hey everyone so i just landed at clt and honestly im starving but also totally tired from my flight and its always the same thing with airport food right you try to find something decent and not spend your whole life savings on a sad sandwich but clt is kinda a mixed bag and ive been through here a few times and wanted to share my two cents on the food scene because its literally hit or miss and sometimes its a complete miss so buckle up.
Where to eat (and where to skip)
okay so where to even start because its a jungle out there and you got your usual suspects like chilis and sbarro but honestly unless youre literally desperate dont bother with that stuff its just not worth the money and its usually sad and soggy but if you can swing it and have time i actually like the shake shack its dependable for a burger and fries and its usually pretty busy which is a good sign you know and the line moves fast enough and the burgers are actually good which is rare for an airport and i also dont mind bojangles if youre into fried chicken and biscuits its a carolina staple and its usually pretty quick too and its not super gourmet but it hits the spot sometimes when youre tired but for real skip any place that looks totally empty or just has like two sad pastries sitting there because its probably bad news and youre gonna regret it. then you got like the whisky river place its okay but its kinda loud and can be a wait sometimes and its just another bar basically so if you want a beer sure but for food its meh.
Grab-and-go vs. a real meal
this is a big one because sometimes you literally just have 15 minutes to spare before your gate closes and other times youre on a layover for like 3 hours and you wanna sit down but its tough to decide and grab-and-go is usually quicker but its also usually just wraps or sad salads or pre-made sandwiches and its usually overpriced and just not satisfying but if youre in a hurry then starbucks or jamba juice can be okay for a quick snack or drink but dont expect a gourmet experience you know. a real meal means sitting down and ordering and usually waiting and its gonna cost more but sometimes its worth it for the mental break and to actually chew some food that isnt plastic wrapped and its just about managing your expectations really and if youre gonna sit down try for one of the places i recomended like shake shack because at least youre getting something decent for your money.
its the whole terminal trap thing you know and its why i always try to eat before security if the gate options look depressing because once youre past that security checkpoint its literally a lottery and you might end up with nothing but sad snack shops and vending machines so here are my reasons:
- options before security are often more diverse and sometimes even cheaper because theyre catering to locals dropping off or picking up too not just captive travelers.
- the main atrium area before security usually has a better selection of proper restaurants and fast casual places and its easier to walk around and decide.
- once youre through security especially if youre in one of the far concourses like a or b or e the food choices can literally vanish and its just sad looking newsstands or tiny cafes with limited stuff.
- lines after security can be insane and youre already stressed about making your flight so adding food stress to that is just not ideal and its better to be full and relaxed.
- sometimes you just want a bojangles biscuit before you commit to the blandness inside the terminals and its right there before you go through tsa.
so yeah thats my rant on clt food and honestly good luck out there and maybe pack a snack just in case because you never really know what youre gonna get and its always better to be prepared.