If you have been through Lisbon International Airport, you have likely passed through their giant food court, and since I had some hours to kill while I was waiting (successfully as it turned out) for my mother to show up, I ended up eating at three of the restaurants there. One of restaurants at the food court was where I had lunch yesterday, so I did not feel the need to try it again. Another of the restaurants seemed to be an off-brand version of tihe one I had yesterday, so I didn’t end up eating there. Still another restaurant offered traditional Portuguese foods but all of them had pork in them so that was obviously a no go. The end result was that over the course of my afternoon I ate at the KFC, McDonald’s, and a place called GoNatural, which was the best of the three.

What made the meals somewhat distinctive is the way that restaurants tend to cater to local audiences when it comes to menu options. For example, McDonald’s offered a pea soup, which I had in addition to some Fanta and water (I was thirsty), while KFC offered a couple of chicken pieces with a drink and fries, nothing too remarkable there. GoNatural had the most unique menu of the lot–largely because I am not familiar with the place–and I ended up having potato soup, water, and chicken with rice and vegetables, which hit the spot even if it didn’t end up as filling as I would have preferred. Still, it was good overall.

When you go to the food court in Lisbon International Airport, it’s pretty obvious what you are going to get. You’re going to get options that range from traditional American ones with a local flair to local Portuguese restaurants to more traditional bakery fare. The choices are not exactly endless, but at the same time they certainly tread on familiar ground. If there is nothing on this list that is particularly appealing to you, you might have a tough time looking for food in this airport, though, at least as far as I have been able to see. If you do like this place, though, you will likely be sitting in a large space with hundreds of other hungry travelers.