honestly just landed at denver international and its always such a trek its like this massive place and you feel like youre walking for miles just to get to your gate and then you gotta think about food right because who doesnt get hungry at an airport especially after a long flight or before one its just part of the deal you know and denver its got options but its also got some really bad options and its hard to figure out whats worth your money and whats just gonna make you sad that you spent ten bucks on a literally soggy sandwich and i just wanted to vent a bit and share some thoughts because im sure im not the only one.
the food scene here honestly its a mixed bag like any big airport its got your standard chains your starbucks your mcdonalds and all that but they also try to throw in some local flavor and some slightly nicer sit-down spots but you always gotta remember its still airport food and everything is like three times the price it should be and its just something you have to accept or you’ll literally stress yourself out about it and youre probably already stressed about your flight or getting to your next connection right and its just an experience unique to travel where you kinda surrender to the overpriced average food situation.
Where to eat (and where to skip)
so after all these trips to den i feel like ive got a pretty good handle on what works and what just doesnt like in concourse a if youre looking for something a bit more upscale and you have time root down is usually pretty decent they try to do actual good food but its expensive obviously and its usually busy so you need a decent layover for that and honestly sometimes i just want something quick and simple like a basic coffee and a bagel and theres plenty of places for that but the bagels are always just okay never great you know and sometimes i see people lining up for like a booster juice or something similar and im like really thats what youre going for at denver its just so basic and you can get that anywhere.
concourse b honestly has some of the better options and the denver central market is pretty cool because its like a collection of different food stalls so you can kinda pick and choose and everyone in your group can get something different which is super helpful when nobody agrees on what to eat and you can get everything from a quick sandwich to some more substantial stuff but again its busy and can be a bit chaotic but its usually a solid bet and then concourse c oh man sometimes concourse c just feels like the wild west of food like its either super limited fast food options or something thats just sad and not worth it and ive literally been stuck there with just like one hot dog stand open because my flight was delayed and it was just depressing.
Grab-and-go vs. a real meal
this is always the big dilemma right like do i have enough time to sit down and actually eat a proper meal or am i just grabbing something to shove in my face while i power-walk to my next gate and honestly if your layover is less than 90 minutes you’re probably better off just grabbing something quick like a pre-made sandwich or a salad from like a market place or one of those little convenience spots and its usually cheaper and definitely faster and you dont have to worry about missing your flight because the kitchen is slow but if you have a longer layover like two hours or more then yeah go for a real meal find a place with actual tables and maybe even a beer because why not you’re on vacation or at least you’re traveling and you deserve a little comfort after all the airport hassle.
but heres the big secret a lot of people dont think about and i call it the Terminal Trap and its basically why i try to eat before security if i can and if the options past the gates look depressing and this is why:
- once you go through security the food options are often limited to whats in your specific concourse and you cant just pop back out without a whole lot of hassle.
- the restaurants and eateries before security often have slightly better quality and sometimes even slightly better prices because they are also catering to people who arent flying.
- some concourses specifically c often have really dismal or super limited food choices especially later in the day or if youre stuck at a less busy gate area and you literally cant escape.
- it just removes a huge layer of stress if you know youve had a decent meal before you even step foot into the concourse especially if your gate is like d-78 or something crazy far away.
so yeah thats my two cents on the denver international food situation its not the worst its not the best but with a little planning you can avoid a truly awful airport meal experience and honestly sometimes a granola bar from your bag is better than a fifteen-dollar sad croissant from an airport cafe just saying.