F&W’s Ultimate Airport Dining Survival Guide
Many of us spend at least a few hours within one of the nation’s major airports. F&W’s ultimate airport dining survival guide has the best places to eat and drink inside the terminals, as well as the best recipes to make ahead for the plane.
Slideshow: Recipes Perfect for Taking on the Plane
California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia
Illinois | Massachusetts | New Jersey | New York
North Carolina | Pennsylvania | Texas | Washington, DC
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Encounter Restaurant: At the center of LAX is the 1961 Theme Building, a historic, freestanding structure designed to look like a flying saucer supported by its landing gear. It’s home to this space-age restaurant, known for 360-degree views and stylings stolen from The Jetsons. It serves California-style dishes like organic salads and mushroom ravioli with grilled asparagus; there’s also a cocktail lounge with drinks like the Jet Set (gin, Campari and sweet vermouth).
- La Brea Bakery: Those who want to avoid a trip through security—which the Encounter requires—should head for the sandwiches at F&W Best New Chef 1990 Nancy Silverton’s well-known L.A. bakery, which has new outposts in terminals 1, 2 and 7.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Klein’s Deli and Coffee Bar: The Bay Area’s busiest airport reflects its citizens’ attention to their food: Terminals 1 (gate 36) and 3 (gate 64) have take-out counters from this deli formerly in Potrero Hill, which sells crisp chocolate chip cookies and overstuffed sandwiches named after famous women, like the Kahlo (a curried chicken sandwich with mango chutney, raisins and almonds, named after Frida Kahlo).
- Perry’s: Terminal 1 (gate 42) also has an outpost of this classic San Francisco tavern, known for its Cobb salads and Perry’s Hamburger, which can be topped with applewood-smoked Hobbs’ bacon.
- Anchor Brewing Company: In terminal 3 (gate 70), an Anchor Brewing Company tavern sells food and the full range of the company’s locally made craft beers.
More San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants
COLORADO
Denver International Airport (DIA)
- New Belgium Hub: The Denver airport has half a dozen taverns featuring the state’s microbrewed beers, the most recent being this artsy bar and grill (concourse B, gate 80). There are whole-wheat pancakes for breakfast, but also chicken sandwiches and oversize salads to pair with Fat Tire Amber Ale and other award-winning beers from New Belgium, a Fort Collins, Colorado brewery.
- Tamales by La Casita: Also brand-new to DIA is this branch (in the concourse C food court) of a three-decades-old Denver favorite, which started as a supercheap take-out spot for red chileandshredded pork or green-chile-and-cheese tamales.
FLORIDA
Miami International Airport (MIA)
- La Carreta: Miami’s well-known Cuban chain has run the must-visit counter in Miami’s superbusy airport for years (just outside security in terminal D) and is open 24 hours. Favorites are pressed, portable French-bread sandwiches like the Cubano, made with roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles, or the smaller medianoches (“midnight”) made with ham, cheese, and pickles.
More Miami-Fort Lauderdale Area Restaurants
GEORGIA
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Paschal’s Restaurant: This counter in concourse A (near gate 17; also in the atrium of the main terminal) is one of the few restaurants with a local flavor at the world’s busiest airports. The city institution, which even markets a local line of batter mixes for fried chicken, serves large portions of southern classics like fried catfish, country-fried steak and macaroni and cheese.
- One Flew South: This brand new sushi restaurant is Atlanta’s first upscale airport restaurant (near gate G6 and the food court, in terminal E), complete with a menu created by chefs Todd Richards and Duane Nutter of The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton in Kentucky.
F&W’s Atlanta Restaurant Guide
ILLINOIS
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Berghoff Cafe: Terminal 1, gate C26 of Chicago’s main airport is home to its coolest quick dining option: an outpost of the restaurant opened by German brewer Herman Joseph Berghoff in the 1880s. Beyond Berghoff’s beer on tap and root beer, there are hand-carved roast beef, turkey and corned beef sandwiches and the house specialty: the Reuben.
MASSACHUSETTS
Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Bonfire: F&W Best New Chef 1990 Todd English was one of the first professional chefs to move into modern airport dining, opening smaller branches of his Mexican-themed steak-house in Boston’s terminal B and New York’s JFK airport. Both have superfast to-go menus and Bonfire specialties like the steak-house salad (iceberg, blue cheese, tomato and Spanish onion).
- Legal’s Test Kitchen: Legal Sea Foods, a Boston institution, runs a restaurant presecurity, and they recently opened this new space inside terminal B. It’s an 80-seat restaurant that tests out new dishes for the restaurant company and offers take-out salads, wok stir-fries and sandwiches as well as Legal classics like fish and chips.
More Massachusetts Restaurants
NEW JERSEY
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Gallagher’s Steak House: Just past gate 121 in Newark’s terminal C is an outpost of this 1928 Manhattan restaurant, which features steaks, burgers and a fine selection of wines. The 120-seat spot is outfitted like the original (dark wood, red-checkered tablecloths), with a mural of the Manhattan skyline.
- Vino Volo: Near gate C1 is a new branch of this growing chain of cushy airport wine bars, serving wines (some regionally produced) and small plates of cheese, cured meats, olives, or dishes like chilled paella and duck-confit-and-lentil salad. The food is available to go, and you can also order wines youve tasted for home delivery.
NEW YORK
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Aeronuova (and more): Like Boston’s Logan airport, JFK is at the forefront of modern airport dining, and OTG Management recently adding nine full-service restaurants to Jet Blue’s terminal 5. They include Aeronuova, an Italian restaurant created by New York City star chef Mark Ladner of Mario Batali’s Del Posto (on the menu: pork agnolotti with tomato marmelatta and crisp pancetta). The terminal also features a new service called Re:vive, which allows you to order from a touch-screen menu, pay by credit card and have it delivered to your table in a gateside waiting area.
- Bonfire: In terminal 2, F&W Best New Chef 1990 Todd English recently opened a branch of his Mexican-style steakhouse, with a to-go menu and Bonfire specialties like crab nachos and portobello-mushroom quesadillas.
- Vino Volo: In terminal 8, at gate B7, there’s a new branch of Vino Volo, the elegant airport wine bar serving small plates and wines, including some sourced locally.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Figs: Post-security, LaGuardia’s terminals offer very few food options, with the most diverse selection found presecurity in the central terminal food court, where F&W Best New Chef 1990 Todd English has an outpost of his Boston pizzeria Figs. It has a view of departing planes and a menu with sandwiches, salads and pizzas with toppings like chicken sausage, herbed ricotta, balsamic onions and light tomato sauce.
Big City Value Eats: New York City
NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Yadkin Valley Wine Bar: This forward-thinking wine bar in Charlotte’s airport (in the connector hallway between terminals D and E) offers flights, glasses and bottles from the state’s growing Yadkin Valley wine region, including producers like Shelton and RagApple Lassie vineyards—and they’ll ship, too.
More North Carolina Restaurants
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Chickie’s & Pete’s: The Philadelphia airport recently overhauled its main food court, adding an outlet of this lively South Philly crab house (on the west side of terminal A) known for its chowder, steak sandwiches and “crab fries,” or French fries seasoned with crab-boil seasoning and served with a creamy cheese dipping sauce.
- Vino Volo: Also new is an outlet of Vino Volo (between terminals B and C), a growing chain of elegant airport wine bars serving small plates, cheeses, olives and cured meats, as well as bottles, glasses and flights of wine.
More Philadelphia Area Restaurants
TEXAS
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Cousin’s Barbecue: As with the Charlotte, North Carolina, airport, your best bets here are barbecue and local wines, both found in terminal D. Cousin’s (near gate 28 and in terminal B, gate 27) offers Texas standards like smoked brisket, ribs, sausage and pinto beans.
- La Bodega Winery: Near gate 14, you’ll find a tasting room from La Bodega Winery in Grapevine, Texas, selling wines by the bottle or the glass. There’s another location in terminal A, at gate 15.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: Like Lousiana, its neighbor to the east, Houston has its share of Cajun and Creole food. This regional chain serves gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp Creole, dirty rice and other dishes near gate 3 in terminal E.
More Dallas-Fort Worth Area Restaurants
WASHINGTON, DC
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Vino Volo: Like Newark Liberty and Philadelphia International, Dulles has recently welcomed a Vino Volo tasting room to terminal C near gate 3. This one offers a tasting flight of wines produced nearby in Virginia.
- Five Guys: Both terminals A (at gate 3) and B (gate 71) have branches of this Washington, D.C.-based chain, which makes skinny, flavorful burgers and hand-cut fries to order and offers free peanuts for munching while you wait.
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