Encounter at LAX???
 

Anyone ever eat there recently? I know its a little pricey but it seems like it would be an experience....

I used to like it (until 2004 I used to make an annual visit
there at least), but neither the menu nor the prices nor
the quality of the cooking stands out to me now. It's pretty
trippy for a one-off, though.

I'm going to move this into the Los Angeles dining forum, both for broader exposure now and for archiving for future searches.

SanDiego1K
Senior Moderator

You will be fine for drinks and a snack.Not worth it for a full dinner.

It's worth going if you have a few hours to kill at LAX. Frankly, the best meal I have had on airport property. The price/value is too high, though. Also, for an airport restaurant, the service can be slow.

In truth, the insides look exactly how you would expect.

i had lunch there a few months back. the food was alright, but for what it's worth, I'd rather eat at a nice hotel down the road. if you want, you can take the elevator up, look at the view, then decide..

I had dinner there earlier this month and thought it was pretty good, if a bit pricey. Had the pork chop dinner and it was tasty. Drinks were mixed well and didn't skimp on the booze. Service was decent - the guy who fills the water glass, brings bread, etc, was more attentive than the waitress was.

You could go for a full meal or a drink and an appetizer or two. If you've got the time and don't mind spending more than you would at other airport places, go for it.

You can also sit at the bar and have dinner...they serve a special "light" menu which is also significantly less expensive than the restaurant. Also, you get to watch the bartender serving draft beer: everytime he opens the tap, you get some "space warp" sound effects!

I didn't know about the space warp sound effects - cool! I've eaten there & had drinks there - I think it's fine & the views are great of course.

If you have tons of time then going to Manhattan Beach or Marina del Rey is better, but if you're limited & need to stay on-property I'd pick Encounter over terminal options or even going to nearby hotels.

Cheers.

I ate there a coupla years ago
 

it had that odd meal-before-going-to-the-prom feeling, where you're trying to make an occasion out of something that isn't.

For a good but non-exciting meal, I'd probably just go to the Daily Grill, which I understand is in the Bradley terminal.

It's a pretty decent place to spend an hour, especially during daylight hours when you can view ramp/runway activity. The tricky part can be actually finding the entrance, especially for a first-time visitor. You have to cross a lot of lanes of traffic. I was there a month ago and thought the french fries were excellent.

Disney was involved with "engineering" the look and feel of Encounter. Sort of "Jetsons meet Mickey Mouse".

Definitely good for drinks and a snack, but as others have said...many other better places in L.A. for food (unless of course you're restrained to eating at LAX).

Love the music that plays with the soda fountain. Also, there's an older Mexican bartender who works there -- great personality.

I have always wanted to try the restaurant. I am sorry to hear that the food isn't that good. I'll probably try it once anyway--just to say I was there! :)

Same here. Good to know that dinner is not really worth it, but the bar and snack/light meal items are ok.

Does it spin around?