The Best Airport Bars in the U.S.

The holiday season is around the corner! Last year, an average of 7.5 million people traveled by air to either spend quality time with their families, or enjoy a nice getaway before the New Year. Long layovers and flight delays can be a pain, so if you’re planning a trip in the next few months, why not take advantage of the long wait, by placing a bet on the upcoming NBA season with a cold beer and some tasty food at the airport bar?

Airport bars can be a great place to wind down, while enjoying a fresh drink and some decent food prior to a long flight, especially since those menu items in flight may not be the best. So to determine the best airport bar, we at BetUS incorporated a number of factors such as the Google rating, price of a 14- 20 ounce draft beer, price of a cheeseburger, price of french fries, menu size, and location within the airport, to determine if over the hundreds of airport bars across the U.S, which airport bar in the entire nation reigns supreme.

The Top 10 Airport Bars in the U.S.

1. TGI Friday’s – Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

With a Google rating of 3.9 and an overall score of 79.4, TGI Fridays located in the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is ranked as the best airport bar in the country. An attributing factor to this ranking has to be the affordability TGI Fridays provides when it comes to grabbing a refreshing draft beer, a juicy cheeseburger and crispy french fries. With their draft beer priced at $5, their cheeseburger priced at 12.98, and their french fries priced at 2.86, TGI Fridays within the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport provides not only Texas travelers the best and most affordable airport bar option, but the best option for travelers across the United States.

2. Billy Goat Tavern – Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Based in the Chicago O’ Hare International Airport, with a Google rating of 3.7 and an overall score of 66.1, Billy Goat Tavern ranks as the #2 best airport bar in the United States. The historic Tavern & Grill has been a staple of the Chicago area for many years and provides that historic aura to travelers within the O’Hare Airport. Offering its draft beer for $8.50, cheeseburger for $7.44, and french fries for $2.89, there’s no question as to why Billy Goat Tavern comes in as the #2 ranked airport bar in America.

3. Chili’s – Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

With a Google rating of 3.2 and an overall score of 62.8, Chili’s located in the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport comes in as the #3 ranked airport bar in the nation. As another large brand within this list, Chili’s offers great prices in regards to their draft beers which are priced at $3, their cheeseburgers at $13.49, and an extensive 7 page menu with a list of items to choose from. It’s affordable prices, decent satisfactory rating, and long list of options is what has the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Chili’s ranked as the #3 best airport bar in the U.S.

4. Gourmandise Euro-Diner & Bakery – Salt Lake City International Airport

Many wouldn’t expect a cafe/bakery to be in the conversation for best airport bars in the U.S. but this family-owned cafe has exceeded expectations. As an awarding winning cafe & bakery in the state of Utah, Gourmandise Euro-Diner & Bakery with its 4.0 Google rating and overall score of 62.1, ranks as the #4 ranked best airport bar in the nation. The iconic Utah establishment charges $5 for its draft beer,$13 for its cheeseburger, and $4.90 for their french fries. Gourmandise Euro-Diner & Bakery five page menu also provides inbound and outbound travelers with a good selection of options, and a convenient location as it is located next to many surrounding gates on Concourse B.

The Best Airport Bars across the U.S.

The United States goes sky high when it comes to their airport bars. The convenience, ambiance, and comfortability these bars provide travelers in enjoying a nice drink and or even a good meal with it before a flight is desired more than ever these days. From the large chain restaurant TGI Fridays in the Dallas airport, to a local bar chain located in the New Mexico airport, below are the best airport bars in the country based on Google reviews, the price of a draft beer, cheeseburger, french fries, menu size, and location within the airport.

The Most Affordable Airport Beer in the U.S.

When you’re stuck at the airport waiting for your flight, grabbing a nice cold beer at the bar to pass the time, sounds like a great idea. Your thirst and taste buds will be in good hands, but many people always like to consider the wellbeing of their pockets when traveling, so below are the top two airport bars that offer the most affordable draft beer.

1. Chili’s – Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

As one of the top airport bars in the country, it’s no surprise that Chilli’s located in the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has the most affordable price when it comes to a draft beer. The establishment’s affordability across the board sets itself up to be a great place for people to enjoy delicious food alongside great tasting beers, and with their draft beer priced at $3, Chilli’s offers customers high quality draft beers from Coors to Miller Light, at a low cost.

2. Bardenay – Boise Airport

Located within the Boise Idaho Airport, Bardenay is the #2 airport bars offering the most affordable draft beer. As an Idaho favorite for over 20 years, this local bar and restaurant offers a variety of draft beers with a starting price of $3.50 which include Blue Ribbon, Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Ghostfish, Heineken, and more, giving you many options to choose from at a very affordable price.

Top 10 Most Expensive Airport Beer in the U.S.

1. 49th State Brewing – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

a) From all the way in Anchorage Alaska, 49th State Brewing provides an authentic Alaskan feel to its restaurant & brewery while providing homegrown high-quality brews for its many patrons coming in and out of the Anchorage airport. As high quality brews have high quality taste, there’s also a high quality price that comes with it, and at $16, 49th State Brewing obtains the most expensive draft beer out of the top airport bars in the country.

2. Cask & Larder – Orlando International Airport

a) Coming in second place is Cask & Larder located in the Orlando International Airport. The Southern kitchen & brewery serves great tasting southern cuisine with award winning house-brewed beers from its Brewmaster Larry Foor, and with award winning brews tags along an award winning price. Charging $14 for their draft beer, Cask & Larder holds the second most expensive draft beer out of the top airport bars in the country.

3. Gordon Biersch – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

a) Located within the biggest airport in the state of Michigan, Gordon Biersch serves the most expensive draft beer out of the top airport bars in the U.S. at $13.75. As one of the largest domestic craft breweries, Gordon Biersch provides high-quality draft beer utilizing old-school recipes along with modern-day technology, for solid consistency, and great tasting beer.

With this guide, you can now find the top airport bars across the country, ranked by the overall Google review, the price of a draft beer, cheeseburger, fries, menu size, and location within the airport.

From the TGI Fridays in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, to the Route 66 Lounge in the Albuquerque International Sunport, we’ve found the top-tier airport bars where you can enjoy authentic, and refreshing drinks and food across the U.S. before and after your sky high travels.

BetUS is your go-to destination for the best odds on all games so that you can enjoy the game and the reward on your bets.

Methodology

We’ve analyzed and ranked the best airport bars in the U.S. based on Google review scores, the price of a draft beer, cheeseburger, french fries, the menu size, and location within the airport, generating a weighted average for the ranking of the top airport bars in the United States. Data accurate as of October 25, 2024