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Regional Restaurants & Tastes in Airports

Airlines & Airports — on November 12, 2009 12:31 pm

As airports roll out more ways for travelers to spend money, we’re seeing pricey wine bars and celebrity chef-branded restaurants. But some airport restaurants offer the chance to explore regional flavors … without breaking the bank or leaving the terminal.

One of the top seafood restaurants in Boston is Legal Sea Foods, so why not check it out in Logan International Airport?

You can even bring it home.

This airport restaurant sells live lobsters for about $17 a pound, which is packed up in dry ice, so it’s ready to travel with you on the plane.

Portland Airport in Oregon takes hot dogs to a new level with Good Dog/Bad Dog, where a local favorite is the Oregon Smokey gourmet sausage. Best of all, it costs less than $7.

Seattle is famous for its seafood, so check out Ivar’s Seafood Bar, a long-running institution in the Pacific Northwest.

The airport branch is located in the Sea-Tac airport Market Place, where you’ll get a full plate of fish and chips or fried clams for less than $10.

And in Texas, one of the most famous barbecue joints is The Salt Lick.

They’ve also got an outpost in the West Terminal of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where you can try the world-famous pork ribs and beef brisket.

Chances are, if you look closely enough, you can skip the typical airport food and try something truly local.

Learn more in our Culinary Travel section.

Looking for more advice? Click here for more Daily Travel Tips.

  • http://airportbars.com/ AirportBars.com

    great article and great reminder about how our options are changing every day in the airport. the airport experience is evolving for the better and it’s making time spent in the airport enjoyable again.

    love that you brought up hot dogs at an airport… good dog/bad dog in PDX is incredible (slightly biased as we are based out of portland), but if anyone is flying to Indy (IND), go out of your way to check out King David Dogs, they truly are and indy original and absolutely delicious.

    cheers!

  • http://funnelscope.com/ hotel search engine

    I used to dread eating at airports. But as you’ve pointed out, it’s not so bad anymore. I actually would prefer to come to the airport early and remove all the stress of having to rush to make sure I make my flight, and then eat dinner near my gate.

  • http://businesstravelconnection.com/ business travel gear

    Options at the airport have gotten so good, I’ll actually take a client to dinner before we both head to our separate gates. Some restaurants have gotten smart, and have the restaurant outside the check-in. This makes the airport restaurants good options for business meetings.