If airport food usually makes you think of sad sandwiches and coffee that tastes like it has been circling the tarmac since 1998, JFK Terminal 4 has some good news: the dining scene is getting a serious New York upgrade.
Terminal 4 has welcomed a fresh crop of NYC-based restaurants and food concepts, bringing a little more Big Apple personality to the international travel experience. The latest arrivals include FIELDTRIP, Bessou, Chopt and Dos Toros Taqueria, four local favorites that make grabbing a pre-flight meal considerably more exciting.
FIELDTRIP, created by James Beard Award-winning chef JJ Johnson and originally founded in Harlem, brings its celebrated rice-focused cooking to the airport. Bessou, meanwhile, offers a taste of Japanese home cooking from chef Maiko Kyogoku. Chopt provides the fast-casual salad fix, while Manhattan-born Dos Toros brings its Mission-style tacos and burritos to travelers who would rather board a plane with guacamole than regret.
But the new NYC restaurants at JFK Terminal 4 don’t stop there. Earlier this year, Queens institution Villa Russo Café and Brooklyn-rooted Brooklyn Tea & Market opened as part of T4’s push to bring more local and diverse businesses into the terminal.
There’s also the refreshed Five Borough Food Hall, featuring New York-inspired options including For Five Coffee Roasters, Dromos Fresh Greek Food, Mango Taco Truck, a deli, pizza and more.
And for travelers craving something a little more steakhouse than snack bar, Hunt & Fish Club recently opened near Gate B34 with classic steaks, seafood, cocktails and a breakfast menu designed for early flyers.
In other words, JFK Terminal 4 is finally making airport dining feel less like a layover—and more like New York City with a boarding pass.
