Encounter at LAX

Frommer's Review

There has always been a restaurant in the spacey Theme Building (ca. 1961) perched in LAX's midst, but these days it draws as many Angelenos as fly-by travelers (including John Travolta, who had his star-studded birthday party here). The reason? A full makeover transforming the staid Continental dining room (whose best feature was a panoramic view over the runways) into a 1960s Star Trek set gone Technicolor. Outer-space lounge music dominates the entire place, and waitresses endure silver satin minidress uniforms complete with go-go boots. The menu features art-food, that L.A. specialty that focuses more on creating sculptural arrangements on the plate than culinary prowess. That said, the food is of the satisfy-all-tastes variety: roast chicken, grilled salmon, Angus steak, and so on. If you're stopping at LAX with kids in tow, not to worry -- Encounter's party atmosphere ensures they'll enjoy themselves without disrupting the ambience a bit. A travel advisory: At least come up and have a blue cocktail at the lava lamp-festooned bar, because quirky Encounter is worth an encounter.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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