4 Airport Hangar Restaurants Near Tampa To Watch Planes Takeoff & Land
Back in the day, airport travel looked very different. Sitting in an airport hangar restaurant watching planes takeoff & land was a popular family activity, but has since become somewhat of a rarity. Luckily for us, here are 4 airport hangar restaurants near Tampa where you can watch planes take off & land.
One Tampa Bay local set out to look for some answers as to where they could still hang out at the hangar and enjoy a meal. They said, “Does anyone know if any of the small city-owned airports have restaurants that are open to the public? I am well aware that I could go to TPA and dine at a handful of restaurants. I’m looking for something smaller and way less corporate feeling than TPA.”
The original poster is looking for small city airports that have solid restaurants inside. These spots are great for both kids and adults so you can enjoy a meal while watching planes fly in and out with a front-row seat.
4 Airport Hangar Restaurants Near Tampa Where You Can Watch Planes Takeoff & Land
In today’s day and age, it’s hard to find places like this to go eat, but with many small airports around us in Tampa Bay, we’re in luck. Users came in to share their favorite airport hangar restaurants near Tampa for this local to try.
The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge (St. Petersburg)
Right here in our own backyard and the highest voted option is The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge in St. Petersburg. The Hangar Restaurant is located on the second floor of the Albert Whitted Airport and serves up food and drinks.
You can get breakfast combos like Business Class, which has two all-natural eggs, applewood smoked bacon or country sausage with home fries or stone ground grits. All that with your choice of whole grain bread or a buttermilk biscuit.
The Hangar Restaurant also serves up lunch, dinner, and drinks for you to enjoy. They have a Philly steak, patty melt, Burgers, Nachos, seafood options and more.
Happy Hangar Cafe in Tampa North Flight Center (Lutz)
Another option for airport hangar restaurants near Tampa is Happy Hangar Cafe in Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz. They are open daily from 7AM – 2PM for breakfast and lunch.
The Happy Hangar Cafe website says, “Fly in or drive in to great food, flying and fun! Located at Tampa North Flight Center, The Happy Hangar Cafe’ is a great place for a business lunch or a family outing! While you are here you can enjoy one of our original menu items, then take a flight with us in one of our vintage airplanes!”
Their menu is packed with all-day breakfast items like The Cuban Breakfast sandwich, eggs, omelets, hash browns, Cinnamon French Toast, and more. The homestyle cooking alone is a reason to check this place out.
Waco Kitchen At Lakeland Linder (Temporarily Closed)
Unfortunately, The Waco Kitchen is closed for the time being. In April, they announced they would be temporarily suspending operations. The Lakeland Airport just recently started commercial flights, so this one is a bummer for both travelers and people looking to dine in.
But, let’s take a look at their food options. From appetizers (named pre-flight), entrees (named boarding pass), Waco Classics, and full throttle, they pretty much cover all the bases. Their menu is stacked with appetizers like Bavarian pretzels, charcuterie board, smoked fish dip, flatbread, and more.
Their Boarding Pass options come in with shrimp & grits, BBQ Pulled Pork with fries, waco taco, burgers, Tuna poke bowls, and more. To go a step further, they also have Grilled Mahi Mahi, Dug Leg, Grilled Ribeye, Spiced Tea Brined Pork, Grouper Sandwich, and more.
Don’t forget about their wide variety of sides and desserts like chocolate or carrot cake, creme brulee, and pear frangipane tart. Check out the rest of the menu here.
The Gin Mill at DeLand Airport
This option is a bit more of a hike from Tampa, but you can definitely make a weekend trip out of it. The Gin Mill is located on the DeLand Municipal Airport to offer “a fun and friendly dining and entertainment experience.”
The Gin Mill Airport Restaurant & Gin Mill has deck and outdoor seating where you can watch skydivers during the day and live music at night. They have a full liquor bar, expanded menu, indoor dining, live music, party deck and the #1 voted best burger around.
The Gin Mill kitchen is open Sunday – Thursday from 11AM – 9PM, Friday/ Saturday 11AM – 10PM, and the bar is open from Monday – Saturday from 11AM – 12PM and Sunday from 11AM – 10PM.
Let us know if we missed any spots to Watch Planes Takeoff & Land At Airport Hangar Restaurants Near Tampa.
