The Top Airport Restaurants In The U.S. Slideshow

The Restaurant:  MINNIBAR
The Airport: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
The Terminal: Terminal 1; Concourse G (near gate 2)
The Lowdown:  Ever want to grab a quick bite at the Fortress of Solitude before flying back to Metropolis? Then try MINNIBAR, the upscale sandwich shop from chef Andrew Zimmern and OTG, the award-winning airport food and beverage operator. MINNIBAR's got a full bar; an unmistakably modern-icy look and 20 global-inspired sandwiches such as The Sven and Ole with Swedish veal meatballs. A sumptuous tribute to the town's Scandinavian residents.

The Restaurant:  One Flew South
The Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The Terminal: Terminal E
The Lowdown:  Who says airports don't do upscale? As the top culinary standout at the world's busiest airport, One Flew South offers its diners "Southernational" cuisine such as pork belly sliders (lower picture) inside a setting filled with indigenous eye candy. From native heart pine floors and ceilings to the Georgia forest photo mural and Cherokee marble sushi bar, this one is a true homage to the region. And did we mention, it's at an airport.

The Restaurant:  Encounter
The Airport: Los Angeles International Airport
The Terminal: Inside the famous Theme Building
The Lowdown:  If you've been to LAX, you've likely seen this one, situated in the center of its most iconic structure, the Theme Building, with its 135-foot-high parabolic arches. The interior of the restaurant is equally iconic. From the space-age sound effects to the "floating" bar stools to the laser lights emitting from the crater-shaped bar, Encounter "captures the optimism of a futuristic L.A." What else would you expect from a place designed by two Walt Disney Imagineers?

The Restaurant:  Sky Asian Bistro
The Airports:
• Philadelphia International Airport
• Tucson Airport
• LaGuardia Airport – Terminal C
The Terminal: Terminal 1; Concourse G (near gate 2)
The Lowdown:  From fresh sushi to Cantonese cuisine, Sky Asian Bistro has an extensive menu that's almost as elaborate as its interior design. The Philadelphia Airport location (pictured above) has 32 wines and all sorts of authentic Asian beers on hand so you can get your buzz on you take flight.

The Restaurants:  Lorena Garcia Cocina and LorenaGARCIA tapas
The Airports: Miami International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The Terminal: Lorena Garcia Cocina – American Airlines Terminal D near gate 57; LorenaGARCIA tapas – Concourse F Mezzanine in the international terminal
The Lowdown:  As a Venezuelan-born chef, restaurateur, TV host and author, Lorena Garcia has become one of our country's most recognizable Latina chefs. Now she's the proud owner of two of the top airport restaurants as well. The original offering colorful flavors in Miami (lower picture) — and a second location inside Atlanta's international terminal (pictured above), a radiant UFO-like structure where people clamor for Lorena Garcia specialties such as mango-glazed chicken wings. The perfect stop for a two-hour layover.

The Restaurant:  Piquillo
The Airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport
The Terminal: Terminal 5
The Lowdown:  As the first-ever Spanish tapas restaurant in a U.S. airport, Piquillo blends a Dali-esque architectural excellence with an authentic Spanish menu — starring everything from albondigas to paella. If you're meeting someone for an international rendezvous, try the three- or six- tapas-tasting menu to satisfy all strains of epicuriosity.

The Restaurant:  Bisoux
The Airport: LaGuardia Airport
The Terminal: Delta Terminal; Terminal D
The Lowdown:  From the tabletop iPad holders to the bistro-inspired Provencale cuisine, Bisoux is a scintillating standout that makes you forget about your invasive pat-down at airport security. The menu comes from Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, the talented twosome behind some of New York's finest restaurants — Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's and Minetta Tavern. Even fresh off a plane from Paris, this one's bound to impress.

The Restaurant:  Lounge 5280
The Airport: Denver International Airport
The Terminal: B Concourse, Mezzanine Level
The Lowdown:  Aptly named after the Mile High City, Lounge 5280 is a stylish lounge, upscale bar ... and by far the best place in Denver International to wet your whistle. The evidence? Infinite wine flights, Colorado-inspired cocktails, local wines and more generally, a drink menu that's thicker than the Denver Broncos playbook. In terms of actual food, they have that too. Appies, cheese platters and small plates starring Brie, olives and roasted Spanish almonds amongst others.
To see the complete list of "Top Airport Restaurants in the U.S." on YP.com, please click here.