Better food at major airports

[shon7]

Why can't the vendors have better food at airport shops?

I really have never understood why one can never get regular pizza slices or a regular sandwich at airports? God knows the vendors charge exorbitant amounts to cover their taxes.

Any insights?

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

It's like the baseball and movie going experience-- where else can you sell a hot dog for $4.00?

 

[SWAInflt]

Depends on the airport. We flight attendants can always look at a trip sheet and know instantly where and when we will be making a food run.

We don't fly to all of the major airports in the country here at WN but there a few good choices out there...you just gotta know where to look. IND has California Pizza Kitchen...decent salads and pizzas...they also have a Subway that is inside security and charges "real world" prices. JAX has Sbarro and Miami Subs. RDU and ORF have A&W...artery clogging but still pretty good. BNA has excellent barbecue and pasta on the C concourse. MCO also has a decent Barbecue joint. You can get a grilled chicken sandwhich at KFC in SDF or OMA that is actually not bad for you but both are outside of security and in SDF it is a schlep to the food court from most gates. BWI has decent Deli Sandwiches and we're keeping our fingers crossed that the A concourse will have better options. Hopefully the food service folks will be less surly. I not ready to get stabbed with a plastic fork for asking for extra pickles.

BDL has great food in the new terminal...same for HOU. PVD has TGI Friday's. Red Beans and Rice and Beignets in MSY. Mexican food in ELP. Paradise Bakery in PHX has great sandwiches. SMF, CMH, AUS and MDW all have sizeable food courts. STL, LAX, and SJC each have a CPK of their own. STL has a Chili's on the E concourse where you can get a huge order of Chips and Salsa to go for 3 bucks. Then of course there's the ABQ. They're not all winners of course but if you know where and when to look for it...you can find some decent chow.

 

[swaforme]

It's a lot better now than it was 15 years ago.

 

[mar]

You mean, Hot Food?

My idea of airport food is what's in the vending machine.

If I'm lucky I'll get a bag of M&Ms--with peanuts!--and a cup of stale burnt coffee. But it's drinkable with lots of non-dairy creamer.

<barf>

Tell me again about the pizza and the BBQ and the red beans and rice.

 

[justApilot]

La Carreta outside security at Terminal D in MIA. Great Cuban food and cheap too.

 

[ivauir]

SWAInflt, swaforme .....

Dudes! What about POTBELLIES @MDW!! Best food stop in the system, AND you can get Starbucks at the same time! I don't think we even get a discount there and pilots (even Captains!) eat there so you know it is got to be great!

 

[njcapt]

Yeah, Potbelly is good, but there are a number of other good places in the new MDW terminal. The Buffalo Wings at Millers Pub near B15 are exceptional, and I can get them done with only a little breading so I don't break the bank on the Adkins diet.

AUS is my personal nirvana, since when NJ was flying there they had three BBQ places. The red beans and rice and sausage are great in MSY. In DEN the Meson Ole in B terminal makes a mean burrito, you just have to ask for the 'mas caliente - not for gringos' hot sauce from the prep area to get the authentic experience. In PIT, the secret place is the Wok and Roll in D terminal, since they make the food to order (though the quality has slipped a slight amount since the D terminal is so frickin' dead these days). In IND the best place to get chow is the FOX Cafe in terminal C across from gate C-4. They have great salads, burgers, and hot wings. My personal fave at ORD is the Burghof near gate C-24. Their corned beef sandwiches are to die for.

I obviously take airport food very seriously.