Inside some United Clubs, it's now 'Taco Tuesday' every day as taco bars arrive
Before a recent flight, I walked into a United Club pretty hungry but with very tempered expectations about the options I'd find. I expected to encounter some brownie bites, crackers, juice or maybe even a microwave-quality biscuit, only to be (pleasantly) shocked.
Where I thought I'd just see some modest snacks, there was one of the most exciting things imaginable inside an airline lounge: a real, hot breakfast taco bar.
I thought I must have bumped my head while getting out of the car that morning and was clearly dreaming.
Thinking it was a one-time fluke, I savored this lucky morning moment with a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast taco before my boarding ... and went back to expecting mediocre cheese cubes and crackers on future visits.
However, this airline lounge taco phenomenon has continued since that fateful morning. Breakfast tacos, lunch tacos, dinner tacos — I've seen all of these lineups available over the last couple of months in the Houston United Clubs.
And it's not just in Houston. Taco fixings have also been spotted in other United Clubs, too, such as in Newark and Los Angeles.
Related: Inside the much-anticipated new Newark United Club
Introducing the United Club taco bar
Outside of a short period of time earlier in the pandemic when there were some solid to-go fruit and sandwich boxes available in some clubs, and until the taco bars started appearing in more locations, United Clubs haven't always been synonymous with decent, real food.
For that, you usually have to go to the American Express Centurion Lounges or, even better, the Capital One Lounge. Or really, anywhere else.
Even the Delta Air Lines- and American Airlines-branded lounges usually have more substantial food and snack offerings than most United Clubs.
And I don't want to oversell the taco fixings in some of the southern United Club locations, as they aren't necessarily going to win awards outside of when you're in an "airline lounge captive" environment.
However, being able to grab something that can quite fairly pass as a "meal" without having to pay airport meal prices is enough to get me excited — especially when the whole family is along for the ride.
United has confirmed to TPG that the tacos bars are both popular with customers and now a part of the regular United Club menus, though they will have some seasonal meat, topping and sauce rotations.
Currently, the taco bars can be found in the afternoon and evenings at the lounges in Newark, Washington-Dulles, Houston-IAH and San Francisco. Morning breakfast taco fixings can currently be found at the United lounges in Los Angeles and Houston-IAH, though United shares that it expects to expand the breakfast taco bars to more club locations beginning in October.
Related: United expands preorder meals
Bottom line
After enjoying a number of preflight tacos in a variety of the Houston United Clubs, I've come to really look forward to them.
If this sounds good to you, there are many ways you can access United Clubs, including flying on certain premium-cabin tickets or having certain elite status levels, via the membership that comes by having the United Club Infinite Card or with the two annual lounge passes that come with the United Explorer Card or United Business Card.
However, before you get too ready to make that taco plate, keep in mind that during busy periods, the clubs do limit access with the one-time passes.
So if that's your entry plan, then just file away the fact that airline lounges can be really busy at peak travel times — especially if word gets out about the taco bar. But hopefully, you'll be able to make any day that you're flying through one of the participating United Clubs into your own personal taco day.
This story was updated to include additional information from United.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees