Mimi Sheraton in the New York Times wrote about food she would travel the world to eat.
While there are a number of foods and dining experiences that I consider travel highlights, there are actually a few of them that don’t even require leaving the airport. Great food options sometimes make connecting through certain airports actually feel worthwhile and something to pleasantly anticipate.
These three are my current favorites (please understand, this is a very personal list).
Burritos from Que Bueno in the Denver Airport — Que Bueno is a little place near gate B52. Do they have the best burritos ever? No, but they are huge, made to order, and pretty darn good. And the “fuego” (fire) sauce is for real. The staff will usually try to steer gringos to the regular hot sauce, but if you are a serious hot food junkie, give the “fuego” a try. And have water or a drink handy.They even have breakfast burritos.
Italian Beef Sandwich from the Billy Goat in Chicago/O’Hare, C Concourse food court — I love Italian Beef sandwiches. Again, these aren’t the best ever, but it’s a lot easier than going into downtown Chicago. The Billy Goat is a branch of the
Billy Goat Tavern (“cheezeborger, cheezeborger”) of Saturday Night Live fame. They are in Terminal C at Chicago O’Hare, and also sell cheeseburgers, but I have never tried one.
Dim Sum from Fung Lum at San Francisco Airport, United Concourse food court — Pretty decent, if limited, dim sum. Selections include pot stickers, pork buns, siu mai and banana shrimp rolls (really, and they taste better than they sound). My favorite, sweet rice puff, is actually a slightly chewy rice dumpling with ground pork inside. They also have other Chinese dishes.
Here are a few others in no particular order:
Andale Mexican food in the same United food court at San Francisco Airport (also found in the international terminal) — Andale is a branch of a small local chain. Their food is both tasty and healthier than most Mexican offerings. Great fresh salsas.
Gold Star Chili, Cincinnati, Delta terminal — Cincinnati style chili is like no other. It’s not particularly spicy and tastes slightly of cinnamon, but it’s addictive. It comes slathered over a small hot dog, spaghetti, beans or some combination of the above. Cheese and onions are optional.
La Salsa in the San Diego Airport Terminal Two food court — they replaced the local chain Rubio’s. Terminal One has another decent Mexican chain offering – Baja Fresh.
Yes, on my list there’s probably a preponderance of Mexican and spicy food. I love spicy food, especially when traveling.
This is no doubt a list that Tripso readers can improve. How about it? Add your favorites in the comments and we can create an great airport food list. Don’t limit yourself to fast food, I’m sure there are some great sit-down dining experiences, too.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
