Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 101: Where to eat and drink at SEA

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

Located about 15 miles south of Seattle and 20 miles north of Tacoma, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the 10th-busiest airport in the U.S. according to Airports Council International-North America. It currently serves more than 50 million passengers a year.

As of 2022, 31 airlines operate at SEA, serving 91 nonstop domestic and 28 international destinations. Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines are the top carriers for both domestic and international passengers.

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Dining at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

At Sea-Tac airport, you’ll find enough snacks, cocktails and small dishes to make a meal at many of the airline and independent lounges, most notably the Alaska Airlines flagship lounges in the North Satellite and C Concourse and the Delta Sky Club lounges on Concourse A and in the South Satellite. There's also other lounges, including:

• The Club at SEA (Concourse A near Gate A12 and South Satellite near Gate S9
• United Club (Concourse A near Gate A9)
• The American Express Centurion Lounge (Concourse B near Gate B3)
• British Airways Terraces Lounge (South Satellite near Gate S10)

For those without lounge access or in search of something local or different, SEA airport offers plenty of dining and drinking options worth arriving early to sample. Thanks to a major overhaul of concessionaires at Sea-Tac, there are lots of new and exciting options available.

Once you pass through security, you’ll be able to access all airside areas of the airport. For a full list of what’s currently open at SEA, plus hours, see the SEA Airport website. A note about pricing: Airport concessionaires at SEA can charge approved “street pricing,” which is the cost of an item purchased outside of the airport, plus an added charge up to a maximum of 5%. In 2021, street pricing plus 10% was allowed.

Pre-Security

Starbucks serves coffee, baked goods, salads and sandwiches. Sourced offers handcrafted deli dishes and regionally sourced products. Both are located pre-security at ticketing near Checkpoint 3 and 4.

Central Terminal

Koi Shi Sushi Bento

Location: Central Terminal

Hours: 8 a.m. – Midnight

Cuisine: Asian, family-friendly, beer, wine, Prosecco.

Price: $$

Other options include Evergreens Salad, Pallino for Italian, a Starbucks Evenings, Stonehouse Café and Bar, Vyne Washington Tasting Room and the Trailhead BBQ Bar, part of the Priority Pass restaurant program.

Best bets in Central Terminal: Koi Shi Sushi Bento (sit-down or take-away; $$) serves sushi and build-your-own poke bowls. The menu at Lucky Louie Fish Shack includes takeaway fish and chips, clam chowder, Shrimp Louie salads and honey teriyaki salad. $$.

Tip: Watch the creamy cheesecake-filled Sweet Waffle Fish get made in special molds in the Lucky Louie window, then order a warm half-dozen (or baker’s dozen) with chocolate fudge, warm maple bacon, NW berry or salted caramel dip.

Concourse A

Floret by Café Flora

Location: By Gate A1

Hours: 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Cuisine: Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free; family-friendly, full bar.

Price: $$

Dining and grab ‘n’ go options on Concourse A at SEA Airport include La Pisa Café, the Africa Lounge (A5) and Mountain Room Bar (A10), the latter two serving the same menu (burgers, clam chowder, etc.) and offering local beers on tap. The 7,077 square-foot Capitol Hill Food Hall (between Gates 5 and 6) has eight food and beverage concepts and a live music space.

Best bet in Concourse A: Floret by Café Flora (adjacent to the Delta lounge; $$) offers views of the airfield, grab-and-go items, and a seasonal menu of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Tip: Some Floret menu highlights include biscuits and (mushroom) gravy, Pale Ale and Aged Mac n’ Cheese and Oaxaca Tacos. The bar menu includes local beers and ciders. The Instagram-worthy Purple Rain cocktail is made with lavender-hued Empress 1908 gin, lemon lavender shrub and sparkling rosé.

Concourse B

Mi Casa Cantina

Location: B10

Hours: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Cuisine: Mexican street food; family-friendly, full bar.

Price: $$

Rel’Lish Burger Lounge

Location: Gate B4

Hours: 7 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Cuisine: Burger, family-friend, full bar.

Price: $$

McDonald’s (B1) and Starbucks (B7) here, along with the upscale Lou Lou Market & Bar (B3), from Loulay chef Thierry Rautureau (The Chef in the Hat).

Best bets in Concourse B: Mi Casa Cantina (B10; dine-in or to-go) for the tortas, burritos and the cocktail menu featuring tequilas and mescals. Rel’Lish Burger Lounge (B4; dine-in or to-go) with cocktails, beer, wine and a burger menu with a fish burger, a chicken burger and a banh mi burger on the menu.

Concourse C

LeGrand Comptoir

Location: Gate C-10

Hours: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Cuisine: Small plates, cheeses & charcuterie, salads; Family-friendly, full-bar

Price: $$

Stonehouse Café (C2, sit-down) and the LeGrand Comptoir (C10; sit-down, try the wine flights) are on Concourse C, along with Hachi-ko (C10; teriyaki items, sushi and poké, along with grab-to-go sandwiches and salads) and Starbucks (C10).

Best bets in Concourse C: Dish D’Lish (C11) offers healthy and creative grab-and-go items. Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (takeaway) serves up Caffe Vita coffee and its famous World’s Best Mac & Cheese, along with grilled sandwiches, soups, fresh curds and other items.

Tip: Lines are often long at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, so remember to build in time for that.

Concourse D

Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max

Location: By Gate D6

Hours: 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Cuisine: Hawaiian-fusion, family-friendly, full bar.

Price: $$

Camden Food Co. (D5; takeaway), Starbucks (D2) and the Sports Page Pub (D3) are here, along with the Ballard Brew Hall (D7), a full-service bar and restaurant with local beers on tap and a menu that includes sandwiches, salads and burgers.

Best bet in Concourse D: Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max (D6; sit-down; takeaway). Hawaiian fusion with an intriguing breakfast menu along with poke rice plates, salads, wraps and tacos and poke by the pound. Try the Reconstructed Musubi, made with roasted nori seaweed wrap, rice, spam and egg frittata.

N Gates

Skillet

Location: N18

Hours: 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Cuisine: American, full-bar, family-friendly

Price: $$

If you’re traveling on an Alaska Airlines flight or don’t mind the short train ride out to the N Gates, you’ll find Caffe D’arte (N13), Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen (N18; sit-down with full bar and takeaway) and Skillet (N18; sit-down and takeaway).

Best bet at N gates: Bambuza’s menu includes pho noodle soup, banh mi sandwiches and Café Du Monde coffee. Skillet’s offerings range from burger, sandwiches and mac ‘n’ cheese to meatloaf, fish & chips and poutine. They’ll add their famous bacon jam to pretty much anything on the menu.

S Gates

Dungeness Bay Seafood House

Location: S Gates

Hours: 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Cuisine: American, Seafood; family-friendly, full bar.

Price: $$

The S gates at SEA (reached by a short train ride from the main terminal) are slated for a much-needed upgrade, so you might want to dine or grab something to take away in the main terminal before heading that way.

Current dining options include Peet’s Coffee (S9) for coffee and takeaway sandwiches; the 6^th Avenue Noodle House (S6) for takeaway breakfast bowls, sushi and noodle bowls and Asian salads; Greedy Cow Burgers (S3) and Tap and Pour (S15), which serves regional craft beers, along with sandwiches, snacks and salads.

Related: Seattle-Tacoma Airport 101: The best way to get to Sea-Tac

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