Denver International Airport now has arguably the best food of any restaurant in the U.S. While traveling somewhere is the primary purpose, good food helps the journey pass a little more pleasantly.

Gone are the days of tough burgers, donuts and coffee. Yes, you can still get those, but DIA has morphed the restaurant concept so you can get exceptional fare right by your gate. And the options are sit & relax, dine quickly or get it to go as consumable carryon. Many of the new restaurants have established locations elsewhere, so a presence at DIA makes sense with both name recognition and food options.

When B Concourse was the busiest, well that was where there were at least some food options. Now, every concourse from A to C has numerous options from quick, to go and sit a spell.

A Concourse tends to be an early out hub, and the best option for early to late is Mesa Verde Grill. This is the home of the True Colorado Breakfast. And, since it’s right smack in the middle of A concourse, a convenient one-stop for everything. Meal options go from breakfast to small plates to full entrees. It has a casual, south of the border feel, and since just out of the traffic lanes, a little bit of food piece and quiet. Options are the full bar inside, inside seating, or seating along the mezzanine. Many of the dishes cross over from one meal to the next including their Huevos Rancheros and Skillets. If there was one dish not to miss, it is Sabana de Pollo, a grilled chicken breast covered with Asadero cheese, over rice with a roasted Serrano pepper.

If you want the exceptional dining experience, then Elway’s on B Concourse is it. Get one foot inside the space, and you are out of the airport and into an upscale dining experience. Like other restaurants at DIA, limited kitchen space means you can’t get all the items at a freestanding location. However, everything here is just as good. Besides being a great food oasis, this is also an excellent place for a business meeting as well. It has been said you can judge a good restaurant by its iceberg wedge salad, and this has a classic. Another great one is the truffled beet-fresh mozzarella salad. The most popular dinner selection and a must try the short rib “off the bone.”   Braised slowly in rich stock and served with mashed potatoes on the side. Elway’s is open for breakfast as well, and offers the same level of food attention and taste that made them famous for dinner.

New Belgium Pub is obviously a brewpub, but the question is always how is the food? Well, if you are on this end of B concourse, this is definitely a one-stop with both great drinks and food. The breakfast starter of choice is the Belgium Waffles Hub Style, a little stack of beer-infused breakfast heaven. Their Velodrome Bowls give you steamed rice, roasted vegetables and your selection of in-house roasted meats with five different sauce options. And, as expected from this Ft. Collins offshoot, plenty of microbrew options for any taste.

Before business got cranking on C concourse, there were not any real food options, and that has changed dramatically.

 The Tapas Sky Baris really unique in it has bar service, tables and charging workstations for customers. The drinks are up a notch, starting with the Jalapeno Sweet Margarita. Limited breakfast items, but the small and large plates are where Tapas makes a food dent. The Mediterranean Platters comes with roasted garlic hummus, olives, nuts, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and grapes. And, all the food at Tapas can be had to go.

If you need more a relaxing moment in the middle of the A concourse, then Root Downis THE sit-down. Arguably the most original bar and restaurant interior at DIA for starters, then fantastic food.  Take any dish; add a dose of global infusion and the old favorite has some zing. Try the Salmon Bento Box, an American interpretation of which features Sweet Chili Thai Glaze, Multigrain Coconut Rice, Roasted Edame Salad, Miso Vin Arugula & Fortune Cookie. If a burger is on the food trail, then 1/2 lb. Never Ever Beef Burger is the meat wagon on a pretzel bun, tender belly bacon, cheddar, sriracha mayo & sweet potato waffle fries