Dallas Airport Food: Best Places to Eat at DFW by Terminal
We never set out to become world travelers, but somehow that’s exactly what happened. Between family vacations, work trips, and spontaneous adventures, we’ve spent more hours at DFW Airport than we’d like to admit. And after plenty of trial and error (and a few overpriced disappointments), we’ve learned where to find the best Dallas airport food.
From barbecue to Tex-Mex, DFW Airport is packed with dining options.
AND the ultimate option is to get lounge access!
DFW Airport Food by Terminal
DFW is huge, so the best Dallas airport food option depends on where you land, where you depart, and how much time you have. You can move between terminals using Skylink, but for a short layover, staying close to your gate is usually smarter.
Terminal A Food at DFW Airport
Here are the restaurants and food options in Terminal A, sorted by gate. The highest rated is Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, but we personally recommend Plum Market which is basically a tiny grocery store with healthy food options, like grilled chicken over salad.
- Plum Market Bar: Gate A-8
- Einstein Bros. Bagels: Gate A-9 | Gate A-11
- TGI Fridays: Gate A-13
- Whisk & Bowl: Gate A-14
- Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen: Gate A-16
- Bugatti Bar & Taverna: Gate A-17
- Smoothie King: Gate A-18 | Gate A-25
- Dallas Cowboys Club: Gate A-21
- Sprinkles Cupcakes Vending: Gate A-21
- Farmer’s Fridge Vending: Gate A-21 | A-28
(Also A-15, before security and by baggage claim) - 7-Eleven: Gate A-24
- Twisted Root: Gate A-24
- Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: Gate A-24
- La Madeleine: Gate A-25
- California Pizza Kitchen: Gate A-28
- Pappasito’s Cantina: Gate A-28
- Lorena Garcia Tapas y Cocina: Gate A-33
- Panera Bread: Gate A-33
- La Crème Coffee & Tea: Gate A-34
- McDonald’s: Gate A-17 | Gate A-35
- Starbucks: Gate A-20 | Gate A-37
- Generic Vending Machine: Gate A-39
Terminal B Food at DFW Airport
Here are the restaurants and food options in Terminal B! Once again, we recommend Plum market (or Auntie Anne’s if you want something sweet). There are also at least three BBQ Restaurants if that’s your craving.
- Generic Vending Machine: Gate B-2 | Gate B-27 | Gate B-46 | Gate B-48
- Plum Market: Gate B-4
- Dunkin’: Gate B-5 | Gate B-42
- Farmer’s Fridge Vending: Gate B-8
- Red Mango: Gate B-9
- TGI Fridays: Gate B-9
- Cousin’s Bar-B-Q: Gate B-12 | Gate B-43
- Smash Burger: Gate B-12
- Starbucks: Gate B-12 | Gate B-28
- Panda Express: Gate B-15
- TGI Fridays On the Fly: Gate B-21
- Subway: Gate B-24
- Hickory by Kent Rathbun: Gate B-25
- Decanted: Gate B-28
- Wingstop: Gate B-28
- Auntie Anne’s: Gate B-29
- Caribou Coffee: Gate B-29
- Cantina Laredo: Gate B-29
- The Rodeo Bar: Gate B-32
- McAllister’s Deli: Gate B-40
- McDonald’s: Gate B-41
- Baskin-Robbins: Gate B-42
- Cousin’s Back Porch: Gate B-47
Terminal C Food at DFW Airport
For Terminal C, consider grabbing something at Ampersand Coffee House. It’s a good place to sit down and relax. There are more food options in this terminal, meaning you can choose Italian, Asian, American, etc. Many people stop by Pappasito’s Cantina for Tex-Mex.
- Generic Vending Machine: Gate C-2 | Gate C-8 | Gate C-12
- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Gate C-6
- Einstein Bros. Bagels: Gate C-6
- Shake Shack: Gate C-6
- TGI Fridays: Gate C-8
- Starbucks: Gate C-8 | Gate C-21
- 7-Eleven: Gate C-11
- Whisk & Bowl: Gate C-12
- Pappadeaux Seafood Bar: Gate C-14
- Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen: Gate C-14
- Baskin-Robbins: Gate C-17
- Dunkin’ Donuts: Gate C-17
- Maggiano’s Little Italy: Gate C-17
- Pappasito’s Cantina: Gate C-19
- Auntie Anne’s: Gate C-21
- Banh Shop: Gate C-22
- McDonald’s: Gate C-22
- Pinkberry: Gate C-22
- Pizza Hut: Gate C-22
- Chick-fil-A: Gate C-24
- Boar’s Head Deli: Gate C-35
- Chili’s: Gate C-35
- Freshëns Yogurt & Smoothies: Gate C-35
- Ampersand Coffee House: Gate C-37
- Nowitzki: Gate C-37
Terminal D Food at DFW Airport
This a good terminal for eating! Just walk around and choose something. If you need a recommendation and are willing to spend a little, go to CRÚ Wine Bar and Bistro (our top pick) or TX/MX for, you guessed it, Tex-Mex.
- Trinity Groves Food Lockers: Gate D-1
- Cake Bar: Gate D-2
- Trinity Groves Kitchen & Bar: Gate D-2
- Banh Shop: Gate D-10
- Vending Machine: Gate D-10 | Gate D-33 | Gate D-38
- Applebee’s: Gate D-12
- Smoothie King: Gate D-12
- Starbucks: Gate D-12 | Gate D-28
- Whataburger: Gate D-12
- Peach Cobbler Factory: Gate D-12
- Subway: Gate D-18
- Chick-fil-A: Gate D-18
- 7-Eleven: Gate D-20
- Flying Saucer Draught Emporium: Gate D-20
- Licorice Vending: Gate D-21
- Bar Louie: Gate D-22
- Hickory: Gate D-22
- Brewed: Gate D-25
- Artisan Market: Gate D-27
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Gate D-27
- Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf + Bakery: Gate D-27
- CRÚ Food & Wine Bar: Gate D-27
- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Gate D-27
- TX/MX: Gate D-31
- McDonald’s: Gate D-33
- Lavazza Coffee: Gate D-34
- The Italian Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck: Gate D-34
- Auntie Anne’s: Gate D-36
- Farmer’s Fridge Vending: Gate D-40
If you have time to explore, Terminal D is probably the best DFW terminal for food. It has more sit-down restaurants, better lounge options, and a better “nice airport meal” feel than some of the other terminals. It also has Dude Sweet Chocolate and Cake Bar which offer awesome desserts!
Terminal E Food at DFW Airport
This terminal is a little sad. No getting around it. The reason for this is because it’s quite separated from all the other terminals, almost like an out building. You still have lots of options though. Just take a look at the dropdown. The highest rated restaurant is Drew Pearson’s Sports Bar.
- Auntie Anne’s: Gate E-5
- Drew Pearson’s Sports 88: Gate E-5
- Farmer’s Fridge Vending: Gate E-7
- Dunkin’: Gate E-8
- IHOP: Gate E-8
- Love Shack: Gate E-12
- Einstein Bros. Bagels: Gate E-13
- Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse: Gate E-13
- Vending Machine: Gate E-14 | Gate E-26 | Gate E-30 | Gate E-37
- TGI Fridays: Gate E-17
- Jamba: Gate E-21
- Jimmy John’s: Gate E-21
- Boar’s Head Deli: Gate E-22
- Freshëns Yogurt & Smoothies: Gate E-22
- AV8 Bar & Café: Gate E-27
- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Gate E-27
- Starbucks: Gate E-27 | Gate E-34
- Whataburger: Gate E-27
- 2.0 Taco & Tequila Bar: Gate E-31
- Auntie Anne’s Pretzels: Gate E-31
- Panda Express and Bar: Gate E-33
- Wendy’s: Gate E-33
- Uno Due Go: Gate E-36
Dallas Airport Food Map:
How to Find Food Near Your Gate
Above is a map of DFW Airport, but you may have noticed another airport code: DAL. That’s Dallas Love Field, a separate airport that primarily serves Southwest, along with Delta and Alaska Airlines. If you’re flying from Love Field, you’ll find a different lineup of restaurants there—one worthy of its own guide.
The #1 Dallas Airport Food Hack:
Get Lounge Access
If you want the best food experience at DFW, the real hack is lounge access. Yes, there are plenty of restaurants throughout the airport, but lounges provide unlimited drinks and food, as well as cleaner bathrooms, outlets, and a much calmer travel day.
Once you start going to airport lounges, you’ll never want to go back.
Terminal D is where you’ll find several of the best Dallas airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge, Centurion Lounge, The Club DFW, and American Airlines Flagship Lounge.
We wrote a full guide to the best Dallas airport lounges, but the short version is this: if you can get into the Capital One Lounge, do it. To get lounge access, all you need is a travel credit card (which we cover how to get in the post). Alternatively, you can buy a same-day, one-day lounge pass to The Club DFW for $50.
Recap: Best Dallas Airport Food at DFW
| Best for | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Best Overall Terminal for Food | Terminal D |
| Best for Tex-Mex | Pappasito’s, TX/MX, Cantina Laredo |
| Best for Burgers by Terminal | Twisted Root A24, Smash Burger B12, Shake Shack C6, Trinity Groves Kitchen D2, and Chick-fil-A E6 |
| Best Healthy Food Options by Terminal | Plum Market A8 and B4, Ampersand Coffee C37, CRU Food and Wine Bar D27, and Farmer’s Fridge: E-7 |
| Best Airport Food Hack | Capital One Lounge / The Club DFW |
| Available in Every Terminal | Starbucks: A37, B28, C8, D12, E27 |
FAQ: Dallas Airport Food
Terminal D because it has the best mix of variety, including sit-down restaurants like CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, Trinity Groves Kitchen & Bar, TX/MX, and The Italian Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck. Plus it has some of the best lounge options at DFW.
Seriously, if you can get the Venture X card and freely enter the Capital One Lounge, Terminal D easily becomes the best place to eat at Dallas airport.
DFW is not an airport with mural walks, or a waterfall garden, or any over-the-top make-you-gasp amenities, BUT you can still easily kill 5 hours.
For any layovers 3 hours or less, just visit a lounge like Capital One. For over 3 hours, try Minute Suites, Gameway or Be Relax Spa. Minute Suites offers private hotel-like suites. Gameway is a videogame lounge with Xbox, PlayStation and PC consoles, and Be Relax Spa offers massages.
Yes, via Skylink (basically an air train connecting all the terminals), but only do it if you have enough time.
Yes! The Farmer’s Fridge vending machines (A-21, A-28, B-8, D-40, and E-7) offer fresh food 24/7. The 7/11 convenience stores (A-24, C-11 and D-20) are also open 24 hours. And, according to dfwairport.com, there will soon be a new 24-hour Chick-fil-A in Terminal A as well as a 24/7 Raising Cane’s in Terminal B. As of Summer 2026, we’re still waiting, but eventually!
Yes! View a Map of DFW Airport, then click on “Dining.” It will bring up all the Dallas airport restaurants, and you can sort by terminal and level.
Nope. Different airport. Dallas Love Field has fewer food options and no lounges, but it does still have restaurants. If that’s where you’re flying from, check the official Dallas Love Field food list.
Yes. DFW has several lounges with food, especially in Terminal D. For the full breakdown, see our guide to the best Dallas airport lounges.
Final Thoughts: Where to Eat at DFW?
The best Dallas airport food really depends on the terminal from which your flight departs and how much time you have. Terminal D is our favorite terminal overall. We love hanging out at Capital One Lounge. However, Terminals C, B and A also have plenty of solid options if you’re trying to stay near your gate.
Note: If you’re thinking about taking Skylink to another terminal for a meal, check the DFW Airport food map and restaurant hours first. A good airport meal is a great. Missing your flight over one? Not so much.
And remember, if you can unwind in a lounge (ideally Capital One), that’s the real airport food hack! Also, if you’re a Dallasite and love to travel, be sure to check out our Dallas Road Trips page.
