If you’ve traveled as much as I have, you know that eating at airports can feel like playing a game called “Will This Regret Hit Mid-Flight?”
I’m Jojo, your resident Flying Foodie, and I’ve done the hard work (and digestive gymnastics) for you — eating my way through airports across the globe to find the meals worth risking a sprint to your gate or the dreaded armrest digestion struggles.
Here’s my official list of the Top 10 Airport Eats that have saved my trips, my taste buds, and sometimes, my sanity.
10. 🍔 Shake Shack – JFK Terminal 4, New York City
The burger that said, “You’re home, baby.”
Right before a red-eye, I found salvation in the form of a greasy, glorious ShackBurger and crinkle fries. At JFK, this isn’t just fast food — it’s an emotional support meal. It whispered, “You’ll survive the middle seat.”
Pro Tip: Skip the line with their app unless you enjoy bonding with strangers over delayed flights.
9. 🥟 Din Tai Fung – LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles
Soup dumplings at an airport? Yes, and they’re life-changing.
When I first saw xiao long bao on the departures level, I thought it was a mirage. Nope — it was real, it was hot, and it nearly made me miss my flight because I refused to leave until I had one more order.
Warning: Slurping soup dumplings loudly in a lounge may earn you some side-eye. Worth it.
8. 🍣 Sushi Kyotatsu – Narita Airport, Tokyo
Fresh sushi… in an airport… and it didn’t ruin my life?!
Sitting at Sushi Kyotatsu, chopsticks in hand, I almost forgot I was in Terminal 1 and not downtown Tokyo. If you’re brave enough for raw fish before a 12-hour haul, this is where you do it.
Flight Risk: You might cry a little when you realize this airport sushi is better than most restaurants back home.
7. 🌯 Tortas Frontera – O’Hare Terminal 1, Chicago
Rick Bayless, you beautiful sandwich sorcerer.
If you haven’t devoured a garlicky, cheesy, dripping torta from here while sprinting to your gate like a caffeinated raccoon, have you even truly lived?
Fun Fact: My gate changed mid-bite. I still finished the torta. No regrets.
6. 🍗 One Flew South – Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (Concourse E)
Fine dining… next to a Hudson News?!
One Flew South feels like you accidentally fell into a secret five-star restaurant while everyone else is inhaling cinnamon pretzels. Their duck confit sandwich should come with a medal.
Traveler Tip: Perfect for pretending you have your life together.
5. 🍜 Pho’mi – San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
The fastest way to warm your soul… and your sinuses.
Cold terminal? Delayed flight? Minor existential crisis?
Get the pho. Instant hug in a bowl. Add Sriracha until you can no longer feel your impending jet lag.
Insider Move: Slurp loudly. Assert dominance.
4. 🥐 PAUL Bakery – Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris
Proof that even the airport food in Paris wears a beret and judges you.
A flaky croissant and espresso from PAUL while people-watching the chic French travelers made me question my outfit and my entire life… but at least I looked existential while eating.
Pro Tip: Order two croissants. One for “now” and one for “boarding group 3 sadness.”
3. 🧀 Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA)
Because sometimes you need mac and cheese to survive the horrors of air travel.
Their “World’s Best Mac & Cheese” is so rich, you’ll wonder if your boarding pass also comes with a therapist.
Travel Hack: If you don’t get cheese on your shirt, did you even eat at Beecher’s?
2. 🍕 Pizzaria Uno – Boston Logan Terminal B
Emergency pizza therapy for a delayed flight.
This isn’t just pizza. It’s emergency pizza. It absorbs your rage, your sadness, and possibly that third airport beer you didn’t need.
Jojo’s Law of Travel: Bad flight = Mandatory pizza.
1. 🥓 Breakfast at The Breakfast Klub – Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston
Chicken and waffles so good I missed my boarding call.
When the aroma of fried chicken hits you at 7:00 AM, you follow it like a cartoon character floating through the air. Hands down, the best decision I’ve made at an airport — and possibly in life.
Consequence: Full belly. Full heart. Missed boarding group. No regrets.
Final Thoughts: Eat Fearlessly, Fly Happily
Airport food has a bad rap — and for good reason. I’ve survived stale sandwiches, mystery meat, and coffee so bad it made me question humanity. But every now and then, you find those magical airport eats that turn a layover into a lay-yasss.
So next time you’re stuck between flights, remember:
Life’s too short for bad terminal coffee and sad bagged sandwiches. Go find the good stuff.
And if you see a guy sprinting across the concourse holding a sandwich in one hand and boarding pass in the other?
Yeah, that’s probably me. 👋🏼
Until next meal,
Jojo The Flying Foodie ✈️🍴
