Where To Eat At The Atlanta Airport, Concourse By Concourse

One Flew South, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
One Flew South, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Photo: Foto © One Flew South

If you’ve ever flown through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), you might agree with this December 2022 tweet about the world’s busiest airport: "The Atlanta airport designers were like 'And then what if we had them run a 5k.' " It’s funny because it’s true. Atlanta’s airport is certainly not small, and can feel like a trickier place to navigate than it actually is. But when you’re transporting 93.7 million passengers in a year, as ATL did in 2022, you need something like a 6.8-million-square-foot complex with seven concourses.

Most people at Hartsfield-Jackson didn’t choose Atlanta as a destination (which is tragic; Atlanta is one of the greatest cities on earth ). That means the experience for the majority of our airport travelers is one of connecting flights and figuring out how to not freak out when delays put your connection in jeopardy. Of course managing and even enjoying your experience is much easier when you arrive early. You’ll have a much nicer time, especially since Atlanta’s airport is full of imaginative art, historical exhibits, shopping opportunities, and most of all, outstanding food and drinks.

With more than 100 restaurants inside ATL, dining options can also seem overwhelming. You’ll find familiar chains including Popeye’s (which is always busy), Five Guys, and of course Atlanta-based Chick-Fil-A at various concourses, but also smaller independent restaurants that are local favorites outside the airport. Use this guide to find the best food in each concourse and make your next trip through Hartsfield-Jackson as pleasant as a peach.  (The airport has an updated list of dining options by concourse —check it before you travel.)

Concourses A & B

There are 14 airport lounges, nine of which belong to Delta, which is based in Atlanta and occupies the entire south domestic terminal. Delta’s Concourse B Sky Club is its largest, seating more than 500 guests, with a buffet and wine list curated on a rotating basis by local chefs and bartenders. Active military personnel should visit the USO lounge, which is on the third floor inside the domestic terminal’s atrium, before TSA’s screening zone. The patriotic, 3,200-square-foot space has food, a video game station for kids of all ages, comfortable seating, and a wall of military coins donated by soldiers all the way up to a former secretary of state, telling the stories of patriotic service. You’ll also find a barbershop in the domestic terminal, and a variety of bookstores and newsstands including our Southern Living News shop at Gate B25.

If you have time for a sit-down meal, head to legendary soul food restaurant Paschal’s in concourse B. The original location , in Atlanta's Castleberry Hill neighborhood, opened in 1947, and not only fed but paid the bail of Civil Rights leaders and student activists in the 1960s.

The top-quality pies at Varasano’s Pizzeria have made many "best of" lists. (We recommend the margherita, which is made with imported bufala mozzarella.) The restaurant in concourse A (the other location is in Buckhead) also has piano bar.

Grab-and go-options include Shake Shake (concourse A), Five Guys (concourse B), and Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen (concourse B).

Concourses C & D

Esteemed Atlanta-based restaurant company Fifth Group Restaurants has several places to feast and sip, including The Original El Taco for Mexican food on Concourse C and F.

The Varsity, Atlanta's homegrown fast-food chain, offers burgers, chili dogs, fries, milkshakes, and more in concourses C (Gate C21) and F, on the mezzanine level.

You'll find exactly what you’re promised at superstar Atlanta rapper Ludacris’ restaurant Chicken + Beer on Concourse D (Gate D5), where you can sample several local craft brews on tap.

Grab-and-go options include Five Guys (Concourses C and D), Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, and Chick-fil-a (Concourse C), as well as The Market by Food & Wine (Concourse D, Center).

Concourses E & F

The most famous of all airport restaurants remains One Flew South (pictured above), a destination of its own that offers exceptional Southern fine dining and sushi, and was twice nominated for outstanding service by the James Beard Foundation. If you have a long layover, head to Concourse E and treat yourself to a nice meal (and wine list). Try the salmon with warm bacon vinaigrette and bourbon cranberries with roasted rosemary potatoes.

Another sophisticated option is the airport outpost of Ecco, an old-world European concept by Fifth Group Restaurants. Located in Concourse F, the menu offers several types of meat and cheeses for snacking, as well as pastas, flatbreads, and entrees like steak frites.

Grab-and-go options include: Pei-Wei Asian Diner (Concourse F, mezzanine level), The Varsity (Mezzanine).

Concourse T & Atrium

You’ll find a great beef, turkey, or Impossible burger on Concourse T (Gate T11), at Grindhouse Killer Burgers.

Atlanta Chophouse & Brewery is another spot for sandwiches, as well as steaks and beer in the Atrium NE.

Grab-and-go options include We Juice It (Atrium) and Subway (Concourse T, Gate T6).

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