Runway Cafe

So I have always been in love with this place from the first time that I went. The atmosphere was real different, there arent too many places in the city where you can eat, drink, and watch a plane take off.
The seating is really comfortable, I would like for the tables to be a little bigger but hey you cant have it all. The staff very friendly, they are helpful with your food selections and there was a few times that I believe the head cook or maybe owner would come out and find out how everything was. There was only a few times that I went and they were either out of what I really wanted or they werent serving it that day. The bottomless mimosas are always delish and affordable as well. I have to say Im not a big egg person so the fact that I love their eggs says a lot. The bathroom is very spacious and clean all the time! All in all this is a good place to go whether its by yourself or if you want to go with friends or family you are sure to enjoy yourself.

Wow! So glad we discovered this GEM. Who would ‘uh think it? A restaurant of this quality located inside the newly refurbished Lakeside Art Deco airport terminal. Yeah, I know the Quarter is great, but been there done that. The Doolittle Omelette we split was devine.

Best service ever! Great Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys. Great food! And to top things of an amazing view.

Many years ago, hungry and tired, a group of friends and I stopped in to the «Sky Kitchen» — the little café at the San Carlos (near San Francisco) airport — and had one of the best breakfasts in memory. Ever since that time, we’ve been huge, huge fans of the restaurants at small airports. And Messina’s Runway Café was no exception.
After our flight, the Runway Café diner was closed, so we found our way back to the «Walnut Room», to a really impressive-​looking restaurant overlooking the runways. Fresh white linen tablecloths draped the tables, the floor was buffed to a high polish, and the waitstaff treated you like you were their guests at a five-​star hotel.
This is NOT «airport food»
Our waitress recommended several items on the menu — I wish I could remember them all, but they were all outstanding! We had an extremely relaxing time, and a fabulous meal. We are looking forward to our next trip to New Orleans, and visiting the Runway Café again!

After being tempted to come see the Lakefront Airport and the Runway café while perusing reviews of Jen L, and reading the others, I can definitely say that I am a fan. The drinks are poured with a heavy hand and are very nice. The café is neat and clean and has the ambiance of being upscale but not snotty. I love looking out on the runway, and on my last visit, watching five small aircraft from the Air Force taxi in, park, and the pilots coming in to dine. Nice. Very nice.
I had the Amelia Earhart omelette my first visit, and I am so glad that it did not go missing on its way to my table. The omelette had mushrooms, spinach folded inside and a nice chili sauce on top. The cheese grits were smooth and creamy. The english muffin could have stood to be toasted a bit longer, but it was good. The seafood pasta (it had some sort of name associated with aeronautics, but I forget what it was) was great. The shrimp were huge. After my plate came out, the couple at the next table asked if they could have a sample, and the sample was a good size. A server passed out samples of the boudin balls, and they were good as well.
The service was very personable and attentive. The place was just wonderful. I look forward to coming back, and bringing others with me. I also recommend this for anyone looking for a place off the beaten path, but dread the day this becomes the beaten path.

Airport food. This term is synonymous with average to subpar food at extreme to outrageous prices. Not so for Messina’s Café in the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. I’ve not found too many food options in this area but I notice a small sign every time I drive the terminal and after a morning sailing stopped by. Such a wonderful Art Deco building with that crisp clean feeling and the view from the Walnut Room overlooks a flight line with a serious bunch of aircraft. I started with a Bloody Mary which was like a meal in itself loaded with pickled beans olives, lime, lemon and a slice of bacon. Delicious flavor and a generous pour. The shrimp and grits are excellent some of the best I’ve had in NOLA, but beware as they are spicy. The biscuit was hearty and huge! Fun place to sip on a Bloody Mary or Mimosa (they have bottomless version) watch planes or the lake and get some serious food in ya. The only reason I did not rate this 5star is that both the drink and dinner I had were too salty. Your plate and plane are waiting.

I get to watch planes AND the food was amazing!
The Lindbergh omelette was the best I’ve ever had! Crab and sauce… Oh man!
And the potatoes were covered with garlic butter or garlic something… Fantastic! I want to come back more!

Pretty mediocre at best. SERVICE IS AWESOME! Yea that’s the highlight. Place is unique and different. The food you can tell pre-​made not very hot in heat. A little pricey also 87 bucks for a party of 3

Wow
Atmosphere– they took the old terminal at the airport and renovated it like the 1950s. It looks so good. The restaurant has an amazing view of the taxi and runways. Lots of small personal planes coming and going. Everything was spotless.
Staff — so clean and polite. Good energy. Knowledge of everything on the menu. Chef came around to see everyone.
Food — I have only eaten breakfast so this will be about the breakfast food. Amazing!!! Breakfast crab cakes tasted better then any I have ever had. Make your own breakfast sandwich was so good. Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, and Peach Bellinis so so good. Everything about this was perfect.

Delicious omelettes and Pain Perdu. Bottom Bellini to top things off. Best breakfast ever.

My fiancé and I were looking for breakfast somewhere away from the insanity of the French Quarter etc. but took a wrong exit from the freeway. Thinking there wouldn’t be anything good where we were, we decided to try this place because Unilocal said it was nearby and we were starving. And when the map took us into the airport we were very skeptical. But it was super classy and way more upscale than we thought it be but not expensive. Super friendly staff, flavorful coffee, delicious omelette and grits. Great hidden find!

Awesome food, location and setting for a traditional New Orleans meal. Excellent service and very well run. Don’t miss it if you’re at KNEW or even if you’re not.

THIS IS THE PLACE to bring your friends or family to eat some good food and enjoy a unique dining environment. The service is excellent. The staff is genuinely interested in you having a nice experience. The VIEWS of airplanes taking off and landing is completely worth the visit alone. If you have a group larger then 6, you might not get a seat near the windows. The food is quite good as well. Try this!

I discovered that I never finished this review when I ate at the Runway again yesterday. Love the renovated airport, love the art deco diner. But both time I’ve eaten here, it was in the Walnut Room since that seems to be the thing on weekends.
The menu selection is elevated diner and I’ve had omelets on both occassions. The first time the Lindberg (mmmm brie) and this time the Wright Brothers (although what they have to do with crawfish ettouffe…). The Ettouffee was a little tomato-​ey for my taste but was still yummy. And I remember the Lindberg being delish. My nieces got a kid’s pancake (huge!) and the shrimp & grits. Both were very happy.
Service is very personable and attentive. And the views of the planes and the runways are great. Definitely worth the drive across town for me.

Chef Leon West is serving up creole classics. Fresh local ingredients and an amazing view of the lakefront airport in the newly restored Art Deco terminal building. Check it out!

I have kept planes in the next hangar over, off-​and-​on, since the 1960’s.
After hearing raves, we decided to try today.
Décor very pleasing, wait staff very nice, & views great.
But, all three items we ordered were disappointing !
Burger, requested «a little less than medium» was raw.
«Buffalo oysters» were too peppered & vinegary. (I love peppers.)
Shrimp pasta had too much cream sauce.
Since everyone else still raves, we’re gonna wait a while and try again.
Rick

Great food, superb service! The food here was affordable and the venue is exquisite. The planes sit in the background and the windows maker you feel like you’re a vip. Gotta visit I’d you haven’t!

The ambiance and décor earns the 5 stars alone. I had the runway burger, tasty on a pretzel roll with a tangy mustard sauce. The fries are awesome. Great to eat while watching the planes fly in and out. Closes at 3, only draw back.

Every blue moon Unilocal fails me. This right here was a big olé fail.
We went for Sunday breakfast in October. The best thing about this place was the service and homefries. However, the service was a given because there were only 3 tables to be served.
I ordered the hollandaise omelette (it has a cute name which I have forgotten) my husband got the three cheese omelette (also forgotten cute name). So bland. So bland. Just big chunk of egg with no seasoning and the tiniest big of extras inside. Just yuck! It looked so pretty! But no, not pretty, bland, bland, bland.
Also, slightly on the higher side with the pricing but I won’t fault them for that because of the renovation of the space and the sparse clientele. This two is solely based on those nasty omelettes.

It was my friend’s birthday and when I asked where she wanted to go for brunch this was the spot she requested. Honestly, I didn’t even know that this place existed. What a wonderful surprise!
The recently renovated Lakefront Airport is worth the visit on it’s own, but add on a breakfast/​brunch/​lunch retro-​looking diner to the mix and I am SO there! We made reservations for a group of 7 at 10:30 this past Sunday. We wandered around the terminal building for a bit before they had our table ready taking in all of the details of the amazing renovations to this architectural gem.
The server was fantastic, the food delicious and the view of the runway led us to have many fun discussion of where we would fly away to in our own private planes (ya know, if we had been born into wealth and actually HAD our own private planes — HA!).
Being that it was brunch, we ordered omelets, poached egg & crab cakes, mimosas, and Bloody Marys. Everyone enjoyed their plates and their drinks.
The only glitch was… clearly something was off in the kitchen and we waited over an hour for our food to reach the table. It wasn’t a huge problem for us as we didn’t have any time constraints and were chatting the whole time and enjoying our beverages and the great company. For our ‘trouble’ the staff was very gracious and kind and comped our whole drink bill!!! Thanks y’all! That wasn’t necessary, but we really appreciated it and will totally be back!