u r right. Except for a few prestigious shatabdis like bhopal-new delhi and chandigarh-new delhi, all the other Shatabdis are bakwas. Food is bad and also coach condition is not good. It is best to use the regular intercity trains.
For example, I travel frequently from Bangalore to Chennai by Brindavan Express and other regular trains. They are just a couple of hours slower and a lot more fun. Bangalore-Chennai shatabdi coaches are old and the condition is bad, and also the train vibrates too much because of the extra speed.