Where To Eat At Philadelphia International Airport
Delays, cancellations, and unexpected traffic can easily put a damper on travel plans, often resulting in hours of extra time hanging around the airport. If you find yourself stuck at Philadelphia International Airport, there are great restaurant options throughout its terminals. From portable treats to fine wines, the options will keep your mind off any travel stress.
Drinks: Vino Volo is a chain of airport wine bars with locations post-security at major U.S. airports, like Boston Logan International Airport. The cozy restaurant offers a wide variety of both red and white wines from around the world, and wine enthusiasts can order wines by the glass, two- and three-glass wine flights, or bottles of wine paired with gourmet small plates like cheese boards and dry-cured meats. Their signature dish is smoked salmon and crabmeat crostini. Four Vino Volo venues are at Philadelphia International: the B/C Connector, D/E Connector, at Gate 9 in Terminal B, and at Gate 17 in Terminal A–West, so wherever you find yourself, you'll most likely stumble upon this must-sip spot.
Snack: Philadelphia is known for several fantastic foods, among which the hot soft pretzel ranks near the top. The Philly Soft Pretzel Factory creates some of the best dough-y bites throughout the region — all are hand-rolled, baked fresh daily, and served "Hot Outta The Oven." While the quick-service shop in Terminal A offers numerous pretzel options, from cinnamon to cheesesteak, your best bet is to stick with the salted version on-the-go. It's the easiest, cheapest, and most delicious snack you can snag for your flight.
Meal: Chickie's & Pete's is a sports bar known for its Crabfries that began in Philadelphia's Mayfair neighborhood in 1987. Named ESPN's number one sports bar on the East Coast, Chickie's & Pete's has four airport locations in Terminal D, Terminal E, Terminal C, and Terminal A-West, all of which have a family-friendly atmosphere. The spot offers fresh seafood as well as cheesesteaks and sandwiches, and if you have some time to sit down for a meal, the mussels, red or white, and served with Italian bread are fantastic. No matter what you try, you must order the Crabfries, crinkle-cut fries invented by proprietor Pete Ciarrocchi as a way to use the leftover seasoning that was used on his restaurant's summer crab dishes year-round; the result was Crabfries. They are served with two orders of white creamy cheese sauce.
Cameron Simcik is the Philadelphia Travel City Editor.