Pilots should check for any travel restrictions and call ahead to the restaurant to make sure it will be open during the arrival window. Many restaurants have posted COVID-19 messages on their websites about operating at reduced-capacity indoor seating and reduced hours of operation. Other restaurants have been affected by recent hurricanes and are in the process of reopening. Sadly, some that members nominated (not listed here) have been forced Sell your house fast jacksonville to close permanently because of the pandemic. Supporting general aviation airports and the on-field or nearby restaurants is important, particularly during this difficult time.
We are sure more favorites are out there. If your top pick isn’t listed, please let us know and we’ll add it to the list as long as it is currently open.
Alabama
Dauphin Island: According to the town of Dauphin Island, restaurants in the area serve locally harvested seafood, such as “shrimp, oysters, fish and crab,” that is “mouthwatering.” Jeremiah Denton Airport puts you on the island to enjoy a plethora of restaurants listed on the “Visitors” page. Before flying here, check with the restaurants for their status. Restaurants are starting to reopen after Hurricane Sally.
Gulf Shores: Stop in at Jack’s Aces, the old terminal building at Jack Edwards National Airport, for a free bite to eat, or enjoy fresh seafood. Try the gumbo at Lulu’s and the fresh oysters at the Acme Oyster House. (Check the websites ahead of time or call the restaurants before flying in. As of September 23, Lulu’s was planning to reopen with normal hours on September 25 after Hurricane Sally, and Acme Oyster House had not yet posted a reopening date. Call the airport to find out about Jack’s Aces.)
Alaska
Talkeetna: Talkeetna Airport is a short walk from town. Popular with tourists and mountain climbers flocking to Denali, the restaurants in Talkeetna serve huge portions. Get a sugar high at the Roadhouse with a cinnamon roll that takes up the entire plate (dining open only to overnight guests right now), enjoy pizza to go from Mountain High Pizza Pie, and try reindeer meat at Twister Creek Restaurant at Denali Brewing Co.
Arizona
Sedona: The Mesa Grill at Sedona Airport serves all three meals with American and Southwestern dishes. “Our seasonally changing dinner menus feature customer favorites such as [Caesar] salads, table-side guacamole, Colorado red trout with crispy skin, fish and chips, and pulled pork barbeque,” the restaurant’s website says. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are also available. While you are eating, watch aircraft and take in the views of Sedona.
Seligman: Fly to Seligman Airport and explore a bit of Historic Route 66. Eat at Westside Lilo’s, a family-owned restaurant with an eclectic menu and all-day breakfasts, and amazing sandwiches.
Arkansas
Bentonville: Bentonville Municipal/Louise M. Thaden Field features Louise, located in The Fieldhouse at the airport; it is currently open Wednesday through Sunday for takeout only. The restaurant is named for Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden, who was born in Bentonville and became a pioneering aviator with multiple women’s records. From Hippie Hash to biscuits and gravy, the ”Louise” Burger to grilled mahi-mahi, and Seasonal Pie in the Sky to the Runway Sundae, this restaurant offers something for everyone including gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
Lakeview: Gaston’s Airport is located along the White River and is part of Gaston’s White River Resort. The airport features a 3,200-foot-long Bermuda grass runway that pilots can use to drop in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The restaurant offers a full menu of steak, seafood, chicken, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and burgers.
Ozark: Get permission to land at Byrd’s Backcountry Airstrip, a privately owned, private-use grass strip at the Byrd’s Adventure Center, and “enjoy steaks, trout, catfish, chicken, smoked meats, burgers, sandwiches, salads, breakfast, and homemade desserts” at the Riverfront Restaurant. It’s open Friday to Sunday, March to December. The restaurant offers the best fried pies.
California
Camarillo: Enjoy patio dining at The Waypoint Café at Camarillo Airport. The restaurant’s signature items include old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, a spicy chicken sandwich, ice cream milkshakes, Tri Tip Caesar salad, and the Smokehouse BBQ Burger. It’s a popular fly-in eatery, so ask ground control for transient parking or the Waypoint Café after landing.
Oceano: Oceano County Airport is better known for flying in to visit the beaches just a walk or bike ride away. But, you can also fly in and enjoy about a two-mile walk to Fin’s Bar and Grill near the Pismo Beach Golf Course. The restaurant touts its fish and chips. Also nearby, the Rock and Roll Diner will take you back to the 1950s with its train-car building, 1950s- and 60s-era music, and classic milkshakes. It offers American, Greek, and Mexican dishes.
Oceanside: After landing at Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield, borrow a bike through the airport’s bike program to head to the Oceanside Harbor for fresh seafood. There’s also an amazing, authentic Mexican seafood restaurant, Mariscos Huatulco, within walking distance.
Redding: Benton Field features the Airpark Café, which “serves up delicious breakfast and lunches from a second floor outdoor deck overlooking the field,” one pilot explained. The seating area also provides a view of the mountains. The restaurant is open daily, but at slightly reduced hours, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for menu items and events.
Rosamond: Craving pizza? Fly to Rosamond Skypark and eat your heart out at Guido’s @ Hangar on the field. The restaurant also offers salads, calzones, hoagies, burgers, pasta, and desserts. You can even order ahead so that it’s ready upon your arrival.
Colorado
Denver: The Perfect Landing Restaurant near Centennial Airport is co-owned by father-son duo Jim and Sean Carter. The restaurant is designed to be a place where “your love of food, and of airplanes comes together.” It offers great views with great food—think huevos rancheros, chile relleno and eggs, chicken fried steak, lobster Benedict, bananas Foster French toast, prime rib au jus, Alaskan cod fish and chips, fresh oysters, salmon Oscar, Mediterranean chicken breast, filet mignon, and more.
Glenwood Springs: If you fly to Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport to visit the area’s hot springs, check out local restaurants to treat your palate. Enjoy “fine dining on the Roaring Fork” at Rivers Restaurant; “world famous meatloaf” at the 19th Street Diner; elk sliders and more at Native Son Restaurant and Bar; “clean ingredients sourced from the greater Rocky Mountains” at Rocky Mountain Pizza Co.; “delicious American pub dishes” at Glenwood Canyon Brewpub; tacos and hot dogs at Slope and Hatch (delivery or order ahead and pick up); Western inspired menus with ranch raised meats at Co. Ranch House; and brunch, dinner, and dessert at The Pullman.
Connecticut
East Haddam: Enjoy lunch or dinner before taking in a musical at the Goodspeed Opera House. The theater and restaurants are within walking distance of the Goodspeed Airport. The opera house has been creative, offering an outdoor concert through September 27, and online programming.
Groton: Land at Groton-New London Airport and get an Uber to B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill in Old Mystic, or enjoy fine dining at the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Delaware
Georgetown: Delaware Coastal Airport has an on-site restaurant, Arena’s at the Airport. The restaurant offers sandwiches and seafood galore. Also, catch a ride to the beach and enjoy a variety of restaurants.
Florida
Everglades: From Everglades Airpark, walk or borrow a beach cruiser bike to have great fresh seafood at City Seafood.
Vero Beach: American and Southern style comfort food offerings, a panoramic view of the runways, and a garden walking area create a casual dining experience at C.J. Cannon’s Restaurant and Lounge at the Vero Beach Regional Airport. Eggs, gravy, pancakes, burgers, steaks, homemade meatloaf, slow-cooked pot roast, seafood, baby back ribs—yep, those are the comfort foods many of us grew up on and can’t wait to sink our teeth into after a flight for food.
Georgia
Atlanta: Enjoy two aviation-themed restaurants near Dekalb-Peachtree Airport. The Downwind Café is scheduled to reopen in September. It boasts an outdoor deck that overlooks Runway 3L/21R and the Greek-influenced fare is very good. The 57th Fighter Group World War II-themed restaurant near the threshold of Runway 3L (with excellent Sunday brunch) has ample outdoor seating on a patio with gas heaters available too.
Jekyll Island: Fly in to Jekyll Island Airport and walk, bike, or get an electric car to enjoy restaurants and the beach scene. Enjoy pizzas, calzones, spaghetti, and salads at Red Bug Motors Pizza and save on a casual breakfast or lunch at The Pantry (try the shrimp salad croissant). If you want to stay overnight and rub elbows with movers and shakers, stay at the Jekyll Island Club Resort and dine in the Grand Dining Room.
Williamson: Land on the pristine grass strip at Peach State Aerodrome and enjoy watching vintage and modern airplanes come and go while eating at the Barnstormer’s Grill and Event Center. The restaurant serves popular “American fare, including burgers, steaks, sandwiches, and seafood” and is known for a tummy-filling Sunday breakfast. You can get lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, and breakfast as well on the weekends. The restaurant features a large outdoor patio.
Hawaii
Because of Hawaii’s coronavirus-related travel policy and partial interisland quarantine, we have not listed any restaurant locations.
Idaho
McCall: Enjoy some mountain flying at McCall Municipal Airport and fill up your tummy at The Pancake House, Hometown Pizza, Frenchie’s on third (reopening September 29 after a weeklong closure), and more.
Illinois
Bolingbrook: Charlie’s Restaurant at Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport (named after a famous aviator who crossed the Atlantic in 1927) is a staple of the breakfast and lunch crowd with generous portions at reasonable prices. Charlie’s has two large tents that can accommodate as many guests for outdoor dining as the restaurant can for indoor dining.
Champaign/Urbana: University of Illinois-Willard Airport features many nearby restaurants, but you’ll probably want to get a car or Uber. TripAdvisor rates Jarling’s Custard Cup, Biaggi’s, The Ribeye, The Original Pancake House, Sakanaya, and Maize Mexican Grill among the top in the area within about five miles of the airport.
Rochelle: The Flight Deck Bar and Grill, located at Rochelle Municipal Airport-Koritz Field, has always offered outdoor dining on a nicely furnished patio overlooking the runway. It’s the perfect setting for dining on premium airport food, watching a seemingly continuous stream of skydivers jumping from Cessna Caravan and de Havilland Twin Otter airplanes, and viewing beautiful sunsets.
Schaumburg: Pilot Pete’s, Chicagoland’s popular aviation-themed restaurant and bar, located in the terminal building at Schaumburg Regional Airport (in the western suburbs of Chicago), recently erected a large tent for outdoor dining.
Indiana
Columbus: Enjoy a “made-from-scratch breakfast” at Blackerby’s Hangar 5 in the terminal building at Columbus Municipal Airport. The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. It’s popular with pilots and locals who like to watch airplanes, so there can be long waits on weekends.
Indianapolis: Rick’s Café Boatyard near the edge of Eagle Creek’s Reservoir and the Eagle Creek Airpark features “fresh seafood, prime steaks, live music, and craft cocktails.” The menu includes Atlantic salmon, Southern catfish filets, South African lobster tails, Alaskan red king crab legs, pork chops, prime dry aged ribeye, filet mignon, and sirloin. Wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of appetizers round out the menu. The restaurant offers several decks for outdoor dining.
Iowa
Mason City: The Patriot Wings CAVU American Kitchen and Cocktail Lounge at Mason City Municipal Airport is open in the evenings Tuesday through Saturday and offers brunch on Sundays (hours might change after September; reservations encouraged). The menu features a variety of salads and sandwiches, including The Hot Mother Clucker, Mile High Chicken Club, and The Flightless Bird; and chef crafted entrées including filet mignon, ribeye, and bruschetta chicken spaghetti (though not as cleverly named as the sandwiches). There’s even a special menu for your little co-pilots.
Radcliffe: Land on the 2,480-foot-long grass runway at Drake Airport and enjoy a three-quarter-mile walk to Babe’s Steakhouse, a “privately owned steakhouse that specializes in serving some of the finest quality steaks in Iowa.” If you go, order the Prime Rib or Steak de Burgo. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates on dinner specials.
Kansas
Greensburg: A 3,200-foot-long grass runway greets you at Greensburg Municipal Airport two miles from town where you can check out restaurants. Ice cream lovers, try this: See if you can down 15 scoops of ice cream with 10 toppings in half an hour in the EF-5 Challenge at the Kiowa County Commons building. (You could burn off some of the calories by walking back to the airport.)
Wichita: Hangar One Steakhouse combines two of Wichita’s nicknames, the Air Capital of the World and “Cowtown.” Enjoy great food in this aviation-themed restaurant, just a short drive from Wichita Dwight D Eisenhower National Airport. Hangar One Steakhouse is now open daily for dinner.
Kentucky
Falls-Of-Rough: Rough River State Park Airport is right next to the Rough River Dam State Resort Park, where you can eat at Grayson’s Landing Restaurant and the Lake House Restaurant.
Louisville: Enjoy a slice of France at Bowman Field. Bistro Le Relais, located in the airport terminal, offers a French menu including foie gras.
Louisiana
Covington and Slidell: St. Tammany Regional Airport and Slidell Airport in the St. Tammany Parish area, nicknamed Louisiana’s Northshore, open the gates to dining opportunities such as Oxlot 9 and Del Porto Ristorante.
Maine
Augusta: Sweet Chilli Thai Restaurant at Augusta State Airport serves dishes with “spice levels to fit any taste.” It is currently open for takeout only.
Sanford: Pilots Cove Café “is the place where great cooking and a fantastic vibe meet” at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and offers dine-in and outdoor seating. Check out the house favorite Pilots Big Breakfast (you won’t need lunch) and fresh lobster roll.
Maryland
Hagerstown: If you want to feel like a VIP, fly to Hagerstown Regional-Richard A. Henson Field, taxi up to the Rider Jet Center overhang, and let your passengers out at a waiting red rug to dine at The Grille at Runways with a view of the ramp (and your airplane). Even with a limited menu currently, enjoy your fill of seafood (crab is Maryland’s specialty), such as crab fries, surf/turf pizza, crab cake, scallop Rockefeller, Salmón y Langosta, and more. Nick’s Airport Inn is just outside the airport, so you’ll need to get an Uber for a short ride. Nick’s Airport Inn offers a cold curbside menu and a weekly in-restaurant dining menu, and, you guessed it, crab is a popular item. The restaurant is open for indoor and patio dining as well as curbside pickup.
Stevensville: Surf and turf isn’t on the menu at Kentmorr Restaurant and Crab House on the Chesapeake Bay, but you can make your own by landing on the turf runway at Kentmorr Airpark and then walking 10 minutes to the nearby restaurant for crab cakes and other seafood delights. The restaurant is open for carryout and outdoor seating. A beach on the restaurant property makes for a great place to hang out with friends and family. Bon appétit.
Massachusetts
Chatham: Call ahead, fly in to Chatham Municipal Airport, and pick up your order from the Hangar B Eatery, or place your order once you arrive. You can enjoy your dinner at the picnic area at the airport while watching other airplanes. The restaurant’s breakfast sandwiches and burritos will make you want breakfast all day long. A variety of sandwiches are available for lunch and dinner, and dinner specials include pork tenderloin, sirloin, swordfish, and lobster dishes.
New Bedford: New Bedford Regional Airport is home to the Airport Grille, which is open for indoor and outdoor dining. Enjoy New England Clam Chowder, burgers and sandwiches, barbecue, baked stuffed haddock, and more.
Stow: Don and Nancy McPherson run the Minute Man Air Field and Nancy’s Air Field Café, which is a favorite culinary destination drawing pilots from all over New England, and beyond. Indoor dining is not available, but that’s not a huge problem: The restaurant overlooks the ramp, with some spots available outdoors to grab a seat for a feast.
Michigan
Mackinac Island: Take a horse-drawn taxi from the Mackinac Island Airport to the downtown area to explore various eateries, from fine dining to sweet treats like fudge. Be sure to read and comply with the COVID-19 travel policy before flying in.
Minnesota
Brainerd: Soak in the views of the Brainerd Lake area while you dine at Madden’s on Gull Lake. The resort offers several dining options, including The Classic Grill, Mission Point, Madden Inn, Parfecto Pizza, and O’Madden Pub. Note there are special hours and reservations are required for indoor and outdoor dining. Fly in to East Gull Lake Airport or Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.
Mississippi
Clarksdale: Learn about Delta Blues artists and enjoy a variety of restaurants after landing at Fletcher Field. Pizza and barbecue shops, fast food restaurants, and mom and pop shops abound in this little town.
Missouri
Miller: Dine inside a hangar-style restaurant at the Hangar Kafe at Kingsley Airfield. Or, enjoy the large outdoor patio seating for a view of all the activity that can occur at the airport—skydiving, hot air balloon flights, and perhaps even a drop in by a Kansas National Guard CH–47 Chinook. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Montana
Kalispell: Enjoy views of Glacier National Park as you fly into Kalispell City Airport. Restaurants close to the airport include Blue Canyon and MacKenzie River Pizza Co.
Red Lodge: From Red Lodge Airport, you can walk down a trail into town, about 15 minutes, to explore restaurants. Check out PREROGATIvE Kitchen, Piccola Cucina at Ox Pasture, Scoops Pizza and Ice Cream, The Pub at The Pollard, Carbon County Steakhouse, and more.
Nebraska
Valentine: Members of the Prairie Club can land at Miller Field Airport just under 20 miles away and dine. Reservations are not currently being accepted from nonmembers. Known for its golf courses, you could work some socially distant play into your itinerary, or enjoy the Niobrara National Scenic River.
Nevada
Boulder City: Pilots in the mood for an omelet should head to Boulder City Municipal Airport and the nearby World Famous Coffee Cup Café. For omelets, choose among the Godfather, the Cali, Downtown, Western, Big Texan, Pork Chili Verde, Country, and a make your own. Burgers and sandwiches dominate the lunch menu. The café is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
New Hampshire
Keene: The Flight Deck at Dillant-Hopkins Airport boasts “Great Food. Great People. Great Views. Great Times.” That could be expected at an airport restaurant, where pilots gather and watch airplanes. The restaurant offers lunch Wednesday through Friday, and breakfast and lunch on the weekends.
Hampton: Enjoy a lobster roll, cinnamon streusel French toast, cranberry walnut chicken salad sandwich, and other specials at the Airfield Café at Hampton Airfield. It’s open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast and lunch and has patio, tent, and indoor seating.
Nashua: Overlook Boire Field from the outdoor deck at the Midfield Café Wednesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch.
New Jersey
Lincoln Park: The Sunset Pub and Grill at Lincoln Park Airport strives to be “Everything to Everybody” by offering “exceptional food, beautiful décor, creative libations and friendly service overlooking a beautiful and unique setting.” For us pilots, that means airplane watching. The restaurant is open for outdoor dining and takeout orders for lunch and dinner, and reservations are recommended. The menu includes several vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. The Sunset Pub and Grill is famous for its fish and chips.
Ocean City: Walk to the beach and boardwalk (or Uber to the boardwalk) from the Ocean City Municipal Airport to chow down on typical boardwalk fare.
Pittstown: The Sky Café at Sky Manor Airport offers breakfast and lunch every day except Tuesdays. Breakfast sandwiches, specialties, pancakes, French toast, Belgian waffles, and creative omelets (Maverick, Propeller, and Black Hawk, for example) round out the breakfast menu. Lunch features salads and a variety of sandwiches. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating where you can watch aircraft takeoff and land.
West Milford: After landing at Greenwood Lake Airport, relax in the pilot lounge of a remodeled Constellation and then dine at the on-airport restaurant, Smoke Shack BBQ & Burgers. Barbecue chicken, barbecue pulled pork, barbecue chopped brisket, barbecue chicken mixed green salad—you get the idea.
Wildwood: The Flight Deck Diner at Cape May County Airport offers breakfast all day in addition to lunch. Enjoy pancakes, French toast, Belgian waffles, three-egg omelets, and specialty breakfast platters named for various warbirds. Lunch includes soups, salads, sandwiches, and angus burgers. The Cape May Brewing Co. is located across the street from the airport if you want to take a tour or enjoy a beer if you plan to stay overnight. If you meet the owner when you go, feel free to talk airplanes. He’s also a pilot.
New Mexico
Ruidoso: Fly in to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport and drive the airport courtesy car to nearby Che Palle, a restaurant specializing in pizza, po’boys, chicken and waffles, and more. Che Palle’s Facebook page says, “We’ve made it our mission to serve folks homemade food that’s made from scratch starting with real ingredients—lettuce grown in town, tomatoes from Tularosa, and fresh produce from Nogal.” Don’t forget to save room for dessert. According to one pilot, “You won’t be disappointed” when dining there.
New York
Elmira/Corning: Elmira/Corning Regional Airport is situated conveniently in wine country in the Finger Lakes region. Two must-see wineries include the J.R. Dill Winery and Glenora Wine Cellars.
Great Valley: Katy’s Fly-in Restaurant is right by Great Valley Airport and serves “homey classics like Country Fried chicken, fresh [salads], hand-pressed burgers, and more.” Whether you are interested in homestyle breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the restaurant is open and offers takeout and outdoor dining.
North Carolina
Carthage: “Pik-N-Pig has the best barbecue this side of the Mississippi,” one pilot wrote of the barbecue restaurant at Gilliam-McConnell Airfield. Many pilots who have been there will likely agree. The secret to this great barbecue? “We cook our ‘Q’ with hickory & natural hardwood charcoal,” the restaurant’s website says. “Some people say we’re crazy for slow coking our Q all night long over a natural wood fire… We say, ‘It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full!’” Outdoor seating is available.
Ocracoke: Enjoy walking, biking, or riding a golf cart around this barrier island after landing at Ocracoke Island Airport. Be sure to check out The Pony Island Restaurant to enjoy a Southern breakfast. The oldest restaurant on the island, it opened in 1959.
North Dakota
Bismarck: La Tejana Mexican Market and Restaurant and Jack’s Steakhouse and Seafood are both about two miles from the Bismarck Municipal Airport. La Tejana “was created to be a cultural center for the Latin community of Bismarck.” It is open with restricted hours. Jack’s offers curbside takeout as well as indoor dining.
Ohio
Carrollton: The Carrollton County Airport Restaurant at Carroll County-Tolson Airport features home-cooked meals but the pies are the highlights. “Sit on the porch for a great view of airplanes!” the restaurant exclaims on its Facebook page, which is updated daily with a photo of the day’s menu.
New Philadelphia: Satisfy your sweet-tooth craving at Miller’s Creamery next to Harry Clever Field. Caramel corn, homemade sherbet, hand-dipped ice cream, shakes, and sundaes offer lots of flavors to fill your craving. Sandwiches are also offered to help offset the sugar rush you’ll likely get. (This location is open April through October.)
Port Clinton: Feel like you’ve traveled back in time at the Tin Goose Diner at Erie-Ottawa International Airport. Menu items are cleverly named with aviation themes, such as the Fighter Scramble, Flyboy Special, S.O.S. Over Toast, The B–25, and six different kinds of Fly Over Omelets. Lunch and dinner offer soup, salad, burgers, sandwiches, and hot entrées. There’s also a menu for your junior aviators. When you order, don’t forget to add a milkshake.
Oklahoma
Norman: From the University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport catch an Uber to downtown, where you can walk along Main and Gray streets to find a number of restaurants.
Ponca City: Enrique’s Mexican Restaurant on the Ponca City Regional Airport is a popular fly-in restaurant that draws pilots from all over the state and region to chow down on the homemade chips and salsa among other menu items. AOPA Live shares the restaurant’s story. Take note that the Ponca City airport is undergoing runway reconstruction and is closed until at least March 2021. However, the airport has a courtesy car at Blackwell-Tonkawa Municipal Airport about 15 miles away so pilots can fly in there and drive to Enrique’s.
Oregon
Pacific City: Pacific City State Airport sits near the coast so you can walk to the beach. Nearby restaurants include Los Caporales, Beach Wok Asian Inspired Cuisine, Sportsman’s Pub-n-Grub, Megpies Bakery and Café, the Grateful Bread Bakery, and more.
Salem: “Get away from the hectic everyday lifestyle and relax with friends, good food and drinks” at the Flight Deck Restaurant and Lounge at McNary Field. Watch aircraft operate at the airport with the Cascade Mountain range in the background while you enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (Breakfast is available on Saturdays and Sundays, and lunch and dinner every day.) Breakfast includes omelets, sandwiches, French toast, pancakes, and more. Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and melts round out the lunch menu, while dinner features chicken, seafood, pasta, steaks, and more.
Sunriver: Sunriver Airport is part of the Sunriver Resort and is open to the public. The resort offers 10 dining options. Ask any pilot in the region, and they will give a unanimous “two thumbs up” to Sunriver.
Pennsylvania
Lancaster: Pizza, pasta, patio, and airplanes equal perfection at Fiorentino’s Restaurant, Bar and Patio at the Lancaster Airport. Whether you are seated inside or outside, you get a view of the airport to watch aircraft takeoff and land. In addition to a great selection of pizzas and pasta entrées, the restaurant offers salads, sandwiches, and subs.
Rhode Island
Block Island: Check out what “Ma” is cooking at Bethany’s Airport Diner on Block Island State Airport. If breakfast is your favorite meal, you can get it all day at Bethany’s. The island also features lots of great restaurants if you are looking for an outing beyond the airport.
South Carolina
Georgetown: Georgetown County Airport is just five miles from Rollin Local, a sushi and hibachi restaurant. The restaurant also branches out to tacos; quesadillas; burgers; chicken and steak bowls; and traditional Southern food such as fried okra, shrimp and grits, and fried green tomatoes. Check Rollin Local’s Facebook page for specials.
South Dakota
Pierre: Pierre Regional Airport is less than five miles from town, where you can enjoy Italian, Mexican, and Japanese fare in addition to steakhouses, barbecue, and pizza.
Tennessee
Pigeon Forge: Satisfy your sweet tooth at The Old Mill Candy Kitchen and The Old Mill Creamery in The Old Mill historic district. Outdoor picnic tables have been added to Old Mill locations, and the Old Mill Restaurant and Pottery House Café are open for inside dining at reduced capacity. The Old Mill Square is less than 10 miles from the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport.
Texas
Angleton/Lake Jackson: The Runway Café at Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport claims to “have the best gumbo in the area.” In addition to seafood, the restaurant also serves steak, burgers, and Asian food. The Runway Café features an outside porch so you can easily watch aircraft takeoff and land.
Fredericksburg: Chow down on the Bomber Burger, enjoy a milkshake, and watch airplanes take off and land from the classic 1940s-era Airport Diner across from Gillespie County Airport. Breakfast is served all day long. And if sweets are what you desire, you can pick among floats, sundaes, banana splits, and more.
Lockhart: Hungry for some barbecue? Lockhart Municipal Airport has a courtesy car available that you can use to check out Kreuz Market, The Original Black’s Barbecue, and Chisholm Trail BBQ.
Llano: Visit the Texas Hill Country, known as “the BBQ capital of the world,” according to Cooper’s Old time Pit Barb-B-Que by flying in to Llano Municipal Airport and borrowing the courtesy car. The restaurant is “home of the original World Famous ‘Big Chop.’”
Lufkin: Angelina County Airport features a “great little burger joint” and an airport pavilion where you can eat outside.
Port Aransas: Fly to Mustang Beach Airport and get an Uber to the beach where you can walk and enjoy many restaurants with open-air seating.
Woodville: For Southern homecooked goodness, head to Tyler County Airport and the Pickett House Restaurant. (Check to see if they will pick you up at the airport.) Fried chicken, country vegetables, chicken and dumplings, desserts—yes, please.
Utah
Monument Valley: The Stagecoach Restaurant at Goulding’s Monument Valley resort serves Southwestern and Navajo fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You have to submit some paperwork and comply with other requirements to land at the resort’s airstrip.
Vermont
Burlington: Fly to Burlington International Airport and enjoy hotcakes at The Skinny Pancake on the airport or go to the Barnyard Wood Crafted Pizzeria one mile from the airport.
Virginia
Basye: Bryce Resort boasts its own airport, Sky Bryce, and Copper Kettle Restaurant that serves lunch and dinner, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, and entrées ranging from pepper-crusted ribeye to seared salmon.
Saluda: Just across the road from the end of the runway at Hummel Field, Eckhard’s features German and Italian dishes as well as fresh seafood and steaks.
Wakefield: The Virginia Diner started out as a refurbished railroad car in 1929, and the “old railroad car has become a legend,” according to the restaurant’s website. Perhaps even more well-known than the historical railroad car are the diner’s famous peanuts that have earned it the nickname of “The Peanut Capital of the World.” The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is just one mile from the Wakefield Municipal Airport.
Washington
Auburn: Auburn Municipal Airport is located in a suburb of Seattle. Pilots can park on the transient ramp and use a gate to walk to nearby restaurants.
West Virginia
Davis: Windwood Fly-In Resort offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Amelia’s Restaurant. The resort features its own runway and “is surrounded by the Dolly Sods and Otter Creek Wilderness areas, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley State Parks, and 900,000 acres of National Forest land.” It’s open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wiley Ford, West Virginia/Cumberland, Maryland: Greater Cumberland Regional Airport almost straddles the West Virginia-Maryland border, but officially lives in the Mountain State. The airport hosts The Hummingbird Café, which serves traditional American breakfast items, burgers, sandwiches, and dinner entrées. It is open Tuesdays to Sundays, has outdoor picnic tables, and offers takeout. See the café’s Facebook page for daily specials.
Wisconsin
Delevan: After landing, cross the street and pass through the gates of Lake Lawn Resort—owner of the Lake Lawn Airport. Here you’ll find a full-service resort offering golfing, swimming, boating, and multiple restaurants on the shore of Delevan Lake. Enjoy outdoor dining at the Lookout Bar and Eatery.
Sturgeon Bay: Door County Cherryland Airport sits on the peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan and is near a variety of restaurants including the Inn at Cedar Crossing Restaurant and Bar, Kitty O’Reillys Irish Pub, and the White Birch Inn and Samuelson’s Creek Pub and Grill (takeout).
Webster: Seek permission to land at Voyager Village Airstrip, a privately owned, private-use airport. About 100 yards from the airport is the Voyager Village Golf and Restaurant. The restaurant offers contactless dining and provides weekly “take & bake meals.” In addition, the restaurant offers salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and several pasta entrées in addition to meatloaf and steak.
Wyoming
Casper: Casper/Natrona County International Airport is about 15 miles from the FireRock Steakhouse, which specializes in cooking over wood-fired grills. “We use oak hardwood for its high heat and light smokiness which elevates our wood cookery to new heights,” the restaurant’s website says. For steaks and chops, choose among top sirloin, ribeye, bacon-wrapped filet, New York strip, prime rib, bone-in ribeye, Kansas City strip, porterhouse, cowboy cut T-bone, bone-in filet, bone-in lamb loin chop, Cajun pork porterhouse, and French cut pork chop.