Beyond merely flights and layovers, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a busy travel hub. Every palate is satisfied by its varied culinary scene, which offers a variety of cuisines from regional specialties to world cuisine.
Based on user ratings, we’ll look at the best five airport eateries in this post where you may have delectable meals and snacks prior to your journey.
Top 5 Dining Experiences at Austin-Bergstrom Airport
The comparatively tiny Austin-Bergstrom International Airport serves over 22 million people annually and is only a 20-minute drive from downtown Austin. (Small in comparison to the 72 million people who visited Dallas in 2023.)
Because of its close vicinity, the airport feels like a part of the city, which is reflected in the selection of high-quality food. Every restaurant in the airport is a well-known local favorite, and ABIA has developed into a surprising destination for vintage Austin eateries that are no longer found in the city.
Dining at Austin-Bergstrom is, dare we say it, a delightful experience when you combine it with some excellent local art and live music. Let’s examine a few of the best choices.
The Peached Tortilla
According to USA Today readers in 2024, the limited menu avoids becoming overwhelmed by a plethora of selections and makeweights, making it one of the top airport grab-and-go options in the country.
For those early bird flights, try the specialty bowls and tacos (Korean beef, banh mi, and BBQ brisket) or get a breakfast. Light and delicious options are available until 10:30 a.m., like avocado toast plate or pork belly and egg tacos.
Vegans and vegetarians are also included. Even die-hard carnivores will reconsider their order after tasting the cauliflower tacos and bowls with lime, watermelon radish, and toasted coconut.
The Peached Tortilla, which is next to Gate 16, is a dependable and easy all-day choice where you can be sure of strong flavors and excellent food.
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Second Bar + Kitchen
The kitchen and second bar are open all day. Toasted bagels, large American dishes, French toast, breakfast tacos, and the delectable Texas Benedict—brisket-topped poached eggs on biscuits with chorizo gravy—were among the morning selections.
Pizzas, salads, and sandwiches are among the lunch and supper options; lighter fare like veal meatballs, black truffle fries, and blistered peppers are also available. A good grab-and-go menu is also offered for people who are always on the run.
Even though the food is well-regarded, dining isn’t the only activity. One of the greatest spots to get a martini at the airport is Second Bar + Kitchen.
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Salt Lick BBQ
If you’re craving Texan food while you’re waiting for a plane, this restaurant, which is situated between gates 20 and 21, offers some delectable fare even though it doesn’t have nearly the same cozy ambiance as the original Driftwood restaurant.
Stock up on classics like turkey, sausage, pulled pork, brisket, and combo platters with traditional sides like coleslaw, mac & cheese, and beans. The double-chopped sandwich is a messy treat that is packed with of brisket and pork.
A Big Tex Breakfast Burrito will keep you going until the opposite end of your flight if it’s an early one. Additionally, Salt Lick makes a good drop of regional wine.
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Hut’s Hamburgers
One of the main reasons we adore Austin is that it’s a Texas city known for its tacos and BBQ. Although it lost one of its most recognizable old-school restaurants when Hut’s Hamburgers closed its doors in 2019 after 80 years in business, it still offers a good number of high-quality burger selections.
Fortunately for aficionados, its spirit continues to prevail at this vibrant location close to Gate 14, which conjures a diner-style atmosphere with its checkered floors, baskets of burgers and fries, and its original logo.
With a number of specialty cheeseburgers named after (or at least paying homage to) 1950s rock ‘n’ roll icons, The Hut’s menu perfectly captures all the nostalgia.
Try the Ritchie Valens with guacamole, the Buddy Holly piled with “All-American” fixings, the smokey Chubby Chuck’s with hickory sauce, and the delicious Fats Domino, which comes in a basket with fries and a ton of grated cheese, pickles, mustard, and tart New Orleans flavor.
Noble Sandwich
Noble Sandwich, located close to Gate 13, is the one that frequently appears on lists of the top eateries in the main terminal.
The Noble Pig (pulled pork, bacon, and ham), the Knuckle Sandwich (roast beef), the Turkey Chop (smoked turkey), and the Cuban (ham, pulled pork, and Swiss cheese) are the only selections available, so you won’t be overloaded when you approach the counter.
The roast beef, which is dripping with cheese, caramelized onions, and a dollop of horseradish for a little bite, is possibly the best.
With salad and a zesty lemon and coriander vinaigrette, the turkey alternative is particularly popular. Younger fliers won’t feel excluded or overwhelmed because the kids menu offers grilled cheese on sourdough or a ham and cheese hoagie.
Breakfast options include the Everything Bagel Sandwich (scrambled egg, sausage patty). Although it’s not particularly gourmet, it will definitely satisfy your sandwich needs.