Craft Beer and Gourmet Food In An Airport!?!?!

Root Down
Denver International Airport
C Concourse
Denver, CO





Airport food is usually just so disappointing…

I mean, only in an airport can you be served sub-par fast food, pay twice for it, all just minutes after getting groped by a government agent.

Fast food is already not the greatest experience when you get it not at the airport, but at least you aren’t paying an arm and a leg for a sub-par version of the same thing.

And let’s be serious, that is really the only option that most travelers have, as we are usually running for our lives to get to our gate.

But there are those rare instances where that half hour delay on your flight actually becomes at a blessing, as it allows you to slow down and explore some of the more interesting options at the airport.

Very rarely has this happened to me.

But, alas, it did happen for me and at a convenient time, and it turned out well.

Situated in the “C” concourse at Denver International Airport, Root Down provides weary travelers comfortable seating, delicious food, and a decent craft beer selection.

I must say, though, it is a little intimidating at first glance. All the “cool” people hanging out and waiting for a seat, while disco music is blaring in the background, it makes one wonder if he is about to walk into an airport restaurant or a dance club.

Once past the façade, though, it is actually quite a cozy place. And once I noticed that they had my favorite beer from O’Dell Brewing, a Chocolate Milk Stout called “Lugene”, on tap, I wasn't going anywhere else.

As is common with most airport restaurants, the menu was small, but provided a decent variety of options, while also providing their own take on the classic.

I went with the half pound burger, complete with bacon, sriracha mayo, and a pretzel bun. It also came with a side of sweet potato waffle fries, along with two dipping sauces.

The burger was absolutely delicious and actually paired well with the Chocolate Milk Stout. Of course, I would probably drink Lugene with any dish, but that is beside the point…

The sweet potato fries were good as well, but what really made the fries were the dipping sauces.  One sauce was called “Elevated ketchup.” I’m not really sure what that means, but that stuff was like candy. It had a pumpkin spice flavor to it that went very well with the sweet potato taste. The other dipping sauce was like a mustard and curry combination, or something like that. It was good as well, but the Elevated ketchup won the day.

Overall, this was a great experience. Of course, it cost an arm and a leg, but that’s airport food. At least it was money well spent on a good meal, rather than paying twice as much at a fast food joint serving death on a bun.

Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying Shirt.