Any seasoned traveler has paid way too much for subpar food at an airport. San Francisco International Airport is no exception, but regardless of which terminal or gate serves as the jumping-off point for your next trip, there are enough culinary standouts to make arriving early enough for a preflight meal a smart decision.
Yes, Terminal 1 boasts the biggest selection of restaurants, with two dozen options spanning Southern fried chicken, Hawaiian plate lunches, and garlicky squares of Sicilian pizza. But the Dianne Feinstein International Terminal can absolutely hold its own, offering local favorites, fast-food classics, and a few gems you can’t find anywhere else.
Even after spending six days and about 100,000 steps eating our way around the International Terminal, we can’t confidently tell you how to most efficiently navigate the AirTrain and, God forbid, the multistory labyrinth that is the domestic parking garage. But with this list, we can at least promise that you’ll be prepared to find your way around the terminal’s best and worst restaurants.
Here is the ultimate ranking of dining and drinking spots at SFO’s International Terminal.
Marketplace G, near entrance to G gates
At first blush, the name makes it sound as though this food-court restaurant has legitimate San Francisco roots. Nope. This is the world’s only Potrero Grill — and its only throughline seems to be a commitment to randomness. Sliding a tray down the line, cafeteria-style, diners will encounter everything from Chardonnay and Skittles to buffalo wings and zucchini bread. Most dishes were straight flops. The insanely expensive pretzel ($15) was flavorless; the croutons on the anchovy-less and nearly dressing-free Caesar salad ($14) were stale. There was but one saving grace: the chicken tenders ($16), which probably arrived frozen in a plastic bag but were crunchy and flavorful as milanesa.
International Terminal A, near Gate A6
The philosophy at Mi Casa Cantina, a fast-casual concept inside Manufactory Food Hall, seems to be “quantity over quality.” Though the pollo ranchero burrito ($17) was hulking in size, it was barely recognizable as food. The generous heaping of carnitas in the Chipotle-style bowl ($17) was cloyingly sweet, the cilantro-lime rice tasted days old, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the salsa was Pace Picante from a jar. If you’re looking for a place to grab a can of Strawberry Crush or a blueberry yogurt, the grab-and-go section will suffice.
International Terminal A, near Gate A13
At the SFO outpost of Gott’s Roadside, disappointment doesn’t taste bitter — it tastes like unseasoned chicken tenders. During lunchtime, many of the specialty menu items, like chicken sandwiches and salads, were unavailable. But even the most basic version of the local mini-chain’s famous burger ($23.35) was a pale imitation of the one served at streetside locations. The french fries suffered from a lack of salt. In short, if you’re dying for a burger fix before hopping on a flight to an exotic locale, Gott’s will scratch the itch. But you might be better off waiting for the meal served onboard.
International Terminal A, near Gate A4
The best thing this quick-service cafe has in its favor is location, as it’s perched at the start of the terminal, en route to pretty much every gate in the A wing. Beyond the convenience factor, however, there’s not much to love about the basic selection of coffee and espresso and limited menu of sandwiches. You might think a juice is a smart move before kicking off a gluttonous vacation. But the green juice ($10) was bitter and pulpy, a perfectly horrible pairing with a hot-from-the-microwave breakfast sandwich ($14.25) that was dry as a piece of unbuttered toast. On a positive note, this is a fine enough place to get a caffeine fix.
Marketplace A, near entrance to A Gates
You won’t find In-N-Out at the International Terminal — nor McDonald’s, Super Duper, or Shake Shack. In fact, apart from Gott’s, at the farthest end of the A wing, the only dedicated burger joint is Wendy’s, an odd choice since there are exactly zero locations in SF proper. Square patties, thick tomatoes, and plentiful raw onions give these burgers ($13.49 for a combo) a dowdy vibe. But the pre-security location makes Wendy’s a good stop for travelers with antsy children who need to eat now, not in half an hour. Adults, meanwhile, can create DIY airport affogatos by spooning a vanilla Frosty into an espresso from nearby Roasting Plant Coffee. Because ma’am, this is a Wendy’s — but it doesn’t have to feel like it.
Marketplace G, near entrance to G Gates
It’s clear that this counter-service version of the legendary Daly City dim sum house leans into a Chinese American menu — think Panda Express, but slightly more interesting. There’s kung pao chicken, but sadly, it’s made without peanuts, and the fried rice was both bland and sticky. Your best bet is the dim sum: The soup dumplings ($10.25) were fine, but the lo mei gai ($8.65) — sticky rice filled with sausage, hard-boiled egg, and shiitake mushrooms, wrapped in lotus leaf — were as legit as those at the original restaurant.
International Terminal, arrivals lobby
Flying can be a stressful balancing act involving travel documents, luggage, and squealing kids. Sometimes all you need is a deep breath and a very large cup of coffee. Thankfully, the Starbucks at SFO’s International terminal is an aesthetically pleasing place to wait for a cappuccino and an egg bite, the main draw being the long benches out front, which are shaded by real trees under a large skylight. From a certain angle — and with a venti in hand — you might even be able to pretend you’re already on vacation.
International Terminal, near the entrance to G Gates
Something other than Starbucks needs to open at 5 a.m., and Green Beans Coffee is an ideal option for travelers in need of elevated grab-and-go options before an obscenely early flight. Kimchi fried-rice curry wraps, turkey-cheddar sandwiches on focaccia, and miso salmon salads populate the fridges, while breakfast all day means you can get a sausage-egg-and-cheese ($13) that gives a McMuffin a run for its money. Yes, the name may suggest casseroles more than caffeination, but Green Beans is a cut above. Don’t snooze on the snappy turmeric lattes ($6.45).
International Terminal G, near Gate G4
If you can get past the questionable name, Asian Box is a surprisingly solid iteration of the slop-bowl formula. You can either select from a list of preconceived, vaguely Vietnamese-inspired bowls or build your own ($19.99), choosing from a selection of proteins, sauces, and toppers. It’s hard to get excited about meat on rice with sauce. But then again, it’s hard to mess up chicken that’s been smothered in green curry. The entire menu is gluten-free and offers a small selection of sides like garlic soy wings ($12.99) and coconut-mango rice pudding ($5.99), the latter of which was overly sweet and strangely floral. But if you keep your expectations reasonably low, you’ll not be disappointed.
International Terminal G, near Gate G11
Given that the 1300 on Fillmore restaurant has been closed for nearly a decade, you’d be forgiven for assuming the airport location has also gone dark. Its location at the far reaches of the terminal doesn’t do it any favors. That’s a shame, because the menu is totally solid and full of surprising options like chicken katsu, served with gochujang and scallions, and an ahi tuna avocado stack. The hot honey chicken sandwich ($23) was saucy and delicious on a fluffy brioche bun, and the green goddess salad ($20) starred not just romaine but arugula and baby kale. Cocktails are where the menu truly shines; among them are an ube mule, Caesar salad-inspired martini, and completely respectable Bombay Sapphire Negroni ($20.99). If you’ve got time to kill and want a quiet place to hide away, this is a very good option.
Marketplace G, near entrance to G Gates
The sight of a snaking line of suitcases can make you want to stop for a pre-security drink — and that’s where Tapas & Taps comes in. This open-air bar is about as low on ambience as an airport hangout can be. But the wine list is respectable and the cocktails even more so, ranging from a jalapeño margarita to a French 75 ($16 to $18). It’s also a full-service burger-and-sandwich joint with tuna melts and Caesar salads. Bonus points for offering 22-ounce pours of Pliny the Elder for just $17.
Marketplace A, near entrance to A Gates
SFO’s hottest new restaurant is … Panda Express? The pre-security location of the Chinese American standby is in a food court with some of the terminal’s most budget-friendly options. That goes doubly for Panda, where massive scoops of orange chicken, broccoli beef, and chow mein stress the structural integrity of the paper containers they arrive in. If you score a hot-from-the-wok batch of Beijing beef, you’ll find the quality here is the same as, well, anywhere. Go ahead and order the side of cream cheese rangoons; your fortune cookie says you deserve it.
Marketplace A, near entrance to A Gates
If Willy Wonka were to open a coffee shop at the airport, it’d be something like Roasting Plant Coffee. This pre-security stop is a maze of clear tubes labeled with tasting notes for the daily roasted beans. They feature a dizzying array of flavor profiles like leather and truffle, lemongrass and toast, and sandalwood and lychee. To order, select a drink and the type of coffee. Then spin around to watch the beans fly through the tubes overhead to the counter, where they’ll be brewed. In our opinion, it’s the best coffee (and show) you can get for less than $10 at the airport.
International Terminal G, near Gate G7
Hear us out, airport sushi has one thing going for it: freshness. That hamachi and maguro from Japan flew here via FedEx, after all. Tomokazu, a staple of downtown San Mateo’s competitive sushi scene, has another strong asset at the airport: price. Two pieces of salmon nigiri cost $7, while four pieces of fatty tuna sashimi are just $20. The only drawback might be that quality sushi rice can’t survive in the fridge without getting gummy. For that reason, Tomozaku may be better regarded as a noodle house. A bowl of udon was positively stuffed with shrimp, fish, and artificial crab meat — a fortifying steal at $17.50. Ditto for an unagi don rice bowl priced at $19.50. What airport premium? You could find those prices anywhere.
International Terminal G, near Gate G3
Practically a cult destination in its own right, Napa Farms Market is the progenitor of a farm-to-terminal ethos that every U.S. airport dining concourse has spent the last 15 years replicating. With upscale, conspicuously healthful food like chickpea salads and udon vegetable bowls — plus remarkably good muffulettas ($17) — this remains SFO’s beloved open secret, a place to get a bagel and a latte from Equator Coffee or a pesto chicken pizza ($23.95) fresh out of the oven. The curatorial eye is strong, with aisles of chocolates and packaged snacks that could double as last-minute host gifts or high-quality on-board snacks. We’ll just say it: Napa Farms Market is why frequent flyers prefer SFO.
International Terminal A, near Gate A2
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t encourage ordering clam chowder at an airport. (It feels about as unhinged as ordering lobster from a diner (opens in new tab).) But once you take your first bite of Boudin’s classic soup in a bread bowl ($13.99), you’ll change your tune. Of all the San Francisco dining institutions, Boudin is the one that best translates to the airport. The ambiance might not be as charming as Fisherman’s Wharf, but when you order at the kiosk, you’ll enjoy the same New England-style chowder in a world-famous sourdough bread bowl — or perfectly satisfactory French dip on a sourdough roll ($15.99) — that you’d get in the city.
International Terminal A, near Gate A12
Boozier than Napa Farms Market, hipper than Mustards, and with greater variety than 1300 on Fillmore, Valencia Street Station is the International Terminal’s biggest surprise. It’s blessed with a great location at the far end of the A gates and serves an all-day menu spanning several cuisines. Creamy bucatini carbonara ($19.50), a plate of two tacos ($19.95) bursting with garlicky shrimp and cilantro slaw, and ham-and-cheese quiches ($12) — were all well-executed. Sure, not everything’s flawless — an Italian sandwich ($17) had very little meat, and a blueberry Danish ($5.50) ate like wet cardboard — but this is a proper cocktail bar, with Micheladas and scotch-forward Highlanders balancing the perfunctory margaritas. Arrive at SFO early and embrace the walk, because this place has vibes.
International Terminal G, near Gate G3
The slogan at the SFO version of one of Wine Country’s most iconic restaurants is “Sorry, everything is delicious” — fighting words, considering this is an airport restaurant. And while we didn’t try everything, what we did order from the Cal-American menu, focused mostly on sandwiches and salads, was great. The Sonoma lamb burger ($26.95) from the wood-fired grill was a class act, topped with fontina cheese, a sweet and kicky tomato-jalapeño jam, and arugula on a fluffy, sesame-seed bun. The grilled salmon BLT ($26.95) was massive, if a little unwieldy — a top-notch showing of some of life’s most delicious things between bread. For the ultimate solo-traveler dinner, sit at the bar and order onion rings ($13.95), which are sliced paper-thin, fried delicately, and served with housemade ketchup. Add the little-gem Caesar ($19.95) and a glass of Roederer Brut, which comes in your choice of 6-ounce glass, 9-ounce glass, or — if your flight was just delayed indefinitely — a whole bottle ($80).
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