EqualOpp

A lot of airports I have traveled through, I don't know anything about the pre-security / landside situation (Going quickly to check-in) or don't remember or too long ago. But here's my current thought:

Best: SFO International - has 6 different eating establishments (Mexican, Chinese x2, Wendy's, American, and some bakery) with lots of seating - very spacious dining areas - plenty of tables and "room to manuever." [Don't know about any of the other terminals]. There's also a small Hudson mini-mart.

Worst: Seattle-Tacoma (Domestic/Int'l are the same) - there's a Starbucks, an overpriced Hudson mini-mart, and some other very small restaurant. Other then a few chairs/tables by each of these places maybe - nada. Once in the airside - things are great...but terrible pre/land.

Other / International: maybe my knowledge is better for int'l....Istanbul is great landside. As is Schiphol - AMSterdam. Taipei Taoyuan - has a couple of restaurants - but not much more from recollection -- but still better then Seattle. Taipei Songshan - not much - just a 7-11 or something like that - if memory serves me. Could comment on more perhaps...but I don't want to think too hard.

Add your experiences!

djp98374

I disagree on Seattle.

unlike many other airport designs, Seattle terminal is very close to airport hotels and restaurants

Raddisson us a short walk from the south end of baggage claim. 13 coins is next to it. The hotel has a restaurant inside. Stsying onnthr airport side of International there are a bunch of restsurants like Shsrpes, a Thai restaurant and others.
you can walk over the arrivals/ departes into the garage to thr light rail station on the other side of the garage and take the passenger bridge of international where you have a crowne plaza, full Hilton, full marriott that all have restaurants inside.





Many airports don’t have restaurants outside of security. Some might have small coffee shops with small amount of tables.

DCA had a mall area previously pre security with many places to shop and eat. Now it’s behind security.

PDX has something similar but it’s going through a major redesign. I’m unsure if the plan is to keep it pre-security.

txp

AUS used to have a nice restaurant pre-security -- Fara Café and Sports Bar -- but it recently closed.

However, to follow up on djp98374's suggestion, the best bet is to go to a hotel restaurant if a hotel is attached to the terminal.

With this in mind, here are some airports that fall in the "best US airports" category for pre-security dining:

I am most familiar with IAH (Marriott) and DFW (Grand Hyatt) in particular. I am sure that there are many others (SFO, DTW, JFK, etc,).

In terms of "worst airports" I would venture to say that any US airport without a hotel attached to the terminal is likely to offer close to zero in terms of pre-security dining. At most you will find a Starbucks or equivalent.

Perhaps this thread should, therefore, focus on which US airport have a hotel attached to the terminal, with a full-service restaurant.

Outside the US, you can find terminal hotels in (at least) YVR, YUL, AMS, FRA, CDG (and perhaps elsewhere too.)

Jon Maiman

PIT - Restaurant in the Hyatt Hotel attached to the terminal. In the landside terminal, Dunkin Donuts and Buford's Kitchen pre security. This will likely change when the new terminal opens up in 2025.

--Jon

txp

JFK too. The TWA Hotel is a cool place with good restaurants.

Section 107

IAD has two restaurants pre-security, but I have only had appetizers or drinks. Upstairs on the ticketing level is District Chophouse (their downtown DC location gets good reviews; they are also at DEN, ATL, and LAS); downstairs on the baggage claim level next to international arrivals is Cafe Americana.

DCA does actually have one pre-security, "District Bar" in Terminal 1 (the old "banjo" terminal - used to be called Terminal A) but otherwise has nothing but some grab and go from the coffee shop just outside the North and South security checkpoints for Terminal 2.

EAJuggalo

MCO might be the best for landside food. Full fast food court, multiple sit down restaurants and in the Hyatt is a higher class restaurant.
MKE isn't horrible if it's a reasonable time. There is one full service restaurant and a couple of quick service places if after 10am. Before that everything is airside.
MSP I don't think there is anything at T1, T2 I believe has a Caribou Coffee. It's like Starbucks but better.

SPN Lifer

There is a TravelBuzz thread on airports with hotels on the premises.

Hotels on Airport Premises (Wikipost)

txp

Fantastic resource; thank you for letting us know!

MSPeconomist

MSP T1 has an IC hotel, IIRC with two restaurants (maybe one is a bar with food), but you generally need to take their shuttle to the landside departures and arrivals areas, You can walk (follow the signs) from the airside part of the terminal to the hotel.

SFO has the Grand Hyatt (use the little train that goes around to the various terminals) with a grab-and-go place across from the front desk and a good restaurant one floor down.

DTW has a Westin with a good lobby restaurant/bar. It's a very short walk from either landside or airside (Terminal A).

ORD has a Hilton connected to T1/2/3 by an underground walkway. I assume it has a restaurant/bar, but I've only consumed event/meeting food there; it was OK but not especially good.

PHL has a full service Marriott connected to the terminals, but I've never been there. IIRC there are some landside restaurants shortly before TSA airport security checkpoints in some of the terminals.

EAJuggalo

Was at MSP last week and there is a Caribou outside security at T1 also. It is down on the baggage claim level.