Not long ago, the Newark Airport dining experience lagged behind other NYC airports. As both JFK and LaGuardia lifted their game and began providing a range of more palatable dining options at some of their terminals, Newark wasn’t keeping up.
Best Places to Eat at Newark Airport
That is now starting to change. United Airlines is completely renovating Newark’s Terminal C, bringing in celebrity chefs and upscale restaurants—even if that’s meant the closure of some old favorites, like Grand Central Oyster Bar, Gallaghers, and Vino Volo. When they’re done, Terminal C will resemble what Bloomberg News called a foodie theme park, with rotating signs, light-up furnishings, and iPads for ordering everywhere.
While some new places have opened already, a lot of the redesign isn’t set to open until next year. If you’re hungry and facing a long layover at Newark now, here are your best options.
Terminal A: Earl of Sandwich
Yes, a sandwich shop made it onto our list of the best places to eat at Newark. The Earl of Sandwich, a chain store with restaurants scattered across nine states, plus a few airports and a Disneyland Village Paris, offers sandwiches, salads, wraps, and desserts. After 4pm it also has a dinner menu featuring pastas, pizza breads, and stuffed potatoes. You can also get a beer here, which many passengers passing through Terminal A seem to need. Otherwise, pre-security you can get a reasonable burrito at Qdoba.
Terminal B: The Belgian Beer Cafe
Terminal B is heavy on bars but light on restaurants. The Belgian Beer Cafe offers sandwiches, steaks, and burgers, to go with the Belgian beer. The consensus seems to be the fare is not bad for a terminal notoriously bereft of food options. For a sports bar dining experience, try Champp’s.
Terminal C: Saison, Oeno Wine Bar
As we mentioned, a lot of previously viable options at Newark’s Terminal C—usually the most reliable of the three terminals—have shut down, and the gourmet dining experiences meant to replace them haven’t all arrived. But a few new places offer an improved dining experience for those fortunate enough to be flying through the United terminal.
Saison is a full-service French restaurant (though, like all the restaurants in the new terminal, the service is by iPad) and features excellent steaks, a raw bar, and a good wine list, as well as more traditional French bistro food. It’s far from the cheapest option at Newark, but has been a pleasant surprise for travelers, although the ordering system had a few early kinks. For a glass of wine and something lighter, Oeno Wine Bar is a strong choice, with tapas, cheese plates, panini, and even cannoli as a sweet treat to accompany the drinks.
We’re looking forward to more and better food choices—in the meantime, if you need to a ride to Newark Airport, reserve one with us.