Barney's Beanery — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Airport food being overpriced and underwhelming is, sadly, pretty normal, but this spot seems to go out of its way to really emphasize and excel at both aspects of this trend. A recent stop through LAX reinforced my conclusion that you may as well just stop at the first fast-food restaurant and just be done with it. The food here is about as tasty and warm as cardboard that has been left overnight under an aircraft leaking old, hydraulic fluid...in the shade. The "Barney's Burger" (flagship?!?) was worse than anything I have ever had at McD's - a restaurant which I personally loathe and refuse to patronize more than once every 10 years when there are no dumpsters available. The patty was undersalted, barely lukewarm, and had almost zero flavor. The french fries were an insult to an entire nation (ours) and confirm each and every stereotype that the French joyously level at U.S. cuisine. (i.e. They were especially terrible.) The optional, onion rings were a crunchy, oil-soaked, lukewarm affair as well. Gross.

The only service the wait staff delivered with reasonable timelines was the check. It had convenient tip suggestions in case the mandatory 18% gratuity was simply not enough to satisfy my deep, abiding desire to pay too much for a cold, flavorless meal that somehow made flying out through LAX even less enjoyable.

An added bonus was the hostess who, while bussing tables, drug the chairs across the tile making a most horrendous noise, akin to a terrorist dragging his nails down a chalkboard. And to whomever the decorator/purchasing agent/former interrogator was who picked those out - bravo, you nailed it. They match everything else in this schlockfest of a restaurant to perfection.

Avoid....

Seeking fresh vegetables? Eat here!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Going on 25+ hours flying and still many more to go. I have been so vegetable deprived even with opting for vegetarian dishes on the planes which I rarely do. These guys absolutely saved me with their Chicken Cobb Salad.

Delicious. Every bite. High end lettuce. It's not iceberg lettuce and it's not the prickly salad.

Chicken was good. Avocado, yessss. Eggs. Tomatoes. Blue cheese crumbles. Loved ALL of it. (I had some, but not all the bacon bits.) The size of the salad is a full dinner portion. No, it doesn't come with any carbs which is perfect as the airlines are always carb heavy. I needed veggies and protein and I got plenty of both.

I didn't even end up using any of the ranch. The eggs and avocado were plenty to create that creamy effect.

Our waitress, Rebecca, was also kind in waiting on me decide what the heck to eat. Answered all my silly questions without making me feel as if I'm being ridiculous. Husband and I both hit rock bottom before eating. We waited too long before eating cause our eating schedule is all off kilter. Hazards of international flying.

Husband enjoyed his Barney's Burger. It hit the spot. His only commentary is that the sauce is slightly spicy. He is ultra sensitive to capsaicin.

Is the food expensive? It costs roughly as much as any equivalent restaurant in town. But I feel that my salad experience was...

Like most airport food, this spot looked better than it tasted. When I first arrived, I wasn’t particularly focused on grabbing a meal—I was really just searching for a quiet place to sit down and charge my phone. However, as I looked around and saw what others were ordering, the dishes looked pretty appetizing, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the visual appeal. The fries, for example, were not seasoned nearly as much as I would have liked, leaving them bland and forgettable. The rest of the meal was decent but nothing special—just your typical airport fare that’s more about convenience than quality. It wasn’t awful, but definitely not something I’d recommend or go out of my way to try again.

The atmosphere was fairly busy, which I expected for an airport restaurant, and the service was decent. The waiter was polite and attentive, but there was nothing particularly memorable or outstanding about the experience.

All in all, it was one of those meals you have just because you're there, but not one I’d care to repeat. It wasn’t terrible, but for the time and effort I put into sitting down and ordering, it didn’t feel worth it. In the future, I think I’d stick to grabbing a quick snack instead. If you're just looking for a place to rest and recharge like I was, it’s fine, but don’t expect much in...