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Ready to set off to a beautiful Hawaiian Island or fly home after your relaxing vacation from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport? If you find yourself starving at the airport, you might need some direction for finding a good meal before or between flights. So, where and what can you eat at Honolulu Airport?
Honolulu Airport provides a variety of sit-down and take-away food options in the terminals and concourse ways. Sit-down and take-away food options include oriental dishes, Mexican cuisine, local breweries, chicken and pizza shops, Starbucks, and Burger King. Snack bars are also available.
Hungry travelers might scour the airport in desperation and stop at the first snack bar available. However, you don’t need to settle for anything; look at the restaurant options below to choose something you’ll like. Food can set the tone for the rest of your travels, so choose wisely.
What Can You Eat At Honolulu Airport?
If you’re at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the chances are you are stopping over or are about to embark on a flight home. Honolulu Airport has your back regarding food options regardless of your destination.
Considering your layover or flight time, you can head to either terminal or a concourse way. Terminal 1 (T1) is an interisland terminal and caters to local flights more than international travel, thus, T1 has a smaller variety of food options, while Terminal 2 (T2) has a booming restaurant list and food court.
Why not find a sit-down meal if you have a long wait before your flight? If you’re otherwise interested in something light, mobile carts and grab-and-go stations are available throughout the airport.
Dining In Terminal 1 Of Honolulu Airport
If you are already exhausted from your travels and don’t feel like walking to T2, don’t fear! You’ll be able to get a drink and a decent meal in Honolulu Airport’s T1, too.
Here are some sit-down eateries to keep an eye out for.
- Stringer Rays Tropical Bar and Grill: This Hawaiian grill offers a full bar and a selection of burgers, chicken, salads, and fish.
- Starbucks: a world-renowned coffee shop, Starbucks has a wide selection of coffees, teas, and cold drinks. They also have pre-packaged meals and snacks, showing caloric intake per serving.
- Island Brew: this restaurant serves locally brewed beers from the Hawaiian Islands and has a selection of cocktails. They sell small pan pizzas and sandwiches that are quick and easy to eat.
Dining In Terminal 2 Of Honolulu Airport
Honolulu Airport’s T2 has a much more extensive food selection than its T1, with options ranging from frozen yogurt to sushi. Choosing a restaurant might become difficult with all the options available.
Here is a list of the restaurants found in Honolulu Airport’s Terminal 2.
- The Local: this restaurant serves a variety of Mexican and fast foods; all food options are sourced from local farms and are decently portioned. They have a lovely view from their in-house seating, where you can enjoy a cold beer before your flight.
- PGA Tour Grill: while the grill does not have a vast selection of food and drinks, you’ll be happy to know it sells healthy gluten-free options and has a TV to watch while you wait.
- Makai Plantation: this eatery has an extensive range of foods, such as sushi, hotdogs, and steak. Their portions are large, and their cocktails are plenty!
- Kona Brewery: this is the highest-ranked restaurant in the airport, and you can sit here to watch some TV and sip coffee, cocktails, or a beer. Their pizzas might be small, but they have sandwiches, tacos, and pastries, too, if that’s more your style.
- Chow Mein Express: this restaurant serves a variety of Oriental foods. Their portions are said to be very generous!
- Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill: Come to this bar, and you can indulge in sandwiches, fries, sliders, nachos, and tacos. Their portions are perfect stop-and-go meals, and there’s a decent beer selection.
- California Pizza Kitchen: if you’re in the mood for a flame-cooked, thin-crust pizza, this is the place to be.
- Quiznos: want a super special sandwich? Quiznos has an exceptionally varied menu of sandwiches to choose from, including flatbreads and sliders.
- Lahaina Chicken Company: You can pair your chicken with a vegetable side or salad or forgo the chicken and get a pizza or sandwich instead. Whatever you choose, the portion sizes are said to be large and filling.
- Torn Basil and Pizza Hut: looking for a small and manageable pizza? Go to Torn Basil for a quick bite with a delicious cocktail before you need to catch your flight.
- Starbucks: you will find two Starbucks in T2 toting the traditional Starbucks fair of warm drinks and prepacked salads and sandwiches.
What Do You Need To Know About Airport Food?
Restaurants within airports tend to have unique setbacks. As airports are places of transit and usually cater to tourists, it’s fair to say they have different considerations and obstacles than regular restaurants.
Setbacks to be aware of in the airport food industry:
- Airport food is expensive. Do not expect a cheap meal at the airport unless you’re buying an apple from a mobile cart.
- Restaurants in airports are often overcrowded and understaffed. If your food is taking longer and you’re worried about your flight, ask your server to give you a to-go box, and you can eat your meal at your gate or on the plane.
- Airports often undergo renovation, so you better have a backup choice if the restaurant you want to go to is closed.
- If your flight comes in at midnight, you will have very few meal options and might have to resort to vending machines or concession stands.
Choosing The Right Restaurant At Honolulu Airport
Of course, more factors are involved in choosing what to eat beyond simple desire. You should consider where the restaurant is located and what times it’s open and look at the review score to cement your choice.
Look at this table detailing the rating, location, and operating hours for the different businesses listed.
| Restaurant | Review Rating (Stars) | Location | Operating Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island Brew | 3.3 | G Concourse, T1 | 11:30am – 6:00 pm |
| Starbucks | 3.4 3.7 3.2 | T1 G gates, T2 Entrance of T2 | 5:00am – 5:00pm 5:15am – 9:30pm 9:30am – 9:30pm |
| Stinger Rays Tropical Bar and Grill | 3.6 | Gate A18, T1 | 6:30am – 8:00pm |
| The Local | 2.6 | Entrance of T2 | 9:00am – 10:00pm |
| PGA Tour Grill | 3.3 | E gates, T2 | 8:30am – 10:00pm |
| Makai Plantation | 3.5 | C gates, T2 | 10:00am – 8:00pm |
| Kona Brewery | 4.4 | E gates, T2 | 12:30pm – 10:00pm |
| Chow Mein Express | 2.3 | Entrance of T2 | 6:00am – 10:00pm |
| Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill | 3.3 | C gate, T2 | Not Stated |
| California Pizza Kitchen | 3.4 | Food court, T2 | 10:30am – 10:00pm |
| Quiznos | 2.9 | G gates, T2 | 8:00am – 10:30pm |
| Burger King | 2 stars | Food court, T2 | Not stated |
| Lahaina Chicken Company | 2.8 stars | E gates, T2 | 10:00am – 9:00 pm |
| Torn Basil | 2.8 stars | A15, T1 G5, T2 | 11:00am – 5:00pm |
This table does not include all the available food court vendors, such as Pink Berry, Grab and Go, and mobile carts.
Conclusion
If you’re hungry at Honolulu Airport, you can find dine-in and take-away food options. If you have a long wait in your sights, it might be worth the cost to sit at a restaurant and enjoy local brews or the view of the central gardens while sipping a cocktail.
References
- https://airports.hawaii.gov/hnl/shop-dine/shops-restaurants/
- https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k4625074-Food_at_Honolulu_Airport-Oahu_Hawaii.html
- https://www.thehealthy.com/travel/what-to-eat-at-the-airport/
- https://www.ifly.com/honolulu-international-airport/food-shopping
