700 World Way, Terminal 7One more Los Angeles blog post. Don’t worry. I know most of you don’t read them, but as I’ve explained on other trips, this blog works like a journal for me so I blog about more than just dining experiences in the Kalamazoo area….so you can just keep ignoring them. I have almost ten years worth of blog posts now that I can go back and read..and, quite honestly, I do every so often.
Our last day in Los Angeles was a travel day. Our flight left Los Angeles International Airport at 1:30, but I wanted to make sure we got their early. We had to get the rental car back, get to the terminal, then get through TSA. I had no idea how long that was going to take so we left downtown LA about 9:30.
We got everything done through TSA at a little before noon which gave us plenty of time to grab something to eat before getting on the plane heading to Denver.
We were flying United so we were in Terminal 7. There aren’t a lot of choices in Terminal 7. I wanted a beer so we headed towards the restaurant that I could see had a bar because it was out in the open.
Rolling Stone Bar & Grill is one of the first restaurants you see in Terminal 7 at LAX. The whole thing is kind of out in the open and only contained with a small fence around it.
There’s a big bar in the middle of the space with a TV that was tuned to the NCAA tournament and tables surrounding it. We looked at the menu at the entrance and we both thought it would do, so we grabbed a table and waited for a waitress to come over and take our order.
First thing I did was ask what beer they had on tap. She went over the usual Bud, Bud Light, etc. then mentioned they had a Blonde from Santa Monica Brew Works. I said, “yes. that.” I knew they had to have some kind of local craft on tap. The blonde was Santa Monica’s 310 Blonde Ale which was served in a pilsner glass.
Like most airport eateries, Rolling Stone Bar & Grill is run by HMS Host. The menu includes sandwiches, flatbreads, and small plates.
We both ordered the Classic Burger. This was a pretty simple Angus beef burger served on a toasted brioche roll with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. It came with a large portion of skin-on shoestring fries on the side.
I ordered my burger medium and my co-worker ordered his well-done. I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. They were both cooked pretty well done. I know speed is an issue at an airport so I also understand that this is likely a frozen patty that is seared on a flat top as quickly as possible. The only problem with that it takes away a lot of the flavor. There just wasn’t much wit this burger. It was fine, but really would have benefited from a little seasoning and some juciness.
The fries were about the same. They were bland. My co-worker had asked for mustard for his burger so I grabbed the bottle and squirted some on my plate for the fries which helped a lot.
The great thing about this meal was portion size but it was clearly quantity over quality. I do appreciate that I walked away from the table stuffed. The food was fine. It was like something I would throw together quickly at home after I got home from work.
The bill was close to $30 for this meal before tip. The beer alone was almost $11 and the burger was over $15. Was it worth that much? Not even close, but that’s the price you pay in an airport. I think we could have done better with a different choice but I’m not going to complain too long or loudly. I left stuffed and the meal took less than twenty minutes from the time we sat down until the time we got up to walk to our gate.