Flying Elephants at PDX

Quite possibly the #1 spot to eat at PDX.
#1: You’re guaranteed to have a good meal. They’ve got the classic hot foods (for a hot breakfast or dinner) and a cold section of sandwiches, salads, juices, etc…
#2: You can easily find something healthy that won’t weigh you down as you’re running (Home Alone style) through the airport, probably late for your flight because you couldn’t turn the TV off in the middle of a Game of Thrones binge. (Wait… is that just me?)
#3: A lot of what they sell can be brought through security and on to the plane. If you don’t need to do that, you can also enjoy a sit down meal with your friends/​family (whomever brought you to the airport). And because they brought you to the airport, you should pay for their meal. That leads me to point
#4: It’s not expensive (especially for airport food), and definitely worth it.
Elephant’s, I love you. Never leave me.

If one must have breakfast at the airport, perhaps due to hangover reasons, Flying Elephants makes a pretty good breakfast burrito. I felt that their beans were, for lack of a better word, pleasingly beany (legumy?) which helped settle my stomach on a rough morning.

This is my morning pit stop before I catch my way too early flight into Long Beach. They have the best veggie frittata around. Their food here is exactly like their other little neighborhood food which is so great especially for the airport.

Barbara, Samantha and Maggie are the number 1, 2 and 3 reasons to visit the Elephant… oh and the great, fresh, local food featured here also!
These three are friendly, quick with a smile, and free with kind words/​comments to all that cross their paths. Rarely have I seen individuals enjoy each others company and their work like these women so apparently do. You must come to the Elephant to see them for yourself… oh and of course to eat! Try the chicken enchiladas special. They are delicious!

This is a very open café at the airport that’s perfect to stop by before going through security. They have cold items like sandwiches and salads in a fridge area, a huge candy display in front, and hot meal items available. There is a lot of seating around the café with easy access while you’re dragging your carry ons!
The tomato basil soup had chicken and vegetables in it, and was overall pretty good and light. They even gave us free samples! The kale and chicken salad from the fridge was surprisingly tasty, probably because there was a lot of parmesan in it. There was also meatloaf that had a sweeter taste to it from pineapple or apple that was in it. The scalloped potatoes were decent, and a little on the greasy side as expected.
TLDR: decent stop if you want café food at the airport before security!

I don’t normally speak like this, but THIS PLACE IS OFF THE HOOK!!! Samantha. you are their best feature… Then it’s you Mama Leona! (Their bestest soup) Salads, homemade cookies, cheeses, bottles of wine… I’ve never had such a lovely time in an airport. And for such a value!!! Love ya Samantha. We’ll be back just to see you.. even if we’re not flying anywhere! Lol. XoXo

I work at the airport and eat lunch here at least once a week. All of the staff are super friendly and the food is top notch. Try the Mac n cheese!

This is another fantastic location of Elephant’s Deli, only this time it’s at the airport. As usual, their prices are low, their selection is vast and the quality of their products is notable. There are several tables. It is smaller than some of their other locations, but not by much.
I went here for a Talking Rain sparkling water and a slice of Tillamook cheese. Both were delicious, at around $ 2.50 together. The employees were efficient and friendly.
Elephant’s Deli is utterly marvelous.

The food here is very good, but the service is very off. I ordered a sandwich to be grilled and it took 20 minutes before the guy called me up. When he did I noticed my burnt sandwich waiting to be wrapped. The associate had started to wrap it and then continued to take another customers order. The other employee, who must have been a manager, told me he’d take care of it, but upon seeing my burnt sandwich that the first guy neglected to take care of told me it would be some more time unless I’d like a burnt sandwich. After some time my food was brought to me along with a free coffee. The manager defiantly stepped it up to make me a happy customer, but the other associate acted like nothing happened.
But really what can you expect from an on the go airport restaurant?

I mean, I wouldn’t go out of my way to drive out to PDX for Flying Elephants or anything, but when you’re leaving on a flight, it’s a great place to stop for lunch.
They have a subset of the grab-​and-​go and hot foods that Elephants Delicatessen sells.
It’s outside of security so it’s a nice place to chill with my family before saying goodbye and going through security.
At this location, I’ve had their vegan wrap, which is messy but tasty and vegan.

Love Elephants!
I appreciate that they have a location at the airport and that they open at 5am =).
Food
MAMA LEONE’S SOUP — This soup is lightly creamy, tomato, chicken, otherness DELICIOUS. The pint comes with bread and the half comes with saltines.
MARRION BERRY SCONE — The scone is moist and has the Marion berry filling which is just sweet enough and not overpowering,
I would HIGHLY suggest both. They have to-​go sandwiches that you can take through security that I also enjoy but they are pricy in the $ 7 range.

This cute location with a French flavor in design has all the healthy, organic, or gluten free choices one could wish for and that at an airport. It sits near gates D, E, and F of the middle walkway across from Real Mother Goose and the Powell bookstore.
When you are in a hurry, grab a healthy sandwich to go. When leisure time is more at your disposal before you have to check in, sit down at the little tables with your choice of soup, salad and/​or a delightfully tasty cappuccino or juice.
The chocolate bars have all been sourced with regard to child labor, also an important factor in choosing your foods carefully these days, because when the season for reaping arrives, many children are pulled from school to get the large amounts of crops hauled in on time.
All in all, a better place to spend your money and time.

This place is awesome. Really glad I read the reviews and picked here over anything else in the airport! I walked up to the counter and was helped immediately by a guy who looked like the owner. Ordered the $ 5 pulled pork sandwich and was doubting my decision when a small hoagie roll was brought out. But my sandwich was LOADED! I had to eat it with a fork because there was so much on it.
If you’re at PDX, this is the place to go. It’s located right outside the baggage claim and security next to Nike. It’s rare to find cheap good food at an airport. Sorry Subway, this is a real $ 5 sandwich.

Best «airport» food I’ve ever had the pleasure of consuming! Before boarding my five hour flight back to Honolulu, I decided to load up on snacks to make the trip more enjoyable. At first I assumed that Flying Elephants was just another fancy airport food shop, but I was pleasantly surprised by the wide assortment of fresh grab and go options. Everything from salads to sandwiches to desserts and candies! I was even more excited when I found out that they’re a locally owned shop so you know you’re getting love in every bite. The staff at Flying Elephants was equally as impressive, from the friendly manager who asked if I had any questions to the girl at the cash register who had lots of family in Hawaii. During my flight back I enjoyed a phenomenal egg salad sandwich, a healthy fruit salad and a gigantic cowboy cookie that made me go «yeeeeee haw!»

The reviews for this place definitely lured us in. And Flying Elephants lived up to every expectation we had. We’ve learned not to expect much from airport stops, but PDX definitely had us questioning our preset notions.
Case in Point: Flying Elephants
With a full case of to-​go items, including a large selection of gluten-​free, the most harried of travelers can find something to grab on the way to their flight. Or if you have some time to spare, you can order something from the hot bar and sit for a spell. We fell into the latter category for this trip.
I went with the biscuit & gravy and I couldn’t pass up on the cinnamon roll. For my beverage, I wasn’t in the mood for a full on caffeine assault, so I opted for the hot chocolate with a shot of espresso which they were happy to accomodate for me. The biscuit was substantial and smothered in gravy. Impressive seasoning for an airport vendor — usually I have to add a decent amount of pepper, but not this time. The cinnamon roll was more like a pastry. It had the light, airy texture of a croissant and plenty of icing swirled on top so you got a little with each bite.
The hot cocoa-​espresso was perfect. Just the right amount of caffeine to keep me alert until my plane boarded, but not enough to make my stomach upset. All of this was had for a really reasonable price too. So next time you’re flying out of PDX, I highly suggest you fly by Flying Elephants even if just to grab something to go.

There are many reasons why Portland International Airport receives such lofty accolades, one is that retailers are restricted from charging higher prices than at their other locations.
This make already cool Flying Elephants such an attractive draw. The breakfast burrito is a healthy and value deal (especially at an airport) for $ 5, you can opt for veggie or sausage. They have such a wide, creative array of food and drink offerings.; many hits and a few misses. One favorite is the Bruce Cost unfiltered Ginger Ale, a great refresher before flying.
The staff is usually very friendly and accomadating.

Small little shop right before Terminal D security check point.
They do offer a few gluten free items in the cold case, i.e. pre-​packaged salads. They also offer a small GF crème brûlée. The GF options are designated by a symbol on the item price tag/​description.
There is a small seating area in the café as well to enjoy you goods if they won’t pass through security.

Stumptown Coffee! Friendly service.
Lots of choices for snacks, sandwhiches, pastries, candy, gifts, beer, and wine.
Great little stop to grab some coffee and cookie or souvenirs.

This is some of the best airport food in the US. It’s like a mini whole foods plus a stumptown coffee plus a neighborhood café in one! Prices are extremely reasonable too. Try the soup! They also serve stumptown beans and cold brew.

This might be my favorite airport food ever! The soups are excellent, the New Mexico casserole is so much comfort. It’s not much for ambiance or seating, but it fits the busy café atmosphere. Their staff are knowledgeable and keep the shop stocked with plenty of goodies and treats, in addition to the super healthy fare. Options to feed yourself shouldn’t ever be as challenging as an airport makes it… this place is a gem, expect nothing less from PDX.
My only complaint is that it’s before security– making the last minute purchase of the Aardvark sauce or a Stumptown bottle an impossibility on the plane. *pout*