hey everyone just landed at slc and honestly its a really nice airport its all new and shiny and big but like any airport you gotta talk about the food scene right because thats always a gamble and sometimes its a huge win and sometimes its a complete disaster you know what i mean and i was kinda hungry after my flight but didnt want to just grab anything so i spent some time looking around and now im here to tell you what i found and basically give some thoughts on where to spend your money and where to maybe just save it for when you get into the actual city because airport food can be tricky and its usually overpriced but sometimes you find a gem and thats what we all hope for right.
Where to eat (and where to skip)
so after walking around its clear there are some decent options and some that are just meh and honestly i saw a lot of the usual suspects like mcdonalds and starbucks and those are fine if you need something super fast and predictable but if you want something a bit more local or better quality you gotta look harder and i saw the squatters pub brewery and that looked pretty good its a sit down place with proper food and beer and a nice atmosphere for an airport spot so that was a strong contender if you have time but then i also saw this vivace place and it looked kinda fancy and expensive and i just wanted good airport food not a full gourmet experience and there was a bruges waffle and chocolate place which sounded amazing for a treat but probably not a full meal and i ended up getting something from p.f. changs and its honestly not bad its exactly what you expect just more expensive because its an airport and its centrally located so its easy to find but i also passed by these little kiosks with pre-made sandwiches and stuff and those always look depressing and i swear theyve been sitting there forever so i generally skip those its just not worth the risk when you can get something hot and fresh for a few more bucks and theres also a gresham burger place and that looked kinda promising if you want a burger but i didnt try it this time but its on my list for next time because it smelled pretty good so its recomended to check that out.
Grab-and-go vs. a real meal
this is always the big question when youre at an airport right because sometimes you have a tight connection and sometimes you have hours to kill and its a totally different approach and if youre just trying to grab-and-go its literally all over the place with kiosks and little coffee shops and some of the gift shops even have chips and candy and sometimes its all you need and i totally get that but if you have an hour or more its honestly worth finding a place where you can sit down and just relax for a bit because the chairs at the gates are never comfortable and its nice to have a table and real cutlery and just a moment of peace before getting on another plane and thats where places like squatters or p.f. changs come in handy because they offer that sit-down experience and its not always super quick but its usually worth the wait if you have the time but dont make the mistake of thinking all sit-down places are created equal because some are just glorified fast food with table service and its usually pretty obvious which ones those are by looking at the menu and the vibe and the prices too and sometimes the prices are just insane for what youre getting so choose wisely and dont feel pressured to sit down if you dont actually want to because a good grab-and-go like a fresh salad or a decent sandwich can be just as satisfying as a mediocre sit-down meal seriously.
The Terminal Trap
- literally always check your gate options before security because once youre through its a different world and sometimes the choices are severely limited or just plain bad.
- the central plaza after security has most of the good stuff at slc so if your gate is like way out on a different concourse you might have to walk a lot or just be stuck with whatever tiny kiosk is nearby.
- its better to grab something good from the main food court or a proper restaurant before you head to your gate especially if youre flying from one of the farther concourses because those often have way fewer options and sometimes its just a bar with like pretzels or stale sandwiches and thats literally the worst when youre hungry.
- i dont want to be starving on a plane so if the gate food looks depressing i will always eat a proper meal before security even if i have to backtrack a bit because its just not worth being miserable and hungry on a long flight and its honestly usually cheaper too before you get deep into the terminals.
so yeah thats my two cents on the slc food scene its pretty decent for an airport but you gotta know where to look and what youre looking for and honestly just plan ahead a little and you wont be stuck with like an overpriced soggy sandwich its all about being smart and knowing your options and i hope this helps someone out there whos flying through slc soon.