Skip to main content

10 airports with restaurants you’ll actually want to eat at (we’re serious!)

most popular places to eat busiest united states airports dsc 3410
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Gastronomical paradises, airports are not. You’ll rarely hear anyone raving about airport grub, which is more quick sustenance than actual culinary enjoyment.

But airports are trying to change that. Many are embarking on major renovations, and making restaurants a central part of those plans. United tapped OTG to redo food options at its hubs in Newark, New Jersey, and Houston, Texas — adding iPads for ordering and payment.

We, of course, are not restaurant critics. So, we’ve asked Yelp to comb through its crowd-sourced reviews to help determine which are the most popular places to eat at the nation’s 10 busiest airports – whether you have some time to kill, or you’re looking to grab something tasty to-go.

The methodology, according to Yelp: “These are among the best places to eat in America’s 20 busiest airports, as defined by the FAA’s 2015 stats. ‘Best’ is determined using an algorithm that looks at both the number of reviews and overall star rating. All of these businesses are in our Food and/or Restaurants category, are located inside of an airport, and have at least three stars.”

The airports listed are ranked by how busy they are, based on passenger traffic. Chances are, you’ll most likely fly into one or more of these airports.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Sean Pavone/123RF
  1. One Flew South (Terminal E)
  2. Varasano’s Pizzeria (Terminal A)
  3. Five Guys (Terminal C and D)

Calling itself “the first upscale dining experience at the world’s busiest airport,” One Flew South specializes in “Southernational,” Southern cuisine inspired by world flavors. One commenter wrote: “Definitely not the cheapest spot in town, but definitely worth a try.”

Los Angeles International Airport

Westfield Airports
  1. Ink Sack (Tom Bradley International Terminal)
  2. James’ Beach (Tom Bradley International Terminal)
  3. Lemonade (Terminal 5)

LAX’s terminals aren’t the easiest to travel between, but the Tom Bradley International Terminal alone is home to many great eateries. Here, you will find an outpost of James’ Beach – featured in the movie, I Love You, Man – where you can get some “delicious fish tacos.”

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Songquan Deng/123RF
  1. Tortas Frontera (Terminal 1, 3, and 5)
  2. Wicker Park Seafood and Sushi Bar (Terminal 2)
  3. Skybridge Bar and Grill (Terminal 2)

Chicago chef Rick Bayless is an authority on Mexican cuisine, and you’ll find his Tortas Frontera quick-serve restaurant at three locations at O’Hare. Yelp reviewers seem to enjoy the food, with one frequent traveler calling it “the very best restaurant I have ever eaten at in any airport in the United States.”

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Sean Pavone/123RF
  1. Twisted Root Burger Co. (Terminal A)
  2. Mister G’s (Hyatt Regency Hotel, adjacent Terminal C)
  3. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen (Terminal A)

DFW passengers give top marks to the Twisted Root Burger Co., according to Yelp, but then again, who doesn’t like giant hamburgers? Maybe it’s an appearance on the Guy Fieri food fest, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, that’s made the Texas-born chain so popular.

John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City)

TEA/123RF
  1. Shake Shack (Terminal 4)
  2. La Vie (Terminal 5)
  3. Deep Blue Sushi (Terminal 5)

DT’s NYC team can’t shut up about Shake Shack. The burger joint has developed a cult following worldwide, so it’s apropos that it has set up shop at JFK’s main international terminal (unfortunately, you’ll have to be flying through Terminal 4). The eatery is so popular that it has two locations inside the terminal.

Denver International Airport

Modern Market
  1. Modern Market (Concourse B and C)
  2. Root Down (Concourse C)
  3. Elway’s (Concourse B)

Modern Market places emphasis on fresh and healthy farm-to-table fare, and is popular with Yelp users. Founded in nearby Boulder, Colorado, the restaurant has two locations at DIA: Concourse B and C. That’s great, since United and Southwest, the two busiest carriers, operate out of those concourses.

San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport
  1. Tyler Florence Rotisserie (Terminal 2)
  2. Vino Volo (Terminal 2)
  3. Cat Cora’s Kitchen (Terminal 2)

We’ve enjoyed some excellent fare at SFO. If you’re flying through Terminal 2 (Virgin America and American Airlines), you’re in luck: three of Yelp users’ top picks are located here, which includes two from celebrity chefs, Cat Cora and Tyler Florence.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

charlotte douglas airport
MaverickHunter40245/Wikimedia Commons
  1. Beaudevin
  2. 1897 Market
  3. Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits

How good is Beaudevin, the top Charlotte airport restaurant among Yelp reviewers? One said, “I would fly back through CLT even though it is out of the way, to eat at Beaudevin.” The eatery has generally favorable reviews, with the usual dash of entitled Yelp “critics.”

McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas)

Ritu Jethani/123RF
  1. Rachel’s Kitchen (Terminal 1, D Gates)
  2. Jersey Mike’s Subs (Terminal 1, C Gates)
  3. Village Pub and Grill (Terminal 3, E Gates)

It’s concerning that a nationwide sub shop, Jersey Mike’s, is the number-two restaurant at LAS, but hey, who are we to judge people’s taste buds? Thankfully, the top spot goes to Rachel’s Kitchen, a local Las Vegas chain that dishes out wholesome food. Since airport and airplane food options are usually subpar, this is a nice respite for travelers keeping healthy.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Cygnusloop99/Wikimedia (used under Creative Commons)
  1. Olive and Ivy (Terminal 4)
  2. Wildflower Bread Company (Terminal 4)
  3. Sauce Pizza and Wine (Terminal 4)

The three top eateries at PHX popular with Yelpers are all Arizona-based restaurants. Olive and Ivy received a four-star rating from 120 reviews, making this Mediterranean-focused restaurant the top spot.

Les Shu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I am formerly a senior editor at Digital Trends. I bring with me more than a decade of tech and lifestyle journalism…
How to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac
Macbook Air

If you want to have a bit of music playing in the background or want to have your favorite YouTube video running in the corner of your screen, then the picture-in-picture YouTube feature needs to be on your radar. This allows you to turn your YouTube videos into a tiny pop-up window that can be moved and repositioned around your screen.

Mac users have several ways to activate the feature, including support on both Safari and Google Chrome. There's also a nifty Chrome extension that simplifies the task to a single button press. Here's a look at how to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac.

Read more
How to change your Gmail password
pilot testing drivers licenses internet rolls two us states password

Changing your Gmail password is incredibly important for your online security. If you're anything like the average user, your Gmail account is linked to dozens of other organizations and programs – and if your account gets hacked, there's no telling what sort of damage can be done.

Because of this, it's crucial to change your Gmail password at regular intervals. Google makes this a rather painless process, and it should take no more than a few seconds from start to finish.

Read more
Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more
best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

Best Buy is always a great retailer to turn to if you’re looking for some savings. There are almost always Best Buy deals taking place on TVs, appliances, and devices we use to navigate the digital world. In fact, right now at Best Buy you can find some of the best TV deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals that can be shopped, and we haven’t even mentioned the deals on tablets and home audio equipment currently taking place at Best Buy. We’ve rounded up all of the best Best Buy deals you can shop right now and categorized them for your convenience below, so read onward for some great opportunities to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.

Read more