Airports suck. Travel is a hassle. Other human beings trying to go places when we are also trying to go places is a recipe for frustration. Right?
For most of us, even the term “airport” elicits a cringe. Over the years, it’s been embedded in us that the airport dance is a stressful one. But maybe times are changing. Sure, taking your shoes off to go through a body scan will always feel like a drag, but it doesn’t have to be all misery. I definitely didn’t feel miserable when I found Terrapin Beer Co. at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
I walked through the sliding doors and the first thing that caught my eye was the wood. The Terrapin Tap Room is designed with real wood, repurposed from the company headquarters in Athens, Georgia. Right from the outset, that little design touch felt unique compared to so many boil-in-the-bag airport spots. Restaurants that have an airport contract know that they have a captive audience — so it’s easy to make a minimum effort — but this felt like true Southern hospitality.
“Come in, look around, stay awhile.”
I passed the cigar and hookah cabinets (it’s a smoke room too) and took a seat at the bar. Terrapin is like a beer museum of sorts, each wall celebrates beer and tells a piece of the company’s story. Here again, the message was clear: This was no airport ‘quick stop.’ Terrapin was crafting an experience.
I ordered a grilled cheese and a citrus IPA. It was 9 a.m., mind you, but airport time exists in a different dimension. The grilled cheese was fantastic — which felt like perhaps the most surprising part of my visit, since most airport restaurants don’t have a flat top to grill on. (Airport kitchen side note: The knives are all on metal leashes to ensure that no one can steal them.)
As I sipped my beer, it sunk in that what I was noticing was a place that had merged the “ultra local” trend with an international location. The message was very simple: ‘Show them home.’ This is the very definition of hospitality — to give passers-by a slice of life.
This focus isn’t necessarily new, but airports are slow to adopt new trends. It’s tough to get the harried traveler away from Cinnabon. I hope Terrapin succeeds, because I’ve damn sure never had an airport brew-thru experience like this one. I remembered it, and unlike so many airport dining experiences, I wasn’t constantly longing to leave.
It felt less like a hassle, and more like travel. Which is an encouraging step up in the quest to make flying in the modern era not suck.
