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Best Airports for Foodies
When I’m stuck at an airport on a layover, I have one simple rule: I want to have a meal at a place with table service. I’m juggling my rollaboard, a laptop case, and a purse, and no way do I have the desire to also deal with a food tray.
Unfortunately, in many airports, sit-down restaurants are hard to find, so when I find one that I like, I commit it to memory. I’ve got my faves: Atlanta Terminal E for The Bar, a sleek wine bar with great food, and One Flew South, a sushi restaurant. In Charlotte, for breakfast, I go to the Sportscar Cafe, or for dinner, I head straight to the Tequileria; besides making a killer margarita, their food is actually pretty good.
Here’s what others say:
*Frequent traveler Maryann Lowry likes Terminal D at DFW Airport because you can find restaurants that are favored by locals, such as Cousin’s Barbeque and Blue Mesa Mexican Food. “These restaurants aren’t found in other airports,” she reports.
*Sharon McCoy of Ivyland, PA, favors the Seattle Tacoma Airport, or SEATAC. “The airport has several ‘real’ restaurants such as Anthony’s Seafood and the Vintage Washington Wine Bar as well as Ivar’s Seafood, a regional restaurant,” she says.
*Stephanie Mantello recommends Amsterdam Airport Schiphol “First is Cafe Chocolat, both for the Illy coffee and chocolates. Second is Bubbles, a high-end bar with great seafood and excellent wines. Third,” she says, “the airport provides itineraries to help you get the most out of the time you are stuck there. One theme is actually Gourmet. Honestly, I wish I had had a bit more time there.”
*Steven Rudner of Dallas weighs in on a slew of choices: “The Mexican food — mostly the machaca tacos — at the Oaxaca restaurant in Terminal 4 at PHX Sky Harbor is outstanding,” he says. “The Amy’s Ice Cream in Austin is fantastic and served with a fun attitude. You can’t go wrong at the Wolfgang Puck restaurants at O’Hare near the AA gates and in Denver near the United gates. The food court in the Jet Blue terminal at JFK is great, and there’s a Mexican restaurant near the Southwest gates in Albuquerque with some world-class hot chile chicken soup.”
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The international terminal at SFO has some great options, or did when I was there two years ago. Mostly local restaurants they asked to be in the terminal. And a nice terminal also. Sadly they are outside security, but good if you are just laying over for two hours.
I’m a fan of the 30-something travel blog also. Some great tips.