SFGuide
Where To Eat At San Francisco International Airport
As far as international airports go, SFO is a delight. It’s scarily clean, the water bottle stations are from the future, and we once enjoyed a full-on lion dance performance in Terminal 1. In the food department, well, let’s just say you’re not coming here for any dining revelations. But not all is lost—here are lots of great options that will definitely one-up your usual bag of M&Ms and “cheese box” (read: a cold mozzarella stick and squishy apples).
Harvey Milk Terminal 1
photo credit: Taylor Gomez
Having a TSA agent publicly rifle through your entire packing cube of intimates (only to find nothing) will have you seriously contemplating ordering an IPA at 7am. And hey, if that sounds like your jam, you can get it done at Drake’s. The outpost of the Oakland beer garden has an abridged menu of their house brews, plus wood-fired pizzas, salads, and a section of “handheld devices” like burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches.
photo credit: Molly DeCoudreaux
Early-morning flights—or any flight, for that matter—can be made marginally less painful with a nice jolt of caffeine. Ritual Coffee is a great option. The SF-based cafe serves strong espresso drinks in their classic red cups, plus pastries and breakfast sandwiches. It’s just what you’ll need to stay awake during the flight so you can cry your way through the last half of Crazy Rich Asians (again).
The burritos in San Francisco are some of the best in the country, and even the ones at the airport are better than the sad excuses you’ll see elsewhere. Grab one from The Little Chihuahua because eating one will help you momentarily forget you’re headed to your sixth conference of the year. Will this burrito match the one you got at El Farolito at 2am? No, but it will set you up for a three-hour plane nap. They also have tacos, tostada salads, and tortilla soup.
Terminal 2
photo credit: Julia Chen
The welcomed alternative to mini-marts selling skeptical-looking pre-made sandwiches is Napa Farms Market. This deli and grab-and-go marketplace is always the answer for quick-hit salads, sandwiches, and soups that do the seasonal California thing well. They also highlight local brands, like Equator coffee, Acme breads, Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, and more. The cold cases and shelves are stocked with wraps, crackers, jams, and chocolates—basically, everything you could want for a makeshift picnic in close proximity to emotional support dogs or shoeless couples.
photo credit: Julia Chen
So you’re a strong believer in getting to the airport three hours early, but you forgot to eat before dashing out of the house. Now you need sustenance, because Biscoff cookies and ginger ale (though unquestionably delicious) do not make a full meal. Keep things simple with the breakfast and lunch staples at Dolores Park Cafe. Bagels, breakfast burritos, and tuna melts are on deck, along with juices and smoothies—a nice alternative to the usual vending machine Naked juice.
The soul food staples from Little Skillet are a solid option if you want something to fill you up for the next dozen or so hours of a transatlantic flight. They do everything from housemade cornbread and Cobb salads to Southern fried chicken with fries and coleslaw. It’s not the best fried chicken you’ll ever have, but it beats a sad plastic-wrapped sandwich any day.
Terminal 3
Farley’s is a cafe with locations in Oakland, Potrero Hill, and the Oakland Airport. But this is the only one with a full bar, so you can slide up to the counter and order a tuna melt, avocado toast, and an espresso martini to take the edge off the multi-toddler meltdown happening at gate F22. Going for any of the sandwiches is always a good move, and we also like their seasonal lattes.
Bun Mee is a mini chain in SF with fine bánh mì. But in the context of an airport, where you’re technically trapped and your only other option is a pre-packaged salad with wilted lettuce for $22, it’s actually one of the more flavorful options you can get in the terminal (they also have a location in Terminal 1). The sandwiches have fillings like lemongrass pork and grilled tofu, and there are also pretty good rice bowls topped with kimchi, spicy mayo, and a fried egg.
photo credit: Sidewalk Juice
Sidewalk Juice is one of the more pleasant pit stops you can make on your way to your gate. They serve, as advertised, juice, plus better-than-average and satisfyingly thick smoothies, avocado toast, and acai bowls. Slurp back a Tropical Valencia with raspberry sorbet and coconut juice or a Citrus Hurricane (orange, pineapple, ginger, and lemon) as you ponder finally springing for some compression socks.
International Terminal A
You visited the city for the first time and never got a bowl of the San Francisco treat (no, not the rice pilaf). A pre-flight chowder in a sourdough bread bowl is in order. The SFO outpost of the city’s famous, long-running bakery is serving up the New England-style soup in the international terminal, along with salads, sandwiches, and wraps. It’s counter-service (read: quick), and you can order online for pick-up if the countdown to departure is way too close.
photo credit: Hardy Wilson
The hefty, absolutely loaded burgers from Gott’s are a Northern California staple. And having one of the behemoths stacked with a fried egg, onion rings, or pico de gallo is a great way to fuel up before being strapped into a 17-inch seat for the next few hours—since things can get messy, it's best to have this as a pre-flight meal for the sake of your seatmates. They also serve other crowd pleasers like chicken tenders, a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, and garlic fries.
International Terminal G
When you overestimate the security line and are through the body scanners in less than 10 minutes, use your precious extra time to have a real sit-down meal at Mustards Bar & Grill. Originally from Napa, the American restaurant’s airport menu includes quick hitters like burgers, fish and chips, and salads (though sadly, they don’t serve the iconic pork chop in Terminal G). They also do wine, cocktails, and beer.
Ed Lee International Main Hall
Koi Palace Express is basically a mash-up of a dim sum restaurant and a Panda Express. There are steamed-to-order siu mai, BBQ pork buns, and xiao long bao, which are actually pretty decent. Or you can join the assembly line, where staff will load up a takeout container with heaps of orange chicken, broccoli beef, and chow mein. There’s no seating, so take your to-go plates to the gate to eat while balancing it all on your lap.
