It’s no secret airport food can be hit or miss. But not all terminals are created equal.
Radical Storage, a luggage storage service and travel tip provider, ranked the best airports for food in the world from an analysis of more than 1.2 million passenger reviews. The ranking measured the following data points for the top 100 airports:
- Number of eateries (restaurants and cafés) available to passengers.
- Average price of a main meal or lunch item in each airport.
- The average rating of eateries on Google Maps.
- Number of eateries that offer vegan and vegetarian options.
- Number of eateries that offer gluten-free options.
Only four airports in the U.S. made the top 10: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois and Los Angeles International Airport in California.
Here’s a look at the highest-ranking airports and what makes them stand out.
The No. 1 best airport for food in the world: Incheon International Airport in South Korea
The analysis found that the world’s best airport for food is the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. It has 270 dining options and a typical menu item costs an average of $8.18.
It’s important to note that although the airport ranked the best in the world, the average rating for the food options was 3.2 out of 5 on Google Maps, below the overall average of 3.3 out of 5.
Some options offered at the South Korean airport include Shake Shack and a food court called Korean Food Street, which provides a variety of typical Korean dishes.
The Incheon International Airport has three confirmed choices for vegans and vegetarians, but has no gluten-free options registered online, according to Radical Storage.
The top 10 airports in the world for food
- Incheon International Airport, South Korea
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, United States
- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, United States
- Jeju International Airport, South Korea
- Narita International Airport, Japan
- Tokyo International Airport, Japan
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport, United States
- Los Angeles International Airport, United States
- Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore
The No. 2 airport is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the report, it has 138 eateries rated an average of 3.4 out of 5.
What makes the airport a standout is it has the most gluten-free options, with 36 registered online, the most out of any of the other airports in the report.
Some restaurants and cafés offered here include local favorites such as Chicken + Beer, owned by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges; Ecco; and One Flew South. Other options include Krispy Kreme, Chick-fil-A and Bobby’s Burger Palace.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia is home to two Chick-fil-A restaurants.
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport rounded out the top three.
The busiest airport in Taiwan has fewer eateries at 29, but its average rating is 3.7 out of 5 and the average dish price is $5.65.
Some of the restaurants offered include Ichiban Ramen, Gang Yuan BBQ & Dim Sum and American classics such as McDonald’s and Starbucks.
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By CNBC