Pacific’s premiere trains. Yet this lunch menu is little more than an ordinary sheet of paper, slightly larger than 8-1/2″-by-11″, folded in thirds like a brochure. The menu is undated, but a black-and-white photo shows a track meet that a caption identifies as the West Coast Relays, the ninth annual session of which “will gather at Fresno May 11.” Since the relays started in 1927, that dates the menu to 1935.

Click image to download a 1.4-MB PDF of this menu.

Despite the cheapness of the menu paper, the menu itself is quite appealing. A table d’hôte panel offers seven entrées: striped bass, fresh vegetables, lamb casserole, veal cutlets, minced chicken & ham, club steak, and tenderloin tips, all with soup, vegetables, potatoes, salad, bread, dessert, and beverage. The a la carte panel lists two kinds of fish, five hot and five cold meats, and a much wider variety of vegetables, soups, salads, breads, desserts, and beverages than would be found on post-war dining car menus. A third panel lists beverages and things like playing cards, tobacco, and a Southern Pacific recipe book.