Airport dining in America has undergone a metamorphosis. Not long ago, travelers avoided eating in terminals, which tended to be stale food courts filled with fast-food chains and generic food options, with all of the country’s concourses feeling like Anywhere, U.S.A. But now travelers go to domestic airports early for a taste of the city’s flavors, as the emphasis has shifted from the pragmatic to the palatable.

With signs of aging starting to show, many major airports in the U.S. have undergone significant renovations. With the upgrades have come a newfound focus on local specialties. Atlanta is chock-full of Southern kitchens, Seattle brews up coffee beans from a variety of cafés, and Miami’s Cuban food options run the gamut.

Chef- and celebrity-driven eateries have also found space between the gates. Top Chef’s Dale Talde, who runs Goosefeather in Tarrytown, New York, opened a noodle shop in New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. Top Chef Masters and PBS chef Rick Bayless mixes up his beloved guacamole at Chicago’s O’Hare. Rapper Ludacris has a fried chicken shop in Atlanta, while NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway has a pair of restaurants at Denver’s airport.

While established favorites may set the scene, all trends need to be bucked. One of the finest examples is at this year’s top airport, where One Flew South launched in 2009 as Atlanta’s first fine-dining airport restaurant and has earned James Beard Award nominations twice for outstanding service. That led to the 2022 opening of a second location along the trendy Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail.

With airports doubling as dining destinations more than ever before, here are this year’s Food & Wine Global Tastemakers Awards’ top domestic airports for dining.

01of 10

Winner: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport (Georgia)

Courtesy of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport

From Soul Food to Sushi, This Airport’s Dining Scene Is Taking Off

02of 10

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (Illinois)

Courtesy of Chicago O'Hare International Airport

As the host city of the James Beard Restaurant and Chefs Awards each June, Chicago shows off its culinary prowess to the nearly 74 million annual visitors that pass through the 203 gates at O’Hare International Airport (ORD), America’s fourth-busiest airport. Since 2023, the JBF@ORD chef series has turned terminals into a pop-up food festival, with tastings and meet-and-greets that feature celebrity chefs like Rick Bayless, whose Tortas Frontera is an ORD favorite for its guacamole. Last year’s modernization of Terminal 5 came with airport locations for Windy City staples like Lincoln Park’s Butcher and the Burger for customizable meat or vegan lentil burgers, River North’s The Hampton Social, known for its rosé all day, and West Loop’s Bar Siena for Italian street food and pizza. These joined mainstays like Wicker Park’s Publican Tavern, whose offshoot Publican Quality Bread also debuted near Gate M5.

03of 10

John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)

Courtesy of Chris Rank/Rank Studios

On the to-eat list for JFK International Airport visitors: The Classic BEC (Bacon, Egg & Cheese) at 53-year-old institution H&H Bagel, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza’s namesake creamy slice, and Baked by Melissa’s tiny cupcake bites, all in Terminal 5. While the airport is in the midst of a major facelift with terminal openings and closings scheduled through 2030, Terminal 4’s Delta One Lounge, which opened in June, is a taste of NYC’s busiest airport’s emphasis on dining. As the airline’s first premium concept, its 140-seat brasserie serves three-course meals that include Hamachi crudo, steak tartrate, and, of course, New York cheesecake.

04of 10

LaGuardia Airport (New York)

Courtesy of Jenn Finch / Delta

Just trailing its New York City counterpart on this list, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a huge leap ahead in its redevelopment. Terminal B snagged a rare Skytrax five-star airport terminal honor in 2023. Formerly earning punching bag status among the city’s airports, the sleek concourse features a diverse collection of the area’s established eateries and chefs. Midtown’s Hunt & Fish Club serves lobster bisque and Brooklyn-style pork chops, Brooklyn Diner brings its house-cured pastrami and buttermilk pancakes, and Dale Talde’s Talde Noodle Bar features kung pao wings, ramen, baos, and bento boxes. Julian Medina’s La Chula Taquería offers carnitas and mushroom tacos, along with the chef’s trademark Margarita, with double barrel reposado, Cointreau, and orange splash. Tribeca’s favorite brunch spot, Bubby’s, and Brooklyn’s Chuko ramen have set up shop in Terminal C. But one of LGA’s best options is Eli’s Essentials, a collaboration with NYC’s gourmet grocery icon Zabar’s (from Eli Zabar), which is stocked with its famous babka and challah bread.

05of 10

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (Texas)

Courtesy of The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Good eating is guaranteed in Austin, and it starts just steps off the plane at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The first order of business is good ol’ fashioned Texas barbecue, and Salt Lick BBQ has been one of the city’s favorites since 1967 with its sear-and-slow technique and tomato-free barbecue sauce. While the beloved Hut’s Hamburgers closed in 2019 after 72 years, its location near Gate 14 still grills The Fats Domino and Hut’s Favorite burgers. (Unfortunately for locals, it’s past security.)

Austin’s fusion cuisine shines at The Peached Tortilla, where Asian classics take on a Texan interpretation in the form of banh mi and Chinese barbecue chicken tacos. Your sweet tooth will love Amy’s Ice Creams, where the most popular flavor is Mexican vanilla. While the airport location doesn’t have its famous “I Love You So Much” mural, Jo’s Coffee brews cups of joe with beans from La Colombe Coffee Roasters.

06of 10

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (Texas)

Courtesy of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Everything truly is bigger in Texas, and that includes Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). It covers a whopping 17,207 acres, second in the nation in size to Denver, and serves more than 80 million passengers annually, the second-busiest airport in the U.S., trailing Atlanta. Like Austin’s AUS, the best of its barbecue and burger eateries are here. There are two locations of Cousins Bar-B-Q, with its mega-sized portions of “low and slow” ribs, chicken, and sausages, while Love Shack, from chef Tim Love, offers creative burger toppers like quail eggs. The city’s gridiron passion is celebrated at Dallas Cowboys Club, which serves up Tex-Mex selections, as well as at famed Cowboys alum Drew Pearson’s Sports 88, where sports bar dining is enhanced with smoked barbecue. Fort Worth’s popular Ampersand coffee shop, as renowned for its avocado toast as its brews, has a dutiful robot that serves travelers.

07of 10

San Francisco International Airport (California)

Courtesy of Karl Nielsen

Take a farmers market, but make it airport. That’s exactly what San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has with Napa Farms Market in Terminal 2 and International Terminal G. It’s coined as a farm-to-flight experience, with a curated mix of Bay Area favorites. There’s substance from a pair of female-founded sustainable companies, Equator Coffees and Cowgirl Creamery, as well as organic and locally sourced Acme Bread Company and small-batch Kara’s Cupcakes. The region’s Asian influences can be tasted at dim sum hotspot Koi Palace and the city’s Vietnamese eatery Bun Mee. Travelers with more time can sit down for chicken and waffles and chilaquiles verde at Bourbon Pub in Harvey Milk Terminal 1, or grilled cheese sandwiches or fish and chips at Mustards Bar & Grill in International Terminal G. For those rushing to flights, pre-packaged grab-and-go meals are made daily at Proper Food in Harvey Milk Terminal 1.

08of 10

Denver International Airport (Colorado)

Courtesy of Denver International Airport

Covering 34,000 acres, twice the area of Manhattan, Denver International Airport (DEN) ushers through about 77.8 million passengers a year, as both a busy stopover terminal and destination. Having completed a major gate expansion program in 2022, which increased capacity by 30% with 39 new gates, last year saw the opening of new restaurants galore.

In May, Concourse A welcomed Elway’s Taproom & Grill from Denver Broncos legend John Elway, adding to its successful Elway’s Steakhouse in Concourse B. The new entry serves pretzel fondue and off-the-bone short ribs. December saw the opening of Concourse B’s Sunset Loop Bar and Grill, named after a trail in Jefferson County’s White Ranch Park, from Daniel Young, known as Chef D, as well as ChoLon Modern Asian with dim sum and wok entrées from Lon Symensma. One of the most exciting offerings is still forthcoming, as the tough-to-score reservation at the Mile High City’s speakeasy Williams & Graham preps an airport location.

09of 10

Miami International Airport (Florida)

Courtesy of Juan Silva

Miami International Airport (MIA) is among the most diverse American hubs. It serves as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean and 150 global destinations in all. Its Cuban influences run strong, from coffee and sandwiches at Cafe Versailles to pastelitos and croquetas in La Carreta Restaurant, ropa vieja and mojitos at Ku-Va, and pastries from Estefan Kitchen Express. Southern flavors are also served up at Spring Chicken and Chef Creole, as well as last year’s most exciting opening, Jackson Soul Food. The original location opened in the Black heritage neighborhood of Overton in 1946, and the Concourse E spot cooks up the same family recipes like fried catfish, meatloaf, candied yams, fried okra, and collard greens. The airport’s best food feature is the easy-to-use MIA2Go, which allows those short on time to order in advance online or on its app.

10of 10

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Washington)

Courtesy of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Capturing the top spots in Skytrax’s best North American airports list year after year (No. 2 in 2024 and No. 1 in 2023 and 2022), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has undergone a recent series of significant upgrades, from which new dining offerings have popped up. Sports bar Seattle Dawg House serves the namesake Seattle dog, smothered with cream cheese.

Seattle’s coffee culture permeates the terminals, with two locations of artisan roaster Caffé D’arte and six of hometown pride Starbucks. That includes Starbucks Evenings, a luxe café that also has 27 wine and beer options. While the classic spot Salty’s at the SEA is one of the country’s top airport dining establishments, Kawaii Treats, a small-business vending machine filled with Japanese treats like cakes in a can and boba tea, is worth a stop for an Instagram shot. The upcoming Concourse C expansion will bring 13 more dining spots and retailers that include a Stumptown Coffee, food basket favorite Bite Society, and macaron shop Lady Yum.

To uncover the best food and drink experiences for travelers, Food & Wine polled over 400 chefs, travel experts, food and travel writers, and wine pros from across the globe for their top culinary travel experiences. We then turned the results over to our Global Advisory Board, who ranked the top nominees in each category. For the full list of all 165 winners, visit foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.Add paragraph text here.

Explore Culinary delights

in Sydney's Northern Beaches