Layover Guide: What To Do In San Francisco International Airport
iStock PhotoSan Francisco International Airport
From a collection of pagoda-temple models to cayenne-and-tequila chocolate truffles, the San Francisco International Airport offers entertainment and amusements as diverse as the city itself.
Best quick bite
If it’s Thursday lunchtime, find a food-truck pod in Terminal 1, departures. Choose from the chicken wings of Cluck It Up, burgers topped with goodies such as fried eggs, guacamole or pico de gallo at the Steamin’ Burger, or kimchee fried rice and rib-eye barbecue at Seoul on Wheels. If it’s not Thursday, stop by Burger Joint in the International Terminal, Area A, for a natural beef patty, courtesy of local farm Niman Ranch.
Best preflight happy hour
Before penciling your order, the waitstaff at Lark Creek Grill in Terminal 2 asks that all-important question: What time is boarding? To further ensure you don’t miss takeoff, menu items are divided into speedy eats and normal-speed dining. What stays the same regardless of how much time you spend relaxing is the stiffness of the cocktails, be it a Moscow mule or bloody mary.
Courtesy of SFONeed to work off some stress? San Francisco International Airport offers a 24-hour yoga room.
Best create-your-own spa day
San Francisco offers the world’s first in-airport 24-hour yoga room. Find it in Terminal 2, just past security. There is no instructor on hand, so download a podcast as a guide — the airport has free Wi-Fi. If you work up a sweat, shower at Freshen Up, found on the pre-security side of the International Terminal. The boutique offers showers, toiletries and more.
Best curiosities display
The museum in SFO houses so much more than paintings from yesteryear — original art and set pieces from Toy Story, model airplanes and a stewardess uniform from the ’70s are among the pieces you might find among the 20 exhibits sprinkled throughout the airport’s terminals. Past exhibits have included Wynn Bullock’s nature photos, models of Tushanwan Pagodas from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and traditional Japanese art.
Courtesy of XOX TrufflesA view of the selection available at XOX Truffles
Best chocolates
SFO is home to seven dedicated candy shops. If you’re expecting a Ghirardelli outpost, you’re in luck. It’s in Terminal 3, near the entrance to gates 80 through 90. Note that the store treats shoppers to samples before 7 a.m. For unusual handmade chocolates not found anywhere else, try XOX Truffles, also in Terminal 3, which features 27 creative flavors, including spicy cayenne tequila and honey vodka.
