I used to think airport food was just overpriced Sbarro and stale sandwiches wrapped in plastic. That was true for a long time, honestly. But sometime in the last decade or so, a handful of US airports decided to actually try, and the difference is genuinely surprising. I’ve had meals at airports that were better than the restaurant I’d planned to eat at after landing.
SFO — San Francisco
San Francisco International set the standard and everyone else has been playing catch-up. Gott’s Roadside is there — the same burger place that has lines out the door in Napa Valley. Napa Farms Market brings actual Bay Area produce and artisan goods airside. I had a crab Louie salad at SFO once that I still think about. It’s unfair, really. No airport should be allowed to have food this good when my home airport still leads with a Cinnabon.
PDX — Portland
Probably should have led with this, because Portland does something no other major airport does: street pricing. Restaurants inside PDX charge the same prices as their downtown locations. Same menu, same cost. Everywhere else marks things up 30-40% because you’re a captive audience. Portland said no. That policy alone would put them on this list, but the food is also genuinely great.
JFK — New York
Terminal 4 went through a massive renovation and the food hall that came out of it is impressive. Shake Shack, Deep Blue Sushi, and a rotating lineup of NYC restaurant outposts. It feels like an actual food court you’d seek out, not an afterthought. The other terminals are hit or miss, but T4 is worth arriving early for.
ATL — Atlanta
Atlanta’s secret weapon is One Flew South in Concourse E. It’s been called one of the best airport restaurants in America, and having eaten there during a three-hour layover, I’d agree. White tablecloths, a real cocktail program, dishes that would hold up at any standalone restaurant. It’s a weird experience eating food that good while people in flip-flops roll suitcases past your table, but it works.
SEA — Seattle
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Ivar’s Seafood both have locations at Sea-Tac, and that’s what makes this airport endearing for food. These are genuinely beloved local institutions, not generic chains. The clam chowder at Ivar’s is the real deal. I always budget an extra 45 minutes at SEA just to eat, which is probably the highest compliment you can give an airport.
