"Eating on the fly: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport options"

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Eating on the fly: Airport options 
Food options in the airport
By Emily Seftel 
The Arizona Republic 


Traveling is stressful. Traveling on an empty stomach is downright hellish,
and with airlines scaling back or eliminating free meals, there's no
guarantee you'll be able to refresh yourself during your flight. 

With most of us now arriving one to two hours before a flight, there's more
time to eat at the airport. We've found places to go beyond the regular
chains (though we point out some you might want to hit, too). We've spotted
new places and hidden gems in each terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport. 

Terminal 2 

The smallest terminal at the airport is a gastronomic cold spot compared
with the other terminals, so if you're flying Air Canada, Alaska Airlines,
United or Continental, consider packing a lunch. If you're too frazzled to
bother, you won't starve at the terminal, you'll just have limited options. 

Outside security are Phoenix All-Star Sports Bar and Jake's Coffee House.
Once you pass through security and head to your gate, you'll find
Americano's Pizzeria, Jake's Express and Market Fresh, which carries salads
and sandwiches. The terminal is in transition - they're moving the security
checkpoint and renovating the retail and food establishments - so these
choices could change. 

Terminal 3 

It's not as busy as Terminal 4, but there is a decent selection of eateries.
If you want: advertisement  

   • To feed a large group without breaking your vacation budget, go to
Wendy's, which offers a full 99-cent menu and value menu. 

   • To get meat in a non-burger form, get a sandwich from J.D. Hogg's,
which dishes up barbecue. A barbecued chicken or pork sandwich is $4.99. 

   • To take something on the plane, your seatmates will appreciate foods
with non-invasive odors, such as the turkey club ($7.49) or the BLT ($5.95)
from Kokopelli's Deli, which also has a Terminal 4 location. 

   • To spend time with the people seeing you off, have a sit-down meal at
Dick Clark's American Band Stand Grill. An entrée comes with enough food to
fill a good amount of time. The New England-style pot roast entrée comes
with honey vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes and a corn muffin ($10.49). 

Terminal 4 

If you forgot to bring food, this terminal is where you want to be. If you
want:

   • To eat one-handed while juggling your carry-on and personal item, grab
a pretzel from Pretzel Mania for $2.99. 

   • To kill a few hours, distract yourself at Fox Sports Bar, where you can
watch a game and choose from various soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers.
A Reuben ($8.49) is a good dining-in choice - no one on the plane will want
to smell the sauerkraut. 

   • To eat a low-fat meal, the Blue Burrito Grille offers low-fat Mexican
cuisine, such as the chicken fajita burrito ($6.49) or the beef machaca
burrito ($6.29). Blue Burrito also has a Terminal 3 location. 

   • To indulge because you're already in vacation mode, it's hard to get
more indulgent than a Cinnabon ($3.29). 

   • For a portable breakfast, try the breakfast burrito at El Bravo, from
the same folks who run North Central restaurant. At $3.99, it comes with
potatoes, eggs and cheese.

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