You’ve done the security shuffle, dodged rolling suitcases and finally found your gate. Hunger hits. You spot a burger joint and hope for the best—only to get slapped with a $25 price tag and a flavorless meal that tastes more like defeat. Airport dining has long been a gamble, but a new analysis from Altezza Travel confirms what many travelers already suspect: some airports serve not-so-good, borderline-bad food to travelers.
Altezza mapped out which American airports deliver the most disappointing dining experiences by analyzing data related to restaurant reviews, prices and crowd levels.
Newark International Airport in New Jersey takes the dubious honor of having the worst airport food in the country. Nearly 70% of its restaurants score below three stars and the average meal costs a painful $23.10, the priciest among the low-rated airports. Despite its importance as a major international hub, the airport's culinary scene is a bleak landscape of mediocrity.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport, number two on the ranking, might be a global connector, but its food options haven’t quite kept up either. The average restaurant rating here sits at 3.2 stars, with a third of its eateries falling below three. The real kicker is that it’s the most crowded airport for dining in America, with the highest number of visitors per restaurant. Even grabbing a coffee can turn into an Olympic-level waiting game. As one traveler summed it up: “Highway robbery!! That will explain everything.”
John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC, another titan of air travel, lands firmly in the “not worth it” zone, at the number three spot on the list. Despite its world-famous name and flashy TWA terminal, the food scene is far from glamorous. Restaurants average 2.6 stars, and over half are rated below three. Fewer crowds than Newark, yes—but only because most travelers are too disappointed to linger.
Rounding out the top five worst for food are Orlando and LAX. Whether it’s overpriced theme park leftovers or uninspired fast food, these airports prove that big traffic doesn’t always mean big flavor.
Not every terminal is a culinary wasteland, however. Denver International Airport stands out as a rare delight, scoring a near-perfect 19/20 with a 3.8-star average and just 6% of restaurants rated poorly. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Minneapolis–Saint Paul also shine.
Next time you fly through any of these food wastelands, be sure to bring your own snacks instead.
Worst airports for food in the U.S.
- Newark International Airport
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport