I want to meet a friend at LAX for a meal before taking a flight out. Are there any restaurants that are outside the security screening checkpoints (my friend is not flying, so will not go thru security)? I can't tell from the airport maps.

I've always thought of the Encounter restaurant as a fun place. I've also had some very good food there.

http://www.encounterlax.com/

The Bradley international terminal has a few in an upstairs area, I once met a friend there for lunch when she had a long layover to Australia. Can't think of anything in the domestic terminals.

Thanks gigib and placename. Placename, do you think Encounter is casual enough for me? For comfort, I usually travel in sweats and hiking boots. Maybe I should give them a call and see if they have a dress code.

I doubt there is a dress code at Encounter, although if you go at lunch you might see some business types, but also lots of comfortably dressed travelers. And this is LA, after all. I'm not sure if it's as busy as it used to be when all the aerospace companies were in their heyday, but you ask if you need a reservation for lunch.

As gig mentioned, there are quite a few restaurants in the Bradley terminal, including a Daily Grill.

Here is the list from LAWA's website (LA World Airports!)
You can sort by terminal, TBIT is the international terminal, at the top of the horseshoe, where you don't need to pass security to reach the food court.

http://lawa.org/tenantLAXResult.aspx...&sindicator=qs

The Encounter Restaurant still had scaffolding around it last time I saw it, and their hours were limited. There were chunks that were falling off the exterior so they have been repairing it for a long time.

If you wanted to meet just outside the airport, Truxton's Restaurant is located a mile away on Manchester and Truxton Ave. Lots of free parking in the back.

http://www.truxtonsamericanbistro.com/

The TBIT is the only place that there are restaurants outside of security, but there is also a massive construction project going on there now. When we flew out of there a few weeks ago, the seating in the dining areas was limited as entire sections were taped off. There was also the noise and commotion of the construction workers blended with the noise and commotion of the international travelers. It's not a very pleasant place to dine right now.

I would opt for the Encounter Restaurant in this case.

The Encounter. Especially if you can get a seat by a window. You can watch all the airport activity from there. We went once in the afternoon, and it wasn`t crowded. We sat and ate peanuts and drank something, and it was fun!

I've always wanted to go there -- I thought it was closed for a remodel! But, yes, what everyone else says, none of the domestic termnals have a place to have a meal outside the security area, and the only way you can get into the security area (other than having a ticket) is to assist a passenger (such as a disabled passenger, or a minor).

Encounter has reopened for a while. Most of the scaffolding is gone - and if there's any remaining, it won't obstruct your view.

Don't worry about dress code. This is Southern California.

Your alternatives to Encounter and those in the TBIT are the restaurants in the various LAX hotels with free shuttle.

Thank you everyone for your ideas. I think we'll try the TBIT food court first and if it is too crowded, then call the Encounter. It will be around dinner time, but we have plenty of time, so we'll see how it goes. But the thought of going off airport makes me nervous!