LAX- dining
 

i may be stuck here for one night- anywhere to eat around the hotel area that's pretty good???

I'm assuming you're staying where all the hotels are located? If so, unless you have a car, there's really nothing in that area.

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Besides an outpost of Don Shula's steakhouse chain, Shula's 347, in the Sheraton Gateway, you will be stuck with fast-food or hotel eateries, all pretty bad.

In nearby El Segundo, however, the Second City Bistro on Richmond is wonderful. There's a Fleming's at Rosecrans and Douglas, and other upscale choices up and down Rosecrans. Manhattan Beach isn't much farther south, and there are other great places there.

If you go north, you're hitting Venice Beach and Marina del Rey, and that offers up possibilities like Joe's, Café del Rey, jer-ne, etc. It all depends on if you're willing to spring for cab fare or a rental car.

I'm not sure which "hotel area" that you are talking about. If it's the Century Blvd area, it is not a very pleasant place to walk around-- not that there is a decent restaurant to walk to. If it is the El Segundo area, then you will be in an office-park environment.

Some LAX area hotels offer shuttles to Manhattan Beach. If yours does, grab it! If not, it would be well worth the cab fare to get to either Rosecrans, Manhattan Village mall or downtown MB.

The Rosecrans corridor offers many choices, chains & independents: Flemings, Il Fornaio, Daily Grille, McCormack & Schmicks, Cozymels, Houstons, Johnny Rockets, Lido, PF Changs and many more.

In the mall complex: http://www.shopmanhattanvillage.com/

If your shuttle (or cab) continues to downtown MB, near the pier there are several more good restaurants (Fonz's, Avenue, Mangiamo )and unique shops.

The Proud Bird, an L.A.X. staple for about as long as LAX has been LAX has pretty decent food and a rather great ground view of planes landing.

You could also take the shuttle back to LAX and go to Encounter, the futuristic restaurant in the center of the airport.