NYCGuide
The Best Restaurants At Newark Liberty International Airport
Sure, it's technically in New Jersey, but at least the restaurant options at Newark Airport are solid.
Newark Liberty International Airport has three main terminals: A, B, and C. Terminal A’s much-talked-about renovation isn’t open yet, so the available food offerings will be pretty bleak until then. Terminal B is a bit better with decent grab-and-go pizzas that don't taste like cardboard, but Terminal C is the golden child of the trio with tons of excellent sit-down restaurants where you can order anything from tender chicken shawarma drumsticks to bluefin crudo.
Find all of our favorite places to eat at Newark Airport on this guide. There are chains that are good enough in a pinch, an ultra-exclusive restaurant that’s blissfully quiet and serves excellent cocktails, and much more.
TERMINAL A
Jersey Mike's Subs
To Go
Listen, the situation at Terminal A is pretty rough and reminiscent of a suburban mall food court. Out of all of the chains, Jersey Mike’s is the most on-brand for Newark, and also one of the most consistent options. Get a simple sub (or hoagie depending on what part of Jersey you want to affiliate yourself with) and enjoy it on the plane.
TERMINAL B
Farmer's Fridge
To Go
These small but mighty fridges are scattered through various airports, typically filled with healthy grain bowls, salads, and wraps that cost about $10. The meal items themselves range from fridge to fridge, but options like the baja bowl and BBQ ranch salad are satisfying and easy to eat in a cramped plane seat without making a mess. Plus, since you purchase items out of a vending machine, they’re available 24/7—perfect for grabbing a quick bite if other spots aren’t open.
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Little Tony's Pizzeria
To Go
Stick to the pizza and stromboli at this grab-and-go counter in Terminal B. You can order by the slice or a whole pie, and everything is reasonably priced (by airport standards) at about $6-7 a slice. Go for the Jersey Devil with pepperoni and cherry hot peppers, or the Garden State, which is loaded up with zucchini, yellow squash, artichokes, and roasted red peppers.
TERMINAL C
photo credit: Abruzzo Italian Steakhouse
Abruzzo Italian Steakhouse
Sit Down
Abruzzo is a surprisingly good Italian spot that has a tasteful amount of flatscreens and serves delicious meatballs and burrata. Split some apps and sip on a negroni with your travel companion before heading to the gate.
Sit Down
This French bistro’s specialty is the croque madame, and thankfully they serve it all day. The cheese on top of the sandwich is beautifully browned, the bread still has plenty of bite without being too crunchy, and the egg is always perfectly runny. However, you could also go for the green salad, which is refreshing and has just the right amount of dressing—a true feat for any airport bowl of greens.
Melange Bakery Cafe
To Go
Melange is the bakery for all the restaurants in Terminal C, so they do everything from rolls and loaves, as well as croissants and cheese danishes available to go. There’s also a climate-controlled chocolate room where you can watch staff prep all sorts of desserts through a window, which is worth a detour in and of itself. The chocolate croissant is well laminated, meaning it’ll delightfully shatter and crumb as you bite into it. Maybe eat it and brush yourself off before you get on the plane.
Sit Down
Daily is one of the rare airport restaurants where you might actually forget for a second you’re about to get on a plane. There’s an open kitchen where you can see dishes like chicken shawarma skewers being prepared over an open flame, which is 100 percent an upgrade from watching plates come out of a mystery door to nowhere. Go for their dip sampler, because it’s genuinely hard to pick between the labneh, hummus, and baba ghanoush—all of which come with a generous helping of warm pita.
Sit Down & Invite-Only
Classified is located behind a secret door in Saison, and is invite-only for certain United customers. Once you’re inside, it’s peacefully free from the standard airport noises of crying children and people talking too loudly on the phone, and there are even private bathrooms. Highlights include tableside cocktails like a very fancy (and $44) Manhattan made with 12-year rye and a plate of bluefin tuna crudo that’s paired with avocado and ponzu.
